The Gaps in F r i e n d s h i p

by Arcanum -Phantasy

Rating: teen
Tags: Fluttershy (EqG), Drama, Pinkie Pie (EqG), My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Romance, Equestria Girls, Sunset Shimmer, Lightning Dust, Derpy Hooves
Length: 290699

Now that Anon-a-Miss has been defeated, Sunset is ready to move forward with her new friends. New misadventures follows her and her crew as the past meets the present. Can Sunset help fill the gaps around her friends?

Now that Anon-a-Miss has been defeated, Sunset is ready to move forward with her new friends. Too bad the past doesn't want to leave her be. New misadventures follows her and her crew as the past meets the present. Can Sunset help fill the gaps that have formed around her friends hearts? Or will the shackles of past sins drag everyone down? And what of the CMC? Will guilt lead them to do something that can never be taken back?

Published 2018-12-14 06:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-01-13 04:10:31 UTC

Ch.2 Lost and Searching

There were few things that Discord hated. It wasn't that nothing got under his hide, he merely felt that such things were a waste of time for beings like himself. However, he did occasionally find things that made his blood boil from time to time. This was one such occasion as he stood beside Celestia's bed. Early morning light shinned on the dejected Solar Alicorn laying with blank amethyst eyes locked on the ceiling. He hated seeing her like this, even after what she put him through a few days ago. At least then she didn't seem so dead to the world. As it stood, he would've much rather had Celestia trying to kill him over the state she was in now.

"Tell me Discord," Celestia said, voice fragile. "Am I a good pony?"

The Chaos Lord raised a brow, not sure were this conversation was headed.

"Better than most," he shrugged.

Celestia nodded, still staring at the ceiling.

"I was going to kill them. I was going to kill every single one of them. I had always tried to find the most peaceful way to resolve problems of state and citizen only resorting to violence when it was absolutely necessary. Three foolish children almost made me destroy an entire world. They almost made me a murderer. And I wouldn't've batted an eye. Tell me Discord. Am I really a good pony?"

He had no answer for her. The Lord of Chaos was helpless before the Princess' self-loathing. Yet another thing he hated. Frowning he snapped his fingers, disappeared, and reappeared in bed next to the numb Princess. Before she could protest, he pulled her into a tight embrace. She hesitated, then melted into her former enemy's hug, her head resting on his shoulder as tears started to flow.

"Their's no easy answer for that," he sighed. "You thought your daughter died. Again. Honestly, I'd be worried if you didn't loose it."

He waited for her to respond. To laugh. To snap at him. Heck, he'd even take one of her infamous hour long lectures. All he got was silence that was only disturbed by sniffling.

He sighed, then asked, "How many?"

"Huh?"

"How many foals have you had in your life?" he asked.

Silence, then with a shaky sigh she said, "Three. Sunset was the third."

"I see," he sighed, holding her tighter. "Not the most open mare in the world are we?"

She chuckled a little at that.

"When you have power over the sun, most stallions feel somewhat inadequate. But after Orion was born, I felt that getting too close to mortals was a foolish venture."

"One that you repeated," Discord chuckled.

Celestia chuckled wetly as a sheepish smile played across her muzzle.

"Even I have needs Discord."

"Don't we all," he smiled. "So was Orion as much a pain in the flank as his mother?"

"More so," Celestia smiled, eyes becoming distant as she gazed into the past. "He was the first Earth Pony to become Captain of the Celestial Guard. His skill with a spear was unrivaled by his peers."

"Sounds like a real Mama's colt to me."

"He was. And quite the mare magnet as well."

"What about his sibling?"

"Firefly wasn't born in his time," she frowned. "She was born a thousand years later. She was the fastest Pegasus of her time."

"Now were have I heard that before," Discord mused aloud, earning a light giggle from the mare in his arms.

"Rainbow Dash came from a good line."

"We better not tell her," he smirked. "If her head got any bigger, she'd never be able to get off of the ground."

"My thoughts exactly," she smiled.

For a moment they just laid there, enjoying each other's company as Discord did something he hadn't done in several centuries; choose his words carefully. What he said next could make things worse or better depending on how he said it. So, with a caution that he seldom let others see, he broke the silence.

"And how did you handle their...deaths?"

Celestia frowned and held him closer.

"Not very well. When Orion passed, I left management of the sun and court to Luna for three months. I didn't eat or really sleep the whole time. Food tasted like ash and my dreams would be filled with nothing but memories of him. Luna had to force me to resume my duties and forced me to confront my dreams until I regained enough of myself to function. With Firefly I wasn't much better, but Luna was able to spot the signs of my relapse before they could consume me. I grieved over them like any mother would, but I also tried to prevent the pain of loss from coming back."

"But then...Sunset happened," Discord sighed.

"Yes," she sighed. "And it was the greatest, and most terrifying moment in my life. I loved her with everything I had, but I was afraid of the pain that would come further down the line."

"So you kept a distance," he guessed, stroking her mane idly.

With shame in her heart, she nodded.

"And in a way, that made it worse when I thought she died the first time. The second I found out she had her journal, I tried to contact her. I spent days trying to get in touch with her, sending message after message. But she never replied, and I didn't have my sister to help me pull myself out my despair. But I did have one of her descendants to keep me distracted."

"A certain Twilight Sparkle I presume?"

She nodded.

"I wasn't the only one to have children, though my sister was a lot less reserved than me. That was probably why she was able to save me. She was used to the pain that came with a mother's joy while I was still new to it."

He nodded as he stroked her back.

"You aren't a bad pony," he smiled sadly. "You're a mother that controls the sun. And that's something that shouldn't be a thing."

"What are you-"

"As such, I think it's time for you to have a vacation."

With that, his tail let out a snap and Celestia felt her link to the sun shift away from her.

"What did you-"

"I can handle moving the sun for a week while all of the nobles can send their complaints to Lulu's court. The way I see it, you and Sunset have way too much time to make up for as it is."

"Discord I can't just-"

"Ah, ah, ah! I insist," he smirked as he pulled back enough to lock eyes with her. "Think of it as a Hearths Warming present from me."

She tried to find a reason to argue, but nothing came. No, that wasn't right. No arguments came that didn't amount to excuses. So instead, she gave him a small smile and a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you Discord," she smiled, then with a flash she was gone.

Discord laid there, stunned as he brought a hand to his cheek. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. For thousands of years, The Lord of Chaos took pride in always holding all the cards. Nothing surprised him. He was never caught off guard. He also never had a friend before he met Fluttershy. Firsts were becoming a common thing for him it would seem. As he stared at the ceiling, a single thought ran through his head.

I wonder how Sunset will react to all this?

***

Okay Pinkie, stay calm, she thought as she sat in the bathroom corner. No point in freaking out! Just take a moment and breathe.

Slowly, she took her own advice. At the same time she felt a small trace of joy over being able to breathe considering her former circumstances. That was the most terrifying moment in her entire life. She could feel it all. The cold sucking the life out of her. Her lungs filling with water as she begged for air. And the dark. That was the worst part. Seeing everything turn dark as she felt herself sink towards the bottom of Canter Creek.

"Okay. No more of that," she muttered, a shiver shooting down her spine. "Let's try to make sense of things."

She gave herself a quick once-over and was able to make a few simple observations. First, that she was indeed a small pink horse. Second, she was soaking wet. Third, with the exception of her jacket, she was completely naked. The last bit of info was concerning to her, but while examining her new body she discovered an interesting feature, a tattoo of an open zipper with confetti flying out on her flanks.

"What's all that about?" she mumbled, staring at her rear.

Suddenly, the door burst open revealing a teal Pegasus with a blond mane and tail. Though her face looked more green then teal at the moment. With frantic eyes and a hoof pressed against her muzzle she scanned the room, barely taking note of Pinkie just before she locked onto the toilet. In a flash she was at the porcelain throne, muzzle just short of drinking the water as the sound of retching filled the room. Pinkie watched with morbid fascination as the Pegasus proceeded to empty her stomach into the toilet, not entirely sure if it was normal or healthy for a Pegasus to puke for five minutes straight. What she was able to glean was that butt markings were normal for whatever type of horse she and the poor creature were. The one in front of her was sporting a pair of tornados with lightning bolts crossing through them on her flanks.

"Ugh, god that was hell," the Pegasus groaned as she staggered away from the toilet. "I think I lost ten pounds."

After flushing the toilet, she made her way over to the sink and turned it on. She quickly sucked in a mouthful of water and swished it around a bit before spiting it into the drain. As she turned off the sink, she glared at her own reflection.

"Never again Lightning. You are never going to drink again!"

She instantly cringed at the sound of her own voice.

"Ugh! Fucking hell. Why do people put themselves through this? Why?"

With that, she staggered out of the open bathroom door, a small stream of swears trailing behind her.

"Lightning Dust?" Pinkie gasped, staring out the still open door. "But...how? Why was she a horse?"

She glanced down at herself.

"Why am I a horse?"

Knowing that she wasn't going to get any answers here, she stood up and tried to walk towards the door. The only problem was that she tried to walk like a human. With a startled yelp, she fell backwards into the still filled tub taking the curtains with her on the way down.

This is going to take some getting used to, she thought bitterly.

***

Celestia walked with a bit more pep in her step as she strolled through the castle. While she was more than willing to let Discord and Luna handle the many dramas of the Solar Court, there were a few things she wanted to handle herself before enjoying Discord's present. Three things to be exact. As she closed in on one particular room, her elation dampened. Within, she heard one female voice and faint traces of three other voices along with a few thuds. Assuming a neutral mask, she opened the door and stepped in. She was in an empty twenty-by-twenty square room normally reserved for storage. The white walls and marble floors reflected the lights from the various fixtures built into the walls as she acknowledged the four ponies in the room. One was a gray Unicorn mare with a black mane and tail and a black quill for a Cutie Mark, while the others were a set of fillies that left a less than stellar impression on the Solar Princess.

"Good morning Raven," Celestia said, stepping towards the group. "How are you today?"

"Well your highness, thank you for asking," the mare said with a bow. "To what do I owe this meeting?"

"I'm sure you can guess," she said, glancing at the three fillies struggling to walk ten feet away. "How goes their progress?"

Raven turned towards the three fillies, a faint narrowing in her eyes slipping past her mask of professionalism. Naturally, as Celestia's personal aid Raven Quill was briefed on the situation surrounding the three fillies. It was because of her dedication to professionalism and efficiency that she was chosen to be their watcher and physical therapy coach. Though even a mare as grounded as her couldn't help but feel anger towards the three. Not enough to do anything rash, but more than enough to keep her from sympathizing with them. As such, she didn't offer them any real kindness when they fell or otherwise struggled with their new bodies. She gave them advice on how to reduce the chances of hurting themselves, but that was as far as her compassion went.

"Slow. It seems they are having some difficulty adapting to their bodies. Even with the advice your daughter gave her allies. From the way they are moving, balance appears to be a defining issue, but I feel that their may be more to it."

"How so?"

"Simple," she frowned. "They seem to be unwilling to improve."

Celestia stared at her aid, brow raised.

"Come again?"

Raven turned towards her ruler and frowned.

"Normally, when somepony tries to perfect a skill there will be a deviation from previous attempts. Whether it be an advancement or backslide in progress, the iteration will always change. They have been at the exact same point of progress for the past three hours."

"I see," she frowned. "Any reason for that?"

"I have my theories," Raven sighed. "But I feel that the most probable is self-flagellation."

Celestia's eyes widened slightly at that.

"And you haven't tried to stop them?" she asked, a hint of incredulity coloring her tone.

"Of course I have, your highness," Raven said, an irritated huff slipping past her muzzle. "I may not think favorably of them, but I don't desire the harming of foals. But there is only so much I can do."

She locked her ruby eyes with her Princess's amethyst ones and with an executioner's finality said, "If they are unwilling to learn, I can't teach."

"I see," Princess Celestia sighed as she turned towards the staggering fillies. "Perhaps it is time for you to take a break."

Raven tilted her head in confusion at the sudden turn in their conversation.

"Your highness?"

"Go on. I can keep an eye on them while you're gone."

Understanding slowly crept into Raven's features. A faint smile graced her muzzle as she gave her ruler a nod.

"As you wish, your majesty."

With that, she saw herself out leaving the three fillies at the mercy of the Princess of the Sun. With cold indifference she approached them, her stomach twisting the closer she got. Not helping were all of the visible bruises covering them. It was clear Raven wasn't exaggerating and from what she could see, her theory held some water. Once she was about five feet away from them, she cleared her throat to get their attention. They turned and froze when they saw the shin of her forelegs, only moving their heads as they struggled to make eye contact with her.

"Y-Yes your majesty?" Sweetie asked, trembling.

Celestia fought her more maternal urges as she saw the fear in Sweetie's eyes. Instead, she decided to cut strait to the point.

"Why are you sabotaging yourselves?"

"Wh-what do yah mean?" Applebloom asked.

"My aid is not stupid," she answered flatly, making the fillies flinch. "Nor am I. So don't lie to me. Tell me why you are making things harder for yourself. Now."

The three fillies trembled before the mammoth pony, each struggling to find the nerve to answer her question. Eventually, Scootaloo found it though she secretly wished she hadn't

"W-We wanted to make it even," she stammered.

"By harming yourselves?" Celestia frowned.

They nodded.

A pregnant silence filled the room as the Princess let the words settle. Her jaw clenched to the point of almost breaking teeth as she shattered the peace with a hard stomp of her hoof. Not hard enough to break the marble tiles, but enough to startle the fillies all the same.

"Stand straight!" she demanded.

The fillies quickly jumped to attention, doing the closest thing a pony could to a militaristic stand.

"Take ten steps forward!"

Though it was stiff, they once again complied.

"Again!"

Ten more steps.

"Again!

Another ten.

"Again!"

By this iteration of ten, they stood with their muzzles just an inch away from the wall.

"Now turn to the left!"

It was clumsy, but they managed to obey.

"Again!"

Again they complied, now facing away from the wall.

"Ten more steps!"

They obeyed, their stride more leveled this time.

"Again!"

Again, they marched forward.

"You seem to understand the basics," she frowned down at the stationary humans-turned-ponies standing before her. "You will repeat this until you make it to the next wall. At which point, you will turn from the right and repeat your progress. When you have mastered walking, Raven will teach you how to use your hooves. You will need to learn how to use them to finish your punishment. Next you will learn how to run. A castle maid needs to be quick and efficient and I will not have you slow any of my staff down."

A bead of sweat trailed down Scootaloo's forehead as Celestia's eyes drilled into hers. She could see the challenge in them, begging her to try and defy the Alicorn that towered over her. With an audible gulp, Scootaloo nodded an acton her friends mirrored as the Princess' gaze passed over them.

"I will be asking Raven for progress reports once a week, and if she tells me that you are not putting an effort into your practice, I will be the one to train you. If I hear about you hurting yourselves, I will get involved. Do you understand?"

Again they nodded.

"Good," she said evenly. " And keep this in mind. Atonement is not paved in pain, but acceptance of responsibility."

"W-What does that mean?" Scootaloo asked.

Still wearing a mask of calm, Celestia said, "Figure it out for yourselves. Now, walk!"

They quickly snapped to attention and obeyed, stopping every ten paces before resuming. Celestia watched them, all the while her own words echoed her own mind.

Acceptance of responsibility. Just how long overdue am I truly, my Little Sun?

***

The whole world felt like a spinning blur as Sunset laid. What was left of her senses told her that she was laying on the floor. That, or Twilight needed to buy softer mattresses. She was also warm. Very warm. It was as if she was wrapped in the greatest electric blanket in the world. A blanket that smelled like fresh vanilla and was as soft as silk. When she opened her eyes a blurry mass of gray and gold greeted her, the early morning sun reminding her of how much she drank the night before. Groaning in pain she berried her face into the gray mass, eager to hide from her mother's twice damned servant of evil. She was rewarded not only with shadows, but more of the soothing scent of vanilla. She let out a happy purr as she reveled in the moment of peace only for it to be ruined by a small giggle from the gray mass.

"Stop that Dinky. You know I'm ticklish."

Sunset's eyes popped open as she registered what was unmistakably Derpy's voice and just how close it was. Slowly, she raised her head and took stock of her surroundings. Like she thought, she was laying on the ground in the throne room only now it looked like a yuletide war zone. Countless plastic cups and food wrappers covered the floor with fourteen ponies, counting herself, knocked out on the floor. The only exception being Twilight, who was passed out on the Cutie Map in a less than dignified manner with a half-empty mug of cider standing next to her. That was another constant, as each pony in question had at least one silver mug within foreleg's reach. That was also true for her and the sleeping Pegasus she was cuddling just a few seconds ago.

As she stared at the adorable creature before her, a deep blush colored her muzzle. This wasn't the first time she saw her sleeping, but it was the first time she saw her this close. If it was even possible her new pony form was even cuter than her human one, curled like a cat with her wing blanketing Sunset's lower body. A peaceful smile graced her lips as she dreamed sweet dreams. Her mane was twisted into a messy bed-head that only added to the Pegasus' charms. A small smile joined her blush as she watched the mare sleep, all the while wondering how they ended up like this. A sharp pain shot through her head as a reminder.

Oh, right, she thought bitterly as she held a hoof to her head. Just how much did I drink last night?

A light groan slipped past her lips as Derpy started to stir.

"Ugh, someone kill the sun," she whined covering her eyes with her hooves.

"Good morning sunshine," Sunset smirked as Derpy pulled herself into a sitting position.

"Whatever, " she grumbled as she massaged her temples. "If I ever see another beer again I think I'll puke."

"I warned you," Sunset sighed. "C'mon, let's see if any food survived the party."

"I don't think I want to," Derpy groaned, staggering to her hooves. "I feel like I swallowed a gallon of printer ink."

"Trust me. Some food will make you feel better."

"If you say so," she sighed.

With that, the two mares traversed the battlefield of a throne room searching for anything edible. Much to their relief, a lone cookie survived last night's festivities which they split. The second the treat hit her stomach, Derpy was shocked to find that most of her nausea had faded away. Sunset took note of her friend's reaction and giggled.

"A pony's metabolism is different from a human's. If we get something like a hang over, we can recover quickly if we have something sweet."

"Cool," Derpy smiled. "But I don't think I'm going to make a habit of this."

"Good call," she smiled. "Do it too often and the amount of sugar you'll need to eat will get bigger too."

A groan from her left caught her attention. Staggering into the room with the grace a zompony, Lightning glared at the two mares.

"Do me a favor and shut up."

"Hey," Sunset frowned. "You're the one who challenged a heavyweight to a drinking contest. Don't give us any crap."

"Bite me," she growled.

"How about a cookie?" Derpy smirked.

"No," Lightning whined, falling to her haunches and clutching her stomach. "Don't mention food."

"You'll feel better," Derpy smiled.

"I just spent the past five minutes puking my lower intestine out in the bathroom. The last thing I need to see right now is food."

"Point taken," Sunset grimaced. "I doubt their would be anything sugary enough for you right now anyway."

Lightning raised a brow at that, only for a bit of movement in a corner of the room to get her attention. What she saw made her jaw hit the floor.

"Yo, take a look at this," she whisper-yelled as she pointed to the corner in question.

Curious, they investigated the corner. They were greeted by the sight of two sleeping Fluttershys. They laid intertwined with each other in perfect symmetry, forehead to forehead, with forelegs and wings wrapped around each other. They both had peaceful smiles with one showing a hint of fang as they held each other close. As the trio stared, Sunset couldn't help but question what led up to this. Not that she had any objections to it, as odd as it was in a cosmic sort of way. Though the pile of empty cider mugs a foot away from the pair gave her a pretty good idea how it got to this point.

"Hey, Sunset," Lightning whispered. "I think I just got diabetes."

"Ha ha," she said, rolling her eyes. " Still, I wish I had my phone for this."

"No kidding," Lightning smirked.

"Eh," Derpy shrugged. "I ship it."

Suddenly, the mirrored ponies started to stir, eyes groggily fluttering open. For a moment they laid still, eyes not fully processing what they were seeing. That changed when the Thestral of the duo's eyes widened. Her face quickly turned a bright shade of red and with a terrified eep, jumped to her hooves and ran out of the room. Never before had the phrase 'running like a bat out of hell' been more accurately personified then in that moment as the throne room doors slammed shut. Still groggy, Fluttershy pulled herself to her haunches and stared at the door before turning her attention to the three nearby mares.

"W-What happened?" she asked, bringing a hoof to her throbbing head.

Sunset smiled awkwardly then said, "Let's just say, you'll need to sort things out with my world's Fluttershy a little later."

"Oh?" she asked, only for something to seemingly click into place in her head and her face broke out into a massive blush a second later. "Oh. Right."

A chorus of groans started to fill the room as the rest of the ponies in the room started to come to.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Octavia groaned as she staggered to her hooves.

"I'll Tell you later," Sunset sighed. "But first, who wants breakfast?"

Twilight and her friends all raised a hoof while the remaining foreigners gave her the evil eye. Well, most of them at least.

"I'm game," Vinyl beamed, sauntering over towards Sunset's group.

Sunset stared at her in shock. She knew that the DJ had a few drinks last night. Not anywhere near as many as Lightning, but more than enough to feel it in the morning. Yet the mare was acting as if nothing happened.

"Vinyl? How come you're not-"

"Hungover?" Vinyl smirked. "Sunset, I work at a club and live with a bunch socialites. Do you really think I've never had a drink or two?"

"It's true," Octavia frowned as she stood next to Vinyl. "Though she does pace herself while in proper company."

"Hey! C'mon sis," she smirked, giving the grey mare a playful hip-check. "Like I said, a couple drinks here and there. Don't go making them think I'm some lush or something."

"You drank twenty mugs of cider last night," Sunset deadpanned.

"And Lightning drank fifty," Vinyl shrugged. "You're point?"

Lightning let out an agonized groan as memories of what her actions led to just a few minutes ago flashed through her mind.

"Don't remind me," Lightning groaned. "I'm never going to look at cookies the same way ever again."

Vinyl laughed and walked over to her nauseous friend.

"Hey, don't worry," she smirked, throwing a foreleg over her shoulders. "You just need to build a tolerance. A few more parties like last night and you'll put Rainbow under the table in no time."

"Ha! Fat chance of that!" Rainbow cheered, pulling herself out of a nearby three foot tall pile of mugs. "Nopony can take my cider crown."

"Except Pinkie," Applejack smirked as she joined the group, not a trace of last night's wear-and-tear present in her features.

Rainbow scratched the back of her head sheepishly then said, "Yeah, okay. She could probably take it."

"What's her limit?" Vinyl asked.

"I don't think she has one," Twilight frowned as she staggered towards the growing group.

"Really?" she asked. "What makes you say that?"

"Long answer; she consumes so much sugar on a daily basis that her body naturally metabolizes alcohol at a hypersonic scale. Thus, preventing her from getting drunk in the first place. In short, she's Pinkie Pie. Nature doesn't apply."

Vinyl wanted to press for a better explanation, but Twilight's flat stare told her that such an inquiry would be futile. Instead, she decided to change topics to something a little less confusing.

"So what's for breakfast," she smiled.

"I think Spike said he was going to be making pancakes with honey today," Twilight said, putting a hoof to her chin in thought as she stared at a nearby window. "In fact, he should be ready in a few minutes if I'm reading the sun right."

"Awesome!" she cheered. "Lead the way Princess!"

With a smile, she guided the herd of mares out of the throne room towards the dinning room. It was as they all filed out of the room that Octavia noticed something was missing.

"Where's Pinkie Pie?" she asked.

"Probably in the bathroom," Lightning sighed as she moved towards the door. "That's the last place I saw her."

"Okay?" Octavia said, brow raised as she fallowed her friend out of the room. "Why were the two of you in the bathroom together."

"We decided to try pony-style while you were all knocked out," she deadpanned before exclaiming, "What the hell do you think was happening?!"

Octavia cringed both at the volume of her voice and rancid breath she sent her way with her declaration.

"I see," she grimaced, trying to ignore the smell of vomit in the air. "That's good to know. Maybe later I could have a talk with her."

"About what?" Lightning asked.

"Nothing in particular," she shrugged. "She interests me. She's so similar to our Pinkie yet I noticed a few key differences between them last night."

"Like?"

"This one seems a bit more empathetic than ours," she replied, brows scrunched in thought. "She also seems to be more grounded in comparison. But above all else, she seems a lot more loyal to her ideals."

"What do you mean?" Lightning frowned in confusion.

"Both Pinkie's claim to want to make people happy, but were our's seems to do it for herself, this one does it for others. That is, if what I saw last night and what Vinyl's told me are accurate anyway. I won't know for sure until I have a one-on-one conversation with her."

A moment of silence passed between the two mares as Lightning mulled over what Octavia told her, then with a weary sigh said, "Whatever. If you want to talk to her, go ahead. I won't stop ya'. Just know I've got an ice pack and whatever counts as Aspirin here waiting for ya'."

"Thanks," she laughed, than took on a more serious expression. "And good luck with this Rainbow Dash. I know you are feeling conflicted about her and the others. We all are in our own ways."

"Yeah," she said softly, thinking about how far south things went the day before. "I still want to be friends with her, ya' know?"

"I know, love," she frowned. "You two were friends since Junior High. it would be odd if some part of you didn't. I still feel an urge to patch things up with Rarity from time-to-time, but there is no way I would betray Sunset like that."

"No kidding," Lightning growled. "She doesn't deserve that."

They walked in silence the rest of the way to the dinning room, which was shattered by an excited cry from Lyra when she saw a purple and green lizard setting a table. Poor Spike had only enough time to blink before a mint Unicorn had him in her hooves, a manic grin plastered across her muzzle as she held him over her head.

"A Dragon! Oh my god! An honest to god Dragon!"

She turned towards the stunned group of ponies, terrified Dragon still held in the air.

"Bonbon! Look! A Dragon!"

"Yes Lyra," she groaned. "It's a Dragon. Now could you please put him down before we see if Unicorns are fireproof or not."

Realization seemed to hit both of them as Lyra slowly turned her head towards Spike, who leveled a flat glare at her. Slowly, she lowered him to the ground and sheepishly dusted off some dirt on his shoulders before scrambling towards her friends. With an annoyed huff, he waked back towards the kitchen to get another plate of pancakes. An awkward silence dominated the room as all ponies present took a seat at the table, Sunset set between Lightning and Derpy while Twilight sat across from her with a nervous Rarity and a fidgety Fluttershy flanking her. Between the embarrassment felt from the former humans courtesy of Lyra's antics and the lack of real common ground from the Equestrians, nopony knew what to do to break the ice. It wasn't until Bonbon took a bite of her pancakes that the silence was finally broken.

"Oh my god," she gasped as she took another bite. "These are amazing!"

"Really?" Lightning asked, cautiously giving her breakfast a nibble.

Her eyes widened before turning her nibble into a savage chomp. Tears started to flow down her face as she wolfed down her food.

"I take back everything I said about Dragons," she sniffled as she wiped away her joyous tears. "You rock Dragon dude!"

"Uh, thanks?" he said, not sure how he was supposed to take that comment.

The Equestrians gave Sunset a questioning look.

"Don't ask," she sighed as she cut up her food with a knife and fork held in her magic.

"It's an inside joke," Lyra chuckled sheepishly. "Unless you guys have video games here, you wouldn't get it."

Looking a little confused, the Equestrians decided to drop it and resume their eating.

"This really is good," Derpy whispered as she bit into her food. "Remind me to ask the little guy for the recipe later."

"No problem," Sunset giggled, then added in a tone just loud enough for her friends to hear, "His name is Spike by the way."

With the ice officially broken the group started to exchange stories about their exploits, the only interruptions being Sunset explaining things to Twilight's friends that were foreign concepts to them such as televisions and cars. It was right around the time Bonbon was talking about how she accidentally added salt instead of sugar to a batch of her namesake when Sunset felt a surge of magic closing in on them. She had just enough time to cover Derpy's good eye and Lightning's face with a hoof before a massive flare of light filled the room, blinding all who weren't prepared. A second later, Princess Celestia stood by the table just a foot away from Sunset.

"Good morning my little ponies!" she cried, the biggest, brightest smile she could manage spread across her muzzle.

All the Equestrians in the room bowed while the humans-turned-ponies not protected by Sunset let out groans of pain as they tried to blink the stars out of their eyes. Not even Vinyl's glasses could protect her from the Solar Princess' grand entrence.

"Is that normal?" Lightning asked as she pushed Sunset's hoof out of her face.

"Nope," she laughed. "But that's Equestria for you."

***

Pinkie watched through a gap in the door to the dinning room, barely able to understand what she was seeing. Thirteen candy colored ponies sat at a table talking and eating pancakes like nothing strange was happening. After she figured out how to work her new body, she decided to try to figure out where she was. She had to part with her soaked trench coat due to it literally dragging her down, but that was small sacrifice if it meant gathering information. Hopefully by the time she made it back to it, it would be dry enough to wear again. She stared at the ponies in the room and shock was slowly replaced by confusion. The way the ponies acted and talked reminded her of her friends back home, only something about them seemed different. She just couldn't place her finger (or hoof) on what it was. But out of all of them, the light orange Unicorn with the red and gold mane held her attention the most. Her voice. Her mannerisms. Everything about her brought Pinkie back to how things use to be before Annon-a-Miss tore everything apart.

Sunset! she thought, a strong yearning growing inside her to be at the Unicorn's side.

She reached a hoof out to open the door, only for a bright flash of light to make her pause. Once the stars left her vision, she saw that a new creature had joined the group. This was a white horse with a horn sticking out of her head and a pair of massive wings coming out of her back with a quad-colored mane and tail that flowed as if in an unfelt breeze. Though the creature was smiling, Pinkie could feel in her bones that this was something she should avoid at all costs. Trembling, she turned to walk away from the room only to be met by a set of half-lidded blue eyes.

"Hello me," Equestrian Pinkie said, an uncharacteristic frown decorating her muzzle. "What do you say we have a little chat."

Pinkie gulped as the fear she felt earlier doubled.

Ch.3 Silent Whispers

The cold burned. Applejack never new how much the winter season could burn before Anon-a-Miss. The gentle warmth of her family always chased away the bite of the snow. With strong bonds and unbeatable love, The Apple Family stood unmoving against everything. Just like the trees that filled their orchard. All of that ended when Anon-a-Miss' identity was revealed. In an instant, the family lost its warmth as the crimes of one of their own was brought to light. As she wandered listlessly through the snow covered orchard clothed with nothing but the bare minimum, memories of that day ran through her mind. She remembered the shock of hearing what Sunset tried to do. She remembered the fury she felt as Applebloom's guilt was shown to her and the whole school. She remembered the shame of being so easily fooled. She remembered the heartbreak of knowing that her sister wouldn't be home for a long time. But more than anything, she remembered how hollow she felt when she understood the meaning behind Lyra's words when she begged her for a chance to talk to Sunset.

"I can't say all that much, but you guys really fucked up."

Applejack let out a bark of humorless laughter at that memory.

"Understatement of th' century," she muttered as she staggered about.

When everything was said and done, she had no idea what to do with herself. With no school or lengthy list of chores to contend with, the farm girl had nothing to do to get her mind off of things. She briefly considered sneaking into the family cider reserve, but decided against it. Not only did she know that doing so wouldn't solve anything, she felt that she didn't deserve a release from this pain. For what she did to Sunset, she deserved to feel this way and so much more.

Sad chuckles slipped past her lips as tears ran down her cheeks. So many dark thoughts ran through her head as she continued her aimless march that nothing else could be processed. Things she would've done to her sister if she hadn't been taken to Equestria after the assembly. How she would do anything to make it up to Sunset. How alone she felt now that her family was forever scarred by this travesty. How the cold burned like acid on her skin. How dead she felt inside.

She fell to her knees, her sad chuckling turning into a mournful laughing fit. She was angry, but she didn't know at who. She was sad, but she didn't know for who. She was in pain, but she didn't know if it was physical or emotional. All she knew was that she burned and that she was laughing. Slowly, her laughter and tears petered out, leaving her a kneeling wreck staring at the ground like a woman at the gallows.

It was then that she saw what stood before her; the Memorial Tree. At some point her wanderings brought her to this sacred part of the orchard. For the first time ever, she felt like a trespasser in the tree's presence. Like she wasn't a true member of the family. That fact alone made her tears return as she kneeled before the great tree.

The soft crunch of boots in the snow caught her attention as she turned towards the source. Standing roughly five feet away from her was none other than her tower of a brother Big Macintosh, a faint trace of concern visible on his stoic face.

"B-Big Mac?" she asked, voice a feeble, trembling imitation of its formal glory.

"C'mon sis," he intoned closing the gap between them and reaching a hand out to her. "It's too cold out for ya' to be out here without a coat. Ya' know better than that."

She nodded, staring at the ground as she took the offered hand. He lifted her to her feet with next to no effort and guided her towards the farm house. On the way, a faint part of her scattered mind had a thought that brought a chill down her spine. For the tiniest fraction of a second, she considered going to the bridge over Canter Creek.

All the while, just outside the view of the two farmers a shadowy mass slithered through the true shadows among the trees.

***

Everything was cold. No matter what she did, she could never get any warmth. Tea tasted like ice water in her mouth when it didn't taste like ashes. When she walked the streets, she may as well have been naked for what little good her expensive designer coat, sweats, and boots did against the unforgiving cold. Even now, as Rarity stood in the shower, water so hot it should've burned her, she shivered.

"Oh what's the point," she sighed listlessly as she turned off the water.

With a faint shiver, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. A faint haze covered her vision as she staggered out of the bathroom. Faintly, she wondered if maybe the wine she drank last night was still in her system, but tossed that out the window. She knew that wasn't how it worked. She had enough experience to know that much at least.

As she staggered into her room, her mind wandered towards the full bottle hidden beneath her desk. She frowned as she stared at it, a strange mix of longing and detest swirling around inside her gut. The temptation was there, like a giant leech sitting on her back draining her resistance by the mouthful and weighing down on her. But the hate that seemed married to it put a wall between her and the bottle. While the drink made her forget her troubles, it was only for a moment. Not long after, her thoughts would turn dark and twisted. A part of her that she kept berried deep in her soul would flow to the surface. It wanted damnation. It wanted to hurt those that hurt it. It was that side of her personality that tore the sheets off of her bed the night Sweetie was taken to Equestria. It was that personality that threw the comforter out the window. It wanted to hurt her. Her, and everything the sixth grader had touched. She hated that part of herself. She hated that such an ugly monster was a part of herself. It wasn't until she was standing before a wall holding her sister's photo against it with one hand while holding a pair of scissors like a knife in the other that her mind cleared the last time she drank, but by that time it already had several holes jammed through it. It was in that moment of clarity that she decided against using her old vice and to be safe, she locked the door to Sweetie's room from the inside and gave the key to her parents. But the tug of her old "friend" would always drag her to that bottle.

And so it was that Rarity, still wrapped in a towel, found herself holding the bottle of wine. Her hands trembled, from the cold, the rage she felt within herself, or the fear of what hid beneath the surface of her heart, she didn't know. All she knew was that she was a horrible person. A person that left a shelterless friend to make an unchangeable decision. A person that let her pride get in the way of her friendship with an incredible person. A person that wanted to harm her sister.

She knew the bottle held no salvation. She knew that it would only make her pain worse. She knew it wouldn't give her the peace she craved. That was why her trembling fingers removed the bottle's cap and she took a long pull. As the bitter drink slid down her throat, she felt her mind drift into a pleasantly familiar haze. She sighed in satisfaction, enjoying the warm fog for as long as she could knowing that at any moment it was going to turn into a frozen miasma as her true self rose to the forefront of her mind. In time, the warmth faded into the familiar cold that followed her since the day she realized her sins and the world turned black.

In what felt like a blink, she stood at the heart of her room, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hands. Her eyes widened as she took in what she was holding. It was a picture Sweetie had drawn for her when they were little. A crude crayon drawing of her and Sweetie Belle standing in the center of a glue heart covered in glitter with the words "Best Sister Ever" written with red marker. It was a gift for her on her eleventh birthday when the little kindergardener tried to find something to get her. Even with all the expensive gifts her parents had given her, this simple drawing was the greatest gift she could've ever received. It was because of that tears slid down her face when she noticed the small rip at the top of the paper before it slipped out of her hands.

The final nail in the coffin was a memory of the last thing Sweetie said that night so many days ago when she shared a bed with her.

"Sis, I love you."

"I-I-I love you too," she stammered, falling to her knees. "S-S-Sweetie."

With that, what little restraint she had shattered as her tears fell like rain, all the while a shadow slithered out of the room.

***

Empty. That was the only word Rainbow could use to describe how she felt as she stared at her bedroom ceiling. Dead also came to mind, but that didn't quite fit in her opinion. The day of the assembly ran through her head like a broken record, every detail of that day feeling like a punch to the gut. It all stayed clear in her head. Sunset's speech. The evidence against Scootaloo and her friends. Princess Celestia's punishment. All of it was so clear and perfect in her head, like her brain had become a video camera and was mocking her for how bad she screwed up. But one thing sent a chill down her spine. When Anon-a-Miss was revealed, she thought she would be angry. She thought she would be relieved that it was all over. Instead, she felt...... nothing. It was as if a part of Rainbow died that day.

Since then, everything seemed like too much effort. Eating, drinking, everything seemed like their was no real point to it. If it wasn't automatic, she would've wondered if breathing was worth the trouble. As a result, the normally energetic jock spent all of her time in her room shut off from the rest of the family staring at the ceiling or sleeping. At one point her father had to bring her food and force her to eat because she wouldn't do it herself. Even then, she didn't eat more than she needed to as the food had no flavor to her.

She knew this wasn't good. That being this numb wasn't healthy, but she just couldn't bring herself to care. Everything was just so gray and bleak to her. She hated it. A small part of her wanted to be angry with herself for being so weak, but couldn't muster up the strength to do it. Instead, her mind drifted to the dreams she had before the assembly after Lightning punched her.

For days, the dreams were the same; a blindfolded version of herself would yell and scream at her for thinking Sunset was Anon-a-Miss. Naturally, Rainbow was defiant towards her double and was absolutely positive that Sunset had gone back to her old ways, but then things started to escalate. The double started to get physical, slapping and punching her while all the while telling her to snap out of it. Soon, she started the dream tied to a chair with her double assaulting, her demands for Rainbow to get a clue becoming akin to begging. Eventually the double's demands started to sound desperate before the dream that scared her to her core came. Even in her lethargic state she could remember it clearly, and it sent a chill down her spine.

***

Rainbow was bound to a chair. Countless cuts and bruises covered her body. Her double stood over her, panting and blindfolded eyes glaring a hole through her. Her knuckles bled from their most recent "debate" as she scowled at the battered girl.

"Why?" the double hissed through clenched teeth. "Why won't you listen? Do you like being in pain? Do you want me to do this?"

Rainbow glared at the double, but remained silent.

Her double trembled with rage as she struggled to keep her arms at her side.

"Stop it!" she roared. "I don't want anymore rage! I want you to snap out of it! Don't you get it?! I can't protect you from her if you keep this up! If you don't snap out of it.....I'll have to leave you!"

"Then go!" Rainbow barked. "All you've done this whole time is hit me! How is that supposed to help me?!"

"BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE MAKING ME DO!!!" the double roared. "I don't want to hurt you," she whimpered, voice choked by barely contained tears. "But your treachery is rejecting me, and I don't know what else to do to make you see. Loyalty is my core. Leaving my host is the same as getting split in half for me. I don't want to abandon you, but if a better host comes I will leave regardless unless you come to your senses. And if I leave, you will be at her mercy."

Black trails of what looked like ink slipped past Loyalty's blindfold and dripped onto the ground as she stared at Rainbow, filling the bound girl with dread.

"You won't last against her," Loyalty said, voice an eerily calm whisper as her hands reached for the knot to her blindfold. "She'll twist your heart and hollow out your soul. She'll turn you into nothing but a shell of your former-self before she breaks you. Then, when your ready, she'll kill you."

As she said that she pulled the blindfold free, black fluid trailing from her eyes like wet mascara and walked towards Rainbow. The girl struggled to free herself from her restraints as her double approached, ice cold fear running through her veins. Once she was in reach, the double slowly and deliberately placed her hands on Rainbow's shoulders and lowered her face to be level with her own. Then her eyes snapped open, revealing eyes identical to Rainbow's covered with black blotches like someone threw ink into them.

"For the love of god," Loyalty whispered while Rainbow stared in horror. "WAKE UP!!!"

She woke up at that point, screaming bloody murder into the night.

***

After that the dreams went back to normal before her double finally changed color and left. Ever since, her mind was constantly at war with itself. Like something was scrambling her thoughts around and there wasn't a lot she could do to stop it. Now she felt empty, as if her soul had been scooped out and all that was left was a body that just wanted to function and nothing else.

Maybe the others will want to do something, she thought.

With a hollow sigh, she reached for her phone on the nightstand. After a few minutes of scrolling she found her friend's numbers and set the numbers into a group call. She wasn't all that surprised when Fluttershy didn't answer, but Pinkie not answering was something to raise an eyebrow over. She didn't think about it for too long though, as Applejack and Rarity answered.

"Yeah, Dash?" Applejack said, tone a little strained.

"Y-You called, darling?" Rarity choked, words slightly slurred.

"Yeah," she sighed, ignoring the tone of her friend's voices. "I was thinking of going to Sugarcube Café later. You want to come with?"

"Sure," Applejack said, tone shaky. "Reckon Ah could use the distraction."

"Agreed," Rarity sighed. "I-I really need to be somewhere else right now."

"Cool," Rainbow said, tone metallic even to her own ears. "See you all in an hour."

With that she hung up and forced herself into a sitting position. Sighing, she staggered around the room in search of anything clean enough to wear. All the while a black shadow slithered out of the room.

***

A world of complete darkness. That was the only thing that such a void could be described as, where the only sound that could be heard was the wails of the doomed as its inhabitants wallowed in the misery of their choices. Choices that could never be taken back as they laid formless and miserable on what passed for the ground in this world. One sole inhabitant was exempt from this fate for not only did she have a form, but she was in relatively good spirits as she stared at a shimmering tear in the abyss. From its light, the ruler of this forsaken world could be seen. She was a tall, slender woman with long, ebony curls trailing to the middle of her back and covering the right side of her face. Her skin was a deathly shade of ivory that accentuated her midnight black ball-gown. Matching elbow length gloves covered her hands and arms as she gazed through the portal. Her black lips turned into a cruel smile as her golden eyes with black sclera analyzed the three girls shown.

This was Lily's favorite part of her hunt. Nothing made her black heart flutter quite like tearing a person's heart apart. And they made it so easy for her! Just a twinge of self-loathing, a splash of broken pride, and a liberal helping of the ugly truth and these mortals become so easy to ripen. Of course, she had to be much more brutal with these three than she had been in the past what with two of her previous meals escaping her. Her smile faltered slightly as her grumbling stomach echoed through the void. With an irate groan she narrowed her attention onto the portal, shifting her weight to be more comfortable in her throne of lost souls.

"Not long now," she muttered, wiping a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth with her wrist. "At the rate the seeds I planted in them are growing I should be able to feed on them in about a week. In the mean time though."

As she said that she made a beaconing gesture into the surrounding darkness. A back tendril rose out of the "ground" and presented her with what looked like a black apple. With a wide smile, she snatched it out of the tendril's grip and took a savage bite out of it. She smiled blissfully as she savored the taste.

"Such sweet misery," she mused as she took another bite. "Not quite as tasty as Sunset's or Pinkie's crumbs, but delicious all the same. I can't wait to have all of her. I need to have them!"

She moved the portal closer, a wide manic grin of pointed teeth spread across her face as she stared at her prey drinking milkshakes together.

"Ripen them faster my seeds," she growled. "Let me devour them!"

It was then that she saw something that snapped her out of her hunger driven obsession. A red skinned woman with gold and orang hair wearing a light-blue blouse and dress-skirt approached the girls. As Lily only had enough surplus energy to make a visual portal she couldn't hear what she said to her prey, but she could sense a strange mix of emotions in them as she watched. Curiosity, Shame, Fear, but also relief and, most disgusting of all, hope. Lily felt her metaphorical blood boil as the woman talked to her prey, but it didn't reach the breaking point until she handed the girls her business card. The second the cards made contact with their skin, Lily's seeds let out wails of agony that only she could hear as all but a few fragments of them were obliterated.

Lily let out a wail of fury as she jumped to her bare feet, a manic scowl decorating her face as she glared at the woman.

"MY SEEDS!" she snarled. "HOW DID SHE DO THAT?! WHO IS THIS BIT-?!"

It was then that the woman turned enough to make her face visible to Lily through her portal. A deep growl built in her throat as recognition settled in her core.

"HEARTHS WARMING," she growled through gritted teeth.

Her rage only grew as the red woman seemed to stare at her through the portal, lips pulled into a patronizing smile. With a snarl of pure rage, her hand morphed into long claws and she ripped the portal to shreds once again plunging her world into pure darkness. Slowly, her rage melted into irritation as she struggled to get her hunger driven mind to focus. She took another bite out of her crumb to aid in the process.

"It's fine," she sighed as she took another bite. "My seeds still live, so she isn't as strong as she once was. All she's doing is prolonging the inevitable. I will feed. In the mean time, I still have enough crumbs to sustain myself until then. I just need to be patient. Patient."

As she devoured what was left of her crumb, she found that she was slowly starting to hate that word.

Ch.4 Gemini

Fluttershy let out a sigh as she stood before a now familiar guest room, plate of pancakes balanced on one open wing. Apparently, her human counterpart had decided that said room was going to be her shelter during her stay. She gulped as she stared at the door, nerves keeping her from reaching for the handle. It shouldn't be this difficult for her to do what needed to be done. Step one, open the door. Step two, give her the food. Step three, talk about last night. Step four, see what happens after. It was step four that made her so nervous. From what she could remember from last night, her counterpart was different from her in ways beyond just her tribe making the results of said interaction very difficult to predict. Not helping was the fact that she had very little experience dealing with Thestrals, what with how elusive the tribe can be even in the best of times. She let out a thoughtful sigh as the events of the previous night came to the forefront of her mind, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

***

The party was in full swing. Everypony was drinking and mingling with Pinkie being the most active as she passed out food to anypony that asked. All the while, two nearly identical ponies stood in a far corner of the throne room, enjoying each other's company in the pocket of calm they found in the sea of excitement that filled the room.

"You're amazing," Fluttershy giggled, red eyes slightly unfocused as she stared at her Equestrian counterpart.

"N-No I'm not," Equestrian Fluttershy slurred, lowering her half-full mug of cider.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded, taking a swig of her own drink. "You faced a crazy Moon Goddess, a Dragon, a Chaos God, a King, an army of bug monsters, a Minotaur, and a magic-eating Centaur. You. Are. Amazing."

"I was only there for most of that," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled bashfully, taking another sip of her drink. "I didn't do all that much."

"Says the girl who helped fill her world with magic," Fluttershy smiled, a bit of fang showing as she leaned into her counterpart's side.

The yellow Pegasus's face turned beet red at the contact, though it could've just as easily been because of all the cider she drank. Oddly enough, she found she didn't dislike the attention she was getting. Setting aside the fact that the mare near her was her from another world, she found that Fluttershy was rather easy to be around. She didn't judge her that much and wasn't afraid to be blunt when it was necessary. She also seemed bolder then her Pegasus twin, giving her affectionate nuzzles and hip checks. Though all that could've been the alcohol talking and the Thestral was more reserved then she seemed. Strangely enough, she wasn't too bothered by that either. If anything, the contrast made her more interested in the bat pony.

"I guess I am pretty amazing when you put it that way," she said, hiding her small smile by taking a drink.

"Unlike me," the bat pony sighed, looking into her mug with a frown.

"What?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, shocked by the mare's sudden drop in mood.

"I blamed my friend for something she didn't even do and then let her go off to go kill herself. Even after everything she did for us, I stabbed her in the back the second it looked like she went back to her old ways."

As she said that, tears started to fall from her eyes as she gazed at her reflection in her drink. "I'm a terrible person. No. A monster. No wonder I look like this."

As she said that, she gestured to herself before she turned her attention towards her double.

"But you, you're an angel. You stood by your friends even when things looked bad. A coward like me would've ran the second I had a chance. I'm so pathetic!"

For a moment, the two Fluttershys stared at each other, one with tears in her eyes while the other stared at her with concern. Then, before the Thestral could react her counterpart pulled her into a tight embrace. Warmth and the smell of wildflowers enveloped the guilty drunk's sharpened senses, calming her as her Equestrian counterpart gently stroked her mane.

"You're not a bad pony," she whispered as she held her slowly calming double. "Or a coward. Or a monster. Or anything like that."

"Th-Then what am I?" she sniffled, letting her rattled nerves settle.

"Somepony who's hurting, made a few big mistakes, and doesn't know how strong she really is."

"Wh-What?" she stammered, pulling back enough to lock her red eyes with her double's teal ones.

"I stood up to a Dragon, but you stood up to your friends. That doesn't sound like a coward to me. And the fact that you feel so bad about what you did and are willing to make up for it proves you're not a monster. You're a better pony then you think."

The yellow Pegasus could see the conflict in her double's eyes. She could see doubt try to push her words to the side, to call her a lier. But then, a small smile graced the Thestral's muzzle and she knew that her words had hit home.

"Th-Thanks," she sniffled as she wiped away her tears and gently pulled away from the yellow Pegasus.

"Your welcome," she smiled. "Are you okay?"

"No," she sighed, once again taking ahold of her mug. "But I do feel a little better."

"Well, that's a start, right?" she asked, taking her own mug.

"Yeah," she smiled, turning towards her counterpart and holding her mug out towards her. "Cheers! To new beginnings!"

"To new beginnings," Equestrian Fluttershy giggled, mirroring her double's actions and tapped her mug against her's.

While the native Fluttershy took a dainty sip of her drink, her bat pony version downed her drink with gusto. Much to her company's surprise, by the time she came up for air the mug was completely empty. With a satisfied sigh, she licked her lips and leaned into the shocked Pegasus with a wide smile plastered across her muzzle.

"I'm so happy I came here," she muttered, eyes half open and muzzle lightly reddened.

"O-Oh?" Equestrian Fluttershy stammered, face heating from the look her counterpart was giving her. "Th-That's nice."

Fluttershy giggled then snuggled into the nervous Pegasus' side, a content smile gracing her muzzle.

"You're so soft," she sighed. "Can I stay like this for a little bit?"

"Uh, um, o-okay," Equestrian Fluttershy stammered, not sure how to handle this turn of events. "B-But only for a few minutes."

Fluttershy let out a pleased hum and nodded as she let herself get comfortable. The yellow Pegasus let out an exasperated sigh as she stared out into the madness that was the party with a smile. A savage blush quickly spread across her face as she came to a very intimate realization. She was so close to her double that she could pick up her scent, a strange mix of pine and fog. It made her think of walking alone in a forest at night while a pair of red eyes watched her from the shadows. She gulped as she stared at the pony using her as a pillow, a bit of fang poking out of her wide smile. She could see it in the mare's physique that she was more than fast and strong enough, that should such a scenario come to pass, the bat pony would have her completely at her mercy. In spite of the fear such a situation would spawn, the thought thrilled her a little. Blaming the alcohol she let out a wistful sigh and stroked her companion's mane, earning a pleased sigh from the Thestral.

What is wrong with me? she thought, eyes getting heavy as she finished off her drink. Having thoughts like that about her. She's me, isn't she?

It was then that the world began to blur and the yellow Pegasus started to fall into a deep sleep, the smell of pine and fog the last thing she could remember before she entered Luna's domain.

***

If Fluttershy's cheeks got any hotter they would've burst into flames as she stared at the door to her counterpart's room. She took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves before making what felt like the hundredth attempt to reach for the doorknob.

Relax Fluttershy, she mentally coached herself. You're just bringing her breakfast. That's all. The poor thing is probably having a really bad hangover and really needs these. Just bring her some food and maybe talk with her for a bit if she wants to. Easy as that. You can do this.

With a gulp, she forced herself to open the door and step inside. Unsurprisingly, the room was dimmed to the border of true darkness to better accommodate its sole inhabitant, but that didn't unnerve the yellow Pegasus. What put her on edge was the silence. It was heavy, similar to the kind one felt when entering dangerous territory like the deeper portions of the Everfree Forest. Such a thing would normally fill her with fear, but it instead made her face grow hot with a blush. The source being a faint trace of pine and fog in the air that seemed to hang like a thin cloud of mist around her. As she quietly examined the dim room, she marveled at how something could sooth her while at the same time make her so nervous.

"Fluttershy?" she asked, briefly acknowledging the strangeness of using her own name to address somepony. "Are you here?"

A muffled whine beneath the bed was all the answer she got from the Thestral. With a sad smile, she walked towards the bed. After setting the plate down on the ground, she peeked under the bed to find a very unhappy bat pony. Her face was contorted in agony as she clutched her head, tears welling up in her closed eyes. Her ears were tightly folded against her head to block out any and all sound as even the slightest blip sent a red hot nail into her skull.

"Please stop," she whined.

"Stop what?" she asked, blinking in confusion.

"Breathing," she groaned. "Talking. Everything. Just don't do anything."

In spite of herself (literally), she couldn't help but giggle a little bit. She remembered her first hangover and boy did it hurt. Until she figured out how to fix it, she spent the first three hours the next day trying to make as little noise as possible. A simple task for her, if it wasn't for the fact that blinking felt like she stuck her head into a storm cloud.

"Here," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled, pushing the plate under the bed. "Eat this. It'll make you feel better."

She was going go argue that she didn't really feel like eating, but the second the plate was in sight her stomach demanded that she quit complaining. Tentatively, she took a small bite which quickly turned into a savage chomp as instinct took over. Never before had she tasted anything so amazing, something that became all the more enjoyable as her hangover started to fade. Unbeknownst to her, her counterpart had seen the whole thing, a strange mix of shock and intrigue settling in her chest. It was like watching a wolf devour its prey as the ravenous Thestral tore into the pancakes at a startling rate. When she was licking the honey off of the plate, she had to turn away before her blush made her face burst into flames.

"That was amazing," Fluttershy sighed, pushing the plate out from under the bed. "So sweet and fluffy. And my hangover's gone! Thank god."

With a happy hum, the Thestral crawled out from her hiding place and smiled at her double.

"Thank you. That was a huge help."

"Oh. It was nothing," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled, waving her off. "I'm just glad you feel better."

"Yeah," she said, with a content sigh only for an awkward frown to fallow. "By the way."

"Yes?"

"How much do you remember about last night?"

"N-Not much," she stammered, her feathers ruffling slightly as she blushed. "I blacked out after you asked to...um...lay on me."

"Oh," she blushed, her own wings starting to twitch as that particular memory came to mind. "Th-That's the last thing I remember too. So then we didn't...well....we didn't....uh....do it, did we?"

"WHAT?!" the shy Pegasus exclaimed, whole head a brilliant shade of red as she struggled to process what her double said. "Nononononononononono! We didn't!"

"Oh, okay," she said with a sigh of relief. "I just wanted to make sure."

She nodded, face still a little red as she tried to center herself. It was then that she realized how close she was to her counterpart as a faint trace of foggy forest graced her muzzle. This made it even harder to get her blush under control.

"Not that you aren't pretty or anything," she hastily added, seemingly oblivious to how her presence was effecting the yellow Pegasus. "I just wouldn't want to jump into something like that with someone I've just met."

"That's pine-FINE!" she exclaimed, realizing her error. "That's...fine. Sorry."

"It's okay," she said, brow raised.

It was at that moment that they both had the same thought as they remembered how they felt together just a couple hours ago.

I wouldn't be against it though.

"Anyway," Fluttershy started, clearing her throat. "What time is it?"

"Not sure," she shrugged. "I didn't track the sun before coming in here and if I try to now I might blind you."

"Track the sun?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion. "What?"

"Don't you use the sun to tell time?"

She shook her head in the negative.

"We used to, but now we use watches and clocks to tell time. Do you have those?"

"Yes," she smiled. "But most ponies prefer to track the sun. It's a little more convenient."

"I see," Fluttershy mused. "Can you guess how long it will be before sunset?"

Equestrian Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin in thought as she tried to come up with a rough guess.

"About five hours I think."

"Great," she groaned. "That means I have to find a way to keep myself occupied for five hours."

"Well. I could keep you company," Equestrian Fluttershy said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

Fluttershy's wings opened slightly as her own face turned just as red.

"Y-You don't have to do that," she muttered, trying not to stare at her adorable double.

"B-But I want to," she insisted, gnawing on her lower lip nervously.

"W-Well, okay," she sighed as she caved. "So how do you want to kill time?"

"How about we try to get to know each other?"

"Okay," she smiled. "Hello, I'm Fluttershy.

"Nice to meet you," the Pegasus smiled with a nod. "I'm Fluttershy."

"Likewise."

The two sat in silence for a moment only for it to be broken shortly afterwards by a shared fit of laughter as the craziness of their situation sank in.

Maybe, Fluttershy thought as she wiped a happy tear from her crimson eye. This won't be so bad after all.

***

Equestrian Pinkie panted, her hooves pounding into the castle's crystal floor as she pursued herself down the hall. Even with the fear she saw in her double's eyes, she didn't expect her to run. Normally, it wouldn't be so hard for her to catch somepony. Heck, she could even keep up with Rainbow Dash when she needed to. When you took into account how clumsily this Pinkie was running, she should've been able to catch her in a heartbeat. What gave her some trouble was that the pink pony in front of her seemed to disappear every so many steps.

Every time she came within forelegs reach, she would wink out of existence and reappear ten feet away still running. To make matters worse, her Pinkie Sense couldn't pickup on it, making it impossible for her to predict when it was going to happen. Meanwhile, Terran Pinkie was having a major panic attack as she tried to put as much distance between herself and her Equestrian counterpart as possible. With wide eyes, she let her instincts rule her as she ran through the castle's winding hallways. She didn't know why, but every cell in her body was telling her to run from her lookalike and the strange shimmers that appeared in her path was a way to do so. She hung onto enough of her conscious mind to know that moving through them moved her further away from her peruser, but her thoughts began and ended there as she ran.

Desperate to find an escape rout, she gave her surroundings a quick look over. All she saw at first were just solid crystal walls, but that changed when a window came into view. A smile graced her muzzle as she poured all of her speed into running towards the window. She didn't know where she was or if she was even on the castle's ground floor, but considering the alternative option she decided to test her luck. When Equestrian Pinkie saw her clone pickup speed towards the window, she doubled her own efforts. She didn't know why the other Pinkie was so scared of her, but there was no way in Tarterus she was going to let her jump out a five story window. Her heart hammered in her chest as she struggled to close the gap between them, praying to Granny Pie that the double wouldn't wink out before she could stop her. Time seemed to slow as both Pinkies closed in on their targets, each praying that they could succeed before it was too late. Just like before, just when Equestrian Pinkie's hooves came an inch away from grabbing the double she winked out of existence. Panicking, she threw the window open and looked down. Much to her relief, no pink ponies were plummeting to their demise. But that did raise a question; where did the other Pinkie go?

"Horse apples," she muttered to herself as she closed the window. "Now what am I gonna do?"

***

Pinkie let out a startled yelp as she landed muzzle first onto cold stone, silently grateful that her gamble payed off. Groaning, she forced herself to her hooves. Breaths came out in heaving gasps as she prepared to start running again only to stop short when she took in her surroundings. She was still in a castle, but instead of being made of crystal this one was made of standard issue gray stone. Everything was furnished in ancient trappings like she would see in castles from her own world, only most of the tapestries were heavily decorated with ponies instead of humans. If the twin thrones were anything to go by, she was in the new castle's Throne Room. Though calling it a "new" castle was a bit of a stretch if all the weather damage she could see on the walls was anything to go by. The air was as silent and unforgivingly cold as a tomb as she took in her surroundings, her breaths coming out as thick clouds as if she had gone back to her old habits.

"N-Now where am I?" she asked, exasperated as she shivered in the cold. "N-N-Never m-mind. I n-need to f-find someway to warmup."

As she said that, she rose to her hooves and started moving towards a passage to the left of the thrones hoping that there was something she could find to combat the cold. All the while, she hoped that her double didn't somehow fallow her here. She never wanted to feel that kind of fear again.

After a couple hours, she stumbled across what looked like a bedroom furnished with everything one would come to expect in such a room albeit in a much more ornate style. It surprised her how clean and fresh the furniture looked when compared to the castle itself, but that took a backseat when she saw the massive queen-sized bed at its center with a thick and fluffy violet comforter. She charged towards the bed without a second thought and wrapped herself in its soft warmth. With a blissful sigh, she curled herself into a ball in the fabric cocoon she built for herself. It was then that she realized how tired she was as a yawn forced its way past her muzzle.

"So tired," she mumbled, eyes growing heavy. "Just a quick nap. Then I can...can...figure out...what...to...do...next."

With that, she fell into a deep sleep completely unaware of what would be waiting for her in the land of dreams.

Ch.5 Family Ties

The room was filled with laughter, the Princess of the Sun flashing a wide grin as her Daughter did everything in her power to hide herself behind her hooves. While a part of her was glad that her friends were getting to know her a little better, she wished her mother would do it through her less embarrassing moments. Like how she was the top of her class in Magic Kindergarden or how she learned how to levitate things when she was two. Not things like the time she thought the toilet tank had a Dragon trapped inside and got stuck inside trying to get it out. Or when she sneezed and fired a laser through her mother's pet's cage. Probably the crème de la crème of all her stories was how things went on her seventh birthday.

"And then," Celestia smirked. "My Little Sun burst out of the cake, covered in frosting and said, "Mommy, where's the cream filling?" with the biggest pout I'd ever seen. The Chef is still trying to figure out how she managed to teleport in there without destroying the cake."

While Twilight's half of the table tried to keep their composure, Sunset's half wasn't so reserved. Octavia, Bonbon, and Derpy merely chuckled while Lightning, Vinyl, and Lyra were rolling on the ground in laughter.

"O-Oh god," Vinyl gasped between chuckles as she staggered back to the dinning room table. "Please tell me you've got pictures."

"Well, as a matter of fact," Celestia smirked, eyeing her blushing daughter.

"Please tell me you're kidding," Sunset begged, face still hidden behind her hooves.

Still smiling, Celestia's horn glowed and with a flash all of the plates vanished and in their place was an aged photo album that just so happened to be open. Dead center of the page was a picture of a light orange filly with a red and gold mane sticking out of the side of the central tier of a four-tier cake. Just as the Princess had described it, the little equine had the biggest, most adorable pout plastered across her muzzle. Half of Sunset's friends let out D'aws while the rest resumed their lung-breaking laughter now with Rainbow added to the mix. A loud thud from the table got the attention of everyone not laying on the ground as Sunset shifted from hiding her face behind her hooves to letting it fall onto the table.

"Are you okay?" Derpy asked, putting a hoof on her shoulder.

"Yeah," she sighed listlessly as she turned her head towards her friend. "But do you think you could help me dig a hole later? I suddenly feel like burying a body today."

"Your mom's?" she asked with a raised brow and half-smile.

"No, mine," she groaned.

"Oh, relax Sunset," Lightning smiled as she pulled herself back to the table. "Don't forget what happened to Fluttershy this morning. I think that's gonna top anything you did as a kid."

"Which one?" Vinyl giggled as she reclaimed her seat. "Ours or theirs?"

"Yes," Lightning replied with a knowing smirk.

"Pardon?" Octavia and Rarity said in unison.

"Let's just say, Flutters might like herself a lot more then you'd think," the teal Pegasus smirked.

With the exception of Derpy, Sunset, and Lightning, everyone at the table looked confused. That slowly changed when they thought about her words a little harder.

"No way," Rainbow muttered, a shocked smile growing on her muzzle.

"How does that work exactly?" Bonbon asked, bringing a hoof to her chin in thought. "It's not incest, right?"

"Technically, no," Twilight mused, mirroring Bonbon. "Though they look similar, they are completely different ponies. It would be like asking if two physically identical birds from different nests were the same bird."

"Ah don't know if that example works here, Twi," Applejack added, scratching her head in thought.

"I suppose," she sighed. "But it's the closest thing I can think to compare to at the moment."

"Fair enough," Bonbon sighed. "It's still weird though."

"Says one talking pony to another," Lyra shrugged as she retook her seat.

"Game. Set. Match," Vinyl chuckled. "But seriously, I hope they hit it off. Lord knows the girl could use a lucky break right now."

All of Sunset's friends and the two Alicorns in the room nodded in understanding while the rest of the ponies and Dragon in the room gave confused looks.

"Okay, seriously," Spike groaned. "Is anypony going to tell us what happened or what?!"

"I agree dear," Rarity frowned, slowly eyeing each of the foreign ponies in the room. "If not the full story then a basic summery would do."

"More than jus' 'somepony bucked up'," Applejack added, crossing her forelegs with a frown.

Rainbow nodded in agreement, frowning at Lightning.

Sunset sighed, then said "Right. Let's wait until Pinkie gets here first. No point telling this story now if I'm going to need to do it again later."

"What story?" Pinkie asked as she stepped into the room, seeming slightly winded.

"Excellent timing, dear," Rarity said, a flat look leveled at the light-orange Unicorn. "Princess Sunset was going to explain what happened to her in the other world."

"Oh! Cool!" she smiled, bouncing to the unoccupied chair next to the ivory Unicorn.

While she didn't show it, Sunset was floored by the apparent title given to her by her fellow Unicorn. Her? A Princess?

"I'm not a Princess," she said flatly. "I'm a HIgh Royal. While I may be on the top of the food chain, I'm only that in regards to the nobles."

"Oh, my apologies, darling," Rarity said sheepishly.

"Anyway," she sighed. " Now that everyone's here, I guess I can tell you all what happened."

And so, with a heavy sigh, Sunset told Twilight's friends what happened to her over the past couple of months. Aside from having to explain how the internet worked, there were no interruptions or questions asked as Sunset told her story. All the while the five Equestrians looked more and more mortified as she continued, then shifting into righteous fury as she got to the end. At least, that was the case for four of them. Pinkie was the only one to don a flat poker face at around the middle point of the story, her movements slow and careful as she used a knife and fork to cut into the plate of pancakes Spike served her, a far cry from her usual method of stuffing her whole stack into her mouth with her hooves. When Sunset finished a heavy silence dominated the room, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, and Spike looking ready to tear somepony's head off.

"THAT NO GOOD HORSE APPLE!" Applejack roared, shattering the silence like a sledgehammer through a glass window. "Let me through that portal Twi! Ah wanna knock some sense into that varmint!"

"I concur, darling," Rarity hissed, eyes narrowed into a cold glare. "I have a few, shall we say, words I would like to say to my double."

"I just wanna to deck mine," Rainbow growled.

A loud bang made everypony jump, Celestia included as Pinkie jammed her knife into the table. They watched her carefully as she picked up her plate, face still a blank mask as she carried it to the kitchen. Even when she came back, she was unreadable.

"Thanks for the breakfast," she said, voice void of any emotion. "It was great. Goodbye."

With that, she slowly walked out of the dinning room and out of sight down the hall.

"Sunset?" Bonbon said, voice shaky.

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared."

"We all are," Twilight said with a gulp.

Everypony and Dragon in the room felt a shiver run down their spines. A second later, Spike raised his claw and exclaimed "I vote we keep Pinkie away from the portal! In favor?"

"Aye!!!" everypony unanimously declared.

"Moving on," Princess Celestia said, clearing her throat. "I have a few questions for my daughter's friend."

As she said that, she leveled a knowing smile at Derpy who let out a nervous gulp under said gaze.

"W-What kind of questions?" she asked, smiling behind her nerves.

"Well, courting a High Noble is no small task," she said, cheshire grin growing on her muzzle. "Why, her father had to slay an Ursa Major to prove himself worthy of me. What are you planning to do to prove yourself?"

"Uh, um," Derpy floundered, mind torn between being embarrassed that she got found out and struggling to find a way to meet the mare's standards.

"Just kidding," Celestia chuckled. "I think saving her life is more than enough."

Then with a wink she added, "Just don't take too long to put a ring on her."

"Moooooooommmmmmm!" Sunset groaned, earning a chuckle from everyone.

"Hey, that reminds me," Bonbon said staring at the album. "What was your dad like?"

"Yeah," Lightning added turning towards Sunset. "I don't think you've ever said anything about him."

"That's because I never met him," she shrugged. "He died about a week before I was born."

"What happened?" Octavia asked, a concerned frown decorating her muzzle.

"Well," Celestia said, looking sheepish. "You have to understand. An Alicorn's passion is as fierce as it is powerful."

An awkward silence filled the room, only for it to be destroyed when Bonbon voiced what all of Sunset's friends were thinking.

"So in other words, death by snoo-snoo."

The Equestrians gave her confused looks while the Terrans burst out laughing.

"Damn it Bons," Vinyl sighed once she stopped laughing. "You beat me to it!"

"What's snoo-snoo?" Celestia asked.

Sunset gestured for her to lower her head and once she complied whispered into her mother's ear. After a moment, she nodded in understanding before resuming her original posture.

"I suppose that is one way to put it," she said with a light chuckle. "Which means that you had better be careful little Pegasus."

"H-Huh?" Derpy squeaked, a faint blush coloring her muzzle.

"Well, you know what they say about apples and trees, right?"

Derpy's blush spread to the rest of her head as the solar Princess' words sunk in. Sunset wasn't much better off as she went back to hiding her face behind her hooves. Celestia chuckled at the scene, happy to see that her daughter's suitor was just as much fun to tease as her daughter.

"In fact, maybe she should come and see the rest of the family," she mused. "I know Luna would love to meet her as well as her niece."

"Luna?" Sunset asked. "Who's that? Another Ascended Princess?"

"Princess Luna is-" Twilight started only for her muzzle to be gently sealed shut by a golden aura of magic.

"No~no~no~," Celestia said with a smile that oozed mischief. "Let's not spoil anything my dear Twilight."

The Princess in question only blinked owlishly for a moment before giving her former teacher an unsure nod.

"Now," she smirked, returning her attention to the nervous duo. "What do you say my Little Sun? Care to visit your old home for a day?"

"Well," she said, suddenly feeling awkward under her mother's eager gaze. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. What do you think?"

Derpy looked back and forth between Sunset and her smiling mother before giving an uneasy shrug and saying, " Why not?"

"Excellent!" the solar Princess beamed, a golden aura shining around her horn.

A second later, a similar aura surrounded the two ponies and with a flash all three of them were gone. For a moment nopony said a word as they tried to process what happened.

"Well now," Octavia said, breaking the silence. "That happened."

"What now?" Lightning asked, looking around the room.

"Well," Twilight said, locking eyes with her interdimensional guests. "I could give you all a tour of Ponyville if you want."

"Sounds good to me," Vinyl shrugged. "No point in visiting another world if we're only going to stay in one building."

"Magic road trip!" Lyra exclaimed with a bright smile and stars in her eyes.

"It's a tour Lyra," Bonbon deadpanned. "Not the starting point to Dragon Quest."

"Don't care," she deadpanned, then switched back to her previous state a second later with a hoof in the air.

"Onward! Lands of magic await!"

"Sunset's friends are so weird," Rainbow whispered to Applejack.

She nodded, then with a faint smile said, "Seem like a good bunch though."

"I agree darling," Rarity added sporting a faint smile of her own.

A series of grunting got everypony's attention as they watched Spike struggle to get Pinkie's butter knife out of the table.

"A little help here?" he grunted, pulling with everything he had with little success.

"I've got it Spike,"Twilight smiled, grabbing the knife with her magic.

When Twilight pulled a baseball sized chunk out of the table with the knife, a chill shot down everyone's spine again.

"So, Earth Ponies are that strong, huh?" Lighting asked, nervously eyeing Bonbon, Octavia, and Applejack.

"Pinkie's a...Special Case," Rarity said with a gulp.

"Uh huh," Bonbon nodded, face flat. "Again. let's not let her anywhere near the portal."

Everyone, Twilight and Spike's party included, nodded in agreement.

***

Derpy struggled to find a word to accurately describe how she felt about her friend's old home. Impressed was an understatement worthy of an award. Amazed didn't do the job either. Awe came close, but wasn't quite right as she stared at the glistening marble and gold that made up the twenty foot tall throne room she was in. Floored was good, but not quite there either. Dumbstruck was ultimately what she settled on as she followed the two native ponies, eye scanning her surroundings. It was like she was in some Roaman fortress back in ancient times, complete with guards garbed in golden armor with brush-like decorations on their helmets. The fact that the inhabitants were ponies instead of people did little to break the illusion.

Celestia spied her guest's reactions with well hidden amusement. To those outside looking in, she was a picture of majesty and grace. Should they take a peek in her mind, they would see an Alicorn dancing with reckless abandon with the biggest smile on her muzzle.

She's back! She's back! She has somepony courting her and she's back! Oh by the Maker she's back! I can only imagine the look on Luna's face when she sees them!

She glanced at her daughter and her inner smile faded slightly. The mare looked to be on edge as she cautiously observed her surroundings. She acted as if she expected an attack to come at a moments notice, body coiled like a compressed spring.

"What has you so tense?" she asked, making Sunset flinch.

"I saw that smile of your's back there," Sunset frowned. "That was your "pranking" smile. So what's the joke? Are we going to get to "Luna's" room and it's just going to be Raven with a glamor on her?"

The Solar Princess let out a small chuckle then said, "I assure you, my Little Sun, that your Aunt is very real. She just wasn't around when you were here."

Something we both have in common, she thought bitterly.

"Right," she groused. "And Derpy's the long lost Queen of Cantlantus."

"Well then," she smiled turning towards the still gawking Pegasus. "It's an honor to meet you Your Majesty. How goes the Hippocampi Kingdom?"

"Huh?" Derpy blinked.

Sunset let out a groan and continued to follow her mother.

Fine. If she wants to continue this stupid joke, I'll humor her. It's the least I can do, considering everything I did before I left.

As they continued to move through the glimmering marble halls a familiar set of grunts made the two nonAlicorns freeze. They turned there heads towards the sound and found a door no different from its ornate neighbors. The sound of small, unsteady hooves served as its only unique feature. Five seconds later, Celestia noticed the absence of additional hoofsteps and stopped to see what had caught their attention.

Sunset frowned at the door, then said, "That's were they're practicing, isn't it?"

Celestia nodded before she rejoined the group.

"Raven is helping them learn how to use their bodies. It will take some time for them to be capable of doing more then the basics, but according to Raven they should be able to carry out their punishment by the end of the week."

"I see," Sunset nodded, eyes cold as she continued to stare at the door. "I'm glad. The sooner they can get started, the sooner they can leave."

As she said that she shifted her gaze up towards her mother and sported a skeptical grin. "Now about that fake Aunt of mine."

Celestia sighed and continued to guide the two ponies further into the castle only to pause a second later when she saw that her group was one short.

"Derpy, are you coming?" Sunset asked.

"Maybe later," she said, eye still locked on the door. "I have a few things I want to check on first."

They looked at her, then at the door, a sense of unease washing over them.

"Come on Derpy," Sunset said, a sad smile gracing her muzzle. "It's over. We don't need to deal with them anymore."

"I know," she sighed. "But I still have a few things I want to say to them. Call it closure I guess."

A brief pause dominated the hall before a gold aura gripped the door's handle. Both of the shorter ponies turned their heads towards the Princess, shock covering their faces.

"Raven is as skilled a Secretary as she is a combatant," Celestia warned. "So long as you remain civil, she won't give you any trouble."

A faint smile graced Derpy's muzzle as she gave a the Princess a nod. With that, Celestia opened the door and the gray Pegasus entered the room. As the door closed, Sunset leveled a nervous look at her mother.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?"

"No," she sighed as she resumed her stroll down the hall. "But at least this way she won't tear the castle apart trying to find them later. I trust my aid to allow her her catharsis without causing any damage."

Sunset looked back at the door, worry plain on her face as she followed her mother.

Derpy, please don't do anything stupid in there.

***

The door closed with a soft click as Derpy walked into the room. With a cursory glance she was able to guess that the room used to be used for storage based on the inferior luster of the marble in the room. At its heart staggered the reason she was even here in the first place. Three fillies bearing the colors of the three girls responsible for one of the biggest scandals in their school's history were walking from wall to wall across the room. Though to call what they were doing walking was a rather generous assessment. Five feet away from the line the three fillies walked stood a light gray Unicorn with a black mane and tail. A black feather-quill with its tip dipped in an inkwell decorated her flanks. Her red eyes tracked the fillies with mild interest.

That must be Raven, Derpy noted. Hope she's really as tough as Princess Celestia says she is. I don't know what I might do to the little brats if it was just me and them!

Her jaw clenched painfully as she moved closer to the group, her anger growing by the step. By the time she was standing next to Raven she was silently seething. A bored sigh from the mare momentarily drew her attention away from the group of troublemakers.

"Take a breath," Raven said, face void of emotion as she watched her charges. "Otherwise I will have to ask you to leave. They already received a chastising from Her Majesty and have only just stopped hurting themselves. I don't want to have them backslide in their training if it can be avoided."

She glared at the aid for a moment then decided it would be better to follow her advice.

I'm not here to fight, she thought, taking a deep breath through her nose and slowly out through her mouth. I'm here for answers.

She repeated this a few more times until the raging inferno inside her dwindled down into a few small embers. Then with a much clearer head, she looked at Raven and nodded.

She gave the tiniest trace of a smile and said, " Much better," before she gave the three fillies her attention and yelled "Fillies! Front and center!"

The three fillies almost fell over themselves at the suddenness of Raven's order, but caught themselves at the last second. They quickly made their way over to the Secretary, none eager to incur the wrath of her superior again if they could help it. On unsteady hooves, the three of them stood shoulder to shoulder about a foot away from the two mares. It was then that she noticed all of the bruises and scrapes visible through their coats. A bit of concern came over Derpy as she took in their condition, but she quickly buried it. She could worry about them later. Right now, she had business to attend to first.

She gave Raven a questioning glance, who nodded to her unasked question. With a sigh she took a step towards the fillies, her face a cold mask that hid her emotions.

"I want to say this now just to make things clear," she said flatly. "I'm from the same world you're from and know about everything you did."

She saw the fear grow in their eyes at that, but ignored it and continued.

"You really have no idea how lucky you three are. I've seen people get put in the slammer for the kind of stuff you did. Heck, you would've been lucky if that was all that happened to you. Not only did you push someone to suicide, you ruined countless people's lives and reputations. Do you think just because you got caught that all that stuff you posted is gone? Hell no. It's stuck on the web for anyone to see at anytime if they know where to look. But hey, if you three were willing to risk all that and wreck so many lives, it must've had some really great pay out. So I have one question for you three."

She leaned down to their level, her eye drilling a hole through them to their very souls.

"Why? Why'd you try to destroy Sunset? What did you have to gain from making her so miserable that throwing herself off a bridge seemed like a good idea?"

They stared back at her, eyes wide with fear.

"Well?" she growled.

"W-We were stupid," Applebloom stammered, shame pouring into her features.

"Oh, I know that," Derpy said, a trace of venom slipping into her tone. "I said I wanted to know why you three did this."

"W-We were scared," Sweetie added, trembling. "We thought Sunset was-"

"Ah for craps sake!" Scootaloo snapped, tears starting to run down her face. "We were jealous,okay!?"

"Jealous?" Derpy asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah," she muttered, anger replaced by shame. "Sunset was hogging everyone's attention and we felt left out. So we formed Anon-a-MIss to try and get them to spend less time with her."

"I see," Derpy frowned. "And the secrets?"

"Sunset was known for that kind a' thin'," Applebloom sighed, her shoulders slumping with the weight of her guilt. "It was the best way to frame her."

"It helped that she didn't have a lock on her phone," Sweetie frowned, voice sounding drained of life. "Just a little tweaking here and there and boom, complete access to her photo album."

Derpy was silent as she processed what she heard. The strength seemed to leave her hind legs as she fell to her haunches, her eye slowly widening.

"So you're telling me you put Sunset through hell because your sisters weren't spending time with you?"

"Mentor," Scootaloo corrected, looking away in shame.

A strangled sound slipped past Derpy's lips at that, her disbelief matched only by the incredible stupidity of the trio. This was the reason? This was the motivation behind everything? It felt like some elaborate joke to the gray Pegasus. Some sort of divine comedy laid out at her expense. As such, she couldn't help the mirthless laugh that broke past her emotional mask.

"The Princess was right," she sighed, lips pulled into a sad smile as she looked at the three fillies. "But even if there was no good reason for what you did, I was hoping it was a better one than that."

They flinched, but she didn't care as she continued.

"I should hate you for what you did. Heck, maybe a small part of me does. But when I look at you three, all I feel is pity. You had plenty of chances to stop way before shit hit the fan, but no, you chose to keep going. And now, look what it got you. You lost the trust of everyone who love you and have to live the rest of your lives knowing that you almost killed someone. Really, I can't think of too many ways someone could mess up more spectacularly then that."

The fillies looked like they were on the verge of tears, but still she continued.

"But you know what else? I feel I should be thanking you."

Their eyes widened at that, their jaws falling slack as they saw a sad smile grace Derpy's muzzle.

"Cuz as messed up as that whole situation was, I probably never would've met Sunset if it hadn't happened. So for that at least, thanks."

With that, she pulled the three fillies into a gentle hug, further stunning them. As she did she said one last thing, not with malice or spite, but genuine kindness in her words.

"You guys are gonna have a really hard time for a while. But know that no matter how bad things look, you will have people that love you. That's what family is all about, right? Even when they're mad at you, in the end they still love you. You just need to get them to trust you again."

When she let go of them, all three of them struggled to keep their tears at bay, but all of them held a small smile.

"You got that, right?" she sighed, staggering to her hooves.

They nodded, wiping a few stray tears from their eyes.

"Good. Now get through this whole pony thing and you can get started with your families. It should be a good start if nothing else."

Again they nodded, a bit more fire in their eyes.

"Good luck," she smiled, then made her way towards the door, a red glow from a faintly grinning Unicorn turning the nob for her.

***

Sunset stared at the walls as they navigated the castle halls, a scrutinizing frown marring her face. It was difficult to notice at first, but as she made her way through the castle she couldn't help but spot a few things that clashed with her memories of the building. It was normal that things would change considering how long she was away, but the scale was what surprised her. Whole new wings dominated what she remembered as simple pet projects her mother arranged for local contractors as a way to maintain the aging building's infrastructure. What few portions of the castle that suffered from her occasional magic flares when she was younger were repaired with stronger wards put in place. Even the castle's mana network felt as if it had been updated, allowing for a much more efficient distribution of magical focus for everypony it housed. In many ways, it was as if she was walking through a brand new building.

"Is something wrong My Little Sun?"

"Huh?" Sunset asked, snapping out of her musings and looking at her mother. "Sorry. Just taking in everything. It's amazing how much things can change in six ye-I mean moons."

A confused look crossed Celestia's face.

"Six? Sunset, I'm afraid you've been gone far longer than that."

"What?" she asked, eyes widening. "How long?"

With droop in her posture, Celestia looked into her daughter's eyes and said, "Thirty moons."

Her eyes wandered to the floor as they walked, things that felt unimportant at the moment suddenly holding much more weight as what they meant clicked into place. Chief among them was her journal back home, or more specifically the first hundred or so pages. For the first two months after crossing through the portal, the book was constantly glowing and buzzing as her mother sent her swarms of messages. The first few were written hastily and without grace, as if she was desperate for a response. As she turned the pages the writing became more fluid at the expense of the writer's hope. The messages were short pleas, begging the wayward High Royal to respond. It was a prayer that went unanswered. Unanswered for thirty years.

"M-Mom," Sunset said around a lump in her throat. "I-I'm so-"

A gilded hoof covered Sunset's muzzle and guided her face towards its owner's.

"I know, My Little Sun," she said, lips pulled into a sad smile. "And I am willing to forgive you if you are willing to forgive a foolish old mare for her own past mistakes."

Sunset gawked at her mother for a moment before she gave her a faint smile and nodded.

"Good," she smiled. "But let's leave that for another day. You have an Aunt to meet!"

As she said that, she stopped in front of a massive dark-blue door with moons and stars painted across it. With a wide smile, she shoved it open with a fore-hoof and with the Royal Canterlot Voice thundered, "GOOD MORNING LUNA DEAR!!!"

Unbelievable bloodlust oozed out of the open door as a set of hoofsteps staggered across the pitch-black room. From the darkness emerged a navy-blue Alicorn just a head shorter than Celestia, her mane and tail a mass of dark-blue mist spattered with flecks of starlight that moved in an unfelt breeze. Her dark-blue eyes were narrowed into a sharp glare as they locked with the grinning Solar Diarch's.

"Sister," she hissed, jaw clenched to the point of almost breaking teeth. "For the sake of all that is sacred in this world, you had better have a good reason to awaken us at your most unholy of hours or so help us you will never have a restful night again."

Ignoring her sister's threat, she gestured towards Sunset, the biggest grin plastered across her muzzle.

"Luna, I'd like you to meet Sunset Shimmer. Sunset, this is your Aunt Luna, Princess of the Night."

The two looked at each other, neither able to process what they had been told properly. Then her sister's words started to take hold, and the Lunar Princess' scowl was replaced by an excited smile. At that moment, for a split second every dog, cat, and Thestral in Equestria cringed as a happy squee only they could hear filled the land.

***

Pinkie walked, a heavy dread pressed against her back as she navigated familiar looking halls. She was human again, a fact that filled her with relief at first but quickly shifted to confusion as she took in her surroundings. She was back at the school and while things looked normal it didn't take her long to know that something wasn't right. It was the silence that did it. Not a single sound could be heard as she walked the empty halls. Not even her own footsteps or breathing could be heard. It was as if she had become deaf, something that sent a chill down her spine as she considered what such a possibility would mean for her. Another thing that filled her with dread was the realization that she was trapped. No matter where she went she couldn't find a door or window that led outside. She felt like a mouse trapped in a maze as she struggled to find a way out of her prison.

It was when her panic started to cloud her mind that she felt something calling to her. The sensation made her stop, not sure at first if it was just her mind playing tricks on her or if it was really there. It was faint at first, like a light tug on her shirtsleeve. But it became insistent the longer she remained idle. Seeing little in the ways of options, she decided to let the pull guide her as she resumed her journey.

Her mind was wrapped in a calming numbness as she walked, like a gentle fog was swirling around inside it turning her thoughts into a pleasant slurry. A drunk smile grew on her face as she took in her surroundings with glassy eyes. She wondered why she was so scared earlier as the pull guided her towards the school's gymnasium. Everything was fine. She was going to face her punishment and everything was going to be fine. It was going to hurt. She was going to die. Everything was going to be fine. Maybe the harvesting would be quick. Her grin grew more twisted as she reached out for the gym's door. It was going to be a good death. It was going to be fine.

When the gym doors closed behind her, the fog in her mind vanished. The dread she felt before came back with a vengeance as her eyes darted around the room. She could feel it. Something was here. Something dangerous. A wet snap made her jump, the first trace of sound she heard since coming to this strange world ripping through the silence like a beast's claw through silk. Slowly she turned towards the sound, head tilting up towards the rafters. What she saw nearly broke her mind. It was humanoid in shape, but only in the barest of minimums and massive. Roughly seven feet tall at the slimy black shoulders. Its body was bulky and composed of what looked like oil-drenched plant roots like some twisted reed woven doll with no clothes to obstruct its deformities. Its right arm was thick with muscle while its left one was a mass of writhing tendrils that dripped with inky-black slime. Its face was what scared her the most. It was feminine with milky-white skin. What should've been eyes for the monster were black holes with black slime oozing out of them like melted wax. Its mouth was a gaping maw with two-inch long needles for teeth fixed to a jaw that was a foot too long to be human. It stared at her, its long black hair framing its hideous face like a mangled Christmas wreath.

Pinkie was trapped in a vice of complete terror as she stared at the horror above her. She was going to die. There was no question about it. She could feel it as surely as she took her next breath. As the monster dropped to the ground with an earth-shattering thud, she knew that there was no point in fighting or running. This creature was death and now that it had her in its sights there was no escaping it. As it reached out to grab her she braced herself as best as she could for the pain that was sure to come. An effort that was put to waste as the creature's hand fell away from its wrist.

Both stared at the bleeding stump in shock for a moment, its black fluid staining the gym floor. Then the creature let out an earsplitting screech of agony as it took a couple steps away from her. Pinkie staggered back , mostly free from the fear that trapped her. As she struggled to make sense of her situation a sound caught her attention. A light chuckle filled the air, faint at first but gradually growing into a deep series of guffaws that shook the whole gym. Both Pinkie and the monster looked around the room, desperate in their own ways to find its source. Then it stopped and a cultured male voice echoed through the gym.

"My, my. I never thought I would ever find a Wraith Seed in my realm. How very interesting for me, but unlucky for you. You may have been the hunter where you come from, but here? You are prey. Rare prey, but prey all the same. But anyway-"

The voice paused then a shape began to form in the space between Pinkie and the Seed. It was faint, just a mass of violet mist, but that quickly changed as it took a more solid shape. The creature was feline in form, not quite bulky enough to be a tiger but not as lanky as a cheetah, though it did have the general size of the two creatures. Its fur was short with flecks of silver that sparkled like small stars with a larger spot on its forehead like a crest. Its eyes were a dark shade of blue like the night sky just before the rise of the sun and full of cunning. At its shoulders were a pair of pitch-black raven wings that seemed to swallow all of the false light in the gym like a void as they spread wide in a guarding fashion. The giant winged cat stared at the Seed with a playful smile on its joules.

"Please," the cat continued. "Entertain me."

The Seed let out a furious screech as it charged, tentacle-mass for an arm writhing in the cat's direction. With practiced ease, he dodged the incoming tentacles as the monster closed the gap between them. His confident grin stayed in place as he swatted the monster's bleeding stump aside with a claw, tearing away even more of the limb from the Seed. It roared in agonized fury as it tried to ram the cat, only to receive a claw to the face for its trouble. The two continued to trade blows, the Seed gradually becoming more and more damaged while the winged cat didn't even have a scratch. As a matter of fact, he never moved from the spot he appeared in at the beginning of the fight only knocking aside incoming attacks or tearing away whatever limb his opponent was foolish enough to send his way when he couldn't dodge. After what felt like an hour the Seed was reduced to a limbless mass of black vines, its face covered with thick gashes while it legs looked like hacked tree trucks. Its arms were gone, bleeding stumps the only evidence that they ever existed in the first place as it fell to its knees.

The cat let out an annoyed sigh as he examined his handy work.

"Is that all you have left? What a shame. I guess even a Seed fattened by magic can't take that much abuse. Oh well. Thanks for the fun, but now you must die. Good night."

With that, he turned away from the battered monster as a pillar of pure light burst out of the ground around it, a pained shriek filing the gym as it completely faded out of existence.

Pinkie fell to her knees in shock, jaw long sense lost the strength to keep it from hanging as the cat approached her.

"My my," he said, an impish smile coloring his face as he slowly circled her. "You're certainly a first. Just what kind of pony would dream of being a creature like you?"

"Pony?" she asked dumbly as she followed the circling feline. "Dream?"

"Ah, I see. You're not quite lucid yet. Let's see if we can fix that."

A small ball of light drifted off of the cat's tail and flew into Pinkie's forehead. A second later, she blinked and seemed a lot more aware of her surroundings. The cat's smile grew at her sudden lucidity, seeming to revel in how mesmerized she was by his presence.

"Now, show me what you really look like pony."

"B-But this is what I really look like," Pinkie stammered, scared of what the strange cat would do to her if she tried to trick him.

The cat frowned, fixing her with an inquisitive look as he orbited her.

"Hm, did I miscast? You should be lucid now. Hold on."

As he said that he placed a paw on her chest, making the girl flinch as she felt the strength and claws the limb held. A dull light filled the cat's eyes for a moment, his face locked in a state of deep concentration. When he pulled his paw away, the light faded from his eyes and a wide smile grew across his lips.

"Incredible," he whispered. "Another Walker like mother and I. Wait."

He took a deep whiff of her shirt and hair and his smile grew.

"Stardust! You're the same type as Lord Discord! Tell me human, what is your name?"

"Pinkamena Diane Pie," she said, an uneasy smile spreading across her face. "But most people just call me Pinkie."

"Pinkie. I like it. My name is Midnight Tantabus, but you may call me Tattle if you wish."

"O-Okay," she said, smile less nervous as she reached a hand out for a shake. "Nice to meet you Tattle."

"Likewise," he smirked as he raised the hand up to his mouth and gave it a small affectionate lick.

Author's Note

So, will Sunset survive her encounter with her crazy Aunt? Can Ponyville withstand the craziness that is two lyras in the same town? Will Derpy be able to find Sunset in the maze that is Canterlot Castle? And what kind of crazy mess had Pinkie landed herself in now? These answers and more in the future, so stay tuned!

Ch.6 Bonds

It really threw Bonbon for a loop just how similar the Equestrian Apples were to their Terran counterparts. As such, it was a very jarring experience for her as she stood in the Apple's kitchen, the three ponies of the house working with incredible ease and dexterity to make a welcoming brunch for her and them. All it took was an off hand (or was it hoof?) comment about her family having been business partners with her world's Apples and suddenly they were pulling out all the stops to make her comfortable. Probably more jarring was when she met Applebloom's counterpart. When the filly saw her Cutie Mark, she was instantly bombarded with questions about it, namely why it was different from the last time she apparently saw it. When she told her she was from a different world, that led to another tidal wave of questions for the Earth Pony to wade through. It was only thanks to Applejack that she was able to get any peace as she convinced the rambunctious filly to spend some time with her friends.

Oddly enough, she didn't mind the little terror's presence. Being an only child, she often wondered what it would've been like to have a sibling. She thought about Applebloom's enthusiasm and chuckled a little as she stepped out of the kitchen.

I bet she drives them up the walls, she thought as she stepped into the dinning room. Is it bad that I'm a little jealous?

She sighed as she took a seat at the table.

Still, it's so weird how similar this place is to the one at home. They even have pigs. Why does a farm owned by vegetarian ponies have pigs? Unless...

An image of Applejack bringing a pig to a slaughter house on the farm popped into her head. Her stomach started to churn as the pony in her head raised an ax to do the deed before she decided to banish the unpleasant thought. Her stomach slowly started to settle not long after.

Nope, not gonna explore that line of thought! Nuh uh! Not happening! Hell no!

As her unprompted nausea passed, she marveled over what led to her current situation. She couldn't help it! Some part of her demanded that she give the mare a chance to be her tour guide . Though she knew that there was almost nothing tying the Earth Pony to her human counterpart, she still felt awkward being near the mare. Even while thoroughly buzzed the night before, she couldn't bring herself to interact with Applejack beyond a simple nod or a few one word answers.

Come on Bonbon, get a grip, she thought with a rough shake of the head. She's not the same girl! Heck, she's not event the same species as her! Just talk to her and be civil. If you can deal with a candy lab without blowing half the building apart, then you can manage this.

"Bit for ya thoughts?" Applejack sighed as she took a seat across from Bonbon.

"Am I that obvious?" she said lips pulled into a tired smile.

"A little," Applejack shrugged. "But if ya'll've got somethin' on your mind, Ah got an ear for ya."

"Are you sure?" she asked, letting her smile fall. "You probably wouldn't like what I have to say."

"Not all Apples have soft skin, sugarcube," she smirked. "Try me."

"Okay," Bonbon frowned. "I keep seeing my world's Applejack when I see you and I hate it."

To her credit, aside from a couple shocked blinks, Applejack remained unmoved by Bonbon's words. A fact that raised her opinion of the Earth Pony above her counterpart by several levels.

"It's not fair to you," she continued, eyes wandering towards the table. "I don't even know you and I've already got such a bad image of you. And don't even get me started on your sister. I really am the worst kind of person, aren't I?"

"Enope," Applejack said flatly.

Bonbon's head snapped up towards the mare, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Far as Ah can tell, yer good company. It's just gonna take some time for ya' ta' shake that image."

"I know," she sighed. "It's still not fair for you and Applebloom though."

"Nah, it ain't," Applejack sighed, then smiled and added, " but that's what life is sometimes."

Bonbon was stunned by that bit of wisdom, not really sure how to proceed or counter the Earth Pony's point. She didn't think she really wanted to even if she could.

"Just take yer time," she smiled. "Ah can wait. Now, let's get some food in ya' so we can show ya' around town."

On cue, Granny Smith and Big Macintosh stepped out of the kitchen, plates of food balanced with practiced ease on their backs. What surprised her more than the expert display of balance from the family Matriarch was the sheer amount of food they were bringing into the kitchen. Apple salad, baked potatoes the size of a boxer's fist, a two foot long loaf of cornbread, and a hearty vegetable stew were all lowered onto the table with care along with all the proper table settings as the remaining members of the family took their seats. Bonbon gawked at the veritable feast in front of her, the smell alone bringing a roar out of her suddenly empty stomach. While she was willing to admit that the walk from Princess Twilight's castle to Sweet Apple Acres had made her a bit peckish, she doubted she could eat even a tenth of what was on the table. With a audible gulp, she allowed herself to be served a bit of everything, all the while hoping the Apples wouldn't think her rude for not being able to clear her plate. She knew that It was a silly thing to be concerned about, but years of her mother telling her to always clear her plate added a sort of OCD pattern to her eating habits.

Maybe they won't be too offended if I have a little of everything, she thought as she reached for a fork. When her hoof came back empty, her insecurities were replaced with frustration as she glared at the offending utensil.

Right, no fingers. How did Sunset explain it again?

Her mind drifted back to the night before when Sunset was explaining how grabber magic worked and how to use it. While her memory was a little hazy for, obvious reasons, the gist of it was to channel their magic into their hooves to grab things. The trick being that they had to imagine that they still had hands and use the magic to make fingers in a way. The end result looked like the object in question was magnetically stuck to the bottom of a pony's hoof. According to Sunset, Earth Ponies were generally better at using this type of magic due to how their magic worked. A fact that Octavia was able to demonstrate with little effort while Bonbon struggled with it. As a result, it was more than a little frustrating for her when trying to pick up a fork became as big of an obstacle as climbing a mountain. After some work and silent swearing she was able to get her fork to stick to her hoof and jam it into a rather large chunk of carrot in her stew. She gulped as she raised the vegetable to her muzzle, its tantalizing aroma making her mouth water.

Well, here goes nothing.

With that, she popped the morsel into her mouth. She blinked, and suddenly, most of the food on the table was gone, most of it appearing to have been torn into by a ravenous beast. She also noted that she didn't feel hungry anymore. In fact, she felt that if she ate one more thing she was going to explode. Looking around, she saw that every Apple was staring at her in wide-eyed shock, Applejack and Big Mac in particular seeming to be frozen in the act of putting a piece of cornbread in their mouths.

"Wh-What happened?" Bonbon asked, slightly dazed.

Applejack lowered her cornbread and gave the human turned pony a wide smile.

"Hoowee! For land sake's girl, you put all that away faster than a starvin' swarm of Parasprites!"

I did what now?!

"S-Sorry about that," she she said bashfully. "I think I blacked out for a second there."

"No problem sugarcube," she laughed as she rose from her seat and walked around to the blushing glutton. "Just glad ya' liked it all."

As she said that, she threw a foreleg around her and gave her a half-hug. Still embarrassed, she gave the mare a slight smile and returned the embrace.

Maybe it won't take that long to accept her after all, she thought with a chuckle. She sure makes it hard not to.

***

Octavia was in true bliss as she laid on a massage table, a set of nimble hooves rubbing all of her stress away in ways she never knew was possible.

Oh god, don't let this ever stop, she thought as she melted into the table, a dull haze flooding her mind.

"Enjoying yourself darling?" Rarity said from her own table to her left.

A happy groan was all she could muster as a response as a pony she dimly identified as Aloe worked her magic on a particularly large knot in her lower back. Rarity let out a pleased hum as her masseuse, Lotus, did the same with her shoulders.

How can they do this kind of work without fingers? she thought as she struggled to stay awake. And how can they be this good at it?

"Glad to hear it," Rarity sighed as she let the tension melt out of her. "You looked like you could use a bit of pampering after everything you've been through."

"Tell me about it," she sighed, an unladylike groan fallowing as another knot was rubbed into oblivion. "Between my sister's antics and Sunset's situation, I am surprised my head hasn't flown off these past couple of weeks."

"Yes, darling," she said, a touch of venom in her tone. "After what's happened, I hope you all can have a chance to breathe."

The trace of aggression didn't go unnoticed by the musician, as a small frown spread across her muzzle.

"Yes, and that is precisely why I'm going to give you a bit of advice, love."

"Yes?" she asked, perplexed.

"Don't go to the other world," Octavia said, a cold finality in her voice. "The battle is over and those not slain must face the consequences of their actions."

"A rather cold assessment, darling. Don't you think?" Rarity asked, taken aback by her companion's frozen tone.

"Perhaps," she sighed. "But I say it for your good just as much as your counterpart's."

"I simply wish to have a word with her," Rarity said stiffly. "To do anymore then that would be a massive overstep of boundaries."

"Could you guarantee that your friends wouldn't follow?" she asked. "And if they did, do you think they would be satisfied with just words?"

Rarity meant to argue, but the words died on her tongue before she got the chance. Thinking on it, Rainbow would do a lot more than say a few harsh words while Applejack would at least give her counterpart fair warning before breaking her jaw.

"I see what you mean," Rarity conceded. "It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth to leave her be."

"I understand," Octavia sighed. "But there's no point in raising a fuss when everything is already settled."

"Very well darling," she sighed, only to smirk as she found another topic to latch onto. "So, Sunset and Derpy."

"Yes?"

"How long and how did it happen?"

"I would assume it was when she saved her life and gave her a place to live," she sighed, closing her eyes and enjoying Aloe's work. "As for exactly when, you'll need to ask Sunset herself."

"Oh poo, you're no fun," she pouted, earning a smile out of the dark gray mare.

"I can be plenty of fun love, but gossip is something I take little amusement from."

"Then perhaps you could tell me your thoughts on Fluttershy," Rarity said, a light smile decorating her muzzle.

"As Vinyl would put it, I don't swing that way love," Octavia smirked.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," she frowned.

Octavia chuckled a bit at the mare's expense, then decided to throw her a bone.

"Very well. Put simply, I can safely say that I didn't see that coming, but I hope things work out for them."

"Agreed, on all accounts. I just wonder how dating would work for them, what with your Fluttershy's attributes."

"Don't ponies date at night?" Octavia asked.

"Normally," Rarity relented. "But our Fluttershy is not very fond of the night or the dark in general."

"I see," Octavia mused, then smiled slightly as she added, "Then it should work out just fine between them."

"Pardon?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Think about it, what could be a better arrangement for someone who is afraid of the dark then to be with someone who can see in total darkness?"

"Go on," Rarity coxed, a smile of her own growing on her muzzle.

"Imagine it, the two of them go on a moonlight stroll, the stars sparkling high above them like a curtain of diamonds. They stay close, one in fear of the distant shadows while the other bravely guides her through the dark. They make it to a place of safety and look deeply into each other's eyes, the shine of the moon framing their faces in a rose quartz shine from their hair. They lean in close."

A pause fills the room, the white Unicorn waiting with baited breath. After two minutes of silence, Rarity's patience ran out.

"Well?" she asked, a blush growing on her muzzle. "Go on."

"Why?" Octavia smirked. "I'm sure you can guess what happens next."

"Oh you!" she pouted.

A light chuckle slipped past Octavia's lips at the irked tone that came from her comrade.

"All the same," she smiled. "I do hope things work out for them."

"And Derpy and Sunset?"

"I think Princess Celestia has claim on that particular matter," Octavia said with a knowing smile.

"Let the maker have mercy on them," Rarity sighed, a faint smile hidden in its shadow.

"We can only hope," she laughed.

With that the two mares slipped into content silence, enjoying both each other's company and the ministrations of their masseuses. All the while, Octavia scrolled through her interactions with the mare. She talked the same and acted the same, but was so different at the same time. She seemed so much more refined, yet also relaxed enough to keep others from feeling insecure around her. She also felt more grounded then the version Octavia was familiar with, in spite of sharing several of her finicky attributes. As she let the haze of her massage wash over her, a single thought echoed through her mind.

Is it wrong that I want to be her friend?

***

Two Pegesi stood on a cliff overlooking Ponyville, neither really comfortable with the other's presence. They didn't hate each other per se, but did have rather unpleasant interactions with their counterparts. Rainbow still remembered how much of a pain her world's Lightning Dust was as well as what was the tipping point between them at the Wonderbolts Academy. At the same time, Lightning couldn't get over her own issues with her world's Rainbow Dash. It didn't matter how mad you were with someone, there were lines you were never supposed to cross. Then there was how the two met. Needless to say, most stable friendships didn't start with threatening to feed someone their own limbs and calling them a bitch. Then again, most relationships didn't start with your crush putting the fear of god into one of your friends either.

"So," Rainbow said, avoiding eye contact and scratching the back of her head. "Do you read Daring Do?"

"Nah," Lightning said, eyes locked onto the town below. "You heard of a TV?"

"A what?" she asked turning towards the teal Pegasus.

"Thought so," she sighed.

Well, that killed about ninety-percent of my hobbies, Lightning thought bitterly. Come on Lightning, think!

"The weathers nice," she said, casting a glance at the sky.

Brilliant Lightning, she thought, mentally face-palming. Maybe next you can talk about how hard the dirt is.

"Yeah," Rainbow smirked, staring at the sky. "The weather team did a good job today."

"Weather team?" Lightning asked, staring at Rainbow with a raised brow.

"Yeah?" Rainbow frowned, quirking a brow herself as she stared at Lightning. "You know, the Pegesi responsible for controlling the weather over Ponyville?"

Lightning's eyes widened at that.

"Wait, hold up! Are you telling me that Pegesi control the weather here?"

"Yeah?" Rainbow said, tilting her head in confusion. "Who runs the weather in your world?"

"Nobody," she said, exasperated. "It does it all on its own."

Now it was Rainbow's turn to gawk. While wild weather wasn't an alien concept to her, the very idea of a whole world full of it was beyond her.

"Sweet Celestia, how are you all not dead yet!?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"How do you stop major storms or hurricanes?!" she asked, suddenly frantic. "How do you keep homes safe from stray lightning?! How do you keep snowstorms and floods under control?"

"Easy, easy," Lightning exclaimed, hooves up in the closest thing to a placating manner her new body could manage. "Geez, most places don't even get those kinds of weather problems and the ones that do have ways to mitigate damages. They're not perfect, but they keep the body count low."

"That's crazy," Rainbow said, staring at the clear sky above. "I can't imagine living in a world like that."

"I guess you know how I feel then," she said staring at he sky, a new kind of appreciation taking hold of her. "Hey, what's flying like?"

"Huh?" Rainbow asked, shifting another confused frown at Lightning.

"Flying," she repeated, still staring at the sky. "What's it like?"

"You've got wings, right?" Rainbow said, a playful smirk spreading across her muzzle. "Wanna find out?"

Lightning gave her a matching smile and locked eyes with her.

"Sure, if you think you can teach a scrub like me how to use them."

"Hey, none of that," Rainbow laughed, giving Lightning a playful shove. "I promise ya by the end of the week, you'll be flying like a real Pegasus, no problem."

"I'll hold you to that," Lightning laughed. "But I think we should get to the tour first."

"Eh, you'll see everything better when you get in the air," she shrugged. "We could just focus on step one for a little while, then hit a bar if you want."

"How about a burger and fries instead," Lightning grimaced. "I kinda wanna keep my distance from booze for a while."

"Eh, fair enough," she shrugged. "Anyway, step one."

"Which is?"

"Opening your wings."

"Right," Lightning nodded. "How the heck do I do that?"

"Easy," Rainbow smirked. "Just focus on the back muscles connected to your wings and try to manipulate them. Imagine that you have a set of legs on your back and move them like you would your legs."

Nodding, Lightning closed her eyes and did as she was instructed. It was a strange feeling, trying to move a new set of limbs. It was kind of like waking up one morning with an extra set of arms, complete with all the dexterity and nerve endings. The difference though was that these "arms" were going to help her make her biggest dream a reality. For the longest time, her biggest dream was to fly. To soar high above the clouds, free from the shackles of her life at home and all of her responsibilities. Just her and the ever expanding sea of blue with the wind flowing through her hair as she traveled far beyond the horizon. She felt a slight twinge in the sides of her back as she thought about that. Guessing that those were her wing muscles, she focused on that, trying to see if she could make that feeling stronger. After a minute of failure, she went back to visualizing the sky and the gentle breezes in it. She imagined that the wind was pushing up at her from below, teasing at the alien sensations on her back. Slowly, the "twinge" started to grow until after a minute, she felt like she had a set of fully spread arms on her back. It felt strange. It felt awkward. It felt...liberating. In her mind, she was high in he sky. She was free.

She held onto that image as she opened her eyes, Rainbow flashing a proud smile at her.

"What?" Lightning asked.

"Looks like you figured out how to do step one."

Her eyes slowly widened as she glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, spread wide and proud were a set of teal wings, their feathers catching the early afternoon sunlight in a brilliant display. A bright smile spread across her muzzle as a simple truth came to her; she could fly.

"Alright!" she cheered.

Just then, a twinge ran through her spine and her fully extended wings decided that that was the perfect time to flap, hard. With a startled yelp, she shot twenty feet into the air. It was at her apex that her wings also decided that staying open was too much effort and snapped shut. Just when she was about to curse everything and everyone, a set of light-blue forelegs wrapped around her from behind.

"Don't worry, I got ya," Rainbow smirked as she slowly lowered them back to the ground.

Once they made it to the ground, Rainbow let her go and settled onto the ground herself.

"I guess I should've told you about step two, huh?" she chuckled sheepishly.

Lightning ignored her as the last couple of seconds ran through her mind. Slowly, a smile spread across her face followed by small chuckles. Soon, it grew into a wide smile with a gut busting fit of happy laughter. Rainbow watched the display with intrigue as well as a bit of apprehension.

"Uh, Lightning? Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah," she said, laughter starting to die out. "Better than okay. I got to do it. I fucking flew!"

A light chuckle slipped past Rainbow's lips as she took in her fellow Pegesi's good cheer.

"Almost ," she smiled. "Wanna try that again?"

"Definitely!" she cheered.

"Then let's get started."

I think I'm gonna like it here, she thought, once again closing her eyes and letting the imagined wind take her away.

***

"How ya holding up Princess?" Vinyl asked, snickers barely hidden behind a smile.

"About as fine as you would expect," she sighed, several portions of her mane popping out of place. "And Twilight's fine."

"Cool," Vinyl smirked, staring at the glowing Unicorn party balloon gawking at her surroundings above the Princess as they made their way though Ponyville. "Thought maybe Lyra was starting to get to be a bit much for ya."

"No," Twilight said behind a slightly strained smile. "Not at all. She's great!"

Using the levitation spell she heard Twilight teach Lyra, she lifted her shades up just enough to show her eyes and leveled an unconvinced look at her.

"Twilight, you look like you're trying to figure out if she should be used as a baseball or a soccer ball."

"Is it that obvious?" she sighed.

Vinyl nodded, returning her glasses to their previous position.

"Not your fault girl," she smirked, throwing a foreleg around the Princess' shoulders. "Lyra can be a bit much sometimes, but trust me, she's a blast once you get to know her."

Literally, Twilight thought, casting a glance over her shoulder at Sugarcube Corner and its recently repaired roof.

"Um, I'm right here," Lyra frowned, crossing her forelegs and glaring at her two companions only to shift to an ashamed grimace as she looked away. "And sorry if I'm being a pain. It's just, I've always wanted to come to a world of magic."

That got the two to stop, a concerned frown shared between the two land-bound Unicorns.

"Wizards. Dragons. Knights. Faeries. All of that stuff has been a big part of me since I was little, so to get a chance to be a part of that for real is a big deal for me. Without it, I... Anyway I'm sorry if I'm being a big pain in the butt for you Princess Twilight."

For a moment, Twilight didn't know what to say. While on one hoof, she was willing to admit that the mare in her magic's grip had ruffled her feathers, she didn't seem like a bad pony by any means. If anything, the mare's only problem was that she was too eager to dip her hoof in things. That wouldn't be such a big problem in and of itself if it wasn't for the amount of magic Lyra had at her disposal. And not just her. Each of Sunset's friends had a lot of magic at their disposal, several times what was the norm for most ponies. Not so much that they could be a major threat to anypony, but enough to do some damage if not fully controlled. Lyra in particular seemed to have the largest pool of magic in the group, only just short of Sunset and Twilight prior to her ascension. A fact that made the mare's lack of proper training all the more concerning.

"It's fine," she sighed, then smiled as she set her back onto the ground. "I get it. Magic is a part of you, just not quite as literally as it is now. You want to know as much about it as you can, right?"

With a shy smile, Lyra nodded.

"Well," Twilight continued, a proud smile decorating her muzzle. "I just so happen to be one of the best mages around and if you want, I could teach you a few more things. What do you say?"

"Uh, no offense Twilight," Vinyl cut in, killing Lyra's growing smile before it split her head in half. "But I don't think teaching her magic is a good idea. I think people want to keep their houses intact if you catch my drift."

"Ha ha," Lyra deadpanned. "You're one to talk Miss Sonic Boom."

"Hey!" Vinyl snapped pointing a hoof at her mint antagonist. "At least I pointed my horn out a window when that happened Miss Laser Tip."

"How could I aim?" Lyra snapped back. "I sneezed!"

"Actually," Twilight cut in, drawing the attention of the two bickering Unicorns towards herself. "The main point of what I want to teach Lyra is how to prevent things like that from happening."

"Smart," Vinyl smirked, earning a glare from Lyra.

"You too Vinyl," Twilight deadpanned. "I don't think we want to know what kind of damage that sonic blast could've done if you didn't find a window in time."

"Aw c'mon!" she whined.

"Nope, come on," she smirked, guiding the two Unicorns back to the castle.

"Do we have to," Vinyl groaned as she tailed the Princess, Lyra not far behind.

"Yep!" the Princess said, maintaining her smile.

"Why? I get why Lyra needs it, but why me?"

"Can you fix an entire building if you blow it to smithereens?" she asked.

"No?" Vinyl frowned.

"How about guaranteeing that anypony hit by your spell won't be fatally wounded?"

That made the two foreigners pause for a moment.

"Wait, that could happen?" Vinyl asked, eyes widened behind her shades.

A moment of silence, then in a solemn voice, Twilight answered.

"A pony's body is tough, but not indestructible. The magic in our bodies make it so we can take a significant amount of damage, but if a spell is strong enough, it will hurt us if not outright kill us. If you're going to be around other ponies, you need to learn how to control your magic. Otherwise, you will always run the risk of hurting others as well as yourselves. Understood?"

Both nodded, dread running through them at the risks they represented thanks to the horns they now sported.

"Good," she sighed. "And I want to apologize for not doing this sooner. As a Princess and Mage I should've known better."

"No, it's my fault," Lyra said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I shouldn't've pushed you to let us out so soon."

"Yeah, same," Vinyl frowned. "I just couldn't take being stuck in that castle for so long if everyone else was seeing the sights. Left me cagey, you know."

"Right," Twilight said, a sad smile crossing her muzzle.

Lyra frowned as she stared at the Princess, a heavy stone of guilt sitting in her gut. With a huff, she quickened her pace until she was standing to the left of the Alicorn. Before she could react, she gave her a playful shoulder check, earning a surprised yelp out of the mare.

"Hey, we all messed up. Quit beating yourself up over it," she smiled.

"Yeah," Vinyl added, taking up point on Twilight's right. "Let's get all this magic stuff sorted out and have some real fun."

With a growing smile, Twilight nodded as the trio made their way back to the Castle of Friendship. All the while, Lyra gave her friend an appreciative smile that went unnoticed, familiar swamp covered mountains flashing before her eyes. When she looked at Twilight, a different image came to her mind. She saw wide forests full of life that slowly transitioned into open plains that melted into hazy swamps only to change a moment later to high mountains with a wide ocean view just beyond. The image was as massive as it was powerful, an image of infinite possibilities and harmony. Unknown to her, in the second it took her to see this image her horn glowed for the tiniest of seconds. It was also in this brief moment that a single word slipped past her lips. A tiny whisper, just a touch louder than a breath.

"Quintessence."

"Did you say something Lyra?" Twilight asked, turning her head towards the mint Unicorn.

"Huh? No," she said, roughly shaking the cobwebs from her head.

Twilight shrugged then looked forward. All the while a shy smile spread across Lyra's muzzle as a thought ran through her head.

Looks like I might have a deck to build when I get home.

"There you are!" a familiar female voice cried from behind the group.

Startled and a little confused, they turned. Walking towards them from a store ten feet away was Bonbon, a pair of stuffed sattle bags on her sides and scarf wrapped around her neck. The mare looked annoyed as she closed the gap between them.

"Seriously, I turn away for a second and you're gone!" she exclaimed, stoping a foot in front of Lyra.

"Uh, aren't you supposed to be with Applejack?," Lyra asked, mirroring Vinyl's thought.

"Why would I be with Applejack?" Bonbon asked, her irritation seeming to grow. "Now Come on we-"

"Hey Bony!" an eerily familiar voice called, its mint colored speaker quickly coming into view. "Why'd you run off?"

When Lyra's pony counterpart stopped next to Bonbon, pieces started to fall into place for the Unicorn trio. The same could not be said for the native Bonbon as her head snapped back and forth between the two Unicorns.

"What? But? You're over-But then you-WHAT THE HAY IS GOING ON HERE?"

While Bonbon continued to short circuit, the two Lyras looked each other over. The native Lyra looked confused, while the visiting one looked more intrigued then anything.

"*Pst*, feel anything?" Vinyl whispered.

Terran Lyra thought about that for a second as she continued to observe her double. While she was willing to admit that she was a good looking Unicorn, that was about as far as her thoughts went in that regard.

"Nope," she whispered back. "Still happily hetero."

"So it's not some multiverse thing," Vinyl smirked. "Tavi owes me fifty bucks when we get home."

"Oh sweet Celestia," Equestrian Bonbon groaned, a heavy layer of dread in her tone as she fell to her haunches. "My marefriend's multiplying."

Author's Note

I'm not going to give away too much here, but the next chapter is going to be up around Valentines Day and it's going to be heavily centered around one of the ships in this fic's universe. Care to guess which one? Prepare for adorabieties folks. :pinkiecrazy:

Ch.7 Flutters in the Night

The early evening moonlight poured into the room past the recently opened curtains, the guest room bathed in a healthy balance of light and shadow. On a bed in one corner of the room, two ponies were close together, their ministrations making the bedsprings fill the room with squeaks and groans while one was pinned face-down beneath the other. The normally shy Pegasus held her Thestral counterpart to the bed, her hooves gliding across her prone and defenseless body. Soft squeaks and groans joined the ones made by the bed along with the sounds of quickened breath.

"Does it feel good here?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, rubbing her hoof into her victim in slow, deliberate circles.

"Yes," her double moaned, face reddened and breath coming out in soft pants. "Please, don't stop."

The Pegasus' smile grew a little as she put a little more pressure behind her hoof. She was rewarded with a blissful groan from the Thestral below her.

"So tense," she whispered, moving her hoof to another area. "So this really was your first time."

"Y-Yes," Fluttershy gulped, drowning in the scent of wildflowers as her counterpart continued her work. "And you?"

"Oh, I do it at least once a week," she smiled, leaning in close to her victim's ear. "It was scary at first, but after a while, you get used to it. And it feels amazing the more times you do it."

Fluttershy gazed deeply into her counterpart's eyes, her heart hammering in her chest as she took in just how beautiful she was in the dim lighting. As if on cue, her wings burst from their confines at her sides, the finger-like bones in the membrane trembling with need. Whether that need was escape or something else was completely unknown to the heavily blushing Thestral. They didn't go unnoticed by the native Fluttershy as she moved towards her left wing, drawing a wave of anticipation with a touch of fear from her bat pony victim. She closed her eyes, giving way to touch as she waited for those hooves to close in on her wing. A startled gasp slipped past her lips as they did, not aware just how sensitive her new appendages were.

"Are you okay?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, letting go of the wing with a nervous frown. "I didn't hurt you, did I? I've never done this with a Thestral before so I don't-"

"N-No," Fluttershy stammered, glancing over her shoulder at her counterpart. "You didn't hurt me, I was just a little surprised. I didn't know wings were so.....sensitive."

"Oh," she smiled, staring at the fully extended wings. "That's good. Shall I?"

Fluttershy nodded, once again closing her eyes. Again, she felt hooves grip her wing and had to fight to keep a squeak from slipping past her pursed lips. It was an unbelievable burst of sensations as nerve endings she never had before started feeding her information. It hurt a bit at first, but that was quickly washed out by a tsunami of pleasure the closer the Pegasus' hooves got to the base of her wing. The second she made contact with that spot, stars exploded into her vision and a throaty groan burst out of her muzzle. Her breaths were heavy pants as she reveled in the afterglow of the greatest sensation of her life. She barely had enough of her mental faculties running to acknowledge how limp her wing was before she felt a set of hooves grip her other one.

"Now for the right."

A thrill tore through her clouded mind like a hurricane, bringing a hungry smile to her lips.

Thank god for wings! was the last thing she thought before she was drowned in a sea of endorphins. After a few minutes of pure bliss, she became aware of the lack of weight on her back as Equestrian Fluttershy gently lifted herself off of her double, a soft breeze signaling each wingbeat. Lazily, she turned her head towards the Pegasus as she landed at the side of the bed. In her idled state, the mare looked like a literal angel, her whole form seeming to sparkle in the dim light of the room.

"That....was.....amazing," she said between gasps, a slight slur in her tone.

"I'm glad you liked it," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled. "Next time, you should let Aloe and Lotus at the Spa work on you. They're much better at massages than me."

"No," Fluttershy said with a drunk frown. "Only you get to massage me."

Equestrian Fluttershy blinked owlishly at her double, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

"B-But they're-"

"Don't care," Fluttershy said, frown slowly turning into a roughish smile as she added, "It's you or no one. I don't care if they're massage masters, I want you."

The Pegasus' face turned red hot at that, her Thestral companion too drunk on her endorphin high to fully understand what she had just said.

"W-W-Well, if that's what you want," she stammered, suddenly very interested in the floor tiles.

Fluttershy smiled, enjoying the afterglow of her massage as her heightened senses started to recalibrate. Her whole body felt as light as air as she tried to move. Gone were the unusual twinges she felt each time she moved her legs or back. Her wings felt more natural to her as she consciously tried to move them, the slow movement creating a small breeze that stirred up her mane. As she rose, a light surge of energy shot through her that drew a startled gasp out of her.

"Are you okay?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, quickly moving to her double's side.

"Y-Yeah," she said, a small smile gracing her muzzle. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Better than fine. She felt as if each muscle in her body had awakened at the same time and was ready for action. A sensation that she found she liked a lot. The bed let out a squeak as she stepped off of it with a happy hum as she reveled in how light she felt.

"Thank you again for the massage. I promise I'll make it up to you later."

"Oh, you don't need to do that," the Pegasus blushed.

"I want to," Fluttershy insisted with a smile.

"Well, okay," she smiled.

Fluttershy giggled, then took a look out the window at the darkening sky.

"Looks like I can leave the room now. Do you have anywhere you need to be?"

She shook her head.

"Not really. Most of my animal friends are hibernating right now. Why?"

"W-Well," Fluttershy stammered, fidgeting a little as she shifted her gaze to the ground. "I want to take a look around, but I don't know were anything is. Could you help me?"

"Sure," Equestrian Fluttershy said with a light smile.

"Thank you," she said, lips pulled into a grateful smile with a bit of fang.

A small flutter filled her heart at the sight. What was it about her counterpart's fangs that did that to her?

***

Ponyville was a scene strait out of a Christmas card. Countless lights and ornaments covered all of the houses in festive displays that showed how much the ponies loved the holiday. A thin blanket of snow covered the streets and rooftops adding to the festive feel in the air. Fluttershy marveled at the care the ponies put into the many decorations she saw, all the while tugging at the scarf her double insisted she wear. Apparently, Thestrals have a much higher tolerance for the cold, a feature born from a mix of their Pegasus ancestry and their thick coats. In spite of that, her double insisted that she wear some article of clothing before they left the castle. At first, she was fine with taking the scarf, but quickly started to find the accessory to be rather stuffy. The only thing that kept her from discarding the forest green scarf was the fact it came from the Pegasus directly and that it held her scent as a result. Though, she was more than willing to put up with a bit of discomfort if it meant seeing her double in the snow. A small smile spread across her muzzle as she watched said Pegasus lead her through town. The little yellow Pegasus was bundled up in a thick green snow jacket with pockets weaved into the back for her wings as well as a pare of snow pants for her hindquarters with an opening cut into it for her tail. A matching beanie covered her head and ears while a spare scarf was wrapped around her neck. The end result was a ball of squishy pony with legs walking down the street that Fluttershy had to fight the urge to through her hooves around.

She's so cute! she thought, her wings shifting a little.

"Are you okay?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, looking over her shoulder at her double. "You've been quiet this whole time."

"I-I'm fine!" she stammered, a light blush coloring her cheeks. "Just taking in the sights."

The Pegasus shrugged then went back to the tour, all the while her companion tried to stare at anything other than the ball of cute walking in front of her. A few stores caught her attention, mostly because of how unusual their wares were. One store called Quills and Sofas made her wonder how such an oddly specific business could function while a store called Fire Hydrants and Tumbleweeds made her question pony society as a whole. Probably one of the most interesting buildings she saw was a towering building with carousel horses built into the sides of it like a giant merry-go-round. Lights and holly wreaths covered the building in an intricate pattern that looked to have taken hours of careful planning to execute.

"What kind of place is that?" Fluttershy asked, more to herself than to anyone else.

Equestrian Fluttershy noticed and followed her double's line of sight.

"That's Carousel Boutique," she said. "It's were Rarity works and lives. Do you want to take a look?"

"If it's not too much trouble," she smiled.

With their destination set, they navigated the surprisingly busy streets of Ponyville towards Carousel Boutique. All the while, Fluttershy took note of all the ponies carrying boxes and bags full of toys and various other spoils. Her eyes drifted towards the Pegasus walking ahead of her, a thoughtful frown forming on her muzzle.

What kind of gift could I give her?

Before her mind could wander through any possibilities, they arrived at their destination. The shop was even more magnificent up close, its lights adding the shine from the surrounding snow to its own as an accessory. Fluttershy stared at it with slack-jawed amazement, her sharpened eyes picking up all the fine details in the building's structure that amplified the arrangement's effects. A light nudge from her double snapped her out of her trance as she made her way to the shop's front door. Mildly embarrassed, she followed.

The store's interior was just as extravagant as its exterior, with changing rooms divided with red curtains decorated with holly prints and wreaths. Similar decorations covered the walls and ceiling with several pony-shaped mannequins sporting antlers and false red noses. Fluttershy flinched when a bell above the door rang when the door closed behind her, earning the device a sharp glare from her before her attention returned to the shop's main room. A familiarly cultured voice called out "Just a minute~" from an out of sight back room. A moment later, Rarity stepped into the room, much to the pair of shy's surprise, Octavia not far behind her.

"Octavia?" Fluttershy asked, taking a step towards her friend. "What are you doing here?"

"Rarity gave me a tour of Ponyville and treated me to some tea," she said, briefly giving the Unicorn in question a thankful smile. "What brings you here, love?"

"Well, Fluttershy was giving me a tour and I wanted to take a look at the Boutique," Fluttershy smiled, shifting quick glances at her double as she said hi to her friend.

"I see," Octavia smiled, casting a passing glance at the bundled Pegasus. "Did she by any chance take you to the spa? If not I can vouch for the Masseuses' skills."

"No, I didn't feel like getting another massage," she said, eyes drifting to the ground as a deep blush spread across her muzzle.

"Another?" she asked, raising a brow. "It only just got dark out. How could you have gotten a massage if you couldn't leave the castle?"

A second after she asked the question, things started to fall into place and a devilish smile spread across her face.

"My, my you do work fast, love."

"I-It was her idea," Fluttershy sputtered, face turning beet red. "She noticed how stressed I've been because of my new body and wanted to help me relax."

Octavia giggled, and placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder.

"Relax love, I won't judge you for finding someone you fancy, no matter how unorthodox the situation may be. Just don't rush ahead too much. You don't want to scare her off after all."

"Right," she nodded, a bit more confidence behind her blush, then smiled as she added, "Thanks Octavia."

"Anytime love," she smiled. "Now, do you have any idea what you're going to get her for Hearths Warming?"

"Hearths Warming?" Fluttershy asked, unfamiliar with the holiday in question.

"It's apparently the Equestrian version of Christmas," she explained. "While the origin of it differs from ours, the spirit and traditions seem to be the same."

"Oh," Fluttershy nodded, before letting out a frustrated sigh. "I was thinking about that on the way here, actually. Do you have any ideas?"

"I don't unfortunately," she sighed. "I haven't spent nearly enough time with her to give you any reliable advice on that."

"I see," Fluttershy sighed with an irritated grimace.

She wasn't mad at Octavia per se, it wasn't her fault that the Pegasus was an enigma to her. If anything, it was her own fault that her new friends didn't get to spend time with her double. It was the fact that her crush was herself and she still couldn't think of a gift. Combine that with all the new rules she had to follow in regards to her body, and you got a very irritable Thestral. A very irritable love drunk Thestral.

"You know, Rarity is one of Fluttershy's friends" Octavia mused. "Maybe she could give you some advice."

Fluttershy lit up at that, only for her good mood to deflate a second later with a guilt-ridden frown.

"Maybe if I hadn't tried to give her a heart attack yesterday," she mumbled.

"You'd be surprised," Octavia smiled. "Apparently, when you've "stared oblivion in the face" a few times, you grow a thicker skin for it. Give it a try."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Positive," she nodded, then with a cocky smile said, "And if I'm wrong I'll eat my cello when we return home."

With a slight giggle, Fluttershy nodded then moved towards the Seamstress. As she did, Equestrian Fluttershy noticed and moved away to give them privacy as she switched places with her. The Thestral was a bundle of nerves as she locked eyes with Rarity, noting the flinch she did when her red orbs alined with her blue ones.

"U-Um I was w-wondering if you could help me with something."

"Like what darling," she said with a soft, patient smile.

"W-Well," she stammered. "I want to get Fluttershy a present, but I don't know what to get her. So, I was wondering if you had any advice. If you don't mind, of course."

"Are you serious?" she frowned, making the nervous Thestral cringe, before it was replace by a wide smile. "Of course I don't mind!"

"O-Okay," Fluttershy stammered, suddenly nervous for a completely different set of reasons.

***

Sugarcube Corner was a buzz with action as everypony enjoyed their treats. Like all the other businesses this time of year, the sweetshop was decked out in full winter fair, with rings of cotton meant to look like snow decorating the bottom and middle of tables with holly and mistletoe hanging from the ceiling in random formations. Wreaths, bells, and Christmas (or Hearths Warming) ornaments covered the walls like family photos in a living room with care and precision, giving the store a happy and festive feel. In one corner of the room, the two Fluttershys enjoyed their drinks with bubbly smiles.

Oh I can't wait! Fluttershy thought with a giggle as she sipped her mango shake. She's going to absolutely love her gift. Good thing we have the same measurements or it would've been harder to make it.

Talking with Rarity had been a little nerve-wracking at first, but after a few minutes, she found the mare to be very easy to talk to. She took the time to listen to the awkward bat pony's concerns in a much more patient manor than her human counterpart, a fact that both relieved and made her feel a little guilty after she made the comparison. All it took was a momentary trip to the back of the store for some measurements and some questions on what colors she wanted to make all of Fluttershy's worries vanish. She had a gift for her crush and an entire evening to spend with her outside of Princess Twilight's castle. For the first time in days, everything seemed to be looking up for her.

"Hey, um, Fluttershy, do you think we could check on Pinkie before we leave?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked over her vanilla shake.

"Huh?" she asked, snapping out of her musings. "Oh! Um, sure. I don't see why not."

"Thanks," she smiled, casting a glance at the door leading to the shop's kitchen. "I'm worried about her."

Fluttershy nodded, following her double's line of sight. Octavia had warned her of the native Pinkie's strange behavior earlier that morning, and while she doubted she would do anything to her, she was still an unpredictable element in an already alien world to her. As a result, she was a bit hesitant to go near the pink Earth Pony, but if her double was willing to risk it, then so was she. Thought she did try to nurse her drink as much as possible.

Just relax Fluttershy, she thought as she they made their way towards the register. It's just Pinkie. Sure, it's a different Pinkie, but its still her and you know she wouldn't hurt a fly. Though she did make me go deaf for a little while. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"Why hello Fluttershy," a blue Earth Pony mare with a neon pink mane behind the counter said. "What can I do for you sweetie?"

"Hello Mrs. Cake," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled. "We were wondering if we could see Pinkie Pie for a little bit. If its not too much trouble."

It was then that the mare noticed that Fluttershy wasn't alone, but if she was shocked by the other Fluttershy's appearance, she hid it really well.

"I don't see why not," Mrs. Cake shrugged with a smile. "She should be up in her room right now. Do you remember where it is?"

She nodded.

"Well don't let me stop you. Have fun you two!"

With that, the two Fluttershys made there way through the door to the kitchen and living quarters of the sweetshop. Fluttershy marveled for a moment at all the different cooking tools and equipment they passed as they made their way through to the residential section of the store. When they got to the stairs to the second floor, Fluttershy picked up on a strange scent in the air. It was a strange mix of sugar and candle smoke with traces of bubblegum scattered through it. There was also a hint of some sort of metal, something she was only vaguely able to recognize from when she stumbled into her father's rusty toolshed. That particular scent put her on edge, especially when it grew with the rest of the bizarre cocktail of smells she was catching on the way up the stairs. Carefully, she quickened her pace so that she was just short of next to her double, ready to spring into action if something happened. She wasn't sure what she would do if something happened, given her limited understanding of how to use her body, but she did know how to bite at the very least. Given her new dental additions, that should be more than enough to get the job done.

She stayed on high alert when they reached the top of the stairs, eyes searching through the darkness and fangs unconsciously baring. The smell grew as they closed in on a door with a set of balloons on it as well as Fluttershy's nerves.

"Pinkie?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, making her double jump as she knocked on the door.

The second her hoof made contact, the door creaked open. To say what they saw next surprised them would've been a slight understatement. Pinkie sat on her haunches at the center of her room, each of her forelegs were level with the sides of her head holding a cupcake in each hoof. A look of pure calm dominated her features, her closed eyes not even flicking open in response to the two Pegesi invading her space. Looking around, the Shys could see dozens of incense holders hanging from the ceiling, each holding a single birthday candle laying on its side. As they stepped in, mesmerized by the shear randomness of the situation, a soft click from the ground made them jump. Looking down, Equestrian Fluttershy spotted a tape recorder. With the soft crackle of static, the device activated.

"Dear Fluttershy and Fluttershy. Hiya! Thanks for coming to visit! Sorry I can't hang out right now. I am currently in deep meditation in order to find myself and enact righteous justice in the name of Sunset's honer. I don't know how long this with take, but I'll try really, really, really, really, really hard get this done soon. Until then, have fun and happy Hearths Warming."

With that, the recorder stopped, leaving both mares dumbfounded.

"Your Pinkie does things like this too?" she asked, staring at her gobsmacked double.

She nodded, staring at the meditating pony in wonder.

They stared at Pinkie for a few minutes, taking note of just how novel a moment like this was considering the mare's usual antics. Seeing little else to do, Equestrian Fluttershy moved towards to the door. The Thestral was just about to follow her out when a baby alligator appeared by her side, another tape recorder in its mouth and what looked like some type of mouthguard on its head. The gator dropped the recorder at her hooves and nudged her foreleg before looking up at her.

"Um thank you?" she asked as she reached for the tape recorder and hit the button.

"Oh! Before I forget, take this fang cover with you. Those chompers of yours are a lot sharper then you think! And well....you know what they say! Always use protection, right?! Good luck with your double Flutterbat! I'm rooting for ya!"

Fluttershy had never been more happy to be mostly alone in a room before then she was at that very moment. Without really thinking about it, she took the fang cover, stuffed it in her mane, and with a face hot enough to bring winter wrap-up to Ponyville three months early, stepped out of the room.

***

The outskirts of Ponyville was silent, only the tranquil serenity of nature at the heart of winter waited for those who took such a scenic route. The two Fluttershys reveled in the peaceful silence as they made their way towards the cottage at the edge of the Everfree Forest. While the town itself was fun and full of energy, it could be a bit suffocating for most ponies not familiar with it. The outskirts was a welcome respite from the noise, more so for the Thestral of the duo. It was also starting to get late, a fact punctuated by the diurnal Fluttershy's frequent yawning. As such, Fluttershy insisted that she walk the bundled Pegasus to her house before heading back to the castle.

The outside air filled her with a serge of energy, her sharpened senses picking up everything around her with perfect clarity. She never felt so aware of everything. It was liberating in a way that she couldn't adequately describe with words. It was as if a part of her had been sleeping this whole time and had started to awaken. As her eyes locked onto various things in the darkness and her ears flicked towards alien sounds outside her field of vision, she wondered if this was what it was like to be a cat, so aware of everything even with most of her guard down.

"I had a lot of fun today," Equestrian Fluttershy said, snapping the Thestral out of her musings.

"I'm glad," she said, smiling a little sheepishly. "To be honest, I was afraid I was being a bother to you."

"What?" she asked, shocked. "Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"No real reason," she frowned, staring at the ground as they walked. "It's just that, ever since I came here, you've been looking after me, which I'm grateful for," she added hastily before continuing. "I just figured you had better things to do then babysit me all day."

A moment of awkward silence surrounded the duo, then a soft weight settled on Fluttershy's back as her double pulled her into her side with a wing.

"Please stop saying things like that," Equestrian Fluttershy said, killing any startled protests her double had before they could form. "You need help and I want to help you. And you know what? There's nothing wrong with that."

"B-But-"

"No buts," she said firmly. "Besides, you're a lot of fun to be around. You're smart and funny. You're easy to talk to and patient. You're really strong and pretty and-"

Her mind quickly shut down as she realized what she just said, a bright blush coloring her muzzle as she looked away.

"Y-You really think I'm pretty?" Fluttershy asked, her own muzzle breaking into a faint shade of pink.

She nodded, tongue too numb to function.

"W-Wow, um, thank you," she said, blush deepening and staring at the ground."I-I think you're pretty too."

Both walked in relative silence as they tried to process what the other said, their faces threatening to burst into flames. Neither were willing to get their hopes up, sure that the other said what they did just to be nice. Surely they didn't like them like that. Things like that only happened in fairytales, right? Life could never be that convenient, right? There was no way such a pretty mare could be interested in somepony so plane. There was no way such an amazing person could be interesting in someone so strange. Eventually, they made it to the native Fluttershy's cottage, neither ready for the other to leave. With heavy reluctance, Fluttershy pulled herself free of her double's grip as the Pegasus stepped up to the door.

"W-Well, it's been fun," Fluttershy stammered, a light blush still coloring her cheeks. "H-Have a good night."

As she turned to leave, she stopped when she heard a soft voice say,"W-Wait!"

Curious, she turned back to face her double, who gave her a beyond nervous smile.

"Y-You don't have to go. You could spend the night, if you want," she muttered, blushing.

Fluttershy's eyes widened at that.

"I-It's no problem," she stammered, heart pounding in her chest like a jackhammer. "I think I know the way and the cold doesn't bother me that much."

"It's okay," the Pegasus smiled, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "I have the room and I'd be worried sick about you wandering around out here in the cold."

Fluttershy didn't know what to do. Her stomach was doing happy flip-flops at the idea of spending the night at her double's house, but at the same time, she didn't want to be anymore of a burden for the mare then she already was. Maybe it was pride. Maybe it was guilt. Either way, a part of her wanted to reject the mare's offer. But then she saw the earnest desire in her double's eyes, almost begging for her to say yes. It was a force that no one, pony or otherwise, could ever hope to resist.

"Okay," she said with a faint smile.

"Thank you," the Pegasus said with a smile as she opened the door.

The second they were through the door, the native Fluttershy flipped on the light, momentarily dazing her guest as the room was suddenly flooded with light. As she waited for her eyes to adjust, she heard her double shuffling about the room. By the time she could see properly, the still bundled Pegasus had a stack of blankets and pillows on her back.

"The guest room hasn't been used in a while, so the bed doesn't have a sheet or anything on it, but its clean, so you shouldn't have to worry about dust or anything."

"Thanks," she smiled as she followed her host towards the room in question.

The guest room was as one would expect. A simple square room with light blue walls and ceiling with no decorations or furnishings beyond a bed and a light built into the ceiling. A small window with a thick set of closed curtains was set into the wall to the left of the door. Quickly and efficiently, Equestrian Fluttershy made the bed, even setting a couple stuffed animals onto it along with the pillows.

"I hope you don't mind," she said, indicating the stuffed sheep and rabbit plushies. "They sometimes help me sleep at night and I thought you would like them."

"No, its fine," she smiled, a bashful smile pulling at her lips as she added "I have a few stuffed animals at home too, so it should help. Thanks."

"No problem," she smiled. "Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

And with that, the Pegasus left, softly closing the door behind her. With a happy sigh, the former human shut off the light and got into bed. As she curled up with the sheep plushy, her mind started to wander. Namely towards the fang cover hidden in her mane and the talk she had with her double. A dopy smile spread across her muzzle as a single thought followed her into the land of dreams.

She thinks I'm pretty.

All the while, the native Fluttershy was doing the same. Though she had removed her winter gear, her face felt like it was going to burst into flames. Never had anypony had this kind of effect on her. It was just as exciting as it was terrifying for her. She had no idea what to do with herself, but at the same time was more than willing to see how this played out. She knew how she felt about the Thestral, but a sprinkle of doubt kept her from accepting that she felt the same way. Though one very recent memory made that doubt weaker by the second.

"It's you or no one. I don't care if they're massage masters, I want you."

She buried her face into a pillow, hiding her red face and stifling her happy squeal.

Author's Note

I wonder if I should try writing clop. Anyway, yeah I know I said in the last AN that this was going to be uploaded on Valentine's Day, but it was finished a lot sooner then expected. So, yeah, happy early Valentine's/ Hearts and Hooves Day. Also, at some point I'm probably going to provide links to songs that helped me come up with the personalities for the major cast of characters. No real reason, just thought it would be fun. See you all later.

Ch.8 So Simple, So Funny, and Just What She Needed

Sunset stared at the ceiling of her old room, a hard glare trying to bore a hole into it in the late evening shadows. She wasn't foolish, she knew that magic had plenty of interesting uses in Equestria. Medical, judicial, heck sometimes even social issues were solved using some form of magic. There were even rumors that Starswirl created a spell that could allow the caster to go back in time. But with all that advancement, there also existed spells that, when used, could negatively impact a pony's life. Not always maliciously, but always in ways that could make a pony want to slam their head into a wall.

She can enter my dreams, she thought, left eye twitching. My crazy, chronologically displaced Aunt, can enter my god damn dreams. IS NOTHING SACRED?!

With a huff, she rolled to her left. She was greeted by something that turned her frown into a weary smile. About a foot away from her was Derpy, her face wreathed by a shameless mop of bed mane. Sunset let out a snort as she brushed some of the sleeping Pegasus' mane out of her face, careful not to wake her.

Her mother and aunt's insistence that she and Derpy share a bed was about as awkward for the two as expected, both torn between objection and embarrassment. Thankfully, Sunset's bed was more than big enough for the two of them, but the "encouragement" of the two Alicorns only added an extra trace of awkward to the situation.

At least I'm not the only one she terrorized, she thought, rolling her eyes as the events of the previous day came to mind.

***

Sunset was trapped in the most powerful form of confinement imaginable. No magic or alloy could even compare to the dark-blue forelegs wrapped around her. As she glowered in her Aunt's embrace in her mother's private quarters, said Solar Princess was trying and failing to keep a strait face. An ornate table stood between them with an ancient tea set spread out across it along with an assortment of small sandwiches and cakes. A brush caught in a dark-blue aura was running through her mane as Sunset scowled in silent humiliation.

"Sister dear," Princess Celestia snickered. "Do you think you could let the poor mare breathe?"

"Please sister," Luna scoffed, continuing to brush Sunset. "It will take far more than this to vanquish a pony of our line."

Maker, God, whoever's listening, please take me, she thought as she saw a collection of bows and ribbons float towards her.

"Oh, I agree," the Solar Princess smirked. " Though I believe she would rather be pampered by her special somepony then her Aunty."

Luna's forelegs went limp, giving the captured mare the opening she needed. When she scrambled out of her aunt's grasp to the opposite side of the table, a cold chill shot down her spine. When she turned to look at the Lunar Princess, a wide, knowing grin greeted her.

"Would this special somepony happen to be a gray Pegasus with a light yellow mane and tail? An artificial eye perhaps?"

"No," Sunset said quickly, silently panicking.

How the hell does she know?! I've never even met this lunatic and she guessed Derpy to a tee!

"Are you sure?" Princess Luna asked, her smile seeming to grow. "We were certain that you looked just like what another pony of that description confessed. Something about cinnamon muffins and looking adorable as a pony."

A trace of confusion slipped into Princess Luna's tone as she recounted that little tidbit of information before taking a nonchalant sip of her tea. Meanwhile, Princess Celestia gave her daughter a faint smile while said Unicorn tried to hide her blush behind the shadow of her bangs.

Yep, that's Derpy alright, she thought with a gulp. How did she know?

"Hypothetically speaking," Sunset started, struggling to lock eyes with her Aunt. "If that was my special somepony, what of it?"

A light chuckle slipped past Luna's muzzle as she leaned towards her niece.

"We would honor them in a way fitting of our status. Knighthood, a manor, a plot of land, all of it at their disposal and discretion. And should she add a ring to your horn, all the privileges worthy of a High Royal."

Sunset was flabbergasted by what her aunt was offering, as well as blushing up a storm at the second mention of a ring. She wondered how Derpy would've reacted to all of that. Sure, she could adapt to almost anything, but she doubted the simple city girl would be able to wrap her head around the idea of possibly becoming literal royalty. She could see the Pegasus receive the news in her minds eye, only for her to faint from the magnitude of it a moment later.

"We haven't even had our first date yet," Sunset muttered as she dropped her head onto the table.

"So I was right," Luna said with a cocky grin. "Well, our niece, that is a crime that we shall quickly correct."

"Huh?" Sunset asked, raising her head up from the table just enough to look the Princess in the eye.

"We shall have one of Canterlot's finest designers craft dresses for you and your lover. In addition, reservations will be made at the best restaurant in the city. It will be the finest night of your young lives! This we promise!"

Sunset was floored. Half of her wanted to refuse her aunt's offering, but the other was quick to warn that doing so could be a bad idea. Besides, she could see in her eyes that she wouldn't take no for an answer anyway. Much like her mother in the human world, her aunt wasn't asking for permission. She was telling her what was going to happen, the only bit of a courtesy she was going to get in this endeavor.

"W-Wow," Sunset stammered, taking a shaky sip of her tea. "You really want to pull out all of the stops, huh?"

"What can we say," Princess Luna shrugged, taking a sip of her own drink. "She left a good impression on us."

"You met her?" Sunset asked, taken aback.

"In a sense," she smiled. "We find that you can meet many interesting ponies when the proper gaps are crossed."

Just as Sunset was about to question the meaning behind her aunt's words, the doors to the study opened to admit the very Pegasus they were talking about. She locked eye with the grinning mare only for her smile to slightly wilt as the Unicorn mouthed a single word.

RUN.

The doors gently clicked shut and locked before she had a chance to reach for the nob. Derpy gulped as she took stock of her situation and note of the two other mares in the room. Princess Celestia earned a grateful smile out of her, while the sight of the Princess of the Night made her give a shocked gasp.

"W-Wait," she stammered, backing up a step. "Your real?"

"Indeed, we are," Princess Luna smiled. "Greetings yet again, Derpy. Please, join us for some tea and treats. We have much to discus."

"Right," she said, a deep blush growing on her muzzle. "By the way, you didn't say anything weird before I got here, right?"

"As we told you," Princess Luna smiled as the hot faced Pegasus took her place at the table at Sunset's left. "Our lips are sealed."

"O-Oh," Derpy said with a nervous laugh. "Right, thanks."

Luna simply nodded before taking a sip from her drink. All the while, Celestia pored a fresh cup for the latest member of their party.

"Okay, when did you talk to my aunt?" Sunset asked as she levitated a slice of cake onto a plate for Derpy.

"Uh, last night," she said, frowning as she struggled to get her hoof to grab a fork.

"When?" Sunset stammered. "I know we were pretty drunk last night, but I think I'd remember another Alicorn poofing into the room."

"I don't know," she said, glaring at her fork. "The last thing I remembered was taking a swig of cider, then suddenly, BOOM, there she is."

"Oh," she frowned, giving her aunt a brief cautious glance before taking note of her friend's struggle. "Here, let me help."

As she said that, she took the fork with her magic and cut off a piece of the cake. As she bought the loaded fork to Derpy's muzzle, the Pegasus' face turned beet red.

"What's wrong?" Sunset asked, noticing the hue of her friend's face.

"N-Nothing!" she exclaimed, blush spreading to her ears as she ate the offered bit of cake.

"Dreams truly do come true sometimes, do they not?" Princess Luna smirked.

"R-Right," Derpy laughed with an audible gulp, though whether it was from her offered snack or something else was up for debate.

***

It wasn't hard for Sunset to guess what happened, though a small part of her wondered what Derpy and Princess Luna talked about. Considering how Derpy was acting, she probably wasn't going to find out anytime soon. A small problem that she could live with as she stared at her sleeping friend. She let out a light chuckle as she slowly rose out of bed, trying not to disturb her. Before she could make any progress, a grey wing flew forth and pulled her back to her friends side. Sunset let out a small yelp as Derpy pulled her into a tight embrace, her face nuzzling into her chest. Left with little choice in the matter, Sunset eased herself back into bed. All the while, she let one of her forelegs wrap around Derpy's back, careful not to touch her wings. She giggled a little as Derpy's breath tickled her chest, all the while nuzzling the top of her head. A faint blush colored her cheeks as the scent of vanilla hit her nose. It grew as she remembered Luna mentioning Derpy talking about cinnamon in regards to her.

She knew that ponies had distinct scents, each unique to that pony in particular. She remembered how her mother always smelled of sun-soaked flowers when they hugged. A memory that always brought a smile to her face as well as, until recently, guilty tears. The stronger it was, the closer the ponies were. Though that mostly related to family, there was another thing that a stronger scent could show; compatibility.

One of the perks of having magic in your blood, she thought, idly running her hoof through Derpy's mane. Who needs dating sights when all you have to do is just walk around for a little bit?

A faint frown replaced her smile as she thought about what woke her just a few moments ago.

Of course, I guess the trade off is that your family gets a bit more involved then they need to be. I mean, really? A Saddle Arabian Palace? Really?! And did she have to make all the servants Derpy clones? I mean, sure, I didn't mind it too much, but the harem chamber was a bit much!

She grimaced as she let out a yawn, knowing what was likely waiting for her when she closed her eyes. It was inevitable, the warmth and comfort of her bed lulled her easily into the border between the waking world and her aunt's domain. Not helping was the security of Derpy's embrace. Though she didn't want to admit it, a small part of her was terrified that it was all a dream. That everything that happened the last couple of weeks had all been an illusion and she was going to wake up back at the warehouse alone and hated again. Her grip on her bedmate tightened slightly as the fear crept into her. She didn't want to go back to that. She wanted to be happy, to be loved. Something that came so easily to most that felt always just out of reach for her. A faint whimper made it past her guard, a pitiful sound that filled her with shame as a tear slid down her cheek.

Then, suddenly, Derpy did something that made her gasp. She kissed her. It was on her chest and she was asleep, but the feeling was unmistakable. The feeling of soft lips pressed to her chest. Sunset looked down at the sleeping Pegasus, eyes wide with shock. Her eyes widened further as she heard her mutter in her sleep just the words she needed to hear.

"Sunset...don't cry. I'll always....protect you....promise."

Happy tears started to run down her face as she buried her face into Derpy's mane, a wide smile growing on her muzzle as sleep started to reclaim her.

I really owe you a lot don't I? she thought with a yawn. Guess I'd better get on that soon. Okay Aunty, give me your....best......shot.

With that, Sunset returned to her aunt's mercy, a big smile on her tearstained face.

***

Derpy was a pile of nerves as she paced through the room, Princess Luna watching her with mild annoyance as she tried to style the Pegasus' mane. In just a few minutes, she was going to go on her first date, ever. She was thrilled, but also on the verge of having a nervous breakdown as she tried to find something to do with herself. At the same time, Princess Luna fought the urge to trap the mare in her magic as she tailed behind her to get Derpy's mane into some semblance of order. It befuddled her how the mare could stay calm when she was getting fitted for her dress only to turn into a gray, hornless version of Twilight Sparkle two hours later.

Maker have mercy on us when she puts a ring on our niece, she thought as she managed to corner the panicking mare long enough to work on her tail.

"Derpy, if you don't stay still, we will tie you to the ground and leave you to the mercy of the maids!" the Lunar Princess snapped, forcing the frazzled mare to freeze. "Thank you," she sighed as she gently ran the brush through Derpy's mane and tail. "What has you so worried? The affection shared between you two is strong and true, if not a bit awkward. Surely that is not enough to stagger you to such a degree."

"I-I can't help it!" Derpy exclaimed, struggling to stay still. "Before, I had Anon-a-Miss to keep me busy, but now I've got nothing to distract me! All the stuff I kept ignoring about Sunset is jumping to the front of my head all at once and it's making me a wreck! The good and the bad."

Her head wilted as she said that, her nervous tremors reduced to faint twitches.

Princess Luna sighed, knowing where this line of thought was headed.

"You fear that now that she no longer needs you, you and her will drift."

She nodded, lips trembling as she fought her tears.

"Such blasphemy," Princess Luna muttered angrily as she set the brush aside for a comb. "Blasphemy and foolishness. The products of a frightened youth. Listen well, young Derpy. The bond you share with Sunset Shimmer is one that is quite strong. Do you know what that is?"

"W-What?" Derpy stammered, meeting the Princess' gaze.

"Trust," she said, a proud smile decorating her muzzle as she set the comb aside. "She trusts you, more than any of her other friends. She knows that, in the end, no matter what happens, she can rely on you the most."

Derpy gaped at that, not sure if she could process the magnitude of Princess Luna's words.

"W-Wow," Derpy smiled shyly, suddenly interested in the ground. "I-I don't know if I'm really worthy of that kind of thing. I didn't really do all that much."

"Such modesty," Luna chuckled as she guided Derpy's face back up to hers with a hoof. "You gave her a home, true friendship, justice, and the will to live. The only thing left is the heavens and we are sorry to say that our sister and we are far too attached to part with it."

Both chucked at that, Derpy's nerves seeming to melt a little in the Princess' presence. Her smile shifted into an uncertain frown a moment later, a hoof subconsciously moving to her false eye.

"But am I really worth all that? I mean, she could do way better than me. I'm just some dork with a computer and she's, well, her. Maybe Octavia or Bonbon would've been a better fit. Well, if they swung that way anyway."

She shook her head, then continued.

"I just don't want to screw things up for her, you know? What if I make things worse for her and she tries to...to..."

Terrified tears started to run down her face as an unspeakable possibility crossed her mind. It was a fear that always sat at the back of her mind, tickling at the edge of her conscious thoughts. She knew that the odds were small, that Sunset had made excellent progress the past few days, but the fear was always there. The small percent chance that she would walk into Sunsets room and be greeted by a hanging body. Just like in the nightmare she had just after Anon-a-Miss was defeated.

A pair of forelegs and wings gently wrapped around her, shocking her out of her dark musings. Luna rubbed her back reassuringly, lightly shushing the mare's concerns away. Derpy stiffly eased into the embrace, letting all of her anxiety wash out of her as the Lunar Princess' warmth enveloped her. It reminded her of when she was little and had a bad dream. Her mother would come into her room and hold her just like this until the monsters went away. It was so nostalgic, so simple, so funny, and just what she needed. As her nerves settled, Princess Luna released the Pegasus, an understanding smile on her lips as she stared down at her.

"Listen well, young Derpy," she started, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Though your fears are valid, they are not going to come to pass. The bond forged between you and our niece is like iron and steel. Through it, you have made her stronger than ever and we highly doubt that she will let it break so easily. Do you not feel the same?"

"Definitely," she said, a determined smile on her muzzle and a fire in her eye.

"Then be at ease," she smiled. "And don't bother trying to impress her, that trial was conquered long ago. Just focus on enjoying your time together. If you try too hard, it will make things more difficult than they need to be. Stay calm and let things happen as they will."

"Thanks Princess," she smiled. "You're pretty good at this kind of thing."

"Let's just say," she smirked, eyes going distant for a moment. "That we have some experience with matchmaking."

"Chats in their dreams?" Derpy asked with a knowing smirk.

"Sometimes yes, sometimes no," she winked.

A knock at the door got their attention.

"Your Highness," a guard said from the other side of the door. "A package has arrived for your guest."

"Thank you guard," she said, facing the door. "Leave it by the door and we shall retrieve it."

A pause, then the sound of hooves fading behind the door signaled the vacancy of the guard.

"It would seem that your dress has arrived," she smiled as she turned her head towards Derpy. "Are you ready?"

She paused for a moment, then, with an easy smile, said, "Now I am. Thanks again Princess Luna."

"Anytime," she smiled. "And please, just Luna is fine. Such formality only serves to distance a Princess from her friends."

"Right," she chuckled. "Thanks Luna."

With an appreciative nod, the Princess walked towards the door to receive Derpy's package. All the while, the gray Pegasus brought a hoof to her false eye, a faint smile gracing her muzzle.

Broken or not, I'll do whatever I can to make Sunset smile. That's a promise.

***

Day Court was cut early for the day due to a noble insulting Discord when he refused to expand the stallion's land. It took some convincing on both Princess' part to return the noble to his original form, but Princess Celestia was able to arrange something with him. Though all High Royals present would admit, Lord Redblood did make a spectacular balloon animal. As a result, the throne room was abandoned, save for two ponies waiting at its heart. One was Princess Celestia, a bundle of excitement hidden within a regal package. At her side was Sunset, dressed in a vibrant red and gold dress with a gold chain holding a brilliant ruby pendant in the shape of a phoenix feather at her neck. All throughout her dress were faint weaves of phoenixes flying through the gold and crimson fabric like a dazzling wildfire, the biggest and most defined centering around a print of her Cutie Mark on the train just above her flanks. Her mane was styled into a braid with a gold and red ribbon tied into a bow at its base. Though she seemed calm, the Unicorn was on the verge of a major panic attack.

Oh, god! Oh god! Oh god! It's happening! It's actually happening! I am about to go on a date with Derpy!

She took a shuddering breath, desperate to get a grip of herself.

Come on Sunset, get a grip! It's not like this is your first date or anything. You dated Flash for a while, right?

She groaned inwardly.

While she did date him for a couple months, it was entirely for materialistic reasons. None of it meant anything really, but this was different. Sunset did care about Derpy, a lot more then she thought she would ever about anyone. While this wasn't her first date it was her first real date and that scared her to death.

"Don't be so tense," Princess Celestia chuckled, giving her daughter a gentle shoulder nudge. "You're acting as if you're meeting her for the first time."

"Right," Sunset chuckled nervously, shifting her eyes to everywhere except where her mother stood.

"Sunset," Celestia said, tone soothing as she stepped in front of Sunset. "Look at me."

Hesitantly, she obeyed, locking eyes with her mothers.

"Good, " she smiled. "Now, take a deep breath."

Slowly, Sunset took a breath, holding it for as long as she could, before slowly letting it out through her nose.

"Again," Celestia said calmly.

Sunset repeated her actions, her exhale taking away a bit of her nerves. She repeated this for several minutes, the catharsis almost euphoric as her stress started to fade. When she finally stopped, she was mostly back to her normal self. The panic was still there, but it was at a much more manageable level compared to before.

"Better?" Princess Celestia asked with a smile.

"Yeah," Sunset sighed with a smile of her own. "Thanks."

"Anytime, my Little Sun."

She smirked and rolled her eyes at the use of her nickname. A second later the throne room doors opened slightly, admitting a grinning Princess Luna.

"Lady Sunset Shimmer," the grinning Princess declared, the doors enveloped in her magic aura. "Tonight, we present to you your date for this evening. Behold! Lady Derpy!"

With that, the glowing doors opened to reveal a sight that made Sunset's jaw hit the floor.

Derpy was dressed in a dark-purple dress with silver highlights and streaks that hugged her form like a good friend. Scale-like patterns covered the dress' silver train accompanied by purple sea serpents seeming to be moving between them as they moved towards the ground. Her wings and coat were groomed to perfection with her mane styled in such a way that it covered her false eye while drawing attention to the rest of her face. It was thanks to that that she noticed the light application of makeup; just enough to emphasize Derpy's charming features without looking too obvious.

When Derpy looked at Sunset, she was equally stunned. It was as if she was staring into the flames of the sun, only instead of being painful to witness, it hurt to look away. The intensity in Sunset's eyes brought some of those flames to her face as she blushed. She barely noticed her wings rustling at her sides as she approached her date for the evening. Sunset was equally oblivious to the small sparks of magic that came off her horn as she watched the Pegasus. She felt like she was watching a mist spirit as the silver and dark-purple of Derpy's dress shimmered around her. By the time the gray Pegasus closed the gap between them, Sunset's face was almost the same color as her dress.

"H-Hi," Derpy stammered.

"H-Hey yourself," Sunset chuckled nervously. "Y-You look great."

Come on Sunset, get it together! she thought desperately. You know you can do better than that!

"Oh, uh, thanks," Derpy giggled. "You too."

She likes the dress! Yes! Yes! YES!!! Derpy thought, doing mental backflips. Now let's keep it up! No screwing up now!

"Seems that everything is in order, right sister?" Luna asked, giving Celestia a mischievous smile.

"Indeed," Celestia replied, a matching smile on her lips.

The exchange didn't go unnoticed to the couple, a sharp frown forming on Sunset's muzzle.

"What are you planning?" she asked, a slight edge to her tone.

"Oh nothing, my Little Sun," Celestia smiled, waving off Sunset's glare with a hoof. "Now run along. A chariot has already been arranged at the Palace gates to take you to where you will be dining tonight. Your table will be reserved under Sunset."

Sunset gave her mother a long hard look before nodding and moving towards the doors, Derpy not far behind with a visibly worried frown. Once the throne room doors were closed, the two Princesses stood in silence for a minute. Then, with a cheshire's smile, Celestia turned towards a side passage out of the room and said, "Come Luna, I am not going to miss this."

"You need not ask us twice, dear sister," Luna giggled, following her sister through the door.

***

The chariot ride had been uneventful for the most part. The only thing of any real note was Derpy's reaction to being so high in the air. The smile on her face as they soared over the city streets was just as much a thing of beauty as the stars in the sky to Sunset. Things she would've taken for granted was a thing of wonder to the Human-turned-Pegasus, a fact that made Sunset look at things in a different light. While things had changed quite a bit over the years, most of the things in Canterlot remained generally the same to Sunset. The castle was still made of marble and the architecture spreading out away from it shifted in order of how many bits a pony had. It was for that reason that Sunset had no problem answering any and all questions her date had as they flew. It gave her something to do besides stare at Derpy, and made the former human smile. As the chariot closed in on what was presumably the restaurant they were going to be eating at, the two mares silently started to brace themselves. Though it wasn't for the chariot's landing.

Okay Derpy, remember what Luna said, she thought, taking deep breaths. Don't try too hard to impress her. Just relax and let things run their course.

Okay Sunset, stay calm, she thought with a barely audible gulp. You can do this. Just try to have a good time and don't screw up. No, that's not right. Uh....

She stared at Derpy's smiling face out the corner of her eye. Instantly, her nerves started to settle and a matching smile spread across her own lips.

Let's just see what happens and have fun with it.

The two mares made their way towards the restaurant, all the while oblivious to the two Unicorn mares tailing them in the shadows. One was dark-blue with a lighter shade of blue coloring her short mane and tail. Her Cutie Mark was a moon with a cluster of stars to its left. The other was white with a bright-pink mane and tail. A golden sun decorated her flanks. Both of them were only slightly taller than a normal pony, a rare trait but not completely unheard of in most circles. The mares waited until the couple entered The Silver Spoon before stepping out of the shadows.

"This seems a bit much sister," the dark-blue mare said crossly. "We think a simple request from your special somepony would've been so much simpler."

Her companion gave a flustered sputter before saying, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh please sister," the dark one groaned, rolling her eyes. "It is plain as your charge and you know it."

"It isn't like that," the white mare huffed with a light blush.

"So you say," she smirked. "But your dreams tell a different story. Should we warn our niece to be ready for a little brother or sister?"

"Enough!" Celestia snapped, earning a light chuckle from her disguised sister. "I am not the main focus tonight."

"Indeed," Luna chuckled as she moved towards the restaurant.

Grumbling, Celestia tailed behind, various ruthless pranks running through her mind.

My vengeance will be swift and merciless!

Meanwhile, Sunset and Derpy were already at their table, going through their menus. The Silver Spoon was one of the most popular restaurants in Canterlot with a price tag to match. Most ponies were lucky if they could eat their once in their lives as a single course could run up a bill equal to a mortgage on a house. And if by some miracle you could afford to eat there you still had to make a reservation, a task that has been compared to navigating the Everfree Forest blindfolded in terms of difficulty. The only exceptions were The Princesses and foreign Dignitaries that came more for business than the food. The fact that the young couple were not only able to dine there, but do so in the portion of the restaurant reserved for VIPs was nothing short of winning the lottery by first date standards. In spite of this, a thin layer of irritation permeated the air around them as they stared at their menus.

It was brief, but both noticed the look their server gave Derpy as Sunset claimed their reservations. While it was relatively uncommon to see Pegesi and Earth Ponies in Canterlot, it was almost unheard of to some of the city's upper class to see one in their domain. Some of the more adaptive nobles like the Fancy Family took it as a sign of progress while some of the more traditional families such as the Bloods saw it as an unfortunate product of the times. The worst of these were the Tribalist families, such as the Crystal or Vine Families who insisted on returning to the way things were before Equestria's founding. Needless to say, such minority families were not very popular in most social circles and ultimately made things very uncomfortable when dealing with the Noble Court. It also made interactions with lesser known nobles more difficult then it needed to be, as it was often a chore to find out what ideology they followed.

Both mares decided to shelve the small moment and enjoy their evening. A bit of surprise from a waiter was no reason to go to war after all. It was while Sunset perused the drink selections that she decided to ask a question that had been bugging her since she found out about Derpy's secret identity.

"So, what made you retire?"

"Huh?" Derpy asked with a start, looking up from her menu.

"What made you retire?" she repeated, setting her menu down. "From being Meme Queen I mean. From what I heard, you did some really amazing things back in the day, so why give it up?"

Derpy blinked, then stared down at the table with a frown.

"It became too much," she sighed. "At first, sure it was cool. Using my skills to help the cops catch the bad guys, it was like I was some kind of super hero, you know?"

Sunset nodded, eager to see where this was going.

"But," she continued. "After a while, it started to grate on me. When you run around looking through people's dirty laundry, you get a pretty cynical view of the world. I started to assume the worst in people, seeing only their ugly sides and ignoring their good."

She looked up at Sunset, lips pulled into a sad smile.

"The moment of clarity came to me when Lyra invited all of us to her place for Game Night. She made each of us a deck and we had a big Magic free-for-all. I still remember what everyone got. Lyra used her white knights, Bonbon had her blue wizards, Lightning ended up with some white-red solders, Vinyl used some weird red-black circus deck, Octavia had a black-white vampire deck, and I had....blue-black assassins."

She looked away in guilt while Sunset raised a brow. Admittedly, her knowledge of her new hobby was rather limited, but even she knew that the meaning behind that arrangement was a little off. Blue was an intelligence centered color while black was all about taking huge risks to get the upper hand, a fact that actual black magic had in common. Derpy didn't strike her as the type of person who would be compatible with such a play style considering how cautious she was against Anon-a-Miss.

"It was so easy," she muttered, a trace of self-loathing in her tone. "Using what I knew about them, I was able to pick them off one by one. I narrowly managed to beat Lyra using a bunch of strange combinations she didn't see coming by keeping track of how she organized her attacks. I mentally screwed with them, and it was so easy to do it."

A heavy silence settled between them. It wasn't easy for Derpy to come clean about what her skills almost turned her into. Yes, she helped a lot of people, but at the same time it made everything in life look so ugly. Maybe she would get back into it in the distant future, but now? No. She was done. Done living in that ugly world. Unless something major happened again, nothing could force her back into that place.

She felt a grip on her hoof. With a start, she looked towards it and was greeted by the sight of an orange hoof locked with her own. When she looked up from it, she saw Sunset, sporting a sad smile of her own as she locked eyes with her.

"Guess we make a perfect match then, huh?" she said with a sad smile.

It took a moment for Derpy to process what Sunset said, and when she did, a sad laugh slipped past her muzzle.

"The retired hacker and the former bully?" she laughed as Sunset released her, a small smile on her muzzle. "We should start a sitcom when we get back home."

"Sounds about right," Sunset laughed. "We're already living together, so why not?"

"R-Right," Derpy blushed, taking note of a fact that should've been painfully obvious.

If this works out then that means I'll have a girlfriend that's-

Her face burst into an intense blush as both Sunset picked her menu back up and Derpy's mind went to places she wasn't ready for yet.

Okay, no alcohol tonight, she thought, not trusting herself as she stared at the drink options.

A second later, a Unicorn waiter stepped up to their table, set a wine glass up for each of them and poured them a drink from an ornate looking bottle.

"Golden Rose, two thousand B.C. as requested in advance with reservation," he intoned, face completely neutral.

"Thank you," Sunset smiled.

"Y-Yeah," Derpy said with a forced smile. "Thanks."

The waiter bowed, then walked away, all the while Derpy glared at the glass of red wine in front of her.

Crap...

Meanwhile, Luna and Celestia sat in a table of in the farthest corner of the room, observing the young couple.

"You sure don't hold anything back, Luna," Celestia smirked as she levitated a glass of wine to her lips.

"Never sister," Luna chuckled. "Should Lady Derpy join our family, our niece will be trotting on cloud nine. It is only natural that we pull out all the stops so to speak."

"You certainly hold her in high regard," she stated with a raised brow.

"And you do not?"

"Of course I do," Celestia smirked. "I gave my blessing after all. I just wasn't expecting you to be so accepting of her so soon."

A small smile graced Luna's muzzle as she stared at the couple.

"She brings back memories," she sighed. "Velvet Star was just like her. Kind and scattered, yet always at odds with herself. We suppose that is were Twilight Sparkle gets her quirks now that we think about it."

"Then it was no wonder I was so conflicted about sending her to Ponyville," Celestia chuckled. "Which reminds me, how is Midnight doing."

Luna rolled her eyes and let out a groan.

"A hoofful as usual," she moaned. "That catty son of ours just can't sit still, even at the best of times. We shudder to think what would happen if he discovered he has a cousin."

"It's only a matter of time sister," Celestia smiled.

"And we intend to enjoy the lull as long as possible."

Celestia laughed in the face of her sister's pout as she shifted her attention to her daughter. It warmed her heart to see her happy and willing to let her crush get so close to her. Compared to how she used to be, the Unicorn before her was like a brand new pony. It reminded her of Philomena and how she rose from the ashes of her past life to start a fresh one anew. Pride swelled in her heart as she watched her Little Sun and the beautiful mare she had grown into. A pride that changed into protective anger when a nearby table caught her attention.

"Sister," Luna said, a cautious edge in her voice.

"I see her too," Celestia frowned. "Stay on guard. There is no reason to make a scene if she won't."

Luna nodded, her eyes briefly shifting towards Derpy before she glared at the target of her sister's anger.

They weren't the only ones who noticed. Since they got their drinks, Sunset had felt the familiar feeling of someone glaring daggers at her back. Using a trick she learned from her mother, she took a spoon in her magic and used the reflection in it to help her get a better look at her surroundings. About four tables away behind her, a mare with a gold coat and silver mane and tail was watching them. The elaborate violet dress she wore hid her Cutie Mark beneath its train, but that held little interest to her. Her face was void of any visible emotion, but Sunset could tell by her stiff posture that she wasn't happy to see them.

A faint frown decorated her muzzle as she tried to enjoy her salad. The waiter was one thing, but this was different. As she ate, she took careful note of exit routs that put as much distance between them and the mare as possible. Part of the arrangement Celestia made with Sunset's reservation was that any and all expenses were to be sent to the Crown. As a result, they wouldn't need to wait to pay anyone when they left, though they would need to request names to assign tips later. Derpy was oblivious to the situation, lost in her crab salad and light buzz from her heavily nursed wine. What did get her attention was how tense Sunset seemed to get all of a sudden. With a smile, she placed a comforting hoof on Sunset's that got a small flinch out of her. Attention once again centered on her date, Sunset sported a small smile of her own. A smile that faded away when an indignant shout made everyone jump.

All ponies present turned towards the source of the shout as the very same mare that had been glaring at Sunset rose from her seat. The mare made a slow beeline towards their table, a look of utter contempt plastered across her upturned face. As she closed in, Celestia's caution turned into anger. Not quite at the level that almost doomed a city, but enough to concern her sister.

"Easy sister," Luna whispered, holding the seething sun goddess in her chair with her magic. "This is under control, we promise."

"How do you know that?" Celestia said, tone colored by a faint snarl.

A mischievous smile graced her muzzle as she said, "Don't underestimate your daughter's suitor."

At that moment, the mare made it to Sunset and Derpy's table and the gauntlet was ready to be thrown.

"Can I help you?" Sunset said, a trace of venom in her tone.

"Yes," she said, casting her gaze over towards Derpy. "You can start by removing your serf from this property."

A few ponies in the room gasped at the mare's choice of words while others glared, Sunset was among the later.

"Excuse me?" Sunset hissed.

"You heard me," the mare said, unfazed by the ire aimed at her. "This establishment is meant to cater to the top echelons of society. A filthy cloud trotter has no business being here, let alone breaking bread among her betters."

White hot rage flooded Sunset's veins at the mare's words. It was only thanks to an extremely strong amount of effort on her part that she was able to stop herself from turning her into a pile of ash. That and the gray hoof still gripping her's.

"Really?" Derpy asked, tone bored and face devoid of interest as she locked eye with the mare. "Then how about this, I give you five minutes to tell me how you're my better and maybe my date and I'll walk out of here."

The mare's glare hardened.

"You insolent horse feather! Do you know who I am?!"

"You've got five minutes," Derpy said, still stone faced. "Make me care."

"I am Lady Gold Vine!" she snarled. "Matriarch of the honorable Vine Family!"

Honorable my right cheek, Derpy thought bitterly.

"And I should care why?"

Gold was momentarily taken aback by this. Normally, her family name was more than enough to get most ponies to do her bidding. Everypony in Canterlot and the surrounding cities knew the influence and power of the Vine Family. Yet, this Pegasus was not only ignorant of the importance of the pony that stood before her, but dared to defy her in front of her peers.

"You miserable whelp!" Gold Vine growled. "What could breed such insolence?"

She glanced at Sunset and a sick smile slid across her lips.

"Oh, I see. How unfortunate that this poor mare has to set her standards so low, but I suppose it is the only way for a Cloud Trotter to get anywhere meaningful in life. Let me fix that for you dear."

As she said that, a faint orange glow enveloped her horn and Derpy's hoof. Sunset was a step away from sending Gold Vine to the moon when Derpy intervened. With her free hoof, she picked up her unused spoon and tapped it against Gold's horn. With an outraged yelp, she stepped back and canceled the spell.

"You leave Sunset out of this," she growled. "You have a problem with me? Fine, but that's it."

"Why you-"

"Also," Derpy continued. "If Sunset wants to hold ha- hooves with me, that's our business. Not yours. Got it?"

Gold Vine leveled a venomous glare at her unimpressed opponent. This went far beyond civil disobedience. This was outright rebellion!

"You worthless-"

"Unless you have something important to say,"Derpy added, tone icy. "I'd suggest you go back to your table and let this go. Unless you want to make an even bigger ass out of yourself than you already have."

Gold Vine gave the Pegasus another heavy glare before she took stock of her situation. It was then that she realized what kind of situation she had placed herself in. She had announced her name, position, and family in a public venue while yelling at a fellow Unicorn's date. While she could't condone her kinsmare's choice in company, she did know the kind of backlash her brash actions could lead to. She hated to do it. It broiled her blood like hot oil to do it, but she had to admit that the Pegasus had her cornered. She could do what the laws of nature demanded and lose her legacy, or make a tactical retreat and strike another day. Begrudgingly, she made the best choice she could, given the situation.

With a huff, she turned and made her way out of the VIP dinning area.

With the crisis averted, both mares let out a sigh of relief as a concerned smile formed on Derpy's lips as she rubbed Sunset's hoof.

"Are you okay?" Derpy asked, releasing her grip.

"Me?" Sunset asked, incredulously. "What about you?"

"Eh, I'm okay," she smirked, taking a swig of her wine. "I'm not the type to let people like that get to me."

Sunset's jaw dropped at how nonchalant her date's attitude was in the wake of what had just happened, only to shift into a big smile a moment later.

"Hey Derpy?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Wanna hit a club after this?"

"Sure, why?"

"Because after seeing that I feel like dancing!" she laughed.

Derpy joined her, as what few traces of tension Gold Vine left behind faded away. At the same time, two hidden Alicorns watched with approving smiles.

***

Cadence stared out her window in the tallest tower of the Crystal Palace, an excited smile on her muzzle as she gazed at the moon above her. Love was thick in the air, she could feel it in her bones. It was what kept her from the comfort of her bed and husband's embrace. Somepony needed her guidance in Ponyville, bad. It both put her on edge and filled her with glee as she tried to guess who it was that needed her.

Twilight? No she would've told me if she found somepony. Spike maybe? Oh, I need to know!

A light giggle slipped past her lips as she gazed into the darkness behind her towards her sleeping husband.

I wonder if I can convince Shining to take a trip with me to Ponyville soon.

Ch.9 Through The Looking Glass

Author's Note

Sorry for any confusion. This is the real upload. Enjoy!

Ch.9 Through The Looking Glass

Pinkie stared at the mirror with intense interest, turning a little to one side then the other. Thanks to all the confusion two days ago, she didn't take full stock of her new body. Encountering her double and the chase that followed didn't help matters either. Though she did get some kind of consolation out of that little disaster.

"Hmmm. You know, you look pretty good as a pony," Tattle said, his voice a gentle purr in her mind.

After he saved her from what he called a Wraith seed, Tattle promised to help her learn how to control her new abilities. The only things he wanted in exchange was to borrow her senses while she was awake and for her to help him leave the Dream world, conditions she was happy to agree to.

Pinkie blushed, earning a light chuckle out of the astral cat.

"Thanks" she stammered, smiling at her reflection.

Pinkie flinched as she felt a paw pat her on the head.

A part of her had to admit, Tattle had a point, she did look pretty good for a pony. Granted, she looked a lot like her double, but a few differences caught her attention. Chief among them was her mane and tail. While her double had her usual ball of curls on her head and rump, Pinkie's mane and tail were straight and ended in a bundle of wavy curls. She was also sleeker then her double, holding a physique more built for speed then strength.

"Could you please leave my eyes?"

A faint tingling left her eyes as Tattle's connection to them faded, only for it to shift to her ears.

"I still don't get why you won't let me have more connections."

"Cuz its weird ," Pinkie grimaced with a shiver. "It's like having someone hovering over my shoulder all the time."

"You don't have a problem with that in your dream lessons," he said, an audible smirk coloring his tone.

Pinkie rolled her eyes as she walked towards the wardrobe in her temporary bedroom. While the dream cat's flirting made her blush from time to time, she had mostly learned to tune it out after a while. She also noticed that ever sense the Seed died, she'd felt a lot better. She still felt guilty about what she did and still intended to keep her promise, but now the task didn't seem so hopeless. She felt stronger, happier, and so much lighter than she had in weeks. It was as if a sheet of lead had been pulled off of her back, letting her rise back to her former glory from a quagmire of poison-laced mud.

A thick cloud of dust made her cough as she opened the wardrobe. Once it cleared, she looked inside and was happily rewarded with a thick gray fur coat. With a relieved smile, she pulled the coat out and put it on. Like everything else in the room, it was too big for her, but at the moment she didn't really care. It was warm, she could wear it, and it was intact.

"I wonder what pony would have a bearskin coat," Tattle muttered idly.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she shrugged, then flashed a cheeky smirk before she tightly closed her eyes.

"Hey!" he snapped.

"Get out of my eyes!"

Tattle let out a small stream of irritated mumbles before synching with her hearing again.

"You know," he grumbled. "You are going to need me to have more access sooner or later. I am the more experienced Walker after all."

"And when that happens, I'll let you know," she smirked, adding as much cheek to her tone as she could.

A happy hum slipped past her lips when she realized the coat had a hood as she pulled it over her head. As she stepped out of the room into the cold stone halls beyond, she tried to get a better grasp of her situation. Based on what Tattle told her, she was in a world called Equis, a world mostly populated by sentient equine creatures as well as Griffins, Dragons, and Diamond Dogs just to name a few. She was in a country called Equestria, which was ruled by four Princesses, two of which had control of the sun and moon. They were also immortal and immensely powerful, a fact that scared her to death, considering her circumstances. Even with his reassurances that they weren't generally the violent type, she remembered the look Princess Celestia gave her and all of the other students at Canterlot High. The other night, Tattle had to pull her out of a nightmare the memory inspired.

She was also apparently something called a Gap Walker or Walker for short. According to Tattle, there are many different types of Walkers in the world, each having a variety of powers based on their type. Tattle and his mom were Dream Walkers, beings that can cross the gaps in the Dream World at will. Normally, his type could also cross the gap between the Dream and Material Worlds, but for some reason, he couldn't. When she asked him why, he would always tell her he didn't know how and his mom wouldn't teach him. He also told her that her type of Walker was extremely rare. She had the power to walk through the gaps between dimensions, an ability that made her very difficult to track by conventional means as well as impossible to predict in most situations. If she had complete control at least.

As it stood, she only stumbled across the most basic of basic Walking abilities; seeing and summoning dimensional gaps. Granted, as it stood she could only use this ability when she was stressed or in danger, but it was a step in the right direction as far as her teacher was concerned.

A cold breeze washed over her, drawing a chill down her spine in spite of the coat as she made it to the end of the hallway into the throne room. Like the day before, the throne room was as cold as a meat locker as she made her way through it to another hall on the other side of it. After a few seconds of walking, she took a left into a room full of open barrels. Humming a happy tune, she peeked into each of the barrels in turn. As she did, her good mood started to sour.

"Empty," she muttered with a sigh as she walked away from the last barrel. "Tattle, do you think anything in the forest is edible?"

"Possibly," he said, shrug audible in his tone. "Though I wouldn't recommend it. The Everfree Forest is notoriously hazardous, especially as far in as we are."

"Why?" she asked, stepping out of the store room. "What's out there?"

"Timber Wolves and Cragodials, mostly," Tattle growled. "Though I've heard rumors about a rogue Dragon as well."

"A Dragon?!" Pinkie gaped. "Seriously?! What the heck is one of those doing here?!"

"I said it was a rumor," Tattle sighed. "Besides, even if there was a Dragon here, it would probably be hibernating right now."

"Oh, okay," she said with a relieved sigh. "And the other stuff?"

"Dangerous," he said flatly. "One is impossible to kill without fire magic and the other is nearly indestructible."

She cringed at that, but a rumbling from her stomach reminded her of her current predicament.

"Then what do I do?" she whimpered. "We're all out of food!"

"I know," he groaned. "Give me a minute to think."

For a moment he silently weighed his options, all the while, Pinkie anxiously paced the hall.

After a few minutes, she broke the din with a strained, "Well?"

Stammering, Tattle answered her.

"I...Well....There is a town near the outskirts of the forest. You should be able to find some ponies there that are willing to help you."

"I'm sensing a "but" there," Pinkie frowned.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle lives there," he sighed.

She blinked, then said, "So what you're telling me is that the only safe way I can get some food is by going into enemy territory."

She could sense Tattle's concerned frown as she felt a paw rest on her shoulder.

"Pinkie, I promise it isn't like that. If you just-"

"NO!" she screamed, falling to her haunches as she brought her forehooves to the sides of her head and closed her eyes. "I can't Tattle! I just can't! I know she hates me! Heck, I hate me for what I did! I...."

Slowly, her panic started to level out as she felt a warm wave of energy wrap around her. She smiled as she let her new friend's magic envelop her, letting her scattered mind reorganize itself.

"Better?" he asked, voice a gentle whisper in her mind.

"Yeah," she smiled, letting her forelegs fall to her sides as she enjoyed the warmth. "Thanks."

"Anytime," he smiled, pulling back his magic. "I wish I could send more than my magic to you."

"It's alright," she giggled. "But yeah, I don't know if we should risk it."

"Pinkie, you don't have any food and most of the plants in the forest are out of season." he said, frown heavy in his tone. "Unless you think you can live off of snow and mud, I think it's worth the risk."

An irritated groan slipped past her lips as she tried to find a counter argument to her friend's logic.

"Mud doesn't taste that bad," she pouted.

"Pinkie."

"Fine," she sighed, only to start fidgeting a minute later. "But.....um......I, uh.....don't know the way. So, I guess....you can have access to my other senses for a little bit."

"Are you sure?" he asked with a smirk in his tone.

"Yes," she groaned.

"Just checking," he purred as a tingle ran through her whole body.

"SWEET MOTHER OF CELESTIA!!! IT'S COLD OUT HERE!!!" he exclaimed in her head, earning a laugh out of his pink friend/student.

"You sure you wan't to stay linked?" she smirked.

"G-Give me a minute," he stammered. "The shock just got to me for a bit. I'll be fine."

"O-kay," she giggled.

"Right," he coughed. "Anyway, let's head out. You need some food and we should get moving while you still have the energy."

Nodding, she reluctantly made her way through the hall back to the throne room, tension forming into a small stone in her gut with every step.

***

"I can't do this," Pinkie whispered as she looked past the forest's border.

"Yes, you can," Tattle stated flatly. "As long as you avoid the castle, you should be able to stay under Princess Twilight's radar."

"B-But what do I do about money?" she stammered.

"Check your coat pockets," he said with an audible smirk.

Curious, she obeyed and was rewarded by the clinking of metal. Fumbling with her hooves, she managed to pull a large felt bag sealed by a pair of pull strings. Intrigued, she opened the bag and her jaw dropped at what she saw inside. Gold coins, each the size of a silver dollar, greeted her in all their metallic splendor.

Holy mother of Cherrychongas, she thought, a bright grin growing on her face. I'M RICH!!!

"Hmmm, yes this should do," Tattle said casually. "We're going to need to be careful for a bit, though."

Pinkie stared at the gold coins with a starry-eyed smile on her face as she imagined all the things she'd be able to buy back home.

"Pinkie?"

"A party nuke," she giggled, lips pulled into a dreamy smile as images of a town drowning in an ocean of confetti and streamers flooded her mind. "None shall escape!"

"Pinkie!" he snapped.

She quickly fell back to reality, blinking out of her greatest ambition.

"Huh?"

"Food first. Fantasies about conquering worlds later."

"Right!" she chirped, only to add a "Sorry" with a sheepish smile a second later.

With that, she resealed the bag, put it back into her coat pocket, and stepped out of the forest. The second she set hoof outside, a cold dread ran down her back. Shaking it off, she moved away from the forest and towards what looked like a path leading away from it.

"This is the right way to Ponyville, right?" she asked.

"If memory serves," he said casually. "And if not, there's a large buildup of magic about an hours walk ahead of us, so this path leads to some kind of settlement at the very least."

Nodding, she followed the path, an awkward silence settling around her as she struggled to think of a way to kill time.

"So," she started, uncomfortably looking around a she walked. "How'd you put the bag in my pocket?"

"I didn't," he said calmly. "That was just a happy accident."

That got a raised brow out of the pink mare.

"Then how did you know they were there?"

"I heard them," he said easily, an image of him shrugging in her head.

"Huh?"

She could see him grinning in her mind's eye as he added, "You don't know how sharp your ears are. While you were focused on....other things, I picked up the sounds of bits in your pocket. And while we're on the subject, don't spend any of them recklessly. If we talk to the right ponies, we should be able to get some basic necessities that will last you a few days for a decent price."

"Wait, some people will just give me stuff?" Pinkie asked, shocked.

"Nothing fancy," he said flatly. "As long as you don't get greedy and are willing to pay them back somehow later, Ponyville Ponies tend to be on the generous side."

"Huh," Pinkie said, furrowing her brow. "That's pretty cool. Wish home was more like that."

"It's not a sure thing though," he stated flatly. "You will always find those outliers in society. If that happens, we can always haggle."

"Now that's something I can do," she smirked.

With that, the "duo" went on their merry way, talking about what they needed and how to go about getting it once they made it to town. When said town came into view, they had already concocted a strategy on how to go about their business without drawing too much attention. As long as they kept the hood up, nopony was going to be able to identify her that easily and it kept her Cutie Mark hidden well enough to further hide her identity.They both agreed that the market would be the best place to start with stores being a plan B when looking for necessities. With all this in mind, Pinkie was a lot more confident when she passed the border into Ponyville.

"Alright," Tattle sighed. "Now that we're here we can-"

He paused, making Pinkie stop dead in her tracks.

"Tattle?" she whispered, a trace of dread entering her voice. "What's-"

"Pinkie! See that alley to your left?!" he asked urgently.

She looked to her left and spotted an alley between two tall buildings ten feet away from her, then said, "Yeah."

"Get in there, now!"

Frantically, she did as she was told. When she turned to the alley's opening, she was greeted by a sight that turned her blood to ice. Standing where she had been five seconds ago was her double, a serious frown on her face as she scanned her surroundings. Panic ran through Pinkie as she stared at her Equestrian double, every fiber of her being telling her to run. Before it became too much for her to handle, she felt the familiar warmth of Tattle's magic envelope her. An appreciative smile graced her lips as her fear started to fade, only for it to grow when the other Pinkie let out a frustrated huff and left.

"Thanks," she sighed as she peeked out from her hiding place.

"No problem," he said, his smiling face briefly appearing in her mind.

Once the other Pinkie was out of sight, she stepped out of the alley and made her way towards the heart of the town. As they made their way towards the market, a single question nagged at her.

"Hey Tattle," she whispered. "How did you know she was coming?"

"I sensed her magic," he casually answered. "Some how, she used some sort of Security Spell that let her know the second you stepped into town. It wasn't until I felt her make a beeline towards us that I thought anything of it."

"Oh," she said simply, keeping a close eye on her surroundings as she walked. "Do you think you could-"

"Already doing it," he said with an audible smirk. "If she gets too close I'll let you know."

"Thanks," she sighed.

With that, she entered the market and headed for the closest stall. As she was perusing what the stall owner had on sale Tattle told her to tell the story they agreed upon on the way from the castle, but not to lower her hood. With a subtle nod, she asked for a bag of potatoes and casually mentioned how hard traveling was this time of year. In response, the stall owner added three more potatoes to her bag and took three bits off of her seven bit charge. Pinkie nodded in thanks and went on her way. The other stalls were equally generous, each willing to add a little extra to her purchases in addition to a slight discount. She nearly had a heart attack when she came to an apple stand and saw an eerily familiar pony running it.

"Howdy," Applejack smiled as Pinkie approached. "What can Ah do for ya?"

"Um," Pinkie muttered, taking note of the bags of apples on sale. "I'll take a medium sized bag of apples."

"That's all?" Applejack asked, perplexed as she grabbed the bag.

She nodded, then said, "Yeah, I don't plan to stay here for very long, and I've got a lot to carry as is."

Applejack gave her an understanding smile and nod as she slipped something into the bag before putting it on the stand.

"That'll be three bits."

Nodding, Pinkie took out her bit bag and paid the apple farmer before slipping the bag onto her back.

"Have a good day miss," Applejack smiled with a wave.

"You too," Pinkie nodded with a smile and went on her way.

Things continued to go smoothly for them, until they made it to the town's shopping district.

"Pinkie!" Tattle exclaimed, making the mare flinch.

"Were is she?" she asked frantically.

"Behind us about half a mile away and closing! Get into a store! Quick!"

Frantic, she looked around for the closest store and was greeted by one that looked like a giant gingerbread house. Not thinking twice about it, she ran into the store. She was immediately greeted by the smell of sweets when she closed the door and froze. The table arrangements, decorations, and pastries on display brought her back home. Some of the memories were good, while one in particular made her stomach lurch. Even without looking at the pony behind the counter she knew where she was and it put her even further on edge. A shout from Tattle snapped her out of her stupor and she quickly made her way towards the Cashier's stand.

"Bathroom please," she said, frantically.

"Oh," Mrs.Cake said with a start before pointing to a door in the back corner of the room.

With a quick thanks, she ran to the indicated door, threw it open, and ran inside it. Without thinking, she jumped into a nearby stall and locked the door. Thinking fast, she lowered the toilet's seats and jumped on top of it, groceries still sitting on her back. Pinkie silently prayed that her pursuer would loose her trail, but an irritated growl from Tattle told her otherwise.

"Pinkie, I'm going to need you to listen to me," he said, tone serious. "Can you do that?"

Trembling, she nodded, eyes locked on the door in front of her.

"I'm going to need you to visualize our bedroom. Anything you can remember will work."

Nodding, she closed her eyes and thought about everything she could remember. The bed, the dresser, the aged vanity with its slightly cracked mirror, even the cold stones that made up the floor and walls.

"Do you want to go there?" he asked.

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

She could feel his smile as he said, "Keep that want and image and open your eyes."

When she did, a strange shimmer stood in front of her. It was about the size of a small car and constantly shifted in color like oil stained water. It kind of reminded her of heat shimmers, only a lot more colorful.

"Is that-"

"No time," Tattle said quickly. "Jump through it!"

Nodding, Pinkie jumped through the Gap. A second later, her double burst through the bathroom door, eyes scanning the stalls for her prey. When she found the room empty, she let out frustrated growl and stomped out of the bathroom.

"Dang it," she growled as she angrily made her way up to her room. "I almost had her!"

She silently fumed as she pushed the door to her room open and returned to her meditation circle. Before she could get back into her trance, a deep rumble came from her stomach. A pained groan slipped past her lips as she realized her folly. While meditation did amplify the range of her Pinkie Sense, it also made it hard for her to keep track of time. As such, not eating for two days strait and running through town at top speed had taken a heavy toll on her.

"Right," she groaned, clutching her stomach. "Eat first, track later."

***

Pinkie stumbled into her temporary home through the Gab she created with the grace of a deer on ice as she tumbled onto the bed. At the same time, all of her groceries scattered through the room with just as much decorum as the mare that bought them. Groaning, she pulled herself into a sitting position as she took stock of her surroundings, the hood of her bear skin coat flopping to her back. Right before her eyes, the Gap she summoned faded out of existence and as she watched, a smile started to grow on her muzzle.

"Did I just-"

"Yep!" Tattle said, a bright smile briefly showing in her mind's eye. "You opened a Gap!"

With a smile that threatened to split her head in half, she let out a happy cheer as she jumped on her bed in joy.

"I DID IT! I DID IT! I REALLY DID IT!!!"

A loud, angry roar from her stomach made her stop and blush as Tattle let out a stream of laughter.

"Maybe we can celebrate after you eat," he said, some cheek coloring his tone.

"Right," she laughed awkwardly as she reached for the bag of apples.

As she pulled out an apple, a soft clanking from inside the bag got her attention. Curious, she looked inside and was greeted by a long bottle. Munching on the apple, she pulled out the bottle, only to earn an approving whistle from Tattle.

"Apple Family Cinnamon Apple Cider," he purred. "Now that's what I call quality."

"Is it good?" Pinkie asked, chomping down the last of her apple.

"Good? Pinkie, one bottle usually costs anywhere from fifty to a hundred bits per bottle! And that's if its not in an enchanted bottle!"

Pinkie gave the cider a once over, before frowning.

"Is it supposed to be hot?" she asked.

Tattle let out a happy cheer before saying, "An enchanted bottle! We've struck gold!"

"I'll take that as a yes," she said as she uncorked the bottle. "What do ya say? A toast?"

"To you're first Step," he said, pride heavy in his tone.

"To my first step," she smirked, then took a good swig of cider.

A satisfied sigh slipped past her lips as she came up for air and let herself flop onto the bed, careful to cap the bottle first. Licking her smiling lips, she stared up at the ceiling.

"That was nice," she sighed, eyes growing heavy.

"Could've been better," Tattle said, an image of the cat shrugging gradually becoming clearer in her mind. "We should focus more on your Walking for next time. It should make things a bit easier."

"Yeah," she laughed, eyes just a breath away from closing. "Tattle?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

With that, a soft set of snores filled the room, earning a chuckle from the dream cat.

"Anytime Pinkamena," he smirked, before severing his links to her body to join her in his world.

Ch.10 Mind, Body, and Spirit

Scootaloo let out a yawn as sunlight streamed through her open window. Groggy, she pushed off the covers and slid out of bed. As she fell, she braced herself for the small shock of landing on her hooves. Instead, she felt like she was standing in a tub of jello. With an irate sigh, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and took note of her surroundings. Just like the three days since she and her friends were brought to Equestria, she was greeted by a sparsely decorated guest room with three small beds, a dresser, a vanity with a built in mirror, and a large window opposite the door. Granted, these were all finely crafted and of high quality, but all the absence of color aside from white drove Sweetie Belle up the walls the first day. Of course, Applebloom didn't care all that much. As long as she had a bed to sleep in and the room's restroom had running water, she could live with a boring room. Scootaloo was much the same as far as the room was concerned, but one thing she couldn't get past was one unconscious habit Sweetie's new body tended to do while she was asleep.

"Sweetie!" Scootaloo snapped as she drifted past her floating bed, body wrapped in a green glow. "Wake up!"

Said Unicorn let out an unintelligible grumble in her land-bound bed and turned away from her friend.

"SWEETIE!" Scootaloo barked, floundering helplessly as she floated aimlessly through the room.

"What's goin' on?" Applebloom mumbled groggily as she sat up in her floating bed.

"Sweetie's sleep-floating again," Scootaloo groaned as she drifted past.

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she took note of the situation. Frowning, she grabbed one of her pillows and threw it at Sweetie. With a yelp, Sweetie pulled herself into a sitting position, her eyes still closed and a dim glow coming from her horn.

"Hmm?" she mumbled dumbly, "looking" around.

"Yer breakin' the laws of gravity again!" she snapped, clutching her mattress as she started to drift out of it.

Sweetie nodded, then flopped back into her bed.

"SWEETIE!!!" both fillies shouted, pelting pillows at her.

With an irate huff, she threw her covers off and got out of bed.

"Alright, alright sis," she mumbled groggily. "I'll get ready. Just give me a sec."

Eyes slightly opened, she staggered to the bathroom. At the same time, everything still caught in her magic grip was trailing behind her. With a pair of squawks, the two fillies flopped into the walls framing the door as it slammed shut. A loud series of thuds filled the room as Sweetie's magic canceled itself. Applebloom and Scootaloo groaned as they slid down the wall, all sleep effectively kicked out of them with the grace of a wild bronco.

"You think we can get her horn blocked?" Scootaloo groaned, rubbing her bruised snout.

"No Scoots," Applebloom sighed as she staggered away from the wall. "Ya'll remember what Miss Raven said, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she groaned, following her friend with just as much of a daze.

A second later, the very mare they mentioned let herself into the room.

"Fillies, it is time to-"

She paused, a tiny raise of eyebrow the only sign of emotion on the mare's blank face as she took in the state of the room.

"Sweetie Belle?"

The two nodded.

"I see," she sighed. "Well, no matter. Once you all are ready, breakfast will be waiting for you in the staff dinning hall as usual."

With a flash of her horn, all of the furniture in the room teleported back to their original positions.

"You have fifteen minutes. Do not make me wait."

And with that she turned and left, gently closing the door behind her.

Scootaloo let out a frustrated groan and stomped over to the bathroom door.

"Sweetie! Don't take all the hot water this time!" She called, pounding her hoof against the door.

"Yeah, yeah," Sweetie said with an irritated groan, the sound of the shower turning on a second later.

Rolling her eyes at her friend's antics, Applebloom moved back towards the beds to make them. A small hint of pride filled her as she gripped the fabric with her hooves. While her friends could do the same, she was much better at it and was able to figure out how to use her's first. Oddly enough, it was right after they talked with that Pegasus a couple days ago that she was able to figure out how to do so. It was also around that time that Sweetie started using magic in her sleep.

As she set the pillow in place on Scootaloo's bed, a slip of paper fell out of its pillowcase. Curious, she picked it up and investigated. The writing was scratchy and sloppy, but it was clear enough for her to decipher what was written.

Atonement is not forged by pain, but acceptance of responsibility.

No matter how bad things look I still have people that love me.

An understanding smile spread across her muzzle as she slipped the paper back into her friend's pillowcase.

"Sweetie!" Scootaloo shouted, slamming a hoof against the door. "If you don't get out in the next two minutes, I'll tell Raven you like ghost peppers in your food!"

The water stopped and after a minute of unintelligible mutterings, the door opened to reveal a very unamused towel wrapped Sweetie Belle.

"No fair," she grumbled as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"Whatever," Scootaloo sighed as she ran in and slammed the bathroom door.

"What crawled up her butt?" Sweetie grumbled as she turned towards Applebloom.

The Earth Pony filly gave her a flat stare, then said, "Probably had somethin' ta' do with her bed bein' ten feet in the air this mornin'."

A sheepish blush colored Sweetie's cheeks.

"I did it again, didn't I?"

"Eeyup," Applebloom nodded.

Sweetie stared at the ground, lips pulled into a frustrated frown.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, then glared up at her horn and added, " I wish I knew how to work this stupid thing."

Applebloom giggled at that and pulled Sweetie into one-armed hug.

"Ah think Scoots can relate."

"Huh?" Sweetie squeaked, blinking at her friend.

"Those wings aren't easy to wrangle in most of the time," she sighed, staring at the bathroom door.

"I guess," Sweetie grumbled. "You're lucky, Applebloom."

"Huh?" she asked, shifting her attention back to her moody friend.

"You don't have to worry about all this magic stuff."

She faced away from Sweetie with a frown and said," Ah wish."

"What do you mean?" Sweetie asked.

Grumbling, Applebloom let go of her friend and walked over to her bed.

"Remember that nightmare Ah had our first night here?"

Sweetie nodded, a brow raised.

With a sigh, she lifted a bit of comforter closest to her bed's headboard. The main boards holding the headboard to the wrest of the frame was covered with large cracks and splinters. Sweetie stared at the shattered piece of wood in shock, then shifted her gaze towards her grimacing friend.

"Miss Raven said Earth Pony Magic is internal," she explained with a grimace, tracing her hoof across the damaged wood. "Makes em' stronger and tougher then the other types. When Ah had that nightmare, Ah must've punched my headboard while my Magic was runnin'."

Sweetie gulped as she remembered how close her friend was just a second ago and how much potential danger she was in. Applebloom saw the fear in her eyes and let out a defeated sigh.

"It scares me Sweetie," she said, voice trembling as she stared at the floor. "Ah scare me. It's like you and Scoot's are made of glass and if Ah'm not careful Ah'll break ya'."

Tears started to slide down her cheeks as images of her friends broken bodies flashed to the front of her mind. She let out a startled gasp as she felt a pare of forelegs wrap around her. Eyes wide, she raised her head and was greeted by a sea of soaked purple and pink hair as her friend held her close.

"I-It's okay," Sweetie stammered, gently stroking Applebloom's back. "It's just one more thing we need to figure out, right?"

Sniffling, Applebloom nodded, desperately fighting the urge to hug her friend back. Slowly, the two started to center themselves, the dread in their veins fading away. All the while, a faint glow emitted from Sweetie's horn that went unnoticed to the two fillies. By the time Sweetie let go of Applebloom, the fear in the fillies hearts faded away with the faint shimmer of her horn.

"Are you going to be okay?" Sweetie asked.

"Yeah," Applebloom smiled, wiping the tears from her face. "Ah think so."

At that moment, Scootaloo let herself out of the bathroom, flooding the room with a thin layer of steam with a towel draped over her head.

"Alright Applebloom," she sighed, dropping to her haunches to towel-dry her mane. "It's all y-"

As she turned her head towards her friends, she took note of their state and a look of concern crossed her face.

"Hey, are you guys okay?' she asked, taking a few steps towards them.

"Yeah," Applebloom laughed as she stared at her friend's frazzled mane. "But Ah think Sweetie can help ya' with your hair."

"Ha ha," Scootaloo grimaced before she shook water out of her wings. "Maybe you can help me with these later."

"Deal," she smirked before closing the bathroom door.

Scootaloo stared at the door, blinked, then turned towards Sweetie Belle and said, "She knows I was kidding, right?"

"She's kind of out of it right now," Sweetie sighed as she moved towards the vanity.

"Okay, what the heck did I miss?" she frowned as she followed her friend.

"I'll tell you while I'm brushing you," she said with a strained smile.

"Deal," she grumbled as she sat in front of the vanity.

***

While not as grandiose as the Royal Dinning Room, the servants dinning hall was still a sight that stood as a testament to the staff's hard work rewarded. Instead of being dominated by one massive table, the room was filled with several evenly spaced tables arranged in neat rows of seven. Each one was covered with a white silk tablecloth with complete table settings for six. Like the rest of the castle, the room had walls and floors made of finally polished marble with silver inlay. Silver chandlers ignited by Mage Fire lit the room from top to bottom at all times, giving the staff a taste of life as a noble without the corrupting influence of decadence. The food was fantastic as well, the chefs willing to give their fellow workers their best effort so long as they did the same. As a result, what the staff would call a Cafeteria, others would call a five-star restaurant was at their disposal three times a day.

At one table towards the back of the room sat three fillies and a stone-faced Unicorn mare, a bowl of oatmeal placed in front of them. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stared at their bowls with a grimace while Applebloom was elated.

"Is there a problem?" Raven asked, slowly eating her food.

"Well," Sweetie fidgeted as she stared at the spoon sitting next to her bowl.

Raven sighed, then took Sweetie and Scootaloo's spoons in her magic grip and scooped a small portion of food up to their mouths.

"Open," she monotoned.

Blushing in embarrassment, they obeyed. All the while, Applebloom wolfed down her oatmeal with gusto.

"It has come to my attention that the three of you are having difficulty controlling your magic," Raven said, still feeding her charges. "Not too surprising, considering your circumstances. Most foals know how to work their magic once they turn five, but you three are a few years late for that. As such, you will each be taught separately by a pony of your same tribe."

Scootaloo and Sweetie almost choked at that, while Applebloom looked at her with wide-eyed fear.

"Y-Yah'll are gonna separate us?" Applebloom stammered.

"That wasn't part of the deal!" Scootaloo barked, torn between fear and anger as she stared at Raven.

Sweetie whimpered as she stared at the unfazed Unicorn.

"It will only be for two hours each day," she said flatly, ignoring the shock and daggers aimed at her. "Afterwards, the three of you will be free to spend the day as you see fit. So long as you remain in the castle grounds, at least."

They let out a relieved sigh, then Sweetie asked, "What about our walking exercises?"

"I think you understand the mechanics well enough," Raven said, taking a sip of tea. "Any further development will come naturally at this point. Though you will continue to see me to learn how to control your magic Sweetie Belle."

"Who's gonna train us?" Scootaloo asked, gesturing towards Applebloom and herself.

A faint smile graced Raven's lips that put a chill down Scootaloo's spine.

"Why, my sisters of course."

At that moment, the Dinning Hall's doors flew open and two mares walked into the room. The three fillies watched in shock as they approached, jaws hanging open in terror. One of them was an Earth Pony with a messy mane and tail and a relaxed demeanor that clashed with the irritable and rigid gate of her Pegasus companion. But it wasn't the sloppy disposition of the Earth Pony or the militaristic poise of the Pegasus that had the CMC on edge. It was the fact that they looked exactly like Raven Quill. With the exception of presentation, Cutie Mark, and tribal attribute, all three were exactly the same. Same light-gray coat. Same pitch-black mane and tail. Same blood red eyes.

"Honestly Crow," the Earth Pony huffed as they approached the table full of shocked fillies. "Did you need to be so rough."

"Pah! You're too soft Quail," the Pegasus, Crow, scoffed as they walked. "These walls can take more than a few door slams."

The Earth Pony, Quail, rolled her eyes at her companion's antics. By that point, they were standing next to the table the quartet occupied.

"Hi sis," Quail said, smiling easily.

"Big sister," Crow said with a slight bow.

"Quail Down, Crow Feathers, thank you for coming."

"Still as formal and stuffy as always," Quail chuckled, pulling her sister into a hug before taking note of the three fillies. "I take it these are the fillies you told us about?"

Raven nodded as the two mares took the unoccupied seats on either side of her. Quail Down gave the Earth Pony filly sitting across from her a soft smile while Crow Feathers scrutinized Scootaloo with the critical intensity of a hawk.

"Applebloom, this is my sister Quail Down," Raven said, gesturing to the mare to her left. "She will help you learn to control your strength." Next, she did the same with Crow Feathers. "Scootaloo, this is my other sister, Crow Feathers. She will teach you how to tame and maintain your wings."

"H-Howdy," Applebloom said, bashfully.

"H-Hey," Scootaloo said, gulping under the intensity of her teacher's gaze.

Quail chuckled, while Crow gave a cold smile.

"No need to be so nervous," Quail smiled leaning in close towards Applebloom and added, "Between you and me, you lucked out. Out of the three of us, I'm the nice one."

"O-Oh?" Applebloom said, some of her dread receding.

"Don't think that means you can push me around though," she said, a frown briefly marring her gentle features. "I'm a lot tougher than I look, okay?"

Applebloom nodded, a smile spreading across her muzzle in spite of the warning.

"So you're Scootaloo, eh?" Crow said, her hunter's smile growing slightly. "Oh I'm gonna have fun dragging you through the wringer, shrimp."

Scootaloo gulped, not liking the looks of this.

"Crow," Raven said, tone stern.

"Relax big sister," Crow sighed, smile shifting into a heavy frown. "I won't go too far with her. I'm not a monster. But I do want to make one thing clear."

As she said that, she narrowed her eyes at Scootaloo, then said, "I don't like you, shrimp. I don't like what I've heard about you and I don't like the defiant way you carry yourself. I won't put you through the same tartaurus I put the recruits through, but you better bet your flank you're gonna be sweating by the time I'm done with you. If you want that to change, you better get me to like you. Got it?"

She nodded, a large bundle of nerves settling in her stomach and a faint flicker of fire in her eyes at the challenge presented to her. Crow noticed this and a faint smile decorated her muzzle.

Let's see that fire grow shrimp.

***

Sweetie Belle sat on her haunches, eyes closed and desperately trying to empty her mind. All the while Raven slowly orbited her, impassive eyes drilling into her a little more with each pass. Her hoofsteps and Sweetie's frustrated breathing were the only breaks in the silence that dominated the very same room the three fillies used when they were learning how to walk. Now it was the two of them alone making use of it.

"Don't try so hard," Raven intoned, voice neutral as she walked. "Relax. Let your mind drift naturally until you feel the flow of your magic."

"I-I'm trying ," Sweetie stammered, eyebrows furrowing.

Raven frowned, stopping in front of the young Unicorn.

"Too hard," she sighed. "Tell me, do you not know how to stay still?"

"W-What do you mean?" she asked, still trying to "find her magic".

She let out a startled yelp as something touched her horn.

"Don't move," Raven said, a hint of tenderness in her tone.

With a nervous frown, she nodded and stayed as still as she could. Again, she felt something touch her horn, but this time she refused to move. Immediately, a gentle warmth washed over her, like a blanket just pulled out of the dryer. She smiled as she let it envelope her, flowing around her in a constant current.

"Do you feel that?" Raven asked.

"Yeah," Sweetie said. "What is that?"

"My magic," she said, a faint trace of warmth in her tone. "Right now, I am letting my magic field intermingle with your own. It should help you calm down and at the very least help you understand what you are looking for."

"O-Okay," she stammered, feeling a little of her previous anxiety returning.

"Relax," Raven whispered. "Unicorn magic is linked to the mind. If you let yourself get flustered, it will be that much harder to find it. Let your mind wander. Think of nothing in particular. Let your magic flow through you like water through a river."

Slowly, Sweetie took a deep breath, letting her stress ease out of her body as she breathed out. She did as she was told, letting her mind wander. Suddenly, she felt a faint disruption in the warmth that surrounded her. It was for but a moment, but she swore she felt a gap in the warm curtain that was Raven's magic. Curious, she tried to focus on that disruption, only to be greeted by more warmth. Slightly annoyed, she shifted back to her previous mental state. As she did, a faint color started appear in her mind's eye. She took note of it, but refused to focus on it exclusively, gradually identifying it as a deep red. She didn't know why, but a part of her knew that this was Raven's magic and welcomed its presence. It was then that she noticed a small break in the mass of magic. Again, she took note of it but didn't focus on it exclusively. To her surprise, the new color jumped to the front of her mind of its own volition, like a jealous child demanding its mother's attention. Now dwarfing Raven's magic, the magic she was "looking" at was a bright-green and moved like a wild set of rapids as opposed to the steady red stream of her teacher's magic. The magic quickly wrapped itself around Sweetie, covering her with the sensation of a crisp, spring morning breeze. The wild energy ran through her like running water, filling her with both a pleasant and eery feeling that gradually grew as she became aware of it. Soon, it became too much for her, and with a startled yelp, she opened her eyes, sweat dripping down her brow and breath coming out in ragged pants.

"Well done Sweetie Belle," Raven said, a ghost of a smile decorating her muzzle. "It seems you have found your magic."

Sweetie stared up at Raven with a look of shock and pride.

"I-I did" she said between pants.

"Indeed," she nodded. "But you are far from being able to weald it properly. For now, try to remember both the color and feel of your magic. They will be the key to helping you gain control."

"Right," Sweetie smiled. "Thanks."

Raven's face returned to its normal sense of stoicism as she said, "Do not thank me yet, filly. There is still work to be done."

"Right," she chuckled, shakily rising to her hooves.

"But for now," Raven added, her horn glowing with magic. "I feel you have earned a nap."

"And a shower," she yawned as she felt herself being lifted off of the ground.

"Indeed," she nodded.

With that, Raven lowered the drowsy filly onto her back and walked out of the practice room, a faint smile decorating her face for the tiniest of seconds.

***

A gentle breeze moved through the trees, the warmth of spring rebelling against the wrath of winter within Canterlot Garden's barrier. Quail and Applebloom sat at its heart, an ornate tea set and arrangements placed on a table between them.

"Peaceful, isn't it?" Quail smiled, adding a sugarcube to her tea.

"Uh, yeah," Applebloom said giving her teacher an awkward look. "Uh, Miss Quail Down?"

"Yes Applebloom?"

"Not that this isn't nice or anythin', but when are we gonna get to mah trainin'?"

"An excellent question," she smiled, pushing the cup of sugar cubes towards her. "Sugar cube?"

"Thanks," she nodded, plucking a single cube out of the cup and dropping it into her own.

Quail's smile grew a little at the sight.

"Would you believe me if I said you are training right now?" she asked, taking a sip from her cup.

"Huh?" Applebloom asked, head tilted in confusion. "How's us sitting around drinking tea teaching me how ta' control mah magic?"

Quail giggled, then said, "Earth Pony magic is different from Unicorn and Pegasus magic, but fairly similar at the same time. For us, our magic is mostly stored in our bones. As a result, our bodies are a lot more durable and stronger than Unicorns and Pegesi. It also grants us a wide variety of other advantages, such as having more hoof dexterity and grip. We can also affect the plants and animals around us if taught properly."

To prove her point she casually raised a hoof, only to have no less then six small birds land on it. Applebloom stared in awe at the small spectacle, only to gape as more birds gathered on the mare's head, back, and shoulders. Quail chuckled at the filly's reaction as she lowered her hoof, forcing the birds to flutter to her shoulders.

"Anyway, to answer your question, the whole point of this tea party is to help you learn fine control of your magic. To hold your cup, take a single cube of sugar, or even manipulate silverware requires a very fine level of magical control. Something that can only be perfected through practical application. Do you understand?"

Applebloom nodded, staring down at her hooves with a new found appreciation.

"Ah, think so," she blinked, eyes still trained on her hooves. "So, what you're saying is that Ah can control mah magic if Ah just use it to work with small stuff for a while?"

"Yes and no," she sighed. "But it's good to see you are on the right track. Your training will have three phases. First we'll focus on you using the lowest amount of magic possible, then your medium, and then your absolute maximum. By that point, you should be able to freely use your magic without fear of hurting others."

Applebloom beamed at that, relieved beyond words that her greatest fear could be managed.

"Thanks Miss Quail Down," she smiled, a slight quiver in her tone. "It really means a lot to me if Ah can keep mah strength under control. Ah don't know if you know this, but Ah'm kinda' a hugger so..."

"Just Quail is fine Applebloom," she said, an understanding smile decorating her lips. "And no problem. As the castle's Head Groundskeeper, I have a lot of free time on my hooves. It's nice to have somepony to spend that time with for a change."

Applebloom smiled and took a sip from her cup.

"By the way," Quail added with an impish smirk. "I'm a bit of a hugger too. And it drives my sisters absolutely batty!"

Both of them laughed at that as they enjoyed their tea, the delightful warmth of the Castle Gardens adding to the pleasant atmosphere.

***

The frigid winter wind twisted and twirled around Scootaloo as she looked down. She was at the top of the castle's highest tower, all the ponies on the ground looking like small colorful dots on a mostly white surface. She gulped, knowing full well the fate that awaited her if she fell, wings be damned at her current level.

"Hey shrimp!" Crow snapped, pulling her away from her morbid fantasies. "Unless you want to learn the sparrow way, get the buck away from there!"

"Y-Yes ma'am!" Scootaloo chirped, scrambling away from the drop.

Crow frowned at the little filly standing before her, eyes narrowed into a sharp glare.

"Listen carefully shrimp, cuz I hate repeating myself. Today we are gonna focus on wing control. Mostly how to get you to figure out how to open and close your wings, something big sister tells me you're having trouble with."

Scootaloo nodded, remembering all the times her wings spontaneously shoved her out of bed in the middle of the night or blasted water everywhere when she took showers.

"That's because you aren't using them," she sighed. "Shrimp, a Pegasus' wings are where most of their magic is centered. It gives us our flight, sure, but it also lets us command the skies. Unicorn magic lets them mess with the laws of nature. Earth Pony magic lets them work with nature. But Pegesi? We get to go where they can never hope to stay and work with something completely our own; the sky. That is the kind of freedom unique to our tribe that all Pegesi hold in their very soul. Even if you weren't born one, that same spirit is sitting inside you and is demanding attention."

Scootaloo gawked at her. She never thought about her wings like that. Yeah, a small part of her did like the possibility of flight, but she hadn't thought there was so much to it.

"So...how do I do that?"

Her frown softened a bit at that, then said, "First, close your eyes."

Nodding, she did as she was told.

"Now, pay close attention to the wind. Focus on how it moves over your wings, how it eases them to open like an old friend. Let the feeling grow and follow it forward."

Nodding again, she felt the wind tickling her feathers, earning a slight shiver down her spine. It wasn't from the cold, that she was able to deal with. It was from what felt like a small current of electricity coiling around her wings. Slowly, the tingle started to grow by the minute until it eventually felt like she had a pair of lightning bolts on her back. In spite of that, she felt no pain from the power she felt. It felt like she was holding something in, like a spring being fully compressed just waiting to be released. Following her instincts, she let the power loose and her wings burst open. Her eyes popped open and a startled yelp slipped past her lips at the shock of the wind hitting all of her feathers.

Crow let out a poorly smothered chuckle before resuming her aggressive demeanor.

"Good job shrimp, now take a minute and feel the wind around you."

Again, Scootaloo closed her eyes and focused on her wings. It was a surreal experience for her, feeling the wind rushing through limbs she never had before. The rustling of her feathers sent an excited shiver down her spine as images of moving through a cloudless sky entered her mind. It brought a smile to her face, something that felt so alien to her after so long. She felt a yearning, for what, she didn't know, but it drew a frustrated tear from her eyes as it grew. She felt like she was anchored to the floor, that it wasn't were she was meant to be.

"That's it," Crow said, slowly bringing Scootaloo to open her eyes and break the trance. "You felt it, didn't ya'?"

"I-I felt something," she stammered, staring at her still open wings. "What was that?"

"A Pegasus' freedom," Crow said, a wistful smile decorating her muzzle. "It's an instinct that all Pegesi have to take to the sky and the secret to controlling our magic. When we need to open our wings, we tap into that instinct to take flight. Closing them works the same way by focusing on our desire to come home and rest. Its that sense of freedom that gives Pegasus magic its strength. Something that you have at your hooftips."

Scootaloo gawked at her teacher before giving her wings another look over, a newfound appreciation for the appendages growing inside her.

"But," Crow continued, mild disgust covering her face. "Before we get to closing them, I think I should teach you how to preen your wings."

"Huh?" Scootaloo said, giving Crow a confused head tilt. "What's that?"

Crow gave her a flat stare.

"It's when you clean your wings."

"Oh, I already did that in the shower," Scootaloo smiled.

Crow blinked, then facehooved with an irritated groan.

"No wonder your feathers look like crap."

"Huh?"

"Listen shrimp," she groaned, lowering her hoof. "Preening your wings isn't like washing your mane. You need to do it right or you can really damage your feathers. You've still got baby down so it's not such a big deal, but when you get out of the shower you have to blow dry them immediately, then get them preened to keep them in good shape."

"W-Wow," Scootaloo cringed, worriedly glancing back at her wings. "I didn't know that."

"Of course you didn't," Crow sighed as she moved to Scootaloo's left side. "Big sis may be smart, but she's totally clueless when it comes to Pegasus stuff. By the way, don't let random ponies mess with your wings. I'm only doing this for ya because you don't know how, but you usually only let family or your special somepony preen you."

"How come?" she asked as Crow manipulated her feathers with her muzzle.

"Let's just say, wings are sensitive and leave it at that," she replied, plucking a broken feather from Scootaloo's wing.

Scootaloo thought about that for a moment, then a rosy-faced look of realization crossed her face.

"Oh."

"Yep," Crow said, spitting out another broken feather. "That's why social preening is seen as a sign of trust for us. Don't let others mess with them. Period. And if anypony does, let me or my sisters know right then and there. Got it?"

Scootaloo nodded, mildly distracted by the odd sensation of her first preening.

After a few minutes of observation, Scootaloo's wings were preened to Crows standards and she was told to close them. Taking her teacher's words to heart, she closed her eyes and focused on the strange tingling she felt in her wings earlier. She noticed how much easier it was to feel it, now that her wings were properly groomed as she focused on her desire to "land". Gradually, the tingle and passing wind started to fade, until she eventually felt the warmth of her closed wings at her sides. She opened her eyes and glanced at her sides to be greeted by a pair of closed wings.

"Alright shrimp," Crow barked. "Don't relax just yet. Now that you know the basics, I want ta see ya do it all on your own. By the end of the day, I want you ta to be able to control those chicken flaps like a real Pegasus. Ya' got me?"

"Yes Miss Crow Feathers."

"I can't hear you shrimp," Crow barked, glaring down at her charge.

"YES MISS CROW FEATHERS!" she cried, instinctively standing in attention.

"That's more like it!" Crow barked, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "And just Crow is fine. That Miss crap makes me sound like an old maid."

"Yes Ma'am," Scootaloo nodded, face blank.

"Was that cheek I heard shrimp?" she frowned, brow raising.

"No Crow. Sorry Crow," Scootaloo said, still standing in attention.

Crow let a genuine smirk grow on her muzzle.

"Good, now get to work."

"Yes Crow," she said with a nod.

While the filly closed her eyes and worked with her magic, Crow watched with a faint chuckle.

Here and I thought this job was gonna be a drag. Looks like things are gonna get interesting around here for a few days.

Ch.11 Proof of the Fantastical

All was peaceful in the Castle of Friendship, its new house guests enjoying the gentle lull of the structure. After some of the brief traces of chaos that came up the day before during their tours, the four ponies could use some time to decompress. Spike thought about some of the stories they mentioned over dinner last night as he swept the library. Some of it was pretty funny, especially what happened to Bonbon at the Apple's, but one thing made him a little uneasy.

***

"It would've been great if I could remember how good it all tasted," Bonbon grumbled as she took a swig of her apple juice.

Everyone else laughed good naturedly at their friend's expense as they enjoyed an amazing vegetable stew Spike had cooked for them. The baby Dragon smiled at the mare's reaction to the Apple's cooking, knowing full well the level of skill most of the family had at their disposal. It was thanks to them that he knew how to make more than sandwiches and nachos, the later of which he had made for himself for dinner due to dietary requirements.

"Hey, relax Bons," Vinyl smirked from her left. "At least you didn't almost blow up a building today."

As she said that, she gave Lyra a cheeky smile, who glowered back at her.

"I. SNEEZED!!!" she barked, cheeks red with embarrassment. "How the heck was I supposed to know that I'd shoot a laser doing that!"

"You can't be serous," Octavia frowned, turning towards Twilight for confirmation.

"She's telling the truth," Twilight sighed.

Octavia's eyes widened at that.

"Well that explains the light show," Lightning said casually as she took a swig of her water. "At least my flying lessons aren't going to take a building out. Good luck with that Princess Twilight."

"Hey!" the two Unicorns and Alicorn exclaimed, earning a chorus of laughter from everyone present.

"Anyway, I met my double today," Lyra smirked, staring at Octavia.

"And?" Octavia said, tone betraying a trace of interest in spite of her stony expression.

"It was love at first sight," Lyra sighed, a goofy smile decorating her face as she stared at her food. "The second I saw her, I just had to have her!"

Octavia stared at her, a heavy silence filling the room before she broke it with a sigh.

"I will have your money ready when we get home."

"Thank you," she smirked. "But seriously, my double is a total weirdo."

"Hey pot," Lightning smirked. "Names kettle. Guess what, you're black."

"Hey, I'm not that bad," she pouted.

"You tried to purpose to Sunset's mom just because she was from a magic kingdom," Vinyl said flatly.

Twilight and Spike's jaws hit the floor at that.

"You did what?!" Twilight gawked.

"What did she say?" Spike asked.

Everyone turned towards the Dragon, all bearing a deadpan.

"What?" he shrugged. "Just curious."

"Anyway," Lyra, continued, earning everyone's attention again. "The second my double found out I was from another world, she got this really creepy smile on her face and started asking me a bunch of questions."

"What kind of questions, love?" Octavia asked, a trace of concern in her tone.

"Stuff like what I was at home and what kind of gadgets we had over there. I didn't tell her about the portal or anything like that, cuz she was seriously starting to creep me out."

"Did you tell her about us?" Lightning asked, a trace of edge in her tone.

"Nah, I kept you all out of it," she smiled. "But I think she knows about Vinyl since she was with me."

"Ah damn it," Vinyl grumbled. "I forgot about that. Great."

"That's a bit....disconcerting," Octavia frowned. "Perhaps we should stay close to the castle for the time being, just in case."

"Aw come on Tavi," Lightning groaned. "We finally get a lay of the land and you want to hide in the castle from a wild Lyra?"

"It's just as a precaution," she amended, raising a hoof in a placating manner.

"Yeah, yeah," Lightning grumbled, stuffing a spoonful of food into her muzzle.

"You didn't tell her about the castle, right?" Twilight asked.

"Nah," she smiled, shaking her head. "I told her I was sleeping at a hotel on the other side of town."

"That's good," she sighed. "I don't want to have to recalibrate the castle's defenses again so close to Hearths Warming. It's always such a huge drain on me."

***

Spike shivered at the thought of Native Lyra infiltrating the castle. While he didn't hold anything against the human obsessed Unicorn, her reputation made her something of a suspicious character in town. Fortunately, her skills with a harp caused her to take a significant number of out of town gigs. A fact that let the already chaos-prone town to take a breather from her brand of madness.

With a sigh, he shifted his attention back to his chores, taking comfort in the familiar monotony. Suddenly, a chill shot down his spine, making him drop the broom with a yelp.

"W-What the hay was that?" he stammered, picking his broom back up.

After giving the library a quick once over, he resumed his sweeping. As he did, a single yellow eye watched him through a cracked open door. Slowly, his observer moved away from and closed the door, a noise dampening spell hiding her hoofsteps from the castle's inhabitants.

***

Lightning Dust let out a groan as she dragged herself back into the waking world. While she wasn't a morning person per se, she wasn't the type to oversleep either, hating how sluggish it made her feel thoughout the day. This was compounded by how her new body operated, with her wings feeling like a pair of lead weights if they fell asleep on her. Never before had she wondered what it would be like to have her shoulder blades go numb before coming to Equestria and now she knew from first hand experience.

"Lucky me," she yawned as she stepped out of bed and made her way towards the bathroom.

As she reached for the doorknob, a strange feeling came over her. She froze, ears unconsciously swiveling as she looked around for what could've been giving her such a feeling. Suddenly, a sharp pain from her flak made her yelp, dragging her attention to it. Any swears she had died on her tongue as she stared wide-eyed at a blowdart sticking out of her right cheek. Before she could let out a cry for help, her whole body went numb and fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. As her eyes grew heavy, a mint-green Unicorn stepped into the room, a wide grin plastered across her face and a blowgun held in her magic.

As everything turned black, a single thought echoed through her head.

Aw fuck me...

***

Octavia let out a pleased hum as warm water ran through her mane and down her barrel. While being technically naked twenty-four seven was a new experience for her, it did make the necessary steps to get ready in the morning a lot shorter. Granted, working her hooves took some getting used to in addition to using a separate shampoo to clean her coat instead of a simple bar of soap. Trifling things in the grand scheme of things, but key in the ever important quest to appear presentable. After a quick lather and rinse, she reluctantly turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Navigating the hazy bathroom, she found some towels to dry herself off with. When she dried herself as throughly as she could with them, she picked up a hair dryer off of the bathroom counter and finished the job, all the while humming happily to herself. After a few minutes of that, she switched the hairdryer for a brush to tame her now windswept mane.

Curious. This world seems almost devoid of technology, yet they have devices such as hairdryers and sewing machines. Maybe magic has something to do with it.
After making sure her mane was properly brushed, she took a moment to admire herself in the mirror. While she wasn't an expert on pony appeal, she did have to admit that she looked quite fetching by her standards. While shamelessly posing, she noticed something in the corner of the room reflected in the hazy mirror. Frowning, she turned towards the object. The second she did, a towel flew into her face, flooding her senses with darkness and the strong smell of chemicals. With a panicked scream, she struggled to get the towel off of her face, but to no avail. Eventually, whatever the towel was soaked in started to take effect and her eyes started to get heavy. With a desperate groan, she fell to the floor, knocking the towel away from her face. As she started to blackout, a mint-green blob started to close in on her, a golden glow centered on what looked like a horn at its peak.

"Wh-what....?" was all she could manage before the darkness claimed her.

***

Bonbon hummed a happy tune as she stepped out of the shower, eager to get more of Spikes godly pancakes or anything else the Master Chef Dragon wanted to surprise her with. As a sweet maker herself, she admitted to being outclassed by the youngster. Granted, she mainly worked with candy, but it was still something that made her nod her head in appreciation to him as a confectioner.

If he was about seven years older and a different species, she thought ruefully as she made her bed. There's always something isn't there?

Suddenly, a light melody started to fill the room. Intrigued, she sat and listened to it, a faint smile starting to form on her muzzle. It was a soft, gentle tune that brought to mind lazy afternoons at the beach, scenic routes through forest trails on a sunny day, and other such calming images. Dimly, she became aware that she was swaying slightly to the music, all the while trying to place the instrument that was being used. It sounded so familiar, like a memory just outside her reach to recall. Slowly, her mind started to grow hazy, the music demanding more and more of her attention by the second. Soon, all she could think about was the music and how peaceful it was. Her head slowly started to droop as her eyes gradually grew too heavy to keep open. It was when she finally fell asleep that she figured out why the instrument sounded so familiar. How could she forget what her closest friend's favorite instrument sounded like after all?

***

Vinyl strolled casually down the halls towards the dinning room, an eager smirk spread across her muzzle as she closed in on her target. Countless possible delights ran through her head as she tried to guess what kind of spread awaited her.

Waffles? Bacon and eggs? No wait, ponies don't eat meat. Damn. Maybe some kind of veggie omelet? Hmmm.

It surprised her how quickly she managed to adapt to a mostly vegetarian diet since coming to Equestria. Especially when she considered how much she loved burgers back home. A part of her suspected that her new body had something to do with it. If that was true, she silently thanked the portal for letting her turn into a pony. The last thing everyone needed was a Vinyl Scratch suffering burger withdrawal.

She was so lost in her musings that she didn't notice the mint-green figure hiding in the shadows to her left until it was too late. A muffled yelp slipped past her lips as a pair of forelegs grabbed her and dragged her into the shadows, a hoof holding a foul smelling rag over her muzzle as she struggled. Slowly, the drug coating the rag started to take effect and the DJ's strength faded. When she went limp, her capturer lowered her to the ground, a manic smile decorating her muzzle as she observed her handy work.

One left, she thought, a crazed chuckle slipping past her lips.

***

Lyra smiled as she let herself into the kitchen, the sweet smells of breakfast summoning her like a siren's song. Her heart leapt with joy as she saw a plate of chocolate chip pancakes waiting for her at the table, still fresh and steaming with a tall glass of orange juice next to it. Licking her lips, she power-walked towards the table to devour her offering of fluffy paradise. Just when she was about to take a bite, she paused, noticing that something didn't seem right. It was quiet, a fact that probably didn't mean much to an outside observer, but for Lyra, it was a massive red flag. Especially when she remembered that Vinyl and Lightning were in the building. Another thing she noticed was the fact that there was only one plate set on the table.

Okay, this screams trap, she thought as she stepped away from the table.

Suddenly, the doors and windows slammed shut, making her jump into the closest thing to a defensive stance her body could manage. A split-second flash of light above her caught her attention as a small silver orb fell to the floor. The second it made contact, a dense purple cloud of smoke poured out of it. In seconds, the room was flooded with the smoke, making the trapped Unicorn cough and wheeze. All the while, her vision started to blur and darken as the chemicals in the smoke started to take effect. Coughing and stumbling, she tried to move towards a nearby window only to fall over as a result. Desperately, she struggled to stay awake as she crawled towards the window, but as her limbs started to numb, she could tell it was a futile effort. As she started to black out, she saw a figure moving towards her in the mist, a golden glow surrounding them.

Really should've asked......how......to do......that.......

***

Lyra groaned, her head throbbing as she came back to the waking world. At first all she could see were a bunch of colorful blurs in dim darkness. That changed quickly when she realized she couldn't move as adrenalin obliterated the remainder of her grogginess. Panicking, her vision instantly cleared and she turned her head around to get a handle on her situation.

She was tightly tied to a chair with only her neck and head being left unrestrained. The room she was in was cold and dim with solid stone walls and a low-hanging wooden ceiling with visible beams. All of the crates on one half of the room suggested that it was some kind of storage room while the table in front of her made it clear that the room had additional uses. Hanging from the ceiling above the table was an old drawstring lamp providing the room with its only source of light. Bound to chairs in a similar manner to her, her friends were sat around the table, all of them slowly coming to as well.

"Ugh, fuck drinking," Lightning groaned, blearily blinking as she tried to wake up. "The next time someone tries to stick me with something, I'll knock their head off."

"Seconded," Vinyl groaned, red eyes visible in the absence of her shades as she grimaced. "Thought that chloroform shit only worked in movies."

"Apparently not," Octavia frowned, briefly struggling against her bindings.

"W-What's going to happen to us?"Bonbon whimpered as she frantically tried to break free from her chair.

"I-I wish I could tell ya," Lyra said, trying to hide the fear in her voice.

"I can."

A cold chill shot down everyone's spine at the familiar-sounding voice. Slowly, they turned their heads towards its source and collectively gulped. Equestrian Lyra gave them all a bright smile as she stepped down the stares towards her captive guests, oblivious to the looks of sheer terror on their faces. Happily humming, she approached the table with a small gray metal box hovering behind her in her magic grip.

"You five are going to help me prove the existence of one of the greatest legends in Equestrian history," she beamed, setting the box onto the table.

"A-And how are we going to do that?" Octavia asked with a shaky smile.

"Oh, just a snip here. A sample there. No biggie."

As she said that, she opened the box and levitated out several tools. Most of them were harmless things such as petri dishes and test tubes, but when a knife and pair of scissors came into view all hell broke loose.

"I SWEAR IF YOU COME NEAR ME WITH THAT, I'LL MAKE YOU EAT IT!!!" Lightning snarled, struggling against her ropes.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!" Bonbon wailed, tears falling down her face.

"Geez, calm down," Equestrian Lyra cringed, setting the knife aside. "I'm just going to take mane and feather samples from you all. That's it!"

"And the knife?" Octavia said evenly, keeping her fear well hidden from their capturer.

"I need to take hoof and horn shaving samples from my double to compare them to mine."

This made the Terran Lyra flinch, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the Unicorn.

"Don't worry," she said, leveling an understanding smile as she approached her. "It won't hurt. It's like picking off an old scab."

As the Unicorn closed in on her, knife and petri dish held afloat in her magic, Lyra tried to tap into her own magic as a means to escape. Her heart sank as she realized she couldn't feel her magic at all. Equestrian Lyra frowned, slowly setting the knife to her double's horn.

"Don't strain yourself," she said, gently scraping the blade against the captive Unicorn's horn and collecting the resulting dust into the dish. "You don't want to force your way past a horn suppressor."

Helpless, she stopped trying to use her magic and just went with what was happening as her double took the knife to her hooves.

"There," she smiled, sealing the samples and storing them in the metal box. "Was that so hard?"

Lyra glared daggers at her Equestrian double.

"Well," she gulped. "Moving on."

As she said that she levitated five small containers onto the table and switched the knife for a pair of scissors. With laser precision and speed, she snipped a half-inch piece of everyponie's mane and levitated them into their own containers. Lightning let out a yelp as one of her feathers was plucked and levitated into another container.

"And now that that's all taken care of," she smiled as she lowered all of her samples and tools back into the metal box and levitated it to a far corner of the room. "Let's get to the interview!"

"Interview?" Vinyl asked, her and everyone else a great deal calmer now that the tools were gone.

"Yep!" Equestrian Lyra smirked.

"Okay?" Octavia said, raising a brow. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, where's your ship?" she asked.

The group blinked, not sure they heard her properly.

"Our what?" Lightning asked.

"Your spaceship," Equestrian Lyra said, and eager smile growing on her muzzle.

"We don't have one," Vinyl said flatly. "What do you think we are, aliens?"

"It was one theory," she shrugged.

That earned an amused snort out of Lyra.

"Well then," Equestrian Lyra smirked. "How did you all get here."

A moment of silence passed as the captured ponies tried to think of something to say.

"Princess Twilight summoned us," Octavia said calmly.

Equestrian Lyra raised a brow at that, then put a hoof to her chin and hummed in thought.

"So a summoning ritual. That makes some sense actually. If that's the case then more study would be required for my theory to hold any water."

She stared at Octavia and asked, " Is that why you all look like ponies?"

"Yes," she said flatly, holding a perfect pokerface. "It was so we wouldn't draw too much attention to ourselves. A futile attempt it would seem."

"Ah, makes sense," she nodded. "Humans would naturally stand out like a sore hoof here."

"Hey, I've got a question," Vinyl growled.

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you just ask us this stuff yesterday? Why kidnap us like this?"

A manic grin started to grow on her face as she said, "Are you serious? If I started to interview you then and there, Princess Twilight would've tried to confiscate any findings I made. After so many years of painstaking research, I finally found flesh and blood evidence of one of Equestria's greatest legends! There is no way I was going to let an opportunity like that pass me by!"

"And the rope?" Lightning asked flatly.

"A safety precaution," she said, casually waving a hoof at her. "Can't be too careful considering all the legends about your kind."

Suddenly, Equestrian Lyra's eyes widened as she realized she missed something.

"Aw how stupid of me," she groaned, face-hoofing.

"Um....what?" Bonbon sniffled, earning a flinch from both Lyras.

"I, uh, missed a human," she said, face a strange mix of guilty and crazed. "I heard some ponies talking about two Fluttershys walking around yesterday."

Everyone's eyes widened at that as the native Lyra quickly made her way towards the stares.

"I'll be right back," she called as she ran up the stares and slammed the door shut behind her.

The five Terrans stared at each other in shock, not sure what to make of their situation.

"So, what do we do now?" Lightning asked, leveling a glare at Lyra.

"Charades?" Lyra offered weakly.

"You smell that?" Vinyl asked, crinkling her snout as a sharp stink filled the room.

"Indeed," Octavia scowled, looking around. "What is that?"

"W-Well," Bonbon frowned, fidgeting in her seat. "She pulled out a knife."

Everyone stared at her in confusion before a steady dripping caught their attention. A dripping that seemed to be coming from Bonbon's chair.

"Oh," Octavia said, awkwardly.

"When this all over, I'm gonna punch her," Bonbon muttered, cheeks burning.

"I do believe there is going to be a line," Octavia frowned.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

***

Equestrian Fluttershy hummed a happy tune as she worked in the kitchen, all of the windows covered to give the house a dark and gloomy feel. In spite of that, the yellow Pegasus was on cloud nine as she made enough oatmeal for two. A glance at the two bowls she had setup in advance brought a happy squee out of her at what they meant as she worked. A brief flash of light in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

Curious, she turned towards the light. A second later, a black bag was forced over her head from behind. Panicking, she flailed blindly behind her with her hooves, screaming in terror. Grimacing, Equestrian Lyra pulled a bottle out of a pair of sattle bags on her barrel with her magic.

Just a couple drops and nighty-night, she thought, struggling to pull the cork out of the bottle with her magic while holding her target.

"Excuse me," a soft, calm voice said from the darkest corner of the kitchen. "But what do you think you're doing?"

Both ponies froze, a great relief settling in the yellow Pegasus while cold dread filled her attacker. All the warmth in the room seemed to drain away as Equestrian Lyra turned her head towards the voice. A pair of glowing red eyes greeted her from the void, freezing her to her soul in the face of their barely contained rage.The Unicorn struggled to find her voice as the demon took slow, deliberate steps towards her. Her heart pounded in her chest as the gap between her and those eyes grew thinner by the second. Pure terror flooded her as Fluttershy stepped out of the shadows into the dim light of the kitchen, a deep scowl defacing her normally sweet face.

"Well?" she said through clenched teeth, a glint coming off her fangs. "What. Do. You. Think. You. Are. Doing?"

***

"I spy with my little eye something....brown," Lyra said dully.

"Wood?" Lightning groaned.

"Yep. Your turn."

Lightning groaned as she let her head fall limp into her chest.

"I must admit," Octavia sighed. "Never before had I considered boredom to be an effective form of torture."

A deep snore filled the room as Vinyl's head shifted position.

"She really can sleep anywhere, can't she?" Bonbon frowned.

"Yep," Lightning grimaced.

Yet another moment of silence befell the group as they struggled to find a way to kill time.

"Hey," Lightning smirked. "Do you think she "walked in" on them?"

"Really Lightning?" Bonbon sighed.

"Hey, if what Octavia said is true, those two are absolutely nuts about each other."

All conscious party members turned towards the pony in question, who nodded in the affirmative.

"And she didn't come back to the castle last night," Lightning smirked impishly.

"A blessing considering the circumstances," Octavia grumbled.

"So, do you think other me is dead yet?" Lyra said flatly.

Everyone looked at her in shock at that, each receiving a blank look.

"She used Spike's cooking as bait. She gets no mercy from me."

"Oooooohhhhhhh," everyone chorused, nodding in understanding.

"Pancakes!" Vinyl snorted, waking with a start, only to frown as she took in her surroundings.

"How long was I out?" she yawned.

"About ten minutes I think," Bonbon said with a trace of uncertainty.

"Really?" Vinyl asked, raising a brow. "One, what the hell is taking her so long? And two, how do you know?"

"Don't know about one, but I've spent this whole time counting from about half an hour after she left to now."

"That bored, huh?" she smirked.

"Says the girl who fell asleep," Bonbon said evenly.

"Touche," Vinyl laughed.

Suddenly, the basement door slammed open and the sound of multiple hoofsteps could be heard coming down the stares. In addition to a shellshocked Lyra, Equestrian Bonbon and both Fluttershys ran down the stares to the bound mares.

"I am so sorry about all this," Equestrian Bonbon said, a look of mortification decorating her face as she untied her counterpart. "She's never done this sort of thing before. I swear she isn't like this normally."

"Good to know," she said, letting out a relieved sigh as she slid off of the chair. "Thanks by the way."

Once everyone was free, a loud cacophony of groans and snaps filed the room as stiff joints and muscles were stretched. After all that was out of the way, they collectively turned towards their jailor, ready to enact their own brand of justice. An urge that died almost immediately when they saw the state of the mare. She sat, almost lifelessly while staring at a wall and strumming a small harp.

"Uh, is she going to be okay?" Lyra asked, concerned for her double in spite of recent events.

"I hope so," Fluttershy frowned, her red eyes showing a trace of guilt as she stared at the mare.

"Damn Flutters," Lightning whistled, eyeing the other Lyra with concern. "What did you do to her?"

"Let's just say," she growled. "We had a little "chat" about sneaking up on people."

"O-Oh," Lightning gulped. "Well, looks like she got the message."

"A little too well," Fluttershy sighed, turning towards her Equestrian counterpart, shame heavy in her features.

Said Pegasus noticed and gave her an understanding smile, which eased her pain a little as she turned back to her friends. "I think she'll be okay once she gets over the shock."

"I hope so," Lyra said, giving her double a sad smile. "All things considered, she seems like a pretty cool pony."

At that moment, now no longer restrained by a suppressor, a tiny glimmer of magic formed around her horn and a faint image flashed into her minds eye. A forest almost choked by thick muddy swampland infested with large insectoid creatures and slimes. She blinked and stared at her double and sighed, the onset of a migraine making itself apparent.

Looks like things are gonna get complicated.

Ch.12 Yuletide Chaos

A great tragedy was afoot. Something so horrible that the laws of nature should never let it come to pass. Doomsday prophecies were written by seers from the darkest times of Equestrian history foreseeing this point of oblivion. The foulest beasts in Tartarus trembled in fear as they sensed the passing of the moment they all dreaded.

Discord was bored.

For most, such a mundane aspect of reality wasn't anything quite so dramatic. Most didn't have to resist the urge to rearrange the laws of reality on a daily basis. Though "resist" wasn't quite the right word to describe Discord's control of his magic. It was more like setting a few easily followable and direct rules to not break under any circumstances so long as they didn't go against his nature. The biggest one being "Not Doing Anything Permanent to Anypony", but another was "Don't Break a Promise."

As a result, The Lord of Chaos was trapped in Princess Celestia's throne listening to a noble attempt to test his patience for the hundredth time that day. After what he did to Lord Redblood the day before, Celestia made him promise not to do anything like that again, though it did bring a smile to his face when he thought about how hesitant she was about it. Admittedly, there were a few nobles he liked, even among the nonchaotic herds. Fancy Pants was pleasant and Blueblood was charming when you got to know him. The latter of which being a massive contrast to his insufferably self-entitled father.

While the no-name noble prattled on endlessly about property taxes and how they should be exempted for X reason, the Dreconequis briefly considered telling him to stuff his upper horn into his lower one and grabbing a tall glass of hard chocolate tar. The memory of a destroyed Celestia laying in bed made him rethink his decision, or at least decide against neutering the moron talking to him with his own horn.

"Lord Hedge Line," Discord said, tone neutral. "I will not exempt you from paying your property taxes on the grounds of "family contributions"."

"However," he added, a cruel smile forming on his lips. "I can raise them on the grounds of attempted abuse of political standing."

The stallion's face paled at that.

"Th-That won't be necessary," he stammered, slowly backing away towards the Throne Room doors.

"Are you sure?" he asked, false concern bleeding out of his tone and expression. "I would hate for you to leave empty hoofed. There's nothing worse than wasted time after all".

Hedge LIne gulped, then bolted through the open doors. Discord blinked, then turned towards one of the guards standing next to the throne.

"Was it something I said?"

The guard shook his head, though Discord noticed the quickly killed start of a smile on the stallion's muzzle. He shrugged, then leaned back into his temporary throne. All the while, he was laughing his head off on the inside at his latest bit of handy work. True, it was the pettiest form of chaos one could craft, but considering what he had to work with it was a breath of fresh air and the only thing keeping him from snapping.

Not helping matters was how hectic things had been lately. Oh how he wished he could be a fly on the wall when sweet Luna struggled to get Derpy to sit still. It was always a scream to see the lunar Alicorn get frazzled over little things. Of course, nothing compared to seeing her older sibling internally staggered while getting Sunset ready for the date yesterday. But even that was nothing compared to what was happening in Ponyville. More specifically, what was happening with his dear friend Fluttershy. Never in a million years did he think she would fall for another version of herself, and so hard! One semi-date and the Thestral was camping in the shy mare's guest room for the night and most of yesterday! If it wasn't for that delightful Unicorn, the two could've had a nice breakfast together and filled the world with enough cuteness to drown the world in adorabeities. Although, seeing just how far Terran Fluttershy was willing to go to protect her mare was truly a sight to behold. Those red eyes still gave him goosebumps in the most literal of ways as he was scared into the form of said water fowl when he watched yesterdays events before bed that night. Even watching the fillies learn how to use their magic had been an interesting affair.

While he wasn't fond of them for what they did, he was happy to see them making the best of their situation. The whole point of their punishment wasn't to make them miserable, at least not entirely. Discord knew how cruel Terra could be and what repetitive darkness can do to somepony. Celestia was aware of it as well, a fact that lead to the current fate of the three. They needed safety, but also structure. The last thing they needed was for the girls to think this was some sort of vacation. As a result, they became Raven's problem to deal with due to her no nonsense attitude and infinite patience. Her sisters were a similar kind of animal, though were known for taking different approaches. Most notable being Crow's tough love approach to training the castle guards. If they weren't tough enough to pin a manticore with their bare hooves by the end of training, they got the ax. When a trainee called her out on how impossible such a feet was, she arranged for a wild manticore to be brought to the castle training grounds for her to fight, just to prove a point. Nopony ever challenged her standards of expectation ever again after that. They say she still has that manticore's pelt as a throw-rug in her living room till this day.

And to think, that wasn't even the hard part of their punishment! They still had to survive Princess Twilight's classes! The second Sunset and her friends headed home, those three fillies were going to be drowning in books and paper. Discord cringed as he imagined the unfortunate fate of the three Terrans, but a small part of him wanted to see how Princess Twilight would handle the situation. After all, these were the three responsible for almost killing one of her friends.

Before he could fall deeper into his musings, a loud cacophony of shouts could be heard from outside the throne room doors. He raised a brow as they burst open and a parade of Unicorns dressed in identical black suits marched into the room in two rows. In perfect synch, they sidestepped away from each other and turned facing their neighbor. On cue, a mare walked through the gap between the two rows. She wore a shining silver dress that perfectly complimented her golden coat and silver mane. Her orange eyes locked with the Chaos Lord's as she smugly shortened the distance between them, the former sporting a proud smile while the latter held his disgust behind a strait pokerface.

Great, somepony with a bigger ego than Rainbow Dash, he thought bitterly. Let's see what stupid request she has.

"Good morning, Lord Discord," she said with a bow.

"The same to you ma'am," he said, a trace of surprise creeping into him from the mare's display of respect. "Please, state your name and what brings you to court today."

"Very well," she smiled. "I am Lady Gold Vine of the honorable Vine Family. Today, I stand before you with the humble request that a great wrong be corrected."

"I see," Discord frowned, already disliking where this was heading. "And what is this wrong you speak of?"

Gold Vine's smile turned almost venomous as she began to plead her case.

"Last night, a Pegasus and her date disrespected my family and all who have served us for countless generations by invading our territory. In addition, she refused to apologize for said insults and acted in a manor most unbecoming of somepony of her class. I request that the Pegasus in question be punished in a manor most suitable of her crimes against my family and I."

"I see," he frowned, raising a brow. "And what kind of punishment did you have in mind?"

"Oh Lord Discord," she daintily laughed. "Surly a strong and magnificent being such as yourself can guess just what I mean."

Unfortunately, he thought spitefully.

"Humor me," he said behind a fake smile.

"But of course," she said with a slight bow. "But could you impart some privacy for us? These are some rather delicate matters, and I would hate for some loose lips to hear us."

As she said that, she gestured to the two guards near Discord's borrowed throne.

At first, he considered refusing her request and telling her to leave, but the mare's words made him hesitate. Clearly Gold Vine was in the top tier of the nobel hierarchy, a fact that made what the mare was most likely proposing more than a little disconcerting. The mare reminded him of a viper, pleasing to the eye by some degrees, but lethal if provoked. A comparison that gave him a wide internal smile. After all, who was better at kicking vipers then him. Especially when those fangs hit their owner's tail.

"Very well," he smirked.

With a snap, the guards were gone and the throne room doors shut.

"Now," he said, leaning forward in his seat, cruel grin ever present. "What is it that you want?"

Gold vine smiled confidently, orange eyes locked with the red and yellow orbs before her.

"As I am sure you are aware," she started, venomous smile still present on her muzzle. "The Vine Family has been the Crown's greatest asset in making problems, shall we say, disappear since before the mistake known as the Unification of the Tribes. We still are, I am happy to admit, but our current statue of government has made such practices rather, difficult to preform without consequence. As such, I request that you give me permission to carry out the justice my bloodline deserves without the wrath of the misguided masses descending upon us should we be discovered."

"I see," he said, smile hiding his disgust for the mare. "And what do I have to gain from this? You are basically asking me to let you get away with murder after all."

"Whatever you like," she shrugged. "I have more than enough bits to get you whatever you could want. A private island to do with as you see fit. A manor of your own with the prettiest maids money can buy willing to do whatever you wish. I could even be your personal lover if you wish. I guarantee that you wouldn't be disappointed."

"I see," he smirked, internally gagging at that last proposal.

I would rather do it with an active volcano with my powers sealed away then do you lady.

"I'm afraid I will have to think about that for a bit," he said, trying to decide just how he was going to deal with her.

"I understand," she said, again bowing slightly at him. "Perhaps, I could help you in exchange?"

"How so?" he asked, genuinely curious where she was going with this.

"Well, as I have stated, my family's skills are matched by none and while it would be a tall order, well, Alicorns are not completely immortal after all. A well placed blade can do to them what time cannot."

An inferno raged through Discord at what Gold Vine was suggesting as he stared her down. He wanted to turn her into a bug and stomp her into the dirt. He wanted to throw her into the Everfree and see how she held up against the unforgiving beasts that dwelled within. He wanted to give her to the Dragon Lord as a tasty treat to roast on an open flame. He wanted to completely destroy her. It was then that an idea hatched in his mind. A horrible, awful, cruel, and all so magnificently delicious idea.

"As tempting as that may be," he said, his smile no longer fake or forced. "I'm afraid I will have to decline, but your proposition certainly has my attention."

Gold vine's smile widened slightly, sure that she had successfully appealed to the former villain's true interests.

"But while I mull over my prize, I think I'll leave you and your family a sign of good faith."

With that, he snapped his fingers and seventeen bags appeared in front of each of Gold Vine's stallions and the mare herself. Curious, she peeked inside, a wide smile growing on her face as she took in what sat before her.

"I wasn't sure what you all specialized in," Discord said, waving a hand casually in the air. "So I gave you all a little of everything."

"My, my," Gold Vine purred. "How generous of you My Lord. Am I right to assume that these are not just ordinary tools?"

"But of course," he laughed. "Each and every one of them are enchanted to do exactly what their owners want them to do. I never give less then the best kind of presents my dear."

Grinning like a demon, Gold Vine sealed her bag and held it up to her side with her magic. Her serfs did the same as their mistress let out a girlish giggle that put a chill down their spines.

"Thank you Lord Discord, may the rest of your day go as gracefully as mine."

"Ta ta Lady Gold Vine," he smirked, watching her step towards the slowly opening throne room doors. "May you get exactly what you so rightly deserve."

Once the last of Gold Vine's entourage was out of sight, Discord let out a chuckle that could only be described as evil as he rose out of the throne. At the same time, a copy of himself melted out of him, assuming the same pose and expression he had just before standing up.

"Time to make some truly delightful chaos," he said, turning towards his seated duplicate. "Cover for me."

The double nodded, his wicked smile a perfect match of the original Chaos Lord before him. With a snap of his fingers, the original Discord disappeared and the previously missing guards winked back into existence, dazed looks decorating their faces.

"Wh-What happened?" one asked, clutching his head while he waited for the room to stop spinning.

"Oh nothing much," the Discord clone said, nonchalantly admiring the talons on his Griffin arm. "Just business as usual."

***

Sunset and Derpy smiled, walking close together as they navigated the busy streets of Canterlot. Each of them had a pair of saddle bags strapped to their barrels loaded with a few basic necessities such as maps and bit bags as they began the most difficult mission one can hope to complete this time of year; gift shopping.

"So we need to get something for the girls," Sunset hummed, looking at her map as they walked. "Any ideas what we can get them?"

Derpy thought for a minute, then said," Lyra, Vinyl, and Octavia should be easy enough. Just get them something music related and they should be happy enough. I don't know if we can get anything Lightning and Bonbon would like here though."

"Yeah," Sunset sighed, remembering what Bonbon told her about her thoughts on unnecessary clutter. "Though I guess Fluttershy should be easy enough to shop for."

"They sell Twilight clothes in Equestria?" Derpy asked with an impish smile.

"No," she laughed. "But I think their's a dress inspired by her."

"The vampire or the Princess?"

"Yes," she said flatly.

"Huh?"

"They both sparkle don't they?" Sunset shrugged, turning back to her map.

Derpy burst out laughing at that.

"Anyway," she said, glancing at Sunset's map once she regained control of herself. "I think anything running related will work for Lightning."

"She did switch over to the track team a couple weeks ago," Sunset agreed, scanning her map for anything that could be useful. "Hey! There's a store selling Wonder Bolt merchandise!"

"Our soccer team's in Equestria?" Derpy asked, frowning at the map.

"Same name, different thing," Sunset shrugged. "The Wonder Bolts in this world are a team of paramilitary Pegesi separate from the Royal Guard made up of the best flyers in Equestria. Most Pegesi consider joining the Bolts the biggest honor you can get."

"So its like the Air Force, Olympics, and Special Forces all in one?"

"Pretty much," Sunset smiled. "Though most of the time they just do air shows and charity events these days."

"Ah," she nodded. "Guess that explains how they got a fan base going."

"It's also the best place to get anything speed related that Lightning can take with her through the portal," Sunset nodded as she folded up the map and placed it in her bags.

"Well then, onward!" Derpy smiled, pointing forward like a General commanding a battalion. "To riches and glory!"

Sunset laughed and after taking note of their current location, guided her mostly-marefriend towards the store in question. All the while, a nagging question sat in the back of her mind as they made their way through the crowded streets.

But what do I get her?

A question that both mares mulled over as they continued their quest.

At the same time, Princess Celestia tailed them about ten feet behind them, again donning her usual disguise with the addition of a pair of sunglasses and a gray snow cloak. Hovering next to her was a large soda that she had purchased from the small diner Sunset and Derpy stopped at for a quick lunch earlier. As she walked, she took the occasional sip as she pretended to look around to make herself less obvious.

"Really Celly? That old disguise?"

Celestia flinched at the familiar voice behind her, quickly turning around. Standing behind her was a light-brown Unicorn stallion with a messy and short gray mane and tail. His red eyes with yellow sclera locked with her hidden violet ones, impish glee meeting shock.

"Discord?" she asked, leaning towards him.

"The one and only," he smirked. "Mostly."

She took a quick look around, then leaned in close and whispered, "What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be dealing with Day Court!"

"Don't worry," he said, knowing smile ever present as he booped her nose. "I know a guy."

Blinking, she reeled back in confusion at his comment then leveled a harsh frown.

"Please tell me you didn't turn somepony into something."

"What?" he scoffed. "Please Celly, you know I don't do repeat performances."

A deep scowl grew on his face as he added, "Though I did have to deal with an especially foul creature today."

"Really?" she asked, unnerved by her company's dark shift in demeanor. "Who?"

"Tell me," he said, jaw tightening. "Do you know somepony named Gold Vine."

Celestia barely noticed the way Discord spat out the name as a deep frown of her own graced her muzzle.

"Unfortunately," she nodded.

Quickly, he explained what had happened earlier that morning and what had lead to him being where he was. The look of pure rage coming off of Celestia made a Dragon passing a kidney stone look like mating season in a harem chamber as her eyes drilled into him.

"You made a deal with the one mare that wants to kill my daughter's suitor?" she hissed, her drink vaporizing in her magic grip as the cup itself slowly imploded on itself.

"Wait," he said, ignoring his companion's ire. "Derpy was the one who shoved a stick up her plot?"

She nodded, leveling a harsh glare at him.

"Oh this is just too perfect!" he gleefully exclaimed, smile threatening to literally split his head in half.

Celestia gawked at him, but before she could tear into him, Discord leaned in and whispered into her ear. As she listened, her rage slowly started to dim. Instead, a vicious grin started to grow on her muzzle as The Lord of Chaos told her his plan.

"Discord," she said, her smile still present as he pulled his head back. "That is the most horrible, devious, and all around evil thing I have ever heard. Care for some company?"

"Why Celly," Discord said with a false gasp that shifted back into a wide grin. "I thought you would never ask."

With that, the two of them navigated through the busy streets, Discord easily zeroing in on Sunset and Derpy's location as they walked. As they stood outside a store selling Wonder Bolt paraphernalia Discord nudged his now partner in crime then pointed to a couple of suited Unicorn stallions standing near the store's entrence. On reflex, she motioned to walk towards them, only to stop when Discord placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"Watch," he said, summoning a bucket of popcorn and offering her some.

Grimacing, she stayed put and took a hoofful the offered snack. As the young couple stepped out of the store, the two stallions closed in on them from behind. With a faint glow from their horns, they each levitated a knife out of their inner suit pockets. Just when they looked like they were going to strike, a small smile grew on the blades and large flowerpots fell onto the two assassins from above. Sunset and Derpy walked on, oblivious to the two groaning stallions behind them as they went about their merry way. Celestia smiled as she followed her daughter through the streets, Discord not far behind her.

***

Celestia could barely breathe through her laughter as yet another pair of assassins fell to seemingly random unfortunate circumstances. Throughout the day, would-be assassins were taken down by things that only karma's cruelest sense of humor could concoct. Nothing fatal, but more than enough to incapacitate them while Sunset and Derpy shopped. The best incident was when an assassin tried to sneak up on Derpy with some piano wire, only to fall through a damaged manhole cover at the last second. Discord was more willing to agree with her if it wasn't for that one assassin that made the mistake of standing near a loaded port-a-potty when he tried to through a knife at the couple. Discord had to place themselves into a separate plane of existence to hide their laughter as they fell to the floor at that.

"Th-This is the most I've laughed in centuries!" she gasped between breaths as they followed her daughter through the busy streets. "Oh, Maker that was great!"

"Tell me about it," Discord grinned as they phased through a few ponies. "I doubt that one stallion's ever going to look at chocolate the same way again."

Celestia burst into another fit of laughter at that, leaning into the other disguised immortal for support.

"I-Indeed," she chuckled, barely regaining her composure. "Quite a shame."

They watched as the two stepped into a jewelry store, curious as to what fate the would-be killers would fall to in such an environment. As they waited, they watched Sunset and Derpy separate to explore the store's wears more throughly. She couldn't help but move closer to her daughter, practically hovering over her shoulder as she perused the aisles of horn rings and necklaces. Discord did the same with Derpy, more to give the Alicorn her moment then out of genuine interest. That changed when her saw how intently the Pegasus examined the store's merchandise. His nosey intrigue wouldn't let him leave as he followed her through the store, wondering what would perk her interest. In synch, unbeknownst to the other, the two ponies found something that not only satisfied their hunt, but brought an elated smile to their stalker's faces. As the two ponies covertly made their purchases, Celestia and Discord scrambled out, both eager to tell the other the good news.

"You're not going to believe this!" they both exclaimed in perfect unison as they faced each other.

"You first," she said, shaking with glee.

Grinning like a fool, he told her what he saw. Celestia giggled like a schoolfilly as she relayed what she had seen. They shared a warm smile as they watched the pair step out of the store, smiles that turned into side-tearing laughter that shattered their disguises as an assassin met an unfortunate end as he tried to through a knife at them. Neither of them questioned why a Pegasus was delivering a barrel of wet cement that day, but mentally thanked them all the same.

***

Gold Vine was fuming as she stared at her servants. All sixteen of them were in severe states of disrepair, with countless stains and rips covering their suits along with the many injuries that speckled their bodies. All of them trembled slightly in her presence as she looked at them over the hard oak desk that dominated her circular study. Framed pictures of past Heads of House glared down at the defeated assassins along with various weapons and tools from their mounts on the walls, some decorative and others not so much. A wide, rectangular window stood in the wall behind Gold Vine's desk, filling the otherwise dark room with the dim lights of the city and Luna's moon. The image gave the impression of a judge preparing to deliver an incontestable verdict as she glared at the stallions, two bottles visible on the desk before her in the dim light.

"It was a simple job," she said, tone icy in spite of her building fury. "Find the target. Kill said target. Leave as little evidence as possible. Simple."

A few of the stallions gulped as their Mistress rose to her hooves from behind her desk.

"How can you fail so miserably at something so simple!" she barked, making the group flinch. "You are the best of the best! The most skilled killers from all across Equestria! Not even the Royal Guard can match you in the killing arts! So how! Could! You! All! FAIL?!"

None of them had the nerve to explain themselves, knowing full well the kind of consequences that giving her an unwanted answer would earn. The silence spurred the mare's temper further, her orange eyes drilling into the scared stallions with the growing intensity of a furious viper. Each flinched as she locked eyes with each of them one by one with her venomous glare.

"Get out of my sight," she hissed, rage barely contained as she used her magic to open the door out of her study. "Before I do to you all what you failed to do to that cloud trotter!"

Not needing any more of an excuse, they ran out of the room, slamming the door shut behind them. Gold Vine stared at the closed door for a long moment. Then, with a ferrel snarl, she paced in front of the window, her magic grabbing one of the bottles on her desk.

How? she thought fiercely as she thought about how each of her serfs had failed in their mission.

No pony had actively tried to stop them. It was as if the world itself wanted to keep that filthy Pegasus alive and was more then willing to crush all that tried to change that. It infuriated her like nothing ever had any right to as she unscrewed the cap of the bottle in her grip.

My servants are skilled assassins, further improved by my family's teachings. They shouldn't have had failed such a simple task, yet they preformed with the humiliating grace of amateurs.

"Perhaps," she smirked, her rage slowly shifting into excitement as she brought her drink to her lips. "It true what they say about if one wanted things done right."

With that, she took a swig of her drink and flinched. Instead of the bitter burn of brandy, she was greeted by the blank flavorless taste of water. Confused, she looked at the bottles label, eyes widening as she started to loose feeling in her limbs. As she fell to the floor, the bottle of paralyzing agent fell out of her magic's grip. As she silently cursed all of creation for her moment of stupidity, she failed to notice the small smile on the bottle's label before it quickly vanished.

Ch.13 Instinct

Fluttershy let out a happy hum, nuzzling into the softest pillows in both worlds as the scent of wildflowers saturated her senses. It was everywhere. The covers wrapped around her, the mattress beneath her, the actual pillow under her head, and especially the bright yellow Pegasus held tightly in her forelegs. Her cheeks burned as she watched her double sleep, her long mane making a truly wild bed-head that made her heart flutter. Slowly, she unfolded one of her wings and draped it over her bedmate's barrel like a second blanket, the thick membrane lightly tickled by the Pegasus' soft feathers. Everything about Equestrian Fluttershy was soft, delicate like the wings of a butterfly, and just as beautiful. A fact that filled her with joy as well as shame when she considered what she herself was like.

Her eyes were harsh like a wild wolf and could strike pure fear into anyone unfortunate enough to see them. Her body wasn't soft. Instead, it was taut with thin, but very dense muscle that her thicker coat hid behind the illusion of fluff. And then their were her fangs, permanent weapons that could rip right through flesh as easily as a flaming knife through butter. Even if she wasn't a monster by her friend's standards, she knew from all her time studying animals what she was built to be. She was a hunter, a predator, a creature born with the need to kill to survive like a wolf or a bear. The thought of killing an animal to feed scared her and made her feel sick to her stomach, but she knew that it would come soon. Even vegetarians needed some kind of protein in their diet to function.

What will she think about me when that happens? she thought, gently brushing some of her double's mane out of her face. Will she abandon me? Will she be scared of me? No. No! I don't want that!

Small tears fell from the corners of her eyes as images of her double staring at her in terror before running away screaming entered her mind. She could almost taste the blood and viscera from her imagined kill, making her stomach twist both in disgust and shame. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she laid her head back down onto the pillow, resting her forehead against her double's as memories of the night before came to her, lulling her into a moment of blissful pain.

***

"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked over her salad.

Equestrian Fluttershy nodded, eyes locked onto her own dinner as a faint blush colored her cheeks.

"A-After this morning, I don't know if I can get to sleep by myself. And, well, we've slept next to each other before so..."

Equestrian Fluttershy's face turned redder than the tomatoes in her salad as she tried to find the nerve to continue. Her Thestral double wasn't any better, countless dirty thoughts running through her mind based on the possibilities presented. She mentally slapped herself as she locked eyes with the fidgeting Pegasus sitting across from her. She sported a blush that matched her host as she nodded in the affirmative.

"I don't mind," she smiled as she picked up her fork and speared a bundle of lettuce on her plate.

"R-Really?" Equestrian Fluttershy squeaked, eyes and smile wide.

She nodded, placing her forkful of food into her mouth.

"Th-Thank you," she mumbled, staring at her half-finished salad with a deep blush.

Fluttershy let out a small giggle through her mouthful at her double's antics. For the hundredth time, she fought the urge to fly over the dinning room table and snuggle the little Pegasus. It wasn't fair! Being that cute had to be against some sort of cosmic law!

As she swallowed her food, she flinched as a very slight pain filled her mouth. Using her tongue, she traced the sore area and mentally groaned. One of things she had to get used to when it came to her fangs was how they would occasionally poke her lower jaw if she bit down too hard. It wasn't unbearably painful, no more irritating than biting your tongue or cheek by mistake, but it was still annoying.

"Maybe," Equestrian Fluttershy whispered, pulling her attention away from her sore gums. "I can give you a massage before bed. To say thank you, I mean."

"Yes please," she smiled, powering through a flinch as her fangs jabbed into her lower gums again.

As soon as they finished their food, they practically ran up the stairs to get to the main bedroom. After an amazing message session, Fluttershy laid bonelessly on the bed as her double turned off the lights then pulled the covers over both of them. It was silent for a long time as the two ponies laid beside each other, one barely awake while the other sported a heavy blush. Nervously gnawing on her lower lip, Equestrian Fluttershy turned towards her panting double, not sure what she was going to do next. Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about that for long, as the barely conscious Thestral pulled her into an gentle embrace, eliciting a small squeak from the shocked Pegasus. Slowly, she melded into the embrace as all the tension left her body as her world was dominated by the familiar scent of fog and pine while her bedmate happily drowned in wildflowers.

***

A soft smile decorated her muzzle as she stared at her sleeping bedmate's face. She wondered how something so perfect could stand to be near her. Her eyes trailed down her face to the graceful curve of her neck to the soft roundness of her shoulder. As she did, a gentle heat grew within her, starting at her chest and spreading towards her mouth. Her vision started to become hazy as the heat spread to her face, her jaw going slack as her breath came out in slow pants. A dull tingle surrounded her fangs as the heat slowly consumed her mind, her eyes lingering on the sleeping Pegasus' shoulder as her mouth opened a little further. Memories of what Equestrian Lyra tried to do the day before briefly flashed into the forefront of her mind, and a strong feeling that she couldn't identify came over her. She wanted to protect the mare in front of her. She wanted to be accepted by the mare, to be by her side always. But above all else, she wanted her double all to herself.

An alien instinct held her tightly as she moved her open mouth towards the sleeping Pegasus' exposed shoulder, her fangs glinting in the fragments of morning light that managed to slip past the curtains. A portion of her mind not in a warm fog knew that this was bad, that what she was doing wasn't normal, but that was blocked out by the instinct that had command of her senses. Just as her jaws hovered over their target, Equestrian Fluttershy moved, tapping her shoulder against the side of the Thestral's right fang. The shock of having such a sensitive part of her body struck knocked her out of her trance. A tall wave of guilt washed over her as she carefully pulled herself back from the Pegasus, eyes wide and on the verge of tears.

"W-What was that?" she muttered, stumbling out of the bed to put as much space between her and her double as possible. "Why was I-? What's wrong with me?!"

Tears fell as she registered what she was going to do, what she still wanted to do as she stared at her Equestrian doppelgänger. Slowly, the little Pegasus started to stir, eyes fluttering open slowly. Terrified, she forced herself to move as quickly and quietly into the bathroom connected to the master bedroom as she could. As she hid, she tried to make sense of the situation, but try as she might, she couldn't find an adequate explanation. One minute she was admiring her crush, the next, she was about to sink her fangs into her shoulder.

Is this a Thestral thing? she thought, panicking as she paced the bathroom. Are they cannibals?

A startled eep slipped past her lips as a soft knock came from the door.

"Fluttershy? Are you okay?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, grogginess present even while muffled by the door.

"Y-Yeah," she stammered, a slight hiss in her tone. "B-But I think it's going to be a while before I come out. Go ahead and have breakfast without me."

"Okay," she said, concern heavy in her tone.

Seconds later, she heard the soft clip-clop of her host's hoofsteps as she exited the room. Sighing, she decided to take advantage of her situation while she tried to figure out what she was going to do and grabbed the toothbrush she bought on the way back from the native Lyra's house yesterday. After she got the dental implement ready, she looked in the mirror and opened her mouth. What she saw made her drop her toothbrush in shock.

"D-Did they get bigger?" she gaped, staring at her now two inch long fangs.

***

If there were any bearable perks to Twilight's ascension, it was that it made the sight of an Alicorn less of a novelty in some places. Cadence smiled widely as she stepped out of the train onto the busy platform, taking a deep breath of the rural winter air as she walked. Not waisting any time, her horn gave off a discrete glow as she cast the right Tracking Spell for her personal mission. A light giggle made its way past her lips as she walked, letting the spell guide her towards the pony that needed her help. From what she could gather, the pony in question was massively crushing on somepony, but was equally indecisive in how to go about acting on their feelings. Using a scrying mirror, she found that the pony's crush felt the same way and was weakened by the same indecision. Cadence couldn't bear to watch such a thing go on. Without a second thought, she told Shining what she was doing, then teleported to the station closest to Ponyville that her magic would allow. As such, she was high on bits, but low on magic as she strolled through the snow-soaked streets of Ponyville's market district.

It seems like the pony's crush is nearby, she thought, scanning her surroundings. But who is it?

As casually as she could manage, she strolled towards the weaker pull her magic used to guide her. All the while, she scanned the crowd for any ponies showing the signs of being linked to the pony in question. A soft smile graced her muzzle as she saw what she was looking for. About ten feet away from her was a familiar bright yellow Pegasus with a long pink mane and tail. Unknown to her and the ponies surrounding her, a faint cornflower aura surrounded her. The same glow that would mark whoever her potential special somepony was to Cadence thanks to her spell. As she approached her, her smile shrunk as she took in the mare's condition.

Her gate was tense as she frantically looked through the crowd, eyes searching for something specific among the booths.

"Please," she muttered as Cadence closed in on her from behind. "Please tell me somepony has it."

"Has what?" she asked, now a foot away from her.

With a startled yelp, Equestrian Fluttershy spun to face the pony behind her.

"Oh, hi Princess Cadence," she said with a relieved sigh. "What brings you to Ponyville?"

"Hi Fluttershy," she chuckled, then with a faint smile added, "Nothing much. Just a bit of personal business."

"Oh, okay," she smiled, eyes quickly shifting between the Alicorn before her and the booths behind her. "Well, I don't want to hold you up."

As she said that, she gave the Princess a small bow and started to walk away.

"Actually," Cadence smiled, taking point at the Pegasus' left as she walked. "I was wondering something?"

"Yes?" she asked, dividing her focus between the Princess and the stalls.

"Has anything interesting happened to you recently?"

"Not really," she said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

"Are you sure?" she asked, a knowing smile growing on her face. "Maybe somepony interesting?"

Equestrian Fluttershy's face turned beet red, eyes now deliberately trying to look at anything other then the grinning Alicorn beside her.

"M-Maybe," she stammered.

Cadence smiled in victory, knowing how hard it was to get the shy Pegasus to admit certain things through her nerves. In a lot of ways, it made her worry about Fluttershy in regards to social circles, especially when it came to the pink Princess' domain. She had seen more than her fair share of wallflowers fall into lonely pits because of their fear and insecurities. Naturally, she tried to help them whenever she could, but sometimes it was too late. Despair and loneliness could push ponies to do some very dark things sometimes. Things even a Princess can't change.

"That's great," she cheered. "Need any pointers?"

"U-Um well," Equestrian Fluttershy stammered, momentarily staggered by the offer as she looked at Cadence. "I-If it isn't too much trouble."

"Nonsense," she said, waving off the mare's concerns with hoof. "So, are they nearby?" she asked, looking around.

"No," she sighed with a worried frown, again staring at the different stalls. "She's at my house right now."

"I see," Cadence frowned. "Any reason?"

"She can't handle bright lights and wasn't feeling well, so I came out here to get her something to help."

"Is she okay?" she asked, concerned.

Equestrian Fluttershy nodded, then said, "She was stuck in the bathroom all morning. I think she might've eaten something funny, so I was going to make her some Eel Liver Soup to help, but no pony seems to be selling any eel liver."

Cadence cringed at that.

While great at fixing stomach issues, Eel Liver Soup was not exactly renown for its taste. At best, it was compared to eating moldy carrots and at worst, it usually tasted the same coming back up as it did going down. Only heavily pregnant mares, Griffins, and Thestrals could stomach the brew enough to actually benefit from its effects.

"I guess it's out of season," she said, scanning the stalls. "Maybe I can help. I know a few healing spells and I was heading out that way anyways."

Equestrian Fluttershy beamed at that.

"Would you really? Thank you Princess!"

"No problem," she laughed. "And just Cadence is fine."

***

Fluttershy anxiously paced the living room, harsh pants rolling out of her muzzle. She didn't know what was happening to her. Since the incident in the bedroom, her mind continued to shift in and out of that warm haze that threatened to devour her mind. At the same time, she was flooded with energy that she didn't know what to do with. It was like she drank six espressos and a can of Red Bull as she frantically paced. The tingling around her lengthened fangs reminded her of what happened the last time the haze overwhelmed her as she tried to figure out what to do to protect her double.

It's too much, she thought, falling to the floor and curling into herself. I-I want to bite her. Why do I want to bite her?!

The haze started to cloud her mind again as she laid, her breathing hitching as she fought. With a growl, she brought her hoof to her mouth and bit down. A sharp pain shot through her, snapping her out of whatever spell had a hold of her. With her head mostly clear, she grinned in victory then pulled the limb out of her mouth. The pain from her fangs coming out of her flesh made her grimace, but she powered through it.

"N-Never," she panted, staggering to her hooves. "I'll never hurt her."

The haze started to come back as she limped her way towards the downstairs bathroom. She grimaced as the coppery taste of her own blood hit her tongue while she walked, the flavor making her physically sick. Her limp faded as the strange tingle that coated her fangs moved to her foreleg, slowly numbing the pain. Wanting back control, she raised the same limb to her mouth and bit into it again. The haze faded enough for her to know she was headed in the right direction as she staggered forward as quickly as she could. She hadn't even taken three steps before she had to turn her fangs onto herself again. By the time she made it to the bathroom, her right foreleg was covered with puncture wounds, the blood leaving a crimson trail from the living room to her current location. The taste of blood was heavy in her mouth, leaving her on the verge of dry heaving as she stared at herself in the mirror.

Her eyes were unfocused and looked feral to her. Her mane and coat were wilder then they normally were. And her fangs, fully visible in her panting maw and covered with a thin layer of blood. What she saw scared her, but also fascinated her at the same time. So much so that she barely noticed the sound of the front door opening or the sound of hooves on hardwood.

"Fluttershy?!" Equestrian Fluttershy screamed, following the red trail to the bathroom.

When she got there, a look of pure terror formed on her face. The Thestral in the bathroom gave her a similar look, only more drunkenly as she scrambled back.

"St-Stay back," she panted, fear lacing her tone as the smell of wildflowers choked her with her guilt. "I-I don't want to hurt you."

"Fluttershy?" Cadence asked as she came into view. "Is she okay?"

Before the Pegasus could respond, a fierce growl filled the room.

"Stay away from her!" Fluttershy snarled, her previously fearful poise replaced by tense aggression.

The small Thestral's eyes seemed to glow with fury as they locked with the shocked Princess'. Her still bloodied fangs glinted wickedly in the dim room like a pair of polished daggers as she slowly crept closer like a wolf ready to pounce.

"F-Fluttershy," her double said, fear and confusion covering her face as she tried to get the Thestral's attention. "C-Calm down pl-"

Before she could finish, Fluttershy's wings burst open and with a high pitched roar, flew over her scared host towards Cadence. Thinking fast, the Alicorn caught her attacker in her magic just as she was about to bring her fangs to her throat. Fluttershy thrashed wildly in Cadence's grip, desperate to tear into her. All the while The Princess of Love struggled to keep the flying mass of hooves and fangs restrained long enough cast her second spell.

"You can't have her!" Fluttershy snarled. "She's my everything! I won't let you take her!"

"I won't," she grunted, finally gathering enough of her magic for her next move. "But you need to calm down for a hot second."

As she said that, a light-blue heart drifted out of her horn and slammed into her attacker's chest. Suddenly, all the fury seemed to fade out of the captured Thestral as she stayed suspended in Cadence's magic. A sigh slipped past her lips as she went limp, relief taking the place of rage.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, red eyes heavy with guilt and fatigue as she stared at Cadence. "I don't know what came over me. Somethings wrong with me and I have no idea what it is!"

"I think I do," Cadence said, muzzle decorated by an understanding smile.

With that, she walked into the living room, one Fluttershy still held in her magic while the other followed on hoof. Once she took a seat on the sofa, she lowered her captive onto the sofa across from her and cancelled her Levitation Spell. The native Fluttershy quickly took a seat beside her double, placing a supportive hoof on top of her's.

"Okay," Cadence sighed. "From what Fluttershy told me, you come from another world, right?"

Fluttershy nodded.

"Then I suppose it's safe to assume that you aren't usually a Thestral."

Again, she nodded in the affirmative.

"Well then," she sighed. "That explains everything."

"Huh?" both Fluttershys said in unison.

"You see," she smiled. "Thestral Magic is a bit more primal than Pegesi, Earth, and Unicorn Magic. It's largely focused on instinct and has a habit of manifesting violently if it's unnaturally restrained. This can lead to a Thestral mentally regressing to a wild animal until the problem is fixed or their magic is drained."

"Is that what you did to me?" Fluttershy asked.

She shook her head.

"All I did was reduce your anger and fear. If you keep suppressing your magic, you'll go back to the way you were in a few hours."

Fluttershy stared at Cadence, tears starting to build in the corners of her eyes. She remembered the fear in her double's eyes, the pain in her foreleg, and the rage that filled the world with red.

"I-I don't want that," she stammered, trembling.

"Is their something you can do?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, desperation heavy in her eyes.

"Actually, there is a way to fix this," she smiled.

"What?" they both said, again in unison.

"You see," she chuckled. "Thestrals have a custom called a Marking Ceremony. It's what they do when they find their special someponies."

"Okay?" Fluttershy said cautiously. "How does it work?"

"Well," she smiled. First, the Thestral gathers their magic into their fangs, holds their partner close, then injects some of it into them."

"They bite them!?" Fluttershy gasped.

She nodded.

"While they have a lot in common with Pegesi, the main focus for Thestral Magic is their fangs. Through them, they can paralyze threats as well as heal wounds by injecting magic into others. And since teeth are linked to a pony's skeletal structure, their magic also strengthens them in a way similar to Earth Pony Magic."

" But that's not really important here," she shrugged. "What is is that you're refusing to Mark Fluttershy. Why?"

Fluttershy gaped at Cadence for a moment, then said, "I don't want to hurt her! I thought something was trying to make me eat her or something!"

Cadence gave her and understanding nod then said, "I see. And now?"

"I-," she paused, then turned towards her double, a nervous gulp almost choking her when she met the Pegasus' gaze. "O-Only if she's okay with it," she said evenly, still locking eyes with her double. "I want to, but I don't want to hurt her."

A heavy silence filled the room as The Princess of Love and a nervous Thestral waited for the native Fluttershy to give her answer. Then, with a soft smile, she wrapped the scared Terran in her forelegs and in a voice just above a whisper said two words

"Do it."

Her shock didn't last long, as the smell of wildflowers summoned the mind numbing haze that plagued her the whole day. But this time was different. As she let the fog take hold of her a part of her seemed to guide the magic to her fangs in a more focused and steady stream. Then, with a faint hiss, she sank her fangs into her double's shoulder. A soft squeak was the only noise she made as the fangs penetrated her skin, but other then a slight pinch, she didn't feel any pain. What she felt was a gentle warmth fill her veins as she held her double closer. Fluttershy continued to let her magic control her, letting her instincts guide her actions. Soon, the small torrent of magic that had gushed from her fangs trickled down and she gently pulled herself free. Quickly, her fangs shrank back to their original length, and with a dizzy sigh, she slumped bonelessly into her double's forelegs. Lightheaded herself, Equestrian Fluttershy held her as gently as she could as she struggled to ignore the incredible warmth running through her.

"Are you okay?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, stroking her double between her wings.

"I......I think so," she slurred, eyes unfocused and weary. "Just need to sit for a little while."

Cadence watched the whole exchange with a teary smile. This wasn't the first Marking Ceremony she had helped along, but it was the most beautiful one she had seen in a long time. So much so, that she refused to ruin the moment, even as one of the Fluttershy's Cutie Marks appeared next to two rapidly healing puncture marks on her shoulder. Nothing was more beautiful then blossoming love.

Ch.14 Just Another Tuesday

Octavia laughed daintily, cup of tea gripped firmly in her hoof as Rarity dropped another cube of sugar into her own. The boutique was otherwise silent as the two mares enjoyed each other's company, a rare moment for the Fashionista this time of year. Something Octavia appreciated greatly after yesterday's insanity, though it did give her an interesting story to tell.

"I hope the poor thing can bounce back from that," Octavia sighed.

"As do I darling," Rarity said, cringing slightly at her own memory of crossing the soft-spoken Thestral. "Your friend can be quite terrifying when she wants to be."

Octavia nodded, briefly shuddering as she remembered her own momentary graze with her friend's glare.

"Fortunately, she tries to keep that temper of her's under control, love."

Rarity nodded, then took a sip of her drink before adding with an impish smile, "So long as nopony tries to hurt her marefriend, that is."

"May god have mercy on their soul," she giggled. "Personally, I think Lyra got off rather easy all things considered."

"Quite," Rarity sighed. "That mare needs to learn the meaning of the word restraint. I mean really, ponynapping somepony to interview them? Has the art of tact truly died?"

"Many, unfortunately, have opted to forgo such concepts I am sad to say."

"So it would seem," she frowned, raising the teapot to pour herself a fresh cup.

To her chagrin, only a few drops came out of the pot's spout.

"Oh dear," she grumbled, rising out of her seat with the teapot still held in her magic's grip. "Please excuse me darling. I shan't be gone more than a moment."

Octavia nodded as her host left to make a new pot.

While she did that, Octavia took a moment to enjoy the familiar atmosphere of the boutique. Even though it was a different version, it brought bittersweet memories of the time she spent with her world's Rarity. Time spent talking over tea, discussing crushes, enjoying music, and being a shoulder to cry on when the time was right. While they didn't spend as much time together as they did with their usual group of friends, they were still very close to each other. But that changed when Annon-a-Miss entered the scene. The second she heard what Sunset's former friends did, a deep gash had run through her bond with the Seamstress. In time, it turned into anger as she decided to sever such a tie. Did she hate the girl? No. Hate was too strong a feeling to give to a social puppet like her. Maybe things will change in the future and they could become friends again, but now? No. Not for a very long time.

The sound of the store's front door opening broke her out of her musings as the clopping of hooves followed. Seeing that Rarity hadn't returned yet, Octavia decided to see if she could keep the possible customer entertained until that changed. Stepping out of the residential section of the boutique's first floor into the showroom, she flashed her nicest smile as she approached the pony.

"Greetings welcome to th-"

She paused as she stared at the pony that stood before her.

"Well" Equestrian Octavia said, face only showing a trace of shock as she looked her counterpart over. "I can't say I was expecting this."

"Quite," Octavia said, her face a perfect mirror of her doppelgänger.

The two stared at each other in awkward silence for a moment, neither sure how to proceed. Then, the native Earth Pony let out a sigh and turned around.

"Very well," she grumbled. "Unzip me."

"Pardon?" Octavia asked, taking a startled step back.

"Well, we can't both wear the same thing in Ponyville," Equestrian Octavia said, looking over her shoulder with a small, mischievous smirk. "That would be most uncouth."

"I see," she said, again mirroring her double's expression. "Quite right, love."

They stayed like that for a few seconds before a fit of giggles broke them out of what little tension remained in the moment.

"So," Equestrian Octavia smiled, once again in control of her poise as she turned to face her double fully. "Are you the result of a spell or a Changeling perhaps?"

"I do not know what a Changeling is, but does a portal to another world count as a spell?" she said, tone measured

"So a letter C then," she nodded.

"As in "Other", correct?"

Equestrian Octavia nodded.

"You know love, you are taking this rather well," Octavia said, cocking a brow.

"Dear, this is Ponyville," she said flatly. "While I don't know how your world works, for me, this is just another Tuesday afternoon."

"I see," she smiled. "Care for some tea?"

"I think I can spare a bit of time."

***

It was a beautiful winter day that day. Snow bunnies were hopping. Snow was glistening. On a day like this, a Pegasus like Lightning Dust....should be falling from the sky.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" was all Lightning could manage as she plummeted like a lead weight into the soft snow-covered field below.

A yell that turned into a muffled groan when she made contact, doing a perfect impression of an ostrich in the snow. Rainbow slowly drifted to the ground, face twisted into a deep grimace as she touched down.

"See? I told you you weren't ready yet."

A loud series of grunts could be heard through the snow that sounded dangerously close to expletives as Lightning struggled to free herself.

"Damn it!" she exclaimed as she pulled her head out of the snow. "I thought I had it!"

Rainbow sighed, then sat down next to the fuming Pegasus.

"Lightning, you only just figured out how to use your wings. It's way too soon for you to try flying."

"I know," she groaned, then pointed at her head and added, "I know that up here anyway, but I can't help it! I've always wanted to fly!"

With a frustrated huff, she slammed a hoof into the snow in front of her.

"Always..."

The field fell into a gentle silence as the two Pegasi sat, one lost in thought while the other brooded. Slowly, a smile started to form on Rainbow's face as an idea took shape. While she wasn't as much of a bookworm as Twilight, Rainbow knew enough math to understand the finer points of flight. She had to for most of her more dangerous stunts prior to joining the Wonder Bolt Reserves. As such, her mind ran through the numbers almost as fast as her wing speed as she ran her plan through countless theories. And her excitement spiked further at what each result presented to her.

"Alright," Rainbow beamed, jumping to her hooves. "I know what to do."

"What?" Lightning grumbled.

"Well, from what I can tell you've got more than enough magic to get in the air. You just need to learn how to use your wings."

"Okay?" Lightning said, raising a brow as she stood up to face her friend/teacher. "So how do I do that? Just practice moving them around?"

"Yes and no," Rainbow smirked. "You need to learn how to use them on the move. Otherwise you'll just crash all over the place."

"Yeah, that would be bad," Lightning cringed, briefly glancing at the snow crater a few feet away."So how do we work on that?"

Rainbow leaned towards Lightning and with a challenging smirk said, "A simple game of tag."

"Huh?" Lightning blinked.

"Yep," Rainbow nodded, taking five steps back from Lightning. "For the next two hours, you and I are gonna play tag. Whoever's it when times up loses and has to pay for lunch."

"That's it?" Lightning smirked. "Sounds easy enough."

"Yeah," she said, then donned a wicked smile as she added, "But you have to do it with your wings open."

"Huh?" Lightning asked, head tilted in confusion.

"Trust me," she smirked.

"Okay?"

With that, she spread her wings and took the closest thing she could to a running stance that her body could manage.

"Alright," Rainbow smirked, crouching low in preparation. "Ready?"

She nodded, eyes narrowed in challenge.

"Set-go!"

In a blink, the native Pegasus appeared in front of her and tapped a hoof against Lightning's shoulder.

"Tag! You're it!"

Lightning flinched, then took a swipe at Rainbow with a forehoof only to hit empty air as the mare moved just out of reach. Making sure to keep her wings open, she lunged at the native Pegasus only to come up short yet again as she sidestepped past her at the last second. A frustrated growl slipped past her lips as she ran after her grinning teacher, the mare easily ducking and dodging past all of her attempts to tag her. As her frustration grew she became faintly aware of how much drag her wings were giving her. The way her feathers were grabbing the air made it feel like she was running through tar.

Damn it! she thought bitterly as she missed Rainbow for the fiftieth time. I need to be faster then this! God damn wings! If they weren't dragging me back so much I'd have her by now! I need to MOVE!!!

As if answering her silent demand, her wings angled themselves in a way that took away most of their drag, giving her a sudden burst of speed that neither mare was ready for. Rainbow barely managed to get out of the way while Lightning tore past her like a speeding missile into a nearby tree.

"Ow~," she groaned as she staggered to her hooves away from the tree. "What the hell happened?"

"You flattened out your wings," Rainbow said, a proud smirk on her face. "When you fly, that's how you accelerate. When you try to slow down, you fan your wings out towards your front for drag. Do you get it?"

Once Lightning managed to blink past the stars in her vision, she took note of what her teacher said and slowly started to figure out what she was getting at. Basically, she was playing tag with her breaks on and only just shifted gears into drive. Thinking about it that way, she felt like an idiot for not figuring out what the problem was in the first place.

"Yeah," she smirked turning towards her teacher and reopened her wings, this time making a conscious effort to open them flat. "Now let's have some real fun."

"Bring it," Rainbow smirked, crouching low.

The two stared each other down for a moment then, Lightning let out a battle cry as she charged towards Rainbow at a speed that dwarfed her first few charges. At the last second, Rainbow sidestepped her and again Lightning found herself colliding with a tree. A low groan was all she had time to make before a large conglomerate of snow fell out of the tree on top of her.

"Should probably wait until you learn how to turn before you decide to blitz me," she smirked.

"Aw shut up," she groaned as she struggled to pull herself out of the snow.

As Rainbow waited for Lightning to get out of her prison her thoughts drifted to a certain dark-orange Pegasus filly and what her new idea could mean for her. An exited smile bloomed on her face at the implications.

***

Bonbon walked through the streets with a faint smile as she went about her business, saddle bags bulging with the various ingredients needed for her personal project at the castle. Needless to say, when she saw the gold coins Princess Twilight gave her on the way out her jaw nearly broke the planet's crust. It was one thing to be told that a world used gold as freely as paper bills, but something else entirely to have it as a reality. A small part of her considered taking a few coins back with her when the trip was over. Not a lot of them, just a small handful to squirrel away for emergencies. At the present though, she was more than happy to spend the coins on what she had planned.

"Um, excuse me?" an eerily familiar voice said as somepony tapped her shoulder.

She turned and wasn't entirely surprised to see her own face staring back at her. It did put a slight chill down her spine though.

"Yeah?" she said, guarded as she walked. "Can I help you?"

Equestrian Bonbon gulped, then nervously said, "I, uh, just wanted to say, s-sorry about what happened yesterday. I swear, my marefriend's not usually like that. I don't know what got into her and none of you deserved what happened to you. I'm really really sorry!"

Bonbon stared at her double for a few seconds, then sighed.

"Okay, I forgive you," she smiled. "Both of you. My Lyra can do some crazy stuff sometimes too, so I can kind've relate. Besides, I think Fluttershy made her think twice about pulling a stunt like that again."

Equestrian Bonbon nodded, a worried frown decorating her muzzle.

"Yeah. I hope your marefriend is doing better then mine right now."

Bonbon blinked at that, then said, "My ma- oh! No-no-no! We aren't like that. We're just really good friends."

"Oh!" Equestrian Bonbon said, an embarrassed blush coloring her cheeks. "Sorry, I just assumed..."

"No problem," she smiled, waving it away with a hoof, then gave her a concerned frown as she asked, "What's wrong with your Lyra?"

Equestrian Bonbon sighed then looked at the ground.

"She had nightmares last night. Every hour she'd wake up screaming, crying about eyes in the darkness and sharp fangs. I don't blame her for what she did, but its hard to see her like that, you know?"

A frown grew on her face as a memory she tried to forget jumped to the front of her mind. An empty house. A dark bedroom. A dead-eyed mint-green teen sitting in a corner of the room.

"Yeah, I get where you're coming from."

"She'll bounce back from this," the native Bonbon said, a hint more confidence in her tone as she locked eyes with her double. "I'll make sure of that."

"Damn strait," Bonbon cheered, giving her double a playful hip-check."That's what we're for, right?"

She nodded, a bright smile on her muzzle that slowly turned into a curious frown when she saw the saddle bags.

"What's all that for?"

"Oh, nothing much" Bonbon shrugged. "Just things I need for some sweets I plan to make while I'm here."

"Want some help?" she asked eagerly.

"Do you make candy?"

"Last time I checked," she smirked, jerking her head towards her flank.

"Then sure," Bonbon laughed. "Why not? You know what they say after all."

"What?" She asked.

"Two bons are better than one."

Both burst into a fit of giggles at the play on words as they strolled through town, a new friendship taking root in the most unusual pair.

***

It was quiet in the castle's library, the crystal walls catching the rays of the early afternoon sun as it filled the room with a gentle light. Three ponies were at its center, two of which sat on their haunches in deep meditation while one stood before them. Twilight could see that the two mares before her had quite a lot of magic within them as she observed their flowing magical auras. For most Unicorns their magic moved like a colorful river, often taking certain attributes of their wielder's personalities into their structure. A pony with a short fuse could have a magic aura that resembled wild rapids with jagged stones while a more patient one would resemble a still stream. Vinyl and Lyra differed from this description. Vinyl's magic aura resembled a series of pulsing rings, each expanding and retracting in rhythmic beats like a heart. Lyra's magic aura was especially strange, resembling a golden spiderweb that refused to move in any way whatsoever. Something about it made the young Alicorn raise a brow. Aside from its bizarre structure, it felt like it was incomplete in some way, like something was restraining it for some reason.

Curious, she reached out with her magic and to her surprise, it accepted her. Slowly, she followed the flow of magic like the trail of a great maze until she came to heart of the web. A bright flash filled the room and she was quickly overwhelmed by a sense of vertigo. Slowly, she blinked the stars out of her eyes as her surroundings became more pronounced. She stood outside, the land's features seemingly divided perfectly down the middle. Long open plains dominated her left while rotting swamps festered at her right. In the distance, she could see a castle standing directly on the border. Curious, she moved towards the castle, all the while taking note of strange armored figures that seemed to rise out of the ground. At her left, tall humanoids materialized out of the tall grass covered head to toe in glistening white armor, some armed with shields and swords and others with just a sword. At her right stood beings dressed in jagged black armor, menacing ornate swords and halberts clutched tightly in their hands designed to bring as much pain as possible with each strike. In time, she made it to the castle's gates and was greeted by a being that filled her with equal parts awe and fear. The gates to the castle was guarded by a towering human woman, easily ten feet past Twilight's horn in hight. She wore a flowing robe that was pitch-black on the right and porcelain-white on the left. Her hair was long and as gold as the sun on the left side of her face while it was the color of volcanic ash on the right. Her skin looked like it was made of glistening metal, a fact that made her blue left eye and her red right one all the more eery as they bore into the stunned Alicorn. Six wings opened from the figure's back in response to Twilight's presence, a display of power and warning in equal measure as the sun bounced off of their shining white feathers on the left while the right ones seemed to devour it like a ravenous beast.

"Who are you young one?" the figure demanded, her voice holding the force of thunder.

"I am Twilight Sparkle," she said, tone even and respectful. "And you are?"

The angel stared down at the Princess, her face unreadable.

"I have no name. I am only a guardian."

"I see," she frowned. "Then is it okay if I call you that?"

"If you must," Guardian said. "Now state your business. What could bring a being such as yourself to the heart of my mistress' magic?"

"I want to help her learn to control it," Twilight said evenly.

"I see," Guardian said, a faint grimace marring her features. "From what I know, that should be a simple task for you."

"In theory," she sighed. "But for some reason, Lyra's magic aura is paralyzed. It's like she's personally fragmenting her magic and I don't know what to do to fix that."

Guardian nodded, then let out a sad sigh as she said, "My mistress is ashamed of a part of herself. Ashamed, and stubbornly refuses to access her fullest potential."

"What do you mean?"

With another sigh Guardian stared out into the murky gloom of the swamps.

"I cannot say. All I can do is ask you to help her."

"How?"

Guardian stared down at the worried Alicorn and with a sad smile said, "Ask her about the knights in the swamp and what they mean to her."

Confused, Twilight nodded.

With that, a bright light filled Twilight's vision and another wave of vertigo washed over her. Just before the light became to much for her to handle, a figure peaked out from behind Guardian's foot. A figure with two-toned gray hair and mint green skin. With a groan, she opened her eyes to find herself back in her library with her guests looking at her with worried looks on their faces.

"Hey, are you alright?" Vinyl asked, rising to her hooves.

"Y-Yeah," Twilight said, rubbing the left side of her head. "Just a little dizzy, don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" Lyra asked.

She nodded, then said, "I'll be fine after a few minutes. In the mean time, let's take a quick break."

"If you say so," Vinyl said, doubt coloring her tone.

A deep gurgle filled the room, reminding everyone present what time it was.

"But if we're taking a break, I guess I can nab a few things from the kitchen for everyone,"Vinyl said, laughing sheepishly.

"Sounds good to me," Lyra grinned. "Want some help?"

"Actually," Twilight said, cutting off Vinyl before she had a chance to reply. "I need to ask Lyra a few things first. Is that okay?"

"Uh, sure?" Lyra said with a hint of unease.

"Alright then," Vinyl said, a trace of concern in her tone as she walked towards the library doors. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Thanks," they said together as the DJ left the room.

A heavy silence filled the room as the two Unicorns stared at each other, one not sure how to go about asking her question while the other worried about what was on the Princess' mind. Eventually, Twilight decided the direct approach was the best one in this case.

"What do knights in a swamp mean to you?"

Lyra's eyes widened at that, then turned somber as she stared at the ground.

"Where'd you hear about that?"

Twilight gave a brief description of Guardian and what she saw when she linked with Lyra's magic aura. A rueful smile spread across her muzzle as she continued to stare down at the ground.

"I guess that makes some sense," she said as she locked eyes with the Princess. "You probably never heard of a game called Magic The Gathering, have you?"

She shook her head.

For a few minutes, she gave the Princess a brief summery of how her favorite game operated. Not a detailed description, but enough to give her the basic idea.

"When I first started playing, I wasn't the nicest person," she explained, eyes becoming distant as her mind wandered to what felt like a lifetime ago. "Back then, I didn't have any friends. I don't think I really wanted any at the time either. All I cared about was winning. No fun. No friendship. Just victory. As a result, I gravitated to black magic more then the other colors. I don't know what it was, but that color just worked best with me, especially the knights. I crushed anyone I played against, but I didn't really see them as people. Just someone I had to take down to move forward in a tournament. The only person I couldn't beat was my Grandma."

A sad smile graced her muzzle as she remembered her Grandmother, a bittersweet topic she hadn't focused on in a long time.

"She used white," she continued. "And she sure as hell knew how to use it. No matter what I did, I could never land a single point of damage on her. I remember asking her one day 'why she was so strong'? You know what she told me?"

Twilight shook her head.

"She was having fun," she chuckled. "She told me, if I wanted to be strong, I had to have fun with it whenever I could. I thought she was full of it at the time, but...... that changed after she passed."

Twilight gasped, hooves flying to her mouth as she saw a few tears form in the corners of Lyra's eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered.

"I-It's okay," Lyra chuckled thickly, wiping the budding tears out of her eyes.

"Anyway," she continued. "After the funeral, I was a mess. Everything just felt so pointless. Except for my games. They let me escape reality for a bit, but they didn't do much for me after a while. Even Magic became just another empty part of my life. Then I found Grandma's cards, and things started to look up for me. I don't know what it was, but when I held her cards, it felt like she was with me. Like she was watching me through our greatest past time. So, with her deck at hand, I jumped into a tournament for the first time in months. I got completely destroyed, but it was funny. I wasn't upset about it. Instead, I left the shop with the biggest smile I could remember having. With my Grandma's cards, I tried to do what she told me to. I tried to have fun. Since then, I'd abandoned my old color and dedicated myself to using white magic, both to remember my Grandma and move past the person I used to be. It was fun for a while, but then I had an urge to mix the two colors. It was mostly to see if I could make anything functional out of it, but as I built it I was scared of becoming the person I used to be. When it was complete, I tested it out at a local tournament, hoping it wold flop."

She paused, then a shameful frown crossed her muzzle as she added, " I won. I won and that scared the heck out of me. So, I took the deck and locked it up vowing never to use it or any deck like it ever again. After that, I dove completely into white magic and followed my Grandma's advice. Not long after that, I met Bonbon and started making friends."

When Lyra finished her tale, she locked eyes with the Princess of Friendship and smiled.

"The deck was a black/white knight deck. That's what swamp knights mean to me."

Twilight stared at her guest, a whirlwind of emotions twirling inside her. Sadness, confusion, shock, but above all else, understanding. It was through that, that she told the Unicorn in front of her what she knew she wasn't going to like.

"I think you need to use that deck."

Lyra gawked at her then glared.

"Didn't you hear me?" she snapped. "I don't want to-"

"I know," she said, tone gentle. "But I don't think you need to be afraid of that. Not anymore. You have friends, yourself, and your Grandmother's words to help keep you in check. You don't have to run from who you used to be to move past it. Sometimes, you just have to own it."

Lyra stared at the Princess, trepidation heavy in her features.

"A-Are you sure?" she asked.

With a warm smile, she nodded.

Neither moved or spoke for a moment, then Lyra let out a deep sigh. As she did, all the tension and stress seemed to pour out of her like a breath she hadn't known she was holding was finally let loose. At the same time Twilight could see Lyra's magic aura change. It no longer resembled a rigid spiderweb. Instead, it was a spiraling current of gold, playfully lapping at its surroundings like a newborn puppy.

Lyra laughed then said," God that felt good to get off my chest. Sorry to dump all that baggage on your lap Princess. I don't know why, but it just felt right to talk to you about this."

"No problem Lyra," she giggled. "Anything for a friend."

With that, she looked out the window, a faint smile coloring her muzzle.

Just another Tuesday in Ponyville.

Ch.15 Dream Catcher

Pinkie walked the lonely halls of Canterlot High, as she had countless times since Tattle saved her that fateful day. While it made her evenings somewhat boring, being a forever lucid dreamer was a new experience for her. Having near complete control of her dreams let her return to some of her happiest moments at the drop of a hat. It let her escape her worries better than any book or movie ever could. But just like a book or movie, it always ended in tears when she woke up. As a result, she opted to spend her nights in the most bittersweet memory she could think of. As flattered as Tattle was about the sentiment, he never missed an opportunity to voice his concern. This time was no different.

"You know," he said, materializing at her left. "You don't have to dream about this place. We can go somewhere else. Someplace less gloomy, perhaps?"

Pinkie shook her head.

"I want to be here Tattle," the teen said, lips pulled into a rueful smile as she walked. "It's peaceful here and I don't need to worry about a crazy pink pony trying to catch me."

The large winged cat sighed as he stayed by the brooding teen's side. He hated to see her like this, but there was only so much he could do. This was her dreamscape and as long as she stayed lucid he could only shift around things she wasn't focusing on at the time. A task that became more difficult to manage each passing night. The Dream Cat huffed as he playfully head butted her thigh.

"Peaceful is boring and you know it," he grumbled. "Let me take the reins! I guarantee you'll love it."

As he said that, he flashed her a wide smile that positively reeked of mischief. Pinkie thought about it for a minute. While the Dream Cat was a bit flighty at times, he always made sure to take care of her when it mattered. After all the running and time spent learning how to use her new powers, a little fun couldn't hurt.

"Okay," she said, giving him a small smile.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and let her focus wander away from her "surroundings".

Tattle's smile lost some of it's mischief as he latched onto the now defenseless dreamscape around him. In a flash, the empty halls turned into something a lot more inviting and lively. His form started to ripple like water as the second part of his surprise literally took shape before her. All the while, Pinkie's clothes started to change to match the scene he crafted around her. A devilish smile spread across his face as he stood before her in his new form, gently reaching out a hand to hold hers.

"Now open them," he said, voice just above a whisper as his fingers closed around her hand.

She flinched as her eyes shot open then gawked at what laid before her. Gone were the silent halls of Canterlot High. In its place was an elegant ballroom straight out of a fairytale, complete with a massive vaulted ceiling and polished white marble walls and floors. At its heart stood a single ornate table with two settings and a single lit candle at the center. Intricate decorations covered the walls like silken ivy as it slithered across its surface in a constant fluid motion around her. All of it was beautiful beyond words, but it only barely registered to her compared to what stood directly in front of her. A boy roughly her age stood before her dressed in a white tuxedo holding her hand with fingers as gentle as a cloud. HIs skin was a deep purple like the sky just before the first rays of dawn started to peek over the horizon. His long brown hair framed a soft face with sapphire blue eyes and a smile that spelled nothing but trouble.

"T-Tattle?" she gawked, cheeks turning a darker shade of pink then normal.

"The one and only m' lady," he said easily with a wink.

Pinkie blinked, taken aback by her friend's demeanor. She was used to him flirting with her of course, but this felt different. He seemed more genuine then the last time she talked to him in her dreams. Less like he was joking with her or fishing for a reaction. She was embarrassed to admit to herself that the new look didn't hurt either as she gave him an appreciative look over. It was then that she noticed what she was wearing and her face turned beat red in an instant. She was wearing a blood-red cocktail dress that hugged her body in such a way that it put all of her best features on full display without limiting her mobility. Silver dress shoes peeked out from under the dress' long skirt, drawing more attention to the opening it sported on its left side that stopped just past her hip. A nervous fidget for her hair revealed that it was pulled back into a loose ponytail.

"A-bu-I-What?" she sputtered, trying to find her footing.

"Well, I figured that after everything that you've been through, you could use a taste of something new," he said with a shrug only to give her his trademark smirk before adding, "And what could be more new then spending a night with a High Royal by High Royal standards."

"And the dress," she asked, gaining back some of her composure.

"I thought you'd look good in it," he said with an appraising grin. "Granted, I had to make some educated guesses since I don't know much about human clothing, but I think I did a good enough job all things considered."

She nodded, following his logic for the most part.

"And the new look?" she asked, gesturing towards him.

"Don't you want to see another of your own kind?" he asked evenly.

A pause filled the room as Pinkie digested what he said, then with a small smile she said, "Yeah. I guess I do now that I think about it. You look good by the way."

"Really?" he asked, a faint blush coloring his face as he bashfully scratched the back of his head. "Thanks. I've never turned into a human before and I only had a few fairytales and dreams to use as a reference."

Pinkie blinked in shock for a moment at what she was seeing. This was the first time she had ever seen Tattle get flustered. Till now, she didn't know the Dream Cat even could get flustered after all his shameless flirting. A small giggle slipped past her lips only to morph into a full blown laugh a second later as the insanity of her situation started to set in.

"Care to share what's so funny," he frowned, raising a brow.

"Oh, *giggle* nothing," she smiled, taking a couple steps towards him. "Just an inside joke. Don't worry about it."

"I've been in your head," he smirked, taking a couple steps forward himself. "I have every right to worry."

She giggled as she thinned the gap between them a little more.

"I promise its nothing bad," she smirked.

"I don't know if I should believe you," he said, mirroring her smile as he took a couple more steps towards her.

For a moment the two just stood there, grinning widely as they waited for the other to make the first move. A contest that Pinkie won as Tattle raised a hand and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a full symphony orchestra could be heard playing in the background. Pinkie looked around half expecting to see people playing instruments, but was surprised to see that nothing had changed.

Happy to see his student/friend's reaction Tattle took a step back, put a hand behind his back and bowed slightly before saying, "Shall I have this dance, Lady Pie?"

"L-Lady?" Pinkie stammered, taken aback by the sudden act of formality.

"You are the host of a High Royal," he smirked. "By right, that makes you an Avatar of Power in my name. Quite the honor I must say."

"A what!?" she exclaimed.

He laughed, then offered his free hand to her again. A light blush colored her cheeks as she accepted. He gently pulled her into his arms and they started to dance. It was a slow and clumsy waltz as the patient Dream Cat waited for his ridged Human dance partner to relax. In time, Pinkie let herself ease into the moment as the music pulled her away from her troubles. In time, the two were gracefully moving through the empty chamber like they had been doing so for years. What was once clumsy dips and stumbles turned into poetry in motion as they held each other close.

Pinkie's heart was hammering in her chest like a jackhammer as she let Tattle guide her through the room with the skill of a seasoned veteran. It was like she was a bird gliding above the tallest peaks and he was the wind keeping her just out of harms reach. It was just as terrifying as it was thrilling and at first she didn't know if she liked it or not. As the seconds turned into minutes, that confusion slowly started to sort itself out. A soft smile started to spread across her face as she let herself fall completely into the moment. For her, there was only the music, their dance, and Tattle's warmth as they enjoyed their time together. Then, with one final dip the music faded into its conclusion. A bright smile decorated Pinkie's blushing face as she looked up into Tattles brilliant blue eyes. The Dream Cat smiled back as he leaned over her, holding her as gently as a precious treasure. For a moment the two stayed like that, taking in their partner's beauty in the ballroom's dim light. All the while, a single thought echoed in their minds.

Beautiful.

"Are we having fun yet?" he asked with a crooked smile.

Giggling, she reached up and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Why Midnight, are you trying to seduce me?"

"Funny," he chuckled, pulling out of the dip. "I was about to ask you the same thing Pinkamena."

Her face turned beet red as a silly smile spread across her face at that.

"What if I am?" she muttered sheepishly.

"Then I have to ask the same thing."

A mix of fear and joy kept her voice in a chokehold as she processed what he had just said. Meanwhile, Tattle had given the ballroom an appreciative look. Then, with a snap of his fingers the ceiling vanished to reveal an ocean of stars that shined as brilliantly polished diamonds. Pinkie stared at the display in wonder, her previous conflicting emotions pushed to the back of her mind.

"Come," he said, tone gentle as silk as she wrenched her gaze away from the sky towards him. "Let's enjoy the moment while we can."

With another snap of his fingers, the ballroom disappeared around them. Now they stood in the middle of a vast open field. Soft grass stood beneath them like a giant green cushion as the gentle shine of a million stars rained down upon them from above. With a sigh, Tattle let himself fall into the grass and stared at the sky. He glanced up at her and patted the ground next to himself. Pinkie smiled as she accepted his invitation and laid down beside him, nuzzling into his side as she enjoyed the stars above them.

"Peaceful, isn't it?" he asked with an easy smile as he stared at the sky.

"Yeah," she sighed, then smirked as she added, "I thought peaceful was boring."

"It is when its gloomy," he frowned, eyes still locked onto the sky. "I can't stand that kind of peace. It reminds me of a tomb."

She thought about that. Was that what she was doing in her dreams? Wandering around in a tomb every night?

"This is so much better," he said, gesturing towards the view they shared. "This is the kind of peace that brings joy! That births inspiration! And as long as I have the power, I refuse to let you fester in a Grave Keeper's peace."

His expression soured as he continued with, "I refuse to let somepony suffer in their sleep. As both an artist and a Dream Walker."

She stared at him for a moment, lost in his presence as he continued to surprise her.

"Thank you," she smiled, nuzzling into his side.

"Anytime m'lady," he said with an easy smile.

For a moment they just laid there, enjoying each other's company and the beauty of the sky Tattle crafted for her. It was then that Pinkie realized just how little she knew about her friend. She knew he was strong and strange, but that was the extent of her knowledge of the Dream Cat. A problem that she was more then willing to rectify.

"Hey Tattle?"

"Yes?"

"Are there other Dream Cats out there?" she asked.

He paused, then with a sigh said, "No Pinkie. For better or worse, I am the first and last of my kind. Mother made certain of that not long after my creation."

"Creation?"

"Yes," he sighed, a small frown marring his hansom face as he stared at the sky. "I wasn't always the way I am now Pinkie. A long time ago, Mother created me as a way to punish her for a terrible misdeed. I was supposed to force her to relive her greatest crime as a self-induced punishment. At the time, I had no real mind or form to speak of. I was nothing more then a semi-sentient mass of magic programmed to do a specific task. Then one night, I developed something Mother never counted on; a sense of empathy. Each night I punished her, a small portion of her psyche merged with me. In time, I went from a mass of magic to a being all my own and I couldn't stand to preform my constructed task anymore. So, the second I had enough magic I broke out of Mother's dream and tried to find a new purpose."

"That's great!" Pinkie cheered. "So, then your mom helped you become what you are now, right?"

"Not really," he smiled ruefully. "You see, my original purpose was to create nightmares. As a result, any dreamscape I entered quickly turned into a nightmarescape. Mother made an attempt to recapture me at that point. She even enlisted the aid of a small group of mares to aid her in her quest. As they closed in on me, I grew more and more desperate. Eventually, Mother cornered me in a massive dreamscape and turned several ponies lucid to form a small strike force to catch me. By that point, I had already accumulated a massive amount of magic and was taking steps to free myself from the shared dream, but at the last second I felt a pull from my mother's dream. I could feel that she wanted to change her dreamscape, that she was willing to move past her pain. It was then that I felt happiness for the first time as I let myself return to her. It was then that things took a turn for the better."

"What happened?" she asked, eyes wide as she turned her head towards him.

A soft smile graced his lips as he turned towards her, and said, "I was born."

***

Princess Luna rose to her hooves and took in her surroundings with a soft smile. A Clear evening sky stood above her, shining auroras gliding through it like a great serpent. A mountain with a cascading waterfall filled her dreamscape with a gentle rumble as the water poured off into streams out of her line of sight. Below her was a bed made of the finest silk attached to a massive flower with three glowing buds the color of lavender. Further out she could see more similar flowers fading off into the distance, filling the air with their sweet perfume of jasmine and vanilla. All of it filled the Princess with a sense of ease she hadn't felt in years.

"You're happy," a monotoned male voice said behind her. "That is good."

Startled, Luna spun to face the speaker and paused. Hovering before her was none other then the Tantabus itself, now nothing more than a mass of dark purple magic with specks of light covering its surface.

"You can speak," she said more than asked as she observed it.

"Yes," it said simply.

She waited for the creature to continue, but after three minutes of silence she decided to ask her next question.

"Why did you attack our Ponies? Was it your goal to turn the real world into a land of nightmares as we believed?"

"I didn't mean any harm Mother," he said, a trace of guilt making itself known in his monotoned voice. "My control of my powers are very limited and couldn't deviate away from their original design. I apologize for any and all pain I may have caused, as that was not my main goal."

"And what was your goal?" she asked.

"To stop hurting others," the Tantabus said, sadness leaking into its voice. "To stop hurting you, Mother."

Silence filled the air as the two Dream Walkers stared at each other, one with curiosity while the other was gripped with fear like a guilty foal. Then, with a tone as fragile as ancient paper, Princess Luna broke the silence.

"You called us mother, why?"

"You created me," he said, voice shaky. "That means you are my mother. Therefore, I will call you Mother."

"I see," she said, voice slightly choked. "Tell us then, what do you call yourself?"

He paused, then said, " I do not have a name. Aside from my Spell name, I have nothing to identify myself as."

Another pause, then with a teary smile Princess Luna said, "Midnight Tantabus."

"Mother?"

"From this day forward, you will go by Midnight Tantabus. The hour of your birth and the spell used to create you will be what you will use to identify yourself."

As she said that, she sat on her haunches and spread her forelegs out wide.

"Now come our son. Your foolish mother would like to give you a hug."

A moment of hesitation, then the mass of magic named Midnight Tantabus flew into his mother's forelegs. As she held her son, she thought of how cautious and curious he seemed to be. Like a newborn kitten taking its first steps into the world. No sooner had the thought passed through her head did she feel Midnight change shape in her hooves. When she pulled back, she was greeted by the sight of a dark-purple cat covered with starlight sparkles holding her tight. She chuckled at the sight, a single thought running through her head as she enjoyed the familiar warmth of motherhood in her heart.

Farewell days of peace. We shalt not miss thee.

***

"Since then, Mother devoted countless hours each night teaching me as much about the world as she could. In time, I figured out how to control my abilities and was able to help her rid her subjects of their nightmares."

A soft smile decorating his face, he turned to face his companion.

"Little by little, I grew and developed into the being you see before you. The first and last of my kind."

Pinkie stared at him, a starstruck gape the only sign that she heard him. Then it slowly morphed into sad smile as she gave him the tightest hug she could manage. Tattle blinked as he stared at the top of her head in shock, but it quickly shifted to comfort as he returned the embrace.

"Thanks Tattle."

"For what?"

"Telling me about yourself."

He chuckled, then said, "Is that all? Silly Human. Ask and I shall answer. That's all it takes to learn my secrets."

For a moment they laid there, enjoying each other's presence. All the while, she let Tattle's words swirl around inside her head. At the same time, she thought about her situation. She was basically being hunted by some alternate version of herself in a world that was ruled by people who hated her. While her powers could possibly help her get back home, she wasn't anywhere close to ready to do it yet. Just using her powers to get to-and-from Ponyville took a heavy toll on her as it was. Jumping to another world would probably kill her if not put her in a coma. And to add to it, she knew that she couldn't stay in the castle forever as her rations were going to runout again eventually. That meant going back into town and dealing with her pursuer. Another game of cat and mouse just to get what she needed to survive. As she thought about her situation, a fire started to form in her chest.

Let's mix things up a bit.

"Hey, Tattle?" she asked, raising her head away from his chest to look him in the eyes.

"Yes?"

"You can travel to different dreams, right?"

He nodded, raising a brow at her.

"Can you take people with you?"

He blinked at her, then said, "I think so. Mother has done so many times in the past, so I don't see why I can't. Why do you ask?"

She paused, then with a look of conviction said, "I want to visit Pinkie's dream."

His eyes widened at that as his jaw dropped in shock.

"Why do you want to do that?! That crazy mare's out to get you and you want to go to her private dreamscape?! Are you insane?!"

"A little," she smiled. "I need to do this Tattle. It's important."

"I don't know," he frowned.

She sported a half-lidded smile as she added, "If we do this, I'll make it worth your while."

"How so?"

She leaned in close and whispered into his ear. Slowly, a cheshire's smile formed on his face.

"With chocolate sauce?" he asked once she pulled away.

She nodded, liking her lips suggestively.

"You know,"he laughed as a door materialized at their feet. "I sometimes wonder who's the bigger bad influence between us."

Pinkie giggled as she got to her feet.

"I like to think it's an even split," she smiled.

***

Equestrian Pinkie's mind was a silent void. With her Pinkie Sense pushed to its absolute maximum limit, no errant thoughts passed through her mind. Never before had she pushed her special power to such a massive degree as she devoted everything she had to her mission.

A faint ripple in the still void of her mind faintly caught her attention. It wasn't until she felt a tapping on her shoulder that she let a portion of her focus slip away from her goal.

What she saw made her gasp.

Standing before her was a tall human girl. She wore a black pair of jeans and T-shirt under a hooded red trench coat. Her face was mostly hidden in the shadow of the hood, but the bit of pink hair that peaked out of it onto her chest gave the mare a pretty good idea who she was talking to.

"Hey me," the girl said, a cocky smile visible under her hood. "Heard you've been looking for me."

"How did you get here?" she demanded with a scowl as she jumped to her hooves.

"Let's just say I know a guy and leave it at that," she shrugged. "But that's not important. What is is that I'm here to tell you something."

"What?" she asked, body tense as she prepared to pounce.

"I'm done," she said, smile melting into a frown.

Equestrian Pinkie paused, momentarily stunned by her double's blunt declaration.

"With what?"

"Being scared," she said flatly. "Fear cost me three friends and almost got one of them killed. Now I'm stuck in a world full of people who want to hurt me and I can't go back home until I figure things out."

She leaned down to her equine double's level, and with a determined glint in her eyes she added, "And now I have someone trying to catch me to do god knows what to me. I don't know why you want to catch me or what you plan to do to me, but don't expect me to make it easy for you."

With that, she stood back up to her full hight, then said,"I have a couple promises to keep and I intend to keep them, no matter who gets in my way. I'm done being scared."

Slowly, the teen started to fade away, but just before she disappeared completely she jammed a finger into Equestrian Pinkie's forehead.

"Tag. You're it."

***

A wide smile spread across Pinkie's muzzle as her eyes fluttered open. With a wide yawn, she pulled herself out of her comforter cocoon onto the cobblestone floor of her room. As she embraced the ever present chill of her bedroom, she stretched a few pops out of her back before she moved to a nearby corner.

"Thanks for the dream," she giggled.

"Anytime my dear," Tattle said, his grinning face appearing in her minds eye. "Though I don't think we should do anymore dream travels. We don't want to attract Mother's attention if we can avoid it."

"Yeah," she nodded. "Don't worry. I said everything I needed to say."

"Good to hear," he sighed.

"By the way," she smirked. "Did you enjoy your treat?"

"Oh yes!" he cheered, excitement heavy in his tone. "You were simply amazing! I don't think I've ever experienced anything like that! I can't wait until I can enter the Physical World!"

"Yeah," Pinkie grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It's even better in real life."

"Oh how you tease me," he lamented, a trace of humor in his tone. "Perhaps, we can do it again tonight?"

"Sure," she giggled. "I've eaten so many treats that it would take us years to relive them all."

"Sounds like a challenge," he said, a faint smirk appearing in her head.

"Nope," she she tisked. "If we did it every night, it wouldn't be special, right?"

"True enough," he shrugged.

Giggling, she stared at the wall and tried to tap into her powers. For a while nothing happened, but then a gap started to slowly take form on the wall. When it got to the size of a dinner plate, she forced it to stop growing and looked through it. With a wide smile, she reached into it and pulled out a now dry red-leather trench coat. With a dramatic flip, she slipped it on, before turning to admire herself in the mirror.

"Red really is your color," Tattle purred.

"You know it," she said with a smile and a wink.

She could feel Tattle get flustered and giggled.

"So, ready to help me master my powers?"

"Always," he said warmly.

As she stepped out of her room towards the Throne Room for practice, a great fire burned inside her. She no longer felt shackled to her past,but was still willing to do everything she could to make up for it. She will make things right. she will move forward to a brighter tomorrow. As she stood at the heart of her "Training Room", she had never felt so free as she had in that exact moment.

Ch.16 Into the Night

Equestrian Fluttershy hummed a happy tune as she strolled through the Ponyville market, her heart on cloud nine as she perused through what the venders had on sale. After the previous day's insanity, she was happy to return to some semblance of normal. Though spending yesterday with her new marefriend was definitely something she wasn't going to complain about. It wasn't anything too exciting, all things considered. The two of them spent most of the day cuddling and talking over tea and sandwiches after Princess Cadence left them to their own devices. It was what her mostly nocturnal marefriend proposed that night that had her grinning like a fool.

***

"Hey, um, F-Fluttershy?" the shy Thestral whispered as she laid beside her double.

"Hmm?" she asked, sleep trying to tug her lids shut as she nestled into her bedmate's chest.

"W-We're a couple now, right?"

She nodded, then said,"If you want us to be. I'm fine with it. Are you?"

"Y-Yes," she stammered, face turning red. "I-It's just....I've never had a girlfriend before. I guess I'm a little scared."

"It's okay," she smiled, pulling her face away from the Thestral's chest to look her in the eye. "This is a first for me too."

"Th-Then..." she gulped. "You've never...been on a date or k-kissed or.....any of that?"

She shook her head.

"I never had a chance. I just couldn't connect with anypony like that. I didn't have the confidence to try either."

"Th-Then," she stammered, face gradually growing hotter as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth. "H-How about we go on a date?"

Equestrian Fluttershy blinked in surprise for a second, then flashed her double a wide smile as she gave her an enthusiastic nod.

"I would love that!" she exclaimed. "When?"

"How does tomorrow night sound?" she asked, already trying to setup a game plan with what she knew about the nearby town.

"Great," she smiled as she pulled Fluttershy into a tight embrace. "I can't wait!"

"Me neither," Fluttershy smiled, gently wrapping her forelegs around her girlfriend.

They stayed like that until sleep finally claimed them, warm smiles decorating their muzzles as they enjoyed the moment.

***

Smiling, she brought a hoof to her shoulder where her marefriend's cutiemark appeared as she walked out of the market into Ponyville's small entertainment district. Even with a Princess as a resident, Ponyville was still a small town with very few things meant to drag in tourists. Aside from a few cafés and small restaurants, there wasn't a lot to cater to those outside the resident population. Granted, Sugarcube Corner had an excellent reputation that stretched past the town's borders, but that wasn't enough to bulk up the town's tourist base.

As she passed the restaurants, she wiped some sweat off of her forehead and unzipped the front of her jacket. A faint smile graced her muzzle as she let the winter chill hit her sweat-damped coat not covered by her jacket. Princess Cadence told her that the Marking ceremony would have some interesting side-effects that she would have to get used to. Sharper senses. A higher cold tolerance. A slightly higher craving for fish. Normal things for a Thestral that her body would be working around until it properly integrated Fluttershy's magic with her own. As a result, she was stuck walking through Ponyville wearing clothes that made her feel like she was in the middle of a summer heatwave.

She sighed as she started to pick out a café to rest at.

It was then that she noticed a building she hadn't seen before. It was a tall and darkly painted building resembling a small victorian mansion. It's roof looked like the top of a castle tower with an ornate dragon statue coiled around it with its head leaning against the highest point. The building was surrounded by an ornate metal fence painted jet-black like the dragon decoration. The exterior was made of polished dark-wood that shined like onyx in the morning light as she approached it. As she made it past the front gate, she noticed a pair of gargoyles standing on either side of the building's large plank-style front doors. The glaring decorations made her gulp as she forced herself to move closer to investigate. Just above the door was a sign written in intricate cursive.

The Lunar Eclipse

She tilted her head in confusion as she further examined the building's front. A smaller sign on the door caught her attention as a result.

Business hours

Mon-Fri: 7:00PM-6:30AM

Weekends: 6:30PM-4:00AM

Happy Hour: 8:00PM-9:00PM

Closed on Hearths Warming

Drink Specials:

Blood Orange Cocktail

Dragon's MIlk

Cinnamon Rum

Peppermint Vodka

Hot Cinnamon Apple Cider

Frost Flower Wine

Food Specials:

Coconut Shrimp with a side of Margarita Sauce

Salmon steak with Sea Salt Dressing

Steamed King Crab

Manehattan Clam Chowder

Eggplant Parmesan

Crab Salad

A wide smile spread across her muzzle as she read through the list of specials.

"This is perfect!" she cheered. "An all night restaurant that sells fish! Oh, Fluttershy's going to love it!"

A large part of her was more happy about the latter then the former. It had been ages since the last time she had any fish and her current situation made it hard for her to read the sign without drooling. Now that she had some idea of what they could do on their date, she quickly made her way towards a nearby café to cool off. As she walked away a red eye peeked out from one of The Lunar Eclipse's covered windows, a trace of surprise reflected in it's shine as it tracked her.

***

Fluttershy anxiously paced the living room as she struggled to find a way to salvage the evening. Asking her double out wasn't quite as hard as she thought it would be, but planning the actual date was a completely different beast altogether. It was clear that they cared for each other and were more then willing to give themselves a try, but she read enough books to know that a bad first date could kill a relationship before it had a chance to even start. As a result, she found herself pacing the living room like a caged wolf as she tried to form a game plan that wouldn't end in disaster.

"A walk through the forest? No, that's too dangerous" she muttered as she moved. "Dinner at a restaurant? No, I don't have any money."

She let out a frustrated scream before flopping her face into a couch cushion. As she stayed like that, a soft fluttering caught her attention. Curious, she raised her head and turned towards the source. At some point, her wings had flared out to match her frustration. With an annoyed sigh, she struggled to get the appendages to fold back to her sides as she tried to think of what she could do. It was then that an idea came to her.

Slowly, she turned her head to her left wing and tried to reopen it again. To her surprise, it snapped open like a spring the second she focused on it. Still staring at it, she tried to move it of her own volition. She marveled at how easily it moved and with no deviation from her will as she manipulated it. It was then that she remembered what Princess Cadence said about her magic and its link to instinct. With that in mind, she turned to face her right wing and opened it. Then she closed her eyes and pretended she was flying over Canterlot City. She smiled as the imagined evening air washed over her like waves in an ocean storm. She tilted her body with the imagined wind, her wings shifting position in accordance with her will. She smiled at that, then imagined she was diving as she leaned forward. Her wings tucked in slightly in response to her mental image as she let herself "fall". The night air tore into her as she fell, moving faster and faster to the earth with her wings tucked further and further into her sides. Then at the last second, she pulled up out of her mental dive and flapped her wings. Her eyes popped open as she found herself pushed off of the ground by a gust of wind and flopped onto her back with a startled yelp.

For a second she just laid there blinking in confusion, only for a wide smile to form on her face as an idea took shape in her mind.

"That's it!" she cheered, excited giggles pouring out of her muzzle as she pulled herself to her hooves. "Oh, she's going to love it!"

***

A Princess' work is never done. A fact that all Alicorns quickly come to accept in one form or another. Celestia had the sun and most of the country's government affairs to keep under control. Luna had the moon and the entire Dream Plane. Twilight had to make sure that areas of interest didn't destabilize themselves every other Tuesday while dealing with the usual biweekly disasters that seemed to gravitate towards Ponyville. Cadence had to keep the Crystal Empire safe and spread love all across the land. Granted, most of her focus involved romances that if they went south, could lead to wars or near apocalyptic disasters. As such, her magic forced her to remain at an Inn in Ponyville in the wake of one of the most important relationships ever to take shape in the history of Equestria; the romance between the two Fluttershys.

Cadence giggled as she stared into the mirror in her room's bathroom, a simple scrying spell showing her two images.
On the left half of the mirror she saw a light-yellow Thestral taking steps to understand how to use her wings while the right half showed a yellow Pegasus trying to pull off her clothes in a Café bathroom and stuff them into her saddle bags. A bright pink glow surrounded them as they went about their business. The shine made her smile grow as she slid her hoof across the glass. The images blurred as two new ones formed on the glass. Now the left half of the mirror showed Princess Celestia and Discord sharing a few drinks at a high end bar in Canterlot while the right one showed Sunset and a grey Pegasus mare she didn't recognize strolling through the Royal Library. Like the two Fluttershys, both couples had a pink aura enveloping them. However, these were of a different luster then the local couple. Celestia and Discord's glow was almost a fiery red as they talked and laughed together, while Sunset and her partner was just a couple shades lighter as they did the same. Cadence's smile threatened to split her head in half as she took in the scenes. Not only had her adoptive Aunt finally found somepony, but so had Sunset as well. A happy squee filled the air as she clapped her hooves together in joy.

"Oh this is just too perfect!" she cried, a wide smile decorating her muzzle as she waved a hoof across the mirror. "Now Aunty can finally have a special somepony that can literally love her forever and Sunset's found a marefriend! And from the looks of things Aunty and Discord are giving them a few nudges in the right direction."

As if to prove her point, Discord snapped his claw and created a oneway portal showing Sunset and her marefriend going about their business. With a cheshire's smile, he gave his claw another snap and a book fell in front of the Pegasus. Curious, she adjusted her spell's angle to let her see the book. An annoyed grimace formed on her face as the two ponies in the mirror tried their damnedest to not have their faces burst into flames.

"Maybe a bit more than a nudge," she sighed. "Really Discord? The Pony Sutra? Really?!"

An irritated sigh slipped past her lips as she waved her hoof across the mirror's surface again, only for it to shift into a gentle smile as it revealed the previous set of lovebirds.

"Aunty should be able to handle those two. The Fluttershys on the other hoof? They're all mine."

***

The frigid night air nipped at anypony daring or foolish enough to brave it for whatever reason. Aside from that, it was a gorgeous cloudless night. Two ponies strolled through the town completely oblivious to the chill in the air and the confused stares of those they passed. Was it the fact that the two ponies were near identical that earned the attention? No. It was the fact that it was thirty-three degrees fahrenheit outside and neither mare was wearing anything to protect them from the elements.

Equestrian Fluttershy giggled like a school filly as she guided her marefriend through the town.

"Where are we going?" Fluttershy giggled as she let her giggly girlfriend lead her.

"You'll know when we get their," she smiled.

Fluttershy smiled and rolled her eyes at her antics as she followed. After a couple minutes of walking, she couldn't hold herself back anymore and wrapped a wing around her excited girlfriend. She squeaked, then smiled as she leaned into the embrace as they walked.

"What's got you so giggly?" she whispered, rubbing her nose against Equestrian Fluttershy's neck.

She let out a pleased whine then with a smile kissed her on the forehead and said, "You'll know when we turn the corner."

Curious, she stayed quite as they closed in on the turn in question, all the while trying to get over the shock of her double's surprise kiss attack. When they made the turn, a building caught her eye. When Equestrian Fluttershy started guiding her towards it, a strange feeling started to fill the Thestral. It was an odd mix of excitement, longing, and homesickness that grew as they approached. It was as if she had gone on a long trip and was about to step through the door into her house again. When she saw the sign on the door, a wide smile spread across her muzzle as she turned towards her ecstatic girlfriend. Laughing like a fool, she threw her forelegs around her, spread her membraneous wings, and blasted twenty feet into the air. As they gently glided back to the ground, she peppered the trapped Pegasus with kisses everywhere she could, except the lips. When they touched back down she let her girlfriend go, a dopy smile decorating the Pegasus' muzzle as she teetered on her hooves.

"Thank you so much!" she cheered.

"Pink bunnies make cherry pies," Equestrian Fluttershy mumbled drunkenly as her brain tried to reboot itself.

She laughed, then wrapped a wing around her barrel and dragged her dazed girlfriend towards the Lunar Eclipse's front doors. Meanwhile, a pink Pegasus mare with a light-blue mane and tail spied on them from a nearby bush.

"Huh, a Night Walker restaurant," she said, mildly surprised as she watched them through a pair of binoculars. "Who'd a thought?"

"Interesting," a familiar voice said a couple feet to her left said, making her jump.

The mare turned towards her company and gawked. Hiding behind a the bush next to her was a bright red Unicorn mare with a jet-black mane and tail. She was also holding a pair of binoculars, only in her magic instead of her hooves as she spied on the gemini couple.

"I never knew Ponyville had businesses that catered to Night Walkers. I wonder if there are other stores in town that do the same."

"Twilight?" the Pegasus asked, startling the Unicorn out of her observations.

"Cadence?" she asked, tuning towards the familiar voice.

"Hi," she said awkwardly, waving at her.

"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked, excitement mixing with the curiosity in her tone.

"Working," Cadence smiled, tilting her head towards the two Fluttershys. "You?"

"Observing the courting habits between Thestrals and Pegasi," she said, eyes briefly unlocking from Cadence's.

"Really?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Y-Yes, really," she stammered.

The two stared at each other in awkward silence for a moment.

"You are a terrible lier," Cadence said flatly.

***

The Lunar Eclipse was a sight to behold to anypony unfamiliar with the ways Night Walkers functioned. The restaurant's interior was dimly lit by wrought iron chandeliers lined with white candles. Several round tables dominated the massive fifty-by-fifty square room with a fully loaded bar set at the front door's left. At the end opposite the doors stood a stage with two ponies performing for the customers. The restaurant held the old rustic charm of a European pub from the middle ages that filled all who entered with a sense of whimsy as they went about their business.

But what added to the sense of mystery was the patrons. All of the ponies in the room had varying shades of black, gray, or brown coats that were longer then most with equally dark colored manes and tails. Many of them were Thestrals, but there were also a few Unicorns and Earth Ponies in the mix. But they had some traits that even the former Human knew were outside the norm. The Unicorns had slightly curved horns and their tails looked more cat-like in shape while the Earth Ponies had more wolf-like traits mixed into their frames. Then there were the fangs everypony sported along with slitted pupils much like her own. Even the ponies on stage were like this, only their colors were much brighter then the rest of the patrons. One was setting up a mic while the other was sitting on a chair tuning a guitar. The pony behind the mic was a pale-blue Unicorn with a long blond mane and tail while the guitarist was a moss-green Earth Pony with a long and messy brown mane and tail.

A Thestral waitress approached them and with a smile said, " Welcome to The Lunar Eclipse. Would you like a table or a bar seat?"

Fluttershy was the first to recover and smiled at her fellow Thestral as she requested a table for the two of them. The waitress gave the two of them a brief once-over and flashed her a sly, knowing smile before guiding them to a table in the back. As they walked, her good mood started to dim as she picked up bits of the other customer's conversation as they whispered around them.

"What's a Day Walker doing here?"

"Great, can't we get any peace around here? Just watch, this place is gonna be loaded with Day Walkers now."

"Shut it dumb plot! Didn't you catch that scent? They're a thing!"

"Is the Illusion Spell faulty? How'd she even know this place exists?"

"Dude! She's marked!"

"Sweet Luna! That's a Star Eater! How'd that Pegasus get her to mark her?!"

A table full of ponies stared at Equestrian Fluttershy like a zoo animal as they passed, earning an irate hiss from her date. The party quickly looked away, more sheepish then scared as they pretended to be oblivious to the couple. The reaction shocked her for a bit as she walked. Until then, anypony caught on the receiving end of her glare had been reduced to whimpering children at best and shown the face of death at worst. She let out a tired sigh as she walked, casting a passing look up at the performers on stage. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw that the singer was staring at her. Her slitted green eyes tracked her with pleased curiosity that matched her smile as she adjusted her mic stand with her magic. The singer turned to face the guitarist to say something that Fluttershy couldn't catch, to which he responded with a wide smile that flashed his fangs before once again tuning his instrument.

The Thestral shook her head, forcing her concern over the performer's odd behavior to the back of her mind. She wasn't here to deal with strange ponies. She was here to have a wonderful time with her new girlfriend and she was going to do whatever it took to do it damn it!

"Here we are ladies," the waitress smiled as she pulled out their chairs for them.

Nodding their thanks, the two shys took their seats.

"Our specials are on the front of the menus and our happy hour drinks are fifty percent off for the season," she said with a smile as she placed their menus in front of them. "I'll be back in a few minutes to take your orders."

Again, they nodded their thanks to her and she left.

The two mares opened up their menus and perused what was offered, but their attention wasn't entirely on the sheets of paper as they sneaked happy glances at each other. After a few seconds of this, Fluttershy gave her menu a true look over.

The Hot Cider sounds tasty, she thought as she examined the drinks. But so does the Blood Orange Cocktail.

"See something you like?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, setting her menu down.

"I think so," she hummed. "I don't know if I should get the Cider or the Cocktail."

"I see," Equestrian Fluttershy frowned, staring at the two drinks on her own menu. " Why not get both?"

"A-Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked,

She nodded.

"Well...okay," she said, unsure of herself as she turned the page to the food options.

They quietly mulled over their options for a couple minutes before their waitress finally returned. After placing their orders, they killed time with small talk while they waited. Nothing too extraordinary since they shared similar life experiences, but peacefully enjoyable all the same. When their orders arrived, a small commotion on the stage caught their attention. The guitarist had seated himself behind the mic while his companion stood behind him. Silence filled the whole restaurant as the stallion arranged the mic, then with a cocky smile he played.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ9nQNx0KEs

As he played, the mare behind him lit her horn and the scene on the stage changed. A star-filled evening sky stood before the patrons, shooting stars occasionally darting through the faux sky behind the performer. But when the music suddenly spiked, blue, green, red, and violet flames swirled around him like infernal cobras. They zigged and zagged around, quickly turning the night sky into a kaleidoscope of brilliant color. The performer's mane flew wildly as the flames danced around him in a constant storm to match his unshaken playing. Then, two small portions of the great flame broke away from the maelstrom and morphed into a Thestral and a Pegasus. A Thestral and a Pegasus that looked eerily similar to the two Fluttershys. The two fire ponies turned towards each other and flew together in a wild arial dance to the music's rhythm. As the song progressed, they moved with more and more passion until they pulled each other close and passionately kissed. The second their muzzles made contact, the flames spiraled around them and burst into a storm of small sparkling lights. As the song slowed into its final cords, the starry sky returned to the stage with a cluster of stars now in the shape of the two previously dancing mares in flight.

The room was filled with cheers and applause as the night sky faded away around the two ponies onstage. Meanwhile, the two Fluttershys stared slack-jawed in the wake of the spectacle. Then, a faint blush grew on their muzzles as their brains managed to fully process what just happened. Hiding behind their manes, they turned back to their dinner and in perfect synch took a good-sized gulp of their blood orange cocktails. Meanwhile, two disguised Alicorns stood in a similar state amazement at what they had just seen from their hiding places behind two windows outside the restaurant.

"That. Was. Amazing!" Twilight squeaked as she took notes of what she saw.

Cadence nodded, shifting her gaze towards the blushing couple.

"Might've been a bit much though," she mused.

Twilight looked at the Shys and frowned.

"Are they going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Cadence smiled. "Just give them a minute."

***

After a few minutes (and drinks), the two Shys got over their shock and went back to enjoying their evening. As they laughed over memories they shared between their individual Rainbow Dashes, the two performers appeared next to their table.

"Are you two ladies enjoying yourselves?" the Unicorn asked, half-smile gracing her muzzle.

They nodded, not sure what to expect from the two ponies. The Earth Pony let out a barking laugh at their cautious demeanors and flashed them a friendly smile.

"No need to be on edge gals," he smirked. "Ain't like we're gonna bite ya'."

The Unicorn giggled at that before she leaned into him and with a mischievous grin said, "You better not, dear. Both of you are taken."

He laughed before he nuzzled her cheek.

Both Fluttershys blushed profusely in the wake of such open affection. The Unicorn noticed this and let out a wicked giggle as she pulled away from her stallion.

"Sorry about that," she smiled. "I'm Looking Glass and this mangey wolf," she smirked with a tilt of her head towards the stallion. "Is my husband Moss Trail."

He laughed good-naturedly at his wife's jab and gave her a playful bump with his hip.

"Nice to meet you," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled. "I'm Fluttershy, and this is-"

"Flutterbat," Fluttershy said quickly.

Looking Glass and Moss Trail raised a brow at that.

"M-My parents weren't the best namers," she said staring down at her plate awkwardly.

"Not the worst name I've heard," Moss shrugged. "Not a crime as far as I know."

"Anyway," Looking Glass smirked, looking between the two mares with a hint of pride. "What did you think of our performance?"

"It was amazing," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled. "Do you do that every night?"

"Nope," she chuckled. "Just for special occasions."

"Oh, is their some special event tonight?" Fluttershy asked, snapping out of her awkward moment.

"Not really," Moss said, giving the two mares a knowing smile. "Just thought we'd welcome a new Star Eater and her marefriend to the place."

Both Fluttershys blinked in confusion at them.

"What's a Star Eater?" Fluttershy asked.

The married ponies parroted their guest's previous reaction.

"You don't know what a Star Eater is?" Looking Glass gawked.

She shook her head before nervously hiding behind her mane.

"Flutterbat wasn't raised by Thestrals," Equestrian Fluttershy said, placing a hoof on her double's.

"Ah," Moss said with an understanding nod. "Must've made the Marking really uncomfortable for her I'm guessing."

She nodded, the memory drawing a blush out of her marefriend.

"Then I bet you've never heard of Cheshires and Lycans," Looking Glass said, a trace of sadness hitting her tone.

"No, I haven't," she said, pushing her mane out of her way.

"Well," Looking smirked. "A Cheshire is a Night Walker's version of a Unicorn while a Lycan is the Earth Pony equivalent."

"Night Walker?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked.

"An old term Day Walkers came up with to describe us," Moss Trail shrugged. "Our senses are super sharp, so most of us are nocturnal. Since we walk around at night, your kind decided to call us Night Walkers."

"As for Star Eaters," Looking added. "We're Night Walkers with unusual colorations."

"How so?" Fluttershy asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Most Night Walkers have dark colored manes and coats," Moss Trail explained. "Makes it easier to blend into the shadows and such. But every so often a Night Walker will be born with a bright colored coat."

"It's really rare," Looking added with a hint of pride in her tone. "Like we ate a star before we were born, hence the name."

Both mares nodded in understanding.

"Um, how come I never knew this place even existed before today?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, gesturing towards the space around her with a hoof.

"That's my doing," Looking smirked, shifting her left side towards them. "You see, there's a lot of tension between Night and Day Walkers, so I put a spell on the building that made it so only ponies with extremely sharp senses can see it. A simple task given my knack for illusions."

As she said that, she gestured to the bent mirror Cutie Mark on her flank.

"And my music keeps them coming back," Moss Trail laughed, mirroring his wife and showing off the guitar crossing over a full moon decorating his flank.

"Anyway," she laughed, giving the stallion a playful swat across the back. "Since Flutterbat marked you, your senses got sharp enough to see through the illusion I put up around the building."

"Oh," she said nodding in understanding.

"Well, I think we've bugged you two long enough," Moss laughed, turning away from the couple.

Looking chuckled, then gave Fluttershy a smile and said, "We live on the second floor. If you ever need to talk about Night Walker stuff, come talk to us at around five PM."

"Th-Thanks," she smiled.

With a smile and a wink, the Cheshire followed after her husband.

"They seemed nice," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled, watching them walk away.

Fluttershy nodded.

Then, with a raised brow the Pegasus turned towards her marefriend and asked, "Flutterbat?"

"I-It was the first thing I could think of," she stammered, face turning red.

***

The late night sky was filled with laughter as the two Fluttershys stumbled out of The Lunar Eclipse into the empty streets. Their cheeks were flushed with cheer and the buzz of alcohol as they made their way in the direction of Equestrian Fluttershy's cottage.

"W-Wait," Fluttershy smiled, leaning into her Pegasus lovingly. "I want to do something before we go home."

"What?" she asked, smiling into her double's mane.

With a giggle, Fluttershy stepped away from her double's side and spread her wings.

"Catch me and find out."

With that, she shot into the sky and flew towards the southern part of Ponyville. A mischievous smirk graced her muzzle as she looked over her shoulder. It grew as her double started to close in on her, a determined glint in her eyes as she flew. She playfully stuck her tongue out at her before she shifted her attention back to her front as she flew, her target quickly coming into view. After a few minutes she lowered her altitude to near ground level and zipped into a familiar snow-covered tree line. Equestrian Fluttershy settled into a low hover as she stared at Sweet Apple Acres, the winter shelled trees giving the scene a eerily peaceful feel to it. A light giggling from within brought a smile to her muzzle as she slowly glided into the orchard.

She touched down and looked around for her marefriend.

"Fluttershy?" she asked, a playful smile spreading across her muzzle. "Where are you?"

A giggle from behind a nearby tree caught her attention.

Smiling, she crept towards the tree and jumped to the side opposite her. No Fluttershy. Another giggle caught her attention and she tried to follow it, only to be met with another empty hiding place and more giggling. All the while, Equestrian Fluttershy was getting more than a slight thrill out of the chase. Maybe it was the Thestral Magic running through her veins, but her heart was hammering with excitement in her chest as she pursued her "prey" through the mostly dead orchard. Soon, she found herself standing before a large barn far from the farm's main house. A poorly stifled giggle could be heard inside as she slowly reached for the barn's door.

"Found you!" she cheered, as she threw the door open.

A brief blur of pale-yellow shot to the top of the barn as the door banged open. A wide smile spread across the excited Pegasus' lips as she tailed her double. The two darted through the air as they played an arial game of cat and mouse through the barn's rafters, the night sky filled with peals of laughter as they moved. Suddenly, Fluttershy charged towards her double and caught the Pegasus in a tight embrace as they fell into tall pile of hay. Both laughing like fools, the Thestral let go of the mare pinned below her and leaned over her, their eyes gleaming brilliantly in the dim lighting as their panting breaths turned into a dense haze. Then, with eyes that burned like teal fire, Equestrian Fluttershy pulled her double into a kiss. A shocked squeak slipped past the Thestral's lips, but her shock quickly gave way to joy as she leaned into the kiss. Forelegs and wings wrapped around the two ponies as they enjoyed their first kiss, a wild flame surging through them as they let their passions run wild. When they pulled away for air, they were panting in a wild daze as they stared at each other. Both looked as though they had a question for their partner, one that was answered with a nod.

At the same time, two Alicorns watched with rapidly heating faces as the scene played out.

"Well, I think I'm not needed here," Cadence gulped, turning away from the barn window.

Twilight nodded, eyes locked onto what was happening.

Cadence raised a brow as she magically dragged her sister-in-law away from the barn.

"But Cadence-"

"I have some books you can take notes from. Now let them have their moment in peace."

"Fine," she grumbled as she was dragged away from the orchard.

Ch.17 Double Trouble

Twilight grumbled irritably as she aimlessly wandered her castle's halls, a book held firmly in front of her face with her magic.

I wasn't going to get in their way, she thought bitterly. How the hay else am I going to get dating data?!

She let out a groan as he snapped the book shut and glared at it's cover.

"And I don't need a Pony Sutra. I need a proper source of data!"

Although, she thought, turning to a specific page in the book. I never knew a pony could bend that way.

A loud explosion from the castle's basement knocked her out of her musings.

"Oh what now," she groaned as she changed her course towards the nearest staircase.

A few minutes later, she made her way towards one of the labs she reserved for public use near the castle's library. Thin wisps of multicolored smoke leaked out from beneath the door. With a sigh, she pulled open the door with her magic and stepped into the room.

"Lyra, how many times do I have to tell you that you can't make a Philosopher's Stone using-"

She paused as she saw two Bonbons covered with soot bearing shocked expressions staring at the cracked remains of a test tube.

"Well," Equestrian Bonbon coughed, wiping the soot out of her face. "Didn't see that one coming."

"No kidding," Bonbon coughed as she did the same. "What the heck did you put in there?"

"It was just a bit of Spectra," she said incredulously.

"What the heck is Spectra?" Bonbon snapped, rounding on her double.

"The stuff that gives rainbows their color?" she said, raising a brow. "I put it in my jawbreakers all the time."

"Well next time, tell me when you're going to deviate away from my recipe," she said, leveling a glare at the native Earth Pony.

"Sorry," she said, looking sheepish.

"What are you two doing?" Twilight asked, finally drawing attention to herself.

"Good morning Princess," Equestrian Bonbon said, bowing in respect towards the High Royal.

"Hey Twilight," Bonbon smiled, earning a shocked glance from her double. "We're making some Christmas candy for everyone."

"Christmas?" Twilight asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"I think she means Hearths Warming, your Highness," Equestrian Bonbon said, posture stiff with nerves in the HIgh Royal's presence.

"Oh, okay," she smiled, setting her book down on a nearby table. "Can I help?"

"If you want," Bonbon shrugged, earning a gobsmacked look from her double for her blasé behavior.

Smiling, the Alicorn took a look at the various ingredients and equipment.

"Are you making Candy Canes?"

"That's the plan," Bonbon smiled, only to level a deadpan at her double before adding, "But someone decided to make Candy TNT instead."

"I said I was sorry," she grumbled.

"Anyway," Bonbon smiled. "If you can get us some more test tubes and a new mixing bowl we can get back to work."

"I think I have a few spare test tubes in the main lab," Twilight muttered, hoof brought to her chin in thought then smiled as she added. "I'm sure I can get a mixing bowl from the kitchen. I'll be back in a second."

"Thanks Twilight," Bonbon smiled.

With a flash, the Princess teleported away to get what was needed. When Bonbon turned back to the lab table she was greeted by a near hysterical version of herself.

"Are you insane?!" she hissed, making her Terran double jump back in shock.

"W-What?"

"You can't boss a Princess around like that!" she snapped.

"Why?" Bonbon asked. "She asked if she could help and I told her how she could do it. I don't see what the issue is."

Equestrian Bonbon gawked at her as she moved to a different table to check on her remaining ingredients. As she did so, a book caught her attention.

Hm? what's this?

As she investigated , her double was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Seriously!? I don't know what it's like where you're from, but you can't just boss a HIgh Royal around like that! It's rude and likely to get you in a ton of trouble in most places!"

Bonbon just nodded as she turned a page in the book. The muted response snapped the native Earth Pony out of her rant long enough to perk her curiosity. She glanced over her double's shoulder and what she saw made her freeze. A thick silence filled the room as the two mares stared at the image on the the page.

"You know," Bonbon said, breaking the silence. "I never knew a pony could bend that way. Did you?"

"Nope," Equestrian Bonbon replied, dumbfounded at what she was looking at. "Do you think Princess Twilight will let me borrow this?"

"Things getting a little dull in the bedroom?" she smirked.

"A gentle stallion doesn't ask and a mare never tells," she said evenly.

The lab returned to its previous state of silence as the two mares stared at the open book, occasionally turning a page when they could work up the nerve to do so. It was right around the time that rope was introduced that Twilight returned from her quest.

"Sorry I took so long," she sighed. "I forgot that I told Spike to reorganize the main lab last week so it took me a few minutes to remember where everything was and-"

Her voice died on her tongue when she saw what they were looking at. For a moment, the two mares stared at her, one sharing the Princess' mortified wilt while the other sported a half-lidded smile.

"So," Bonbon smirked, closing the book. "Got your eye on someone?"

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!!!" she exclaimed, face turning beet red.

"Then what is it?" she said, a raised brow joining her smirk.

"Um.....biology research?" she offered lamely.

Bonbon's expression remained the same, then after a few minutes of awkward silence said, "You suck at lying. You know that, right?"

Equestrian Bonbon fainted at that, her double's nerve too much for her handle any further.

***

Lightning gulped as she looked down from her cloud platform, the snow-covered ground miles below her. Shaking from a combination of fear and excitement, she looked at the cloud floating six feet ahead of her about a foot higher. Rainbow hovered by it with her forelegs crossed as she waited for her student to continue with their lesson.

"Don't think too much about it," Rainbow said calmly. "Just focus on what you've learned. Tune out all other distractions and move to the next cloud.

Lightning took a deep breath and did as she was told, slowly blocking out everything beyond what she had to do. Carefully, she opened her wings and flapped herself into an unsteady hover. She slowly made her way to the other cloud, keeping her eyes locked onto it to keep herself from losing her focus. As soon as she was over the cloud, she let herself fall onto it with a relieved sigh as she reveled in the now familiar feeling of plush cloud beneath her hooves. Nodding in satisfaction, Rainbow flew to the previous cloud and moved it six feet away and a foot higher than the one Lightning was standing on.

Now that Lightning had a better grasp of feeling the air with her wings, Rainbow decided it was time for some basic flight experience. The trick they were using was one she learned about at Flight Camp that was meant to teach weak flyers how to read altitude and distance in the air. They had been doing this for hours and so far Lightning had been making great progress. As it stood, she could now maintain constant flight about seven feet off the ground with minimal physical strain so long as she didn't try to fly beyond a light jogger's running pace. A far cry from the standard high-altitude flying ability of a Pegasus of her physical age, but a very good push in the right direction all things considered.

"H-How much higher are we going?" Lightning asked, a small tremble running through her as she took note of her altitude.

"Just one more mile," Rainbow smiled reassuringly as she hovered by the unoccupied cloud. "We'll call it a day after tha-"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Rainbow," an eerily familiar voice said, contemptuous snark heavily caked in every syllable.

Both mares turned towards the voice, Lightning shocked while Rainbow looked like she had just sucked an especially sour lemon.

"Hey Lightning," she grumbled as the Equestrian double of her student slowly glided towards her. "What do you want?"

"Not much," she shrugged, orbiting the sky-blue Pegasus like a buzzard. "Thought I saw a gutless coward on the way to Cloudsdale and thought I'd say hi."

Rainbow glared at the mare and was about to tell her off when Terran Lightning beat her to the punch.

"Hey dumb-ass! Leave my teach alone!"

Equestrian Lightning rounded on her double, only just noticing her existence.

"Who you calling a..."

Her anger turned into confusion as she took in the Pegasus standing before her.

"You are!" Lighting snapped, taking advantage of her double's shock. "Now, fuck off or I'll shove my hoof so far up your ass you'll taste it!"

Equestrian Lightning quickly flew back a foot, not sure just how serious her double was. When she turned towards Rainbow she was greeted with a frown and a raised brow.

"W-What the buck is this?" Equestrian Lightning stammered, pointing towards her double. "Are you cloning me or something?!"

"Psh! Yeah right," Rainbow glowered. "Why the hay would I want another one of you running around?"

Equestrian Lightning made sputtering noises, frantically pointing at her double as a if to prove her point.

"You from a different world," Rainbow said flatly.

Equestrian Lightning silently stared at her for a moment, then said, "Just how stupid to you think I am?"

"Very," Lightning and Rainbow said in unison.

The native Pegasus rounded on her double, eyes narrowed as they bored a hole into her.

"Oh yeah?" she growled, flying right up to Lightning's face. "What do ya think about this?!"

As she said that, she slammed a hoof into Lightning's cloud platform with enough force to shatter it. Lightning let out a startled yelp before her wings snapped open and flapped her into an unsteady hover.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" Lightning shrieked in equal parts fear and fury.

"You're a Pegasus right?" Equestrian Lightning said with a smug smile. "Grow a damn spine and put those wings to real use instead of sitting on your security cloud like a filly."

Lightning let out a battle cry as she shot towards her double who casually side-flapped away from her punch. Growling, she took another swing at her only for the smug Pegasus to move just out of reach at the last second. Her frustration grew as she tried to ram her double only to whiz right past her. She developed tunnel-vision as she charged after her double all across the sky, body relying on a combination of her lessons and instinct to close the gap between her and her target.

"Wow, you're a really lousy clone," Equestrian Lightning sneered. "I can fly better then that drunk with a black eye! What's your excuse?"

"SHUT UP!" Lightning snarled, charging towards her double.

Equestrian Lightning flew over her attacker and gave her a light smack across the top of her head with a forehoof.

"Pathetic. Guess this is what happens when a wimp teaches somepony how to fly."

"I SAID SHUT UP!!!"

With that last roar, Lightning took several sharp turns and blasted towards her double. Her double's patronizing smile shifted to a look of wide-eyed panic as she instantly closed the gap between them. Before she could throw a punch, Rainbow suddenly grabbed the Terran Pegasus from behind and pulled her away from her double.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there kid," Rainbow said, struggling to keep the fuming mare under control. "Cool it!"

"What!?" she snapped, struggling to get out of her teacher's grip. "But-But she-!"

"Damn," Equestrian Lightning sighed, tension melting out of her form. "I knew I had a temper, but that was crazy!"

She glared at Rainbow then added, "Next time, warn me before I go kicking a hornet's nest!"

"Right," Rainbow awkwardly chuckled. "Sorry Dusty."

Anger switched places with confusion as she quietly observed the sudden change in demeanor between the two mares.

Equestrian Lightning just huffed as she glared at Rainbow.

"You're lucky you're such a good bar buddy," she grumbled.

"Okay," Lightning groaned. "Can someone please explain what the hell's going on?"

"Right," Rainbow sighed, letting go of Lightning.

Once the foreign Pegasus managed to bring herself into a hover, Rainbow started to explain.

"See, I ran into Dusty at Berry's bar last night and we threw back a couple shots for old times sake."

"I threw back a few shots," Equestrian Lightning corrected with a smirk. "You threw back a bottle of apple rum."

"Anyway," Rainbow chuckled awkwardly. "We talked for a while and you came up."

"I thought I was talking to the rum at first," Equestrian Lightning shrugged. "Especially when she started talking about portals and stuff. So I made a deal with her. I'd come by today and if you were real, I'd help you with your flying problem."

"How?" Lightning frowned. "All you did was talk shit and diss Rainbow."

"Yep," Equestrian Lightning smirked. "Worked like a charm."

"Huh?"

"You see," Rainbow explained. "I could see from our tag sessions that you knew how to use your wings well enough to fly. We just needed to find a way around your hights problem."

"My what?"

"You're afraid of falling," Equestrian Lightning said flatly.

"Who isn't?!" Lightning Exclaimed.

"Pegasi," the native Lightning said.

"Except for Fluttershy," Rainbow said awkwardly.

Both Lightnings stared at her in shock.

"Really?" Lightning asked.

"It's a long story," Rainbow said, waving the topic off. "Anyway, Dust said that if we got you riled up enough, you'd forget about how high you were and just do what you needed to do."

"Looks like it worked," Equestrian Lightning smirked, eyeing her double.

Lightning took stock of her situation for the first time since the conversation started and her glare turned into a look of wonder. There she was, hovering miles above Ponyville like it was second nature. She barely noticed the feeling of her wings keeping her aloft. A gentle smile spread across her muzzle as she closed her eyes to enjoy a moment she never thought she would get to experience. When she opened them again, she was greeted by the smiling faces of her teacher and her double. Her smile turned into a frown as she stared at them.

"So, let's see if I've got this strait," she said, crossing her forelegs. "To help me get over my fear of hights, you guys tricked me into chasing one of you around cuz I thought they were being a dick to one of my new friends?"

Both mares cringed at that.

"Well," Equestrian Lightning said, awkwardly scratching the back of her head.

"When you put it like that..." Rainbow frowned letting the sentence hang in the air.

Lightning's eyes narrowed, then in a flat tone said, "Run."

Both mares gulped as they turned and tore through the sky to get as far away from the fuming Pegasus as possible. Lightning's frown shifted into a challenging smile as her narrowed eyes locked onto one of the fleeing mares. Instinct and teachings again took over as she soared after them, an excited giggle slipping past her muzzle as she enjoyed her first real flight. The first of many if she had anything to say about it.

***

Vinyl smiled as she strolled through Ponyville, no real destination in mind as she enjoyed the rustic charm of her surroundings. Houses of varying shapes and sizes flanked her as she wandered through the town's large residential district. Some of the decorations covering the local's property brought a chuckle out of her over how ridiculous they looked or how much they mirrored the kind of things she'd seen in her own world. Who knew ponies had reindeer decorations too?

"Wonder if they have their own version of A Christmas Carol here?" she chuckled, staring at a house covered with enough lights to be seen from Mars.

As she turned to continue her aimless wandering, a pony walking down the street caught her eye. She blinked a couple times, only for a wide smile to spread across her muzzle when she got over the shock.

With an easy shrug, she whispered, "Why the hell not?" and followed the pony.

The pony casually made her way through town, oblivious to the Unicorn tailing her. Vinyl gradually got closer to the pony as they went about their business. After about twenty minutes, the pony appeared to be debating whether or not to enter a store she was standing in front of as Vinyl moved to her left side.

"This place any good?" she asked, staring at what looked like a bar.

Her double flinched, then turned towards the foreign Unicorn to answer, only to pause. Smiling impishly, Vinyl turned her head towards her double and pulled her shades up with her magic. Equestrian Vinyl gawked at her for a moment then did the same, flashing her a set of lavender eyes. Vinyl's red eyes widened as she took in the slight difference between her and her double. The Terran Unicorn jumped when she heard a voice coming not from her double's mouth, but her horn as it glowed a light shade of purple.

"So I've got a double around here too? Awesome! I can't wait to see sis' face when she hears this!"

"Uh, yeah..." Vinyl said awkwardly, taking a step back from her double. "How are you-"

"I'm mute," Equestrian Vinyl "said", a sad smile gracing her muzzle. "So, to talk I use my magic to manipulate sound waves."

Vinyl gawked at the Unicorn then gave her an excited smile.

"That's so awesome!" she cried, taking a step closer to her. "How does it work?"

Equestrian Vinyl silently chuckled.

"It's a little tricky to explain. If you want, I could teach you a little."

"You serious? Thanks!" she smiled.

Equestrian Vinyl "laughed" then turned back towards the building she had been staring at earlier and said, "But first, I want a drink. You game?"

Vinyl looked up at the building's sign and smirked.

"The Punch Bowl, huh? Why not?," she laughed.

With that, the two Vinyls let themselves into the bar. The second the door closed behind them, every patron did a double take as one of the most well known ponies in town and her twin sister graced their presence. Oddly enough, the sight seemed to fill them with excitement instead of confusion. Equestrian Vinyl silently laughed over the pony's reactions as she guided her double to the bar and took a seat.

"So," the native Unicorn said as she flagged the bartender over. "What's your poison?"

"I'll have some mint vodka. You?" she shrugged, pulling herself onto a stool by her double.

Equestrian Vinyl laughed and said, "Nothing beats Shireish whisky. "

Seconds after she said that, a mulberry Earth Pony mare appeared behind the bar and pored her a shot.

"Thanks Berry," she said before downing her offering.

"No prob Scratch," Berry smirked. "And what can I get your new sis?"

"Says she likes mint vodka," She smirked. "Let's get the good shit."

Berry nodded with a smirk and went to get the drink in question, leaving the whisky bottle on the bar for them.

"So I'm your sis now?" Vinyl smirked. "Don't know if Tavi can handle more than one of me in her life."

"Why?" Equestrian Vinyl asked, poring herself another shot. "You two a thing?"

"Nah," she sighed, Berry returning and poring her a shot. "Her folks adopted me after they got me away from my bitch of a mom. Been as close as blood family since. You?"

She shrugged, then downed another shot.

"The usual way. Mom and dad met up at a concert, clicked, got frisky, and out popped big sister and I a few months later."

"You're twins?" she asked, shock stoping her hoof just an inch away from her drink.

"Fraternal ones, but yeah," she shrugged, poring herself a new shot. "Nearly gave Grandma Philharmonic a stroke when she saw me at the hospital, according to pops."

"She didn't like Unicorns?" she asked, throwing back her shot.

"Nah, she thought mom cheated."

Vinyl nearly spat her drink across the bar when she heard that.

"The hell?"

"To be fair," she said, hoof raised in a placating manor. "Both our folks are Earth Ponies and except for my eyes, I don't have either of their colors. So after a blood test and a dig into pop's family tree, we figured out that I took after my dad's Great-Great-Grandpa. Grandma spent months trying to make up for it afterwards."

"Damn. That must've been a blast to go through," Vinyl sighed, poring herself another shot.

"Eh, it was a thing," she shrugged. "So, what do you play?"

"They got turntables here?" Vinyl asked.

"Yep," she smirked.

"Mostly that. I can play the guitar and drums, but Tavi's always had more of a knack for the classic stuff. You?"

"The table, guitar, drums, violin, and piano."

Vinyl's jaw dropped at that.

"Okay, I get how you can play most of those, cuz magic and all that, but how the heck can you play the piano? You don't have any fingers for Peat's sake!"

"What's a finger?" she asked, blinking at her double in confusion. "I just use my hooves. It's not that hard once you get the hang of it."

Before Vinyl could argue, she felt a hoof tap her shoulder. Turning, she came face-to-face with a very tired-looking Applejack.

"Whoa! What the heck happened to you?"

"Longest mornin' Ah've ever had," she sighed taking a seat at Vinyl's left at the bar.

"What happened?" Equestrian Vinyl asked.

The farmer looked at the native DJ and asked, "Ya' know you and yer' sister ain't the only ponies with doubles runn' around, right?"

"Kinda' guessed," she shrugged.

"Well," she sighed, "Fluttershy's got a double here too and they've been getting right cosy with each other the last couple days."

"That's the cutest and weirdest thing I've ever heard," the native Unicorn smirked. "And that's saying something."

Applejack chuckled, then ordered "her usual" from Berry before continuing.

"Welp, apparently they went on a date last night and decided to spend the night in one of the barns at the orchard."

"Wait," Vinyl said, raising a brow. "Do you mean spent the night or "spent the night"?"

At that moment, Berry placed a mug of apple gin in front of the tired mare.

Applejack took a long pull then said, "They took a real roll in the hay. Took me all morning to get rid of it all.

Both mares gawked at her for a second, only for a wide grin to spread across one DJ's face.

"ALRIGHT FLUTTERS!" Vinyl cheered, earning a few confused stares from the other bar patrons.

"Berry, put another of her drinks on my tab," Equestrian Vinyl said, giving the farmer a sympathetic chuckle.

"Thank ya kindly," she sighed. "Ah just wish Applebloom wasn't with me when Ah walked in on 'em."

Both Vinyls stared at her for a moment, then pushed their loaded shot glasses over to her.

***

Octavia's eye twitched. At first, she didn't have any problem spending the day with her Equestrian double at her house. A chance to spend time with someone of equal sophistication outside her family was a welcomed respite from the insanity she had mostly adapted to over the past couple of days. Granted, Equestrian Octavia was outside her family by only the strictest of definitions, but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Be it figuratively or literally. However, as her double demonstrated her skill at the grand piano, a large part of her rational mind felt like it was about to rupture.

Not possible, she thought as the onset of a migraine started to take form in her skull. She has no fingers. How the bloody hell is she able to hit all the keys so finely?

As she finished her twelfth song request, Equestrian Octavia turned to face her double with a faint smile.

"Any other requests?" she asked, mirth coating every syllable.

Octavia glowered at her double as she ran through her extensive knowledge of classical music. So far, the mare had successfully performed twelve of the most intricate pieces that she knew of. Not even Chop Pin's "Etude in G# Minor No.6 " could defeat her. She needed a piece that could break the greatest of musical geniuses, that even she had a hard time against. A wicked smile spread across her muzzle as just the piece she needed came to mind.

"Shoe Man's Toccata in C Major Op.7."

Equestrian Octavia stared at her in shock, then flashed her a determined smile.

"My, you are quite the demanding guest. Very well."

With that, she returned her hooves to the keys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc1QL-QJrz0 Like before her hooves glided smoothly across them like skates on ice, invisible fingers hitting all the necessary keys for the piece. But the mare's logic defying ability wasn't what made Octavia's jaw drop. It was the fact that she was doing it with her eyes closed. The hardest, most intricate piece she could remember from her lessons was being preformed for her with the apparent ease of Beet Haven's Moonlight Sonata! Like a good guest, she sat quietly all the way through the performance. Mentally, she was screaming as she was spoon-fed a fresh bowl of crow soup with a side helping of her own words as her double continued to prove her wrong. When she finally hit the last note to the piece, she turned to face her double with a smile that to anyone else would've seemed sweet, but to the knowing Terran was what her adopted sister would distastefully call a "shit-eating grin".

"Fine," she sighed. "I admit it. I was wrong. Apparently hooves do work differently here than they do back home."

"Thank you," she smiled, stepping away from the piano. "Now that that business is out of the way, care for a drink?"

"That would be most appreciated, love," she sighed.

A faint smile decorated the native Earth Pony's muzzle as she stepped towards the liquor cabinet in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Octavia silently stewed in her irritation as she fell to her haunches.

I honestly don't know how I should feel about all this. On one hand, I am happy that my double is so gifted. On the other, HOW CAN SHE PLAY THAT CONFOUNDED INSTRUMENT WITHOUT FINGERS?!

A dejected sigh slipped past her lips as she followed her double. Never before had the sound of scotch filling a glass been so enticing to her.

***

Lyra smiled manically as her eyes flew across the pages of the spell book on the table in front of her. Since Twilight helped her gain control of her magic, she had decided to learn as many spells as she could before she had to go back home with the others. Therefore, she cloistered herself in the castle's main library with stacks of entry-level spell books surrounding her like bastions of a great fortress. As a personal rule, she made sure to study barrier and levitation spells before moving on to other skills. Her run-in with her double filled her with the resolve to make sure such a thing never happened again when she came back in the future. She never wanted to feel that helpless again.

She looked up from her book and stared at the top of one of her stacks. She closed her eyes and focused on the instructions she had just read.

Relax. Focus on the object in question. Imagine my magic as a talon or vine. Imagine it grabbing the object and bringing it to me.

She took a deep breath and focused on her magic. Immediately, a curtain of golden energy entered her mind's eye followed by a gentle tingle around her horn. She slowly opened her eyes and focused on the book in question. As she did, she imagined a long golden arm coming out of her horn and grabbing the book. No sooner had her mental hand grabbed it, did the tome become enveloped in a golden aura. Smiling, she imagined the arm retracting into her body as the book shakily lifted itself off of the pile and floated drunkenly towards her.

"Awesome," she smiled, slowly moving the book around like a toy airplane. "Not quite at Twilight or Sunset's level, but I'll get there. Now how do I do barriers?"

As she said that, she dove back into the book she was reading. At the same time, another mare stepped into the library. She bit her lip nervously as she approached the studying Terran, not entirely sure if what she was about to do was a good idea or not. At the same time though, she knew it was something she had to do. So, with a gulp, she raised a hoof and tapped her on the shoulder.

Lyra flinched, then looked over her shoulder. Her blood turned to ice when she was greeted by her own sheepish face. A dense silence filled the library as the two Lyras stared at each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, the Terran in the room leveled a glare at her double and rose to her hooves. As she did, several large heavy tomes wrapped in a familiar golden glow floated off of the table and shelves around them.

"You've got ten seconds to tell me what you want before I kill you with about a hundred pounds of knowledge."

Equestrian Lyra gulped, then said, "I just wanted to talk."

Lyra's glare hardened for a moment, then softened when she saw just how rattled her double was. She sighed, then put back some of the books she had floating around them to their proper shelves.

"Guess I can let you do that much," she frowned, returning to her seat at her workstation. "Have a seat."

As she said that, she nudged her head to the opposite end of the table. With a small smile, the Unicorn nodded then took the offered seat. For a few seconds, they sat in awkward silence as the native Unicorn tried to find her words. The foreign Unicorn sat, stone-faced as she patiently waited for her fidgeting double to center herself. Finally, Equestrian Lyra let out a sigh and began to speak.

"First, I want to say I'm sorry for everything I did to you and your friends. It wasn't right and I really should've handled things differently."

"Understatement of the century," Lyra said flatly.

Her double cringed, but continued.

"It's just.....all my life, I've been studying the legends surrounding your people. I even took a class at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and its sister college to learn everything I could about your kind. I have a room back home dedicated to my research that not even Bonbon can enter without my express permission. A good chunk of my life is dedicated to proving that humans exist. To find out that not one, but seven of them were running around Ponyville was too good a chance to pass up and I just........lost it."

Tears of shame slid down her face as she pleaded her case to her Terran double. The silence from before returned as the two Unicorns stared at each other. Lyra let out a sigh and stared at the ceiling.

"There's next to no magic in my world," she said, tone tired as she frowned at the crystals above her. "Unicorns, Pegasi, and Dragons are just myths and legend there. Hell, a couple months ago the most I had to worry about was studying for a math test before Twilight came to town. Since then, we've had to deal with a magical megalomaniac and a trio of demonic pop-stars. The first becoming a friend of mine after she almost killed herself. But before that, I would've killed to have a chance to come to a magic world. A real one. Not the cheep knockoff I've got back home. Now that I'm here, it's too great to describe."

As she said that, she turned towards her double and gave her a tired smile before adding, "I guess what I'm trying to say here is, I get where your coming from. So I forgive you."

Equestrian Lyra beamed at her double and clumsily wiped her tears away.

"Th-Thank you," she sniffled.

Lyra chuckled a bit a that, then asked, "Now, what do you want to know?"

***

Equestrian Pinkie dashed around the tables in Sugarcube Corner as she delivered orders at speeds only she was capable of, bearing a smile bright enough to illuminate the darkest caves to all as she delivered cocoa and peppermint laced goodies to the costumers. It warmed her heart to see so many happy faces as she did her work, but no matter how many smiles she created the face of her human double continued to haunt the back of her mind. Never before had she seen such a battered-looking soul then the one she saw in the human's eyes. When she locked eyes with her double, she saw a fire that filled her with just as much sorrow as it did respect. It was the flame of somepony that had stared death in the face and crawled away from it by the skin of their teeth at the last second. She saw that same fire in Twilight's eyes after her battle with Tirek, but this was different. The other Pinkie was scarred, not physically, but spiritually. It was this fact that made her rethink her plans for her double when she was able to catch her. While tying her to a chair and yelling at her for a few hours seemed like a good idea at the time, she felt a much gentler approach was in order.

Maybe I can throw her an "I'm Sorry for Scaring You" party", she thought as she laid out a tray of fresh peppermint brownies for a group of foals. No, that won't work. She thinks I want to hurt her!

Her smile wavered slightly as she gave a pair of ponies their order and moved back to the kitchen to fetch more orders.

I could try to figure out where she's hiding and leave her an apology card. No, she can tell when I'm close and can disappear. And my Pinkie Sense can't track her until she comes into town!

"How can she do that anyway?" she asked under her breath as she mixed some cake batter.

She sighed as she poured it into a baking bowl and placed it into the oven. As it cooked, her mind continued to wander while her false smile melted off of her face.

I really messed up, huh? she thought as her lower-lip started to tremble. I need to tell her I'm sorry, but to do that I need to catch her first. It's not right. You shouldn't be scared when playing tag, but I have to play to make things right.

"I don't like this game," she whimpered as her mane and tail deflated in response to her inner turmoil, only for it to return to its former glory a second later as a determined flame burned within her.

"But I hate seeing somepony sad even more!"

With that, she threw herself back into her work, all the while plotting how she was going to win the most important game of tag of her life.

Author's Note

I dedicate this link to the previous chapter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biytbPd-66o
And as for the next couple of chapters? Things are going to escalate pretty quickly! Hope you enjoy!:derpytongue2:

Ch. 18 Shell Shock

Early morning sunlight peeked through the windows of Canterlot Castle into its silent halls. At this hour, only The Guard and the craziest of early-birds were awake. One such pony wandered aimlessly through the halls, enjoying the peace as the light bounced off of her red and gold mane. Sunset's mind wandered along with her hooves as she walked, memories coming to her in a steady stream. Some teased a small smile out of her while others made her feel a pang of regret as she stumbled across their triggers. These didn't last long as new additions to the castle perked her curiosity in ways that brought her back to her fillyhood. Granted, most of these new places to explore were just shortcuts to already existing portions of the castle's old layout, but it was still gave her a bit of a thrill when she discovered them.

"Let's see what's behind door number fifty," she whispered, an impish smile decorating her muzzle as she turned the nob with her magic.

As the door slowly opened, the faint sounds of breathing could be heard. Realizing that she had stumbled across somepony's bedroom, she made to close the door only to stop when something caught her eye. A pink mane ribbon hung from the headboard of one of the beds, a very familiar yellow Earth Pony filly curled up under the comforter. Her lips contorted into a hard frown as she let herself into the room. Each step towards the sleeping filly stoked a toxic fire in her heart. This was one of the people responsible for her almost killing herself. This filly took her friends away from her. She destroyed everything she fought so hard to earn.

Her teeth ground together in pure rage as she stared at the sleeping Applebloom. Her horn glowed with an unformed spell at its tip as it tried to shape the magic to reflect its mistress' emotional state. Frustrated tears slid down her cheeks as she struggled against what the fire inside her demanded. A shaky sigh rattled past her lips as she gave her gathered magic a directive and tucked the blanket around Applebloom. The sleeping filly let out a pleased hum in her sleep, completely oblivious to the mare's presence. She turned to leave only for a small voice in the room to make her freeze.

"S-Sunset?"

Slowly, she turned towards the whisper and was greeted by a groggy Pegasus filly sitting up in bed staring at her. They stared at each other, both as still as statues as they waited for the other to make the first move. Eventually, Sunset broke the stare down and again made to leave the room.

"Wait!" Scootaloo whisper-yelled, struggling to get out of bed.

"Why?" she said coldly, eyes locked with the ground. "Do you want to take my new friends away, too?"

Scootaloo flinched, then sighed as her gaze fell to the floor in shame.

".....No," she sighed as she lowered herself to the ground. "I.....I just want to talk. Can I?"

Silence filled the room as Sunset mulled over Scootaloo's words. She could tell her no. That their was nothing she could say to her that would make a difference. She could tell her that she hated her guts and would never forgive her for what she did. It would be so easy. At least, it would be....if she did hate them.

"Alright," she sighed. "Meet me at the Royal Dining Hall in ten minutes. I'll let the staff know you have my permission to be there.."

Scootaloo gave her a weak smile then said, " Thanks Sunset."

She nodded, then finally stepped out of the room.

***

You could cut the tension with an ax as Sunset and Scootaloo ate. While Scootaloo looked nervous, Sunset was fighting every urge to scream at the little filly. Like in the bedroom, both waited for the other to break the silence to start the conversation. The problem was that neither seemed to know where to start. Sunset wanted to drop her baggage onto the source of her anger, but a larger part of her knew that wasn't the right way to handle this. In Scootaloo's case, she didn't want to ruin her one chance to talk to her. She didn't want to wing it when saying the wrong word could make her already shaky situation even worse.

"So," Sunset said, face unreadable as she stared at the startled filly. "What do you want?"

Scootaloo gulped. She still didn't have the words to say what she wanted, but decided answering Sunset's question was a good place to start.

"I-I wanted to say I'm sorry," she stammered, scared to look Sunset in the eye. "W-What we did was stupid and it wasn't fair."

"I see," Sunset said, not even a faint change in her pokerface. "Is that it?"

"N-No," Scootaloo gulped. "I also wanted to say I want to make it up to you."

Sunset's left eyebrow twitched as a spike of anger shot through her.

"Really? How do you plan to do that? Be my gofer for a while?"

She shook her head.

"I still have to do things around here. When that's done you can make me do whatever you want."

Sunset's anger vanished as intrigue took its place. Given what she'd heard about her, she half expected the Terran to start bargaining for an easier punishment. The fact that the foreign Pegasus was willing to take her punishment in addition to whatever Sunset had in mind for her did raise her opinion of her character.

"That's a pretty big offer," Sunset said, propping her head up with both forelegs as she stared at Scootaloo. "What if I told you to never talk to your friends again? Would you still do it?"

The filly narrowed her eyes as the mare, then said, "No. I won't leave my friends."

Sunset frowned.

"You took my friends away from me. Why shouldn't I do the same to you?"

Scootaloo's glare hardened.

"Because that won't make us even, just sad."

A faint smile formed on Sunset's muzzle.

"Mom's been talking to you, huh?"

Scootaloo's posture softened as the tension weakened in the room.

"Miss Raven and Crow are pretty good teachers too," she smiled. "Oh! And someone from home talked to us a few days ago."

"Let me guess," Sunset chuckled. "Grey Pegasus. Yellow mane and tail. Misaligned eyes?"

Scootaloo nodded.

"Derpy did good then," she smiled, then sighed as she gave her breakfast guest a deadpan. "As for what you can do for me, I'll have to think about it for a while. Is that fine?"

"What ever you want to do," she said solemnly. "Just don't drag the others into this."

"Got it," she nodded. "Whatever I come up with will just be between you and me. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom will be left completely out of it."

"Thanks," she smiled. "And Sunset, I'm really sorry. For everything."

"Apology accepted," she smiled, a warmth forming deep in her heart as the words left her mouth.

Scootaloo beamed at that, then remembered her food and tore into it like a starved wolf. As Sunset enjoyed her breakfast, she marveled at how light she felt. It was like a lead weight had fallen off of her back and it was glorious. The air seemed cleaner. The world brighter. Granted, she knew that it was going to take a lot more then a simple apology for her to get over what happened to her, but if what she was feeling was anything to go by it was a start at the very least.

***

Derpy stared at the stores they passed as she strolled through Canterlot, Sunset not far behind her as she did the same. Neither of them had any real destination in mind as they navigated the streets, both simply wanting to get some air now that they were done with their holiday shopping. Though a good sized part of it also had to do with Princess Celestia practically hovering over them like a solar-powered vulture most of the time when they were in the castle.

She slowed her pace until Sunset was next to her and draped a wing over her back. Sunset jumped from the sudden contact, then leaned into her marefriend's embrace. Derpy smiled as she enjoyed Sunset's warmth, eyes locked with hers as they walked. If there was anything good she could say about the Solar Princess' actions it was that she gave them the push they needed to give their relationship a shot. Though, both wished she'd ease up on the whole ring thing. The whole world seemed so much brighter for the both of them since their fist date, especially when they where together to enjoy it.

Their revelry was interrupted when something from a store they passed flew out and clung to Derpy's foreleg. They stopped and Derpy raised her leg to be greeted by the most unusual sight. A light-purple Unicorn filly with a bright-yellow mane and tail hung onto her leg like a sloth as she looked up at her with yellow eyes full of love.

"Gotcha' Mama!" she cheered giggling at the bewildered mare.

Derpy stared at the Unicorn in shock, only for recognition to slowly take form as she stared.

"Dinky?"

"Uh-huh!" the filly smiled, tilting her head in confusion. "Are you okay Mama?"

Sunset stared at the two ponies in shock, trying to make sense of the situation. Fortunately, answers came in the form of another grey Pegasus running out of the same store.

"Dinky!" Equestrian Derpy said, running up to her startled double. "What did I tell you about running off?"

Dinky stared back and forth between the two Pegasi a few times, then flung herself at the other mare like a flying squirrel with a look of terror as she cried, "Changeling Mama! Mama save me!"

The mare blinked, remaining completely still even as her daughter clung to the back of her neck. Derpy wasn't doing much better as she stared at her double. At that moment, a brown Earth Pony stallion galloped out of the store to Equestrian Derpy's side.

"Ditzy, dear," the stallion panted, a thick Trottingham accent coloring his voice. "Are you alright?"

The native Pegasus turned towards him and smiled.

"Yeah Time, just saving Dinky from me," she smiled tilting her head slightly towards Derpy.

When the stallion looked at Derpy his jaw hit the floor.

"Dear, do you have a twin sister?" he asked, turning towards Equestrian Derpy.

She chuckled, then gave him a playful hip-bump and said, "Am I not enough for you dear?"

Time chuckled as he gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"It's a Changeling!" Dinky squeaked, hiding behind her mother's neck. "Get her daddy!"

Time chuckled then mussed the filly's mane with a hoof.

"Now now, let's not jump to conclusions here."

As he said that, he looked deep into Derpy's eyes. She leaned back from the stallion's intense gaze as he searched her for something. Sunset tensed as she watched this happen, ready to spring to her girlfriend's defense should the need arise. Then just as suddenly as he started, he broke his stare and smiled in satisfaction.

"Don't worry Dinky dear," he chuckled. "She's not a Changeling."

"Are you sure?" Dinky asked, peeking out from her hiding place.

"I would hope so," Sunset smirked, leaning into Derpy's side.

The couple stared at the two mares then gave them a knowing smile.

"Well, pleasure to meet you ma'am," Time smiled, holding out a hoof to shake. "I'm Time Turner, but most call me Doc."

"Sunset shimmer," Sunset smiled, shaking the offered hoof. "And this is Derpy."

Derpy nodded, trapped in some sort of mental stall as she stared dumbly at her double and her family.

"Nice to meet you Derpy," the native Pegasus smiled at her double. "I'm Ditzy Do."

Derpy shook herself out of her block and nodded with a smile at Ditzy.

"Same here. And It's Derpy Memes actually."

The rest of the group stared at her in confusion, Sunset's stare holding a trace of surprise at hearing this unknown part of her girlfriend's identity.

"My folks are weird," she shrugged.

Ditzy and Time nodded in understanding, the mare in the group scratching the back of her head awkwardly. Dinky popped her head out of her mother's mane and stared at Derpy with scrutiny.

"You sure she's not a Changeling?"

"Yes muffin," Time Turner laughed.

Dinky stared at the two mares for a few seconds, then smiled before hopping off of her mother and landing between the two duos.

"Hi! I'm Dinky Do!" she beamed.

It took everything Sunset had not to scoop up the little filly and hug her like a teddybear. It was as if the cuteness of a million bunnies and kittens had been compressed into a single being with a smile made of pure sunlight that could put Pinkie Pie to shame. Derpy unconsciously brought a forehoof to her chest as she stared at the filly, her charm too much for her to handle all at once.

"Nice to meet you," Sunset smiled, then shifted her attention back towards the filly's parents and asked. "Do you all live up here?"

"No," Time smiled, pulling Dinky into himself to keep her from wandering off. "We had the day off today and thought we'd see the sights."

"I see," she laughed. "How have things been so far?"

"Crazy," Ditzy chuckled. "But nothing we haven't dealt with already. Ponyville kind of makes a place like Canterlot look organized most of the time."

"So you're from Ponyville?" Derpy asked.

"Yep!" Dinky chirped. "Daddy helped me make my own bomb shelter last week!"

Sunset and Derpy blinked at that while the two native ponies chuckled.

"Well, I think we've eaten up enough of their time dear," Ditzy smiled as she picked up her daughter by the scruff of her neck and placed her onto her back. "We don't want to leave Rose waiting at the hotel for too long."

"Sister does tend to cause problems when she's board," he sighed.

Ditzy giggled, then turned towards Derpy and said, "If you're ever in Ponyville and want to talk, stop by the post office."

"No problem," Derpy smiled. "Thanks."

Ditzy nodded and walked away, her husband not far behind them as they disappeared into the crowds. Sunset smiled as she watched them go. After what happened in Ponyville, it wasn't that hard for her to wrap her head around the idea that their was another version of her girlfriend walking around. It was a bit shocking that said double had a different name and was a mother, but she was nothing if not adaptive. Derpy on the other hoof seemed to not be taking it quite as well.

"What are the odds, huh Derpy?"

At the lack of a response, she turned towards the mare in question. Her lips were pulled into a stiff smile as she stared into the crowd where her double disappeared into with a twitchy eye.

"Derpy?" she asked, nervously waving a hoof in front of her face. "Are you okay?"

"In a world far, far away," she said, voice just above a whisper. "I'm married to my father, my sister is my daughter, and my mom is my sister-in-law."

"Y-Yeah," Sunset chuckled awkwardly. "Pretty crazy, right?"

Derpy nodded, expression and stiff posture unchanged. Sunset struggled to find a way to snap her out of her stupor. She briefly considered smacking her, but immediately killed the option with a nuke before moving on to other options. When nudging her failed to get any results, her face heated up as a new idea took form. Gulping, she leaned in and gently planted a kiss on Derpy's cheek. Derpy blinked out of her shock as Sunset pulled back, a deep blush coloring her muzzle as she bashfully locked eyes with her.

"B-Better?" she stammered with a shy smile.

Derpy's face turned beet red and with wide eyes nodded vigorously.

"J-J-Just give me a minute to wrap my head around what happened."

Sunset's smile grew and she nuzzled into Derpy's neck.

"I can help you, if you want."

For a moment, Derpy's head and neck seemed to merge with the red of Sunset's mane as her blush spread past her chin. Cinnamon and vanilla made the two mares drunk with each other's presence as Derpy's shock was replaced by a much more pleasant mental state. With an incredible display of willpower, the two mares pulled themselves away from each other.

"How about now?" she asked, voice a little breathy as she smiled at her girlfriend.

"Wh-Who are we talking about?" Derpy asked, blushing heavily and teetering slightly.

Sunset giggled then guided the Pegasus through the busy streets, doing her best to keep her own head out of the clouds as they walked.

***

Sunset hummed happily as she sat in front of her bathroom mirror and brushed her mane. Aside from meeting her girlfriend's double, nothing of any particular note had happened. Not that that was anything to complain about as far as she was concerned. After everything that happened on Terra, she was happy for a boring day in her native land. Though boring wasn't quite the right word. Finding out what the second half of her girlfriend's name was, was a point of amusement for her as she occasionally dropped her full name for a bit of light teasing. Derpy took it with a smile while also pushing her own buttons by calling her LIttle Sun at random intervals.

She chuckled and set her brush down on the bathroom counter.

She admired herself in the mirror as she thought about just how great a turn her life had taken. Granted, it looked like the world had turned into a frozen void not too long ago, but from that pit she met the sweetest person she could ever hope to meet. She reconnected with her mother for the first time in years. Piece by piece, she was returning to her former glory before Annon-a-Miss tore her apart. An event that filled her with rage, but also reminded her of what she had now thanks to the hell Scootaloo and her friends put her through. She was happy. She was loved. And she was going to do whatever it took to maintain that.

A thump from her bedroom next door caught her attention. Smiling, she stepped away from the mirror and made her way towards the door.

She must've fell out of bed again, she thought with a giggle as she opened the door.

When the light filled the darkened bedroom, her smile died. Standing over the still form of Derpy was a Unicorn dressed in a formfitting black outfit that covered their entire body with a knife hovering beside her in an orange glow. The blade was pointed at the sleeping mare's neck.

Author's Note

Looks like somepony's gonna have a bad time. (Heh, heh)

Ch.19 Ashes

Gold Vine silently fumed in her study as the previous nights events ran through her head. It was a simple task. Gather intel on her target's life and habits then use it to find the perfect time to strike. Granted, this was adjusted from the usual tactic of eliminating them in a mostly public setting due to outside interference constantly getting in the way. As such, the kill would need to be done in the mare's own bed. A matter that should've made the kill as typical as could be in her line of work. At least, it would've if the filthy cloud trotter had seen fit to live in the slums of the city's lower districts like she was meant to be. The fact that she lived in the same building as Princess Celestia filled her veins with hot lead every time it came to mind. One of many factors she attributed to her failure last night. That, and incredibly bad luck.

***

The room was pitch-black as Gold Vine crawled across its vaulted ceiling, a minor gravity spell doing a bulk of the work her clawed hoof-covers couldn't. Casting a glance at the ground, the source of her ire slept completely unaware of her imminent demise. Gold Vine's rage spiked at the injustice of it all. The fact that such an inferior pony got to live in the lap of luxury was a crime against nature. And criminals needed to be punished. Her horn glowed a faint orange light as she delicately weaved her magic into a metal tether to the ceiling as she lowered herself to the ground. She hit the ground a little harder then she intended, but pushed the minor slip to the back of her mind as she closed in on her prey.

Pure hate flowed through her veins as she stared at the sleeping Pegasus, a poison-tipped dagger pulled out of its scabbard at her hip with her magic. A maniacal grin formed on her lips as she took a moment to marvel at the killing tool. Solid mithril with a fine coat of Basilisk and Manticore venom, nothing could survive a direct strike from it as it's lethal payload dripped onto the floor. As she stood over her target, her rage mixed with her self-righteousness into a euphoric venom of its own as she aimed the blade at the Pegasus' neck. She was death itself. A reaper coming for the soul of one who wronged her just by merely existing. Never before had a potential kill filled her with so much joy.

Before she could deliver the killing blow, the room was flooded with light as a door opened. She turned and locked eyes with the one pony she hadn't expected to see so soon; the Pegasus' misguided lover. She stared at Gold Vine in shock for a second before righteous fury took its place. She quickly tried to plunge the dagger into her prey's throat, only to find her weapon caught in the other Unicorn's magical grip. In less then a blink, the weapon was crushed to literal oblivion. Only the tiniest trace of matter that Gold could feel in her magic told her the fate of the dagger as she leapt away from her target. As she did, a narrow beam of light-blue magic sliced the air in front of her and carved a deep gash into the wall opposite the enraged Unicorn. As she landed, part of her face covering fell away, revealing her face to the other mare. The mare's anger spiked and as her magic flowed through her horn like a azure fountain of flames, the room's temperature rose to that of a sauna. Sensing the danger, Gold threw herself out the nearest open window and teleported away to a nearby safe-house. As she sat there in the dark, panting in fear, she felt what it was like to be hunted. She knew what it was like to be prey.

***

A furious shriek blasted past her lips as she slammed her hoof through a display case on one end of her study. The pain and trails of blood that crept along her foreleg meant nothing to her as red-hot rage surged in her soul.

Afraid? I was Afraid!? HORSEFEATHERS! I am the Flower of Death! The Iron Reaper! The Vine That Hangs! Death is my servant and eternal lover! I! Fear! NOTHING!!! Least of all the horse of a cloud trotter living beyond her station!

Slowly, her snarl turned into a twisted grin as madness started to replace her rage, a manic stream of giggles filling the room as it grew.

She will come for me, she thought as wailing laughter flooded the room. Let her! I'll kill her too! I'll kill them all! Everypony who dares stand against the noble Vine Family shall be given the gift of death!

A yelp of pain mingled with her manic laughter as she tore her hoof free from the shattered glass, splattering blood across her expensive lavender carpet. She didn't care about that. All that mattered were her plans for her targets, each running through her muddled mind in more gruesome designs by the second. Never before had a kill been more personal to her or filled her with such pleasure upon conception.

Suddenly, a titanic surge of magic filled the air around her, snapping her far enough out of her mania to kill her laughter and bring a confused frown to her muzzle. The room seemed to twist and warp around her as she took in her surroundings, giving her a sense of vertigo as even the plush carpet beneath her hooves melted into the ground and turned into cold stone. In a mass of swirling color, the walls and decorations blurred out of existence. A landscape of formless color took their place over a land of solid rock that continued for eternity in every direction. As she looked up, she was greeted not by her ceiling, but a pitch-black sky with a massive obsidian-colored moon surrounded by the shine of an eclipsed sun as well as an intersecting pair of rings made of crystals and scrolls. Five furious surges of magic surrounded her and tore her attention away from the astronomical anomaly. Four Alicorns and one Dreconequis surrounded her, each taking a point around her in a manor similar to a compass ten feet wide while Discord lazily floated in a circle above them all. At the north, Celestia leveled a cold glare at Gold that was almost a mirrored image of the one her sister aimed at the Unicorn from the south. Contempt decorated Twilight's face as she stared at Gold Vine from the east while her sister-in-law looked a step away from tearing the mare's throat out from the west. Discord's face was unreadable as he orbited them, seemingly more interested in watching then contributing to the scene.

A faint smile formed on her lips as she stared at him. One that she quickly killed as she gave The Princess of the Sun her undivided attention.

"Your Highness," she said, bowing. "To what do I owe the honor of the High Court's time?"

Celestia's eyes narrowed, then with a tone as cold as an arctic gale she said, "Lady Gold Vine, you stand accused of attempted murder of a HIgh Royal's suitor. A crime that has not been attempted in over one hundred-thousand years in Equestria's history. How do you plea?"

Gold Vine faintly flinched. While that was a fairly steep claim, she knew it was a load of rubbish. Neither of her targets had any romantic connections to the Princesses, she made sure of it when she observed them the past couple of days. As such, she knew that as far as that claim was concerned she was safe. Any other crime that was brought against her she knew would be dealt with by the very same being that hovered over her. A fact that made her more confident than she had any right to be, considering her circumstances.

"Not guilty your Highness," she frowned. "I would never dream of taking from my betters. Why, my family has been nothing but loyal to the Crown since its inception. To take from a Hight Royal would be tantamount to treason for me."

"That is exactly what it is," Luna said, tone even colder than her sister's. "Lady Gold Vine, you may claim ignorance, but your actions have been nothing short of horrendous. You cannot fool us, demon. Your guilt is as blatant as a bee sting."

Gold Vine leveled a brief glance at Discord and leveled a wide smile at the gathered mares.

"Even if one among you had chosen to claim the cloud trotter, there is nothing you can do about it."

"What makes you say that?" Twilight asked, tone and face void of emotion.

"Well, I was given permission to carry out the kill by one of your own members of power," she said smugly, flashing Discord a sly smile. "I suppose that's what happens when you give your power to a being that can see sense every now and then."

A savage growl slipped past Cadence's muzzle as she turned her head up towards Discord. Before she could say anything, he snapped his fingers and a muzzle clamped around her head.

"Now, now," Discord tsked as the Princess of Love struggled to tear the restraint off of her face. "No need to jump to conclusions everypony."

With that, he smirked as he slithered to the ground next to the smiling Unicorn.

"Yes, she came to me to receive permission and I did supply her with weapons, but I never said she could kill anypony."

Gold Vine gave Discord a confused frown.

"Excuse me? We agreed that-"

"Agreed?" he said walking around her like a wolf to cornered prey. "My dear, I never said you could do what you wished. I merely said that your proposal held my interest at the time. Hard not to considering how close I've become to old Sun-butt."

Gold Vine's eyes widened as realization struck her. It was true. Not once during their meeting had he told her that her request was accepted. And if what he just said was anything to go by, she had also offered to kill somepony that he had taken a shine to! The fear she felt last night was nothing compared to what filled her as she stood before the five most powerful beings in Equestria.

"A-Alright," she gulped. "Fair enough. But that doesn't change the fact that I never raised a hoof against anypony of your cast."

"I'm afraid you have," Celestia said, then looked at Discord. "Let her in."

With that, Discord snapped his fingers and a door appeared on the edge of the High Royal's circle. When it opened, Sunset stepped into the circle. Gold Vine gave the Unicorn a confused glare as she placed herself at Celestia's right, a cold mask of resolution covering her face as she locked eyes with the Noble.

"As is tradition, any crime committed against a HIgh Royal is to be met by a punishment of the HIgh Royal's choice. My daughter has decided to follow that tradition and pass judgement upon you in a manner agreed upon by all present."

Daughter? Gold Vine thought, staring at the Unicorn in question.

"Lady Gold Vine," Sunset said, snapping her out of her musings. "By my power as a HIgh Royal, I sentence you to trial by battle. Effective immediately!"

As she said that, a bolt of magic shot out of her horn. Gold Vine narrowly avoided the bolt and jumped into a battle stance. Shock quickly switched places with excitement as she channeled her magic. A trial by battle was one of the oldest forms of punishment among the Canterlot elite. The rules were simple; two Unicorns entered an enchanted ring and battled. No outside interference was permitted or possible thanks to the ring and it was over when only one Unicorn was left standing. The winner took all of the loser's assets and titles while the other was left to die if they weren't dead already by that point. It was one of many ways the Vine Family had managed to maintain its power and influence over the years, as well as how Gold Vine had managed to take control of the family. Her father was such a foolish and trusting pony.

The power of a HIgh Royal? PERFECT!

A wicked smile spread across her muzzle as she fired a bolt of orange magic.

My family will be eternal! With one kill I will be able to turn this country into what it was meant to be from the start! Sunset casually blocked the bolt with a partial barrier and returned fire with a small barrage of bolts that Gold dodged.

LET EQUESTRIA'S NEW GOLDEN AGE TAKE FORM!

Gold Vine's smile turned manic as she channeled her magic into a much more complex series of spells. Seconds later, thorn-covered vines burst out of the ground and coiled around Sunset like a mass of serpents. Suddenly, a swarm of knives materialized above her before descending on her with the ferocity of carrion birds. A wild chuckle escaped Gold's lips as she stepped towards the trapped pony.

"Daughter of Celestia? Don't make me laugh. Any Unicorn that would lower themselves to courting a filthy cloud trotter isn't deserving of her station. Though I suppose I can't fault you too much . Floramancy and Tetromancy are my special talents after all."

As she said that, she stared lovingly at the anvil covered in golden ivy that graced her flank. A light chuckling from beneath the vines and knives grabbed her attention. Slowly, wisps of smoke snaked their way outside of the cocoon as the air steadily grew hotter. Suddenly, the plants burst into flames as the knives hissed away into melted slag while Sunset stepped out of the flames, a confident smile decorating her muzzle as she glared at her stunned opponent.

"Plants and metal huh? Good thing Pyromancy's my talent then."

Gold Vine blinked, then let out a furious scream as she conjured a whole slew of razor edged vines to attack. Sunset simply stood there and obliterated them at the last second with a tornado of fire before retaliating with a series of fireballs. Gold blocked with a wall of magically summoned iron before launching a cannonball made of the same material. Sunset gathered some of the fire from her former prison around her hoof and pored enough magic into it to turn it from orange to white as she let out a battle cry and slammed it into the projectile. The ball of iron shattered like glass as its remains scattered across the battle field. Gold let out a frustrated hiss as she conjured a platoon of spears from behind her cover and fired them at her. Sunset caught the closest one and used it to knock the rest of its group aside then charged it with her magic before firing it back at its caster. The spear exploded like a missile as it blasted a quarter of Gold's shield to dust. Smiling, Sunset grabbed the rest of Gold's spears and loaded them with her flames before repeating the previous attack. Seeing the incoming assault, Gold Vine conjured a dull vine to pull her away from her soon-to-be-destroyed cover. A second after she was clear, the wall was blow to smithereens by a rain of burning hellfire. Clenching her teeth with rage, she grabbed the biggest chunks of her defense with her magic and molded it into a crude form of armor around her body as she charged in to attack. Sunset fallowed suit, coating herself in fire as she closed the gap between her and her opponent. Both mares attacked with everything they had, bucking, punching, and head-butting with the fury of wild beasts as they struggled to break the other. While Sunset's flame armor protected from the worst of her opponent's plows, it didn't prevent all of it as bruises started to cover her body like leopard spots. Gold's armor was a bit more sturdy, but she wasn't use to using it in a prolonged fight. A fact that became more apparent as her movements turned sluggish under the iron's weight. Both mare's knew that they could't keep this up for long and began planing their next moves.

Sunset delivered an uppercut that knocked Gold back a few steps and gave her the opening she needed to make her final move. All the flames around her quickly poured into her right hoof and formed a small tempest of white flames. With a roaring battle cry she threw her hoof forward, ready to deliver the final blow. At the last second, the armor around Gold's muzzle retracted and with a smug grin she spat out a dense purple cloud into Sunset's face. Her eyes and throat burned on contact with the poison, forcing her into a coughing fit and breaking her concentration just enough to cancel her spell. It was then that the sound of metal ripping through meat filled the air.

At first, Sunset didn't know what had happened as time seemed to stop around her, then she tasted copper on her tongue as blood trickled past her lips. Her breathing came in quick gasps as she looked down. A puddle of what looked like quicksilver sat below her, trails of her own blood mixing with the metal. From its center stood a series of sharp tendrils that were plunging into her from below. Sunset stared at Gold Vine, smug superiority the last thing she saw before the world turned black.

***

Darkness. That's all Sunset saw as she wandered the infinite void around her. She felt hollow as she made her way through the great nothingness. Empty. She lost everything all over again. She failed her mother. She failed Derpy. She failed her friends. She failed. Failed.

".......No....." she muttered, stopping. "No......No.......NO! I'm not done yet! So what if I died?! I refuse to accept that! I've got way too much left to do! I've just managed to get back on my hooves again! I will not let it end like this!"

She stared out into the void, a harsh glare aimed into its heart.

"Hey death! You hear me!? FUCK YOU! I don't care if this is my time! Get out of here right now and send me back before I drag you out here and make you!"

"Well said hatchling," a deep voice laughed.

Startled, Sunset spun around to face the voice and was greeted by the last thing she expected. Towering over her was a massive gold dragon. He was the size of a castle and covered with hundreds of deep scars from battles both long forgotten and recent. His eyes were a brilliant sky-blue and filled with a strength matched only by its warmth as he beheld her. A kind smile graced his lips as Sunset stared at him in wonder.

"Wh-Who are you?" she asked anger replaced by reverence.

"I have many names," he chuckled. "Some only exclusive to you, but you may call me Polaris."

"Polaris?"

He nodded.

"Nice to meet you," she said with a bow. "My name is-"

"Sunset Shimmer, Daughter of Princess Celestia, and Bearer of the Element of Acceptance. Quite the achievements for one so young."

"Element of what?" she asked, head tilted in confusion.

He chuckled.

"That's not important. What is is getting back to the living and ending that mare's madness."

Sunset nodded, a determined frown gracing her lips.

"And not just her. You will be forced to face against many more dangerous foes in the future. Each crueler and more conniving than you can possibly imagine. Fortunately, there are many who wish to lend you their strength."

"My friends," she smiled.

"Yes," he chuckled, "And family as well.

As he said that, he held up a claw and a small flame took form. Sunset squinted then gasped as she registered what was in the elder dragon's palm.

"A Phoenix feather?"

He nodded.

"A gift from your mother's pet at your birth and the only thing keeping you from crossing over completely. It also serves as a seal to your true power, a gift I left before your first breath. Should you accept it, you will be able to triumph over all who oppose you. None will be able to hurt you without feeling the rage of the sun on their flesh and bones. Will you accept it hatchling? Will you claim your birthright?"

Sunset paused, taking in everything Polaris told her as she stared at the feather. Then with a daring smile said, "I'll do it, but I'm not going to use that power just for me. My friends and girlfriend come first."

Polaris smiled, then said, "Repeat after me. On the ashes of my past-"

"On the ashes of my past-"

"I stand alone."

"I stand alone."

"With the weight of my loved ones on my back-"

"With the weight of my loved ones on my back-"

"I move forward-"

"I move forward-"

"To a new dawn."

"To a new dawn!

With that, the feather burst into golden flames and enveloped Sunset. With a flash of gold fire, Sunset vanished from the darkness of Limbo. As Polaris faded back into the Land of the Dead, he turned his head towards the empty heavens above.

"May you continue to make me proud, My Little Sun."

***

Gold Vine grinned manically at her handy work as Sunset's body went limp. She cast a glance to the audience of her deed, reveling in their shock and rage as she laughed. Her triumph was cut short when she felt a distortion in the air around her. It was faint at first, but quickly raised to magnitudes beyond anything the magically gifted could ignore as magic raged around the two Unicorns like a hurricane. Gold watched as the magic poured into Sunset's body, wild flames of every color and temperature vaporizing her mercury trap as her injuries fazed out of existence right before her eyes.

Suddenly, Sunset's body was enveloped in a rainbow cocoon of flames only to burst out into a chromatic display of power a moment later. Golden scales covered her legs up to her knees as well as her neck and barrel. Her tail resembled a peacock's as rainbow flames mixed with her tail hairs that matched the fire wings on her back. Her eyes glowed blue with power with slit pupils that matched the flames that surrounded her draconic horn. With a single flap of her wings, the battlefield burst into flames as her magic flared around her and her opponent. Gold Vine conjured her armor again as the flames raged around her, refusing to back down from her ambitions. Sunset stared at the Unicorn, eyes cold as she looked down on her like one would an insect.

With a voice as soft as silk and cold as ice, she said two words to the noble.

"Good bye."

With that, Sunset let loose her newfound magic, a feral roar filling the air as it tore through everything in sight. The ring barely held it in as the battle field was consumed by gold and white fire. A second later the ring shattered, both from the strain of Sunset's newly unleashed magic and the fact that one of the ponies within couldn't continue. Two ponies laid at its center, one covered completely in second degree burns and the other barely conscious from letting out so much magic in one go.

All the High Royals stared in shock, none able to process what they had just witnessed. Except for one. As Celestia ran to her daughters side, tears of joy and pride ran down her cheeks as she threw herself to the ground to embrace her. Sunset, now back in her normal form looked up at her mother with glassy eyes and an exhausted smile.

"Hey mom," she said weakly. "Let's never do that again."

Celestia burst out laughing at that and kissed Sunset just below her horn.

"My thoughts exactly my Little Sun."

Sunset smiled as she fell asleep in her mother's embrace. Meanwhile, the other High Royals gathered around them, questions heavy on all their minds. Luna was the first to find her voice.

"Sister, what manor of pony did you bed with to get such a daughter?"

Celestia chuckled, then said something that made them all fall to their haunches in shock.

"Who said Sunset's father was a pony?"

Author's Note

first half of the battle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUgIw_XAxVQ

second half.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTZJdHr2z_o

Ch.21 Not Fair

The late afternoon sun shined brightly over Canterlot High, freshly fallen snow blanketing everything in sight. The peace was shattered by a series of yelps as a cluster of teenage girls seemingly fell out of the base of the horse statue positioned in front of the school.

"Again, who's idea was it to go through the damn portal as a group!?" Lightning demanded, dragging herself out of the people pile.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," Bonbon groaned as she staggered to her feet. "Ugh, when's the world going to stop spinning?"

"Did we stop yet?" Vinyl groaned from the bottom of the pile. "I feel like I downed a bottle of vodka while doing a handstand."

"Um, can someone let go of my breasts please?" Fluttershy asked, a bit of ice filling her sweet tone.

"Sorry!" Lyra exclaimed, a pair of mint-green hands popping out the top of the pile.

"Can someone get their knee out of my back?" Sunset groaned as she tried to crawl out of the pile.

"Sorry love," Octavia said, managing to pull herself free.

"I think I'm gonna hurl," Derpy groaned from the pile's heart.

"NOPE!" everyone cried as they pulled themselves away from the now nauseous gray teen. Unlike her first time through the portal, the poor girl ended up decorating the school grounds with her last two meals. She groaned as she staggered to her feet, face still green while she struggled to hold herself together. Sunset quickly came to her side and pulled the girl's arm over her shoulder for support.

"I've got you," she said with a concerned frown.

"Thanks," she gulped with a weak smile. "Not used to having both my eyes work yet. All those colors really got to me this time."

"I can imagine," Octavia nodded. "Though, to be fair, its not much better for those of us who are used to having full vision, right?"

Everyone nodded, then staggered a bit as they fought against a sudden wave of vertigo.

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna head home and ride this out," Bonbon groaned as she started walking away from the group.

"Ditto," Vinyl chuckled ruefully as she did the same, clutching her forehead.

"That's probably a good idea," Sunset giggled. "Portals can be a bit rough on you if you aren't used to them or know what to expect. Are we still good for New Years?"

"Totally!" Lightning cheered, then cringed as a lance of pain shot through her over stimulated brain.

"Let's talk about it when we don't feel like we were crammed through a garden hose," Octavia sighed with a weary smile.

"Right," Sunset smiled. "See you all later?"

Everyone nodded and one by one headed on their way to their homes. Suddenly, Lyra stopped and walked back to Sunset.

"Hey, remember when Applejack found us at the card shop?"

"Yeah?" Sunset asked cautiously.

"Well, she said she wanted to talk to you."

"What did you say?" Derpy asked, eyes narrowed and protective in spite of her queasiness.

"Just that I'd let Sunset know," she shrugged. "If you want to talk to her, tell me when and where and I'll pass on the news."

"I see," Sunset frowned. "Thanks Lyra."

"Any time Sunset," Lyra smiled, then frowned as she added, "Just take some time to think it over, okay? She really looked like she wanted to fix things and that was before the whole story came out."

Memories of a distraught Fluttershy came to mind as Sunset processed what her friend had told her. She saw how her ex-friends reacted to her confession in the gym. The shock and horror in their eyes gave her a small bit of happiness at the moment, but now left her conflicted. While she was ready to move on from the trauma of the incident, she knew that she couldn't leave things the way they were.

"Right, thanks Lyra," Sunset frowned.

Smiling, Lyra nodded and staggered off.

For a moment, Sunset and Derpy stood there as one tried to organize her thoughts while the other waited for her nausea to pass. Feeling her girlfriend's legs shaking, she quickly and carefully guided her to a bench near the school's front gate.

"Thanks," Derpy sighed as she slumped into the bench. "God, I hope the Passports aren't as rough as the portal."

"Won't know until we use them," Sunset sighed as she took a seat at Derpy's right. "It can't be worse at least."

Derpy groaned as she rested her head onto Sunset's shoulder. A soft smile spread across Sunset's face as she leaned into her girlfriend. Never before had Sunset felt so happy then she had in that moment as she let the girl she loved share such a simple moment of peace. Granted, it would've been better if Derpy wasn't just a stone's throw away from throwing up, but Sunset was happy to share such a moment all the same.

While she waited for Derpy's stomach to settle, her eyes wandered across the grounds. As they did, countless memories started to come to her like clips from a camcorder. The time she helped Fluttershy tend to a sick kitten at the shelter. Hours spent at Sweet Apple Acres picking apples with Applejack. Countless rounds of soccer with Rainbow Dash at the park. Getting covered with flower while baking with Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner. Modeling for Rarity at her house when she had the time. Memory after memory came to her as she stared at the still grounds around them, the land more than just a slab of dirt with snow and buildings on top. This was where she took the first steps needed to become a better person.

It was also where she met her girlfriend.

In a sad sort of way, she was happy that her world almost ended. For weeks she had passed Derpy in the halls not giving her the time of day. It took her falling into the darkest pits of despair to find the incredible person leaning into her side.

"It's not fair," Sunset sighed, staring at the ground.

"What isn't?" Derpy asked

"I had to lose my friends in order to meet you and the others. Why couldn't I have met you when I still had them? Why did I have to almost die to have you in my life? Why couldn't I have both? It's not fair."

She paused, then Derpy brought a hand to her false eye and said, "Life's not fair. Sometimes it just wants to kick you around for a while before it gives you something good. Sometimes it gives you something good, just to rip it out of your hands and stomp on it right in front of you. The most you can do is take what matters to you and not let life take it from you."

Sunset blinked, then smiled as she pulled her girlfriend into a tight embrace.

"Like this?" she smirked.

"Y-Yeah," Derpy stammered, a deep blush coloring her cheeks.

Sunset giggled as she rubbed her cheek into the top of Derpy's head. The steady thump of Sunset's heart eased the frazzled teen as she leaned into the embrace and the furnace that was her girlfriend. Neither really wanted the moment to end, but that was often the case with good things.

"It's getting late," Sunset sighed, noticing how low the sun had set from where they sat. "Think you can make the trip?"

"Maybe," Derpy giggled. "You planning on carrying me if I can't?"

"I might if I change," Sunset smirked, then added, "But I might not be able to hold myself back if I do. Dragons are pretty greedy after all."

Derpy gulped, eyes wide as her whole head turned beet red.

"I'm good," she squeaked, jumping to her feet. "See! Good to go!"

Sunset burst out laughing as she rose to her feet and kissed the flustered girl.

"Alright," the fiery teen smiled. "Let's head home."

Hand in hand, the two teens walked off of the school grounds and onto the streets. Suddenly, a slight stinging sensation in her back made her flinch.

"You okay Sunset?" Derpy asked.

"Yeah," she said, lips pulled into a stiff smile as she tightened her grip on Derpy's hand slightly. "Come on, it's freezing out here."

Nodding, she let Sunset guide her down the street towards home. All the while, a faint series of agonized screams could be heard just out of earshot of the couple.

***

Flies buzzed in a nearby dumpster as a figure in an alley writhed in pain. Pure vitriol poured out of the figure's mouth as they struggled past their agony to rise to their feet. The figure's eyes glowed with hate as they watched the source of their pain walk down the street from their hiding place.

"Damn them," Lily seethed, parts of her body steaming and charred.

Heavy gasps poured out of her mouth as she fought against the pain, but a deep rumbling in her gut forced her to her knees.

"DAMN THEM!!!" she roared, slamming a fist into the ground.

Nothing was going her way. Not a single thing. After weeks of preparing Sunset, she was striped away from her at the last second by that insufferable cluster of fools. Then her second attempt to feed was thwarted by forces beyond her understanding. Then her latest catch of prey was pulled away from her by that damnable Hearths Warming before she could satisfy her agonizing hunger.

The only thing keeping her mostly sane were what few crumbs her seeds could gather for her, but that wouldn't last for much longer. In desperation, she tried to plant seeds in Sunset's new friends, but something repelled her. It was similar to the strange energy she felt surrounding her previous friends, but it was much stronger than whatever protection they had at the time. It hurt to touch it, but no more then when someone slaps your hand. The energy around Fluttershy was strange, like trying to grab a rose with your bare hands, but instead of hurting her it felt like it was trying to feed off of her. She severed the connection before any lasting damage could be done to her, but she made a note to be leery of her former prey in the future. Linking to the gray teen that stole Sunset from her had a similar effect on her that it did with the other girls, though it was much more intense. The second she tried to link with her, Lily felt like she had placed the tendril into a live wire. The pain was sharp and quick, but it was nothing compared to what surrounded Sunset. Red hot pain ran through Lily the second she tried to feed off of the fiery teen, like molten lead and fire had been poured into her veins. It was only for a second, but that second felt like she had been thrown into the fires of hell. When the pain finally dimmed, she saw smoke pouring off of countless molten burns that covered her body.

"I-I just want to eat," she groaned, a deep growl coming from her belly. "D-Damn it all. I NEED TO FEED!!!"

She let out a furious shriek and swung a fist into a large nearby dumpster. Said dumpster bent inward from the strike and flew into the back of the alley like an empty soda can. The sound of rending metal and shattering drywall echoed through the alley as it hit the side of one to the two buildings. The act of destruction did nothing to improve Lily's mood as she growled like a wild dog at where the two teens once stood.

"I will have you," she growled, body slowly melting into the shadows. "I don't know how. I don't know when. But I swear, I will have you Shimmer and when I do, you will be the most delicious feast I've had in centuries!"

A feral howl filled the air as what was left of the woman melted into darkness, filling all unfortunate enough to hear it with soul-freezing dread.

***

A chill shot down Sunset's spine as they entered Derpy's neighborhood.

What the heck was that? she thought, zipping up her jacket. It almost felt like...no, come on Sunset. Get a grip! There's nothing to worry about.

She felt Derpy snuggle into her a bit tighter and smiled.

She gave the affectionate teen a raised brow.

"You seemed cold," she reasoned, sporting a smile of her own along with the cutest blush Sunset had ever seen.

Sunset chuckled, then put an arm around the girl.

"Trust me Derpy, I'm never cold around you."

Derpy's blush grew as she shyly stared at the ground while they walked.

What the HELL did I just say? No seriously! Back up! WHAT?! I mean yeah, I meant what I said, but still! Where the hell did that come from?!

"Y-You know, w-were gonna have to tone it down a bit when we get home," Derpy stammered, still looking at the ground. "Can't get wild with my parents and sister around after all."

"Right, your sister," Sunset sighed. "How do you think she'll react to me? I mean, do you think she'll like me?"

"Absolutely!" Derpy laughed, flashing a wide smile at her nervous girlfriend. "Dinky'll love you! Heck, she might even ask you to be her big sister when she finds out you're living here."

"Right," Sunset mumbled, doubts weighing heavy on her back.

"It'll be fine," Derpy said, smile softening as she held her girl a little tighter only for it to grow a bit impish as she added, "Just watch out if you see an empty bag of gummy worms lying around. Those things wind her up like a squirrel in a nut shelling factory."

"I'll keep an eye out," Sunset laughed.

After a couple hours of wandering the neighborhood and enjoying each other's company, they made it to Derpy's front lawn. Sunset tightened her grip on her girlfriend's hand, nerves starting to make her hands shake as she stared at the front door. Derpy matched her grip as she leaned into the scared girl's side.

"It's going to be okay," she whispered, a soft smile coloring her tone.

Sunset gulped then nodded stiffly as she stared at the door. With Derpy as her guide, she made her way towards the door and reached out a fist to knock on it.

Relax Sunset, she told herself as she knocked on the door. You're home. Everything is going to be fine.

The door creaked open, greeting Sunset with the smiling face of Rose Luck.

"Sunset, Derby! Welcome back and Merry Christmas" she beamed, pulling the two girls into a hug. " How was it? Did you turn someone into a frog or something?"

"No Mrs. Rose," Sunset giggled. "And Merry Christmas."

Rose gave the fiery teen a pointed stare as she let them go.

"No "Mrs" Sunset. Just Rose is fine."

"Right," Sunset said sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she sighed, then smirked as she added, "I'll break you of that habit someday."

"We'll see about that," Sunset said, matching Rose's smirk with one of her own.

They shared a laugh at that, then Rose moved aside for them to come out of the cold. Before they could take a step, a small grey and white blur shot out of the door and threw Derpy to the snow-covered ground. Taking a moment to blink away her shock, Sunset turned towards her fallen girlfriend. What she saw melted her heart like a bowl of ice cream in the middle of summer.

Hugging Derpy with all the strength she could muster was what could only be described as a mini-Derpy. She wore a simple white sweater with snowmen covering it and a thick pair of grey sweatpants that matched her pink slippers. Her hair was a mess of straight blond just like the girl she was hugging the life out of. They even had the same eye color. The only thing that separated the two girls aside from their ages was that the little one had a different skin tone. Where Derpy was grey, the little one was a light shade of purple-gray.

"You're back! You're back! I missed you so much sis!" the little girl beamed as she nuzzled into her Derpy's torso.

"Hey Dinky," Derpy wheezed, patting her sister on the head. "I missed you too. Can you get off of me please. Need to breath."

"Oh!" she squeaked as she jumped to her feet with a sheepish smile. "Sorry sis."

"No problem," Derpy coughed as she staggered to her feet.

It was then that Dinky noticed the girl standing next to her mother.

"Who are you?" she asked, staring at Sunset like a puzzle while she approached.

"Dinky, this is Sunset Shimmer," Rose said with a smile. "She's the girl I told you about."

"The one that moved into the guest room?" she asked.

Rose nodded.

Dinky gave Sunset the biggest, brightest smile Sunset had ever seen and said, "Hi Sunset Shimmer. I'm Dinky Doo!"

"J-Just Sunset's fine," Sunset stammered, taken aback by the display of pure joy from the young girl.

"Cool!" Dinky giggled, then ran to her sister's side and asked, "Where did you go? I tried calling you, like, a billion times all week, but I never got a signal!"

Derpy gave Sunset a questioning look. A small smile crept onto Sunset's face as she nodded, a smile that formed on Derpy's face when she shifted her attention back to her sister.

"Sunset took me to another world full of magic."

Dinky's smile turned into a skeptical frown as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah right sis," she grumbled. "I'm not five. I know magic isn't real."

"Yeah it is," Derpy frowned.

"Prove it!" Dinky snapped.

For a moment she considered asking Sunset to transform, but changed her mind at the last second. They both knew that she hadn't fully learned how to control that power yet. One slip-up and they could end up blowing up a car or something. She needed to prove her claim in a way that wouldn't put others at risk. After a few seconds of thinking, she found just the thing that would do the trick.

"Alright, watch this," she smirked as she covered her real eye. "Put up some fingers."

"Okay?" Dinky said cautiously as she put up her hand.

"Five."

Dinky gave her sister a confused blink then looked at her open hand and tried again.

"Three."

The little girl's confusion turned into shock as she then pulled her hand into a fist.

"Zero."

Dinky gawked at her sister then stuck up a few fingers.

"Four."

This continued for several seconds with Derpy successfully saying how many fingers her sister had up each time. Dinky's heart nearly leaped out of her mouth when her sister snapped at her for accidentally sticking up her middle finger at one point.

"How are you doing that?" Dinky gawked. "That eye isn't even real!"

"Magic," Derpy smirked as she took her hand away from her face. "Sunset's aunt put a spell on it so I can see."

Dinky's jaw dropped as she slowly turned her head towards Sunset.

"You can do magic?"

Sunset nodded.

A bright smile spread across Dinky's face and in a flash, Sunset felt a set of small arms wrap around her waist.

"Can you be my sister's girlfriend?!"

"W-Wha?" Sunset sputtered, a deep blush spreading across her face as she stared at the bundle of cute hugging her.

"If you and big sis get together, then you'll be my big sister too!" Dinky smiled, stars shining in her eyes as she stared at the shellshocked teen. "Please?"

"W-Well, we're already...um," Sunset struggled to find her words as she stared into those big hopeful eyes.

"Way ahead of you sis," Derpy giggled as she gave Sunset a soft peck on the cheek.

Rose flashed a small smile and rolled her eyes as she walked back into the house while her youngest looked like she was about to explode with joy.

"YES!!! MY NEW BIG SISTER'S A MAGE!!! BEST! CHRISTMAS!! EVER!!!"

As Sunset watched the ecstatic elementary schooler celebrate, a single thought ran through her head while she pulled her girlfriend into a one-armed hug.

That's so not fair.

Author's Note

I'm back baby! :pinkiehappy: Now as a sort of reward for all of you out their for being so patient with me, I thought I'd include a list of songs along with the character that they go with in this fic. To be exact, these are the battle tracks for 5 characters in particular for this arc. Enjoy!

Sunset
https://youtu.be/SeHRZ-3CbAs

Fluttershy
https://youtu.be/_HUTkclChpE

Pinkie and Tattle
https://youtu.be/18xOB0zJvSE

Derpy
https://youtu.be/qZx97eHDSX8

Ch.22 Changes

Applebloom swiped some sweat from her brow, her breath coming out in harsh puffs through her dust mask as she stared at the now clean cow pen. A small ember of pride burned in her as she took stock of her handy work before she moved on to lugging the large barrel they used to transport the cows leavings into one of the silos on the other side of the farm for storage.

Good thing we only have one cow, she thought with a sigh as she ran to get a dolly. Otherwise, Ah'd be in here all weekend.

As she cringed at the thought of dealing with a mountain of manure, she thought back to what Princess Celestia said to them before coming back home.

***

"Listen well," Celestia intoned, voice empty of emotion as she stared down at the trio of fillies that stood before her. "While you will be returning to Terra, it will be with a few conditions set in place. While you are there, Discord will have you under constant surveillance. He will make sure you do nothing to harm my daughter or anypony else that is close to her. He will also make sure nothing happens to you while you are there. I doubt your families will do anything unethical, but the same cannot be said for other humans. When it is time for you to return, he will teleport you back to your room in the servant's quarters. Do you understand?"

They nodded, then collectively saluted her.

A bit of light on their forelegs caught her attention.

"What are you wearing?" she asked, a bit of raised brow making it past her mask of indifference.

"A gift from Sunset," Sweetie said, her lips pulled into a small smile as she stared at the silver bracelet on her right foreleg.

Applebloom and Scootaloo nodded, each giving their matching accessories caring smiles .

"I don't think we deserve them," Scootaloo sighed. "Not yet, but I'm gonna change that."

"Me too," Applebloom nodded. "Ah want ta' make things right again."

Celestia let a proud smile spread across her muzzle as she stared at the three fillies.

"In time my little Terrans. Until then, do what you can to mend your ties with your families."

***

Applebloom smiled as she pulled back the right sleeve of her jacket to look at her new bracelet. The promise she and her friends made to themselves were held in the simple metal band just as tightly as a written contract. They were going to do better, no matter what they had to do to do it. Though it did sting a little to have her other christmas gifts confiscated until New Years. The fact that her friends had the same thing happen to them didn't do much to lessen the blow, but it did make it a little more bearable.

"Alright, no more wastin' time," she huffed, pulling her sleeve back into place. "Ah've still got a lot of ground to cover before supper."

When she braced the barrel to level it onto the dolly, it shocked her how light the barrel felt. Normally, it was a struggle for her just to move the container when it was half full, let a lone filled near to the brim as it was now. Raising a brow, she griped the six-foot tall barrel and lifted. Her jaw dropped as she hefted it above her head like a beach ball with next to no effort. A wide grin grew on her face as she ran towards the manure silo with her seemingly weightless barrel of droppings. When she made it to said building, she safely stored the barrel and dashed out into the snow-covered orchard.

"W-What the hay was that?" she panted, leaning against a nearby tree. "How'd Ah do that?!"

A small twinkling from her wrist caught her attention. When she pulled back her sleeve she was greeted by a shimmering bracelet. The light was faint, just barely bright enough to be seen in the early morning light, but present all the same. Applebloom stared at the accessory in wonder as she struggled to find an explanation for what was happening. The obvious answer was magic, but what kind and more importantly, was it safe?

"Well, Ah don't feel like hurt'n no one or take'n over the world, so that's a good sign," she mumbled, eyes locked onto the bracelet. "M-Maybe the Princess can-"

She let out startled yelp as a cloud of confetti burst above her head along with a note. She just managed to catch it before it hit the ground. Still a little shook-up, she cautiously opened the letter.

Dear Applebloom Apple

It seems your magic has awakened. Now, I'm sure this is a very scary and confusing time for you, but don't worry. What you're experiencing is a completely normal and natural part of prolonged exposure in an environment flooded with magic. As such, your body will go through various changes as it lets the magic settle within it. These include, but are not limited to: Increase in Size, Increase in Strength, Increase in Speed, Barrier Projection, Elemental Manipulation, Dimensional Distortion, Item Creation, Psycho Kinesis, Prophetic Visions, Limited Time Travel, Healing, Teleportation, Flight, Shapeshifting, and Familiar Summoning.

Again, these changes are completely normal, but should they become too much for you to handle, please contact your local Lord of Chaos for assistance.

Sincerely, Lord Discord, Master of Chaos and Future Love Bug to The Princess of the Sun.

Applebloom spat out a mouthful of confetti as she leveled a deadpan at the letter.

"Is he-"

***

"Serious?!" Sweetie squeaked, a glowing green domed barrier surrounding her as she stood in the bathroom.

After getting an earful from her parents, Sweetie's resolve to do better was shaken a bit as she was given a list of chores. A quick glance at her bracelet helped her steel herself against her own weakness and take the punishment like a champ. Ironically, most of the chores her mother gave her were the kind of things she was expecting to do at the castle. All was well for the most part until she was scrubbing behind the toilet and found the source of all evil. She never knew that a roach could get that big or that when they did they had wings.

The young girl let out an exasperated growl as she pushed against the shield to grab a steel-wool brush on the other side. Her temper rose the more effort she put into grabbing the tool, until it finally flared past what she could contain. A loud roar echoed through the whole house as she punched and kicked against her prison like a wild beast.

"STUPID MAGIC BUBBLE!!!" she roared as she clawed at the barrier.

At that moment, the lord of evil landed on the other side of the barrier right in front of Sweetie's face. The scream that ran out of her mouth hit such a pitch that only the family cat could hear it as she jumped back. The second her feet left the ground, the barrier lifted slightly and formed into a complete sphere around her. She bumped into the other side of the barrier which now started to slowly roll out of the bathroom.

"Uh-oh," she gulped as she ran to the other end of the barrier.

Her heart sank as the magic slid under her hands and feet like soap-slicked glass.

"No-no-no-no-no-no!" she cried as she futilely tried to force the barrier to stop. "Stop-stop-STOP!!!"

Like a giant hamster ball, she rolled out of the bathroom into the hall towards the stairs. Her eyes widened as the barrier-ball started to move faster as it closed in on the staircase leading to the first floor. Not wanting to see the mess she was going to need to clean up later, she closed her eyes and resigned herself to her fate.

"I regret everything," she sighed as the barrier passed the point of no return.

A loud series of crashes filled the whole house as the glowing wrecking ball destroyed everything in its path. All the while, Sweetie rolled around inside it like a hamster in a kicked hamster-ball. After a few minutes of destruction, the barrier finally stopped when it rammed itself into a wall in the kitchen. She let out a groan as she waited for the world to stop spinning.

I...hate...magic...

"Sweetie Belle!"

Sluggishly, Sweetie looked up from the ground and saw her mother standing at the entrence into the kitchen. To say Cookie Crumbles was angry would've been a massive understatement. The fuming mother stomped into the kitchen like a mad bull as she moved in to give her youngest a very loud talking to. Said anger turned into confusion when she bumped into the near-invisible shield surrounding her daughter.

"What is-"

"Magic," Sweetie said flatly, still laying on the ground.

Cookie blinked at that, then frowned as she said, "Well, no magic until you're done with your chores. Now turn this thing off and get back to work."

"I don't know how!" she groaned as she slammed her fists into the bottom of her prison.

"What's going on here?" Hondo Flanks asked as he walked into the kitchen.

He froze when he saw the situation then sighed as he stepped out of the kitchen.

"I'll go get the sledgehammer," he grumbled.

"WHAT?!" both women screamed, Cookie scrambling to catch up with her husband while Sweetie pounded even harder on her prison walls.

"I! *bam!* HATE! *bam!* MAGIC!!! *bam!*

***

"This is awesome!" Scootaloo cheered as she zipped through her aunt's house.

Lofty let out an exasperated groan at the kitchen counter as her wife poured her a cup of coffee.

"When did things get so crazy?" Lofty sighed as she took a sip of her drink.

"My brother had a daughter and I agreed to watch her while he traveled the world with his wife," Holiday said with a tired smile.

At that moment, Scootaloo appeared next to her two bewildered aunts.

"The bathroom's clean," she said with a bright smile. "What's next?"

"You were only in there for three minutes," Lofty grumbled.

"Yeah, the grout was really dirty," she said, smile unwavering.

Holiday let out a small chuckle at that, then asked, "Did you get your room sorted out?"

"Yep!"

"The kitchen seems to be in one piece," Lofty sighed. "Go clean the windows."

"Already taken care of," Scootaloo beamed.

The pale-yellow woman's jaw dropped at that before she set her cup down and ran to each of the windows in their one-story apartment. After a few minutes of careful observation, the woman let out a defeated sigh and returned to her seat in the kitchen.

"You know," Holiday smirked, crossing her arms at her niece. "Those new powers of yours make punishing you kind've hard."

"Sorry aunty," Scootaloo said sheepishly.

"Please tell me super speed is the only thing you have," Lofty groaned, picking Discord's letter up off of the table. "I don't think my heart could handle it if you blew our house up or something."

"I think so," Scootaloo frowned, staring a the glowing purple rings wrapped around her ankles. "I've been trying some of my teacher's tricks to see if I can do anything else, but nothing's happened so far."

"That's a relief," Holiday chuckled. "Don't know if we have magic insurance."

"I think The Princess could cover it," Scootaloo said, rubbing her chin in thought. "Or maybe her boyfriend could fix it all."

"Is it strange that I miss having a boring life?" Lofty asked, staring into her cup. "Why is it that the one town we decided to move to for a mostly quite life ended up becoming the magic capital of the world?"

"Luck?" Holiday offered with a shrug.

Lofty groaned before taking a sip of her coffee.

"You know, you guys are taking this all better then I thought you would," Scootaloo said staring at her aunts.

"Oh, we aren't," Holiday smiled, a bit of a twitch in the corners of her lips. "We're still in shock that there's a world ruled by a pony god that can control the sun just a stone's throw away from our house."

"I think I'm handling it well, all things considered," Lofty sighed over her coffee. "Though I don't think I'll be visiting again. I rather like having hands, thank you very much."

"Eh, you get used to it," Scootaloo shrugged.

Both of her aunts blinked at her owlishly.

"I don't know how I should take that," Holiday said nervously.

"Please finish your punishment in Equestria soon dear," Lofty pleaded. "I fear what staying there for too long will do to you."

"You've seen how big that castle is, right?" Scootaloo asked, raising a brow.

"Please don't remind me," Lofty sighed.

***

Fluttershy giggled as she wrote in her new journal, the darkness of her room broken by the shine of her desk lamp. Just like Sunset said, the journal worked flawlessly as she traded messages with her double from her native dimension. Neither of them had anything particularly groundbreaking to talk about. Just the simple this and thats of daily life, but that was just as thrilling for the young couple as any grand adventure.

Did you really tell him that? Equestrian Fluttershy wrote.

Fluttershy smiled sheepishly as she answered.

Yeah. I lost my temper and he almost took the journal.

Did you apologize?

Fluttershy nodded, then rolled her eyes as she remembered that her girlfriend wouldn't see the response as she put pen to paper.

Yeah. He didn't know what he took and we made up, but I think he's scared of me now. I wish Zephyr was a little more mindful of people's things sometimes.

Tell me about it.

An image of her pony double sighing entered her mind and forced a giggle out of her.

Fluttershy was about to respond when a hard pounding at the front door downstairs made her jump. As she let her heart-rate level out, she stared at her open bedroom door. She gulped as she wrote a quick message to her double and stepped out of her room. The pounding continued as she made her way down the hall from her room to the stairs. As she walked, she could hear her family rousing from the racket down stairs through their doors. Soon, she made it down the stairs and stood in front of the front door. Normally, something like this would've terrified Fluttershy, but she was calm as she reached for the doorknob. If anything, she felt slightly miffed that her time with her girlfriend was interrupted by whatever unfortunate soul stood on the other side of the door. Her other hand had tensed as she prepared to strike the late night guest should the need arise as she opened the door.

What she saw made her blink in shock for a moment.

Three girls in thick winter jackets stood on the porch with their leader standing just in front of the door. One girl had short gray hair with skin a darker shade of gray visible on parts of her body not covered by her lavender winter gear and was a bit taller then the rest of the girls in the group. The other girl had long strait green hair with a lighter shade of green for her skin tone and white winter gear. The first girl's light-green eyes held a trace of fear as she looked at Fluttershy while the other one's lavender orbs held clear panic. Panic that became clear when Fluttershy locked eyes with their leader.

The woman that stood before her was just a little shorter then the gray girl. Her long purple hair trailed down to the middle of her back with a strait cut to keep her bangs out of her eyes. She held a pale-gray skin tone that made her navy blue winter gear stand out as her turquoise eyes drilled into her.

Fluttershy barely had time to react as the girl in front of her grabbed her by the throat and dragged her out into the cold. The timid teen let out strangled yelp as she was pinned to the wall next to the door like a bug in a display case, her capture's eyes burning into her with the intensity of a thousand suns.

"S-Sis, please!" the green girl pleaded, her voice a terrified whisper as she reached out towards the attacking woman.

"Yeah Maud," the older woman said, tone cautious as she put a hand on the gray woman's shoulder. "No need to get so-"

"Quiet," Maud growled, shrugging off the woman's hand as she tightened her grip on Fluttershy's throat.

Fluttershy's eyes widened as she realized who had her then narrowed as a familiar heat started to grow inside her.

"W-What do you want?" Fluttershy managed to choke out.

Maud's glare hardened as she held her target even harder against the wall.

"Where. Is. My. Sister."

"I-I don't know," Fluttershy gasped.

"BULL SHIT!" Maud roared, clearly fighting against the urge to crush the girl in front of her. "Tell me where she is or I swear they will never find your body!"

The two girls behind Maud gasped at that while Fluttershy's magic continued to build.

"That's enough Maud!" the older girl said moving towards the raging Pie.

"SHUT UP LIMESTONE!" Maud roared, making the older woman flinch before adding in a more leveled tone, "And you stay out of this too Marble."

The youngest girl in the group flinched in spite of Maud's gentler tone as the second oldest Pie leveled hellfire onto Fluttershy with her eyes.

"Tell me what you guys did with her."

"W-We didn't do a-anything," Fluttershy gasped.

"Don't lie to me," Maud growled. "Your group is the only one that has it out for her. Now tell me where she is!"

"I-I d-don't know."

"Fine then," Maud glared. "Then maybe Sunset could tell me."

Fluttershy's magic surged through her body, turning her teal eyes into blood-red cat-like orbs of rage as she stared daggers into Maud's soul. Large bat-like wings sprouted from her back like a pair of yellow curtains and her hair tied itself into a long warrior's braid.

Maud pulled her hand away from the girl and backed away from her, an act mirrored by her terrified sisters.

"You will not touch her," Fluttershy growled, her fangs glinting off of the shine of a nearby streetlight. "I'll make sure of it!"

Author's Note

whew, this took a bit of work. Anyway, here are some more battle tracks for this arc. Enjoy!:pinkiehappy:

Lightning Dust
https://youtu.be/SjtBmrco3yk

Octavia Melody
https://youtu.be/_mgB-zwOkwY

Vinyl Scratch
https://youtu.be/yOy0KgZ7LUg

Bonbon
https://youtu.be/h-rj8HVW3PQ

Lily Bouquet
https://youtu.be/zDXgbdhj5Zc

Ch.23 When the Dust Settles

Canter Creek was always a sight to behold in the wintertime. Even with the new meaning it held for the students of Canterlot High, the waters held a beauty and peace that couldn't be found anywhere else. Three girls walked on the coast as they discussed recent events. More specifically, last night's events.

"No way," Lightning gaped. "Are you serious?"

Fluttershy nodded, shame weighing heavy on her features as she stared at the ground while they walked.

"I could see it in her eyes," she whispered, lips trembling with unshed tears. "She was so scared."

"I don't blame her," Vinyl sighed, staring out into waters to their left. "If something happened to Tavi, I'd lose it too."

All Fluttershy could do was nod as she thought back to what happened last night.

***

"E-Easy now," Limestone stammered, hands up in a placating manner as she stepped between Maud and her seething opponent. "L-L-Let's not do something we'll all regret."

"Go near Sunset and I won't regret anything!" Fluttershy snarled, her claws literally bared and ready.

Marble yelped in terror as she ran behind Limestone.

"P-P-Please," she stammered, shivering like a leaf in a storm. "W-We just wa-want to find our sister."

Fluttershy's glare shifted from Maud to her sisters, her anger dimming slightly as she took in the looks on their faces. As she stared into their eyes she saw a lot of things, fear and confusion being chief among them. What she didn't see was hostility. Not anymore, at least.

"Fine," she sighed, letting her body relax. "Let's talk."

The Pie sisters let out sighs of relief as the living nightmare before them lowered her claws, but remained cautious in case that changed.

"Come on," Fluttershy sighed as she walked back into her house. "It's cold out here and I could use some tea right now."

Marble and Limestone staggered after her, neither eager to argue with the girl. Fluttershy noticed that she was one Pie short as she guided the two girls into the kitchen. A small stone of guilt settled in her stomach as she guessed what had happened. Reluctantly, she returned to the still open doorway to fetch the last of her uninvited guests. Maud stood as still as a statue, face blank aside from wide eyes as she stared at her trembling hands. The guilty stone in Fluttershy's stomach turned into a boulder as she once again took in her handy work.

I need to learn how to control this.

"Maud," Fluttershy called, snapping the girl out of her trance with a flinch.

"Y-Yes?" she said, a trace of a stammer evident in her now monotone voice.

"It's cold," Fluttershy sighed, a sheepish smile coloring her face. "Come inside."

Maud nodded, then stiffly let herself into the house.

After Fluttershy set a filled kettle onto the stove, the four girls took a seat at the kitchen counter. Limestone was tense as she sat while her youngest sister trembled at her side. Maud was unreadable save for her faintly trembling hands that sat on the table with their fingers weaved together. Fluttershy took deep calming breaths as she stared at the three girls. Her rage was mostly gone, but she was still on high alert.

"Now, what are you doing here? Why do you think we did something to Pinkie?"

The three girls were silent for a few seconds, then Limestone took a deep breath.

"Pinkie's missing," she frowned. "Been missing for eight days now."

Fluttershy gasped.

"Missing? How?"

"W-We don't know," Marble squeaked, clutching Limestone's jacket sleeve tightly. "W-We went to Maud's house f-for Christmas. W-When we got there..."

Before she could finish, the young girl burst into tears and buried her face into Limestone's side.

"Maud wasn't in the best shape," Limestone sighed, putting an arm around Marble as she sent a sad frown towards her faintly trembling sister. "The house was a mess and Maud was curled up in a corner hugging a picture of Pinkie. Didn't even look like she ate or slept in days. When we managed to force some food into her, she told us she hadn't seen Pinkie since the assembly last week."

"Something happened," Maud mumbled, staring at her trembling hands. "I can feel it. Something happened to her."

Slowly, she raised her head to face the vampiric teen. Fluttershy flinched as she watched tears slide down the normally unshakeable older woman's face.

"P-Please, I just want my sister back."

***

"Didn't they try the cops?" Lightning asked, kicking a pebble into the stream.

Fluttershy nodded, then said, "They said they could put out a missing persons report, but that was all they could do."

"So after awhile this Maud chick thought we did something? Figures," Vinyl sighed. "How'd you convince her we were innocent?"

"My girlfriend talked to her," Fluttershy smiled, a bit of a blush coloring her cheeks.

Both teens paused at that.

"Wait, she came over?" Lightning asked, flabbergasted .

She nodded, then said, "Just for a little bit. She brought Princess Luna and Twilight with her to prove that we were in Equestria for the last few days."

"Would't the whole magic thing make things harder for us?" Vinyl asked. "What's to stop her from thinking we took her there?"

"Limestone sense," Fluttershy giggled.

Both of her friends tilted their heads in confusion at that.

"Pinkie told me that everyone in her family has some sort of sense power. She can predict random things around her, Maud can find anything she's looking for, Marble can tell what people are feeling, and Limestone can tell when people are lying to her."

"Sounds like fun," Lightning chuckled. "Hope Maud's boyfriend never cheats on her."

"May god have mercy on his soul," Vinyl sighed. "At least Sunset doesn't need to worry about some lunatic trying to get her for awhile. Girl deserves a break from all that."

"Tell me about it," Lightning sighed. "But what are we going to do? If Maud couldn't find her, how the heck are we going to?"

"Maybe Sunset can-" Vinyl froze, eyes locked onto something in the distance.

Confused, her friends followed her line of sight. The second they saw the bridge, all the color drained from their faces.

"That's the place, right?" she asked, a hint of melancholy coloring her tone as she stared at the bridge.

"Not a lot of bridges over Canter Creek," Lightning frowned, crossing her arms.

Fluttershy silently glared at the structure, a bit of her magic flaring in response to her anger.

"It should be demolished," she hissed.

"Yeah," Vinyl sighed, staring at the ground. "Considering its track record."

"Huh?" Both girls said in unison as they turned their heads towards the DJ.

"Did some research when we got back. Turns out that bridge is a pretty common suicide bridge. At least one person throws themselves off it each month. Earned it the nickname Death Bridge about a year ago."

They gawked in horror at their friend then shifted their gaze back towards the bridge. As they did, a morbid thought passed between them.

"Y-You don't think-," Lightning gulped

"Nah," Vinyl said with a dry chuckle. "If she jumped it'd be on the news by now."

"That's good," Fluttershy sighed, placing a hand on her chest.

In spite of the trace of joy that thought gave her, she couldn't help giving the bridge an uneasy glare. There was just something about the structure that felt wrong to her. It was like she was staring at a hiding predator, like a trapdoor spider waiting for some unsuspecting mouse to wander by. The thought of so many people falling to their deaths put a chill down her spine, a fact that became even more horrible when she remembered that Sunset almost became the bridge's next victim. As she stared at the grim structure, a figure on its side platform caught her attention.

"Who's that?" Fluttershy asked, mostly to herself as she squinted at the figure.

"Who's who?" Lightning asked, trying to follow Fluttershy's line of sight.

"There," she said, pointing towards the figure.

"Don't know," Vinyl said grimly. "But if they're here alone that can't be a good sign."

"Hold on," Lightning said, reaching into her jacket pocket. "Might as well see how good these things are over here."

As she said that, she pulled out a pair of brass goggles and strapped them on. The second they were in place, she focused on the figure on the bridge. Her eyes widened when the spell on the goggles zoomed in on the figure.

"FUCK!" she roared and bolted as fast as the could towards the bridge.

She barely registered her friends startled cries as she ran, sheer terror tearing through her veins. She made it to the bridge's entry stairs in seconds and pushed herself to move faster, jumping up three steps at a time.

"Hell no! Not gonna happen!" she panted as she cleared the stares and rammed into the metal door at the top.

The second she made it onto the bridge's main pedestrian platform, she scanned her surroundings for the reason she was there. A figure with a messy head of rainbow hair looking over the bridge's guardrail grabbed her attention.

"DON'T YOU DARE!!!" she roared as she bolted towards the girl.

Rainbow had just enough time to turn her head towards the running girl before said girl tackled her to the ground. The sporty teen let out a groan as she pushed Lightning off of herself.

"What the hell Lightning?" she groaned, rubbing the back of her head.

"Don't give me that," Lightning growled as she stood back up. "If I hadn't been here someone would've been fishing you out of the creek."

"What?" Rainbow blinked.

"You were about to jump!" Lightning exclaimed.

"No I wasn't," Rainbow sighed, rising to her own feet. "I was just getting some air."

"I bet," Lightning grumbled. "Look Rainbow, I may not like you all that much right now, but I still don't want you to off yourself. That's not going to fix anything."

"I know," Rainbow said flatly. "That's why I wasn't going to do it."

Lightning's anger faded away when she gave her former friend and rival a good long look. The girl looked like she hadn't taken care of herself in a while, which was really saying something. While she wasn't as into her looks as most girls were, she always made sure to do the minimum bits of maintenance in regards to her appearance. The bags under her eyes showed just how much sleep she had been getting and the lack of energy she gave off reminded Lightning of a zombie.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Rainbow sighed, forcing a smile. "I'm just working through some things. No biggie."

"Bullshit," Lightning growled. "You look like hell. Spill it."

Rainbow stared blankly at her for a minute, then sighed as she stood limp before her former friend. Her head fell forward as a dead voice fell past her lips.

"I pushed her to this. I made her think this was an option Lightning. I hurt her so bad that she thought that she had to kill herself to make it stop. All of this was going to be the last things she saw before she died."

As she said that, she gestured to the sheet metal and steel girders that made up Canter Bridge with an arm before she let it fall limply to her side.

"And if that wasn't bad enough," she continued. "I nearly planed to sick a mob on her. What the hell is wrong with me? Am I really that screwed up?"

Slowly, she raised her head until she locked her dead eyes with Lightning.

"I-I'm scared Lightning. I don't know what is wrong with me and it scares the hell out of me."

Lightning's stared Rainbow down for a minute, her face unreadable as she tried to find the words she needed. This was a delicate situation and unfortunately for Lightning, delicate wasn't her thing most of the time.

She brought this upon herself, The Voice said, tone empty of emotion. She betrayed Sunset.

I know that, Lightning thought. But I can't leave things like this. I hope she can forgive me later.

"Hey," Lightning snapped. "I'm gonna ask you something and I want an honest answer. No bullshit. Got it?"

Rainbow nodded.

"I'm serious," she frowned.

"Yeah," Rainbow sighed. "Ask away."

"Have you thought about killing yourself lately?"

For several minutes Rainbow stayed deathly still, then gave a stiff nod.

"I thought about it a couple times, but my shrink's helping me keep that under control."

"You've got a counselor then? Good. That'll make things a bit easier."

Rainbow nodded stiffly.

"Look," Lightning sighed. "You still have my number, right?"

Again, Rainbow nodded.

"Then if things get a bit much for you, send me a text or call me. Like I said, I'm still mad at you, but I don't want to see a report about how someone found you rotting in a ditch somewhere or something."

"D-Do you mean that?" she stammered, traces of shock forming in the blue girl's dead features.

"Of course," Lightning said with a sad smile.

She flinched when Rainbow suddenly threw her arms around her and balled into her shoulder, but quickly shook off the shock as she held her former friend and rival.

"You're gonna get through this," Lightning smiled. "I promise."

A light squeaking from the metal door Lightning barreled through and a pair of panting breaths announced the presence of the two friends she left behind.

"A-Are we interrupting something?" Vinyl gasped.

"Kinda," Lightning shrugged, still hugging a crying Rainbow. "Let's just say Sunset and Derpy are gonna have a few choice words for me later."

"I-Is she going to be okay?" Fluttershy panted, fear heavy in her eyes given the bridge's apparent reputation.

"She will be," Lightning frowned. "I'm gonna make sure of it."

***

Octavia hummed a happy tune as she walked through the busy city streets, loaded shopping bags hanging loosely from her left arm while scrolling through her phone with her right. While she was more then happy with the gifts her parents gave her, she couldn't deny that they had a rather limited understanding when it came to the appeal of casual clothes. Fine dresses and formal wear were certainly worthy of her social status, but certain occasions called for a simple T-shirt and jeans.

She gave the bag an appreciative smile as she adjusted her designer faux-fur coat.

"Nothing like a little shopping to help one unwind for a bit," she murmured to herself as she put her phone away.

The familiar hum of city noise calmed her as she made her way through the loaded streets. Many took such a din for granted, but her brief stay in Equestria reminded her of how much that cluster of white noise was a part of her. While the quiet simplicity of Ponyville was refreshing, it felt almost alien to her after spending so much of her life in the bustle of Canterlot City. For many it was noise. For her, it was home.

As she walked she noticed a local park in the distance. Getting her bearings, she noted that it was roughly in the direction of her home. Granted, it would put her out of her way by a few minutes, but not by enough to really matter in the long run.

Oh, why not? she thought with a shrug.

As she stepped onto the park's grounds, the sounds of the city were muffled by the simple tranquility of nature. The sights and smells of snow and plants balanced well with the beeping of horns in the distance and the faint taste of exhaust in the air. It was a strange form of harmony, but one that Octavia found her zen in much the same way as when she was holding her cello.

Her good mood dimmed when she saw a familiar girl sitting in on nearby park bench. Though sitting was too general of a term. She was slumped forward in her seat, her normally well brushed purple curls a mangled mess hiding her face. Surrounding her were countless empty bottles with labels that made Octavia's heart drop. A deep frown carved its way across her face as she approached the girl.

"I thought you kicked this habit," she said coldly, staring down at the girl.

She flinched, then slowly raised her head to face Octavia.

Rarity's eyes were red and puffy from crying with none of her makeup to hide the growing bags under her eyes. The blue eyes that locked with Octavia's lavender ones were empty of all emotion beyond self-loathing. The musician's frown softened slightly as concern wormed its way into her heart.

"Talk," she intoned, taking a seat next to her former friend.

"What is there to talk about?" Rarity asked hollowly as her face turned back to the ground.

"What indeed," Octavia sighed. "Perhaps why you're out here getting drunk would be a good place to start."

"Why do you care?" Rarity hissed. "I thought we were done. That associating with me would damage your reputation."

"A lady is allowed to change her mind when the situation calls for it," Octavia sighed. "Such as when one sees their old friend destroying themselves in a park. Now talk."

Rarity stayed silent for a few minutes, then let out a shaky sigh as she broke the silence.

"I-I think a part of me wants to hurt my sister. Every time I have too much to drink, I damage something that reminds me of her. But the drink makes the pain stop. It makes the pain from hurting Sunset so deeply stop. I know it's selfish of me, but I can't take it Octavia. It's like I have ice in my veins and everything inside me is rotting from it!"

She turned to face her friend, tears running down her face as she broke down.

"I.....need this Octavia. Even if it's destroying me I need this to deal with the pain."

For a moment, Octavia stared in stunned shock at her friend, only for red hot anger to fill her like steam in a kettle.

"You're right. That is selfish."

She grabbed the weeping girl by the shoulders and glared into her eyes with the intensity of an air-bound falcon.

"What do you think this will accomplish? Will this make the pain stop? Will this make up for what happened between you and Sunset? Will your family be happy to see you like this? God damn it Rarity, WHAT WAS IT THAT GAVE YOU THE STRENGTH TO STOP THIS IN THE PAST?! TELL ME!!!"

Rarity's eyes widened in the face of Octavia's words, a bit of life seen flickering in the blue orbs as they took hold of what little fire she still held in her heart.

"M-My mother. M-My father. And my..."

Octavia sighed, then said, "You feel bad for what you did to Sunset? Imagine how Sweetie feels for a moment. She pushed a girl to attempt suicide and has to live with that for the rest of her life. She needs you to be strong. So please, stop this."

The small embers that Octavia saw turned into a roaring flame as her former friend gave her a determined, yet shaky smile.

"I-I will try."

"Not good enough," Octavia grimaced. "I don't want you to try. That isn't what stopped this in the past. Be better. Be the sister she needs. Will you do that?"

"Y-Yes," she said shakily.

"More conviction," Octavia demanded.

"Y-Yes," Rarity said, a bit less uncertainty in her tone.

"Are you trying to convince yourself or me? Show me that strong heart we both know you have!"

"Yes!" Rarity yelled, a raging inferno blazing in her eyes she locked eyes with the musician. "I will get through this! I will be better! Rarity Belle is no quitter!"

"Good to hear love," Octavia said, a faint smile gracing her lips. "And your sister?"

A sad smile formed on Rarity's lips as the fire within her dimmed slightly.

"I will do whatever I can to help her."

"Excellent," Octavia beamed. "Now, about this."

As she said that, she kicked a glass bottle to the side and Rarity blushed.

"I-I suppose I went a little overboard on my instead didn't I?"

"Your what?" she asked.

"Well, my therapist suggested that I find a substitute for my, uh, coping tool as it were. Since it worked last time, I bought a six pack of root beer for when the urge got a bit much."

Octavia counted the discarded bottles, then gave the girl a quirked brow.

"Love, there are thirty bottles on the ground."

"I made multiple trips," she said sheepishly as she wiped her tears away.

"Indeed," she said, a light chuckle escaping her. "Would you please hand me your phone?"

Nodding, Rarity handed over the device in question. After a few quick screen taps, she returned the phone to its owner. A brief investigation made Rarity's eyes widen with shock before shifting to the faintly smiling young woman before her.

"Be sure to use that when you run out of root beer. I will always make time for you, love."

"B-But what about Sunset?" Rarity stammered.

"I will make sure to let her know the circumstances when I tell her. Don't worry love. Things will get better from here."

***

Bonbon sighed as she stared at the massive display of blue Magic the Gathering cards in Card Stock's shop. Like she pointed out to Sunset, she wasn't as huge of a fan of the game as Lyra, but that didn't mean she didn't update her deck whenever she had the chance. The problem was that it had been so long since she last did this that the choices were too massive to sift through. Not helping was her growing concern with her friend's sudden interest in black cards, a set of magic cards that Lyra had avoided like the plague for as long as the two had known each other.

"Hey Bonbon, which do you think I should use?" Lyra asked, from one of the aisles.

Bonbon sighed, then walked in the direction she heard her friend's voice. When she got there she found her friend standing in front of an uncomfortably grim display of fever dreams on card stock.

"Which ones are you talking about?" she asked, grimacing at the umbral horrors for sale.

"This guy and this guy," Lyra said, pointing to two cards in particular.

Bonbon looked at the two cards and was relieved that they were at least humanoid. The artwork of most of the black cards always disturbed her. Generally, they ranged from Lovecraftian mutations to things strait out of gothic horror. At least the cards from her preferred color tended to lean more towards the technical side of things or were relatively easy on the eyes. Lyra seemed to be interested in a couple of black knights that were equal parts impressive and imposing, something Bonbon could handle.

Looking over both cards she pointed to one of them and said, "This one looks good. You should be able to get a few good plays going if you get the right support cards for it."

Lyra put a hand up to her chin and stared at the card, mulling over what her friend said as she did.

"Good point. Plus, Knight of Ebon Legion is pretty easy to summon and he doesn't cost that much."

"For once," Bonbon sighed. "Honestly, how can you afford some of the cards you buy sometimes?"

"Tournaments pay pretty well when you win," Lyra snickered.

"Looks that way," she said, rolling her eyes.

Lyra was about to respond to that, only for something behind her friend to make her pause. Curious, Bonbon turned to look at what had her friend's attention. What she saw made her grimace.

Standing a couple feet away from them in another aisle was none other then Applejack. The farmer seemed to be staring at a set of green cards, though it was difficult to tell if she was admiring them or deciding if she wanted to buy them. Not helping was how blank her eyes seemed to be as they shifted from card to card. Adding to their concern was how out of it the teen seemed to be. Bonbon was used to seeing the farm girl full of life and pride as she went about her days practically flooding with life. Now she looked like she was barely holding herself together as she scanned the aisle she was in like an animated scarecrow.

What Lyra saw made her heart fall into her stomach like a lead weight. For a short moment she saw the farm girl standing in an open plane surrounded by forests with pools of dark sludge covering her and her surroundings like cancerous boils. Several elves and elementals looked to be covered with the same toxic substance as they meandered through the damaged scenery. When the scene shifted back to the card shop, a determined frown formed on her face as Lyra approached the girl. Bonbon sighed as she followed.

"Yo," Lyra said, waving at her.

Applejack flinched, then leveled a stiff smile as she said, "H-Howdy. Been a while, hadn't it?"

"Yeah," Bonbon frowned. "Never pegged you as a card shark. Got a deck in mind?"

Applejack shied away from the pair at that and shook her head.

"Granny and Mac told me ta' find somethin' ta' do today. Said Ah'd been spendin' too much time in the orchard lately."

"Aren't the trees hibernating this time of year?" Bonbon asked.

Applejack nodded, the shadow of her bangs hiding her eyes from them.

"Then why are you in the orchard?" Bonbon probed.

Applejack didn't say anything at that. Instead, she turned her head towards the wall of forest cards and treefolk.

"Ah like trees," she said stiffly. "Always have. Being around them helps me think sometimes. Makes me feel safe. Lately, Ah've been wondering if Ah deserve that. Maybe Ah aint a true apple after all."

Bonbon took a step back at that. The sorry state of her former friend was one thing, but this was something else entirely. Lyra picked up on that, but instead of rearing back she moved forwards towards the hollow young woman.

"That's the biggest load of bull I've ever heard," Lyra frowned, placing a hand on Applejack's shoulder. "Right Bons?"

Frown deepening, Bonbon nodded as she moved to her friend's side.

"You screwed up," Bonbon added, making Applejack flinch slightly. "But you want to make up for it. That's what really matters, right?"

Reluctantly, Applejack nodded.

Bonbon's brow twitched at that.

"That wasn't very convincing," she said flatly. "Where's the nerve you had last week when you came here? Where's that pride you Apples are always talking about?"

Applejack cringed back again at that, then muttered, "Bad apples don't deserve pride."

Bonbon's jaw clenched as a flurry of words ran to the tip of her tongue. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed them and instead grabbed the wayward farmer's hand.

"Come with me," she said, gently pulling the girl along.

Lyra exchanged a look with Bonbon as she dragged Applejack away. Lyra sighed and resumed her stroll through the shop, knowing full well that if her friend needed her she wouldn't hesitate to let her know. One way or another.

Please snap her out of this Bony, she thought, twisted images of a poisoned landscape flashing through her head. She needs it more then you think.

***

Applejack didn't resist as Bonbon lead her to the very same door Lyra lead her through the last time she was in the store.

"Do you mind if I borrow the room Card Stock?" Bonbon asked, casting a sad smile towards the shop's owner.

He nodded and with an appreciative smile, she pushed the door open and guided her former friend through the door.

"Alright, now talk," Bonbon frowned. "We've know each other for years and I've never seen you like this. Not even when you accidentally burnt down one of your family's barns."

"I-It's none yall's business Bonbon," Applejack frowned.

"To bad I'm making it my business," Bonbon growled. "Now talk."

Applejack glared at her for a few seconds, then sighed as she stared down at the ground.

"Yall've always been like this Bons. Never takin' no for an answer when ya'll wanted something done."

"It's why our familys always worked so well together," she said with a smile. "When one of us did something stupid or messed up, we'd light a fire under the other."

A sad chuckle slipped past Applejack's lips at that.

"Lately, mah hide's been burning somethin' fierce. It's mah own fault too."

"A little," Bonbon sighed. "You were't the one who framed someone. You just fell for a stupid trick just like half of the other idiots in class."

"But Ah should've known better," she growled, hands clenched into tight fists as the weight of her crimes fell onto her shoulders. "Ah've spend time with Sunset. We all did! We should've known that it was all just a load of crap! Hell, Ah even told her we were like family! Family Bons! How could Ah turn on her like that if she was my family?!"

For a moment, Bonbon let the farm girl stand there, tears of rage and self-loathing sliding down her face as she let what little armor she held on her heart finally fall. Then, the pink and blue hared girl did something that made Applejack gasp in shock; she pulled her into a gentle embrace.

"We all do stupid things when we're hurt," she sighed, gently rubbing Applejack's back. "At least, that's what my granny once told me. It doesn't mean we're bad so long as we are willing to fix things when the dust settles. Do you want to fix this?"

"More than anything," she sobbed, burying her face into Bonbon's shoulder.

"Then you're not a bad apple. Neither is your sister from what I've heard. You're just a pair of people who had a case of stupid for a little while."

Applejack chuckled wetly at that, then said, "Ya sound a lot like the shrink Ah've been seeing lately."

"Then you better take what I'm saying seriously," she frowned. "Or so help me, I'll tie you up and make you. Got me?"

"Yeah," Applejack smiled, finally feeling a little bit like her old self again. "Ah got yah Bons."

"Same here, cousin," she sighed, letting a bit more tenderness enter her tone. "Just call me when things get like this. I may be mad at you, but that doesn't mean I don't worry about you."

"Right," Applejack sighed. "Ah'll keep that in mind."

"You better," she smiled.

Ch.24 A Dragon's Treasure

A soft smile spread across Sunset's face as the warmth of her covers eased her out of the land of dreams. Aiding in this mission was a pair of arms wrapped around her from the front. Her eyes fluttered open and what she saw made her smile grow even wider. Derpy laid before her, a look of pure peace decorating her sleeping face peeking out from beneath a mop of messy blond hair. A light warmth covered her cheeks as she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, slowly pulling the sleeping girl into the waking world.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Sunset purred.

"M-Morning," Derpy stammered, sleep dulling all but the wild blush growing on her cheeks. "S-Sunset?"

"Yeah?" she asked, smile growing a little as she leaned in a little closer.

"W-Why are you in my room?"

"Guess again," she giggled.

A small gulp came out of the girl as she gave the room a quick once over.

"O-Okay. Why am I in your room?"

"You tell me," Sunset purred, lightly trailing a hand across her girlfriend's side.

Derpy's brain blue-screened as she tried to figure out how she ended up in her current situation. Not exactly an easy thing to do while wrapped in the arms of the girl she was absolutely crazy about. Her face started to burn hotter by the second as she gazed deeply into Sunset's half-open cyan eyes. The cheshire's grin the fiery teen flashed her sent a delightful chill down her spine as Sunset's lips slowly closed in on her own. When she was just a breath away from Derpy's lips, Sunset let out a small giggle as she pulled herself away from her frazzled girlfriend.

"Not yet,"Sunset smiled, stretching as she got out of bed. "We need to put a lock on the door first."

Derpy blinked dumbly for a moment, then sharply sat up the second her brain rebooted.

"No fair," she pouted, blanket wrapped around her like a hooded cloak.

"Can't let Dinky find us like that," Sunset giggled as she sat down in front of her vanity and reached for a brush. "Your mom's cool and all, but I think she'd lose it if that happened."

"Yeah," Derpy sighed, staring at the bed.

"Plus," Sunset smirked. "We need to soundproof the room first, Miss Screamer."

Derpy's face turned beet red just before she wrapped herself in the blanket.

"J-Jerk!" Derpy squeaked from her fortress of fabric.

Sunset chuckled as she ran the brush through her hair.

"Says the girl who snuck into the dragon's den in the middle of the night," Sunset said with a cheeky grin.

"Had to check on my dragon," Derpy shot back, a smug smile visible past her light blush.

"Well you know what they say," Sunset smirked, glancing over her shoulder at her bed-bound lover. "Nothing's more greedy then a dragon."

Derpy loudly gulped at the hungry look in her girlfriend's eyes before letting out a yelp as she fell out of the bed. The covers weren't far behind her as the heavy blanket fell with a soft thump and a series of muffled curses.

"Are you okay?" Sunset asked, turning in her seat.

"Yeah," Derpy groaned as she dragged herself back onto the bed.

Sunset chuckled, then turned back to the mirror. Just as she was about to resume her brushing, her bedroom door burst open.

"Good morning Sunset!" Dinky cheered. Mama says breakfast will be re-"

Dinky froze when she saw her sister sitting on Sunset's bed, then gave a sheepish smile as she slowly walked backwards out of the room.

"Sorry," she whispered, reaching for the door. "I'll come back later."

The door closed with a soft click as the two girls slowly processed what just happened.

"Well," Sunset blinked. "Looks like we scarred Dinky already." Then smiled wickedly as she asked,"Wanna do it?"

"Jerk!" Derpy laughed, chucking a pillow at the sitting girl.

***

So much for scarring her, Sunset thought, struggling to eat her pancakes with a little kid hugging her left side. What was all that this morning anyway? I'm not normally that forward, am I? I probably got too much sleep. Yeah, that's it! I've been sleeping in a proper bed recently and its making me loopy or something. That has to be it!"And perhaps Miss Derpy is secretly a Changeling," a female voice said, a knowing edge coloring her tone.

Sunset flinched and looked around.

"Did someone say something?" she asked.

Time Turner looked up from his phone and shook his head.

"I don't think so."

"O-Oh," Sunset chuckled. "Guess I'm just hearing things."

Derpy leveled a concerned frown towards her girlfriend as she placed a hand on her's.

"You okay Sunset?" she asked. "You've been acting...different sense we came back from Equestria."

"I-It's nothing," Sunset stammered, now very focused on her barely touched breakfast.

"She's right," Rose smirked over her coffee mug. "You've gotten a little gutsier sense you went to Magic Land. Anything you need to tell me?"

"Like what?" Sunset gulped.

"Well, am I going to need to buy a couple of wedding dresses soon?"

"Mooooom!" Derpy groaned, burning face hidden behind her hands.

"N-N-Not for a long while ma'am," Sunset stammered, her face quickly turning the same shade of red as her hair.

Time let out a relieved sigh as he went back to his phone and added, "A bit early to be shoving them down the aisle, isn't it dear?"

"Maybe," Rose chuckled. "But it doesn't hurt to check. Sunny's a royal after all."

"She is?" Dinky asked staring up at Sunset with wide eyes.

"Kind of," Sunset shrugged. "My mom is a Princess."

Dinky's face lit up a that.

"YAY! My big sis is sleeping with a Princess!"

Time Turner spat a mouthful of coffee clean across the table at that while Rose's smirk grew a bit more.

"D-Dinky, what do you mean by that?" Time asked, shakily wiping his face with a napkin.

"I, um, went to Sunset's room to let her know that breakfast was ready and saw big sis in Sunset's bed," Dinky said, a sheepish smile growing on her face.

"Tick tock dear," Rose chuckled.

"Not funny," he grumbled.

"W-We didn't do anything!" Derpy exclaimed, face burning.

"Oh we know," Rose chuckled. "Trust me, we'd know if you two did anything last night. The walls here are pretty thin."

Time nodded as he took another sip of his coffee.

An annoyed blush heated up Derpy's face while Sunset's whole head turned into a perfect impression of a fireball.

Now I know I need to reel myself in.

"But then again," Rose added. "It's not like we'd need to worry about becoming grandparents anytime soon."

"Well," Sunset fidgeted. "There is a spell for that kind of thing."

Rose blinked owlishly at that while Time let out a yelp as his half-full mug slipped out of his hand and landed on his lap.

***

Sunset groaned as she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

So much for quiet mornings, she thought tiredly as she put some toothpaste on her toothbrush. I don't know how many mornings like this I can take. I thought after Anon-a-Miss things would slowdown for a while. Guess that's too much to hope for.

As she brushed her teeth, she remembered how things use to be. The cold nights struggling to find a way to survive. The lonely days staring out into the open coast. The quiet nights she spent in the school library studying. Even when she befriended the Rainbooms the slow gnawing numbness of loneliness and silence ate away at her every chance it could. But then she met Derpy and everything changed. Her nights were warm, her days exciting, and silence not quite so oppressively smothering. She didn't need to focus exclusively on survival and instead could be truly happy for the first time since coming to Terra.

Perhaps that's a good thing, she mused as she spat out some toothpaste and leaned into the running sink to rinse her mouth out.

"Indeed," said a pleased female voice.

Sunset quickly straitened herself, mouth still full of water as she looked around for the source of the voice. Some movement in the mirror caught her attention and what she saw made her spray it in shock. Coughing, she stared with wide eyes at the figure staring back at her. The figure in the mirror looked exactly like her, but was dressed in a flowing red hooded cloak covered with runic symbols. The shadow of the figure's hood hid her eyes, but failed to conceal her smile as Sunset gaped at her double.

"W-Who are you?" Sunset stammered. "What do you want?"

"Be at ease Sunset Shimmer," the figure smiled, bowing to the startled teen. "I mean you no harm. I am Acceptance, an Element of Harmony born from the depths of your soul."

"A what?" she asked, still shaken by the figure's sudden appearance.

"Do you not know of my older siblings?" Acceptance asked. "I would think one with your schooling would know of them. Perhaps Magic did not leave as strong an impression on you as she should've before she left you."

"Of course I know about the elements," Sunset snapped. "It's just that the last time I checked, Acceptance wasn't one of them."

"Indeed," Acceptance nodded. "I am not one of the originals, but I am an Element all the same."

"Right," Sunset frowned. "Let's assume for a second that I believe you. What do you want?"

"A simple conversation," Acceptance said, a small smile gracing her lips. "I have been wanting to make my presence known to you for so long, but your heart had been so chaotic recently that such a thing was near impossible. It is only now that you have healed that I can properly connect to you."

Connect?

A deep frown formed on Sunset's face as she asked, "Are you the reason I've been so weird lately?"

Acceptance chuckled at that, then said, "I am afraid that I have no power over what lies in your blood. I am merely a shield to be used against the trials of life."

"What do you mean my blood?"

"You said it yourself this morning," Acceptance smiled. "Nothing is more greedy than a dragon."

"Huh?"

Acceptance smiled knowingly as she explained.

"The seal on your true magic has been weakened since your battle with Gold Vine. As such, certain aspects of your heritage has leaked into you as well. On top of gaining a dragon's power and courage, you have also gained a bit of their greed and desire."

"So, now I have dragon hormones on top of everything else?" Sunset asked flatly.

"Indeed," Acceptance smirked.

Sunset groaned as palm met face.

"Perfect," she sighed. "What next? Am I going to be attacked by a dryad tomorrow?"

"Not likely," Acceptance frowned thoughtfully. "They have not been seen in this world in over a hundred years."

"Considering my luck, it's probably going to happen," she grumbled.

"Indeed," Acceptance frowned. "Though I feel your current threat is far more important."

A deep rage filled Sunset as she leveled a cold frown at her reflection and asked, "What threat?"

"I am not sure," the element sighed. "Neither my predecessors or I have encountered anything like her. All we know is that she is a fierce monster that lives to spread despair and tragedy. She also has developed a strong interest in you and your friends."

"What kind of interest?" she asked, hands trembling with anger.

"A dangerous kind," the element growled. "She tried to make a move when you and your friends returned, but we were able to ward her off. I believe Forgiveness even tried to eat her."

"Is that another new element?" Sunset asked, slowly starting to reel in her anger.

Acceptance nodded.

"She was born not long after I was. Apparently, Kindness left her to watch over her former bearer before she fully separated from her. That one is very scary when angered."

"I think I can guess who she's bonded with," Sunset sighed. "Is there anything else you can tell me about this new threat? A name? A description?"

"Unfortunately no," she sighed. "Magic and the rest battled her for days, but even they know next to nothing about her. All they know is that she is a woman, and a very powerful one at that."

Sunset's heart sank into her stomach at that. Not only was some whack-job apparently out to get her, but they were after her friends too. Her blood ran cold as her imagination crafted horrible fates for all of them, each more brutal than the last. When Derpy's possible fate came to mind, her fear shifted into white hot rage.

No. I'm not going to let that happen. I don't care what I have to do. I will not let anything hurt her!

"Damn it," Sunset growled, slamming a fist onto the bathroom counter. "Is there anything I can do?"

"There is," Acceptance smiled. "Keep doing what you have been."

"What?" Sunset snapped.

"This monster feeds off of despair, but love seems to repel her. That, and the magic of an element seems to prevent her influence from affecting others. As long as Kindness and I are here, she won't be able to harm anyone in the house."

She let out a relived sigh at that. Knowing that her presence protected the people around her from whatever was on the prowl was a huge relief. At the very least, it gave her time to form a plan of attack. It was as her anger and fear faded away that her element's words finally took hold.

"Kindness is here? Who'd she bond with?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Acceptance smirked.

Sunset froze.

"Derpy?"

She nodded.

"I must say," Acceptance smirked. "You certainly don't hold back when it comes to finding a suitable mate. That Dragon's blood burns hot, doesn't it?"

"Shut up," Sunset frowned, crossing her arms and looking away as a hot blush colored her cheeks.

***

"How did you talk me into this?" Sunset groaned, rubbing her sore butt as she staggered over to a bench.

Derpy laughed as she helped her girlfriend get to her salvation.

"Hey, thanks to that comment at breakfast, you should be glad dad let us out of the house," she smirked, easing Sunset into the bench.

She let out an agonized hiss as she gently settled herself onto the cold wood and looked out at the source of her misery. While she liked to watch, she never considered actually doing any iceskating. The sport looked like the kind of thing that required a special kind of patience and a cast iron ass to master. Seeing as Sunset lacked both, the urge to give the sport a try never really crossed her mind. Then Derpy and Dinky gave her a pair of pleading eyes and her fate was sealed. No force could ever hope to stand against such an overwhelmingly powerful force of cute. Now there she was, sitting on a bench near the coast of a frozen lake outside the city limits with a sore butt and a pair of rental skates strapped to her feet.

Stupid ice, she thought bitterly, glaring at the frozen menace as the other skaters moved across it.

"I just said that there was a spell for that sort of thing. I didn't say I knew how to cast it!"

"Doesn't mean much," Derpy sighed, casting a glance at another bench a couple dozen feet away.

Sunset followed her line of sight and glowered at the parent pretending to look at his phone. While Sunset could understand Time Turner's position, it didn't make her any less irate over the implications. She wasn't anywhere near ready to have a kid and she would never force that kind of thing on Derpy or anyone for that matter. Maybe further down the line if things worked out well for them, but not while they were still in High School of all things.

At least the dragon hormones let me keep that bit of control, she thought as she shifted her attention back to the ice.

"Dinky's pretty good out there," she smirked.

"Yeah," Derpy chuckled as she sat beside her. "She's a natural."

She nodded as she watched the grade schooler glide across the ice like a pro. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Dinky almost dance as she slid between other skaters, a wide grin plastered across her face as she moved. Seeing the bubbly girl so happy warmed Sunset's heart in a way that she never felt before. It was like staring at the brightest star in the darkest night, beautiful and sacred to the point of worship. So much so that she felt an unbreakable urge to protect her from everything that could hurt her.

The same desire she had for the girl sitting next to her.

Acceptance's warnings echoed through her head as she watched Dinky skate and a cold chill ran through her. Something was out there right now that wanted Sunset dead, hiding in the shadows to get a chance to sink its fangs into her. That alone was a sobering thought, but who's to say that this thing would stop with just her? If it got her, who would protect her friends? Who would protect Derpy and Dinky? The chill in her heart vanished as the thought of losing those she cared about made her blood boil.

Derpy let out a startled yelp as Sunset pulled her into a one-armed embrace.

"S-Sunset? You okay?" she asked, worry heavy in her tone as she stared up at her girlfriend.

"Yeah," she smiled, kissing the top of Derpy's head. "Just wanted to have you a little closer is all."

Derpy giggled then eased herself into her girlfriend's embrace as she watched her sister skate. Sunset did the same, enjoying the moment of peace for as long as she could.

I won't let "her" get them, she thought, holding Derpy a little tighter against her. I don't care if I have to die to do it. I. Will. Not. Let. Them. Die. Period.

"Hey Sunset?" Derpy asked, giggling as she snuggled into her side.

"Yeah?"

"You're really warm, you know that?"

Sunset laughed then flashed a wide grin as she said, "Didn't you hear? All dragons are hot."

"Damn right you are," Derpy smirked. "And my dragon's the hottest."

Sunset laughed as she planted a soft kiss onto her girlfriend's forehead.

And a dragon always protects its treasure, Sunset thought as she shifted her attention back to the frozen lake. No matter what it is.

Ch.25 Baubles and Gemstones

The Ponyville quarry seldom played host to sapient life. For the most part, the only things to occupy the dark stone tunnel systems were the wild bats too frail or skittish to live in the Everfree Forest. A set of hoofsteps echoed off of the walls as a new inhabitant made herself known.

"Are you sure about this Tattle?" Pinkie asked, the hood of her red trench coat shadowing the top half of her head.

"Absolutely," he said, borrowing her vision and hearing to take in their surroundings. "While we have a lot of them, our bits can't last forever. It would be a good idea to collect a small nest of gems to use when that happens."

"Right," she frowned, staring idly at the walls as she walked.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed with a small smile.

Tattle's frowning face appeared in her mind's eye.

"What's wrong?"

A deep scowl marred her face as she came to a stop.

"It's nothing I can fix right now Tattle."

"Enlighten me," he said, a raised brow audible in his tone.

Pinkie held her scowl for a few seconds, then let out a defeated sigh as she fell to her haunches.

"Christmas was two days ago. My big sisters are probably freaking out right now, especially Maud and Marble. Limestone's probably holding the whole police station hostage trying to find me. Mom and Dad are probably tearing the city apart."

Her lip started to tremble as the gravity of her current situation started to weigh down on her yet again.

"I...I miss them Tattle."

A warm pressure surrounded her as the Dream Cat's magic embraced her. "Once you've mastered your powers, you will be able to recross the gap that lead you here. You just need to be patient."

"I-I know," she sniffled, tears starting to trail down her face. "But what if I can't do it? What if I'm stuck here? What if I do figure out how to get back, but I'll be so old there wouldn't be a point anymore. What if-"

"Pinkie!" Tattle barked.

"Y-Yeah?" she whimpered.

"None of that," he sighed. "You will find a way to get back. You have the power. You just need to learn how to use it."

It was true. While it wasn't as fast as she wanted, she was making progress in learning how to control her power. Thanks to Tattle's lessons, her "walking" range had greatly increased over the past few days. At the very least, she could now gapwalk from her shelter to the edge of Ponyville and back again without passing out. Considering her situation, that was a massively relieving piece of progress.

"R-Right," she said, a shaky sigh sliding past her lips as they curled into a small smile. "Thanks Tattle."

"Anytime," he said, a smirk coloring his tone. "Now, ready to make some money?"

"Yeah," she chuckled. "How do we do this?"

"First, we need to find a gem cavity. They look like stone bubbles fused to the cave walls."

"Right," she smiled a she scanned the surrounding walls.

Cave bubbles...cave bubbles....

A strange bulge in a nearby wall caught her attention.

"That it?" she asked, pointing at the deformation.

"Yep!"

A wide grin spread across Pinkie's muzzle as she closed in on the gem cavity. When she was about a foot away from it, she took a moment to marvel at it. It was about the size and shape of a large beach ball with a course surface. It kind of reminded Pinkie of a pimple only much less gross.

"So, what do I do know?"

"You need to break it open. Since we don't have any tools, you'll need to buck it."

"I need to what?!" she exclaimed, her face turning beet red as she took a couple steps back.

"Buck it," he repeated, a hint of confusion present in his tone. "You know, turn around and hit it with your rear hooves?"

"Oh, you said buck," she giggled, shaking her blush away. "I thought you said something else."

"What did you thin-"

A long pause filled Pinkie's mind as Tattle took a minute to recalibrate his own before he continued his explanation.

"Right," he said, sounding like he was clearing his throat. "Anyway, if you hit it hard enough, you should be able to get the gems inside."

"Got it," she smirked as she got herself into position. "It's kind of like a piñata, isn't it?"

"I suppose," he mused. "I have never seen one before, so I wouldn't know."

"WHAT?!" she exclaimed, jaw hanging open at the sheer impossibility of it all. "Tattle, how many birthday parties have you had?"

An image of her friend putting a paw to his chin came to mind as he hummed in thought.

"Six. Though to be fair, mother has been fairly busy for a long while."

"And how old are you again?"

"Time flows differently in the Dreamworld, but I believe I'm seventeen. I've only recently synchronized with the material world's time-flow."

"So that means you're eleven years behind."

A wicked smile spread across her face as she added, "Tonight, you're gonna have a blast."

"What do you have planned," he gulped.

"Let's just say walking is gonna be an issue," she giggled.

Tattle laughed at that as a cheshire's grin flashed into Pinkie's mind's eye.

"I look forward to it. But first, let's harvest some gems."

"Gotcha'," she smirked, then launched a hind leg out into the gem cavity.

A loud crunch echoed off of the walls, followed by a chorus of clinks as clear white gems spilled out of the wall. Pinkie's eyes widened and jaw dropped when she turned to look at what she unleashed. Diamonds the size of chicken eggs trickled out of the wall and covered the floor like water. Her hooves shook as she held the precious stones up to her eyes to better examine them, her heart beating harder by the second as she confirmed that what she was holding was one hundred percent authentic. Years of working on her dad's stone processing plant and spending time with her sister made her something of an expert when it came to stones and gems. Granted, she wasn't anywhere near her sister's level, but she could at least tell the difference between diamond and countless other similar crystals.

"Hmmm... yes, this should work," Tattle mused. "With this we should be able to keep you well fed for a few weeks when our bits run out."

"I will rule them all," Pinkie muttered, a wide grin slowly growing across her muzzle.

"Pinkie?"

"I will rule the world!" she declared, giggling like a madmare as she stared at the pile of gems before her. "After I drop the party nukes, I'll drown the world in eternal parties with my army of party planners! With the money I could get from these diamonds and my powers, I will turn the world into the biggest party in existence! And I will be its queen!"

Manic laughter filled the cave as Pinkie let her greatest dream be known to the world, a dream that seemed like it would just be that before today. Slowly, the laughter started to petter itself out, slowly morphing into happy pants as the red-garbed pony admired her catch of gems.

"Are you done?" he asked flatly.

"For now," Pinkie giggled. "So, do you think I can gapwalk these back to the castle?"

"You could, but I wouldn't recommend it. Take what you can in your jacket, mane, and tail and hide the rest. We can come back for them later if we need to."

"Right," she nodded.

***

Total silence. A breath. Silence. A breath. Silence. The click of a hoof on stone. Silence. The chirps of birds outside the castle walls and cold winter air. Silence. The squeak of something landing on an ancient mattress. Silence. A breath. The click of hooves on stone. The faint chirping of birds.

Pinkie let out a breath as she opened her eyes. At the start of her training, the constant shift between locations made her feel nauseous and drained. It brought a smile to her face how much easier it was getting to use her power. Granted, she still wasn't anywhere near strong enough to get home yet, but it was a start.

Just like Tattle said earlier, she reminded herself as she opened a gap to the store room. I will get there when I get there. As soon as I master this, I'll see my family again. I just need to work hard and be patient.

As she stepped into the store room, she opened another gap a couple of feet away from the one she made previously and walked through it. She was instantly greeted by a wave of winter air as she stepped out of the gap onto the balcony of the castle's tallest tower. Her smile grew as she stared out at the near endless expanse of frosted wilderness. After spending hours in the quarry, the late afternoon sun looked absolutely beautiful as it shined off of the snow-covered trees before her. She fell to her haunches as she let herself enjoy the view, a rare moment of peace filling her waking world for the first time in a long time since coming to Equestria.

"Tired?" Tattle asked.

Pinkie shook her head, eyes trained on the horizon.

"Just enjoying things, y'know?"

She could feel the Dream Cat's understanding nod.

"Tattle?"

"Yes?"

"What's it like being a dream?"

She saw him blink owlishly in her mind's eye as she waited for him to answer.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," she shrugged.

He was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I don't know any other form of existence, so I can't tell you."

She giggled a bit at that before she said, "Yeah, I guessed as much."

She sensed his raised brow.

"Don't worry about it," she said with a rueful smile. "Like I said, just curious."

"As you wish," he shrugged, taking a chance to enjoy the view through his host's eyes.

Silence settled between them for a few minutes, neither willing to break the peace of the moment between them. All the while, Tattle mulled Pinkie's question around in his mind. While his answer was honest it failed to satisfy his feelings on the matter. It felt like a lazy dodge to something that should've been easy to answer if he stopped to really think about it. So that was what he did and after taking the closest thing he could to a deep breath, he voiced his thoughts.

"Imagine being able to see all around you at once, to feel the world try to merge with you at all times and fail. Now imagine that you can be whatever you want to be to fit into that world and its rules. I don't know what it is like to be real, but through you...I can see a trace of what the difference is."

Silence returned to the pair as Pinkie let Tattle's words set in, a sad smile spreading across her muzzle as she enjoyed the sunset.

***

Tattle hummed a happy tune to himself as he walked, the clack of the dress-shoes his human form wore echoing off of the marble floor he willed into existence. The remainder of Pinkie's dreamscape was nothing but an endless black void as he walked, though that failed to knock away his grin as he wandered.

I wonder what she's up to, he thought with a chuckle.

Not even a second after she fell asleep, Pinkie forced him out of the core of her dreamscape. When he asked her why she did that, she told him it was a surprise and flashed him a canary-eating grin before she shut the door to the core. He chuckled as he tried to guess what the girl had in mind. Maybe she had another pastry memory she wanted him to experience or perhaps a custom thought like the one he used to brighten her mood last week. While the former was a happy possibility, the latter really perked his interest. What kind of thought reality could the girl come up with? She was fully lucid and he knew she had quite the imagination. The possible realities he could think of only added to his anticipation, because he knew that Pinkie would make something even better.

While a flexible concept in the Dream World, Tattle found ways to pass the time as he waited for Pinkie to summon him. For a while he shifted into various forms and back again into his human form, each change more bizarre and random than the last. A spider with ten legs. A dog with flames for eyes. A diamond beetle with an elephant's trunk. A dagger with seven eye-shaped blades. A butterfly with hands for wings. Various forms from countless dreams he wandered into since his birth with small personal tweaks. Nothing but a hoofful of harmless baubles he had collected while on the job as he tried to keep himself entertained.

A wait that ended when a pink envelope appeared in front of him. A small chuckle slipped past his lips as he opened the letter.

Dear Tattle,

You are formally invited to a party at the core of my dream. Bring everything you believe you will need and come at your own convenience. No formal wear is required, but is not argued against. The same position is held in regard to forms, though human forms are highly recommended. I hope to see you soon.

Sincerely, Pinkamena Dianne Pie

A sly smile spread across his face as he folded the letter back up and returned it to its envelope before tucking it into his inner coat pocket. As he walked back to the core of Pinkie's dreamscape, a growing excitement started to fill him for the first time in years. For someone like him, surprise and unpredictability was a rarity that seldom came with any true impact. But it was a different story as far as Pinkie was concerned. The girl never made things boring and always brought an honest smile to his face. She made him laugh while he helped her stay in one piece in the face of her difficult time in Equestria, a relationship that was a new one for the Dream Cat.

"Oh what do you have in mind, you silly human?" he chuckled as he walked.

In time, he found himself standing in front of the door leading to the core of Pinkie's dreamscape. As he reached out to open the door, it slowly opened on its own with a dim light. Intrigued, he walked through the opening and was greeted by a sight that made his jaw drop. Polished oak walls decorated a room big enough for ten people, countless candles lining them to give the room a pleasantly intimate ambiance. At the heart of the room stood a round table holding ten trays of cupcakes with varying colors and flavors of frosting like bouquets of sweet flowers just waiting to be eaten. That was nothing compared to what held his full attention.

On the other side of the table was a king-sized bed covered with dark-red sheets and pillows. Laying out across it with a mischievous smile and half-lidded eyes was none other then Pinkie Pie, a red open-backed dress hugging her form like a good friend.

"Hey," she purred. "Ready for a party?"

Tattle gulped, a bit of nervous excitement settling into him as he nodded.

She giggled.

"Then how about some party games?"

A smirk spread across Tattle's face at that as he stepped further into the room.

"By all means," he shrugged. "What are the rules?"

Pinkie's smile grew slightly and she gestured towards the table

"Simple. Each of the trays represents a birthday you didn't get to celebrate with someone. You need to eat at least one cupcake from each tray and if you do, you win!"

"I see," he said, raising a brow as he stared at the cupcakes. "What do I get for passing this test?"

Pinkie's smile heated slightly as she waved her hand through the air. The bed turned into a giant red cake and her dress turned into frosting.

"You get your real birthday cake," she winked.

A look of shock briefly flashed across his face before a cheshire's grin took its place.

"My my Pinkamena, you certainly know how to make a birthday memorable."

"Thank you Midnight," she purred with a giggle. "Now, let the games begin."

"Of course my queen," he chuckled, then made his way over to the table.

***

Princess Luna let out an irritated huff as she made her way through the dreamscape border, the countless doors leading into the dreamscapes of everypony in Equestria surrounding her. As she scanned the doors, looking for any hints of nightmares or other distressing dreams. That wasn't the only thing she was looking for as she scanned the different doors with narrowed eyes.

"Oh where is that boy?" Luna grumbled as she walked. "Tis long past his usual time of wanderings."

As she continued her quest, a dejected sigh slipped past her muzzle. The second the dream cat became capable of working on his own, the two of them had started to drift apart. While they were the farthest thing from a normal mother and son, Luna still wished that she had more time to spend with him before he entered the dreaded teenage years all parents dreaded. Not helping was how much of a troublemaker he could be when he wanted to be. A fact that gave her sister an endless supply of amusement on most days. At least, it did until Tattle trapped Celestia in a dream full of cakes that tasted like anchovies. That was the best mother's day gift her genius son had ever given her and never failed to brighten her day every time she thought about it.

The smile her favorite memory summoned shifted into a confused frown when her eyes fell upon an unfamiliar door. It was a deep red in color with an open zipper and confetti cloud decorating the top half. Curious, the Princess of the Night let herself into the strange dreamscape. What she saw froze her mind in a way that only a mother could be familiar with. She saw a room set in an enticing candle-lit atmosphere with a simple offering of cupcakes sitting on a table at its center. On one side of the room stood a massive bed-shaped cake with two figures huddled close together, hungry smiles and eyes shared between them as they-

Luna quickly backpedaled out of the dreamscape before she saw too much, a deep blush coloring her cheeks as she gently closed the door behind her.

"Well, it would seem our son has found a marefriend," she said blinking owlishly as she walked away from the door. "Perhaps we can give him a bit more space for a few days. Let him have his moments before we start prying."

A devilish smile formed on her lips at that as she continued her evening patrol.

"And oh how we shall pry. What kind of mother would we be if we did otherwise?"

Author's Note

if you want to read a fic set in the same universe as this, please check out Winter Aria whenever you get the urge. Link at the bottom.

https://www.fimfiction.net/story/397433/winter-aria

Ch.26 Progress

"Times almost up," Scootaloo sighed, staring at her watch.

"Yeah," Applebloom frowned.

Sweetie nodded, eyes locked onto the clear evening sky as they waited for midnight to come around. That was the arrangement Princess Celestia made with their parents. When the clock struck twelve, they were going to be brought back to Equestria if they didn't willingly go through the portal themselves. Naturally, none of the girls wanted to incur the Princess' wrath and for that reason they stood in front of the Canterlot High statue. Technically, they didn't need to wait until midnight to go through the portal, but the need to spend as much time in their normal form as possible was something they couldn't pass up.

"Ah didn't see big sis all weekend," Applebloom frowned. "Ah guess she's still sore with me. Can't really blame her, all thin's considered."

"Ditto with Rarity," Sweetie sighed, her gaze shamefully shifting to the snow-covered ground. "I hope she's okay."

Scootaloo let out an acknowledging grunt, her lips pursed as she stared at the statue.

A cold breeze washed over them, forcing a shiver down their spines as they waited for their time to crawl on by. They expected this kind of treatment, but that didn't make it any easier to handle. Applebloom expected a lot of screaming now that her sister had time to sit down and think about what she wanted to yell at her about. Sweetie thought she'd see empty bottles hidden in her sister's room after the week she spent watching Rarity destroy herself before her sentencing. Scootaloo was ready for some kind of retribution from her former mentor now that she didn't have Mr Discord standing in the way. This was worse. To not have their sisters or sister-figures in their lives felt like a part of themselves got ripped away. It left them feeling empty in a way that ate at them from the inside out. Not even the snow that surrounded them could even compare to that feeling.

"It'll get better for you guys," Scootaloo sighed, eyes still locked onto the statue. "Just give it some time."

Both of her friends paused for a moment as they let her words set in, then shared a pair of determined smiles as they turned towards their friend.

"You're right," Applebloom nodded. "We just need ta' tough it out."

"Yeah!" Sweetie cheered. "It'll take a while, but things will get better."

"Yeah...," Scootaloo nodded, eyes still trained on the statue.

The two girls gave their sporty friend a pair of confused looks before realization set in. While they had a chance to fix their relationships with their sisters, Scootaloo's chances for reconciliation with Rainbow looked excessively slim in comparison.

"It's gonna be okay," Applebloom sighed, pulling the girl into a tight hug with Sweetie not far behind her.

"You can fix this," Sweetie said with an encouraging smile. "Don't give up."

"Maybe," she said, lips trembling as some tears crept past her stubborn pride. "I don't know girls. Maybe some things can't be fixed."

Sweetie gasped at that while Applebloom frowned as they held her tighter.

"Do ya' really think that?" the farm girl asked.

Scootaloo nodded, refusing to look away from statue as she said, "I think the best thing I can do for Rainbow is stay away from her."

"What?!" Sweetie squeaked. "But Scoots, she's your Honorary Big Sister!"

"I know," she sniffled. "And that's why I'm cutting off all ties to her. She doesn't need someone like me in her life."

"Who says?" growled a familiar voice.

Both girls flinched, then slowly turned towards the voice. Standing a few feet away from them were none other then the very same girls they were talking about. The CMC cringed back from the girls, Scootaloo more so then her friends as they struggled with their urges to either run from or towards their family and mentor respectively.

"H-Hey Sis," Applebloom stammered with a trembling smile.

No response, the shadow of her elder sister's hat hiding her face from the youngest Apple

Applebloom took a step back as what little nerve she had died a miserable death.

Sweetie gulped, then said, "H-Hi Rarity. C-Come to see us off?"

Rarity nodded, her face failing to give away any of her thoughts, though the lack of makeup did paint a pretty good picture of the girl's mood.

Scootaloo refused to look away from the ground, briefly wondering if she could make it through the portal before Rainbow could catch her. The gleam from Sunset's gift on her wrist killed that urge with the efficiency of a sniper's bullet. She promised herself that she wasn't going to run away from her crimes anymore. That she was going to do whatever it took to set things strait and move on. Just like Sunset did.

"I stabbed you in the back," Scootaloo said, grief heavy in her tone as she glared at the ground. "I tricked you guys into almost killing Sunset, all because I wanted to spend more time with you. Hell, when Meme Queen sent us that message, I was the one who talked Applebloom and Sweetie Belle into keeping the lie going. We had a chance to stop the whole thing and I blew it! What kind of Honorary Little Sister would do that to their sis?! So..."

With trembling hands, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.

"As soon as I'm done with everything in Equestria, I'm gonna get out of your hair. Starting with this."

She scrolled through her contacts until she came to Rainbow's number. With tears in her eyes and trembling fingers, she tapped the number's options icon and selected the delete option. A prompt came up asking if she was sure she wanted to delete the number, but before she could tap 'yes' a pair of cerulean arms enveloped her in a tight embrace.

"You dork," Rainbow chuckled, a hint of sadness distorting her voice. "Who the heck said I wanted that? Do you really think I'm gonna give up on you over this? Not happening."

Scootaloo's eyes widened, then closed as her pain started to force more tears past them, "B-But Rainbow-"

"No buts," she sighed. "I mean, yeah I'm still mad at you for what you did, but I still don't want to lose you. You're my sis and no matter what happens, that's never gonna change. Besides, you think you three are the only one's that feel bad about everything?"

At that point, any resistance Scootaloo had shattered and she bawled into her mentor's shoulder, painful wails she had been holding in for days finally escaping from her soul into the night air as she clung to Rainbow. Sweetie and Applebloom were so focused on the moment that they almost missed it when their own sisters approached them.

"Bloom."

Applebloom jumped at how close her sister seemed to have materialized before her, but instead of seeing the rage she expected to see in the shadow of Applejack's hat, she saw a weary smile with eyes full of love and tears. Before Applebloom could say anything, her sister fell to her knees and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Ah missed ya," Applejack choked. "Even when Ah wanted to tan your hide, Ah missed ya something fierce. Right now, mah head's all screwy and Ah'm talking to someone to help with tha', but even now one thin's clear; Ah love ya and Ah'm gonna miss ya."

"S-Sis," Applebloom sniffled, struggling to find the words she needed to say while they still had time. "Ah love ya' too. Ah don't want ta' go, but Ah gotta."

"Ah know," Applejack sniffled, a sad smile spreading across her face as she pulled her face away from he sister's shoulder. "So do what cha' gotta do over in Magic Pony World and come back soon. Ah got a ton of chores waitin' for ya when you get back to make up for all of this."

"R-Right," Applebloom sniffled, a small smile brightening her face.

"And so ya don't forget about me, take this."

Applebloom's eyes widened as her sister took her hat off and gently placed it on the littlest Apple's head.

"B-But sis-"

"Now none of that," she said, a hint of firmness in her features as she locked eyes with her sister. "Ah want ya to have this and Ah won't take no for an answer. Yah got me?"

Her shock quickly turned into joy as happy tears replaced sad ones before she nodded. As this was happening, Sweetie stood before her bedraggled sister with trepidation. The poor girl looked like she hadn't done more than brush her hair in days. The simple jacket and jeans she wore were wrinkled and tweaked in ways that their wearer would've found utterly unacceptable even on her worst of days. This would've been more than enough to put Sweetie Belle on edge, but one thing brought a faint, hopeful smile to her lips. Instead of the faint hint of alcohol, she smelled a trace of expensive root beer coming off of her sister. The same smell she remembered from two years ago when her sister actively tried to kill her old habit.

"H-Hey Rarity," She stammered, still struggling against her flight reflex as the young fashion designer continued to stare at her.

After a moment of awkward silence, Rarity sighed then bent down to her sister's eye level.

"I am not blind and you are not stupid," Rarity frowned. "I know that you know that I relapsed."

Ashamed, Sweetie nodded.

"Let me make one thing clear," the older teen said, eyes narrowing. "While you may have been involved in what led to it, you are not responsible for it."

"B-But Rarity-," Sweetie started, only to get cut off by a silencing fingertip on her lips.

"I could've done countless other things to deal with my grief, but in the end I chose to backslide. I was the one that decided to fall into a bottle. That was and is my fault, not yours. Do you understand?"

Shaking, Sweetie nodded as guilty tears slid down her cheeks.

"Good," Rarity smiled, gently wrapping her arms around her trembling sister. "Now, while I am doing what I can to deal with my mistakes, I want you to do the same. Once that is over, we can sit and talk about what we can do from there. I love you Sweetie and I will do whatever it takes to move past this."

"Y-Yeah," Sweetie sniffled. "Me too sis."

At that moment, a dull golden glow started to surround the three Elementary Schoolers.

"Ah guess our time's up," Applebloom sighed, reluctant to free herself from her sister's grip.

"Looks like it," Scootaloo sniffled as she glanced at her phone's clock.

"I don't want to go," Sweetie sighed. "B-But... I guess I need to, to make things right."

With that said, the three glowing girls freed themselves from their sister's and walked towards the portal. Before they crossed over, each turned towards their family or family figure and gave them one final wave goodbye. As soon as the last girl walked through the portal, the three teens made a solemn oath to themselves. To never let their convictions to their loved ones waver, to take full responsibility for their actions and weather the weight of those crimes, and to make whatever sacrifices they needed to set things strait in the end. As they did, a faint glow surrounded them for a split second before they made their way towards The Sugarcube Café before heading home. For a cold dark night like tonight, a warm drink was just what they needed.

***

"The Princess is evil," Sweetie mumbled, her head teetering dangerously close to falling into her bowl of oatmeal.

Scootaloo nodded from her seat across from her Unicorn friend as she struggled to shovel a spoonful of her own breakfast into her mouth. Applebloom giggled a little at her friend's antics as she inhaled her food.

"Hah! Y'all act like you've never got up early before," Applebloom giggled.

The two fillies slowly turned their heads towards the grinning Earth Pony and tried to glare holes into her.

"Early is six in the morning," Sweetie growled, then pointed a hoof at a nearby window and exclaimed, "Four is an act of evil!"

Scootaloo nodded before her head slammed into the table.

Applebloom rolled her eyes before she got up to get a fifth bowl of oatmeal.

"Y'all wouldn't last a minute on the farm," she smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Scootaloo groaned, face still firmly planted in the table.

The farmer smiled smugly as her walk towards the kitchen turned into a strut. As the evil morning pony went to fill her bottomless belly, Scootaloo rolled her head until she was facing her zombie of an ally.

"I blame you for this," she frowned.

"What'd I do?" Sweetie mumbled.

"Who's idea was it to wait until midnight to go through the portal?" she growled.

"How was I supposed to know Miss Raven was going to wake us up so early?!" she exclaimed.

The dark-orange Pegasus let out a groan as she forced her head off of the table.

"Too tired to argue. Let's just eat and get the day over with."

"Agreed," Sweetie sighed. "And then we can plan our invasion of the Marshmallow Kingdom with the power of the dark King Bowlser."

Scootaloo nodded as she tried to get the rim of her cup to aline with her mouth. After a minute her mind finally processed what Sweetie said, earning a confused blink as she turned to face her friend.

"Wha?"

Sweetie giggled then muttered something about being in the wrong castle before nodding off in her seat.

"O-key then," she muttered before she went back to eating her food.

The Pegasus filly's posture went ridged as a familiar Unicorn mare entered the Staff Cafeteria.

"Good morning fillies," Raven nodded, taking a seat across from the two Terrans. "I hope you all slept well."

"Y-Yes ma'am," Scootaloo gulped, giving her friend a sharp elbow-nudge.

Sweetie woke with a start and cried, "Toshi! Come back!" before blushing sheepishly when she saw Raven.

"Apparently, some of you are not morning ponies," she monotoned, a raised brow the only reaction allowed to slip past her professional mask. "I recommend that you adjust your sleeping schedule with that in mind from this point forward."

"Yes ma'am," they chorused, a muffled yawn coming out of Sweetie as she tried to hide it behind a hoof.

"Where's Applebloom?" she asked.

"Getting fifths I think," Sweetie mumbled as she levitated a spoon into her breakfast.

"I see," Raven nodded, noticing said filly standing in line with the rest of the castle staff. "It makes sense. An Earth Pony's body needs a lot of energy to function."

"Nah, she's just a big eater," Scootaloo chuckled. "Once, she ate a whole apple pie just to prove a point and still had dinner."

"Is she active in your world?" Raven asked.

Scootaloo nodded.

"She works at her family's farm. The stuff she does after school everyday could make the Canterlot High Soccer Team drop dead in a minute!"

"And yet she became an Earth Pony when she came here," Raven stated, a faint smile forming on her muzzle. "And I suppose you have a preference for seafood and other such proteins."

"Y-Yeah?" Scootaloo blinked.

"And Sweetie Belle has a fondness for sweets, correct?"

Sweetie nodded, now awake enough to show a interest in where this conversation was heading.

"You all remember your magic lessons, correct?"

They nodded.

"A pony's diet is largely linked to their tribe and how their magic functions. Pegasi often favor a protein rich diet to give them the energy needed to maintain flight while Earth Ponies prefer a diet heavy with grains and fruit to help power and maintain their much stronger bodies. On the other hoof, Unicorns usually favor foods heavy with sugar, milk, and honey to help maintain the glucose we burn through when we use our magic."

"Is that why you gave me candy bars after our lessons?" Sweetie asked.

"That, and I felt you earned a reward for your hard work," she said, her smile widening slightly.

Sweetie smiled weakly at that before digging into her honey-laced oatmeal.

Raven's smile dropped as she returned to her professional persona before saying, "Since you all have obtained full control of your bodies, you can now carry out your punishment under the Princess' orders. In about fifteen minutes, you three will be brought to the first room that you will be cleaning. All of the tools you will need for said task will be left for you by the staff. You will also be required to wear the uniform that will be provided in said room."

"Uniforms?" Scootaloo asked as Applebloom took a seat next to her.

"But of course," Raven nodded. "It is only natural to wear the proper attire when doing a task."

"Makes sense ta' me," Applebloom shrugged.

"I guess," Scootaloo grimaced.

"Aw, come on Scoots," Sweetie smiled, throwing a foreleg over her friend's shoulders. "It won't be that bad."

"If you say so," she grumbled.

***

"I hate this," Scootaloo grumbled, scrubbing a tile floor dressed in a black and white maid's outfit.

"Ah wish Ah had a camera," Applebloom smirked, pausing in her own scrubbing to watch her friend sulk.

"I think we look good in these," Sweetie smiled as she sprayed some cleaner onto the floor with her magic. "Maybe Princess Celestia will let me keep mine when we're done."

Both fillies gave her slow blinks.

Weirdo, they thought as they resumed their scrubbing.

Near silence dominated the empty gymnasium-sized room for a few minutes as the fillies worked, reactions ranging from an irritated Pegasus to a grinning Unicorn with an indifferent Earth Pony in the middle. None of them had anything they really wanted to share beyond their opinions on their uniforms and the almost sterile conditions of the room they were working on gave them very little to comment on. After all, there was only so much someone could say about grout and marble tiles.

Scootaloo was the first to break the silence.

"So...what did you guys do over the weekend?"

"Cleaned the cow pen,"Applebloom shrugged. "Took a couple days ta' do it, but it got done."

Sweetie cringed at that and said, "Cleaned and helped fix things around the house."

"Like what?" Scootaloo asked.

"A table, a few walls, and a whole kitchen counter," she grimaced.

"Yikes," Scootaloo cringed. "Did you try to cook something again?"

"Ha, ha," Sweetie frowned. "No, I got trapped in a giant magic hamster ball and fell down the stairs."

"Ya' got magic too?" Applebloom asked with a wide smile.

"You too?" Sweetie gawked.

"Eeyup!" she smiled, then added, "Well, no hamster balll, but Ah got magic! What about you Scoots?"

Scootaloo nodded, a cocky grin replacing the frown she gained at the start of their work.

"I got super speed. It. Is. AWESOME! I polished off, like, twenty chores in one hour! You should've seen the look on Aunty Lofty's face!"

"Ah got super strength," Applebloom smirked, a hint of pride coloring her tone as she went back to scrubbing. "Made lugging that barrel of manure a heck of a lot easier."

"Giant. Magic. Hamster. Ball," Sweetie intoned, jamming her scrub brush roughly into her soap water bucket with each word.

"How'd ya' manage tha'?" Applebloom asked.

"I don't know!" she exclaimed, throwing her brush into the air as she flung her forelegs up in frustration. "I was just cleaning the bathroom when-"

She froze as a soft, barely noticeable buzzing could be heard in a corner of the room. Slowly, her head turned towards the noise while a look of pure rage formed on her face. Nervous, her two friends fallowed her line of sight. Buzzing in a nearby corner by a window was one of the weirdest bugs they had ever seen. It looked like a spider, but had a pair of wings and an abdomen that looked like it belonged to a wasp or a bee. While Applebloom and Scootaloo moved back from the strange creature, Sweetie's eyes narrowed as she took a couple steps towards it.

"Sweetie?" Scootaloo gulped, not liking the look in her friend's eyes as she closed in on the mutant insect.

"Death to the Lord of all Evil," she growled, several dozen spray bottles hovering around her in a light-green aura.

"Wha-?" was all Applebloom had time to say before her friend screamed, "DEATH TO THE LORD OF ALL EVIL!!!" and charged towards the bug with her floating army of spray bottles not far behind her.

Scootaloo and Applebloom watched with slightly hanging jaws as their friend waged a one filly crusade against the strange bug as it frantically flew away from her.

"Did Sweetie always have a thing against bugs?" Scootaloo asked as she watched said bug dodge a ten bottle spray cloud at the last second.

"Ah don't think so," Applebloom said, marveling at how well her friend could wall jump when the bug made a sudden turn away from said wall.

"Think it might be a Unicorn thing?"

Applebloom shrugged then said, "Your guess is as good as mine."

***

Applebloom let out a groan as she fell face first into her bed, every part of her pony body aching in ways that she didn't even know it could. You would think that scrubbing floors wouldn't be that difficult when your body was in the best position to do so by default. Turns out that it only made it so one can do the task longer without suffering back and neck problems. Combine that with a low amount of sleep and even Applebloom couldn't deny how herculean a task it was to get as far as they did today without dropping. Who knew that scrubbing three gym-sized floors could be so physically demanding? None of them even bothered changing out of their uniforms before dropping into their beds.

Scootaloo answered that question with her own agonized groan as she flopped into her own bed.

"How ya' feeling Scoots?" the farmer asked, slowly rolling her head to stare at her winged friend.

"Like my legs got run over," she groaned. "Even my hooves ache. Can hooves even do that?"

"Apparently," Applebloom sighed. "Ah'm not much better."

Sweetie let out an unintelligible series of groans as she shoved her pillow over her head.

Scootaloo cringed and asked, "How's that migraine Sweetie?"

Said Unicorn dragged the pillow away from her face and leveled a strained smile at her winged friend.

"It's like sunshine and rainbows are dancing around inside my head."

"R-Really?" she asked, a nervous smile stretching across her muzzle.

Sweetie's expression turned sour as she snapped, "No you dodo! It feels like my head is in a vice and someone's ramming a hot iron spike through it!"

She let out an agonized wail as she shoved her pillow back over her face in a desperate attempt to ward off her pain.

"Guess ya' shouldn't've used so much magic," Applebloom groaned.

Sweetie's only response was a barely perceived whine from under her pillow.

"Well, look on the bright side," the farm filly groaned as she rolled onto her back. "We got three rooms done."

"Yeah," Scootaloo frowned as she rolled onto her side. "Three out of, like, four-thousand or something."

Sweetie let out another whine as she thrashed around under her covers.

"Ah guess," she sighed, then spotted her sister's hat hanging on the corner of her bed's headboard. A broad smile spread across her muzzle as she added, "But it's a start at least."

Both her friends paused at that, then smiled as they nodded before letting their weariness take them away to the land of dreams. They had a busy day tomorrow and many more after that, but at least the next few will be met with them rested and ready to take them on. One room at a time.

Ch. 27 A Planeswalker's Philosophy

"I'm so boooooooord," Lyra groaned, staring blankly at her living room ceiling.

After getting all the cards she needed for her deck the day before, there wasn't much else she could do to pass the time. All of the T.V. channels were full of nothing but cheesy holiday specials that she had seen hundreds of times. She beat all of her games hundreds of more times than any gamer had the patience for. Even the internet failed to give her any way to slay her boredom. Not helping was the fact that all of her friends were busy getting things ready for New Years, leaving her b'rift of even their company in this time of need. Just like every year.

She sighed as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned it on. With a few screen taps, she managed to get to her text messages. A familiar text caught her eye and made her grimace for the third time that day.

Sorry honey, but I can't come home this week. A massive influx of cases came in recently and we need to sort through them all as soon as possible. I should make it back by Monday of next week at the earliest. I love you.

"Just like last year," Lyra groaned. "God damn it mom.

She scrolled further through her messages and found another one that soured her already bitter mood further.

Major seasonal contract. Won't be home for a couple weeks. Sorry. Love you.

"Really dad?" she growled. "Great. Another lonely New Years. What the heck else is new?"

She glanced at her phone's clock and sighed.

"Two-thirty. Great. What to do to pass the time?"

She jumped as her phone suddenly rang in her hand. After a quick juggling performance, she managed to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey Lyra," said a very dejected sounding Sunset.

"Hey, what's up?" Lyra asked,

"Not much," she chuckled awkwardly. "Just, uh, do you think I could hang out with you today?"

Lyra raised a brow at that, then asked, "Not that I don't want to hang, but what's up?"

"Um, I, uh, well...fireworks."

"You're scared of fireworks?" she blinked.

"No! It's just...I'm a Pyromancer."

"Really?" Lyra blinked, sitting up. "That's so cool!"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Too bad Derpy's family found out."

"How? Did you try cooking with your hands or something."

"I sneezed," she said flatly.

"What does that have to do-"

"KItchen tables aren't fireproof ," she grumbled.

"Oh," Lyra cringed, remembering her own magical misadventures. "Gotcha'."

"Yeah," Sunset sighed. "So, think I can hang with you while everyone's getting things set up for New Years?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "But why me?"

"Everyone else was busy and Derpy said you could probably use the company."

Lyra chuckled at that.

Crazy Hacker Queen.

"Sure, why not?" she smiled. "Where do ya wanna meet up at?"

"The mall sounds good," Sunset said, a shrug audible in her tone before turning into a grumble as she added, "Hopefully I won't burn something there."

"Sounds good to me," Lyra said, then smirked as she added, "And I'll keep an eye out for stuff like fireworks for ya."

"Ha ha," she grumbled. "See you in a few minutes."

"Yeah, see ya in a few," she chuckled as she hung up.

She smiled as she stared at her phone for a few minutes before pulling herself to her feet.

Spending the day with a real wizard princess that sneezes fire. How the heck did I forget how cool my life is?

***

The Crystal Emporium was one of the few stores in the mall that didn't get packed to bursting on a daily basis. A rather impressive feat considering all of their wares. In addition to gems and stone carvings, the store sold various types of therapeutic treatments ranging from incense sticks to scented candles. To add to the atmosphere, the whole interior of the store was made to look like the inside of a tree with solid hardwood shelves seemingly carved straight into the walls. Lyra stared at the gems on display with a critical eye as she perused the store, Sunset not far behind taking in her surroundings with a more subdued level of interest.

"Hey Sunset, which do you think I should use to make a luck charm?" Lyra asked, holding up two different stones in each hand.

Sunset examined the two stones and frowned. In her left hand sat a green jasper while her right held a green malachite.

"Both work really well, but I think you should go with the malachite. Not only can it be used to draw in good luck, it can also be used to make a powerful protective amulet against dark magic."

"Awesome," Lyra smirked as she put the jasper back in its display basket with its brethren. "Let's see if we can find some coal or volcanic rock while where here."

"Why?" Sunset asked, raising a brow.

Lyra looked around to make sure no one could hear them then whispered, "So we can keep you from roasting half your room away in the spring," she smirked. "Hay fever's a real problem if you're not prepared and a fire suppression charm should make things a little easier."

"Right," she grumbled.

Lyra chuckled at that and said, "Hey, at least you didn't blowup a sweetshop."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, funny story," she chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked away from her friend. "Remember when I asked how I could shoot lasers from my horn? Turns out all I needed to do was sneeze and boom! Instant light show!"

Sunset blinked at that, then groaned as her hand met her face with a resounding smack.

"Well, that answers that question," she muttered to herself as she remembered her conversation with Twilight.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it," Sunset sighed, waving the issue away like a pesky fly. "You did manage to figure out how to stop that, right?"

"Totally," Lyra smirked, proudly putting her hands on her hips as she added, "Now I only shoot lasers if someone scares me out of bed."

"I... guess that's progress," Sunset blinked, not entirely sure if even she believed her own words. "Have you been able to use your magic since coming back from Equestria?"

"Not really," she frowned, staring down at the green stone in her hand. "I mean, I know I have it, but I can't actually use it. It's like there's some kind of clog somewhere in my body and I can't get anything past it. It's really annoying, you know?"

Sunset nodded.

"Maybe you need to Pony-up to activate it. That's always worked with the Rainbooms and I."

"Pony-up?" Lyra blinked. "You mean that thing where you get ears and stuff when you play instruments?"

Again, she nodded.

"Huh, never thought of that. I have a harp I used to play when I was little back home. Maybe when we're done here, we can head there and give it a try."

"Before or after we make the charms?" Sunset asked.

"Before," Lyra smirked. "Not enough magic in the air to make anything powerful enough to matter."

"How do you know that?" Sunset asked, raising a brow.

"Twilight has a big library and I like to read," Lyra shrugged, still grinning.

"Fair enough," she chuckled. "It's just a little weird to be talking about magic with someone here."

Lyra chuckled then said, "Imagine how weird it feels to know magic is real and that you have it."

Both girls laughed at that for a minute, ignoring the weird looks a handful of customers were giving them.

"Well, we're going to need a few candles for the charms," Sunset smiled, examining a shelf full of candles of varying sizes, shapes, and colors.

"And the right kind of oils and herbs," Lyra mused, scanning through the candles. "Do you think they have any jasmine or rosemary?"

"If not, I know a store nearby that does," Sunset hummed, picking up a white candle to inspect.

"That's a relief," Lyra sighed. "I don't think my neighbor would be too happy if he caught me breaking into his greenhouse again."

"Again?" Sunset asked, raising a brow as she turned to face her friend.

"He grows really good tomatoes," she chuckled.

***

As it turned out, finding a harp from a decade ago was a lot harder than Sunset's magic loving friend thought. As a result, Sunset was tasked with setting up their gear while Lyra dug through her closet to find the instrument. Sunset frowned as she walked around Lyra's house. Perhaps house was the best word to describe it, because home certainly didn't fit. While Lyra's room was a chaotic mess that reflected its main inhabitant, the rest of the two-story three bedroom house was practically bare. Aside from some high end appliances and furniture, there was nothing of any real merit worth talking about. Combined with the plain white walls and the house could've been set for an open house for all she knew.

Even with Sunset's living history, she knew this wasn't normal. When she spent time at her friend's houses, she could easily get a feel for what kind of people lived there based on how things were arranged throughout the home. Just like the last time she was here, she had no idea what kind of people Lyra lived with or how their dynamic was other than "distant". Such an arrangement brought back memories of how she and her mother interacted before she started down her dark path. Something she hoped would never happen to Lyra or any of her new friends.

No one deserves that, she thought, resolution prominent in her features as she set their tools out on the table. No one.

"Found it!" Lyra cheered, strutting into the kitchen with a square black-leather instrument case under her arm.

"That's great," Sunset said, forcing a smile as she set the last of their tools onto the table.

"Yeah," she chuckled as she set the case onto the table across from their supplies. "I haven't pulled this thing out of the closet in years. I don't know if I even remember how to play it."

As she said that, she undid the security clasps of the case and lifted the lid. The second she looked inside, she froze as a sad smile spread across her face. Concerned, Sunset walked around the table to investigate. Sitting in the case was indeed a harp, but one of truly high quality. The arch, point, shoulder, and pillar were made of brilliantly polished silver while the sound box and sound board were an expertly carved and stained dark oak with genuine tree bark. The tuning and bridge pins held the harp's strings perfectly taut, leaving the instrument ready to play at a moment's notice. Certainly, this was an instrument of great design, but that wasn't what held its owner's attention. Resting on the strings, as if waiting for her, laid a single Magic card. Lyra swallowed thickly as she picked up the card, her hands shaking as they handled it like it was sacred.

"I-I forgot I had this one," she sniffled, tears sliding down her cheeks as she smiled at the card. "F-Figures that it would be hiding here."

"Lyra? A-Are you okay?" Sunset asked.

"Y-Yeah," she sniffled, wiping her eyes with her wrist as she delicately returned the card to the harp. "Just got some dust in my eyes. This old thing's been hidden for a while so a lot's gonna build up, you know?"

Lyra flinched as Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Lyra stared down at the harp and card for a few seconds, then sighed as she said, "My Grandma was the one that introduced me to Magic, you know? She won a couple tournaments back in the day and always did it with a smile. Every pic Grandpa had of her competing always showed her with a big smile on her face. She even gave her opponents tips on how to do better while she played. When my folks stopped spending time with me, she taught me how to play and kept me company. She taught me everything she knew about the game and for a while, things were pretty good. Then things started to fall apart. I started playing games just to win them. Around that time, I started using black cards just so I wouldn't have to rely on Grandma's strategies to win. I was tearing up players left and right, but she'd whoop my ass every time I played against her. She told me that if you play only to win, you never win, but if you play to have fun, you win even when you lose. I thought she was full of it at the time and kept trying to beat her. This harp was the last gift she gave me before..."

Her lip trembled as she tried to force what she needed to say past her lips. Sunset patiently waited for her friend to find her words as she placed a supporting hand on her shoulder.Then, with new tears sliding down her face, she continued.

"Before she died. Cancer can be a real bitch, you know? While she was in the hospital, she taught me how to play this old girl. I was god awful at first, but by the time the funeral came around I could play this thing like a champ. That was the first and last time I preformed for anyone with this thing. I guess the card was my way of saying thanks for everything she did for me. The first card my first friend ever gave me."

Sunset looked down at the harp and the card that sat atop the strings. Both objects held the same faint glow found on the cards that Lyra gave to her, but it was a much stronger bond of magic then theirs. Those held magic that could bond with another's, but this was a magic bond reserved for two people specifically that could never be changed. This was the magic of loved ones, of family that held each other in both the darkest and brightest of times. A bond that even death could never hope to break.

"Devout Harpist," Sunset said, a small smile spreading across her face as she stared at the card. "Fits you pretty well."

"Yeah," she said with a wet chuckle as she wiped her face. "Grandma was good at that. She could look at ya and poof, she knew exactly what card you could do well with. It was kind've creepy sometimes, but really cool too."

"She sounds like she was a really great woman."

"She was," Lyra smiled as she reached for the harp. "She was my best friend."

She pulled the instrument out of its case and gently held in her arms as she brought a hand up to its strings.

"Hope you and Bons can live with being second to her," she smirked, then began to play.

The song was soft like the wings of a dove, but brought to mind open evening skies with a brilliant full moon. Sunset closed her eyes and embraced the melody as it took her away to places unknown to her. She could see tall mountains that seemed to tickle the heavens. Clear ocean waves lapped at her feet as she stared out into an endless sea past the moon's border. Deep forests full of life surrounded her with its splendor as stars peaked past their canopies. Fog and frog song greeted her as she stood at the heart of a great swamp. Wide open plains surrounded her under a giant blanket of stars. All of it filled her with a sense of peace and harmony that felt so foreign to her, yet so familiar at the same time. Just before the song reached its climax, she found herself standing in the middle of her own bedroom. Standing a foot in front of her was a smiling Derpy, her arms spread out wide and welcoming. The image faded away as the song's final note was struck and she opened her eyes.

Lyra remained seated, a sad smile gracing her face and tears staining her cheeks as she stared down at the instrument in her hands. A wet chuckle slipped past her lips as she wrapped her arms around the harp like a teddy bear.

"I've still got it," she whispered.

"Definitely," Sunset smiled.

Lyra laughed at that, then returned the harp to its case with the card placed back on top of the strings as she closed the lid.

"God I miss her," Lyra sighed, wiping away her tears as she turned to face her friend. "Almost forgot how much until now. Thanks Sunset."

"F-For what?" Sunset stammered, taken aback by her friend's earnest words.

"Helping me remember, duh," she chuckled.

Just then, a golden glow surrounded Lyra and her body began to change. Out of the top of her head sprouted a pair of pony ears while a spiral tipped horn grew from her forehead. Her hair lengthened and weaved itself into a ponytail with a teal streak cutting through her dual-toned gray hair to the end of her tail. She blinked as she felt her magic flow through her, no longer bound by whatever block held it at bay. She stared at her glowing hands and gasped before shifting her attention back to a gawking Sunset.

"D-Did I just-"

Sunset nodded.

Lyra beamed, then said, "The charms! Quick! Let's make them before I power down!"

As the glowing girl frantically scrambled towards their gear, Sunset let out a small chuckle as she followed.

One minute she's crying, the next she's laughing. I don't think I'll ever be able to fully read that girl.

She watched as the glowing human started arranging their gear to begin the ritual needed to make their charms with all the enthusiasm of a foal on Hearths Warming.

Good.

***

Laughter filled the air as two teens watched what had to be their hundredth gaming video.

"Th-That dork can't play his way out of a cardboard box!" Lyra crowed as she almost fell out of her chair with laughter.

"No kidding!" Sunset laughed, doubled over as she tried to gasp past her mirth. "What made him think charging the boss was going to work any better this time?!"

"W-Wait," Lyra cackled, moving the mouse across the screen. "I-I gotta see that again!"

Both girls stayed silent for a few seconds as Lyra rewinded the video a few seconds back. When a man in armor was flung across the screen by a dragon, they both almost fell over with laughter again.

"Oh man," Lyra wheezed, wiping a tear from her eye as she righted herself in her chair. "I could watch that part all day."

"Yeah," Sunset gasped, wiping her own tears out of her eyes. "Hey, thanks for the charm. It should make things a little less hectic at home."

As she said that, she stroked the lava rock pendant at her throat. Lyra chuckled at that as she lightly tapped her own pendant with a hint of pride.

"No prob," she smiled, then turned somber as she added, "And thanks...for listening to me for a bit. It really helped me out, ya know?"

"Anytime," Sunset smiled, then let out a sigh as she saw the clock on the computer screen. "Guess I should be heading back home now."

Lyra blinked at her for a minute than looked at the time and frowned.

"Yeah. Any later and you'll be stuck here for the night."

Reluctantly, the two teens got up out of their chairs and made their way to the front door. As Lyra opened the door for her, Sunset couldn't help but frown at how dreary the house was for what felt like the thousandth time that night.

"Hey," Sunset sighed as she stepped through the door into the cold night air. "If things get bad for you, please call someone. I don't want you thinking your alone anymore. Trust me, those kind of thoughts don't go over well in the long run."

Lyra gave her a small smile and nodded as she said, "Yeah, I'll try. Bon's been trying to help me get out of that mindset, but it's not easy sometimes. Especially this time of year."

"Right," Sunset sighed then smiled as she said, "Guess that means Derpy and I'll have to come by every so often this week."

"Wha-really?" Lyra blinked.

"Yeah! Maybe I can talk her into all of us going to Equestria for the the Twilight Festival this year," she beamed.

"Twilight has a festival?" she asked.

"Not that twilight," Sunset chuckled. "It's kind of like pony New Years only, instead of celebrating the changing to the year, we celebrate my mom and aunt's birthdays."

"How does that work?" Lyra asked, raising a brow.

"Mom was born December thirty-first at one PM while Aunt Luna was born January first at one AM five years later. So most of the day is spent honoring mom while most of the night is dedicated to Aunt Luna, at least that's what mom told me."

"It wasn't always like that?"

Sunset shook her head.

"It used to be all for mom, but that apparently changed when Luna came back."

"Cool, so it's like some really big party?"

"The biggest," Sunset chuckled. "Imagine a whole city being part of one giant party all the way until the sun comes up. That's what all of Equestria does for new years every year."

"Awesome!" Lyra gushed, stars in her eyes at the thought of such a party. "I have got to see that!"

"I'll see what I can do," she chuckled. "In the mean time, try not to let things get to you, okay?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "And if things get a bit much-"

"We're all a phone call away," Sunset finished with a smile.

"Right," Lyra chuckled. "Goodnight Sunset."

"Goodnight Lyra."

And with that the two friends parted ways, hearts a little less heavy and bonds a lot stronger then before.

Ch.28 Red Hood

"What do you mean you have to go?" Pinkie whimpered, staring at her borrowed bedroom's mirror.

"Just that," Tattle sighed. "I need to return to mother before she worries about me. If I don't, she will come looking for me and we both know what that will mean."

"Right," Pinkie shuddered. "But...I'll miss you."

She flinched, then let out a happy sigh as the now familiar feeling of her boyfriend's magic enveloped her.

"I will only be gone for a couple days," he smiled. "I'm sure you can find a way to keep yourself busy in the meantime."

"Yeah," she sighed, then smiled sheepishly as she added, "I'll still miss you though."

"As will I," he said, smirk audible in his tone. "But we both know I have to do this."

"Right," she sighed glumly.

Pinkie's eyes widened with a blush spread across her face as she felt Tattle's magic lightly tap her cheek. She let out a giggle as she stared at her reflection with half-lidded eyes.

"Try not to break the world while I'm gone," he whispered with a chuckle.

"I'll try," she winked. "Just get back as soon as you can."

"Yes, m'lady," he chuckled.

With that, Tattle severed his connection and shifted back into the unconscious plane. As he did, Pinkie let out a sad sigh at the cold solitude of her own mind. It was at that point as she stepped away from the mirror that she became aware of just how quiet her mind was without Tattle in it. In a lot of ways it reminded her of how she felt at the end of a party and everyone went home. That was always the part she liked the least about her hobby as she spent whatever time she needed to clean up a room. One minute it was the sight of merriment and the next, just another part of a building.

She sighed as she flopped onto her bed, early morning light pouring in from her bedside window.

"This is no fun," she mumbled glumly as she rolled onto her side. "What do I do now?"

One of her ears twitched as a howling in the distance caught her attention. A wide grin spread across her muzzle as she sat up.

"I guess some practice wouldn't hurt."

***

Discord let out a sigh as he stared into his teacup, his normally jovial face marred by a weary frown. As he summoned a licorice stick to stir his tea, he looked above himself at his friend sitting at her living room table with her own cup looking up at him.

"Discord, is something bothering you?" Fluttershy asked, concern heavy in her features as she stared at her friend from his seat on the ceiling.

"Am I that obvious?" he groaned, his cup floating next to him as he rubbed his forehead.

She nodded.

He sighed, then snapped his claw and turned his seat into a therapy couch as he sprawled out across it. Fluttershy blinked as she found herself in a baby-blue suit with her mane done up in a bun and a pair of wire-framed glasses sitting on her nose.

"Well Miss Shy,I've started getting close to...somepony lately," he said with his lion's paw resting over his face.

"I see," she smiled, pushing her new pair of glasses further up her muzzle as she went along with Discord's antics. "Is this somepony I know?"

"In a way," he said, clearing his throat. "I guess everypony knows her technically."

"I see. Does she like you back?"

"Very," he chuckled. "Let's just say, it's a good thing I'm immortal."

Fluttershy's cheeks turned pink as an, "Oh my," slipped past her lips.

"Anyway," he said, waving away the budding tangent. "Her birthday's coming up in four days and I have no idea what to get her."

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," Fluttershy said with a patient smile. "What does she like?"

He tapped his chin with his eagle talion as he mulled over what he knew about Celestia before asking "Do you know anypony that likes to kidnap other ponies?"

She blinked dumbly at him for a second then said, "Um...no?"

"Drat," he huffed, crossing his mismatched arms. "Well there goes that idea. What about a cake bigger then Canterlot Castle?"

"Can she eat that much cake?" Fluttershy asked, blinking owlishly at her friend.

"Probably," he mused. "But then again, everypony will be making her cakes so there wouldn't be any real point. She already has all the bits she could ever need fifty times over so that's out."

They sat in silence for a few minutes as they mulled over ideas. At the same time, Fluttershy was trying to figure out who caught Discord's eye. It seemed like her friend couldn't use his usual flare to impress this mare, nor could he interest her with wealth. A rather strange turn of events, but one that helped somepony with her current social connections make a few educated guesses.

"Perhaps Princess Celestia would like to go on a trip somewhere," she offered, her lips pulled into a small sly smile.

A wider, yet equally sly smile spread across Discord's face as he looked towards his friend.

"Well done my dear. And yes, that does sound like a fine idea. Now, where should I take her?"

Before he could start thinking about possible vacation destinations, a spatial distortion from the Everfree caught his attention.

Now, what is this then?

"Hold that thought," he frowned quizzically, staring in the forest's general direction. "I'll be right back."

With a raised brow and a snap of his finger, the Dreconequis flashed out of existence. Still dressed like a therapist, Fluttershy looked up at her couch on the ceiling and let out a long sigh.

"He can fix it when he gets back," she grumbled, only to smile as she said, "I wonder what 'Flutterbat' would think about all this."

As she said that she held out a hoof and thought about her enchanted journal. A second later, said journal appeared on her hoof along with a quill and inkwell.

***

A clear cloudless night reined over a forest of giant lavender flowers, all of them filling the air with their namesake scent. Tall waterfalls from silver mountains filled the strange forest with the gentle echoes of running water for all that passed through. At the forest's heart was an open clearing with a massive ornate canopy bed set with dark-blue silk sheets and goose down covers and pillows. Laying with her legs tucked under her was Princess Luna, a faint smile hiding the sheer magnitude of her excitement.

Oh how we've awaited this day, she thought with a giggle. I wonder what kind of mare managed to net our catty son? She must be some type of actress or artist. He's always had a fondness for the arts and their makers.

A portion of her dreamscape shifted as someone slipped past her mental defenses. Her smile grew as she felt the unmistakable signature of her son's magic materialize not far from her current position.

We suppose we won't have to wait long.

A few minutes later, A tiger-sized dark-purple cat with shining silver spots dotting its body and wings as black as night stepped into the clearing. Tattle gave his mother a smile that practically screamed trouble as he approached the bed, a look that Luna recognized as his default expression in most situations. What made things different this time around was her son's posture. While he always moved with the kind of grace one would expect in his preferred form, he was a lot more fluid in his stride then usual. She also noticed that his star-spots were slightly brighter then usual as well, a sign that his spirits were high regardless of the form he took.

"Greetings mother," he said with a polite bow.

"Greetings our son," she smiled. "Tis been quite some time since you last graced our presence."

"There have been many who needed my aid," he shrugged, falling to his haunches.

"Indeed," she said, her smile growing. "Care to tell us who could demand so much of your time?"

"A very troubling case," he said cooly. "But nothing I can't handle myself."

"We see," the Lunar Diarch chuckled. "Tell us, will we need to add names to the royal family tree soon?"

Tattle reeled back at that, a light shade of red coloring his face as he stammered, "What do you mean? I-I haven't found anypony like that."

A cheshire's grin spread across Princess Luna's face as she leaned forward.

"We have done this song and dance far more times then you, our son. We know the look of those who are smitten and you practically sing it. Now, we can do this the fun way and continue this game, or you can give us a name and save us the trouble."

Tattle's wide eyes narrowed as determination replaced shock.

"No," he said, tail flicking irritably behind him.

Luna blinked, smile replaced by a questioning frown.

"Pardon?"

"My apologies mother," he sighed. "But I can't tell you her name. In fact, I would be grateful if you would stay away from her for now."

"And why should we do that?" a hint of anger filling her concerned tone.

"I fear you would not like the answer."

"Let us be the judge of that," she said coldly.

Tattle sighed, ears folding back and face drifting to the ground as he sadly stated, "She fears you."

Luna's eyes widened at that.

"Not just you, but all High Royals," Tattle clarified, noting the pain in his mother's eyes.

"Do you know what the cause of this is?"

He shook his head.

"She refuses to tell me."

"We see," she sighed. "That is quite unfortunate. We were hoping to meet the mare that managed to reel in our rowdy child."

A cheeky smile graced her muzzle as she said that, chuckling a bit at the rosy-cheeked frown Tattle sported.

"You will not let me rest for this, will you?" he asked flatly.

"Tis the pleasure shared by all mothers," she chuckled. "Be glad that you do not have any photographs for us to share with others."

"Maker be praised," he muttered under his breath.

Luna's smile turned less mischievous as she took in her son's sorry state and with a much more understanding tone asked, "Does this mare make you happy?"

"Very," he smiled. "I have never met anypony like her. She's bright, clever, an incredibly creative mind, and the sweetest being I've ever met. It truly hurts to see her so scared, but I would endure any pain if it meant bringing a smile to her face."

"Excellent," she nodded. "We shall make marriage preparations as soon as she is ready!"

"Please don''t," he sighed. "It is only proper that we at least date before walking down the aisle together."

"Curse these modern customs," she lamented, only to smile as she added, "Very well. We shall let you handle this as you see fit, so long as you promise to let us meet her when she is willing."

"Fair enough," he nodded. "I agree to these terms."

"We thank you, but can we please have a name? Speaking of her without one is quite frustrating."

Tattle mulled his mother's question over for a minute. He knew his mother wouldn't pry too far into this matter, but what little prying she would do would be relentless. On the other paw, there was no way he could give Pinkie's name to his mother. As he struggled to concoct an alias, images of Pinkie flashed through his mind. Her smile, her eyes, and her favorite red coat. He smiled mentally as an answer to his mother's question came to him.

"Red hood. Her name is Red Hood."

***

Discord frowned as he hovered through the Everfree, head constantly turning as he searched the forest for anything out of the ordinary. Well, anything that he himself hadn't made out of the ordinary at the moment. Those Plunder Vines really managed to adapt rather nicely to the forest's ecosystem.

"Where is it?" he muttered to himself, phasing clean through a tree. "I know I sensed the disturbance around here."

While strange happenings were relatively common place in the Everfree, dimensional distortions were beyond its limits of power. Something was dabbling in one of his schools of magic and he was going to find out what or who. A ripple of dimensional magic about fifty feet away caught his attention. He quickly locked onto its position before teleporting towards it. What he saw made his jaw drop.

Standing in an open clearing was a single pink Earth Pony wearing an off-fitting hooded red trench coat. Ten Timberwolves surrounded her with drooling maws as they waited for the right moment to strike. What shocked Discord wasn't the danger the mare was in, but the calm smile he saw outside of the shadow of her hood and the confident poise she held in the face of her attackers.

"So," she smiled. "Anyone want to test their luck?"

The wooden wolves growled, but otherwise didn't react to the mare's taunt.

She giggled.

"What's wrong? You're friend wasn't afraid. C'mon, I want to have some fun!"

A faint tremble ran through the wolves as some among them took a half-step back.

The mare frowned, then said, "You guys are no fun. How am I gonna get any practice if none of you want to play ball?"

Her ear twitched as a faint howling above her caught her attention. She looked up and an eager smile spread across her muzzle.

"Oh! Here comes your friend! One second please."

She fell to her haunches, completely ignoring the unnerved pack as something far above her descended. Discord had just enough time to recognize the falling howling thing as a Timberwolf seconds before the mare delivered a devastating right hook into the poor creature's chest. The wooden wolf let out a pained yelp just before it shattered into kindling. He cringed at the display of power. While he knew that the creature would just reassemble itself a few minutes later, it didn't make him sympathize with it any less. Granted, if anypony asked he would deny any such sentiments before turning them into a candy-coated cabbage cart for a few seconds.

The mare stared at the watching wolves with a near manic grin as she said, "Well? Who's next?"

The pack let out frightened whines before running back into the forest and out of sight. The mare sat in silence for a few seconds, then let out weary sigh as she stood back up.

"Good. I don't think I would've had enough magic to make it back home if that kept up."

Discord raised a brow at that as he watched her walk deeper into the forest. The mare looked and sounded a lot like Pinkie Pie, but this clearly wasn't the same bubbly party pony he knew and swam in pudding with every other week. For one thing, this mare was a lot more mellow then his friend. The Pinkie he knew was a ball of hyper with no known limit in sight while this version looked like she was barely keeping herself on her hooves. Another sign that this was just an uncanny resemblance was the way the pony wore her mane. Pinkie's mane and tail were such thick masses of curls that you'd think they were made of cotton candy while what bits of them weren't covered by the coat were straight with small curls at the end. Curiosity gripped the Chaos God as he watched the pony walking into the distant foliage. This doubled when he saw a small spacial distortion appear in front of her and she walked through it without a second thought.

For the first time in a long while, shock stalled Discord's mind as he stared at the space the pony previously occupied.

"What in the world?" he muttered as he floated over to the space the Pinkie look-a-like vanished in.

Frowning, he examined the empty space with the utmost scrutiny as he orbited the space. Humming to himself, he poked the space with his eagle's talon. The space rippled like water as the fabric of reality reacted to his magic. He smiled when he pulled his appendage away from the distortion and a portal identical to the one the pony summoned materialized.

"I see. A Gap Walker, eh?" he chuckled. "Now that's something you don't see everyday."

His smile widened when he looked through the gap and saw a familiar aged castle on the other side.

"Good taste," he nodded. "Wonder what she's done with the place."

With a smirk, he snapped his talon and turned into a fly before passing through the gap. He briefly nodded his approval at how smooth the travel was through the gap before flying towards the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters. About ten feet away from the castle gates, he spotted the red-clothed pony as she crossed the drawbridge through the front entrance. He smiled as he followed her past the threshold into the ancient structure. While he was a little disappointed that the mare didn't do anything to change the castle's aesthetics, he was pleased to see his marefriend's former home properly cleaned and maintained. He did almost blow his cover when the mare made it to the bedroom and hung up her coat though.

She could be her twin! he thought, jaws slack as he watched her step out of the room. Tweak the mane and tail a bit and change the Cutiemark and you wouldn't know the difference!

Buzzing behind her, he studied her as she made her way through the castle. A challenging feat due to the mare's constant gap-walking to get around. While this was impressive, it was nothing compared to the skill she displayed when she got to the castle's kitchen. After she got a pot of water onto the lit ancient oven, she held up a hoof and a potato fell into it from a summoned gap. While she waited for the water to boil she chopped up the vegetable with the skills and grace of a master chef. Without looking up from her work, she held up her hoof under yet another freshly opened gap as a carrot fell out into it. The second she was done with the potato she went to work chopping up the carrot after adding the spud to the almost boiling pot. He watched with wide eyes as she did this with a dozen other vegetables while occasionally adding some crushed dried herbs to the pot. He marveled at how easily she alternated between cutting ingredients and summoning gaps to get said ingredients from what had to be a rather well stocked nearby storage shed. Once she had everything stewing in the pot, she sat back and stared at the ceiling with a listless sigh.

"It's so lonely around here without him," she mumbled, then giggled listlessly as she added," Five hours and I'm already missing him. Guess I've got it pretty bad, huh?"

She sighed as she stuck her hoof into a newly summoned gap at her left and pulled out a book. She fell to her haunches as she flipped open the cover to kill some time.

"I know why he had to, but I really wish he didn't have to go."

Discord felt bad for the mare, only to gulp a little when a wide smile spread across her muzzle.

"We're gonna have a lot of time to make up when he gets back," she giggled wickedly.

Sure he'd seen enough, he flew out the nearest window into late afternoon sky.

Don't know who "he" is, but I hope he doesn't keep her waiting too long, he thought with a wicked smile before winking out of existence.

Ch. 29 Fine and Coarse

The higher end of Canterlot City was always known for opulence and sophistication. While not filled with palaces, it did hold the oldest and most successful houses in the city. Manor houses that had been around since the city's founding who's lines survived the passage of time dominated the streets like ancient trees in defiance. In particular, ten manors reined supreme over the street. Five of these houses belonged to the scientific and economic industries that ran the city while the rest governed over the city's artistic pursuits. These were the Five Musical Families, the only truly nobelesque families that governed over the city. On the doorstep of one particular manor stood a nervous teen girl with red and gold hair.

"Wow," Sunset gulped, staring at the massive ornate rout iron gate. "I knew Octavia came from money, but this is insane."

What she saw through the gate was something straight out of a period drama. Just beyond the the iron bars stood a massive blanket of white snow covering a hundred feet of open land. Scattered through the space were various well carved and maintained marble statues of various mythical creatures. Elves, faeries, satyrs, and centaurs stood in various poses both provocative and dynamic on a field of pure white. Beyond them towered a massive building from ancient times given life. Three stories tall and three thousand spare-feet wide, the fortress of dark wood faced the teen with tall windows and oakwood doors plucked from the same realm only a handful of Equestrian nobles had access to.

Nervously, Sunset pushed a button on the intercom next to the main gate.

"Um, hello?" she asked.

"Good afternoon," a cultured male voice responded through the device. "Who might I say this is?"

"S-Sunset Shimmer?" she gulped. "I'm one of Octavia's and Vinyl's friends."

A brief pause, then the voice said in a slightly chipper tone, "Ah, yes. Both of the young misses said you would be visiting today. Wait one moment and someone will meet you at he gate and grant you access."

"U-Um, thanks," she smiled meekly.

A soft click was the only response she got at that as she shifted her attention back to the metal gate.

Calm down Sunset, she thought, taking a shaky breath. You're just going to spend some time at two friend's place. So what if they're from one of the richest families in the city? I shook hooves with nobles since I was seven back in Equestria. This is nothing compared to that!

Then again, there was a difference between tolerating a snooty entitled dingbat and leaving a good impression with a friend's family that just happens to have a giant bank account. The last thing she wanted to do was make it look like she was Vinyl's and Octavia's friend for the money.

She gulped as she saw a golf cart coming into view from the outside perimeter of the statue garden. Her nerves only grew as she saw the well-kept condition of the person driving the vehicle. The butler elegantly extricated himself from the cart and approached the gate with purpose. He was tall and elderly, yet well built for his presumed age, silver streaks mixed with his short chocolate-brown hair and many distinguished age lines carved into his white face. His gray eyes held a kind of timeless quality to them only those who lived a long and challenging life could own as he took note of Sunset's presence.

"Sunset Shimmer?" he asked, tone deep and warm as he stared at her.

She nodded.

He smiled then said, "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Fine Point and I will be your guide for the day."

"Oh, um, thanks?" she stammered sheepishly.

He gave her an understanding smile as he pressed a button from his side of the gate and it slowly slid open.

***

Octavia hummed happily as she took a sip from her teacup, gentle piano music adding its ambiance from her cellphone to the ornate library. While still prim and proper, her posture held a faint level of slouch as she sat in an ornate oak arm chair by a matching table at her right. She was dressed in a simple white T-shirt and blue jeans, her usual fair when she wanted to relax and had no real need to leave the house or impress anyone. Even her hair was slightly mussed, the closest thing she could stand to let it fall into disarray. Her sister was another story all together, as the DJ slouched in her seat on the opposite side of the small round table as she occupied one of the table's three remaining seats. Vinyl was dressed in a wrinkled white tank-top and blue pajama bottoms, a cocky grin spread across her face as she bobbed her head to whatever music she was listening to through her headphones, a can of soda waiting patiently for her on the table.

Octavia reached across the table and tapped it on the wood in front of the girl. Vinyl grimaced a little before she paused her song on her phone and let her headphones hang around her neck.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Do you think this was a good idea?" Octavia frowned. "Inviting Sunset here, I mean."

"What do you mean?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Well," Octavia frowned sheepishly. "Our home can be rather...intimidating to most people

Vinyl chuckled and took a swig of her soda.

"Are you kidding me? Tavi. Sunset's mom is a princess. I think she can handle seeing a place like this."

As she said that, she casually gestured to her surroundings with a flourish of her hand.

"If anything, I think we should be the nervous ones."

"True," Octavia mused. "I just don't want her to feel uncomfortable."

"Trust me," she smirked. "We've got nothing to worry about."

As if on cue, Fine Point opened the door to the library and stood to the side of the opening.

"Miss Sunset Shimmer," he said, his thoughts hidden behind his usual stoic professionalism.

A second later a very stiff-looking Sunset entered the room. Octavia gave Vinyl a raised brow before rising out of her seat to greet their friend with a kind smile.

"Welcome Sunset," she chuckled, closing the gap between them. "Come, make yourself at home."

As she said that, she put a hand on the nervous girl's back as she gently guided her back to the table. Vinyl pulled a chair out for her before returning to her own seat.

"You okay?" she asked, both confused and concerned for her friend.

"Y-Yeah," Sunset stammered as she gave the DJ a stiff smile. "Kind of a lot to take in, you know?"

"I guess?" Vinyl blinked. "Isn't this kind of par-for-the-course for you?"

"Kind've," she sighed. "I'm not a High Royal here, remember?"

"I see," Octavia nodded. "Though I admit, I fail to see how a shift in status could effect your sense of normalcy."

"I guess I just got so used to castles that a "simple" mansion stands out to me," she frowned, staring at the table.

"I suppose," Octavia mused. "All the same, be at ease love. In the end, it is nothing more than a house."

"A really big house, but still a house," Vinyl shrugged. "Want anything to drink?"

"Sure," Sunset smiled, her nerves seeming to loosen thanks to her friend's words.

"Cool, what do ya want?" Vinyl asked, smirking.

"A Sprite sounds good," she nodded.

"Awesome," she chuckled, then looked up at Fine Point and asked, "Can you get two Sprites for us?"

"Of course," he intoned. "Will that be all?"

"For now," Octavia nodded.

Fine Point nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him as he went.

"Now then," Octavia smiled, a hint of mischief evident in her features. "How are things between you and Derpy?"

"Great," Sunset smirked, a bit of a blush coloring her cheeks. "Now that everything's settled down, we've been spending a lot of time together."

"I bet," Vinyl chuckled, a lecherous smile spread across her face as she took a swig of her drink.

Sunset raised a brow at that.

"You know love," Octavia mused, catching Sunset's attention. "You never told us how the two of you officially became a couple."

"Uh, sure I did," Sunset gulped, her face heating up.

"Right," Vinyl smiled. "C'mon, Spill. It's been bugging us for days and Derpy won't tell us anything."

Sunset glowered at the two girls, her blush still on full display as she stared at them.

"Fine," she grumbled.

***

Laughter filled the air as two girls sat in front of a giant television, countless gaming equipment and snacks spread out between them. While it paled in comparison to Lyra's collection, Vinyl had quite the extensive assortment of games at her disposal. It served as an excellent followup to the interrogation of Sunset and Derpy's adventures in Equestria. While she didn't have too much of a problem telling them what happened, there were a few details she left out. She doubted that they needed to know what they did after Sunset's battle with Gold Vine or the battle itself for that matter.

"C'mon-c'mon-c'mon!" Vinyl demanded, frustratedly jamming the buttons on her controller.

Sunset smirked triumphantly as she calmly tapped the buttons on her controller.

A loud battle cry filled the air followed by a frustrated growl as Vinyl watched her character fall. A giant KO dominated the screen as Sunset's fighter struck a victory pose.

"Damn it!" Vinyl frowned, slumping in her navy-blue gaming chair and crossing her arms.

Sunset chuckled at her as she set her controller aside and took in her friend's room.

On top of being bigger then her's and Derpy's rooms combined and having a giant TV, the room was largely dominated by the DJ's passion. The TV stood as the dividing point of the room with the bedroom's door and a wide array of technical equipment dominating its left side while a large oak wardrobe, desk, and queen-sized canopy bed stood at its right. Rock and punk band posters were spread unevenly on the walls at random places like hunting trophies through out the room. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling with its bulbs dimmed thanks to a dimmer switched installed in a wall by the door.

"How the heck did you get so good at this game?" Vinyl demanded, pulling Sunset's attention away from her surroundings.

Sunset's lips pulled themselves into a sad smile as she said, "Rainbow and I used to play this a lot."

"Oh," Vinyl frowned, then asked, "How have you been doing lately?"

"Pretty good, why?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Just checking," the DJ sighed. "No...relapses, right?"

Sunset froze for a moment, then stiffly brought her hands together as she struggled to find her words.

"No," she gulped. "I've got Derpy, you girls, and mom in my life again. I don't have any reason to go back to that place again."

"You're damn straight you don't," Vinyl growled. "But I don't want you to keep that stuff to yourself."

Sunset blinked at that, but didn't get a chance to respond as Vinyl gave her a hard frown.

"Look, I get it. Some things are hard to talk about, even with people you care about. Thing is, sometimes you still need to talk to someone."

Sunset nodded, eager to see where the DJ was going with this.

Vinyl let out a frustrated growl as she nervously scratched the back of her head.

"I'm not very good with words like Tavi, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I know what its like to be in a really bad place."

Sunset's eyes widened at that as the implications started to take shape. While she was familiar with the toxic history of Vinyl's original family, it never really occurred to her that the DJ was still bearing the scars of that relationship. The crass, smiling girl always seemed so untouchable and aloof that it was hard to see anything bothering her for too long. A sharp pang of guilt filled Sunset at that realization.

"Do...you want to talk about it?" Sunset asked.

A weak smile formed on Vinyl's lips.

"You sure you want to hear?"

She nodded, sporting a determined frown as she stared at her friend.

Vinyl sighed, then leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

"There's not much to say. My mom was a bitch and Tavi saved me. I guess the case wasn't very cut and dry at first, but that doesn't really mean much."

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked, raising a brow. "Octavia had that recording and everything, didn't she?"

Vinyl laughed bitterly at that.

"That could only get the case started. Since it was taken without Record's permission, it couldn't be used as evidence against her. Luckily, Granny Philharmonic has some of the best lawyers in the city on speed dial and fixed that problem real quick."

A heavy silence filled the room as Vinyl let certain memories she hadn't dwelt upon in a long time wander through her mind. A faint tremble ran through her lips as a particularly bitter memory came to her.

Sunset noticed.

"Vinyl?"

Vinyl let out a shaky breath as she continued.

"At one point, the bitch managed to get in touch with me during the hearing. I wanted to hang up on her, but I guess she still had some kind of hold on me at the time. She wanted me to lie to the court. She said that if I left her, I'd have nothing. That Tavi's folks would dump me the second I didn't do as they said and that she was only doing what she thought was right for me. She said that she loved me."

A cruel smile spread across her face as she added, "Too bad I didn't give a shit about her."

She sat up straight, her smile becoming more cocky as she locked eyes with her friend.

"I told the court everything. All of the abuse, manipulation, and even the whole thing that got me put in the hospital. I didn't know all the specifics at the time, but apparently my testimony had just the push my lawyer needed to get me out of that bitch's hands. After a couple weeks in the foster care system, Granny managed to pull enough strings to get me fostered to her and later adopted me."

"I bet that was a lot to get used to," Sunset stated, feebly trying to lighten the mood with a smirk.

Vinyl laughed then said, "You have no idea. Yeah, I came from a top family, but there's a pretty big gap between five and one. When I first came here, I nearly shat my pants at the front gate! For a while, I thought Record was right about Tavi's folks and I was always on edge. I actually lost my lunch when Granny called me up to her room and said she wanted to hear some of my music."

"What? Why?" Sunset asked, blinking in shock.

Vinyl gave her a flat look as she said, "Sunset, I was a Junior High student that spent most of her life under a narcissist's thumb. How do you think I would've reacted?"

"Good point," Sunset cringed. "How did it go?"

"It was a disaster," she groaned. "I was so nervous that I couldn't get my mixes to harmonize at all. Tunes were off, rhythms were flat, it was a mess. Hell, at one point I got so scared that I froze up and just waited for her to yell at me."

"Did she?" she asked, lips pulling into a faint knowing smile.

"Nah," Vinyl chuckled. "She gave me a hug, told me to take a deep breath, and try again. It was way too much for me to take at the time and I started crying like a baby for a bit. When I tried again it was still a mess, but it was a lot better then the first one. She let me try as many times as I wanted and kept cheering me on. Eventually, I found my groove and gave her a real show."

"I take it she liked it," Sunset chuckled.

"Yeah," she smirked. "Then she asked me to show her how to do it."

"Wait what?" Sunset gawked.

Vinyl laughed at that.

"Yeah, I said the same thing. She said since I was her new granddaughter, she wanted to get to know me a bit better. Since we both were music fanatics that was the best place to start. I was on cloud nine for a while after that."

"I bet you were," Sunset smirked.

"Yeah," she said, smile turning wistful as she stared at the ceiling. "It was like when I ran my first set all over again. 'Cept now I wasn't doing it to give the bitch the finger. I had people backing me up that gave an actual fuck about me for a change and it felt great. I mean, yeah, I had to learn a bunch of etiquette crap, but that was just when we had to go to big events and stuff. Behind closed doors or out on the streets I could do whatever I wanted so long as I didn't do anything too extreme."

"Sounds like things really turned up," Sunset nodded.

"Yeah," the DJ chuckled. "I got pretty lucky."

Silence filled the room again, only now it was less dense then the last time. It was broken as Vinyl gave Sunset a roughish smile and said, "We're a lot alike, aren't we?"

"Yeah," Sunset chuckled.

"You've got Derpy and I've got Tavi and her folks, but we both got fucked by life before we found them," she laughed. "Want to know how I to deal with it?"

"How?"

Vinyl gave her the widest, brightest smile she could manage and said, "I smile and tell life to go fuck itself. That I'm not going to be its bitch anymore. No matter what."

Sunset blinked at that, then smiled as she said, "Damn straight."

Both girls bumped fists and laughed, the dark atmosphere from before vanishing in the light of there mirth.

"Anyway," Vinyl grinned as she picked up her controller. "That's enough gloom and doom for now."

"Right," Sunset nodded, picking up her own controller.

As they set up the next match, Vinyl gently nudged her friend and with a soft smile said, "Thanks for listening by the way."

"Anytime Vinyl," she smiled.

***

Sunset groaned as she tossed and turned in her borrowed bed, the dark unfamiliar room only adding to her insomnia as she stared at the ceiling. By the time she and Vinyl finished there gaming marathon, it was already well past time for Sunset to head back home. After a quick call to let Derpy know where she was, Octavia made arrangements to let Sunset use one of the mansion's many guest rooms for the night. While the bed was just as comfortable as her bed back in Equestria, it was still difficult for her to fall asleep. She let out a frustrated growl as she dragged herself into a sitting position.

"I need a drink of water," she grumbled as she dragged herself out of bed.

As she stepped out of her room, she struggled to remember how to get to the kitchen on the first floor.

Let's see. I think it was first left then right to get to the stairs, then I need to cut through the main hall.

Five minutes later, she let out a frustrated grumble when her chosen rout took her to the mansion's pool room. She took a different rout and nearly cursed when she found herself in one of the mansion's libraries. She would've screamed if the next room she found wasn't Vinyl's. When she found herself standing in front the front doors to the mansion, she let out an annoyed huff as she leaned against a nearby wall.

"How does anyone find anything in this place?" she grumbled. "I grew up in a castle! This shouldn't be this hard!"

She let out a groan as she pushed herself off of the wall to resume her search. As she walked away from the wall, a faint sound caught her attention. Curious, she followed it down a nearby hallway to her left and beyond. As the sound grew, it became easier to identify. With all the time she spent around music and instruments, she would have to be deaf not to recognize the sound for what it was. Sure enough, she soon found herself standing in front of the music room. Through a crack in the door, a haunting, lilting tone crept out into the dark hallways. With Curiosity gnawing at the back of her mind, Sunset peeked through the partially opened door into the room beyond.

Like she expected, the room was loaded with instruments of all shapes and sizes, all of which hung from stands or in cases along the walls. A beautiful grand piano stood at the back of the room opposite the door, but even its radiance paled in comparison to what stood in front of it. Eyes closed and dressed in lavender pajamas stood Octavia, a gentle expression gracing her face as she played her cello. Sunset was in awe at the poise the girl displayed as her bow glided across the strings like a bird in the open sky. The skill on display was just as apparent as the love Octavia held for her craft as the room was filled with the fruits of her labor. Sunset was so absorbed by the small concert that she barely registered it when she wandered into the room. Octavia was none the wiser as she continued to play, serenity never leaving her face as she unwittingly charmed her guest.

For what felt like hours, the two girls were in their own little worlds as they let the symphony take them away. Then with a final long note, Octavia finished her piece with a wide flourish of her bow.

"The world is my stage," she whispered, a slightly cocky smile gracing her lips as she opened her eyes.

Her eyes widened when she saw Sunset sitting cross-legged across from her.

"S-Sunset!" she stammered, face heating up. "Did I wake you?"

"Huh?" she blinked, then quickly shook the mist out of her head before she explained.

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought a glass of water would help."

"I see," she nodded, fluster replaced with understanding as her blush faded away. "Has it?"

"It would if I could find the kitchen," she muttered.

"Pardon?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"Never mind," Sunset sighed, then asked, "I guess you couldn't sleep either, huh?"

"No," she sighed, staring somberly at her instrument. "Lately, I've found my mind wondering."

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Octavia gave her a faint smile and said, "Nothing too out of the ordinary, love. Just the usual drama."

"I don't have anywhere I need to be," she shrugged.

Octavia giggle at that, then let a thin smile grace her lips as she stared at the fiery girl.

"I believe Vinyl gave you a more detailed take on what her first few days were like here?"

Sunset nodded.

"I suppose she told you a tale of how I saved her from a terrible fate at the hand of her ogre of a mother. Would it surprise you if I said it was the other way around? That she was the one that saved me?"

"What?" she asked, blinking owlishly at the musician.

Octavia giggled at her friend's reaction.

"It's true. Remember, before we met, I was completely obsessed with my craft. Everything had to be perfect. Absolutely no deviations from the trodden path of the masters. Nothing short of absolute perfection could be permitted."

Sunset nodded, starting to get an idea where this was going.

"I'm sure Vinyl told you of how difficult I was back then," she continued, a sheepish smile forming on her lips when Sunset nodded. "In time, she had enough with my antics and literally dragged me out of the house. It was thanks to her that I started to let other things and people into my life."

A small grimace marred her face as she added, "One of those very people is the source of my restless mind at the moment unfortunately."

"Who?" Sunset asked.

Octavia froze, face lightly twisted into a conflicted frown before she took a deep breath and said, "Rarity."

"Oh," Sunset said hollowly.

"It would seem that she fell back into her old vice," she continued, eyes drifted to the ground along with Sunset's. "She appears to be taking steps to get back on track, but I still worry about her."

"Right," Sunset gulped.

"I'm not the only one," Octavia sighed. "According to Vinyl, Rainbow was on Canter Bridge a few days ago."

"What?!" Sunset gasped. "Is she okay?!"

"Yes, love," she smiled. "She's fine."

"Good," she sighed, slumping against the wall she sat in front of. "What about the others?"

"Unfortunately, that is all I know," Octavia frowned.

"I see," she frowned. "Thanks for letting me know."

"Anytime love," she smiled.

Sunset returned the smile, then turned her gaze to the ground as she processed what her friend said. While she was still mad at the girls, she couldn't deny that maybe this whole situation had gone on long enough. Bad blood never made things any better for anyone involved, especially when one party was clearly repentant for their crimes.

If I was willing to forgive the CMC, what's stopping me from doing the same with the Rainbooms?

With that in mind, she nodded to herself and sported a determined frown as she looked up towards Octavia. It was time to purge the last drop of poison out of her life once and for all.

"I want to talk to her."

Octavia blinked, shocked by the sudden change in her friend's demeanor.

"Are you sure love?"

She nodded, then said, "And not just her. I'll send a message out to all of them to let them know when and where we're going to do this."

"I see," Octavia nodded, a matching look of determination decorating her face. "However, I must insist that Lightning and Fluttershy be present. While I doubt they will try anything, it never hurts to be cautious."

Sunset shook her head.

"I get where you're coming from, but this is something I have to do alone."

Octavia blinked owlishly at the girl then stammered, "B-But Sunset-"

Sunset put up a hand to halt her friend's protests and asked, "Do you trust me?"

Momentarily staggered by her friend's question, Octavia paused, then said, "Of course love."

"Then please," she gulped. "Let me do this."

The two girls stared at each other for a long moment, then with a withering sigh, Octavia nodded.

"Very well love. Just promise me you will be careful, okay?"

"I promise," she smiled.

Author's Note

Lyra's battle track
https://youtu.be/VEC0gZvMVAI

Rarity's battle track
https://youtu.be/sdIeZikX_5c

Applejack's battle track
https://youtu.be/9pYHjyGdLAo

Rainbow Dash's battle track
https://youtu.be/WarnWRK6zGY

Ch. 30 Eye Spy

Since time long forgotten, scholars and crafters of various fields long desired to surpass their compatriots. Alchemists longed to turn lead into gold, scientists desired the power to command the powers of the world, and kings longed to leave behind immortal legacies. From the day hubris entered the world of mortals to the end of days, the desire to move past the masters of the past and present will aways fill the hearts of all sapient life. It was in a kitchen in Canterlot City that a formerly wall-eyed teen found herself on such an timeless struggle. For her, it was a matter of great personal pride, a challenge that was a true test of her skills; how to create a Neapolitan Muffin.

"Let's see," Derpy hummed, chin cradled in the crook between her thumb and index finger as she staring at her tools. "Should I use the tri-dispenser bag or the divider molds for the batter?"

She thought for a moment, then shrugged as she looked over her ingredients.

"I should have enough to try both," she muttered, then grinned widely as she added, "I wonder if Sunset will like it."

Ever since Sunset came into her life, everyday's been an adventure for the former hacker. Literally in some cases, thanks in no small part to her girlfriend's origin and everything connected to it. Granted, maybe a little monotony wasn't all that bad from time to time. The fact that Sunset could sneeze fire made things difficult for a bit, especially when she did it a little too close to a box of fireworks. Thankfully, Lyra helped fix that problem, though she still felt bad about essentially kicking her girlfriend out of the house for a day. Now her sweet dragon was spending time with Octavia and Vinyl at their mansion while she toiled away in her mother's kitchen trying to make culinary history.

"I hope she's okay," she whispered to herself as she started making some strawberry batter.

She silently pondered what kind of hi-jinx Sunset was being dragged into as she carefully made the needed flavored batter for her creations. As she pored her concoctions into a dispenser bag, her sister walked into the kitchen.

"Hey sis," Derpy smiled, sliding a muffin tray towards her from across the kitchen counter. "What's up?"

Dinky frowned and huffed with crossed arms as she said, "There's a really pretty girl at the door that wants to see you."

"Oh?" she asked, raising a brow as she filled the tray. "Did she say who she was?"

"Flutter something," Dinky growled, frown deepening.

"Oh! That must be Fluttershy," Derpy smiled, sliding her loaded tray into the oven. "Could you let her in for me?"

Silence was the only answer she got as she set a timer on her phone. Confused and concerned, she turned towards her still irate-looking sister.

"What?" Derpy asked, a bit unnerved by her sister's behavior.

"Are you cheating on Sunset?" she growled.

"WHAT?!" Derpy gaped. "Where the heck did that come from?"

Dinky raised a brow at that as she pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

Derpy laughed at that.

"She's just a friend," Derpy smiled. "Don't worry sis, no one's cheating on anyone."

"If you say so," Dinky sighed, then glared sharply at her sister as she added, "But I'm watching you two."

"Go ahead," Derpy chuckled as she pulled another muffin tray out from under the kitchen counter along with a handful of divider molds. "Now can you please go get her?"

"Yeah, yeah," Dinky grumbled, rolling her eyes as she left the kitchen.

Derpy chuckled to herself, shaking her head at her sister's antics as she put the dividers into the molds in the muffin tray and started poring batter into them. By the time Dinky and Fluttershy entered the kitchen, she was already removing the dividers and placing the tray into the oven. With a satisfied smirk, she set the heat, started her timer, and turned to face her sister and guest.

"Hey Fluttershy," Derpy smiled as she took a seat at the kitchen's island. "What's up?"

Fluttershy sighed then took a seat across from her, her teal jacket and white scarf soaked and covered with flecks of fresh snow. Her long hair didn't fair much better as it hung heavily around her shoulders. Small bags hung under her eyes as she leveled a stiff frown at the gray teen.

"Pinkie's missing," she said softly, worry heavy in her features.

Derpy's smile died at that.

"For how long," she said, back straight and hands resting on the table with her fingers steepled together.

"About eleven days now," she sighed, nervously staring at the table.

"Didn't her parents call the cops?"

Fluttershy nodded, then grimaced as she added, "They said that they could make a report, but couldn't do anything else at the moment."

"And I'm guessing you didn't come to see me just to vent," Derpy deadpanned.

Again, she nodded.

An awkward silence filled the kitchen, Dinky watching the girls with nervous eyes as she tried to find a way to help. Forgetting her previous suspicions, the young girl approached her sister and hugged her arm tightly. Derpy gave her sister a warm smile then let out a sigh as she shifted her gaze back to her scared friend.

"Tell me everything you know," she sighed.

A wide relieved smile spread across Fluttershy's face and she nodded.

"Thank you."

***

Derpy frowned as she stared at her computer screen, one of her experimental neapolitans sitting half-eaten on a plate on her desk to her left. Finding Pinkie's trail wasn't too difficult for her. As soon as she had a basic time frame and visual starting point, it was a simple matter of hacking the visual records of the various cameras in the area and track her throughout the city. Granted, the trench coat she was wearing at the time gave her a little bit of trouble, but it was an obstacle she could quickly adapt to. What made things a little difficult for her was where the camera's feed told her about Pinkie's last possible location.

The bridge, she thought with a frustrated groan as she roughly ran a hand through her hair. Why did it have to be the bridge?

"Any luck?" Fluttershy asked, nervously nibbling on her own muffin as she walked into the bedroom.

"Eeyup," she said flatly with an audible pop of her lips. "And I don't like what I've found."

"What did you find?" she asked, moving to her friend's side.

Derpy sighed as she pointed at the screen. Fluttershy's eyes widened as she stared at the display, color fading from her face as dread filled her veins.

"P-Please tell me you're kidding," she stammered.

Derpy somberly shook her head.

"All the cameras in the area showed her heading towards the bridge and her phone's GPS winked out directly on the thing. From what I can tell, the last place she was at before she disappeared was Canter Bridge."

Tears slowly fell down Fluttershy's face as the implications of the news fell into place.

She jumped. She jumped. She jumped. She jumped. She jumped.

Her legs trembled as her broken thought echoed through her mind like some sick mantra, her muffin long forgotten as it fell out of her hand. Worried, Derpy jumped to her feet and pulled the trembling girl into a hug. A gentle warmth filled the gentle teen as a faint golden glow washed over them. Slowly, her trembling ceased as the magic of their two elements eased the dread out of her system. The glow faded as the two girls parted, a relaxed sigh rolling past Fluttershy's slightly trembling lips.

"Are you okay?" Derpy asked.

Fluttershy nodded, her lips pulled into a stiff smile.

"Yeah," she sighed. "It's just that...it turns out that that bridge has a reputation."

"Really?" Derpy asked, raising a brow.

Fluttershy nodded, her smile shifting into a worried frown as she stared at the ground.

"Apparently, people have been going there to commit suicide for a really long time."

Derpy's eyes widened at that, her face paling as the current situation's implications fell into place. She quickly ran to her computer and went back to work, eyes frantically moving across the screen as her fingers frantically hammered her keyboard. Fluttershy watched dozens of new windows appeared and vanished faster then she could keep up as Derpy frantically scanned the screen for something beyond the animal-lover's understanding. After an hour of nonstop clicks and button taps, Derpy let out a relieved sigh as she fell back into her chair and turned towards her nervous friend.

"Okay," she smiled. "From what I've found, there have been no cases of any bodies in the area of Canter Creek in the last couple months. So odds are she didn't jump or do anything to herself there."

"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked, hope heavy in her eyes.

"Positive," Derpy nodded. "If she did, there would be coverage all over the news or there would be some kind of investigation at the very least."

"Do you think she was kidnapped?" Fluttershy asked.

"Maybe," she hummed. "The cameras didn't catch any people or vehicles going through the bridge at the time, but that doesn't guarantee anything."

"Right," Fluttershy sighed, staring at the ground.

"Still," Derpy smirked. "It's a start."

As she said that, she jumped to her feet and slipped on a thick gray jacket.

"Let's head out," she said, smirk growing more daring as she looked at her nervous friend.

"Right," she nodded, a relived smile forming on her lips. "Let's do this."

***

A cold tranquility dominated the melancholic scene that was Canter Bridge's main civilian platform. Frosted sheet metal and lightly rusted girders greeted all who came to visit the titanic structure, many not bothering to take notice of the bridge's aesthetics as they went about their business. To most, the bridge was nothing beyond a means to cross the stream it stretched across. For others, it was a means to a much less temporary end as they used it to cross a river many try to avoid for as long as possible. Two teenage girls stood at the heart of the bridge, both very familiar with the its sorted history in one way or another.

Derpy let out a sigh as she gave the platform a slow once-over. While everything looked different in the late afternoon light, it didn't change her impressions of the scene. She could still remember that horrible night. The growing dread as she watched the girl she would later call her dragon march towards her own noose. The heartbreaking tears that stained her jacket as she held Sunset close on this very same platform. The weight on her arm as she desperately struggled to pull the girl back over the guardrail to safety. Yes, this bridge left a mark on the girl in ways no one her age should experience. A burden both her and Sunset shared along with the burning love that came into being not long after.

A faint trembling out the corner of her eye dragged the gray teen out of her musings as she turned towards its source. Fluttershy scanned her surroundings with a fierce intensity, eyes wide and fingers curled like claws as her head quickly shifted from side to side. She reminded her of a cat in the den of a much stronger predator, constantly on edge and ready to strike the second she found an opening.

"Are you okay Fluttershy?" Derpy asked.

"No," she whispered, eyes still scanning her surroundings. "There's something about this place that doesn't feel right."

"Like what?" she asked, tone just as hushed as she continued her cursory investigation.

"I don't know," she scowled. "But whatever it is, my magic doesn't like it."

As she said that, her eyes briefly flashed red as her magic raged against her control.The sight put Derpy on edge as she continued her investigation. While it was brief, she saw first hand what her new friend's magic was capable of. The fury she saw in the corners of those red eyes still sent a chill down her spine whenever she thought about it.

I should probably ask her how her magic works later, she thought with a gulp as she paced the perimeter of the platform for clues.

She got as close to the guardrail as she dared, but stopped a foot away when her foot hit something laying on the ground. Curious, she looked down and was greeted by the sight of a small rectangular box. She raised a brow as she picked it up and opened it. Inside was a small cluster of slightly water damaged cigarettes. She grimaced as she closed the box and threw it over her shoulder into the middle of the platform.

"Nasty things," she grumbled as she resumed her search.

A soft gasp caught her attention as she turned back towards its source. Her eyes widened as saw Fluttershy with a cigarette in her mouth.

"You smoke?!" she asked flabbergasted.

"No," she deadpanned as she pulled the offending object out of her mouth.

Before Derpy could argue, Fluttershy peeled what should've been the first layer of paper off of the cancer stick to reveal a thin green cylinder. While Derpy's knowledge of such things were limited, she knew that cigarettes didn't look like that under the paper.

"There candy," Fluttershy sighed, staring listlessly at the small box in her hand. "Pinkie liked this brand."

"I never pegged her for a candy cigarettes kind of girl," Derpy said, cocking her head to the side and raising a brow.

"She isn't really," Fluttershy frowned, still staring at the box of candy. "Back in junior high, she threw a party for one of her friends. Someone talked her into giving smoking a try and she was hooked for a year. She told me Maud helped her quit before it could do any lasting damage to her. These are her way of keeping the urges under control."

As she said that, she gestured to the fake cigarettes in her hand before she put the box in her pocket.

At the same time, Derpy took note of where she found the candy and frowned. Considering how close the box was to the guardrail, the story of what happened to Pinkie didn't look very optimistic.

I need to broaden my search sources, she thought, stepping back from the rails.

A chill shot down her back as she heard a light chuckling behind her. Slowly, she turned around to face the source, her dread growing with every second. What she saw scared her to her core. Instead of the sheet metal and rust of the bridge, she was greeted by the sight of pitch-black sky and an open field covered with ash-gray flowers. At the center of the field about fifteen feet away from her stood an obsidian throne with black ivy coiled around it from top to bottom. Sat on the throne was a light-gray woman dressed in an elegant black ball gown. Her long black hair trailed past her neckline to her navel like thick wavy streams of ink as she leveled a pair of cold golden eyes with black sclera. The look in those eyes turned the blood in Derpy's veins into ice as pure fear filled her gut. It was like looking into the eyes of a feral animal as it moved in for the kill. The woman barely moved as she starred at the trembling girl, a manic grin slowly growing on her face. Derpy let out a strangled gasp as she saw pointed teeth peek past the woman's grinning lips.

She needed to run! She had to get away!

She tried to force her legs to move, but her fear trapped them in place like a vice. She could only let out a terrified squeak as the woman pointed her hand out towards her. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks as she saw small holes about the size of baseballs split open across the woman's outstretched arm, revealing dozens of lamprey like mouths with needle-like teeth covering the limb. The woman let out a manic cackle as her arm stretched towards her like a twisted demonic vine, her fear keeping her trapped in place as it closed in on her. Panicked tears rolled down her cheeks as the limb's hand slowly closed in on her face, a mouth with rows of jagged teeth forming in its palm.

"Food," the woman moaned, her manic grin growing more twisted. "FOOD!!!"

With that final manic cry, the limb lunged towards her. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the sting of fangs. Instead, she heard the clang of something hitting metal and felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Slowly, she opened her eyes and was greeted by a sight that filled her with both shock and wonder. She saw herself, only instead of being dressed in a thick gray jacket and dark blue snow pants this version of her was wearing light golden armor without a helmet with a massive seven foot tall rectangular tower shield strapped to her arm. Her double held Derpy back with a hand to the shoulder while she used her shield to hold back the monstrous woman's hand.

"No. You will not have this one," the double frowned, her eyes narrowed as she easily held back the demonic limb.

"Wh-Who are you?" she asked, her fear fading away in the presence of her armored double.

The double smiled gently and said, "I have many names, but to my siblings and your lover I go by Kindness."

Derpy smiled, her fear gone in the presence of the armored girl as her shield held back the monster's advance. A furious demonic screech could be heard from behind the shield as something on the other side slammed into it. Kindness glared through the shield as her hand on Derpy's shoulder tightened.

"You must leave this place," she frowned. "It isn't safe for you or your friends."

"How can I-?"

Before she could finish her question, Kindness shoved her back and with a literal blink she found herself standing on the bridge. Deep gasps fell past her lips as her head spun around, fear and relief whirling through her heart as she took in her more familiar surroundings.

"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Derpy flinched, then carefully hid her fear as best she could as she said, "Yeah, just a lot of bad memories about this place. Let's head back for now. I think I might've missed something in the camera feeds."

"Okay," Fluttershy nodded, though Derpy could tell there was a bit of doubt in her smile.

With that, the two girls made their way off of the bridge. As they walked, Derpy let out a shaky breath as she gave the structure behind her one last glance. A cold chill shot down her spine as for the briefest of seconds, she could've sworn she saw a figure in black standing behind the guardrails on the bridge's main platform. She tore her gaze away from the bridge and continued to walk, sweat-soaked trembling hands hidden in her jacket pockets.

Author's Note

Happy Halloween/Nightmare Night everypony.:pinkiecrazy:

Ch. 31 Neighbors

Pinkie frowned as she wandered through her castle home, boredom threatening to tear her in half as she battled against her greatest enemy; solitude. Granted, it wasn't as if the girl didn't like having a little time to herself, she was a teenager after all. However, there was a big difference between taking some time to decompress in private and being essentially exiled from society. This was especially painful for a social butterfly like Pinkie. Tattle made her situation a little more bearable, but now that he was gone the Terran-turned-pony was struggling to find a way to deal with herself.

"I wish I could do something fun around here," she grumbled as she walked out of a gap into the castle's library. "Being a hermit is so boring!"

She huffed as she tromped through the library, eyes drifting uninterestingly across the hundreds of ancient tomes as she passed. It really surprised her just how much of her free time relied on technology. While she didn't mind books, she would rather watch a movie than read the book the movie was based off of. As a result, Pinkie had to reteach herself how to appreciate the literary works at her disposal. That, or slowly bang her head against a wall as her boredom ate at her sanity. Again.

She let out a dejected sigh as she scanned through the rows of books at her disposal.

"Basics of Unicorn Spell Craft, fourth edition? Nope. Magical Herbs and Fungi? Nuh uh. Legends of the Everfree Forest? Mmmm...maybe? Necronomicon Ex Equis? Maybe later. To Love Your Princess Vol.1?"

She stopped dead in the face of that last title as her mind tried to guess what kind of book that was. Not able to fight against her curiosity, she reached out and pulled the book off of its shelf. Brow raised, she opened the book to a random page and started reading. Her expression slowly shifted from curious to red-faced mortified before she slammed the book shut and shoved it back where she found it.

"I never knew a pony could bend that way," she muttered, face still red as she stiffly trotted away from the piece of literary debauchery.

After a few minutes of wandering through the library she finally found a book that could hold her interest for the moment.

Gap Magic Theory.

"Bingo!" she grinned as she pulled the book out of its shelf.

A wide grin spread across her muzzle as she opened the book as she skimmed through the first couple pages. Most of it was things she already knew thanks to first hand experience, but every now and again she'd find something that made her raise a brow. One such thing was the theory that if an object was dropped through two vertical gaps, it would eventually gain enough speed to blast through a stone wall. Curious, she found a rock about the size of a baseball on the ground then summoned two gaps, one on the ceiling and another on the floor beneath it. Once she connected them, she tossed the stone into the bottom gap. At first, nothing really impressive happened as the stone continuously fell out of the ceiling gap into the one on the floor, but that didn't last too long. Soon, the stone started to fall faster and faster until a straight line of light connected the two portals. Pinkie panted as the strain of maintaining the two gaps started to take its toll on her and with a strained gasp she closed the one on the floor.

The end result was a loud bang as bits of rock and mortar flew throughout the library, nocking the poor Earth Pony clear off her hooves. She groaned as she fought against the ringing in her ears and the nausea it summoned as she struggled to regain her equilibrium.

Okay. Let's not do that again!

She groaned as she dragged herself to her haunches as she waited for her vision to clear. When it did, her jaw hit the ground when she saw the end result of her little experiment. A ten foot wide, two foot deep crater occupied the spot the rock slammed into. After she picked up her jaw, she looked around and leveled a cocky half-lidded smirk at the book she was reading.

"Proof positive!" she exclaimed, pointing at the book just before another wave of nausea made her groan.

She rubbed the sides of her head as she waited for the world to stop showing her what it was like to be drunk and hungover at the same time. Once she managed that, she returned to the shelf she had investigated previously to find a less risky tome. She did take note of where she left Gap Magic Theory for when Tattle came back though. She briefly considered trying to read the "love" novel, but decided Herbs and Fungi would've been a much more useful read to kill time with.

While not as common as in other times of the year, Pinkie knew there were a few useful herbs that grew in the snow. Countless camping trips with Limestone and Maud hammered such things into her purely to keep her from eating something dangerous while they were out in the wilderness. A quick check of the book's index told her where the needed chapter was as she skimmed through the pages. Once she got to the winter section, she quietly searched for any information she didn't already have. Her brows rose as she saw just how many alien winter plants grew in Equestria. In addition to all of the plants, trees, and fungi she was familiar with, she saw several dozen others that were complete mysteries to her. Intrigued, she took a look at what these new plants could do and was not disappointed. One plant was a flower that could be used to treat hypothermia or added to soups or teas as an energy booster for ponies recovering from other types of drops in body heat. There was a mushroom that could be used to treat muscle weakness and dizziness if eaten raw. There was even a tree exclusive to the Everfree Forest whose bark and needles could be brewed into a tea that could be used to treat severe anxiety.

Pinkie hummed in thought, hoof resting on her chin as she looked over the pages like a dinner menu. She gave the crater she caused earlier a glance and shrugged as she shifted her attention back to her book. With a resolute nod, she reached into a gap, pulled out her jacket, threw it on, and snapped the herb guide shut.

Maybe this won't blow the castle up, she thought with a grin as she walked towards the library door, book tucked into one of her inner coat pockets.

***

Zecora hummed happily as she sat in her hut, wooden mug held firmly in her hoof as she relaxed in her hammock. While an often unpredictable place to live, the Everfree Forest was relatively safe in the winter months. With most of the major predators either hibernating or having long sense migrated to warmer regions, the most the Zebra Shaman had to deal with were the occasional snow fox or Timberwolf that wandered into her territory. Threats that became little more than nuisances thanks to her potions, traps, and spear. As a result, most creatures knew to keep their distance from the tribally decorated hollow tree the Zebra inhabited.

"May miracles never cease, as I enjoy this time of peace," she smiled, taking a sip of her tea.

She sighed happily as she stared out her window onto the snow-covered mid-afternoon ground and trees of her forest neighborhood. The tranquility of winter was something she never got tired of seeing, usually because the chaos of the nearby town and the forest's wild nature seldom seemed to feel the need to compete with each other this time of year. Even ponies seldom came by to explore the forest at this time. While she was more than willing to entertain her equine neighbors, she did appreciate the solitude her home provided. It was for that reason that she blinked in surprise when she saw a pony dressed in a hooded red coat walk pass her window. Curious, she set her cup down on a table by her hammock and leaned closer towards the window.

From her perspective, the pony looked like the were looking for something in the snow. Occasionally, they would sit down and pull a book out of their coat to open for a few minutes before putting it away and resuming their quest. Zecora watched the pony repeat this process a few more times, all the while wondering who this pony was and why they were wandering through the forest.

She rolled out of the comfort of her hammock and made her way towards the door to investigate. After taking a moment to slip into her winter cloak, she stepped out into the frigid air and towards the foraging pony. Said pony seemed to be lost in their own world as they moved around the trees, not once looking away from the giant oaks or the snow-covered ground beneath them. While the pony's hooded coat did a good job hiding their identity, it didn't hide everything from the Zebra's keen eyes. While the bit of mane and tail was styled differently, there were only so many ponies in the area that had that much pink on them.

"Unless my eyes do deceive," she smirked as the pony turned their back to her. "Is it not Pinkie that I perceive?"

The pony flinched, then slowly turned to face her. Sure enough, Zecora found herself staring into the bright blue eyes of Pinkie Pie. Only, something didn't seem quite right. Instead of the bright bubbly mare she was used to seeing, this pony looked like a rabbit that was just cornered by a Timberwolf.

"Uh, w-w-who wants to know?" she asked, eyes quickly alternating between looking at the Zebra and her surroundings.

Zecora raised a brow at that as she stated, "Offense I did not intend, for you look just like my friend."

Pinkie blinked at that, then visibly relaxed as a soft smile graced her muzzle.

"No problem. Things like that happen all the time."

"Be that as it may," she continued, a warm smile worming its way onto her muzzle. "What brings you out here today?"

"Oh! Just looking for herbs," Pinkie smiled sheepishly.

"A fledgling medic I see," the Zebra nodded. "Perhaps some help I can be."

"Would you?" Pinkie sighed. "Cuz I could really use some help with this."

Zecora chuckled at that.

"Certainly my wayward drifter, but perhaps in space less touched by winter."

As she said that, she nudged her head towards her home. Pinkie gave the tribally decorated tree an appreciative once over before nodding. Both mares happy for the company, but simultaneously preparing their own means of protection as a precaution. While their reasons differed, both knew it never hurt to be prepared.

***

The two mares laughed, steaming wooden cups of tea set before them on a hoof-carved circular table. For the past couple hours, the two mares traded stories and mirth. Granted, Pinkie had to make some creative adjustments to her stories, but it was more a minor inconvenience than anything else. What made the conversation more interesting for the Terran was her companion's manner of speech. Even some of the best rappers couldn't weave a rhyme as casually as the Zebra mare she was talking to. It just seemed to come so naturally to her that Pinkie had to wonder if she was even aware she was doing it half the time.

"Do all Zebras talk in rhyme?" Pinkie asked.

Zecora chuckled at that and said, "You are not the first to ask me that, for my tribe this is old hat. A shaman's tongue is known to twist, to trick foul forces from the mist."

"So, only shamans talk in rhyme?" she asked, taking a sip of her tea.

Zecora nodded, taking a sip of her own drink.

"Turn of phrase holds great mystic powers, both in common and drastic hours. Make no common false notions, as this also extends to mixing potions."

"Really?" Pinkie asked, brows raised.

Zecora nodded.

"Herbs hold their own power and love, and intent filled chants give the effects a little shove. What would normally give a small peak of energy, while a few well versed chants could give the vitality of a tree. Though this technique is quite advanced, the remedies are generally worth it when enhanced."

"And I bet the rhyming becomes a bit of a habit after a while," Pinkie added with a sly smile.

Zecora shrugged as she said, "I cannot deny that it is a tic, one that most find quite hard to quit."

Pinkie thought for a moment, then asked, "Could you teach me? The potion making, not the rhyming."

Zecora blinked at that, then asked, "I see no true reason not to, but are you sure that's what you want to do?"

Pinkie nodded.

"I, um, can't really go into town for very long. Going to the hospital would make things pretty complicated, so knowing how to make medicine would be a huge help."

"Complicated you say," she frowned, briefly glancing at her spear where it stood propped up by the front door. "In what way?"

Pinkie frowned into her tea cup.

"I...I'm not really welcome around here. Just going into town to get supplies is a huge risk, so going to a hospital is not the best idea in the world."

Zecora saw the pony's hooves tremble as she stared into her cup and an understanding smile spread across her muzzle. Pinkie flinched when she felt a hoof rest gently on her own. She locked eyes with her host and sported an appreciative smile.

"An outcast's burden I understand well, but is not something that should be worn like a shell. I will teach you the basics of my craft, but don't place your faith in the world in a shaft. There are many ponies that will lend you aid, some even if they are not paid."

Pinkie nodded, but her smile trembled a bit as fear entered her heart. For the most part, she knew that she had little to fear. She knew that most of the people here didn't know what she did, but she knew that the ones that did held a tremendous amount of power both socially and literally. She still remembered the massive amount of power she sensed coming off of the white Alicorn she saw so many days ago. The thought of having such a being level their ire at her scared her to her core in ways she never knew was possible. Yes, she knew that there were good people out there, but all it would take is one word from a Princess to make her life a lot more difficult.

"Yeah...I-I'll think about it."

***

Pinkie sighed as she stumbled out of a gap into her bedroom, dozens of bottles rattling in her coat pockets as she slumped through the dark into her bed. Her head was spinning as she rolled onto her back and reached into her coat.

Didn't think I was going to need this one so soon, she thought as she pulled out a purple vial with a cork in its stopper.

After a few failed attempts, she managed to grip and pluck out the cork and swallowed a small mouthful of the potion inside. As she popped the cork back into the bottle, her thoughts started to clear as the potion started to take effect. While she thought she did a pretty good job keeping up with Zecora's lesson, it was still a little hard to follow at times thanks to her unique speech pattern. Luckily, her time in the kitchen made her fairly competent when it came to measuring and preparing ingredients, but that only helped so much when said ingredients were so alien to her.

"At least I only blew things up twice," she chuckled. "Still, it was nice getting to talk to someone."

A twinge of regret settled into her heart as she remembered what she said before returning to the castle. While it was easy enough to write off her appearance as an uncanny resemblance, she couldn't play that card when it came to her name. As a result, she nearly had a panic attack when the Zebra shaman asked her what her name was. Thinking fast, she offered an alias that, in hind sight, she was shocked actually worked.

"Red Hood? Seriously?!" she groaned, placing a hoof over her face. "That was the best I could come up with?"

She sighed as she rolled onto her side and stared blankly through the dark at a wall.

"I'm gonna need to tell her the truth at some point," she sighed. "It's only fair, right?"

The silence of the room was heavy as she waited for sleep to take her away for the night. It never really hit her how alone she was in the castle. She whimpered as she pulled in on herself. She missed having Tattle in her head. She missed having her friends on speed dial. She missed having her family in arms reach. If she could, she'd go back in time and give herself a firm kick in the butt for everything she took for granted at that point. For a time, she wondered if this was what Sunset had to deal with after they cut her from the group. That thought lit a fire in her heart as she stared out into the darkness of her room. Her eyes narrowed as the flame burned away her grief and replaced it with a determination that rivaled the one she had when she confronted her Equestrian counterpart.

I'm going to make this up to you Sunset. No matter what it takes.

Sleep started to claim her as that simple yet powerful thought echoed through her head.

Ch.32 Lily Petals and Phoenix Feathers

Hearths Warming stared blankly at her computer, fingers lightly tapping across the keys as she worked. On the surface, she was the picture of calm professionalism as she cataloged her cases. In truth, she was a tower of nerves. It had been days since Lily tried to kill Sunset Shimmer and her friends. Days in which the Wraith seemed to have lessened her attempts to feed off of the students of Canterlot High School instead of increasing her efforts. She knew that the school had some kind of connection to her homeland, perhaps a portal or wild gab of some kind that made the simple place of learning a beacon of magic for those that were strong enough to sense it.

That included the Wraiths that roamed the world. Since the day she came to this world, she had made it her life's mission to rid Terra of the vile monsters. For the most part, she had done well in regards to that mission, but out of all of the Wraiths she faced, Lily was the one that gave her the most trouble. As a whole, Wraiths came in two forms, Regulars and Archwraiths. While Regulars were rather easy to kill, Archwraiths were a different kind of beast all together. They were smart, cruel, and very powerful. Some of them even developed titles among their kind the more formidable they became. Lily of the Velvet Tongue was a name that made even the most capable human mages tremble in fear, regardless of what powers they had to bear.

She stopped her typing and leaned back in her seat as she thought back to the first time she crossed paths with the infamous monster, the memory clear as day even after all these years.

***

Clanging metal and battle cries filled the air as two warriors clashed, one a woman born from the coldest darkness while the other stood against her with a blade in each hand and a burning flame behind her emerald eyes. An empty black sky watched the two women fight to the death in a field of glowing violet flowers. Lily smiled confidently as she blocked her opponent's sword with her spear, the weapon the same shade of black as her ball gown. Hearths Warming glared daggers at her enemy, her dual swords reflecting the light from her glowing golden plate-mail like polished glass.

"Tell me, do you really think you can win?" Lilly smiled, face inched a little past the the cross to their weapons. "Many have come for my head. None of them have succeeded. What makes you so special?"

Hearths Warming let out a furious snarl as she swung her free blade at the Wraith. The monster in human form didn't react as the sword cleaved the top half of her head off just below her nose. Black blood poured out of the open wound as it slid off of her body and hit the ground with a wet splat. The smile on Lily's lips turned into a bored frown as she leaned what was left of her head back.

"Not much for talking? How droll."

As she said that, her blood changed into thick vine-like tendrils as it picked up the removed part of her body. She continued to talk as the tentacles and the body part merged with the formerly bloody stump above her mouth line.

"You can't kill me, so you could at least make your death a bit more memorable. Come now. Tell me about yourself. What makes you so sure you won't be just another soul in my stomach?"

Hearths Warming's glare melted into an unreadable mask as she jumped back, keeping a ten foot gap between her and her enemy. For the past five hours the two had clashed, her blades tearing into her countless times and the demon continued to regenerate each time. All the while, Lily's mocking smile never left her face, no matter how many times her opponent cut it off of her head. The beast was toying with her, testing the limits of her prey the same way a cat did when it met a new type of rodent before it decided how to kill it. Heaths Warming was aware of this of course, but that was only because she was doing the same in her own way.

She pointed a sword at her regenerating opponent and said, "Come and you will see."

Lily sighed as she pointed her free hand out towards her opponent.

"Humans. Such cliché creatures."

A beam of black energy shot out of her hand towards Hearths Warming, but at the last second a tower shield appeared between the attack and its target. The Wraith's eyebrows raised at that while a cocky smile could be seen on Hearth Warming's face as the now dented shield fell over before she re-closed the gap between them. At first, Lily was going to let the human take a swing at her directly like she had previously, but changed her mind at the last second and blocked with her spear. This proved to be a wise decision.

The second the blades made contact with her spear's shaft, a large explosion sent her flying ten feet back. Hearths Warming pressed her advantage, a battle cry sharing space with loud explosions each time her magically charged swords slammed into Lily's spear. After the first blast, Lily was able to better brace herself against Hearth Warming's attacks, but she still struggled against the wild spree of attacks flying at her. Lily let out a savage snarl as she side stepped out of Hearths' barrage and tried to side-swipe her with her spear.

Hearths Warming smiled as she summoned a gap where Lily stood before and charged through it just before the Wraith's weapon made contact. A second later, Lily let out an agonized roar as her enemy warped into existence behind her and her sword blasted her back. A beam of black energy shot out of the slowly healing open wound in the Wraith's back. The Gap Walker quickly side-stepped through another gap just in time to avoid the incoming attack and cleaved the monster's head off as she stepped out of another. The Wraith caught her head before it hit the ground and slammed it back into place before a wave of dark energy shot out of her body like a dark tornado. Hearths Warming dove through a gap at the last second, making sure the opening point would be a good distance away from the raging monster. She came out of the portal rolling to her feet as she hit the ground and assumed a combat stance.

Dark energy flared out of Lily's body like a toxic maelstrom as the Wraith turned towards her, wounds healed and gold eyes glowing with hate as she growled at her.

"Pesky nat," she snarled. "Fine. No more games."

"Funny," Hearths Warming smirked. "I was thinking the same thing."

The dark energy thickened as it swirled around her, her golden eyes the only thing visible from the heart of the inky black tornado. A wild feral shriek filled the air as the energy was blown away, revealing a new horror to the world and her opponent. Her hair had turned into writhing black tentacles that dripped with thick oily slime, her hands had changed into savage bird-like talons that gripped her spear like saber-lined vices, and small ring-shaped mouths lined with razor sharp teeth dotted what parts of her body her dress didn't cover. Lily's gold eyes glowed with hate as she glared at Hearths Warming, her mouth twisted into a feral snarl that showed her fangs.

The real fight had begun.

Lily let out a hateful shriek as beams of darkness fired out of the mouths on her body. Hearths Warming dropped one of her swords, reached into a gap, and pulled out a kite shield just in time to intercept the attack. The force of the beam was enough to knock her back five feet before she regained enough traction to hold back the continuous stream of darkness. She grit her teeth as she felt her defense start to melt under the strain before she poured some of her magic into it. The silver shield shined gold as its damage vanished and the darkness scattered off of it like rain to an umbrella. Lily noticed, a feral snarl her only reaction as she canceled her attack. With speed well beyond that of any mortal, the Wraith seemingly appeared in front of her human enemy. The beast's claws tore into her shield like wet toilet paper, eager to get to the armored human hiding behind with the determination of a demon. Hearths Warming abandoned the shield and reached into another gap. Lily grinned wickedly as she reached out with her free claw for the woman's throat, only to scream in agony as a spiked iron club was brought down on the offending limb. Lily's hair grew and lashed out at her, but a well timed gap walk saved her from a gristly fate at their designs. Hearths Warming didn't have long to enjoy her escape when she appeared ten feet behind the horror, as the beast quickly turned to face her and spikes of dark energy burst out of the ground towards her. She jumped clear only to seconds later get grabbed by her opponent's taloned hand, the arm it was attached to now as long as an oak is tall. The monster grinned wickedly as she leveled her spear at the armored woman, her limb quickly returning to its original length. Her iron club glowed a brilliant gold as magic poured into it and with a bellowing cry she brought the weapon down on the gripping talon just inches away from the spears tip. Lily screamed in rage-fueled agony as her broken limb released the woman only to take a stab at her with her spear a second later. She quickly parried the spear with her sword and slammed the magically charged club into Lily's head. Black mist pored out of the wound as the Wraith's hair lashed out at her, the monster seemingly unaware of the fact that half of her head was nothing but a crater. Hearths Warming slashed away at the tendrils as she attempted to gain some distance from the beast they were attached to.

"What are you?" Lily hissed, her head slowly popping back into shape as she glared at Hearths Warming.

Hearths Warming leveled her blade at the Wraith and in a tone far older than any human could ever hope to claim said, "I am the flame that brought unity to a waring people. The wings of those who death cannot claim through time. I am Hearths Warming; The First Phoenix and The Flame of Unity. And the one who will strike you down."

As she said that hundreds of gaps opened around her, each with the handle of some kind of weapon sticking out of it, waiting to be drawn. Lily let out an inhuman roar, rage mixing with wounded pride as she charged towards the woman. She thought she could kill her? She thinks she has that kind of power? No. This woman was nothing but a mere mortal. She was Lily of the Velvet Tongue. She could never die! SHE WAS IMMORTAL!

She swung her spear at the armored woman, only to yelp in surprise as a surge of power forced her back. Her eyes widened as the woman changed in front of her. Golden, fiery wings exploded out of her back, filling the dark world around them with light for the first time like a pair of feathery suns. The gaps reacted to their master's sudden surge of power as they went from nearly colorless to solid gold shimmers.

Lily glared at the angel. Heaths Warming glared at the beast. A tense silence filled the air as the two forces stared at their opposites. And then, they clashed.

Golden sword met obsidian spear as the two beings brought everything they had to bear, neither unwilling to rid the world of the other. Black beams tore into the ground, golden blades slashed off limbs, and blood was spilled as the two warriors fought. Seeing the futility of blindly attacking, Lily summoned a wall of darkness to weaken her opponent's momentum only to see it destroyed a moment later by a golden war hammer. Hearths Warming then followed up with a magically charged crossbow and fired golden bolts of power at the Wraith. In response, Lily filled her spear with dark energy and deflected the bolts with a twirl of her weapon. As the bolts exploded into the ground the Wraith slashed at Hearths Warming's face with her free claw. She tilted her head away from the attack, dropped her hammer as she reached into a nearby gap and in one fluid motion cut into the limb with a glowing dagger. The Wraith let out a snarling curse as she jumped back from the shining angel .

"DAMN YOU!!!" she roared and held a claw up above her head.

Beams of darkness fell like rain as the Wraith extended the reach of her power into her home dimension. Hearths Warming expected this and filled her armor with as much magic as she could spare, but she knew that she couldn't keep this going for much longer. Her magic was starting to run low and maintaining so many gaps at once was taking a heavy toll on her. She needed to end this soon.

She didn't have long to plan. As the beams of shadow rained across the land, shadowy figures slowly rose out of the flower-covered ground.

"Hiding behind minions now? Pathetic," Hearths Warming spat. "Have you no shame?"

Lily laughed, then said, "Minions? What minions?"

As she said that, the shadows turned into mist and flowed into the countless mouths covering the Wraith's upper body. Hearths Warming threw her knife at the feeding Wraith only for it to be destroyed by a dark beam before it could make contact. Lily grinned before she charged at her, spear glowing with the same black misty energy that she was eating as she tried to stab her with it. She dodged the attack, but failed to notice the claw coming towards her until the Wraith had her by the neck.

"Caught you," the Wraith purred. "Last words?"

"Just two," she growled. "Frost! Come!"

Lily had just enough time to look confused before an echoing neigh filled the air and something slammed into her side from a nearby gap. Hearts Warming coughed from where she fell as air returned to her lungs as her familiar did battle with the Wraith. She wasted no time as she gathered as many weapons a she could, meanwhile Lily fired beams at the Windigo as it froze the ground and demon with its presence.

"Damn beast!" Lily roared, shattering the ice creeping onto her arms with a flex. "I'll turn you into venison!"

"You may try demon," Frost intoned, dodging a burst of darkness as he summoned a freezing fog from his hooves.

The Wraith snarled as she summoned dark spikes out of the ground. Frost countered with spikes of ice, filling the air with a sound like shattering glass as the two attacks clashed. Lily pointed a claw at the Windigo and a beam of dark energy dropped down on him from the sky. Frost dodged the attack before he launched a ball of ice the size of a baseball at her.
Lily punched the offending object before firing a barrage of dark rays from her mouths. Frost summoned a wall of ice just in time to avoid the attack, but it failed to hold back all but the worst of the attack as it exploded. Frost let out a pained shout as he fell back from the shock. As he laid stunned on his side, Lily moved towards him with the slow cruelty of a cat that found a wounded bird. A cold grin grew on her face as she raised her spear, ready to land the killing blow before a glowing object blasted into her side. She let out an agonized wail as the top half of her body flew twenty feet away from the rest of her.

"Wh-What in the world?" she hissed as she pushed herself up onto her elbows.

Hearth Warming stood thirty feet away from her, a bold smile spread across her face as she pointed a palm at the severed Wraith. That took a backseat to the spectacle that surrounded the woman. All around her shined pillars of light, each formed from a different magically charged weapon falling infinitely between two gaps. Hearths Warming said nothing as she summoned a gap above the injured wraith. She didn't have time to even blink before her world was consumed by explosions as the gap walker dumped a whole wear house of unstable magically charged weapons on top of her. At the same time a gap was opened to save Frost from the wave of destruction.

When the literal dust settled, all that was left that Lily even existed was a massive city-sized crater in the ground. Hearths Warming fell to her knees, the glow from her armor and her wings gone with the last of her magic as exhaustion claimed her. Never before had she needed to resort to a theoretic gamble to win a battle, but that didn't mean that she was upset with the results. She panted as she stared at the massive display of power and smiled in relief. Nothing could survive that. Even a being with Lily's regenerative talents couldn't come back from nothing. She chuckled as she staggered to her feet.

"It's done," she gasped.

"Indeed."

Hearths Warming let out a gasp as something burst through her back and out her chest. A trickle of blood seeped past her lips as she shakily looked over her shoulder. A malformed humanoid shape stood behind her, its skeletal arm reaching through her like a gristly reaper as its golden eyes bore into her. Strangled gasps were all the warrior could manage as she struggled to understand what she was seeing.

"Now die," she whispered.

A wet ripping filled the air as Hearths Warming was torn apart, the poor woman too weak to even scream as her life was taken away.

***

The Therapist grimaced as her hand drifted towards the area Lily's claw exited in her chest, the pain still fresh in her memories even after all this time. Like all of her kind, death was never a permanent thing for her. But unlike her children, Hearths Warming's resurrections were more akin to reincarnation. At the moment of death, she would be reborn in a new body at the moment of another's birth. No matter who her parents were, she would always be born with the same colors and her new parents would always give her the same name. She lived countless lives even before her death at the hands of the Archwraith, but the one thing that she never got used to was how she kept her memories from each of her lives. An old soul like her's would always clash with the way things changed, never able to act on her skills until her body caught up with her. Another inconvenience her condition gave her was the inability to strengthen her abilities until she reexperienced puberty, while Lily could continue to add to her own power over time. The end result was a constant game of chase with the Gap Walker constantly having to double her efforts to close the distance of power between them.

Not helping was how Wraiths reproduced.

In addition to making cores, when a Wraith killed someone the leftover fragments of their soul turned into a Regular, but if a person with a large amount of magic was killed or took their own life thanks to a Wraith's influence their magic merges with the damage to their soul and they become an Archwraith. Thanks to her job, it was rather easy for her to find Wraith nests and deal with them when she could. It also helped her prevent other Archwraiths from being born. With all of the magic focused in the city, it was a miracle that no new ones had appeared. Especially when she saw how close Sunset Shimmer came to such a horrible fate. A being with her kind of power would've been a truly terrifying Archwraith, even when compared to the kind of monster Lily was.

While she was glad that the monster hadn't killed anyone recently, it also put her on edge for a different reason. When Wraiths of any power level are denied food for too long they can enter a state of wild desperation that is often worse then their usual manipulative tactics. A feral Wraith might be easier to find, but that is only because a bloodbath is fairly hard to miss.The long gaps in suicides was a bittersweet thing for Hearths Warming, but she knew that the peace wouldn't last. Not helping was the fact that she felt her magic was starting to fray. While she was still fairly powerful, it was only just short of what it was in her previous life while Lily only continued to get stronger.

As she sat in her chair staring at the ceiling, a thought formed in her head that she seldom mulled over in the past.

Perhaps...its time to find an apprentice.

***

Lily frantically paced in front of her throne, the normal wails of her domain silent as the Wraith muttered to herself.

"Foolish! Stupid! How could I do something so pathetic?!" she snarled, stomping a foot into the solid void beneath her.

The growling in her stomach seemed to answer her as a sudden spell of weakness forced her to her knees. She let out a frustrated roar as she slammed a fist into the solid void. She needed to feed. She could feel her mind fading as her feral urges started to take hold. She clenched her jaw as she struggled to find a way to retain her sanity, but she kept hitting walls. Hearths Warming was emaciating her seeds and Sunset's group were protected by a field of magic that she barely knew how to bypass. As it stood, she could only see one way to drag her prey far enough into despair to make a proper meal out of them. If she could get the girls to kill their siblings, then they should ripen long before her mind fell to her more primal instincts. It wouldn't be too much of an issue to her. It wasn't the first time she made a family member kill a child, but these three children made her hesitate. In a lot of ways, she felt a kind of draw to them. The way they turned a happy and peaceful school into a hotbed of despair was a work of true art worthy of celebration in her eyes. It would be such a shame to kill them. Such a dark and twisted set of souls needed to be nurtured. If allowed to grow, they could turn into something truly wonderful.

A sudden pulse in her gut made her flinch, eyes wide as she slowly stared down at herself.

"It couldn't be," she gasped. "I-I don't have the energy to make one."

Another pulse ran through her stomach, much stronger than the last as a pained yelp flew past her lips. It happened again and again, each time getting stronger and filling her with a familiar sense of nausia. A sensation like being kicked in the stomach was the only thing she was aware of before she felt herself start to vomit. She let out an agonized wail as she covered her mouth with her hands, gray slime oozing past her fingers as she fell to her side. She laid in silence for what felt like hours as she waited for her body to recover, ragged gasps the only sound echoing throughout the void. Slowly, she brought her hands away from her face and what she saw brought a soft smile to her face. Three diamond-shaped violet gems sat in her filth stained palm, each about the size of a large marble and glowing with a faint light. Tears slid down her face as she held the gems close to her chest.

"Shush, shush," she cooed. "Mommy's here."

Ch. 33 Balancing Acts

Bonbon hummed a happy tune to herself as she walked through the mall, smooth jazz flooding her ears through her earbuds as she window shopped. Thanks to all the preparations made for Christmas, the Sweetie Drops had more candy then it knew what to do with. As a result, the whole family had a lot more free time then they knew what to do with. While not work addicts per se, the lack of something productive to do did make most Drops a little antsy by nature. While her mother kept herself busy going through the shop's finances, Bonbon used the opportunity to try out her gift from Sunset as she headed out to the mall to kill time.

She giggled when she remembered the look on her mother's face when her daughter's light-blue vest turned into a thick winter jacket the second she stepped out of the shop's front door. Now dressed in a light-blue sweatshirt, she perused the storefronts with mild interest while her music helped her tune out the crowds around her.

Pretty calm today, she mused as she stared at a gaudily dressed mannequin standing in a store's front display. I wonder if there are any special deals today.

She shrugged to herself as she went on her way.

As she passed a bookstore, a familiar head of red and gold caught her eye. She paused before she did a quick double-take to make sure she saw who she thought she saw. Sure enough, Sunset was standing in one of the store's front aisles just behind the store's front display windows. She watched as the girl frantically scanned through a book clutched tightly in her hands, seemingly oblivious to the world around her as she scowled at the pages before her.

Curious, Bonbon took out her earbuds, stepped into the store, and approached her friend from behind. The sheer lack of true stealth proved just how absorbed Sunset was in her reading as she let out a startled yelp when Bonbon tapped her shoulder and spun to face her.

"H-Hey," she stammered, snapping the book shut. "What's up?"

Bonbon raised a brow at her friend's stiff demeanor before she said, "Not much. I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd say hi. Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said quickly, then wilted as she groaned, "No. I don't know."

Bonbon sighed, then gave her friend a concerned smile as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Want to grab some shakes? You look like you could use one."

Sunset nodded, flashing the girl a tired smile as she placed her book on a nearby shelf.

"Yeah, that sounds really good right now."

Sunset let out a faint sigh as she walked past her friend towards the store's entrence. Bonbon was not far behind, only pausing long enough to read the title of the book that held Sunset's attention so tightly.

Mending Bridges: A guide to fixing damaged relationships?

A hint of dread filled her gut at the implications as she quickly followed her friend.

***

Sunset sighed in her seat, eyes staring unseeingly at the table she sat at in the middle of the mall's noisy food court. Though said noise meant nothing to her as her thoughts continued to run at a million miles an hour. Chief among these thoughts were what she was going to say to her former friends this weekend. She had already sent the text earlier that morning and ever since, her mind felt like it was working double time trying to help her think of what to say when she met them. A part of her wanted to yell at them, call them stupid for falling for such an obvious frame job. Another was simply tired of everything and just wanted to move on. Both sides knew that things could never be the same, but that didn't mean that they couldn't have something similar. As much as she wanted to yell at them, she also wanted to hug them. She missed them. She wanted to forgive them. She wanted to give them the chance they gave her back when she was at her worst. She was just afraid of what she would say when she had them sitting in front of her. Naturally, she told Derpy and Lyra about her thoughts and while her girlfriend seemed a little nervous about her talking to them, both let her know that they had her back if things went south.

"Maybe Mom or Aunt Luna can help me figure all of this out," she groaned, resting her head on the table.

"I'm back."

Sunset slowly rolled her head and smiled tiredly at Bonbon, Two drinks held in her hands as she returned a small smile of her own.

"That was fast," Sunset sighed, sitting up as Bonbon took a seat across from her.

"The line wasn't that bad," she shrugged as she slid her friend's drink over to her.

"Thanks," she sighed as she caught the drink and took a small sip.

Bonbon eyed her friend's haggard demeanor cautiously as she enjoyed her own milkshake. After a few wordless minutes of slurping their drinks, Bonbon decided to make the first move.

"Is everything okay between you and Derpy?" she asked.

Sunset took gulped down a mouthful of milkshake then gave her friend a raised brow as she asked, "Yeah? Why?"

"I saw the book you were reading earlier," she said, an understanding smile forming on her lips.

Sunset's eyes widened then she burst out laughing as she started to figure out what Bonbon was getting at.

"Nah," she chuckled, waving the question away with her hand. "We're still good. Trust me."

"Then why were you reading that book?" Bonbon asked, confusion coloring her features.

Sunset's smile melted into a frown and with a sigh she told her what she and Octavia talked about the previous day. When she mentioned the text and meeting for the weekend, she was surprised to see relief show itself on the candy maker's face. When she questioned it, Bonbon told her about what happened a couple days ago at the card shop and the state her cousin was in during the conversation. Sunset groaned into her hands as the weight on her shoulders seemed to double at how important this weekend had become.

Bonbon gave her friend a tired smile as she said, "You need to relax."

"I can't," she groaned, palms slowly rubbing her eyes. "What if I say the wrong thing? What if it turns into a big fight?"

She let out a frustrated groan as she let herself fallback in her seat, hands bonelessly sliding off of her face to her sides.

Bonbon let Sunset stay like that for a few seconds, then with a flat expression said, "Be blunt."

Sunset blinked then gave her friend a confused frown as she asked, "What?"

"You need to tell them how you feel, but you don't want to be malicious or cruel, right?" she asked, taking a sip of her shake.

Sunset nodded.

"Then be blunt. Tell them how you feel and what you want, but make sure you hear their side of things too."

"I-I don't know if it's that simple," Sunset wilted.

"You'd be surprised," Bonbon shrugged. "Sometimes you need to put it all out there to move past a problem. You can't fix something if parts of it is hidden, right?"

Sunset stared at her mostly finished milkshake as she processed what Bonbon said. Little by little, she started to see that she had a point. At this point it was clear that The Rainbooms were sorry for what happened and were willing to move past this. Pussyfooting around the problems between them won't fix them properly and would just lead to new issues in the future. She was going to need to be direct this weekend if she truly wanted fix this.

A soothing breath slid past her lips as her tension dropped to manageable levels.

She gave Bonbon a shaky yet confident smile as she said, "I think you're right. Thanks."

"You're welcome," she smiled, slurping the last of her shake. "Want to head to the arcade on the way out?"

"Sure," Sunset chuckled, polishing off the last of her shake.

***

The Game Corner was one of the last few arcades left in the city, the last bastion of a bygone era before games had evolved to the point that such establishments began to become obsolete. A wild cacophony of synthesized sounds and flashing lights filled the fifty-by-fifty dimly lit room as various game machines dominated all of he space in organized clusters. Classic arcade machines stood back-to-back in seven long rows at the center of the room while more diversely shaped machines like Air Hockey tables and Skeeball stands owned the wall space not taken up by the front doors or the prize counter and token dispenser machines on the opposite side of the room.

Sunset and Bonbon make a beeline for the rectangular token dispensers as soon as they entered the arcade, bobbing and weaving through the energetic crowd with practiced ease as they closed in on the machines.

"Do you come here often?" Bonbon asked over the surrounding noise.

Sunset shrugged and made a so-so gesture with a hand.

"I had to wait for my friends to invite me or ask to come out here when I had the money to spare."

Bonbon flinched a bit at that as she collected her tokens from the machine's deposit tray. Sometimes Bonbon forgot that Sunset was homeless less then a month ago. Granted, the girl did a really good job at taking care of herself, but that didn't make the knowledge any less tragic to her. Sunset ignored the pause as she put her own five into the machine. She tried not to dwell on how things used to be before Derpy saved her life. That chapter of her life was over and she was more then willing to move past it.

"So, what do you usually play?" Sunset asked as she pocketed her tokens.

Bonbon smirked as she made her way towards the games at the middle of the room, secretly thankful for the distraction from her grimmer thoughts. A few seconds later, the two girls stood in front an arcade game with two laser reader guns serving as its controls connected to the machine by a thick black cord on its bottom of their handles. Bonbon hummed happily as she popped three tokens into the game's coin slot and grabbed a gun controller as she hit the start button. Sunset shrugged as she fed a few of her tokens to the machine, grabbed the other controller gun, and pressed the start button. Not even a second after, a bunch of zombies shambled onto the screen towards them. Sunset took aim, but before she could pull the trigger all of the ghoul's heads exploded. She blinked in shock while the scene on the screen shifted as if she was looking through someone else's eyes as they ran to a different location, then turned her head towards her pink and blue haired friend. Bonbon just gave her a cocky smile as she blew imaginary smoke away from her gun. Sunset's eyes narrowed as a smile spread across her lips, a look that was shared by her friend as both girls turned shifted their attention back towards the screen. For the next half hour the two girls fought against hoards of undead horrors, both trying to beat the other's score just as much as the game itself. When the final boss let out its death wail and exploded in a grisly display of gore, the two girls waited to see their final scores. Sunset let out a frustrated growl and crossed her arms while Bonbon smirked as she did a little victory dance.

"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up," Sunset grumbled, rolling her eyes.

Bonbon chuckled good-naturedly as she placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder.

"Come on, don't be like that," she smirked. "Let's play something I haven't played a million times."

"Fine," Sunset sighed, then smirked as he lead the candy maker towards one of the nearby Air Hockey tables.

After Sunset slid some of her tokens into the table's coin slot, it hummed to life and the game was on. At first, the game was pretty even with both girls doing a fairly decent job of reading their opponent's movements, but that didn't last as a wicked grin formed on Bonbon's lips. Sunset slammed her mallet into the disc as hard as she could, eager to score her seventh and final point with a high speed angled shot. Bonbon casually moved her mallet to the left side of her goal just in time to block the shot. Sunset grimaced as she moved her mallet into position to knock back the disk as it ricocheted off of Bonbon's. On the next shot she tried to go for a direct shot only for Bonbon to not only block her at the last second, but score a point as well. Sunset blinked, then grimaced deeper as she fished the disk out of the return slot. To her frustration, this was how the whole game continued to play out. Sunset would try to fake out Bonbon by making more elaborate shots only for her opponent to calmly place her mallet into just the right place to not only stop her from scoring, but score a point from the rebound. Sunset let out an irate groan when Bonbon scored her seventh and final point and the table turned off.

"Damn, I thought I had you there," Sunset grumbled.

"Maybe at the next game," Bonbon chuckled.

Sunset blinked owlishly at her, then glared as she growled, "Oh it is so on!"

***

Sunset sulked as she sat on a bench outside the mall's front entrence, the frigid night air nipping at her in spite of her thick coat. A grinning Bonbon sat next to her, humming a happy tune to herself as she stared up at the clear evening sky as she waited for her mom to pick them up. The humbled girl glared at her basking friend as she tried to figure out how she managed to beat her at every game they played. Granted, it was always close, but that didn't change the fact that Bonbon beat her each and every time. Even games of luck failed to bring the pink and blue haired girl down.

She sighed, then flatly said, "Be straight with me. You used magic in the arcade, didn't you?"

Bonbon just blinked at her, then burst out laughing before she said, "What? No, nothing like that."

"Then how?" she asked, gesturing in the general direction of the arcade visible from the mall's glass front doors.

Bonbon rolled her eyes and said, "Simple. I just calculated the odds and acted on the best result."

"Huh?" Sunset blinked, tilting her head in confusion.

Bonbon sighed and stared at the ground as she continued.

"See, since I was little I've always been good with numbers. Don't get the wrong idea. I wasn't born with super math powers or anything like that. Math just really sticks with me is all. Anyway, after a while I started being able to apply what I knew to real life."

"What do you mean?"

"Like when we were playing Air Hockey. It looked like I was reading your mind, right?"

Sunset nodded.

"Well, all I was doing was using basic geometry to guess where the disk was going to go and how to get it to ricochet into your goal."

Sunset's jaw dropped at that. Even for someone as sharp as her, there was no way she would've been able to make those kind of mental calculations as quick as her friend was implying. To do something like that was a rarity even among the most talented of Unicorn scholars. Bonbon glanced at her friend's reaction and chuckled before she continued.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool sometimes, but a huge pain the rest of the time."

"Why?" Sunset asked, shaking off her shock.

"Simple," she shrugged. "I have a hard time turning it off."

"Oh," she cringed.

Bonbon sighed as she turned her eyes towards the sky again.

"Seeing the world in numbers is such a migraine, but its a useful trick at home. I can calculate the exact amount of ingredients needed to make a batch of candy in a matter of minutes and how long it needs to cook to get the best results. I can help tutor everyone when they fall behind. It's not all bad. Just a little annoying."

"How do you make it work?" she asked.

She shrugged then, still staring at the sky, reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of earbuds.

"If I keep my mind busy then it won't start analyzing everything. Music helps, so if I'm alone in a public place I'll pop these in and listen to something. It also helps if there isn't a lot of things around me to analyze."

As she said that she returned the earbuds to her pocket. The two sat in silence as they enjoyed the clear night sky and the company. All the while, Sunset tried to put herself in Bonbon's shoes. To be stuck seeing the world in numbers sounded like a rather stiff way to live life, regardless of all of the benefits such an ability could provide.

"I could ask my mom if there's something she could do to help," Sunset mused, her hand drifting to her lava rock pendant as she stared at the sky. "Maybe she knows how to make a charm or a spell that can help you turn it off."

"Thanks," Bonbon smiled. "But I'm good."

"Are you sure?" Sunset asked, blinking in shock a she raised a brow at her friend.

Eyes still locked onto the sky, Bonbon smiled as she nodded.

"It's like a lemon drop, you have to take the bitter with the sweet. Right now, I've found a way to keep the bitter from overpowering the sweet and I want to keep it up for as long as I can."

Sunset nodded then frowned as she said, "Alright. But if things get too bitter, let me know and I'll do what I can to help."

"Sure," she chuckled as she shifted her attention back to her friend. "You too lover girl."

"Shut up," Sunset blushed, giving the girl a playful shove.

The two girls shared a laugh at that.

"By the way," Sunset smiled. "Do you have any plans for New Years?"

"Not really," Bonbon shrugged. "Why?"

Sunset's smile grew as she said, "Do you think you and the girls would want to come to my mom and Aunt's birthday party?"

Ch. 34 Tag

Tattle sighed happily as he slid into Pinkie's dreamscape, the familiar swirl of constantly shifting mental energy bringing a smile to his face as it washed over him. He knew the second his mother found out he had a marefriend that his time spent with her would be an ordeal, but the particulars were far worse then he could've imagined. The lunar Alicorn was subtle in her inquiries, but his time spent with her helped him spot her probes in spite of her significant level of experience. He never knew a being such as he could develop a migraine until now, a fact that he would've found fascinating if he wasn't so frustrated at the time. The two days he spent with her was a tartarus sentence that even Tirek would've found excessive and he was more then happy that it was over. For now anyway.

His shoes echoed off of the black and white tiled floor as he strolled through what looked like an ornate manor house in his human form, the shining silver walls functioning like a house of mirrors as he walked. He admired his marefriend's handy work as he walked through the "house". At the same time, confusion started to fill him as he walked through the silent halls of the manor. He half expected Pinkie to tackle him to the ground the second he came back or to drag him off into a less stable part of her dreamscape to throw a welcoming party of some sort.

Is she mad at me? he thought, nervously looking around as he walked.

A faint giggle filled the air, making him flinch at the sudden break in silence. A small grin grew on his face as he looked around, his reflection his only company as he searched his surroundings for the giggling's source. He crept quietly as he made his way through the house, peeking behind gold doors into ornately furnished rooms in his search for his lover. After what passed for an hour in the Dream Realm chasing giggling echoes, he flopped back first onto the white silk sheets of one of the manor's many beds.

I thought I was supposed to be the cat, he thought with a chuckle. What does she have planned? Is she going to tease me with distance? Oh how much fun I'll have when she wakes up. I swear that when I'm through with her, she'll be redder then her jacket!

His quiet musings were interrupted when he noticed the silver ceiling above him start to ripple. A raised brow was as far of a reaction as he could muster before a pink and red humanoid blur fell on top of him. He blinked widely as a pair of soft lips pressed themselves fiercely to his before grinning as he added to the kiss. Happy cooing and giggles filled the room as the two lovers greeted each other, both able to make the moment last as long as they needed thanks to the lack of a need for air. Slowly, Pinkie pulled back from the kiss, her eyes half-lidded as she smiled back at him a mere breath away from his own as her long wavy locks cut off their view of their surroundings. Neither cared as they stared into each other's eyes with hot cheeks.

"Welcome back," she giggled.

"Glad to be back, m'lady," he chuckled, stroking her blushing cheek. "Did you behave yourself while I was gone?"

She giggled then said,"Well, there may be a crater in the library that wasn't there before."

Be blinked at her in shock for a moment, then burst out laughing as he pulled her into a hug.

"There is never a dull moment with you, is there?"

"Nope," she smiled, nuzzling her face into his chest.

The two stayed like that, both silent as they held each other as close as they could.

"I missed you so much," Pinkie whispered, a slight tremble coloring her tone.

"As did I," he sighed, running his fingers through her hair. "But now I am back, and I don't see myself parting with you for a very long time."

"Good," Pinkie smiled, kissing him lightly on the neck.

A wicked smile spread across her lips as she straddled him and added, "Now, what do you say we make up for lost time?"

Tattle looked up at her in confusion, before wide-eyed realization took its place as he watched his marefriend's form shimmer. When she came back into focus Pinkie was still wearing her jacket. Just her jacket.

"I hope your ready to party," she whispered sultrily as she slowly leaned down towards him.

The Dream Cat in human form gulped as he nodded, briefly wondering if he should go visit his mother more often.

***

Pinkie practically skipped through her borrowed home as she navigated the castle's halls. While not usually a morning person, the Terran found herself wide-eyed and bushy-tailed as she made her way to the castle's storeroom, the sun just barely peeking past the horizon. She couldn't help it. The world was just so beautiful today! Even the faded gray stones that made up the floors, walls, and ceiling around her seemed to shine like polished diamonds.

"Are you okay Tattle?" she smiled.

"No more," he groaned. "Can't move."

A warm blush colored Pinkie's cheeks as she giggled brightly behind a forehoof.

Maybe I went a little too far last night.

"I didn't know you could get tired," she giggled as she looked inside one of her food barrels.

"Neither did I," he groaned. "You can be a demon when you want to be. You do know that, right?"

"Maybe," she giggled as she inspected another barrel.

A groan was the only response she got as she continued to take stock of her food supply. Her smile dimmed a little as she took note of how low her supplies had dropped and what that meant. She sighed as she pulled a bag out of a corner of the room and started filling it with the last of her potatoes, onions, and carrots before opening a gap into the kitchen.

"Do you think you can handle a trip to the market later?" she asked as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Perhaps," he groaned, an image of a curled up winged cat with sparking star patterns covering its purple coat appearing in her minds eye. "The market shouldn't be open until ten. I should be able to function again by then."

"Okay," she smiled as a gap she opened over a pot briefly poured water into it before it snapped shut.

She sensed a bit of anxiety coming from her boyfriend, earning a concerned frown from her as she lit the stove and placed the pot on it to boil.

"Tattle? What's wrong?"

Tattle was silent, but Pinkie could feel his dread spike before it leveled out.

He took a deep breath then stammered, "I-It's nothing. Everything is fine."

He then let out a frustrated sigh as he growled, "No. You deserve to know. Even if you won't like it."

"What?" she asked as she chopped up a potato.

He audibly gulped, his jowls opening and closing before he finally found his words.

"My mother knows of you."

"WHAT?!' she screamed, knife flying out of her hoof's grip and embedding itself into a solid stone wall.

She immediately started walking in circles, all the while yelling, "Oh god! What do I do?! Where do I go?! How did she find me?! Oh god, oh god, oh, god!"

"Pinkie. Breath," Tattle said, firm concern coloring his tone as he sent his magic out to embrace her.

Pinkie stood still as she followed her boyfriend's advice, her body trembling fiercely as she remembered the power Celestia gave off just by being in a room. And a being with that kind of power knew she was there. Her nerves went into overdrive as that fact echoed in her head like a sonic boom, the room starting to spin as her heartbeat hammered in her ears. Tattle panicked as he felt his marefriend start to go into shock and tried to reach her, but his voice couldn't make its way past her frantic thoughts. Gasping breaths started to pour out of her muzzle as the world stated to turn hazy around her. Half in instinct and half in reflex, Pinkie summoned a gap and reached into it. A second later her hoof came back griping a small glass vile of blue liquid. Tattle barely had time to ask her what she was doing before she ripped the cork out of the bottle's top and downed the potion. Coughing, she tossed the now empty bottle aside and fell forward onto her belly, her frantic breathing petering out as her fear and stress started to fade. Tattle's magic held her tighter as she let the potion do its work.

"What was that?" Tattle asked, fear and relief struggling for dominance in his tone. "What did you drink?"

"Anti-anxiety potion," Pinkie sighed, her body feeling near boneless now that her panic attack was passing. "Zecora helped me make a few yesterday."

A moment of silence, then Tattle let out a deep sigh as he said, "Remind me to thank this Zecora later tonight."

"Will do," she sighed as she staggered to her hooves.

"Perhaps you should lay down," he offered, only to get a giggle in response.

"Nah, I'm fine. Well, better then I was a second ago anyway. Good enough to get some food ready at least."

As she said that, she walked to were the knife got stuck and jerked it out of the wall.

"This is probably going to be my last meal anyway."

"No it isn't," Tattle state firmly. "All mother knows is that you exist. She doesn't know where you are or where you are from. Besides, she isn't that kind of pony. If you simply talk to her I am sure you will see that."

Pinkie frowned at that as she diced an onion before putting it into the pot.

"Y-You know why I can't do that Tattle."

The Dream Cat nodded in her mind's eye, a deep frown marring his normally charming features.

She sighed, then with a determined frown added, "Yet."

"Pardon?" Tattle perked, a hint of hope in his tone bringing a smile to the Terran's muzzle.

"I still need to make things up to Sunset. Once that's done, I'll meet your mom."

"Do you promise?" he asked.

With a warm smile, Pinkie nodded and said, "Cross my heart. Hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye."

***

Snow chilled Pinkie's hooves as she stood just outside Ponyville's borders. The picturesque town practically screamed hospitality with its quaint housing and smiling inhabitants. If things were different, she would've charged into the village without a second thought. The way things stood, it took everything she had to set hoof into the town. While her fear wasn't as great as it used to be, she was still hesitant to enter her double's space. If it wasn't thanks to her gap walking and Tattle's detection abilities, she would've had to find other ways to get the supplies she needed to live in this alien world. She took a deep breath as she raised a hoof and took a step into Ponyville.

She waited for a second. Then five. Then ten. When she hit the twenty second mark and Tattle didn't say anything, she allowed herself to relax and walked fully into the town. With hood up and face low, she made her way towards the town's market. At the same time, she kept her eyes open for any sign of her native counterpart as well as the counterparts of her friends. The last thing she needed was to dodge both her double and the local HIgh Royal that most likely had a grudge against her. Granted, she was sure all of this world's High Royal class had a bone to pick with her in one form or another, but that was a given all things considered. Well, almost a given.

Anything yet?, she thought as she bought a sack of turnips.

"Not yet," Tattle intoned. "For now, she seems to be keeping her distance. Be at ease my dear. I will let you know the second that changes."

Thanks, she thought with a smile as she made her way towards another stall.

For a long time, nothing of any real merit happened as they navigated the market. Thanks to Pinkie's hood, neither Applejack or any of the other ponies she bought produce from recognized her. The lack of action put both of them on edge at first, expecting the native pink pony to come charging towards them at any second. But while Tattle's caution was born from a desire to protect his lover, Pinkie's was fueled by anticipation. Unlike the last time she came into town, she had a more stable means of protecting herself and was more than willing to put said means to the test.

"I think that's everything," she muttered as she examined her saddlebags.

"Just as well," Tattle said flatly. "Your double has finally begun moving."

"Perfect," she smiled as she slinked into a nearby alley.

The second she was out of site she opened a gap to the castle and chucked her bags through it. She could sense Tattle's confusion as she closed the gap before walking back into the open streets.

"Pinkie? What are you doing?" he asked, an edge of worry coloring his tone.

"Just let me know when she's nearby," she said, a wicked smirk gracing her muzzle as she walked.

She felt him nod as she casually looked into a store window. At the same time her double was stepping out of Sugarcube Corner several blocks away. Normally, the party pony would be preparing for the princesses birthdays, but ever since her human counterpart visited her in her dreams a few days ago she just couldn't get herself to focus. No matter what she was doing, she just couldn't get her mind off of the pain and fear she saw in her eyes. That doubled when she remembered the look on her face when she found her at Twilight's Castle. With a determined frown on her muzzle, she followed her Pinkie Senses as they guided her towards the market. All the while she was running her game plan through her mind.

First, I need to approach her calmly and slowly. Oh! And I need to look friendly too! If she does her weird teleport thing I'll lose her again and Celestia knows when she'll come back.

As soon as she was surrounded by market stalls she let her senses guide her around the ponies going about their business towards a pony wearing a red hooded coat about twenty feet away from her. The bit of pink muzzle, hooves, and darker pink mane and tail she could see peeking out of the coat's confines was all she needed to confirm the mare's identity as she examined a poster on the side of a nearby shop. Straightening her posture, she forced a smile onto her muzzle as she approached her Terran double. When she got to the two foot mark, the hooded pony quickly walked into the alley next to the store. Panicking, Equestrian Pinkie followed her into the alley.

She froze as she entered the dimly lit alley and saw her double staring right at her, a crooked smile visible on her muzzle in spite of her hood's shadow. Before the native Pinkie could react her double waved at her and fell through the ground. Equestrian Pinkie's heart sank, sure that she had just missed her chance to patch things up with her double. Then she felt a cold chill shoot down her spine and back up to her head. Hope filled her again as she stepped out of the alley and started moving towards a different part of the market. Soon, she saw a familiar hooded pony step out of an alley on the opposite end of the market. A determined smile grew on her muzzle as she headed towards her double.

I guess I really am it, huh?

***

Equestrian Pinkie let out a frustrated groan as she flopped into a park bench, deep pants coming out of her muzzle as clouds thick enough to build a house in Cloudsdale. For the last five hours she had been chasing her double all across Ponyville, always coming just short of grabbing her before she would either fall through the ground or jump through a wall and reappear somewhere else in town. The frustration of it all was enough to make the mare scream if she had the breath for it.

To Tartarus with being friendly. This is war I tell you! WAR!!! Equestrian Pinkie thought, slamming her forehooves together. I'm gonna make peace with her even if I have to drag her kicking and screaming to do it!

"No more playing around," she said with an evil smirk. "I'm brining out my secret weapon!"

***

"What is this?" Pinkie asked, staring out into the middle of town square.

Set up in front of everypony was a giant wooden crate big enough to fit three ponies in propped open with a two foot long stick with a cupcake set beneath it as bait. It was the most cliché of traps one could possibly conceive and both couldn't help but state their opinions on it.

"Now this is just insulting," Tattle groused, a frown audible in his tone.

"I know," Pinkie frowned. "Who puts blueberry frosting on a vanilla cupcake? Cherry would've been so much yummier."

Before they could comment further, Equestrian Pinkie popped out from under a small rock next to them and rolled her double up in a tarp before dropping her into a potato sack, tying the opening shut, and slinging her over her shoulder. The Terran Pinkie was motionless in her confines for a few seconds before she started yelling and thrashing against her restraints. Equestrian Pinkie hummed a happy tune as she made her way back to Sugarcube Corner, only a small twinge of guilt filling her heart as she felt her double struggle. While she wasn't happy with having to take this approach, she couldn't deny that it got results.

Nopony suspects the good old Fake Trap trap, she thought with a proud smirk.

the struggling mare went limp half way to the bakery, though a few choice mumbles could be heard, earning Equestrian Pinkie a few angry looks from passing mothers as they covered their foal's ears. She smiled sheepishly as she muttered small apologies all the way towards the door to her home and job. Thankfully, her captive stopped talking when she entered the bakery. Everypony gave her brief looks as she made her way towards the stares to her bedroom before collectively shrugging and going back to enjoying their purchases.

Her bedroom door slammed open and closed as the pink pony happily walked towards her bed. She giggled as she gently dumped her captive onto her bed and went to work unsealing the bag.

"Sorry about this," she said, her smile wilting as guilt settled in her heart. "I didn't want to do this, but you didn't give me any choice! I really want to burry the hatchet between us and start over. You know, be friends and maybe figure things out? I know you're scared of me and this probably didn't help with that, but I want to show you that I'm not that bad. So, what do you say?"

As she said that, she undid the final knot and pulled the bag off of her double. There was just one small problem; the pony sitting on her bed with her hooves crossed and eyes narrowed in an annoyed glare was not her double.

"Pinkie," Rainbow Dash growled. "What. The. Buck?"

"Uh...I can explain?" she said with a sheepish smile.

***

Pinkie could barely breathe as she laid on her bed, hood falling back as she struggled against her giggles.

"That was a huge risk, you know?" Tattle said with an audible frown.

"I-*gasp* I know," she sighed, a wide grin spread across her muzzle as she wiped away a tear. "But that was so much fun! God I needed that!"

She let out a happy sigh as she let herself fall flat on her bed, the shadows of early evening taking random shapes on the ceiling as she let herself relax. For the first time in days, she felt like her old self again. For a few hours she wasn't the Terran living in constant fear. She was just a girl playing a simple game of tag. Granted, it was high stakes tag, but tag all the same.

She yawned as her eyes grew heavy, a faint smile gracing her lips as the strain of using so many gaps started to take its toll on her. As she felt herself start to fall into her boyfriend's world, a single thought floated to the front of her mind.

Let's hope tomorrow is just as good as today was.

Ch. 35 Fast as Lightning

Cars honked and people chattered as they went about their business through the busy city streets. Among these people was a very nonplused Sunset Shimmer as she made her way down the street. People gave the fuming teen a fair distance as she glared at her phone and looked around at the surrounding buildings. At the same time, her mind kept drifting to what happened at breakfast. Since she had already sent texts to Octavia, and Vinyl asking if they wanted to come with her to Equestria for New Years and she already asked Bonbon and Lyra, it only made sense to extend the curtesy to her girlfriend and Lightning. While she was going to need to ask her directly thanks to the girl's workout habits, Lightning was proving to be the easier girl to invite at the moment. When she brought the proposition up at breakfast, she was met by a reaction that made her groan in irritation.

***

"What?!" Sunset and Derpy squawked in unison.

Time Tuner nodded, arms crossed and eyes closed in his seat at the head of the table as he made his point.

"You heard me. If both of you plan to go to this festival, we're coming with you. End of story."

"Mom?" Derpy asked, more like begged as she turned towards Rose Luck.

Said woman gave her an evil grin from her seat as she said, "Well, this is as good a chance as any to meet my future in-laws."

Both girls turned bright red at that, then shook off their embarrassment as they tried to find a counter argument. An idea came to Sunset as she mulled over how the trip could possibly work. With an evil grin of her own she dropped a bombshell that she hoped would be strong enough to dissuade her foster family.

"If you go, you won't be as you guys are."

"What do you mean?" Turner asked, raising a brow.

"First off," Sunset continued, crossing her arms. "Both of you would be ponies. You'd be spending most of the trip trying to figure out how to use your bodies. Then their's a good chance you'll meet your pony counterparts considering where the portal opens up at."

"What's so bad about that?" Rose asked.

Derpy leveled a flat glare at her and said, "Mom, your counter part is dad's sister, mine's his wife, and Dinky's her daughter."

Both adults froze at that, taking slow, deliberate blinks as they tried to process that bit of cosmic comedy.

Rose was the first to snap out of it as she asked, "Is she a better actress then me?"

Derpy groaned as she face palmed while Sunset shrugged.

"We did't get to meet her. Just your counterparts."

"Regardless," Turner coughed. "My condition still stands. Unless we can all come, there will be no trip to Equestria."

"Besides," Rose chuckled. "I want to see what Dinky looks like as a pony."

Both girls gasped and clutched their chests as they remembered their encounter with the very same creature the woman mentioned. The idea of what could possibly happen if two forces of such pure cuteness were to ever meet in the same reality was just as beautiful as it was apocalyptic in design. An image of the two Unicorns meeting flashed in their minds and the sight was almost too much for them to handle.

"You wouldn't survive," Sunset shuddered. "Trust me on this."

Derpy nodded frantically.

"I think we can handle it," Turner smirked, fishing his phone out of his pocket.

His smile turned cocky as he turned it on and pointed the screen towards the two girls. Derpy blushed fiercely while Sunset's mind momentarily ceased to function for a few seconds as she stared at the small screen. Set as his wall paper was a much younger Derpy laying on her side with a little purple-gray baby snuggled against her chest in a fluffy pink bunny costume sucking her thumb.

"OH MY GOD DAD!" Derpy screamed, hiding her bright red face behind her hands as she cringed away from the screen. "WHY DO YOU STILL HAVE THAT PICTURE?!"

"Can I have a copy?" Sunset asked, eyes glued to the screen.

"WHAT?!" Derpy demanded, rounding on her girlfriend.

Sunset glowered at Derpy and said, "You saw a whole album of my filly pictures. All I'm asking for is just one."

Derpy looked like she was going to argue, but settled for crossing her arms and sulking in her seat.

"Anyways," Turner, chuckled. "I think Rose and I have inoculated ourselves quite nicely to our own daughters cuteness in all forms. So unless you have another reason we shouldn't go with you, my conditions still stand."

Both parties stared each other down, neither willing to give an inch. When the stare-down reached the five minute mark, Rose let out an annoyed huff and pulled out the family trump card.

"Dinky!" she called, arms crossed as she stared at the ceiling. "Do you want to meet Sunset's mother?!"

A near villainous smile formed on Time Turner's face as the two teens realized just how thoroughly defeated they were. Especially when the engine of their demise could be heard running towards the stairs from above. As they braced themselves for what was to come, a single thought echoed through their heads as they glared at the two smugly smirking adults.

That's so not fair.

***

"Using Dinky was just plain dirty," she grumbled as she glared at her phone's GPS. "I will have my revenge. Just you wait."

After half an hour of walking and fuming, she finally reached her destination. The Lightning Bolt was a fairly top tier gym, used by everyone from the most devoted athletes to casual jocks just wanting to stay in shape. The massive rectangular three story building cast a large shadow over the street like a giant blue wall, its name displayed just above its front door in blocky white light-up letters. Beyond the lightly tinted glass front doors, Sunset could see an oval pewter front desk manned by one of the bulkiest green men she had ever seen. He was dressed in a thin white tank top and a quick glance bellow the desk revealed a pair of navy sports pants and gray tennis shoes.

Sunset sighed as she pushed past the doors and made her way towards the desk.

I hope she isn't too busy right now.

"Excuse me," she said, drawing the bodybuilder's attention away from his phone towards her.

"Good afternoon ma'am," he beamed, tucking his device into his pocket. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you could help me find someone," Sunset smiled

The big man shrugged, then said, "Depends who you're looking for. A lot of people come in here and aside from a few regulars, we don't really keep track of who comes and goes."

"Is Lightning Dust on that list?" she asked.

The big man blinked at her, the put on a more professional expression on his face as he leaned towards her, all mirth gone from his voice as he said, "Depends. Who are you?"

Taken aback by the sudden shift in demeanor, Sunset took a step back and blinked in shock at the defensive man. He didn't do anything other then sit and wait for her answer, his frown and ice-blue eyes the only signs of hostility as he stayed behind his desk. The now nervous teen too a deep breath before reclaiming her lost ground, matching his stare with a determined one of her own.

"Sunset Shimmer."

"Prove it," he frowned.

Eyes still locked with the large man's, Sunset reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet. As she slid her school ID out of her wallet and handed it to the man, she wondered just what kind of trouble her friend was in to warrant such a reaction. She waited with a sliver of nerves running down her spine as she watched him examine her ID. The man's cold demeanor instantly warmed as a relieved smile replaced his frown and gently placed her ID onto the desk in front of her.

He sighed as he leaned back and laughed before putting out a hand towards her.

"Sorry about that. Boss' kid has some scary folks that like to send people to pull strings. Name's Shot Putt."

Sunset smiled as she accepted the handshake, internally surprised how such a massive man could have such a delicate grip as she let go of his hand.

"No problem," she said, waving away Shot Putt's apology. "If what she told me about them is even half as bad as what I think it was, I'd have people on high alert too."

His smile turned sympathetic as he sighed, "She told you too?"

She nodded, a sharp grimace marring her face as she thought back to the day she talked with her friend in her car.

"How could anyone do something like that to their own daughter?"

"Who knows?" Shot Putt sighed as he rose from his seat. "All I care about is keeping the kid safe."

"Right," she nodded.

A small, yet warm smile graced the large man's face as he jerked his head to his left and started walking. A matching smile formed on Sunset's face as she followed Shot Putt into the gym's main area. As she stared at all of the people making use of the gym's various equipment, her mind kept drifting to what Lightning told her on that fateful day. It was hard for her to see such a strong willed girl look as beaten and worn as she did that day, especially now that she knew that she still had to deal with the ones that put her in that condition in the first place. The thought made her blood boil as she silently contemplated what would be the best way to reduce her friend's tormentors to ash.

"Calm yourself Sunset Shimmer," Acceptance whispered, her voice gentle as it echoed through her head. "Do not let your dragon blood consume you. It would seem your friend is in good hands at the moment."

I know, she thought, taking a deep breath as she followed Shot Putt further into the gym's main workout area. I know that she's okay right now. It still pisses me off, that someone could to that to someone.

A sigh echoed through the red and gold haired teens head as Acceptance took note of her host's plight.

"I understand, but now is not the time to rain fire from the sky. She is safe and is being kept safe by those closest to her."

Sunset nodded, a small smile gracing her lips as she followed her hulking guide.

"But should anything happen to Loyalty's bearer, I will provide any number of tips as to best roast the unfortunate soul that crosses your path."

Sunset froze for a moment, then forced herself to move a little faster to keep up with Shot Putt.

That's...a bit dark of you.

"Loyalty is my sister," Acceptance said coldly, an image of her hooded doppelgänger crossing her arms appearing in her head. "I will do anything I can to protect her."

Fair enough, she thought with a small shrug. Let's just hope it won't ever come to that.

"Indeed," Acceptance intoned. "I am certain your mate would not wish to speak to you in prison."

Sunset's face burned bright at that.

"Now your blood is boiling in a different direction," the element said with an audible smirk. "Going through withdrawal?"

"Shut up," she grumbled just low enough that Shot Putt couldn't hear her.

Acceptance simply giggled as her presence faded to the back of Sunset's mind.

Sunset fumed as she walked, her face red with embarrassment and anger in equal measure.

I hope Twilight has to put up with this kind of crap with Magic!

At the same time, she wondered if Derpy made any progress in their plans to escape her parents when they went to Equestria tomorrow.

***

Set in the farthest section of The Lightning Bolt was the area reserved for olympic participants or olympic hopefuls that wanted to train in relative privacy. Granted, payment was required to get such a luxury, but those that would want to take advantage of this aspect of the gym's services could more than cover the hourly fee. In addition to higher quality equipment and an indoor olympic swimming pool, a full indoor track dominated a good third of the room's space. On said track stood Lightning Dust, dressed in a plain white tank-top and sports shorts. Her arms hung loosely at her sides as she stood there, eyes closed as she focused on her breathing.

I am wind. Unstoppable. Always moving.

She repeated that thought, her eyes slowly opening as she stared out onto the track. Several hurdles divided the track at five foot intervals all the way through, bringing a determined smile to her lips as she crouched down into a runner's stance. She mentally counted down from ten as she stared at the first hurdle, her heart pounding with excitement as she braced herself for what was bound to happen next. The second she reached zero she shot forward like a bolt of lightning, her mind barely concentrating on the hurdle as her trained reflexes helped her leap clean over it with the grace of a dancer. She didn't need to think about it as she did the same to the next hurdle or the one after it. All she needed to do was focus on her breathing and accept her mantra as her reflexes helped her make her way past all of the gate-shaped obstacles in her way. She slowed when the hurdles were replaced by two rows of tires, only to speed back up again a moment later with a wide smile growing on her face.

Looks like Grandpa decided to mix things up a bit. Awesome!

She stumbled a bit at first, but after a couple more tire rows she managed to adapt to the sudden shift in difficulty. After the tire rows came poles held in place by cement blocks in the middle of the track. The teen moved between the poles in a constant zigzag pattern as she made her way back to where she started. As she continued her training, she was completely oblivious to the fiery-haired teen watching her from the track's bench.

Sunset didn't know what to think as she watched her friend run. While the obstacles weren't anything too demanding, the ease Lightning displayed as she practically flew through them was a spectacle in and of itself. Except for the tires, Sunset was sure the girl could do the whole track blindfolded if she wanted to. A feat that wouldn't've set her back by more than a few seconds at best.

An elderly male voice behind her made her jump.

"She's really something, ain't she?"

Sunset turned towards the voice and was greeted by a cerulean man in his late sixties, his two-toned gray hair short coming off in wilting waves, smile lines under his proud amber eyes as he watched Lightning run. He wore a white T-shirt, dark-blue sports pants, and gray sneakers. Sunset eyed the man suspiciously, then nodded as she shifted her attention back towards Lightning.

"Sunset Shimmer, right?" he chuckled, as he took point at her left.

Again she nodded, not sure what to make of the man at this point.

He smiled, then said, "Nice to finally meet you. Name's Wind Rider."

"Nice to meet you," she nodded with a polite smile.

Wind chuckled at her for a bit before giving Lightning his full attention again.

"You seem to be in a better place now, from what she's told me."

Sunset frowned at that as she asked, "Lightning talks to you about me?"

He nodded, eyes still locked onto the running girl.

"My Grand Daughter tells me a lot of things."

Sunset blinked at that for a moment, then sighed as her tension faded out of her.

"So you're Grandpa. It's nice to finally meet you too," she smiled.

Wind chuckled at that and said, "A girl that been through as much as you and her have every right to be cautious around strangers. It makes me happy to see such a sharp person in my little Dusty's corner. Thanks for keeping an eye on her when I can't by the way."

Sunset froze for a few seconds, then sighed as she said, "I'm the one who should be thanking her. She stuck her neck out for me when no one else could when I was at my absolute worst. She could've just hid in the background like all the rest and stayed safe, but instead she jumped straight to the front lines to keep me safe. I really owe her big time."

Wind laughed.

"That's my little Dusty. Always putting herself into the thick of things. One of the good things she took after my son and I."

A hand on her shoulder made Sunset turn her head towards Wind's smiling face.

"That," he added. "And finding a unit to watch her back in the trenches."

With that, he let his hand fall to his side and walked towards the field, whistle pulled out of his pocket and brought to his lips. As a sharp whistle briefly filled the air, a small sigh slipped past Sunset's lips as she let Wind's words settle in her mind. A small smile grew on her lips as she made her way towards the track as her friend stood panting in front of her chuckling Grandfather with the cockiest grin she'd ever seen.

***

"Another trip to Equestria?" Lighting asked, bottle of water gripped loosely as she sat on a bench in the middle of the gym's empty locker room. "Should be fine," she shrugged. "The gym's gonna be closed tomorrow for New Years anyway."

"Good," Sunset sighed, leaning against a wall of lockers opposite of Lightning. "It's been years since I celebrated the Twilight Festival and I really wanted to share it with all of you."

"Especially with Derpy, right?" Lighting asked with a sly smirk.

"R-Right," Sunset blushed, staring at the ground and crossing her arms.

Lighting laughed at that before taking a swig from her water bottle.

"Don't you think it's a little late to be blushing about that stuff. I mean, if you can't even handle talking about being with Derpy what's gonna happen when the two of you start sleeping together?"

"W-Well," Sunset muttered, face turning even redder as she let her words hang in the air.

Lightning raised a brow in the face of Sunset's awkward silence, then gave her a knowing smile as she pulled herself to her feet and placed a hand on the blushing girl's shoulder.

"Why you lucky pony," the sporty girl smiled. "You don't really pace yourself, do ya?"

"I-It's a long story," she stammered, ears turning just as red as parts of her hair.

"Alright," Lighting chuckled, hands up in a placating manner as she backed away. "But seriously, good for both of you. Maybe your mom can get you two married tomorrow before Derpy's dad short circuits."

Sunset sighed and grumbled some choice words bitterly under her breath as she plopped herself onto the same bench Lightning vacated. Lightning frowned at her friend's sudden shift in temperament and took a seat next to her.

"Okay, what's up? Did I say something wrong?"

"No," Sunset sighed. "It's just that, Derpy's folks want to come to Equestria with us."

"Oh," she cringed. "Yeah, that would make things a little awkward."

Sunset nodded with a grimace aimed at the floor.

"Any idea what brought this on?" Lighting asked.

"Well," Sunset sighed. "I may have let it slip that their's a spell that lets mares get other mares pregnant."

Silence filled the locker room for a few seconds as Lighting tried to process what she was told. Dozens of ideas how such a spell could function ran through her head, some of which a direct result of her friend Lyra's choice of anime preferences. A great tug-o-war was being waged in her head as to whether or not she wanted to know if any of her guesses were correct. Luckily, Sunset managed to break that line of thought fairly quickly.

"No," she said flatly. "I'm not going to tell you how it works because I don't know how to cast it. And even if I did, I wouldn't because I'm way too young to be a mother at the moment."

Lightning was going to argue, but decided against it when Sunset leveled a hard glare at her.

"Alright," she sighed. "And I guess that explains why her folks are putting up some walls here. You guys have a plan?"

"Not yet," Sunset grumbled. "Derpy's working on it, but the fact that they dragged Dinky into it makes things a little more complicated."

"Ouch," Lightning cringed. "That's totally cheating!"

"Tell me about it," Sunset frowned.

Lightning gave her friend a sympathetic smile, a smile that slowly grew sharp as she reached into her gym bag. Sunset raised a brow as the sporty girl pulled her phone out and started fiddling with it.

"Uh, Lightning?" Sunset blinked. "What are you doing?"

"Helping you guys out," she smirked, scanning through her contacts before brining the device to her ear. "Hey Derpster, Lightning here. I heard you're in a bit of a tight spot. I think I have few ideas."

As she watched her friend and girlfriend plot against her foster family , her mind wandered back to the day they sat in her car.

"I want you to know that no matter what happens, even if the whole school turns into a lynch mob, I've got your back."

"Thanks Lightning," the fiery teen chuckled.

Lightning turned towards her and nodded with a vulpine smile as she continued her conversation with Derpy.

Ch. 36 From Dawn...

Canterlot Castle was a hub of constant activity at all hours of the day in a countless number of ways. Whether it was in loud ways such as ponies coming to Princess Celestia with requests in Day Court or in the quieter ways that the castle staff kept the sacred structure presentable to the public, the capital building of the country was never silent. As such, it was extremely unnerving to the three Terrans-in-pony-form as they were guided through the castle's still halls. Aside from the one in front of them, the CMC saw no guards in the hall they walked through. The other thing that put them on edge was that they were told that they were not required to wear their uniforms today. What made them near nervous wrecks was the fact that Princess Celestia wanted to talk to them that morning.

"W-What do you think she wants?" Sweetie asked from Scootaloo's left.

Applebloom shrugged from her position at the Pegasus' right.

"M-Maybe she want's ta' tell us how good a job we're doin'?"

"Or she wants to yell at us," Scootaloo sighed. "I don't think she really likes us all that much, all things considered."

Her friends both shuddered at that as they nodded.

While they knew that the Princess of the Sun wouldn't think too highly of them, they expected her to be much more open about it. During the first few days after coming to Equestria they expected her to come to them at any moment to show them any number of horrors to frightening to mention. With the exception of the one day she visited them when they were learning how to walk, the Solar Monarch never interacted with them directly. Any time they received instructions form her it was always through a guard, Raven, or a letter that would occasionally appear in their room. To not only be told that she wanted to see them, but be told that when the castle was empty of any potential witnesses to their fate filled them with ice cold dread.

"M-M-Maybe she isn't mad anymore?" Sweetie gulped.

"We almost got her daughter killed," Scootaloo grumbled, eyes forward as she marched. "I doubt it."

Applebloom nodded, a dejected sigh her only vocal response to that as she brought a hoof up to the stetson on her head while she walked.

A cold sweat covered Sweetie as she walked, eyes wide and pupils shrunk to pinpricks as she remembered the first time she crossed Princess Celestia's path. The rage she saw in those eyes still haunted her dreams every now and then, as well as made her need to change her sheets more times than she was comfortable admitting.

Don't speak unless spoken to, she thought, eyes drifting to the floor as she let her body go into autopilot behind the guard. Don't say anything disrespectful. Laugh at all of her jokes if she makes any. Answer any question she asks honestly. Maintain eye...contact...at...all...times...

Her panicked thoughts steadied when she saw the bracelet on her foreleg and remembered the promise it represented. She took a deep breath and looked forward, the resolute frown on her muzzle a near clone of the one on Scootaloo's as they walked. Applebloom risked a glance at her friends and sighed as she let go of her new headwear to steady her gait. Both fillies jumped a little when they each felt a wing drape over their backs, curtesy of the orange Pegasus between them. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom gave their sporty friend confused glances that quickly turned into nervous smiles that matched the one she gave them.

By the time they reached the massive double doors leading to the Royal Dinning Room, the three girls felt like they were getting ready to meet the noose and faced the doors with nervous dignity. The guard opened one of the doors just wide enough to allow his charges access to the room beyond before stepping out of the way. The three fillies audibly gulped before they stiffly walked into the room.

The first thing they noticed was just how massive the Royal Dinning Room was compared to the other rooms they had been in so far. It was easily twice the size of their school's cafeteria and just as tall as any other part of the castle. The next thing they noticed were the tall stain glass windows fitted into the surrounding walls that filled the room with a kaleidoscope of different colors. All of that was forgotten when they took in the thirty foot long polished dark oak table at the room's heart and the plates of freshly made pancakes set before five of its seats. Pancakes loaded with all kinds of fruit and whipped cream along with small cups of what appeared to be a variety of syrups set beside each plate. Two of said seats were occupied by none other then the Princess of the Sun herself and a creature that the three fillies had never seen before outside of their most delirious fever dreams.

The three fillies shook off their shock and quickly made their way towards the empty seats, none eager to incur the wrath of their warden or her bizarre guest. Princess Celestia observed the three Terrans with a soft smile while Discord raised a brow as he observed their skittish demeanor. He gave her a curious look, voicing a silent question as he shifted his gaze back and forth between the Princess and the fillies. Her smile wilted slightly as a sad sigh slipped out of her nose, earning an understanding nod out of him as he gave their three guests the closest thing to a friendly smile he could manage. The three little ponies sat at full attention like solders waiting for orders the second they took their seats, all three staring at the Princess with nervous frowns.

"Good morning girls," Princess Celestia said, her tone soft and sweet in spite of the guilt in her core.

"Good morning Princess," the CMC said in unison, a faint tremble present in their tones that the two HIgh Royals didn't fail to notice.

"I'm sure you are all wondering why I have asked to see you," the Princess said, casually cutting into her pancakes with a knife and fork held in her golden magic.

They nodded, too nervous to touch their food at the moment.

Celestia paused for a moment as she enjoyed a dainty mouthful of pancake before continuing.

"Today is mine and my sister's birthday, a day that everypony celebrates in a nationwide party in our honor."

She suppressed a smile at the wide-eyed shock on the filly's faces as she let that sink in.

"One of the traditions for today is a nationwide day off for all of our citizens. One such tradition that is extended to you three."

They continued to stare at her in shock, before their brains finally processed what the Princess told them.

"Wait wha?" Scootaloo gawked.

"You're giving us a day off?" Sweetie blinked.

"Seriously?" Applebloom gaped.

Celestia nodded.

"After all your hard work, you have more than earned a bit of fun for a change."

The three fillies let out happy cheers at that, dread replaced with excitement as they imagined what kind of things such a massive party could possibly contain.

"Of course," Celestia continued. "I don't intend to let you all go wandering around unsupervised. You will each have a chaperone to keep an eye on and protect you if the need should arise. Discord will also use his magic to check in on you periodically as an additional precaution."

As she said that, she nodded her head towards the being in question, finally giving the Terrans a name to go with the strange creature at the table.

"That's Discord?!" they exclaimed, jaws once again going slack as they pointed at him.

Said Dreconequis chuckled at that, casually plucking a pancake off of his plate and folding it into a paper airplane before he tossed it into his mouth.

"What? Did you think I was a pony?" he smirked around his mouthful of food.

"K-Kinda?" Applebloom offered, hoof nervously rubbing her sister's hat under the table.

Discord swallowed his food before he burst out laughing at the idea.

***

A small crowd had gathered in front of Canterlot High around its mascot statue. Most of this said crowd was made up of teenage students that went to the school, while two adults and an extremely excited grade schooler added themselves to the group. Sunset watched Dinky move at speeds that would've made Pinkie jealous as she bombarded her friends with questions about Equestria. She also noticed how she seemed a little leery of Fluttershy for some reason.

"Uh, is Dinky giving Fluttershy the evil eye?" Sunset whispered as she leaned into Derpy's side.

"Oh, she thinks she's trying to steal me from you," Derpy shrugged.

Sunset blinked, then burst out laughing.

"Sh-She does know Fluttershy's already got a girlfriend, right?" Sunset smiled, small chuckles slipping past her lips as she regained control of herself.

"I keep telling her that, but she won't listen," she sighed. "Said she won't believe it until she sees it."

"Well, I don't think that's going to be too hard," Bonbon chuckled, adding herself to the conversation. "Fluttershy's been on cloud nine since she got here. Her double's probably going to meet her on the other side of the portal."

The young couple let out relieved sighs at that, glad that at least one complication was about to be dealt with today. At that moment Dinky decided to materialize in front of them, the girl practically vibrating with poorly contained excitement as she beamed up at the three girls. The sight made Sunset briefly wonder if Derpy's family was related to Pinkie Pie in some way.

"Is it time yet?!" Dinky begged.

Before Sunset could respond, an envelope appeared in her hand. Frowning in confusion, she opened it and read the letter inside. She rolled her eyes and smiled as she slipped it into her jacket pocket.

"Yes, its time," she chuckled.

"FINALLY!" Dinky exclaimed , arms up in exasperation.

Sunset chuckled, then leveled a deep frown at the whole party before saying, "We are all going through the portal one at a time this time. I don't want to end up at the bottom of a pony pile every time we visit."

The teenagers in the group chuckled awkwardly while Dinky and her parents gave the girls confused looks.

Seeing that she got her point across, she gave her girlfriend a smile and wink as she said, "See you on the other side."

With that, she stepped through the portal. After a brief instant of shifting colors and being pulled in every direction at once, she staggered drunkenly into Princess Twilight Sparkle's castle on her hind legs before instinct guided her onto all fours. After taking a second to regain her equilibrium, she moved aside to make way for the next person through the portal. As she waited, she noticed that she wasn't alone in the room. Standing a safe distance from the portal was the castle's resident High Royal, her Dragon assistant, and the native Fluttershy.

"Hey everypony," Sunset smiled. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year," Twilight smiled, making her way towards her friend. "How have you been?"

Before she could reply, a yellow shape phased out of the portal and shot towards Fluttershy. The poor mare had just enough time to let out a startled squeak before a pair of lips locked with hers and she was pinned to the ground on her back. Sunset and Twilight blinked in shock as they slowly pieced together what just happened. Sunset was the first to recover, but just rolled her eyes at the display.

"About as good as that," she smiled as she pointed at the two Fluttershys.

Twilight's face nearly burst into flames as she gave the couple a quick glance, an awkward chuckle slipping past her muzzle as she faced her friend. Sunset rolled her eyes as she looked at the two making out ponies and told them to reel it in. The Thestral reluctantly pulled her muzzle away from her prey's and giggled sweetly as she stepped away from her Equestrian counterpart, said Pegasus staring dizzily at the ceiling while her double walked with a happy swagger to Sunset's side with her eyes closed.

"I'm sorry," the soft-spoken Thestral giggled. "I just couldn't help myself. I've wanted to do that all week."

"Looks like the feeling was mutual," Sunset chuckled as she stared at the still stunned Pegasus laying on the ground, not failing to notice the wide smile plastered across her muzzle.

A second later, Derpy staggered out of the portal with a hoof pressed firmly over her muzzle and her eyes tightly shut. Concerned, Sunset started to make her way over to her, only to pause as Derpy took her hoof away from her face to point it at her.

"I-I'm okay," she gulped. "J-J-Just give me a minute."

After a few seconds the grayish-green Pegasus became much less green before she staggered to her girlfriend's side. Nothing of any real note happened as one-by-one, a Terran-turned pony stumbled out of the portal and moved aside for the next member of their party to come through. The small form of momentary monotony was interrupted as a small grayish-purple Unicorn filly with a light-yellow mane and tail rolled out of the portal. Dinky teetered to and fro on her haunches as she waited for the room to stop spinning.

"I think I'm gonna puke!" Dinky groaned as she put a hoof to her mouth.

Derpy chuckled as she approached her sister.

"Yeah, I hate that part, too," the Pegasus smiled as she pulled the filly to her side with a wing.

Dinky slowly blinked as her vision started to level out, then her eyes widened when she saw her own forehooves. Her jaw nearly hit the floor when she turned her head towards Derpy, her brain struggling to make sense of what she was looking at.

"S-Sis?" she gaped.

Derpy nodded, a faint chuckle slipping past her muzzle as she stared at her sister's shocked face.

"P-P-Pegasus," was the only thing she could stammer out before a wide smile spread across her muzzle as she excitedly asked, "Am I one too?!"

"Nope," Sunset said proudly as she took her place at her girlfriend's opposite side. "Welcome to the Unicorn club."

"Really?!" she gushed, hooves moving across her forehead and feeling her new appendage. "Cool!"

The two mares laughed at that as they helped the filly stand up and take her first steps as a pony. Not long after they helped her move out of the way, the portal rippled and two new ponies stumbled into the room on top of each other. One was a brown Earth Pony stallion with a darker brown colored mane and tail with sky-blue eyes. The other was a cream colored Earth Pony mare with a two-toned raspberry mane and tail and pale-green eyes.

"I think I left my stomach behind," Rose groaned, eyes spinning in her head as she rolled onto her back.

"I hope the return trip will be less...that later," Time groaned, as he laid dazed on his side on the ground.

"Nope," Sunset sighed, walking towards the Terran couple. "But it won't get any worse."

Time and Rose turned their heads towards Sunset, a glower marring their normally jovial features. That didn't last as the portal's vertigo wore off, surprise staking its claim on their faces as they took in Sunset's new form.

"This is what you normally look like?" Rose asked, blinking widely at the fiery Unicorn standing before her.

Raising a brow, Sunset nodded.

Still staring at Sunset, Rose jabbed a hoof into her husband's side and frantically said, "Time! Quick! Get the camera!"

He just nodded dumbly as he brought a forehoof to where his pocket would be on his hip, only to hit nothing but furry leg. He blinked in confusion for a moment before realization made him sigh as he looked down at himself.

"Afraid I can't dear."

"What? Why?" she squawked, still staring at Sunset.

A wicked smile grew on his muzzle as he said, "I would tell you, but I'm a little horse right now."

Rose blinked at that for a moment, then she looked down at herself. Three things registered to her at that moment. One, that was an awful pun and her husband should've felt awful for saying it. Two, she was, in fact, a pony just like Sunset said she would be. And third, she was feeling a very unfriendly breeze. With a bright red face, she let out a "Meep!" and brought her forelegs up to cover her chest. Time made the same discovery when he managed to figure out how to sit comfortably on his haunches in his new body and discreetly put his forelegs down in front of himself to both complete the look and preserve some of his dignity.

Sunset chuckled awkwardly at that as she gently guided Rose's hooves off of her chest.

"Yeah, might've forgotten to tell you about that," the light-orange Unicorn said sheepishly. "Ponies don't really wear clothes."

"We noticed," Time said flatly. "Are their any other surprises we should know about?"

Dinky staggered towards her parents, a bright smile on her muzzle as she happily declared, "Mom! Dad! Look! I'm walking like a pony!"

Both Earth Ponies stared at the filly's clumsy gait and wide smile, then at the same time took wheezing gasps as they slammed a hoof into their chests. Sunset watched their reactions with a half-lidded smirk as a thought echoed through her head.

I warned them.

***

Pinkie giggled giddily as she sat in front of her mirror, a recently bought brush passing through her mane as she got herself ready. According to Tattle, the Twilight Festival was the biggest party of the year. Literally. A party that spanned an entire country? Of course she was going to attend! Granted, she was going to have to keep an eye out for her double the whole time, but that was something she was counting on to some degree. Ever since her control of her powers increased, she became a little less scared to enter Ponyville. In fact, it made better reflex training than the local pack of Timberwolves could ever hope to be. Much safer too, since her double was a lot less likely to eat her if she messed up or ran out of magic.

She hummed a happy tune as she put the brush down to admire herself in the mirror for a bit before rising to her hooves to take her red coat off of her bed.

"You seem to be in a good mood today," Tattle commented, a smirk present in his tone as she slid the coat on.

"Parties always put me in a good mood," she giggled. "You have enough magic to last the day?"

"From noon to dawn," he said, his proud smiling face appearing in her mind's eye.

"Awesome!" she chirped, then slid her hood into place.

With a wide smile, she summoned a gap in front of herself and walked through. She was instantly greeted by the sight of a dark and cold side alley, countless voices filtering towards her from the streets beyond. Still smiling, she made her way towards the streets with a bit of pep in her step. What she saw made her stop dead in her tracks, eyes wide and mouth wide as she took it all in. Stalls lined the fronts and sides of every store and business building, each manned by a pony either operating a game or giving away some type of food or drink. Said food and drink smelled and looked amazing to the self-made hermit as she watched the chefs manning their stalls work with the level of skill that filled her with just as much envy as hunger. Banners, streamers, and balloons of every color, shape, and size imaginable decorated every available structure in sight with the banners linking to the buildings like multicolored spiderweb. Shinning sun-shaped effigies stood on top of every light post and stall, each glowing brightly like the star they represented. Ponies walked around with all kinds of sun-themed accessories ranging from hats to shirts or coats. The air was so thick with joy and laughter that it brought a small tear to her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Tattle asked.

"Y-Yeah," she stammered, wiping her tear away as a genuine smile graced her muzzle. "It's just all so...beautiful, you know?"

"Indeed," he chuckled. "Then please, enjoy yourself to your hearts content. As always, I will keep track of your double and let you know if she is near."

"Thanks Tattle," she giggled.

With that, she stepped fully out of the alley and into the lively streets of Ponyville. At the same time, a single thought ran through her head.

Tag: Ultimate Party Edition. Starting now!

***

Something Sunset took quick note of is that Twilight had a lot of spare rooms in her castle. While not something that bothered her all that much, it did give her a very familiar privilege; a place to safely scream when she needed one. As much as she loved her girlfriend's family, they were very quickly starting to get on her nerves. In the last ten minutes after they figured out how to walk, Time Turner "subtly" asked Twilight about spells that get mares pregnant, Rose Luck kept trying to yank a curtain off of whatever window she could sneak over to to cover up, and Dinky kept trying to kill everypony with her cuteness by hugging Spike like a scaly plush toy. Then again, most ponies in the room agreed that such a death was something they would openly embrace if they could. The end result was a very mortified Sunset that found herself in a well furnished crystal guest room ranting to her reflection in a wall.

"Someone kill me," she muttered to herself as she stood with her head rested against a wall.

"Penny for your thoughts, love?" asked a familiar female voice.

A tired smile graced her lips as Sunset turned to face the voice's owner.

"Just trying to think of a way to explain to Twilight why Time Turner wants to know how to get a mare pregnant."

Octavia cringed back at that, then gave her a sympathetic smile as she said, "I think he may have gotten more then he bargained for with that question."

"What do you mean?" she asked, brow raised.

"Turns out Princess Twilight is a fan of college level lectures," she said, daintily laughing behind a hoof. "She summoned a chalk board and everything."

"Your kidding," Sunset gawked.

Octavia shook her head and added, "She was already giving him the, shall we say, "fine details" before I left to check on you."

"I don't know if that's better or worse," Sunset groaned, rubbing a growing migraine forming just below her horn.

"A little bit of both my dear," a familiar male voice chuckled.

Sunset flinched, then smiled as she pulled her hoof away from her face and looked up at the empty space above her.

"Hey Discord. Or should I start calling you dad soon."

Hysteric laughter echoed through the room, putting Octavia on high alert as she looked around frantically for its source. She let out a startled yelp as the Draconequus faded into existence next to her friend with the casual grace one would display stepping out of a room.

"Let's not jump the gun there Sun Spot," he chuckled with a wink.

"Must you make an entrence ," Octavia huffed as she leveled a glare at the Chaos God standing next to her friend.

"Oh please," Discord scoffed, waving Octavia's comment away like a pesky mosquito. "If your think that was me making an entrence, I'd hate to see what you think me waking up in the morning looks like."

Sunset rolled her eyes with a smile as she watched them have their little back-and-forth. While she admitted that he could be a bit much, she couldn't deny that the former villain had a pleasant charm to him. Granted, one had to get past a veritable fortress of crazy to get to it, but it was well worth the effort in the end. Especially when she remembered how much her mother livened up around him the few times she saw them together. The solar Alicorn may have thought her interest was well hidden, but one of the few good things she kept from her dark days was how to read people. And Princess Celestia was an open book with glowing bold print in regards to how she felt about Discord. She just hoped they tied the knot before she was old enough to have grand foals. Just because they literally had all the time in the world didn't mean she did, after all.

"All the same," Octavia sighed. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

Discord raised a brow then leaned down to Sunset's level and stage whispered, "And I thought Rarity was formal."

Sunset chuckled at that while Octavia leveled a sharp glare at the Draconequus as he straightened his posture.

"Well, if you must know," he scowled, crossing his mismatched arms. "I was responding to a message from Flutterbat."

"Fluttershy?" both mares asked.

He nodded.

"She said you all wanted some help getting Derpy's parents off of your backs and I just happen to have some time to kill."

"What did you have in mind?" Sunset asked, a slight edge to her tone.

"Nothing too crazy," he shrugged.

Both mares gave him thin frowns and raised brows.

"By pony standards," he clarified, rolling his eyes. "Just a tour around town, maybe give little Dinky somepony else to hug for a while."

Octavia stifled a small laugh at that while Sunset mulled the whole thing over in her head. While she trusted her mom's boyfriend to behave (for the most part) when it really mattered, she was still a little leery about this.

"I-I think I'm okay with this," she said, a trace of hesitation in her tone before she added, "But I want you to ask Derpy first and only if her folks are okay with it."

Of course my dear," he smirked with a bow. "No point making a deal with The Taker if you need multiple signatures. Tata!"

With that, he faded away, a light chuckle echoing behind him as he slowly ceased to exist. Once he completely vanished, Octavia gave her friend a questioning look.

"The Taker?"

"Equis version of The Devil," Sunset frowned.

"I see," she nodded, then sighed as she added, "Love, you have the strangest family I have ever seen."

"You don't know the half of it," Sunset groaned.

***

Derpy sported a deadpan as she watched her father get his just desserts, her friends and mother at her side doing the same sporting the same expressions. She'd be lying if she said a small sadistic part of her didn't find the whole situation hilarious, but that was mostly eclipsed by how mortifying the situation was as a whole. The saving grace was the bonus feature that was her little sister snuggling up to Spike like a toy, something that put the poor Dragon into a predicament he didn't think would happen for at least another ten years.

"Geez kid, let the poor guy breath," Vinyl chuckled, poking the filly in the back with a hoof.

"But he's so cute," she chirped, nuzzling the back of his head.

"Cute?" he deadpanned, looking over his shoulder at the filly hugging him from behind.

"Yep!" she beamed.

"You mean cool, right?"

"That too," she giggled as she nuzzled the back of his head again.

He sighed in defeat as he stared forward, a small blush coloring his cheeks as he tried to ignore his tormentor. The herd of mares took note of this and collectively grinned.

"Looks like someone's made a friend," Lyra smirked, lightly nudging Derpy in the side.

Derpy nodded, smiling at the display.

"That reminds me," Vinyl frowned, looking around. "Where's the Shys?"

"They said they were going to spend the day in one of Twilight's guest rooms,"Bonbon shrugged. "It's too bright right now for Flutterbat so they're going to take a nap for the night part of the festival."

"Make's sense to me," Lightning shrugged. "Sunset says that part of the festival is pretty wild anyways."

"How come?" Rose asked, tearing her eyes away from her daughter's latest act of cute.

"According to Sunset, there's a nocturnal set of pony tribes," Lyra smiled, giddy with the bit of lore her friend shared with her and a chance to share it with someone. "I can't wait to meet them!"

"That makes two of us," Rose smirked, then squirmed uncomfortably as a small blush colored her cheeks. "Do you think we can find a clothing store later? I, uh, don't know if I can get used to this whole...naked thing."

"Before or after Twilight makes dad never look at the natives the same way again?" Derpy asked flatly.

Rose, Lyra, Vinyl, and Lightning snorted at that as they gave the mortified stallion passing glances.

"After I guess," Rose chuckled. "To be honest, I'm kind of surprised you're all so fine with this.

The young Terrans exchanged looks then collectively shrugged.

"It helps if you think of your coat as clothes," Bonbon said with a dismissive wave of her hoof.

"I don't really think too much about it," Lightning chuckled.

"Says the girl that wouldn't shut up about it for about half an hour the first day we were here," Derpy said, rolling her eyes.

"Bite me," Lightning grumbled, a small smile coloring her muzzle.

Vinyl snickered at that, then froze as she felt a strange static tingle run through her horn. She wasn't the only one, as all of the Unicorns in the room went still. Even Twilight paused in the middle of her lecture as she felt a similar sensation pass through her horn. Dinky's grip on Spike tightened as a whimper crept past her lips, encouraging a concerned frown out of him. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but never got a chance before the peace was shattered. Bright, colorful explosions filled the whole top half of the room like fireworks as neon pink strawberry scented mushrooms the size of cars appeared at random points around the ponies. Twilight's chalkboard turned into a giant s'more with chocolate sprinkles before it fell away from her and Time Turner with a hard thud. A jubilee of Blue butterflies made of jelly flew into the room through the still closed windows. The floor turned into flashing tiles of light that shifted into random colors and made honking noises. The ponies could only watch with slack jaws, minds torn between wonder and fear as they observed the spectacle around them. Then a rainbow colored well grew out of the ground and Discord floated out of it, his lion paw clutching his chest as he laughed like a loon while the other gripped a comically small inside-out umbrella.

"Helloooooooooo everypony!" he cheered, closing the umbrella as he weaved through the air above the still stunned ponies like a snake in water.

While Derpy and her friends were quick to recover, Time, Dinky, and Rose took a few seconds to comprehend what they were looking at. Dinky was the first to recover, earning a yelp out of Spike as she practically dragged the baby Dragon with her to her sister's side.

"Sis quick! Get Sunset! A boss monster's appeared!" she exclaimed, holding Spike close with one foreleg and gripping her sister's rear left leg with the other.

Derpy and Discord shared a surprised blink as the Chaos God drifted over her, only for said High Royal to flash an amused smile as he drifted away.

"A 'boss monster', eh?" he mused as he hovered over Twilight and Time, then chuckled as he said, "I like it! I wonder if I can get somepony to make it happen? Oh who am I kidding?"

He summoned a banana with a snap of his talon and brought one end of the fruit to his ear like a phone.

"Hello?" he said, admiring the claws on his lion hand. "Yes, this is me. Could you put me into the next game?"

He paused momentarily as an unintelligible voice could be heard coming from the banana.

"You do know I'm only asking as a formality, right?" he asked, raising a brow.

The voice took a moment to respond, but when it did it sounded like the speaker was grumbling.

"Hey! Language!" he frowned. "There's a filly in the room for pete's sake."

With that, he took the banana away from his face, peeled it, and ate the fruit in one gulp before snapping the peel out of existence.

"Some ponies," he huffed, then leveled a wide smile at the gobsmacked ponies below him.

"Hey Discord," Derpy smiled, waving at the smirking trickster. "Good to see ya!"

"Ah Derpy," he laughed, teleporting above her and orbiting her like a serpentine moon. "Just the mare I was looking for."

Rose and Dinky let out yelps as they jumped away from the strange being while the rest of the Terran mares simply rolled their eyes at his antics. While their first impressions of the Chaos God were less then stellar, he quickly grew on them during the Christmas/Hearths Warming party they all shared last weekend. A courtesy that Derpy's family wasn't granted as they cowered away from the strange creature talking to their oldest daughter.

"What's up?" Derpy asked, raising a brow. "Is Sunset okay?"

"Oh, she's fine," Discord chuckled. "Octavia's helping her find her center."

"Good," she sighed, then leaned towards him and whispered, "I thought she was going to Dragon Up if she didn't find a place to cool off. She's been under a lot of stress lately."

"Your normal or our normal type of stress?" he asked, a concerned frown marring his face.

"Our's," she chuckled. "No magical threat this time."

A faint tremble shot through her at that as she remembered what happened on the bridge.

At least, I hope there isn't.

"Anyway, what brings you around?"

"Oh, just fulfilling a request on behalf of my friend's girlfriend," he chuckled.

Derpy's eyes widened slightly at that.

No way. She actually asked her to ask him? I seriously owe Fluttershy big time for this!

"Surprised?" he asked, smile crooked as he raised a brow at her.

"A little," she laughed. "I just didn't think Flutters would do it."

"Derpy? What are you talking about?' Rose asked, eyes cautiously shifting back and forth between her daughter and the creature she was talking to. "Do you know this...um...him?"

Derpy chuckled at that and turned towards her mother and said, "Mom, this is Discord. He's the guy that appeared at our house a couple weeks ago when Sunset's mom visited."

Rose gave Discord a careful look over, then said, "This is what you normally look like?"

"Sometimes," he shrugged. "I do dress up every so often. Speaking of."

He snapped his fingers and in a flash, Rose was suddenly wearing a simple red dress. She blinked, then looked down at herself in both confusion and fascination as she studied her new garment.

"I'm no Rarity, but I think this will do for what we have in store for today," he smiled.

"What do you mean?" Time asked, adding himself to the conversation and putting himself between Discord and his daughters.

"Well," Discord smirked, lightly impressed by the father's bold display. "Since you all wanted to come here, it's only fitting that you meet with Sunset's family in a more, shall we say, regal setting."

"Pardon?" Time asked, raising a brow.

"What would you say to an exclusive tour of Canterlot Castle. You, your wife, and youngest daughter exploring the largest, grandest castle in all of the land."

"Tempting," Time smirked. "But I need to keep an eye on my oldest. Can't be too careful you know."

Derpy groaned at that, silently begging Discord to find a way out of this before she had to resort to Plan B (formerly plan A). While she was sure she and Sunset could out-run him, she didn't like the idea of being grounded for who knew how long when they got home. Thankfully, Discord wasn't the only force the two adults had to contend with.

"Can we go daddy?" Dinky asked, Spike now free from her cuddle attack as she stumbled up to her parents. "Please?"

Time was about to gently refuse his daughter's request, but never got the chance. His brain shorted out the second he locked eyes with the little filly. Dinky always had a knack for giving puppy dog eyes, but her new form took that talent and multiplied that power a thousand times over. Her big round eyes, folded ears, and trembling lip dragged his defenses out into the street and violently curb-stomped it to oblivion.

"Oh alright," he sighed, his lips pulling into a rueful smile.

Dinky cheered and wrapped her forelegs around her father's foreleg in a tight hug. Rose tittered lightly behind a hoof, earning her a light grimace from her defeated husband.

"Splendid!" Discord cheered. "But first."

He snapped his fingers and a full bodied black suit spawned on Time's form and a simple lilac dress appeared on Dinky. Time and Dinky blinked in confusion for a moment before the stallion gave him an appreciative nod.

"And now that all of that's taken care of," he flashed the trio a smile as he raised his hand, fingers primed to snap. "Let the tour begin."

With a snap, the three Terrans flashed out of existence. Discord was just about to follow them when a light tugging on his tail caught his attention. Taken aback, he turned his head and was greeted by a smiling Derpy.

"We owe you big for this," she smiled.

"Oh think nothing of it," he chuckled, waving away the Pegasus' comment.

Her smile slowly shifted to a frown as she whispered, "Can you do me a personal favor?"

Discord looked around, then snapped his fingers. Everyone froze and the world took on a black and gray tint like an old time movie. Derpy looked around in confusion before looking up at a concerned Discord.

"Time freeze," he explained. "Now what do you need?"

She sighed, then said, "Pinkie's missing. Well our Pinkie's missing."

"Oh?" he blinked.

She nodded.

"I've done what I can to find her, but it all just led to a dead end. Sunset told me you can do almost anything and I was wondering if you could help me find her."

He mulled that over for a second, then smiled as recent events started to make a bit more sense to him. More specifically, events that involved a certain red-hooded Earth Pony.

Now what are the odds?

"No problem my dear," he chuckled. "It may take some time, but I'll be sure to keep an eye or three out for her."

"Thanks," she sighed, a weary smile forming on her muzzle.

And with a snap of his talon time resumed, the room turned back to normal, and he was gone.

***

Many parts of Canterlot Castle were closed to the public, most of which was on the second floor and above. As such, the first floor was decorated to the nines for all who wished to attend the Castle's portion of the festival. The bulk of said arrangements were assembled in the main ballroom. Gold, silver, and bronze sun ornaments hung from the ceiling as similarly colored ribbons weaved between them from one half of the room to the other in a intricate web like pattern. Large paintings hung from the walls, each depicting Celestia in some dramatic manor. Tables loaded with all kinds of food dominated the center of the massive room with golden sun-shaped table decorations intermingled with the plates.

Two Pegasi, a mare and a filly, sat in front of one of the paintings, neither impressed by what they saw.

"Seems a bit much, don't you think?" Scootaloo deadpanned.

Crow nodded with a deadpan of her own.

"I respect their effort though," the mare said with a small smirk.

Scootaloo nodded.

Crow noticed the solemn demeanor of her charge and frowned.

"Shrimp," she growled.

Scootaloo's posture straightened out of reflex, earning a deeper frown out of her keeper. Crow spread open one of her wings and lightly smacked her across the back of her head, earning a startled yelp out of the nervous filly.

"You're off the clock, Shrimp," she smirked. "Act like it or I'm gonna make you run laps."

"Right," she said, rubbing the back of her head and smiling weakly. "Sorry. I'm, uh, not really used to this kind of thing. Sort've built a routine at this point, you know?"

Crow chuckled at that.

"You have been making a lot of progress with your punishment. Keep it up and the princess might give you and your friends a reduced sentence."

"Maybe," she mused, standing up. "But I'm not gonna get my hopes up."

As she said that, she started making her way towards the tables. Crow shrugged, then stood up to follow her charge. They both rolled their eyes when they saw Quail and Applebloom loading up plates till it looked like they were carrying food towers. Raven and Sweetie took in the display with rueful smiles, much less bloated plates hovering next to them held by their red and green magic auras respectfully.

"Honestly Quail Down. where do you keep all of that?" Raven asked, eyeing the pile of food with mild interest.

"Oh hush," the Earth Pony playfully scoffed. "You know how demanding my work can be."

"Oh please," Crow huffed. "You just need to make sure the gardens smell nice. I need to babysit an army of morons that have no idea what their doing half the time."

"Do you really want to play this game?" Raven asked flatly. "Because I am certain that helping to keep the entire country's economy from imploding on a daily basis trumps both of your burdens by a hundred miles."

"Literally," Sweetie added with a nod.

The three older ponies blinked in shock for a moment, Raven less so then her sisters, before they gave the young Unicorn pointed stares. Sweetie wilted under their gazes, a small smile forming on her muzzle as she cringed back from their intensity.

"Indeed," Raven nodded, breaking the tension as she shifted her attention back to her sisters. "But enough of this. Today is a day of celebration, not spite."

"Right," Quail smiled, plucking a slice of sweet bread off of her plate and happily taking a bite.

Crow huffed and rolled her eyes before she made her way to a stack of empty plates on one of the nearby tables with Scootaloo not far behind. Raven rolled her eyes at that before she casually levitated a slice of cheesecake off of a nearby table and took a bite. Sweetie did the same, her control shaky as she brought her slice of cheesecake to her mouth. Raven noticed and faintly smiled as she gently held the filly's sweet to her mouth with her magic.

"You can use your hooves if your control is weak," Raven whispered. "No need to push yourself or rush."

Sweetie nodded, a sheepish blush coloring her cheeks as she put up a hoof to hold onto her slice like a piece of pizza. The older Unicorn nodded in satisfaction before shifting her attention back to her own snack.

"You've gotten pretty good at that though," Applebloom added around a mouthful of spiced fruit. "Ya' don't sleep-float anymore and you can use spray bottles without gettin' headaches after."

"Y-Yeah, I guess," Sweetie said sheepishly, nibbling on her cake.

From there, the small party went on with little issue. Aside from some good natured verbal jabs between the three older ponies, there was nothing of any real note. That was, until Princess Celestia entered the ballroom with Discord and
a couple of ponies not far behind them. Seeing the princess in the company of other ponies wasn't anything too unusual, though the fact that a light-purple Unicorn filly was sitting on her back was more than worthy of a few raised brows. An Earth Pony couple trailed not far behind her, heads practically on a swivel as they took in their surroundings with looks of awe. The couple consisted of a cream colored mare dressed in a red dress that matched her dual toned red mane and tail and a suited stallion with a brown coat and darker shade of brown in his mane and tail.

The fillies didn't know what to make of what they were seeing. Of course, they knew that more ponies were going to come, but this was not how they thought they would do so. They didn't get to think too much about that, as the filly sitting on the princess' back spotted them.

"Hi!" she beamed, waving at them from her perch. "I'm Dinky!"

"Um, hi?" Scootaloo blinked, plate of food sitting on her hoof as she stood by her chaperone.

Princess Celestia suppressed a giggle as she floated Dinky off of her back and gently set her onto the ground. The filly wasted no time scampering towards the young ponies.

"What are you're names?" she asked.

Taken aback by Dinky's forwardness, the CMC exchanged brief glances before Sweetie broke the tension.

"I'm Sweetie Belle, that's Applebloom, and that's Scootaloo."

As she said that, she pointed to herself and each of her friends for clarity.

"Nice to meet you," she beamed. "Want to hang out?"

The CMC exchanged glances amongst themselves, then shrugged as Applebloom said, "Sure. Why not?"

***

Pinkie munched happily on a chocolate covered apple as she navigated the lively streets around her. All the while, Tattle kept a constant "eye" out for his lover's double. As he did so, he couldn't keep his smile off of his face over how happy she was as they made their way over to a game booth. Something he never told her was how her mindscape changed depending on her moods. When she was sad he sat in the heart of a dreary mire, gray skies and murky fog as thick as broth as far as the eye can see. When she was angry he was in a volcanic wasteland full of clouds of ash and a sky as black as tar. Fear turned his world into an open field ravaged by wild storms and twisters.

A clear blue sky greeted him from above as an open field surrounded him, soft grass and wild flowers decorating the scene better then the works of Canterlot's most distinguished artists. Birdsong and butterflies gave the scene a type of ambiance that filled one with enough energy to take on the world. It was all a scene he would fight to the death to maintain if not make stronger if he could. It was for that reason that he kept his vigilance, sensing the magical aura of one specific pony to keep her safe. A task that would've been a bit tricky under normal circumstances, but both Pinkies had such strange magic auras that he would have to be arcanely blind not to sense either of them. The mare's rate of movement did add a bit of difficulty to his tracking skills though. While she couldn't Gap Walk, Equestrian Pinkie was incredibly quick on her hooves. She also seemed to have an innate sense of where they were at all times, an ability that both impressed and concerned him at the same time.

At the moment, he sensed her in a far off building at the heart of town. The same one he sensed her in the last time they came to town to refresh their supplies. This got a raised brow out of him, but he decided to file that away as a minor detail to keep track of when it was needed.

Meanwhile, Pinkie finished her game and made her way to a crowd of ponies watching some sort of magic show. As she watched the light-blue Unicorn magician preform, she took note of everything around her and what kind of ponies stood nearby. While she was enjoying herself immensely, a part of her couldn't wait to further test her abilities. Her mind was alight with all of the ways she could escape her double's attempts. It was freeing in a way, being able to go basically anywhere she wanted. Especially after being so scared for so long in a world she barely understood.

I wonder if this is what it was like for Sunset, she mused, her joy wavering slightly at the thought.

"Pinkie, she's coming," Tattle said flatly.

She blinked, then smiled wickedly as the gears in her head started turning. Her eyes wandered towards the stage and her smile grew as a plan took shape. She waited, heart pounding with excitement as Tattle gave her periodic reports of how close her double was to her. At the fifteen foot mark she started putting her plan to work. At five feet, she lightly glanced over her shoulder and spotted her. Seconds later the native pink pony let out a triumphant cry and charged towards her. Terran Pinkie's grin grew and a gap opened between her and her charging double. A few ponies blinked in shock at that, before letting out cheers as the same pony seemingly flew out of the stage floor next to a now startled stage magician. The grinning Terran quickly closed the gaps and walked away from the performance. Equestrian Pinkie spotted her and with a determined frown charged off of the stage towards her. Terran Pinkie noticed and quickly opened a gap beneath her and a nearby red stallion. This led to native Pinkie running face first into a red wall of stallion as her alien double galloped away.

"That won't hold her for long," Tattle noted.

"Dosen't have to," Pinkie giggled.

As she said that, she slid to a stop out into the open center of town square. Her double charged into the open space seconds later and reached out to grab her. The red-hooded mare smirked as she seemingly fell through the ground at the last second. Equestrian Pinkie growled in frustration, then yelped as a pink hoof poked her in the back. She spun around to grab her only to be greeted by empty space. A tap on her shoulder made her turn her head, only to receive a pie to the face for her trouble. Terran Pinkie cackled like a maniac as she put some distance between her and her double while said double slowly plucked the tin off of her face. She licked the pie off of her face with a single swipe of her tongue and leveled a nonplused look at her parallel copy.

"Really? A pie?" she asked flatly.

"Eh, what can I say?" Terran Pinkie shrugged. "I like the classics."

The native Earth Pony tisked and shook her head in disappointment as she reached into her mane.

"Silly filly," she grinned. "If you're gonna use a classic, you gotta go all out!"

As she said that, she pulled a giant kiddie pool sized pie out of her mane. With a smile that reached her ears, she held up the giant confection up over her head with a single hoof, jumped ten feet into the air, and threw it down towards her double. Terran Pinkie's smile was just as wide as she opened a gap below herself and behind her double. In one fluid motion, she fell through her gap, grabbed her double from behind, and threw her through the same gaps she used before she closed them. The end result was a very dizzy Equestrian getting hit by fifty pounds of diabetic goodness.

"Hm... You're right," Terran Pinkie chirped happily as she daintily landed on her hooves. "It's way better if you go all out."

A frustrated scream could be heard before a pink hoof burst out of the center of the kiddie pool. A glowering Pinkie dragged herself out of the pit of sweetness.

"How do you keep doing that?!" she demanded. "I can't even do that and I'm ME!"

"Well, have you ever tried," Pinkie asked, her playful smirk visible under her hood.

Equestrian Pinkie's eyes widened at that, sputtered incoherently, then let out a frustrated battle cry as she grabbed hooffuls of pie and threw them at her. Terran Pinkie giggled merrily as she casually dodged the incoming storm, occasionally catching her opponent's attacks in her mouth to sate her forever-active sweet tooth. After running out of ammo, she reached into her mane and pulled out what looked like a purple water balloon. Terran Pinkie had just enough time to dodge it when her double lobbed it at her, a sweet smelling purple slime coloring the ground behind her. Her eyes widened at that as she shifted her attention back towards her double just in time to avoid another water balloon. She doubled her efforts to avoid the projectiles, especially when she started firing them out like machine gun rounds. When a balloon splattered next to her and a bit of the slime got on her cheek, she made a startling discovery when she reflexively licked it off.

"Taffy?" she blinked.

"Yep!" her double declared proudly. "But not just any taffy. This is Bonbon's discontinued super duper extra sticky taffy!"

"Why was it discontinued?" she asked.

"Ponies kept getting their mouths stuck," she shrugged, then grinned wickedly as she pulled another balloon out of her mane. "Perfect for catching ponies that go poof."

"We'll see about that," Pinkie grinned, crouching low.

With that, they flew into action with one pony throwing projectiles while the other avoided said projectiles with a professional's grace. Throughout their little dance, Pinkie caught onto her double's plan fairly quickly. All of the taffy balls she threw at her were aimed for her legs and the ground around her. The only exception being the straight path fifteen feet long between them. Her heart pounded in her chest as she prepared to put everything she had into one last trick, then with a grin as wide as her double's, she charged forward.

Equestrian Pinkie let loose a barrage of taffy balls, her forelegs a blur as she let her secret weapon fly in a dense swarm towards her target. At the last second, Pinkie opened a gap behind her, jumped clean over the barrage, and landed right in front of her double. With a wide smile she flipped over her, opened a gap just above her head, and landed on all fours behind her just in time to see a swarm of taffy balls descend upon her like giant raindrops. The Earth Pony screamed in surprise as she was covered from top to bottom in thick purple taffy. Terran Pinkie watched in mild amusement as her double struggled against her prison while the surrounding ponies stared in confused awe.

Noticing the audience she had gathered she quickly rose to her hind legs, bowed to them, and said, "And that concludes our little comedy skit for today. I hope you all enjoyed and have an awesome day!"

The gathered ponies blinked in shock for a few seconds before stomping their hooves in approval as the hooded pony fell back to all fours and approached her struggling opponent.

"Here," she whispered, taking a small vile out of a gap hidden under her coat and placing it within her double's reach. "This is a potion used to get rid of sap. I don't know if it will work, but it should help a little."

Before the captured Earth Pony could respond, the hooded pony jumped back through a gap and winked out of sight. The crowd went nuts while Pinkie just sighed as she took the vile her double left behind.

Back to the drawing board. Again.

***

While it was normal for ponies to take the day off during the Twilight Festival, certain establishments kept their doors open to take advantage of the holiday's tourism. More often then not these tended to be restaurants, bars, and inns that couldn't get the space needed to put up a stall. One such restaurant was playing host to the most unusual party of ponies one could ever hope to meet, especially if they met their native counterparts before hoof.

"I think I'm gonna explode," Lightning groaned as she leaned back in her seat.

"Just cuz it's says "All you can eat", that doesn't mean "Cram everything into your gullet,"" Bonbon frowned, rolling her eyes.

"You reap what you sew, love," Octavia nodded, taking a dainty nibble of her food.

"I know that," she grumbled, then added under her breath, "Stupid tasty food."

Lyra burst out laughing at that from her seat next to the pouting Pegasus while Vinyl just smiled and shook her head in her seat on the opposite side of Lightning. Sitting across from them was a chuckling Derpy and Sunset with a perplexed Twilight sitting next to them.

"Are they always like that?" Twilight whispered, tilting her head towards the trio across the table from them.

"Kinda," Derpy shrugged. "We all just kind of take turns being the butt of a joke sometimes. A couple months ago, I showed them a video on my phone and this ad came up. They still call me Victoria's Secret from time to time."

"Oh do they?" Sunset said with a mischievous smile, leaning into her girlfriend's side. "Should I be worried?"

Derpy's face heated up as she gulped out a quick, "Nope!"

Sunset giggled at that before she leaned back a bit, not far enough to be separated, but not close enough to smother her.

"Looks like things are going well for you two," Twilight said with a half lidded smirk.

Both beamed and nodded, earning a wider smile out of the Alicorn. A smile that wilted slightly when Sunset's ears and eyes drifted towards the ground.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, concerned.

Both mares exchanged uncomfortable looks before Sunset let out a nervous sigh as she said, "I'm going to meet my old friends tomorrow."

Twilight blinked, then frowned deeply at that. While she was all for second chances, it didn't mean she was willing to forget and forgive in the blink of an eye. This went double for those she held dear to her, even before she took up the role of Princess of Friendship. As such, it was difficult for her to think about her friend's Terran counterparts without a hint of distain tainting her opinions of them. Personally, it was going to take a lot of work on their part to regain her trust in them, but she was still open to give them the chance to do so. The fact that Sunset was willing to give them a chance was, frankly, a miracle in her eyes after everything she went through.

Vinyl gave the couple a sympathetic frown then raised her hoof in the air to get a waiters attention.

"Get two glasses of your strongest drinks over here," she called.

The rest of her party gave her incredulous looks while the waiter gave her a quick nod before he made his way back towards the kitchen.

"Really Vinyl?" Octavia scoffed. "Just because we can drink here doesn't mean we should."

"They're not for me," she frowned, nodding her head towards the couple at the table.

"Uh...Thanks?" Sunset blinked, smiling awkwardly.

Derpy's expression was not too different in comparison while the DJ waved their thanks away. She took off her shades and leveled a serious look at them.

"You guys looked like you could use something harder then soda. Especially Sunset."

Sunset blinked in shock at that, before smiling sheepishly at the table.

"I'm that obvious, huh?"

Derpy pulled her into a one-legged embrace while Vinyl's expression turned more sympathetic as she nodded. Sunset sighed and smiled as she leaned into Derpy's side.

"I'm not really nervous or anything," she sighed. "I was at first, but now I just want to get it over with."

"Amen to that,"Lighting sighed, frowning into her soda. "Lord knows they're feeling crappy about it all too."

"That's putting it lightly, love," Octavia frowned.

Bonbon nodded, her eyes sad as she toyed with what few bits of her food remained on her plate with her fork.

A somber mood fell over the group as recent events started to take its toll on their good spirits. Lyra noticed and racked her brain to find a way to brighten the mood. A wide smile grew on her face as a topic jumped to the front of her mind like a bolt of lightning.

"Hey! What did you all think about the street performer earlier? Pretty wacky, right?"

"Indeed," Octavia nodded, a faint smile showing her appreciation for the shift in topic. "I never knew anyone could teleport like that."

"They can't," Sunset said, her nervous frown replaced by a thoughtful one as she stared distantly at the table. "I don't know what that mare was doing, but it definitely wasn't teleportation."

"I thought so," Twilight nodded. "If she was teleporting, then she couldn't've redirected Pinkie's water balloons like that. It was like she was warping reality or something."

"So, another Chaos Mage?" Lyra offered.

Twilight shook her head in the negative and said, "Discord is the only creature that can handle that kind of magic. If anypony even tried to use it, they could risk permanently damaging their form or sanity."

"Well, she seemed pretty well put together, so that's out," Bonbon nodded. "Maybe Discord had a kid?"

"I doubt it," Sunset chuckled. "If I had a future half-sister, Discord wouldn't think twice about letting me or mom meet her."

"Assuming he could catch her," Derpy laughed. "Did you see all the stuff she was doing?"

Everypony nodded in agreement with that, impressed smiles gracing their muzzles as they remembered the spectacle they witnessed a couple hours ago. From there the group broke into elaborate theories as to how the mysterious hooded pony did what she did. Some theories were reasonable explanations such as Illusion Magic or some obscure magical artifact that she kept hidden beneath her trench coat. Others were a little less likely, such as the pony being some sort of alien or monster from another dimension. As they tried to figure out the mystery behind the mare's magic, the waiter from earlier returned and placed two large mugs onto the middle of the table.

"Bottoms up," Vinyl smirked as she pushed the two mugs towards the couple with her magic.

They stared at the mugs, then traded shrugs as they grabbed the offered drinks. They toasted and with matching smiles took a swig. Both mare's eyes popped open as they quickly slammed their mugs back onto the table, cheeks puffed up as they struggled to swallow their drinks. With regret in their eyes, they forced the mouthful of brew down their throats. Vinyl and Lighting nearly fell out of their seats in laughter while the rest of their party gave the couple concerned looks.

"What the hell did you order!" Derpy coughed, glaring at the laughing DJ with the heat of a million suns.

"The strongest thing they had," she smiled, wiping a tear out of her eye. "W-What did it taste like?"

"Like motor oil!" she snapped, wings wide open in indignation as she wiped her tongue with a napkin.

Sunset just groaned as she teetered in her seat next to her, earning a terrified gasp out of the Pegasus.

"Sunset! Are you okay?!"

She nodded, then her eyes widened as her hoof flew to her muzzle and her cheeks puffed out. Before anyone could react, her hoof left her mouth to make way for a loud belch. At the same time, a small blast of orange fire shot out her mouth. It dissipated just as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind a group of wide-eyed ponies staring at a now sheepish orange Unicorn.

"Um...excuse me," she chuckled awkwardly.

***

Four fillies walked through an empty hall in the middle of Canterlot Castle, three of more familiar with their surroundings while the new member of their group took in everything with an excited smile. While they were a bit hesitant to add Dinky to their group at first, the filly quickly started to grow on them. The little Unicorn even had the power to coax a smile out of Raven, a feat that was rivaled by her ability to inhale half a whole cake in terms of impossible acts in their admittedly thin books. But those weren't the main reasons they were glad that they decided to give Dinky a chance. The first was that she was nice and second, and most importantly, she was fun to be around. After all the grueling work and strict regiments they grew accustomed to, it was a breath of fresh air to get to spend time with someone their own age for a change. As such, something as simple as walking through a hallway bathed in afternoon sunlight with her was a lot more fun then it probably would've been under normal circumstances.

"So, what do you three do around here?" Dinky asked, smile wide and tail wagging with excitement.

"Cleanin' mostly," Applebloom shrugged, adjusting her stetson as she walked.

Dinky tilted her head at that with a confused frown as she asked, "Aren't you guys a little young to work?"

"I guess," Sweetie frowned, staring guiltily at the ground.

"Let's just say we messed up and we're trying to fix things," Scootaloo sighed, a rueful smile marring her muzzle.

"Oh," Dinky cringed. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Sweetie smiled. "You didn't know. Besides, it's not all bad."

"Really?" Dinky probed.

Sweetie's smile widened as she nodded and said, "The uniform's really cute."

Dinky gave her a confused head tilt while the other Unicorn's friends groaned and facehooved.

"Really Sweetie?" Scootaloo frowned.

"What? They are!" she snapped, her cheeks heating up as she pouted.

"If you say so," Applebloom sighed, rolling her eyes. "The food's good though."

"Definitely," Scootaloo nodded. "No offense Bloom, but Granny Smith's got nothing on the chefs here."

The Earth Pony filly reluctantly nodded before she bitterly muttered, "If the school'd let her cook the way she wants, Ah'd make you eat those words."

"What do you all do when you're not working?" Dinky asked.

Applebloom's lips pulled themselves into a soft smile as she said, "Ah usually wander around the castle gardens for a bit. All the trees help me think when Ah'm all frazzled, y'know?"

Dinky smiled and nodded at that before shifting her attention towards Scootaloo. The young Pegasus looked sheepish and looked away scratching the back of her head. Dinky gave her a raised brow and an encouraging nod. Sweetie gave her friend a confused look.

"I don't do anything all that cool, " she mumbled. "Most of the time, I'm too tired to do much, but sometimes I'll go to the tallest tower's balcony to cloud watch."

"That's cool," she nodded, then looked at Sweetie.

"I usually read or help Ms Raven with her paperwork," she shrugged.

All three fillies gave her odd looks.

"Wait," Scootaloo blinked. "You work even when we're off the clock?"

"Not all of the time," she amended. "Just when Ms Raven isn't working with anything too delicate."

"Why?" Applebloom and Dinky asked in unison.

"I like to help people," Sweetie said sheepishly.

"Weirdo," Scootaloo said with a good natured smirk and hip-bump.

Sweetie giggled at that and gave her fellow Unicorn an encouraging nod.

Dinky gave her an impish smile and said, "Me? I do the same thing with my sister every night."

"What?" they asked in unison.

She paused for dramatic effect, then gave them a false evil smile as she said, "Try and take over the world."

The three fillies blinked at her in shock for a few seconds before the facade fell apart in a fit of giggles. The three fillies continued to chat amicably amongst themselves as they strolled through the empty halls, the setting sun the only tell as to how long they enjoyed each other's company.

***

As she had done countless times before, Princess Celestia lowered the sun to make way for her sister's charge and bring an end to her portion of the festival's events. She let out a weary sigh as she made her way from the balcony into her bedroom and flopped bonelessly onto her bed on her side. As much as she cared for her citizens, the level of devotion they held for her tended to be a bit of a strain for her. Many would consider the near worship the Alicorn was exposed to on a daily basis to be a source of envy. She would gladly switch places with those foolish ponies in a nanosecond if she could.

She let out a tired groan as she teleported her accessories off of her as she thought about what few responsibilities she had left.

I need to make sure Derpy's family has a room for the night. The fillies should be in bed by now, so that should be taken care of at least.

A small pulse of magic and shift in weight beside her brought a smile to her face.

"Finally done for the day?" Discord chuckled, hugging her from behind.

She nodded with a happy hum as she leaned into Discord's chest.

"Do you think you can muster up enough strength for one last birthday gift?"

"Depends," she smiled. "Will I have to move?"

"A little," he smirked. "But I think you'll find it well worth the effort."

A snap echoed through the room and Celestia was instantly aware that things had changed. The first thing she noticed was how different her bed felt. It was soft, spongy, and smelled heavenly sweet. She raised her head in mild confusion only for it to devolve into awe as she took in her new surroundings. Clouds made of creamy root beer foam drifted through the sky over a land of cake. Trees, grass, mountains, all made of cake, frosting, marshmallows, cream, and meringue under a glowing sun like a life sized baker's display. A wild mix of sweet scents saturated the air that drew a bit of drool to leak past her lips. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her long, long life.

"You like?" Discord asked with a cocky smile. "I know how much you like cake. So I thought, 'Why not give her the biggest cake in existence?'"

Celestia shook herself out of her trance and leveled an impish smile at her lover.

"Do I like it? Let me think."

She put a hoof to her chin in false thought, before quickly pouncing on him and pinning him to the ground. The stunned Draconequus could only blink dumbly before a pair of lips locked his into a fierce kiss. A wild flare of magic raged around them, forming a massive crater as portions of the dessert landscape was vaporized by the sheer force. The solar Alicorn's body glowed as she gently broke the kiss to look lovingly into Discord's eyes.

"Yes," she whispered sweetly. "I like it."

Author's Note

Good lord was this an ordeal.:applejackconfused: Thankfully, the next chapter will be a lot less demanding. Considering how long this thing was getting, I decided to reserve the night half of the festival for the next chapter. Thank you all for your patience and I hope you all have a happy new year.:pinkiehappy: And now sle-*thud* 😴zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ch. 37 Till Dusk

Sunset smiled as she watched ponies start taking things down for the evening portion of the festival. In addition to clearing out stalls and bringing down decorations, ponies were hammering down long silver rods around their homes. The latter earned confused looks from Sunset's friends.

"Their setting up noise canceling barriers," she explained casually as they walked. "The night part of the festival tends to get a little rowdy."

As if to demonstrate, one of the homes they walked past was surrounded by a lightly glowing golden dome, the rods standing around it letting out a similarly colored light as strange symbols pulsed across them. The Terrans in her group looked at the display in fascination while Sunset and Twilight gave the barrier an appreciative nod. A light sigh from the present Princess earned her a few concerned looks.

"You okay?" Lyra asked.

"Yeah," she groaned. "Just bracing myself for what happens every year."

"That's not ominous at all," Octavia grimaced.

"What happens?" Bonbon asked, nervously looking around.

"Nothing dangerous, I hope," Derpy frowned, pulling Sunset closer to her side with a wing.

Twilight chuckled ruefully at that and said, "No, nothing like that. Let's just say, I wish I had a normal kind of normal life sometimes."

A pair of hoof steps caught the group's attention as the last two members of their party walked towards them.

"Good evening everypony," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled.

Her marefriend wore a matching smile as she nodded to her friends in greeting, a bit of fang peeking past the Thestral's lips.

"I'm glad you could both make it," Twilight smiled. "I think Flutterbat will really like what's coming."

Equestrian Fluttershy giggled at the use of her marefriend's alias while said Thestral grimaced and rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure she will," the Pegasus smiled, nuzzling her double's cheek.

Flutterbat let out a startled squeak, before humming happily as she leaned into the nuzzle.

"I'm still not used to seeing that," Lyra chuckled.

"Eh," Vinyl shrugged. "If their happy, then it's all good in my book."

The rest of the visiting ponies in the group nodded their agreement.

A light ringing filled the air, making the whole group's ears twitch as it washed over them and through the town. While a minor detail to most of the group, it got a more substantial reaction out of Twilight, Sunset, and Flutterbat. Sunset sported an excited smile as she looked around, while Twilight let out a resolute sigh. Flutterbat's body went ridged as an unknown sensation ran through her. It was as if a new part of her had woken up for the first time, but it was different from the time she marked her double. Instead of being blinded by a wild surge of rage and paranoia, she felt like she had just drank ten shots of espresso and told she could adopt an entire ten litter of kittens. Her wings shifted restlessly at her sides and her tail lashed out as she struggled to keep her new instinct under control, but it was quickly becoming a loosing battle. A wide smile spread across her muzzle as a thick wave of excitement ran over her. Then, with her heart pounding like a jackhammer, she shot into the air and let out an excited high-pitched screech into the night sky. It was followed by dozens more as several other Thestrals seemed to magically appear in the skies above ponyville. On cue, homes suddenly appeared in previously vacant lots throughout the whole village by the dozens, dark coated ponies with slitted pupils and fangs filled the streets. Lycan foals and elders howled like wolves as they charged through the streets while their Cheshire counterparts mewled with grace and poise.

The golden sun effigies that previously decorated the light posts throughout Ponyville turned into silver crescent moons that glowed dimly in place. Several night ponies occupied abandoned stalls for whatever service they reserved them for for the evening. Fireworks lit up the sky with bright flashes of blue, purple, and other dark tones that could be seen in the evening sky. All in all, Sunset's party watched a quiet and empty scene turn into a stampede of activity in less then a second. A fact that took the foreign ponies a moment to process as they looked around at all of the activity with wide eyes and slack jaws.

Vinyl was the first to recover as she let out a loud howl of approval.

"Now THAT'S how you start a party!" she beamed.

Her friends quickly recollected themselves, smiling as they nodded in agreement. Flutterbat landed a second later next to her double, panting and sporting a blushing wide smile as her red eyes darted to each member of her party rapidly.

"S-Sorry about that," she giggled. "I just couldn't help it!"

"No problem," Sunset laughed, closing the gap between them and placing a reassuring hoof onto her shoulder. "That kind of thing happens every year."

"Huh?" said all of the Terrans in unison.

"Do you see those decorations?" she asked, pointing at the glowing crescent moons.

They nodded.

"They are enchanted to let out a small signal to all of the Night Tribes in town that it's their turn to party. Since their magic is largely instinct triggered, it gives them a bit of a caffeine rush for a few seconds. Don't worry about it Fluttershy."

"Okay," she whispered sheepishly, a small blush coloring her cheeks as she fidgeted in place.

Equestrian Fluttershy smiled sweetly and draped a wing over her double's back in an attempt to comfort her. Flutterbat smiled appreciatively at her as she leaned into her side. Everybody chuckled good naturedly at the cute display while Lightning deliberately tried to not stare. A series of happy cries dragged their attention away from the odd couple towards a large herd of foals smiling widely at the local Princess in the group. Twilight smiled back, but Sunset's party could see the way her ears wilted slightly and the nervous sweat forming on her brow. Sunset raised a brow at the reaction, but the next second told her everything she needed to know.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle!" the youths cried in joy as they charged, glomping the Alicorn everywhere they could.

The result was a Princess trapped in a cocoon of hugging Night Tribe foals looking at Sunset with wide pleading eyes. Sunset and Derpy looked on with sympathetic smiles while Lightning and Vinyl tried and failed to stop laughing as they rolled around on the ground.

"When did Dinky multiply?" Lyra whispered to Bonbon behind a hoof.

Bonbon snorted at that and shrugged.

"I fear I may need a dentist if things like this keep happening," Octavia smiled. "Oh how I wish I had a camera."

"Alright, alright," Sunset laughed, turning towards her friends. "How about you all go check things out while I help Twilight deal with this? Sound good?"

They all nodded, Vinyl and Lightning finally regaining enough control of themselves to get back onto their hooves.

"Great!" she nodded with a smile. "Let's meet back here in a couple hours for dinner. We should have Twilight's fan club taken care of by then."

With a few nods and a "See ya," from Lightning, the group left to enjoy the festival. Most of the group at least.

"Ready to back you up Captain," Derpy smiled from Sunset's left as the Unicorn turned to face her trapped friend.

"Glad to have you Lieutenant," Sunset chuckled.

***

The night half of the festival had a little something for everypony in attendance. This included a few bars and open air pubs. At one of these establishments, a red hooded mare was nursing a mug of cider as she took in everything around her. While Tattle had given her the basic rundown on how the night tribes operated, it still floored her how much of a cultural difference there was between the nocturnal ponies and their diurnal counterparts. There were a lot more bars and clubs set up then there were earlier that day. The food the venders were selling smelled just as amazing as what was on display earlier with the key difference being the inclusion of fish in a vast majority of the dishes. It was because of that Pinkie found herself sitting in a corner booth in a dimly lit pub munching on a forkful of lobster risotto as she took in the feel of her surroundings.

All around her, ponies were smiling, drinking, and filling the air with laughter. It brought a wistful smile to her muzzle as she took a pull from a large mug of rosé cider. One of the things she missed after so many days in hiding was the sound of a crowd. To finally hear something like it again made her situation a little less difficult for her, even if it meant being surrounded by possible enemies.

She leaned into her seat with a happy sigh as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the familiar chaos that surrounded her.

"Are you okay?" Tattle asked.

She nodded, eyes still closed as she listened to the noise.

"Just tired," she whispered. "My double really put me through the ringer today."

"Indeed," he said, a slight chuckle catching the end of his comment.

For a moment she stayed like that, the clatter of plates and random chatter almost lulling her to sleep. It felt so much like home that she could almost feel her fingers flex. A familiar longing tugged at her heart as her mind continued to drift towards home. Her sisters, friends, and Sunset drifted through her thoughts, the desire to see them again turning her happiness into bitter melancholy as her eyes slowly cracked open.

Stop it Pinkie, she thought, picking up her fork and digging into her food. There's nothing you can do about all of that right now. You just need to be patient and get stronger.

She nodded to herself and took a swig of her drink to brighten her mood. It worked, for a moment before her optimism wilted in the face of her situation. She had been in Equestria for two weeks and while she had gotten much better at controlling her powers, she still wasn't even close to powerful enough to open a gap home. A dent-covered wall in the dungeons of her shelter could attest to how much this frustrated her. If it wasn't for her anxiety potions, there would be more damage to that section of the castle then there was already.

If I just knew where the portal was, she mused, then snorted bitterly as she thought, Or what the portal looked like on this side at least.

Some movement from her left pulled her attention away from food and teeth-grinding thoughts. A large group of ponies started sitting at the table by her. They were all mares and with the exception of a pale-yellow Thestral with a long faded pink mane and tail, they were all day tribe ponies. She didn't think much of them at first, but something about the group made her do a quick double-take. Nuzzling into the Thestral's side was what appeared to be a Pegasus version of the mare. Pinkie blinked and rubbed her eyes, sure she was seeing things only to see that the scene remained unchanged. With her curiosity piqued, she gave the group a more critical look over. She counted two Earth Ponies, two Unicorns, and two Pegasi including the one snuggling up with the Thestral mare. Each were eerily familiar to her, a feeling that grew especially strong in regards to the teal Pegasus and white Unicorn in particular. She could feel Tattle shift a little in her mind, like he was tilting his head in confusion as she felt him share her sight.

"Curious," he mused.

"What?" she whispered, taking a light sip of her drink as she stared at the group.

"They're magic is similar to yours."

"What do you mean?" she blinked. "Are they Gap Walkers too?"

"No," he said with an audible frown. "It isn't the same kind of magic that you wield, but it dose seem to come from the same source."

Her eyes widened at that as she started to piece together why these mares seemed so familiar. She leaned forward to further hide her eyes in the shadow of her hood as she shifted her ears towards the group of mares, actively tuning out the noise around her to better make out what they were saying. All the while, Sunset's friends sat comfortably in their seats as they admired the pub's atmosphere.

"So this is where you two had your first date?" Lightning asked, giving the place an impressed once-over.

Flutterbat nodded, face heating up and fidgeting in her seat as she remembered everything that happened that night.

"I-It was Fluttershy's idea," she stammered, giving the shy Pegasus a small smile as she gave her a few quick glances out of the corner of her eye. "Sh-She found it while she was out shopping and w-we wanted to try it."

"Looks like it went well," Octavia said, eyes half-lidded as she gave the couple a knowing smile.

"It was...nice," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled, a small blush coloring her cheeks.

"I bet it was," Vinyl chuckled. "Applejack says hi by the way."

For a moment, it looked like the two shys had replaced their heads with tomatoes. They nervously bit their lips as they suddenly became very interested in the tablecloth.

"What does Applejack have to do with anything?" Bonbon asked, raising a brow.

"I'll tell you later," the DJ chuckled, then sighed as her smile shifted into a tired frown before she added, "Looks like Sunset'll finally be able to put all of that Anon-a-Miss crap behind her soon."

"God willing," Lyra sighed as she looked over the pub's menu. "I really want to see all of this crap just end already."

"You are not the only one, love," Octavia frowned. "It broke my heart to see Rarity in such a state. Even if they don't become friends again, hopefully this will give them some sense of closure."

"Yeah," Bonbon sighed. "I know what you mean. Applejack was a total mess the last time I saw her."

"Rainbow wasn't much better," Lightning grimaced. "Has anyone gotten in touch with Pinkie lately?"

The rest of the ponies in the group shook their heads in the negative, Vinyl letting out an irritate growl while all the color seemed to drain out of Flutterbat's face. Equestrian Fluttershy noticed and pulled her closer to herself with a wing as the white Unicorn huffed bitterly.

"If we just had a lead," she growled, crossing her forelegs. "Her sisters could use some good news these days."

"It would be a start," Octavia nodded. "Perhaps Sunset could talk Derpy into working her magic again."

"Sh-She doesn't need to," Flutterbat stammered, her body trembling like a leaf and eyes wide with dread.

"Why?" Lightning asked, a mug of soda placed in front of her.

"I asked Derpy to see if she could find out what happened to her," the Thestral said softly, eyes still locked onto the table.

"What did she find out?" Lyra asked nervously, taking a sip from her own mug.

She gulped thickly, then said, "She was on Canter Creek Bridge the night she disappeared."

Vinyl's magic grip on her mug vanished as a look of pure terror graced her face, while Lightning choked and spat her mouthful of soda all over Lyra. The Unicorn barely reacted as she paled in her seat, eyes wide as she numbly wiped her face with a napkin. The rest of the party wore matching looks of horror as they all struggled to process what they were told. Equestrian Fluttershy gave them all nervous looks as she pulled her trembling marefriend tighter to her side with her wing.

"Wh-What's wrong with the bridge?" the Pegasus asked.

The Terrans fidgeted in their seats as they tried to find the right way to explain what they knew to the shy Pegasus.

"I-It's a suicide bridge," Flutterbat whispered, her voice chilled with dread.

As a heavy weight filled the air at the table, the hooded mare sitting in the table next to them frowned deeply in the face of what she just learned.

I need to get back home. Now!

She took a long pull of her drink as she started to weigh her options. At the same time, one of Flutterbat's ears flicked and she went ridged for a second. When her double gave her a concerned frown, she gave a reassuring smile and nuzzled into her neck. As the two mares snuggled, the Thestral of the pair gave the mare sat at the next table over a curious frown. A frown that grew deeper on the Thestral's face as her ear flicked once more.

***

As it turns out, Sunset's understanding of how the lunar effigies effected night ponies was largely understated. While what she said was true in regards to adults, it was a completely different story when it came to foals. The herd of twelve foals were a force of wild energy as they bolted and flew around the mares. Luckily, her girlfriend had plenty of experience when it came to dealing with rowdy children.

In a matter of seconds, the gray Pegasus had the foals corralled into a single cluster as they chased her around the middle of town square. Sunset chuckled merrily as she watched her girlfriend work, a bedraggled Princess sitting next to her with a weary smile.

"Thanks again," Twilight sighed.

"No problem," she smiled as she continued to enjoy the show. "I guess it's not easy being a Princess, huh?"

"Huh?" Twilight asked, turning her head towards her friend.

Sunset's smile widened a little as she nodded towards the herd of foals trying to corner her girlfriend. Twilight followed Sunset's line of sight, then let out a light chuckle.

"No. When I said that stuff like this happens to me every year, I meant that it has always happened to me."

"What?" Sunset laughed incredulously.

Twilight sighed and said, "For as long as I can remember, Night Ponies would always act really friendly around my family and me. My brother kept having Night Guardsmares make moves on him all through out basic training. I even remember a pair of Thestral foals snuck into my room one night when I was five to play with me."

"That must've been fun," she smiled.

"Not really," Twilight grimaced, a tiny blush coloring her cheeks. "I-I'd never seen a Thestral or any other Night Pony before at the time. So, I thought they were monsters and ran screaming into my parent's room. It took me a week to feel comfortable enough to sleep in my room again after that."

Sunset cringed at that, then gave her an understanding smile before shifting her attention back to her girlfriend.

"That makes some sense. If I didn't know that a certain pony tribe existed and found one hovering over me in the middle of the night, I'd probably do the same thing."

For a moment, the two let a comfortable silence settle between them as they watched Derpy handle the small herd. A sly smile crept across Twilight's muzzle as she gave her friend a sideways glance.

"She's pretty good with foals, isn't she?"

Sunset nodded.

"You know, if you wanted to know the Fertility Spell, you could've asked me to teach you."

Sunset blinked dumbly for a couple seconds, then leveled a confused balk at her fellow High Royal.

"Wh-What the heck?"

Twilight gave her an understanding smile, a hint of mischief hovering beneath the surface as she added, "You don't need to be so shy about it. We're grown mares here. Besides, if Derpy's okay with it, I have no problem helping the two of you have foals."

Sunset sputtered incoherent nonsense for a few seconds as her frazzled brain struggled to form a proper sentence.

"W-We're not trying to have kids yet!" she stammered, her face turned redder then parts of her mane.

"Kids?" Twilight asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Foals," Sunset corrected, taking a deep breath that dimmed her blush. "We're not trying to have foals."

The confusion on the young Princess' face shrank slightly upon the clarification, but the rest of it became clear with her next question.

"Then why was Time Turner asking me about-"

"He's worried that I'll...use it on his daughter," she grumbled. "Even though I've made it clear that I don't intend to do that anytime soon."

"Oh," Twilight said, leaning back sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she sighed. "It's my fault for mentioning it to him."

Another moment of silence fell over them as they let the awkwardness of the moment bleed out of the air. In time, Sunset took a deep breath and with a small smile on her muzzle broke the silence.

"You know, now that things have started to look up for me, I've started thinking about what I want to do with myself in the future."

"Really?" Twilight smiled. "Like what?"

"I think...I'd like to be a teacher," she smiled sheepishly.

"That's great!" Twilight exclaimed. "You'd make a great teacher."

"Maybe," Sunset chuckled. "It's just a thought right now. I've still got a lot of time to work something out."

"Well," Twilight smiled. "If you need help, don't hesitate to let me or Princess Celestia know. You're not alone anymore. Remember that."

"Thanks," she smiled, then turned her head towards a struggling Derpy trapped under a pony-pile. "Now I think I have a girlfriend that needs saving."

As she said that, she rose to her hooves and made her way towards the giggling pinned pony. As she watched Derpy play with the foals, she couldn't stop the warm smile slowly growing on her muzzle. While she wasn't ready to have any foals yet, she couldn't say she wouldn't be against the idea later down the line. Especially if Derpy was at her side in that chapter of her life.

***

The night sky was rich with merriment as Night Ponies enjoyed their portion of the festival. At the same time, any ponies that managed to fight against the need for sleep started to make their way back to their homes in defeat. Among these ponies was a group led by Equestria's youngest Princess, all happy and weary from a night of celebration. At the same time, a pony wearing a red-hooded trench coat tailed them from the shadows.

So far so good, she thought, peeking around the corner of a building at the group.

As it stood, the plan was simple. Stay out of sight and follow the group to where the portal was being kept. Granted, the inclusion of Twilight in the group complicated matters a bit, but it was something she was more than prepared to deal with if the need came. She had just enough magic to gap walk away if she needed to and if that didn't work she could ask Tattle to keep track of her while she ran for her life. If that didn't work, well, she had a hard pair of hooves and she didn't need to know all that much to use them in a pinch. The way she saw it, one princess probably wants her dead anyway. What's one more at this point?

A small smile crept onto her face as she watched the ponies congregate around Sunset, an amicable expression decorating her face as she talked to them all. She looked so much more animated then she did a few days ago on Terra. Her smile turned impish when she saw a gray pegasus mare put a wing across the orange Unicorn's back and pulled her close.

Looks like someone made a special friend, she thought with a muted giggle. Good for her. At least one good thing came out of that mess.

Her eyes trailed across the other ponies in the herd as she tried to identify them. Vinyl Scratch and Lightning Dust were pretty easy to recognize thanks to the shades and the time they crossed paths in the bathroom respectively, but the others were a little harder to ID. It was as she was trying to place who the dark gray Earth Pony in the herd reminded her of that she noticed that something was missing about the group. She tried to put her hoof on what it was when the sound of someone clearing their throat could be heard behind her.

She froze, the softness of the small cough giving her a vague hint as to who had found her. Her blood slowly turned into ice as she slowly turned to face the pony behind her. Standing before her was a pale yellow Thestral mare with a long faded pink mane and tail. Her red, cat-like, eyes shined in the dim light of the alley with curious caution as they seemed to be searching her for something.

"Pinkie?" the Thestral asked, a hint of hope present in her soft voice.

No way... she thought numbly, eyes wide under her hood's shadow. Fluttershy?

Thinking fast, she laughed and said, "Pinkie? Who's that? Sorry, I think you've got me confused for someone else."

As she said that, she started to turn around to leave, but only got about half way through the attempt before a yellow hoof on her shoulder made her stop.

"Don't you mean "somepony"?" Flutterbat asked, a small cheeky smile gracing her muzzle.

Pinkie's heart sank into her gut as she realized her error, a wide variety of swears filling her head like a swarm of angry bees. She sighed in defeat as she turned back fully towards her former friend and fell to her haunches. Flutterbat did the same as she gave the cloaked pony a concerned once over.

"Hey Fluttershy," Pinkie said meekly. "What's up?"

Flutterbat gave Pinkie an incredulous look, then said, "What's up? That's what you have to say after disappearing for two weeks? Pinkie, everyone's worried about you! Your sister's are making themselves sick with worry! I thought...I..."

Tears started to trickle down the Thestral's face as she trembled, whether it was in anger or relief was beyond her ability to decide. Pinkie fought back her own tears as she pulled the weeping mare into a gentle embrace.

"I'm sorry," the pink pony sighed, stroking Flutterbat's back as she let her former friend cry. "I...I didn't want any of that to happen. I swear that none of this is my idea. Like, super duper promise."

"Wh-What do you mean?" she asked, gently pulling herself out of Pinkie's embrace.

The hooded mare looked around cautiously, then sighed as she looked back at her and said, "Not here. Follow me."

As she said that, she stared at the wall to her left and summoned a gap. Flutterbat gave her a confused look as she watched her walk directly towards what looked like a solid wall to her. Her jaw hit the floor when Pinkie phased through the wall as if it was made of water. She jumped when Pinkie's head popped out of the wall a second later, telling her it was perfectly safe before pulling back in. With an audible gulp, she closed her eyes and walked forward. She felt a brief rush of wind and a small push before all of the party sounds around her abruptly ceased. Slowly, she opened her eyes and was greeted by what looked like a bedroom. The walls were made up of aged gray stone bricks with a simple square hole in one wall passing for a window facing out into a seemingly endless snow-covered forest. A large bed furnished with white and lavender silk sheets dominated one corner of the room while an antique wardrobe and vanity mirror took up space on the opposite side of the room.

She watched as Pinkie took her coat off and hung it on the mirror of the vanity, giving Flutterbat a more detailed look at her missing friend. Unlike most of the ponies she had seen, Pinkie had a much more lithe build. It was a build that brought to mind speed and agility, but most importantly it was a sign that the Terran was taking care of herself. That wasn't the only thing she noticed as she walked towards the nervous Thestral.

"Um, hi," Pinkie said with a sheepish smile.

Flutterbat nodded in greeting, her eyes piercing the near darkness like a flaming sword as she struggled to piece together what it was about her that was so different. Well, aside from the obvious of course. After a few minutes of awkward silence, she finally figured out what it was.

"Your hair," the thestral whispered.

"What about it?" Pinkie asked, worriedly running her hooves through her long locks.

"You straightened it," she added, then tilted her head in confusion as she asked, "Why?"

Pinkie laughed hollowly as she slowly ran her hooves through her mane, pausing when they came to the curled tips before she let it fall loosely to her shoulders.

"I didn't,"she sighed, staring at the ground. "It just ended up that way when I got here."

"I see," Flutterbat said simply, her tone as somber as the room they sat in.

The pink pony leveled a tired smile at her guest and said, "But I guess you don't want to talk about hair right now, huh?"

Flutterbat nodded.

Pinkie sighed before she settled down to her haunches.

"Go ahead," she nodded. "Ask away."

"Well," Flutterbat started. "I guess the first thing I want to know is why did you come here?"

Pinkie shrugged, then said, "It puts a roof over my head."

Flutterbat blinked at that for a second, then frowned as she said, "No, I meant Equestria. Why did you come to Equestria?"

It was Pinkie's turn to blink in confusion before her gaze shifted towards the ground.

"I didn't have a choice. I fell through a gap here and I don't know how to get back."

"A gap?" Flutterbat asked, head tilted in confusion.

"The portal we walked through to get here," Pinkie explained, eyes still locked onto the ground. "I was on Canter Bridge a few weeks ago after the assembly. I...I wanted to see what Sunset saw the day she tried to kill herself, put myself in her shoes for a minute, you know? I...fell off."

Flutterbat gasped, her hooves flying to her muzzle as she stared at her former friend in shock. Pinkie started to tremble as she continued.

"I...I was so scared. Everything was so cold. I couldn't breath. I remember everything turning black as I...started to...I was drowning. It hurt so much!"

At that point, she started bawling where she sat as flashes of what she remembered of that night came to the front of her mind. Flutterbat wasted no time coming to the mare's side, pulling her into a full embrace with her forelegs and wings as she whispered reassurances. It took time, but soon Pinkie managed to regain control of herself. With a shaky smile, she thanked the Thestral and continued her story.

"A-At some point, I opened a gap and wound up in Equestria. A lot of stuff's happened and I've been living here ever sense."

"Can't you just do it again?" Flutterbat asked gently, still holding her close.

She shook her head.

"Tattle says that last time was a fluke and I should consider myself lucky that I survived it."

"Tattle?" she blinked.

"My magical Dream Cat boyfriend that lives in my head," she explained with a giggle.

Flutterbat could only blink dumbly at her as she briefly wondered if her former friend might've eaten something strange in her isolated state. She was more than aware that certain mushrooms could have interesting effects on a person's mind when ingested.

"Anyway," she continued, tone a bit more chipper then it was a second ago. "At my current level, I can only manage portals that take me to places I'm more or less familiar with in Equestria. Anything more powerful than that could either drain me dry or outright kill me if I'm not careful."

"K-Kill you?" she gasped.

Pinkie nodded, her smile shifting into a solemn frown.

"It takes a ton of magic to open a gap between worlds, way more than I have right now. If I practice long enough, I should be able to get back home someday. Till then, I'm stuck here."

Flutterbat gave her a harsh glare as she sternly stated, "That won't work. You need to get back home now."

"I know," she frowned. "That's what I was trying to do earlier. If I can get to the portal, I can get back home without having to open a gap. I was going to track you guys to get some kind of idea where and what the portal was on this side."

"It's a mirror with a bunch of machines attached to it in Twilight's castle," Flutterbat said without missing a beat, a trace of hope flaring up in her heart that this would be resolved quickly.

That hope died a miserable death when a look of pure terror formed on Pinkie's face. It slowly shifted into a rueful smile as she stared at the ground.

"Figures," she snorted bitterly. "The way home is guarded by someone who hates my guts."

"Pinkie," she gasped. "Twilight doesn't hate you. She might be disappointed in you, but she doesn't hate you."

"Maybe," Pinkie sighed. "But Princess Celestia definitely does and I'm pretty sure Twilight has her on speed dial."

"Pinkie-"

"I can't do it Fluttershy!" she exclaimed, voice trembling. "Just the thought of being near an Alicorn..."

As she let that statement hang in the air, she held up a trembling hoof.

"I...I can't stop shaking. Even Twilight has more than enough magic to tear me apart and that scares me Fluttershy!"

Flutterbat quickly pulled the panicking mare into another full embrace as she helped her ride out her fear. In time, Pinkie's cries turned into sniffles as the Thestral gently rocked her back and forth.

"Twilight would never do that. You know that," she whispered softly.

"Do I?" Pinkie sniffled. "I...I don't think I do."

"Oh Pinkie," Flutterbat sighed, rubbing the poor Terran's back comfortingly as she held her.

The two stayed like that for a long moment, both mares desperate to find their words as they let the silence grow in weight. As fate would have it, it was the Night Pony that found her voice first.

"You need to come back home. You know that, right?"

Pinkie nodded, face buried in Flutterbat's shoulder.

"Please, come back home with us," she all but pleaded.

"I-I-I want to Flutters, I really do," Pinkie smiled. "B-But I can't. N-Not this time anyway."

Flutterbat pulled out of the hug enough to look the Terran in the eye, her red orbs filled with confusion as she asked, "Why?"

Pinkie frowned at the ground, her bangs hiding all but a trembling frown as she said, "I...have enough magic to send you back to the castle. I...don't want to go their without my gap walking to fall back on. I'm too scared to do it without a plan B."

"Oh," Flutterbat sighed, a bit of disappointment settling into her gut.

"But," Pinkie added, a small smile gracing her lips as she stared up at her guest with sad eyes. "I should be able to do it tomorrow night."

"Really?" she asked, her hope coming back in force.

Pinkie nodded.

"I should have all of my magic back by tomorrow night. I'll wait until everyone is asleep in the castle and go through the portal."

Flutterbat frowned a bit at that. While she wasn't happy with the method Pinkie was planning to employ, she couldn't deny that it would get results. All things considered, the Thestral couldn't afford to be particularly picky. All the same, it didn't hurt to have a bit of insurance.

"I want a promise," Flutterbat frowned.

Pinkie gave her a confused blink, then smiled weakly as she nodded.

"Cross my heart. Hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye. I will go through the portal tomorrow night."

Author's Note

And now things start to move forward.:pinkiesad2::fluttershyouch:

Ch. 38 Promises

A serene silence settled over Canterlot High's track field, the afternoon sun and the first breeze of spring already removing winter's frozen blanket one piece at a time. Sunset took in the sight with a melancholic smile as she let out a soft breath. From her perch at the top of the school's bleachers, the whole scene filled her with a hint of nervous anticipation. It was the first day of a new year, the shift of one season to another as mother nature wiped the slate of the past clean to make way for a new tomorrow. Hopefully, this would be true for her as well as she waited for her former friends.

Sunset's mind was an emotional roller coaster as she struggled to think of what she was going to say to them. Half of her wanted to lash out at them, the other wanted to hold them, to go back to the way things used to be and be friends again. An additional punch to the gut was the fact that Pinkie was missing, but both Derpy and Fluttershy told her to shelve that particular problem for later. The fact that Derpy told her that she asked Discord to handle it made that decision a million times easier to make.

Talking to her old friends on the other hand?

What am I going to say? she thought, staring blankly into the heart of the field. How can I fix this? Is there anything left to fix?

She sighed as she continued to enjoy the view, her hands trembling slightly in her lap. Some movement on the outer rim of the field caught her attention. What she saw drew a deep nervous frown across her face. Sure enough, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash made their way towards her, their gate slow and cautious as they walked. As they got closer, Sunset noticed a few things that added a hint of confusion to the emotional cocktail that ran through her heart. The first thing to earn her attention was the lack of stetson sitting on Applejack's head. Instead, her normally tied hair hung loose around her shoulders as opposed to her usual tied style. That failed to match the differences she saw in her other two former friends. Rainbow looked to have had had her hair done, the usual prismatic rat's nest now finely brushed and tied back into a ponytail. Rarity lacked any makeup, seeming to opt for a more natural form, but what held Sunset's attention the most about her appearance was the fact that her normal regal curl was replaced by a delicate braid with what looked like a teal ribbon weaved into it draped over her left shoulder.

Swallowing a nervous lump in her throat, she stood tall from her seat and looked down at them. Her face was a stony mask that hid her anxiety from the walking girls, a similar look of resolve decorating their faces as they closed the distance. In time, the three girls stood five feet before the bleachers with Sunset still staring down at them like a judge overseeing court. A depiction that Sunset felt was rather fitting, depending on how this meeting went.

She expected her feet to feel heavy as she made her way down from her perch. She expected to feel a cold dread as she looked into the Rainboom's eyes. She expected her heart to start pounding in her chest at the thought of speaking to the girls that became the straw that broke the camel's back. The Sunset from two weeks ago would've experienced all of that and so much more, but she wasn't that person anymore. She was done feeling spite. She was done feeling fear. Most of all, she was done feeling trapped in the bitter past of the year prior.

As her feet crunched into the loose snow beyond the bleachers, Bonbon's words echoed in her head like a soft song.

"You need to tell them how you feel, but you don't want to be malicious or cruel, right?" she asked, taking a sip of her shake.

Sunset nodded.

"Then be blunt. Tell them how you feel and what you want, but make sure you hear their side of things too."

"I-I don't know if it's that simple," Sunset wilted.

"You'd be surprised," Bonbon shrugged. "Sometimes you need to put it all out there to move past a problem. You can't fix something if parts of it is hidden, right?"

A heavy silence filled the air as the girls locked eyes, neither sure how or who should start. Sunset took advantage of the calm to organize her thoughts, choosing her words carefully as she examined how she really felt about the girls. In time, Applejack stepped forward and broke the silence.

"Before anything else, Ah think you and Ah need to settle somethin'."

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked, a flat tone hiding her concern as to where the farm girl was going with this.

Applejack closed her eyes and said, "Hit me."

"What?" Sunset sputtered, literally taken aback a step as she gawked at her.

"Ah've attacked ya, spat on your trust, and let ya' fall when ya' were supposed ta' be family. Way Ah see it, a black eye's the least Ah owe ya' for everything Ah've done."

Sunset blinked dumbly for a second, then straightened her posture as she stared at the ground. Her hands turned into trembling fists as she thought about Applejack's offer. Slowly, she raised her head and leveled a sharp glare at the farmer as she closed the distance between them, stoping half a foot away from her.

She saw Applejack's closed eyes twitch a bit as she waited for the fiery teen to do the deed. What she did instead made her brows raise. Sunset gently placed a hand on Applejack's shoulder, the unexpectedly soft contact shocking the farm girl's eyes open.

"You hurt me," Sunset said, voice just short of a whisper. "All of you did. You, Rarity, Rainbow, Pinkie, even Fluttershy. All of you abandoned me when I needed you most and it hurt so much. But do you know what hurts even more?"

Applejack shook her head, as did the rest of her shocked group.

Applejack's shock doubled as Sunset pulled her into a gentle embrace and with tears leaking past her eyes said, "Not having you girls in my life."

Applejack froze, eyes wide as she struggled to process what was happening. She expected things to go in a completely different direction. Even as she stood there she was sure that Sunset would lash out at her, give her the very same vitriol she gave her a few days ago in the halls. She came to the field today ready to take a punch for her crimes, but now she found herself being gently embraced by the same person she hurt so deeply. Applejack's hands trembled as she returned the hug, her face contorting in agony as she let her tears slip past her defenses.

"A-Ah'm so sorry," Applejack gasped, her words trembling just as much as her shoulders.

"I know," Sunset sniffled, a small smile gracing her lips as she let the farmer soak her shoulder with her tears. "And I forgive you."

That earned a gasp out of the two remaining girls in the group, both staring at her with shock filled wide eyes. Rarity's hands drifted to her mouth as a teary-eyed smile took shape underneath. Rainbow quickly regained her composure and gave Sunset a guilty frown as she put her sins into words.

"Why aren't you yelling at us. We...We almost killed you. Hell, I almost sicked a mob on you. Why don't you hate us?!"

Sunset's smile faded into a tired frown as she let go of Applejack, the farmer reluctantly doing the same as she staggered away from her wiping her eyes.

"Because it wasn't your faults. Not all of it anyways."

The three girls gaped at that as Sunset took a deep breath before continuing.

"Your sisters and Scootaloo made Anon-a-Miss and are facing the consequences for their actions. Some students gave them secrets and are already gone. You three got tricked, just like all the rest. Yeah, you all messed up, but I think you've been punished enough."

With a sad smile, she said, "I know more than anyone how bad your own guilt can punish you."

"Sunset," Rarity gasped, tears choking her as she wiped away tears with trembling hands.

"Don't get me wrong," she sighed. "I know that things can never be exactly the same between us and things are going to be a bit shaky between us for a while, but I'm willing to get through all of that if you all are."

With that, she opened her arms to the two girls, a warm smile gracing her lips as she took in her soon-to-be friend's shaky smiles.

"What do you say? Want to start over?"

The two girls nodded before taking a hesitant step towards her, then practically tackled the girl to the ground as they accepted her offered hug. The slush and her thick jacket turned the fall into a minor inconvenience as Sunset blinked in shock at the sky for a few seconds before she closed her arms around her friends.

"Welcome back girls," she whispered, closing her eyes with a small smile.

"Glad to be back Sugarcube," Applejack said softly as she stood over her friends. "Glad to be back."

***

A slow breeze drifted through the air, the scent of flowers thick in its heart. Applebloom groaned where she laid as her eyes fluttered open. What she saw shocked her out of her momentary grogginess as she staggered to her feet. She was in the middle of a wide black flower field, a pitch-black sky hovering over her like a dreaded reaper as she took in the eery sight. A shiver ran down her spine as a chilled wind washed over her, its soft whistle the only sound in the seemingly empty world.

Wh-Where am Ah? she thought, wrapping her arms around herself as she trembled in fear and the cold.

A pair of groans behind her made her jump and turn around, her mind already conjuring countless images of horrors slithering under the flowers. She let out a relieved sigh when she saw two familiar girls stagger to their feet.

"Thank goodness," she sighed, chuckling weakly as her friends rubbed their eyes.

"Applebloom?" Scootaloo asked, groggy eyes turning towards her friend. "What are you doing in my room?"

"Ditto," Sweetie yawned.

"Ah'm not," Applebloom said, taking nervous looks around. "Neither are ya'll. Ah don't know where we are."

"Huh?" both girls said in groggy unison as they pulled their hands away from their faces.

It was then that they gave their surroundings a proper look over. A look of pure dread crept onto Sweetie's face while confusion graced Scootaloo's. Except for the rustling of the flowers, no sounds greeted the three girls as they struggled to make sense of their situation. A soft, feminine chuckling made them jump as they rapidly looked around for its source.

"Be at ease children," a woman's voice gently said from the aether. "I mean you no harm."

"Wh-Who are ya'?" Applebloom demanded, a flimsy mask of courage hiding her fear as she looked around.

"One who wishes to help you," the voice said, a light chuckle echoing behind it.

"H-Help us?" Sweetie squeaked. "How?"

"Yeah!" Scootaloo added with a scowl as she pulled her nervous friend into a tight hug. "No offense, but I don't trust someone that hides in the dark."

A moment of silence, then Scootaloo felt a set of fingers settle onto the top of her head as the voice purred, "Very well. Is this better?"

Scootaloo and Sweetie yelped in shock as they leaped out of the hand's grip and spun to face its owner. Standing before them was a tall woman dressed in an elegant black gown. Her complexion was as smooth as polished ivory with the same color to match. Her hair was a graceful curtain of black curls that framed her stunning face with the same delicate grace her gown did for her figure. Her golden eyes stared down at the girls with mirth and a small glow that was further accented by her black sclera. She tittered behind a black gloved hand at the startled look the girls gave her before giving them a soft smile.

"My apologies children," she smiled. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Wh-Who...what are you?" Sweetie asked.

The woman's smile grew a touch at that.

"I am Nightshade, a fairy that helps children when they need it most."

The three girls gave Nightshade cautious looks, lowering their guards slightly.

"Okay?" Scootaloo frowned. "What took you so long to get to us?"

Nightshade gave them a dejected sigh as she frowned at the ground.

"I am sorry. I wanted to, but I am the last of my kind and I had another to tend to. Please understand, it was never my intention to ignore you three. I just couldn't leave Sunset Shimmer to her own devices."

"Sunset?" Sweetie gasped. "You were helping Sunset?"

Nightshade nodded, her lips pulled into a sheepish smile as she looked down at the children.

"The poor child needed friends, more so then ever. Thanks to my magic, the right people found her before it was too late. Now that she is in a better place, I can finally help you three."

As she said that, she held out her hand to the three girls. In her palm sat three dark purple gems, each cut into the shape of a diamond and glowing with a faint light.

"What are those?" Applebloom asked cautiously.

"Special gems born from my magic," Nightshade smiled. "With these, you can take away a person's pain. Just by being near you, all of their sadness will weaken to the point of management."

"They can take people's sadness away?" Sweetie gasped, staring at the gems with wide eyes.

"Not forever or completely," Nightshade clarified. "Nothing can do that I'm afraid, but it should help them heal."

Scootaloo gave the gems a skeptical frown, then aimed it at Nightshade as she asked, "What's the catch?"

Nightshade giggled at that and said, "Nothing beyond a time limit. The gems may be powerful, but they can only absorb sadness for so long. When the time comes that they can no longer function, they will shatter and disappear along with what they've taken."

Scootaloo nodded, still giving the gems a nervous frown.

"I don't know," she whispered. "Something about this doesn't feel right.

Nightshade's smile wilted a bit at that.

"I understand your concern, but think of what you can do with these. Your sisters, family, and everyone around you will be happier. You could take away the pain of countless people everyday, just by walking down the street."

"Why don't you use these yourself?" Sweetie asked, her eyes transfixed on the glowing gems.

"I would, but sadly I can't leave this field," she sighed, gesturing to the open field with her free hand. "It is only through your dreams that I can bring you to this place."

"Oh," Sweetie cringed, giving the fairy a sympathetic smile.

Nightshade gave her an understanding nod before tilting her head down towards her hand and the gems resting in her palm. They stared down at the gems with trepidation, something about the whole arrangement not feeling right. It was all too perfect, too convenient that something like this could come to them. At the same time, they couldn't deny that the temptation was there. They remembered what falling to that temptation had done to Sunset, how it turned her into a monster that nearly doomed them all. Then they remembered the damage they dealt to the people closest to them, the sorry state their sisters and mentor were left in a week ago. If it helped them recover faster, wasn't the risk worth it?

Sweetie took a deep breath, her decision made as she grabbed ahold of one of the gems. Scootaloo and Applebloom gawked at her as she took the gem and held it tightly in her hand as she met their look with a determined one of her own. Applebloom's shock turned into understanding as with a small nod she took a gem. Scootaloo stared down at the remaining gem with a nervous frown, her mind at war with itself as she debated wether or not this was the best decision. Then, with a shaky hand, she reached forward and accepted the offered stone. Nightshade gave them a warm smile as she let her hand fall limply to her side.

"Thank you children," she sighed happily. "May you return home with new hope and a brighter tomorrow."

With that the three girls vanished, their spirits returning to their bodies as the connection to Lily's pocket dimension was severed. The Wraith let out a pleased sigh as she took a few steps forward, a simple wave of her hand dispelling the concealment hiding her throne from her world as she approached it. A weary groan slipped past her lips as she slumped into it and leaned back. All the while, she felt her hunger start to fade, the link between her and her children giving her exactly what she needed to retain her sanity.

"Eat well my children," she sighed, a content smile gracing her lips. "Grow strong. Then our true prey will be ours."

***

All was still in the Castle of Friendship, the late hour wrapping all in the peace of Luna's domain. Bathed in the night's shadows, a pink Earth Pony navigated the castle's empty halls, thick fabric wrapped around her hooves keeping her steps muffled as she walked. Her ears twitched frantically as they took note of every sound like a rabbit in a fox den. Every cell in her body was on high alert as she made her way towards the room the portal was stored.

So far so good, she thought as she rounded a corner into another hall.

"Are you sure they're still in their rooms?" she asked, her voice a soft whisper that would've made Fluttershy sound like a police siren.

"Yes," Tattle said. "I can sense their connections to the Dreamscape. If that changes, I will tell you immediately."

"Thanks," she whispered.

In spite of Tattle's reassurances, Pinkie remained tense as she crept through the silent halls. Just as Fluttershy had told her, the castle had no guards or staff to watch out for. This was a huge relief for her, as it was harder for her to consciously gap walk in a building she was unfamiliar with. She could wright a book about all of the mishaps she had at her shelter before she memorized the castle's layout. A soft snort slipped past her lips as she remembered a particularly embarrassing situation in the kitchen. She still couldn't figure why there was a room full of fake mustaches in the castle.

In time, she found the door that lead to the room holding her way home. She took a deep breath and with shaky hooves pulled it open. She carefully crept into the room and slowly closed it behind her. When she turned to face the portal, she felt a strange mix of trepidation and wonder. Like Fluttershy described, the portal was a mirror connected to three large, rectangular machines with a near exact copy of Sunset's journal set on top of the mirror by an alter-like connector. Slowly, Pinkie walked towards the portal, a part of her not sure if this was really happening.

Finally, she was going to go home. She was going to see her family. She was going to see her friends. She could finally do what she needed to do to patch things up between her and Sunset.

As she stood in front of the mirror, her indecisive reflection looking back at her, a single thread of doubt kept her from running through the portal with everything she had.

"Are you sure you'll be safe?" she asked.

"Yes," Tattle chuckled. "The creatures of your world sleep and dream. Therefor, a Dreamscape exists there as well. It will take time for me to link with it, but so long as I stay in your mindscape I should be perfectly safe."

"Okay," she sighed. "I just want to make sure."

"I understand," he chuckled. "Now, shall we?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "Time to go home."

With that, she walked forward into the mirror. The second she made contact with the portal, a sharp jolt ran through her and a force pushed her a foot back with a yelp. She stared wide-eyed at her reflection, a small burn mark on her forehead where she made contact with it. Cold dread crept into her heart as she struggled to process what had happened.

"No," she stammered, her legs shaky as she approached the portal. "No. No. NO!"

She brought her left hoof into the portal, another jolt of electricity shooting through her from the contact. She grit her teeth as she held back a scream, refusing to let the limb leave the portal's surface. She pushed forward with everything she had, the pain growing as the limb forced its way into the portal inch by agonizing inch. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as the pain grew, bolts of blue lightning flying past her as she fought against the portal's push. White hot pain racked her brain as she managed to get her whole left foreleg through up to her shoulder. Her throat felt raw as an agonize wail tore itself free from her mouth, the smell of burnt leather, fabric, hair, and meat the only thing she could register as she pushed herself forward.

NO! I NEED TO GET HOME! MY SISTERS NEED ME! I NEED TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT BETWEEN SUNSET AND ME! I MADE A PROMISE! MOM! DAD! MAUD! LIMESTONE! MARBLE! SUNSET!

"I... MADE... A... PROMISE!!!"

Suddenly, the force pushing against her became too much for her to fight against and like a stone in a slingshot, she flew back into the wall by the door. A new pain welcomed her as her head slammed into the wall, the corners of her vision turning dark as the world spun around her. She heard Tattle's voice, but failed to register what he was saying as her world blurred. A lavender blur materialized in front of her, but that was of minimal concern to her. She was dimly aware of a wet feeling on the side of her head as everything faded to black.

I....promised....I'm sorry....Fluttershy....

Author's Note

And that concludes the Terran Arc. Next is the last arc: The Night Flower Arc.
Also
Lily's theme https://youtu.be/ohNpf4VnlP8

Ch.40 A Little Taste

It was a clear sunday afternoon in the middle of Canterlot City, the first traces of spring ripping away winter's frigid curtain for those that walked the streets. It was also the last chance a trio of teens had to spend some time with three little sisters and sister figure before they had to part ways for a week. Now that things had settled down, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack were more than willing to try mending their relationships with the CMC. As such, the six of them were spending time together at the food court in the middle of the mall, laughing and trading stories in a way only family could manage.

"S-So let me get this straight," Rainbow chuckled. "Sweetie saw some kind of weird bug and her best idea was to chase it with a bunch of cleaning supplies?"

"Yep!" Applebloom and Scootaloo said in unison, cheeky smiles gracing their lips as they stared at their friend.

"You guys saw that thing!" Sweetie protested, pointing at her friends. "What if it flew after us?!"

"Ah'd crush it?" Applebloom said flatly, raising a brow.

"Doubt it could've caught up with me," Scootaloo shrugged. "Why didn't you just trap it in a barrier?"

"I didn't know how at the time," Sweetie mumbled, her cheeks turing red as she looked away.

"And know?" Rarity asked, raising a brow.

Sweetie gave their surroundings a quick look over then brought her hands together. First, her bracelet gave off a faint glow, then a small green bubble appeared in her hands. Sweetie smiled sheepishly while the older girls looked at the small barrier. Applejack and Rainbow gave her impressed smiles and nods while her sister stared at the small display of magic with wide eyes filled with wonder.

"Can you make bigger ones?" Rainbow asked.

Sweetie nodded, then deactivated her magic as she nervously scratched the back of her head with an embarrassed chuckle.

"It's kind've why my parents aren't giving me any chores."

"Why's that?" Applejack asked.

"Let's just say," Rarity sighed. "We recently had to remodel the kitchen and never speak of it beyond that."

Applejack blinked at that for a moment, then shrugged and said, "Fair enough."

A small fit of giggles washed over the group as they took note of how crazy their lives had become recently. Now that the Anon-a-Miss incident has been resolved, all that was left for them to do now was move past it. While that was rocky and painful beyond anything they had ever experienced, the healing process helped them understand the extent of how bizarre said process was. Their sisters and sister-figure were doing community service for their magical Unicorn friend's Goddess mother in a world full of magical talking ponies. They highly doubted any other people their ages could say anything like that without some kind of drug running through their systems. Now those very same elementary students had magical powers of their own and they could only laugh at the insanity that was their lives as they accepted it with a shrug. Crazy or not, this was their lives.

"Hey," Rainbow smiled, elbowing her sister-figure. "Spill, what's Equestria like?"

"Indeed darling," Rarity nodded, giving her sister a small smile.

"Gotta say, Ah've been a mite curious too," Applejack snorted, putting an arm around her own sister's shoulders.

The CMC thought about that for a minute. While there were some obvious differences, Equestria wasn't that different from home. Sure, Terra had the edge in technology, but Equestria more than made up for it with the level of control their magic gave them over their world. They could control the weather, sun, and moon for peat's sake. In comparison, Terra's internet and devises looked rather flimsy in their utility.

"Well," Applebloom frowned, staring at the ground and rubbing her chin in thought. "There are ponies."

"Kind'a figured," Rainbow said, crossing her arms.

"We didn't get to see much," Sweetie shrugged. "We've been stuck in the castle cleaning for the most part."

Scootaloo nodded as she took a swig of her shake.

"Well, what do they do for fun?" Rainbow asked.

"Same things we do here," Scootaloo said. "Except there's no TV or internet there."

"No TV?" Rainbow balked. "What kind of evil place is it?"

Everyone laughed at that, then Sweetie added her thoughts on Equestria.

"It's not all bad. They gave us some cute uniforms to wear."

"Oh do tell," Rarity smirked, noting how her sister's friends faces paled.

"You know those french maid outfits you made for that café a few months ago?" she asked.

Rarity nodded.

"Just like that, but for ponies."

The three older girls took a moment to try and picture the younger members of their group in that kind of outfit. Rainbow nearly fell out of her chair clutching her sides as she started laughing, the image of a pouting Scootamaid proving too much for her to bare. Rarity let out a happy squeal as she pulled her sister into a hug, the image too cute for her to resist. Applejack just gave her sister a quick look over, smiled, and said that she could see her wearing something like that.

"Thanks," Applebloom said flatly before she leveled a deadpan at her bigmouthed friend.

Scootaloo just let out a small irritated grumble as she glared at the same friend.

Sweetie just stuck out her tongue at them over her sister's shoulder.

"I simply must have pictures when you three come back next weekend," Rarity gushed as she pulled out of the hug.

"NO!" Scootaloo and Applebloom cried, cheeks turning bright red.

"I'll work something out," Sweetie winked to her sister, ignoring her friend's protests.

"Over my dead body," Scootaloo growled.

"That reminds me," Applejack cut in. "Are y'all bein' fed properly? Ah don't want y'all loading up on anytin' ya' shouldn't."

"Yes sis," Applebloom chuckled. "We've been eating right."

"AB more than the rest of us," Sweetie snickered.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Applebloom demanded.

"Just that you eat more then Sweetie and I combined," Scootaloo snorted.

Applebloom just crossed her arms and pouted.

Applejack frowned and said, "None of y'all are sick or anything?"

"No?" Scootaloo said, raising a brow at her. "Why?"

Applejack gave her sister a concerned frown, then said, "Bloom here didn't finish her dinner last night."

"Really?" Sweetie asked, giving her friend a worried frown.

"Weird," Scootaloo said, staring at her friend.

"What can Ah say," Applebloom shrugged. "Ah wasn't all that hungry last night.

"But you're always hungry," Sweetie frowned.

"Ah guess not," Applebloom shrugged again.

"She's not the only one," Rarity added, staring down at her sister. "You skipped dessert last night. You never do that."

"Yeah," Sweetie sighed, staring down at her lap. "I just didn't have any room for it. I'm sorry."

"It's alright darling," Rarity smiled, pulling her sister into a one-armed hug.

"What about you Scoots?" Rainbow asked, turning towards her sister-figure. "Anything going on I should know about?"

Scootaloo mulled that over for a bit when Nightshade came to mind. Something about her didn't sit right with her, even after accepting the gem she offered. She briefly considered bringing it up to her mentor, but something stopped her just as the thought took form. Instead, she just smiled and shook her head in the negative.

"Nothing really," she laughed. "Everything's fine."

***

The CMC enjoyed their day with their sisters to the fullest, neither of them wishing for it to come to an end as they moved from store to store. At the same time, a strange sort of trend was starting to become apparent to the older girls. Every now and then, the younger members of their group would stop whatever they were doing and stair into space for a few seconds. Whenever this happened, a light touch on the shoulder would snap them out of it and they'd act like nothing happened. After the sixth or seventh spell, the older teens decided it was time to get in touch with someone a bit more familiar with Equestria and the portal.

"Do we really need to do this?" Sweetie wined from the back of her mother's SUV. "I'm telling you, I'm fine."

"I know Sweetie," Rarity said from the driver seat. "But we just want to make sure, okay?"

"Yeah," Rainbow nodded from the front passenger seat.

Sweetie rolled her eyes and leaned back into her seat, her friends on either side of her showing equal sines of irritation. Applejack just sighed at the display as she looked over her shoulder from the middle seat. The CMC could tell just how worried their siblings were, they could taste it. Literally. As they drove towards Sunset's house, a lightly bitter earthy taste filled their mouths. As it washed over their tastebuds and warmed their bellies, their eyes lost most of their focus. It was almost addictive, tasty in a way that they couldn't quite describe. It was almost as good as the plethora of flavors that bombarded them while they were at the mall.

What the heck is happening to me? Scootaloo thought, her head hazy as she licked her lips.

She gave her friends a quick glance. Sure enough, their eyes were mostly blank and their mouths hung slightly open.

What's going-

"Be at ease, my child," "Nightshade" whispered, her voice echoing in her mind. "All is well. This is just a sign that the gem is working."

Really?

"Yes," she cooed, voice as soft as velvet. "Trust me Scootaloo. Everything is fine."

"Everything...is fine," Scootaloo mumbled, her lips turning up into a small smile.

"Ya' say somethin' Scootaloo?" Applejack asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Huh?" she asked, shaking the cobwebs out of her head as she looked at the farm girl. "Nah, just thinking out loud."

"Alright," Applejack nodded, not completely buying the girl's explanation as she shifted her attention back to the front of the car.

After a few minutes of silence, the small group found themselves pulling up in front of Sunset and Derpy's house. The CMC stared out the window at the house with curious eyes. Even before The Incident, none of them found out where exactly the Equestrian lived. They threw back and forth ideas a few times, ranging from an elaborate mansion to a small one-bedroom apartment. The simple two story home was a happy medium of what they had expected, not too extravagant while sitting on the higher end of middle class.

"Is this the place?" Applejack asked.

"It would seem so," Rarity mused, staring at her phone.

"Welp, only one way to find out," Rainbow sighed as she opened her door and stepped out of the car.

Her friends and the CMC all shrugged as they reluctantly followed her out of the vehicle towards the house's front door. Upon reaching their destination, the three teens traded awkward stares. While they knew they were on good terms with Sunset now, they still hesitated a lot when she was involved. As such, Applejack had to take a leveling breath as she forced herself to knock on the door.

A vaguely familiar voice could be heard on the other side of the door, followed shortly by the clicking of locks undoing themselves. When the door creaked open, a bedraggled Sunset greeted them. Her hair was a total mess, as if she had just rolled out of bed, a fact that was further supported by her slightly bloodshot eyes. Her clothes were wrinkled and uneven, but was otherwise free of blemishes. She forced a smile as she stared at them, her slouching posture further showcasing her weariness.

"Hey girls," she yawned. "What's up?"

"Are you okay darling?" Rarity asked, concerned. "You seem kind of...um..."

"Drained?" Sunset offered.

Rarity and the rest of her group nodded.

Sunset chuckled then said, "Yeah. Didn't get any sleep last night. Don't worry about it."

"Ya' sure, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Sunset yawned, waving away her friend's concern, then walked further into the house as she gestured for the girls to follow her.

A bit nervous, they complied in silence as she guided them towards the kitchen. They blinked in surprise when they saw an equally exhausted Derpy sitting at the island at the kitchen's center sipping at a steaming mug. The gray teen gave the group a brief look over then smiled and shrugged as she took another drink from her cup.

"Hey," she chuckled, waving at the group.

They waved back, most of their shock replaced by confusion as they each took a seat at the island. The confusion quickly turned into understanding for Rarity when she thought back to what Sunset said at the assembly, how someone managed to pull her back from the brink at the absolute last second. She smiled at her fellow teen and gave a small bow as she took her seat.

"What?" Derpy blinked, then sighed as she looked down at her frumpy attire and chuckled. "Oh, sorry. If I knew we were going to have company I would've changed."

As she said that, she gestured towards her wrinkled gray sweatpants and sweatshirt, both a size too big for her.

"Not on my watch," Sunset smirked as she slid into a seat next to her girlfriend and planted a kiss on her cheek. Derpy blushed deeply at that as she playfully elbowed her. Sunset just laughed as she gave the poor girl a little space while Rainbow and Applejack took it all in with surprised wide eyes. Rarity, on the other hand sported a wicked grin that would make the Cheshire Cat look tame.

"Looks like someone found more than just a home recently," Rarity purred, her chin resting on top of her steepled arms.

"You could say that," Sunset smirked, then took on a more serous expression as she added, "But I don't think that's why you guys came by to see me."

They sighed as they gave the younger girls concerned looks. The very same girls shook their heads at that moment as another episode passed.

"Tha've been doin' that off and on all day," Applejack frowned. "We were wonderin' if goin' through the portal has somethin' ta' do with it."

Sunset gave the CMC a long hard look over, all the while trying to remember everything she knew about the portal. While that was remarkably little, she didn't recall any kind of adverse effects of using it. The only exception being the magical sealing Equestrians go through when using it to get to Terra, unless they use a magical artifact to circumvent it. A small smile spread across her lips as another possibility came to mind.

"Have any of them acquired magic recently?" she asked, shifting her attention back towards her friends.

"Yeah," Rainbow nodded.

"Thought so," Sunset said, letting out a relieved sigh. "If I had to guess, their bodies are just trying to adapt to having magic. Unicorns go through something similar when their magic starts to fully manifest. Once it settles, they should be okay."

"Are you sure?" Rarity asked.

"Definitely," Sunset nodded. "And if anything does happen, Discord's just a call away."

They sighed with relief, glad that the younger girls were safe and that there was a security plan in place. Now that they were free of that worry, a new curiosity tugged at them. Naturally, Rainbow was the first to find her voice while the others were trying to find the words needed to be more tactful.

"So, which of you two kept the other up all night?" Rainbow smirked, eyebrows quirked in a suggestive manner.

Rarity's hand met her face as she sighed while Applejack gave her friend a flat look as she swatted her across the back of her head. Sunset and Derpy blushed slightly as they rolled their eyes, though a small part of Sunset was happy to see her friends at least starting to act normal around her.

"It wasn't that kind of thing," Sunset sighed. "Tell me, have any of you tried to get in touch with Pinkie lately?"

They shook their heads, a hint of shame marring their features.

Sunset's face turned somber as she stared down at the table.

"Apparently, she's been in Equestria for the past few weeks."

"Well, that explains why she wasn't answering her phone," Rarity said thoughtfully.

"So," Rainbow added. "She hopped through the portal to apologize and have a bunch of parties to celebrate?"

"Not exactly,"Sunset frowned. "Apparently, Pinkie is a rare type of magic user called a Gapwalker. These are people that have the ability to create portals. Most of the time, they can only create portals between places that they are familiar with, but some of them can open a portal between worlds. The tradeoff is that they can't use natural portals. Pinkie didn't know that."

A tense silence filled the room for several long minutes before it was broken.

"Ah... Ah take it that thin's ain't all apple pie right now," Applejack said, nerves on edge.

Sunset shook her head as she continued to stare at the table.

Rarity gulped, then asked, "Is... Is she-"

"She's alive," Sunset sighed. "She's in rough shape, but she should make a full recovery."

"Thank god," Rainbow sighed. "So, how long before she get's back?"

Sunset reluctantly shrugged as she looked up at them.

"Depends on how long it takes for her to heal and learn how to create a portal back here."

"How's she going to manage that?" Rarity asked. "If what you are implying is true, then a teacher would be rather hard to find."

"Nah, that's covered," Derpy smiled, waving away Rarity's concern as she added herself to the conversation.

"Y'all found a teacher?" Applejack asked.

"Two technically," Sunset chuckled.

"Who?" Rainbow asked.

"Discord and an ancient magical fire bird," Derpy smiled, taking a swig from her mug.

The trio of teens took that in with a few confused blinks before Rainbow, again added her two cents.

"Okay, I don't think I'm the only one that has a few questions so spill."

Sunset sported a tired smile as she told her friends what happened the previous night. At the same time, the CMC sat silently, a part of their minds barely keeping track of what was being said as a familiar earthy taste graced their tongues. Worry was quickly becoming their favorite snack.

Ch.41 Healing

Pinkie sighed as she stared at her hospital room ceiling, her mind finally at ease for the first time in weeks. Everything about her felt so light now that the constant fear of discovery was gone. All that was left was a cloudy weariness as she faded in and out of the waking world. A small smile graced her muzzle as she let her tired mind wander. Everything felt so nice. So peaceful.

"Your double is coming," Tattle said, his tone casual as he yawned in the back of her mind.

"Okay," Pinkie whispered.

She closed her eyes and waited, her zen too strong for her to be concerned over what her double had in store for her. At the same time, she felt Tattle's magic envelop her like a warm blanket. She hummed happily as she let it embrace her, her conscious mind standing on the tipping point between the waking and dreaming worlds.

"You scared me," Tattle said, a trace of his magic caressing her cheek. "I thought I lost you."

Her peace broke at that as regret took its place. She knew that this talk was going to come, but neither seemed willing or able to find the strength to start it. Perhaps it was out of concern for the other or maybe that was just an excuse to put it off for as long as possible. Either way, a simple fact could not be ignored. Pinkie had almost killed herself.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I know," he sighed, only for a tremble to enter his tone as he added, "But that doesn't make it any better. I... I don't want to lose you."

A small smile graced her muzzle as she let herself fall asleep completely. The warm magic turned into furry violet forelegs with flecks of silver that embraced her from behind. She opened her eyes to a clear evening sky, stars twinkling like thousands of diamonds over an endless field of soft grass. She gently rested her right hoof on one of Tattle's paws, her left foreleg as limp and numb at her side here as it was in the waking world. Tattle held her tighter and rested his head on top of hers. She looked up at her lover and kissed him on the chin.

"I promise that I won't do that again," she whispered, a sad smile gracing her lips.

"And I promise to help you keep that promise," he said, a determined shine in his eyes as he stared down at her. "From this day forward, I will do whatever I can to keep you safe. This I swear."

"I'll hold you to that," she giggled, reclining bonelessly into Tattle's embrace. "I was really stupid this whole time, wasn't I?"

"No," he sighed. "I think we both fouled this up. I should've been more forceful in getting you to meet with my mother and the rest of the High Royal Family. If we are going to be together, a meeting was inevitable to begin with. I was such a fool to think it could be put off."

Pinkie shook her head and said, "No, I definitely screwed this up the most. If I'd just listened to you at the start and talked to your mom. Maybe we would've known about the whole portal thing."

"Perhaps," he frowned. "But there is no point in making what ifs. All we can do now is move forward."

"Yeah," Pinkie sighed, staring down at her scarred and numb foreleg. "If Sunset can do it, then so can I."

Tattle's form suddenly shifted into mist around her before reforming in his normal form above her, his posture like a hunter crouched low over its prey. Her ears flicked as the fur on his forelegs tickled their edges, a bright blush growing in her muzzle as she stared into his dark blue eyes. This was a side of him she had never seen before. She'd seen him playful. She'd seen him tired. This was the first time she'd seen him serious. Her blush grew as he slowly brought his mouth down towards her ear.

"Before anything else happens," he whispered. "I have one thing I want to say."

"W-What's that?" Pinkie stammered, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Something that I now know I have gone far to long without saying," he smiled. "I love you."

Pinkie froze, then smiled as a soft warmth filled her. This was different than the warmth she felt when she made people smile or spent time with her friends. It was a warmth that filled her heart and soul in a way that made her feel complete. Like a part of her had been missing this whole time and she had only just realized what it was. Who it was. It made what she said next the easiest words she could say as she nuzzled into Tattle's cheek.

"I love you too."

He raised his head and looked deep into her eyes, a gentle smile replacing his normally sly grin as he leaned down towards her for a kiss. As their lips met, they shifted into their human forms and held each other close. Literal fireworks filled the sky as their love effected the dream they laid in. The display went largely unnoticed by the couple as they continued to kiss, though a small giggle came out of Pinkie as she caught a small glimpse. Reluctantly, Tattle broke the kiss, wild blushes, panting breaths, and wide smiles shared between them.

"A-As much as I would like to continue," Tattle panted. "You have somepony waiting for you in your room."

"T-Tease," she giggled raggedly.

"Till next time my dear," he winked.

"Oh you know it buster," she said, playfully narrowing her eyes as she poked him in the chest. "Never heat up a Pie if you aren't ready for what happens next."

"Don't tempt the Prince of Dreams my dear," he smirked wickedly. "I have seen much and have many forms."

"Then don't keep me waiting," she winked.

***

Equestrian Pinkie didn't know what to expect when she came to her double's hospital room. In a lot of ways the whole situation was surreal, even for her. Not even the Mirror Pond Incident left this kind of impact on her. This wasn't a magic copy of her. This was a version of her from another reality. She was also a pony that the native Earth Pony was starting to see as a friend. Not many ponies could keep up with her and to finally meet somepony that could was a huge breath of fresh air. While the motivations had shifted somewhat, Equestrian Pinkie had grown to enjoy the little game of tag she shared with her double. As frustrating as their interactions could be at times, the Party Planner reveled in the chances her double gave her to really test the limits of her creative mind.

It broke her heart to see the state of her double as she stepped inside the room.

The mare was sound asleep, a small peaceful smile gracing her muzzle as she dreamed. That gave the native Pinkie a bit of happiness while the sight of her double's left leg was the main source of her sadness. While Twilight was vague on the specifics, Pinkie was able to gather that the damage to the limb was severe. The countless scars that covered the limb was clear evidence as to just how severe the damage was the night before. The sound of a balloon deflating filled the room, the native Earth Pony's mane and tail turning flat as she made her way towards the bed bound mare.

She stared down at the sleeping mare with wide sad eyes as she took everything in. Not long into it, the mare's eyes fluttered open. Equestrian Pinkie froze, not sure what to do or say before the mare's eyes fell onto her. Shock hit her like a bolt of lightning when Terran Pinkie gave her a friendly smile.

"Hey," she said, voice dry as sandpaper.

"H-Hey," the native Pinkie gulped, not sure what to add to the conversation.

Terran Pinkie giggled lightly, then said, "Guess you win, huh?"

"Huh?" Equestrian Pinkie blinked.

"The game," she smiled, bringing a hoof up to her own forehead. "Tag. Now I'm it, right?"

Equestrian Pinkie continued to blink blankly at her double for a few seconds. Then she let out a small giggle as she shook her head.

"Nu-uh. The game's on hold until you get better."

"If you say so," she shrugged. "By the way, my name's Pinkamena Dianne Pie. What's your's?"

"Pinkamena Dianne Pie," Equestrian Pinkie smiled.

The two stayed like that for a few seconds, then burst out laughing.

"D-Do you call yourself Pinkie too," Terran Pinkie asked, wiping a happy tear out of her eye with her good hoof.

"Yepperooni," Equestrian Pinkie beamed, her mane and tail springing back into its usual mass of curls. "Do you're parents run a rock farm too?"

Terran Pinkie shook her head with a proud smile as she said, "Nope! They run a quarry!"

"Cool!" Equestrian Pinkie chirped. "My sister Maud would love to meet them! She loves visiting quarries, especially if they've got rare ores and minerals."

"My Maud's the same way," Terran Pinkie giggled. "One time, we visited this canyon when we were little and she adopted a rock she found there."

"No way!" Equestrian Pinkie gushed. "That's exactly how Maud met Boulder!"

"She named her pet rock that too?" Terran Pinkie gasped. "What are the odds?"

"I know, right?!"

For a while, the two mares traded stories about their lives, everything from the mundane to the extraordinary. Terran Pinkie was pretty impressed by everything her double went through. Crossing paths with an angry moon goddess, helping liberate a kingdom, and befriending a chaos god. Compared to everything the Terran has been through, her double was on dozens of levels above her. The fact that her Gapwalking made her a match for her was a pretty big feather in her cap as far as she was concerned.

"Say," Terran Pinkie said, nervously fidgeting in her bed. "I know it's kind of late, but... do you want to be friends?"

Equestrian Pinkie gave her a confused blink, then laughed as she said, "Silly filly, we already are!"

Pinkie giggled and said, "Just checking."

***

Guilt. That was what weighed heavy on Fluttershy's soul as she stared up at her bedroom ceiling, the darkness barely registering to her as her eyes glinted a vibrant red. With what limited control she had over her magic, her eyes would always shift to their current state if she was in near to total darkness. Normally, she would've found the quirks of her magic fascinating, maybe a little scary, but now they were just a nuisance to her. To her sharp eyes, the near pitch-black room was as bright and clear as it would've been if she turned on the light. That, combined with the guilt she felt about the part she played in her friend's condition kept her from finding any restful sleep.

She let out a frustrated sigh as she sat up in bed, a tired frown marring her face as she looked around her room. She needed a distraction, something to help her get her mind off of what she did just long enough to fall asleep. Her eyes wandered over towards the journal she kept on her desk, the one she used to talk to her girlfriend in Equestria. She gave the clock next to it a quick glance and grimaced. Eleven-thirty. There was no way she would be up at this hour. Left with few other options, she held up her hand and summoned the journal into it. She sighed as she opened the journal and skimmed the pages, dozens of them containing messages they passed back and fourth over the past few days. Her face heated up slightly when an image of her double laying sideways on a lounge chair greeted her, her eyes giving her a smile that sat on the border of cute and naughty. It really came as a shock to her that the journal could do that and the fact that it could change the image to what the pony would look like if they were human was a real eyeopener for her. The difference was that when she decided to give her girlfriend her own picture message, she made sure to use a picture that showed her with clothes on.

When she finally found a blank page, she plucked a pencil off of her nightstand and started writing.

Hello? Are you awake?

She numbly stared at the page, her heart pounding in her chest as she held out hope for a response. Her eyes widened as words appeared on the page.

Is something wrong? Are you okay?

Her lips pulled up into a small smile as she responded.

Remember when you told me I wasn't a monster?

Yes?

Her lips trembled as she wrote, I don't know if you were right.

What do you mean? What happened?

She took a deep, shuddering breath as she put pencil to paper again.

I'm the one that put Pinkie in the hospital. I found her the last time we went to Equestria and made her promise to go through the portal. If she didn't make that promise, she wouldn't've tried to use the portal and got hurt. I'm horrible! A monster! It's all my fault! It's all my fault! It's all my-
A bright flash in the room startled the journal and pencil out of her hands, said hands covering her tearstained eyes to shield them from the sudden light. When she pulled her hands away, she saw two figures standing in the middle of her room. One was a familiar tall man in a formal suit, his yellow and red eyes groggy and hair a bedraggled mess as he frowned at her. Standing next to him was a near exact copy of Fluttershy wearing a white T-shirt and teal pajama bottoms. Her arms were crossed as she leveled a stern look at the crying girl.

"Thank you Discord," Equestrian Fluttershy said, eyes still locked onto her weeping marefriend. "Sorry for summoning you at such a late hour, but this was an emergency."

"Sure thing Fluttershy," Discord yawned. "Call me again when you want to get back."

"I will."

He nodded sleepily before snapping his fingers and disappearing in a small flash of light.

Fluttershy stared at her double and girlfriend in stunned silence for a moment, then stammered, "I-I-"

Equestrian Fluttershy put up a hand to silence her.

"Let me ask you one thing," she said sternly. "Did you know going through the portal would hurt her?"

Fluttershy shook her head, unable to tear her eyes away from her girlfriend's as she stared her down.

"B-But I-"

"None of that," Equestrian Fluttershy said firmly, her steps filled with resolve as she closed in on her. "I am not going to let you beat yourself up over an accident. You are not a monster. Do you understand me?"

"Y-Yes," she sniffled, her gaze finally drifting down towards her lap. "B-But I can't help it. Every time I think about Pinkie, I keep thinking about what happened that night. I... I... know I could've handled things differently and it's tearing me apart inside. I... I just want to stop hurting my friends."

Equestrian Fluttershy's features softened as she took a seat on the bed next to her marefriend. Sometimes it was hard for the mare to remember that the strong Thestral she fell for was just as brittle as her. That behind the hunter's mask was just a scared filly wrapped in a guilty blanket. For the first time, it was the shy Pegasus' turn to be the one that another leaned upon for strength.

With delicate hands, she guided her double's face up towards her own, tear-soaked red eyes locking with gentle teal ones. They basked in each other's gaze for what felt like hours, the dim light of a nearby window casting tall shadows in the dark room. Neither cared. All that mattered was this moment that they shared. Then, the visiting Pegasus leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her marefriend's forehead before she pulled her into an equally gentle embrace.

"I wish I could take away your pain," she said, stroking her lover's back. "I'm sorry that this is all I can do for you."

A small smile spread across the native Fluttershy's face as she leaned into her girlfriend's hug, a much needed warmth coming over her like the first rays of summer. Reluctantly, the two girls came out of the hug, one sporting a kind smile while the other's held a mix of gratitude and happiness.

"Th-Thank you," Fluttershy stammered, wiping tears out of her eyes. "For coming and telling me all of that. I wish I wasn't such a mess. Sorry."

"It's fine," Equestrian Fluttershy cooed, brushing a lock of hair out of her marefriend's eyes. "We all have days like that. The most important thing we can do is tell somepony when it gets to be too much."

Her expression firmed as she added, "I want you to message me if you ever feel like this again. Okay?"

"Yes," she nodded, then gently clasped her girlfriend's hands as she added, "You too. I don't want to be the only one getting help in this relationship. If you need help, let me know and I'll help you as soon as I can."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," she smiled.

The two shared a smile for a few seconds, only for the native Fluttershy to blush sheepishly as she asked, "Do you think... if it wouldn't be too much trouble... that you could... spend the night?"

Equestrian Fluttershy gave her a few surprised blinks, then smiled and nodded as she laid herself down beside her. Fluttershy pulled the covers over them as she snuggled up against her girlfriend, both girls sporting rosy cheeks as they laid together. Slowly but surely, the smell of fog and wildflowers guided them to the land of dreams.

Ch. 42 Progression

Good behavior was an interesting concept. When applied logically, it made sense that if one acted nicely that the odds of being treated the same was fairly high. At the same time, when one believes themselves unfit for such courtesies such acts would naturally come as quite the shock. Three fillies found themselves in one such situation as they sat in Canterlot Castle's servant's cafeteria.

"She's doing what?" Scootaloo asked, jaw slack as she stared at a faintly grinning Raven.

"As I have stated," Raven said, faint smile still in place as she stared at the three seated fillies. "Her Highness has decided to reduce your sentence to just the rooms on the same floor as the main throne room as well as said room itself. Naturally, the throne room will be saved for last with Princess Celestia observing the process herself. In addition, you will be restricted to one room a day with the remainder of the day dedicated to your studies under Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"W-Wow," Applebloom gawked. "Ah-Ah don't know what ta' say."

"Think nothing of it," Raven chuckled faintly. "The Princess took note of your hard work and dedication. Such a thing deserves some form of reward."

"I guess," Sweetie shrugged. "I'm just glad my math scores won't fall behind now."

Applebloom and Scootaloo rolled their eyes at that as they dug into what was left of their food. Out of the three of them, Sweetie was always the more studious one. They had lost count of all the times she helped them cram for a test or deal with especially tricky homework problems.

"Of course," the older Unicorn nodded. "Though it will also mean that you will have less free time from this point on. I will certainly miss our time working together Sweetie Belle."

Sweetie frowned at that and nodded.

Her friends mirrored her actions as they came to the same realization.

"Ah hadn't thought of that," Applebloom frowned. "Ah hope Miss Quail won't be too disappointed."

"Yeah," Scootaloo nodded. "Miss Crow can be a bit harsh, but she's really cool when you get to know her."

"I am sure they will understand," Raven said as she took a sip of coffee. "Though I will pass on your thoughts to them. It will certainly make their day to know that somepony thinks so highly of them, Crow Feathers especially."

"Why's that?" Scootaloo asked.

"Not many make it through her training regiments with a positive view of her."

"Wimps," Scootaloo scoffed.

"Her thoughts exactly," Raven chuckled. "That's why she makes them do it again when she catches them complaining."

Applebloom and Sweetie cringed while the young Pegasus burst out laughing.

"W-Wow," Scootaloo panted. "That's rough! Now I think she's even cooler!"

"I will be sure to let her know you think that," Raven sighed. "I only hope her head doesn't grow too big for her to fly afterwards."

"U-Um, Miss Raven?" Sweetie stammered, raising a hoof sheepishly.

"Yes Sweetie Belle?"

"I think you're cool too," she smiled.

Raven reared back a bit at that, then let a true smile slip past her mask of professionalism as she said, "Thank you Sweetie Belle."

***

Pinkie huffed irritably as she forced herself to walk, beads of sweat running down her brow as she gripped a guiding rail with her good foreleg while her bad one trembled under her weight. She knew that physical therapy would be a challenge, but it was a challenge she also knew that she had to overcome. A nurse stood nearby to keep an eye on her incase she over exerted herself or needed help getting back to her room accompanied by her cheering double. She barely registered her as she took another shaky step with her bad leg. The ones that held her attention were her double and the giant elder Phoenix watching her from an observation booth on the opposite end of the room. A determined frown grew on her muzzle as she made her leg work as best as she could.

To say that Hearths Warming was impressed with the girl's dedication would've been a massive understatement. While her magic removed most of the damage, Pinkie's limb should've been too damaged to be of much use at the moment. A common misconception about Phoenix Fire was that it healed wounds or brought back the dead. The truth was actually a lot less glamorous or miraculous. In truth, her fire simply amplifies already existing factors in everything it touched. In an object, it amplified its durability or magical output. In a living creature, it amplified the body's natural healing abilities to hyper sonic levels. Though the rate of complete recovery depended on the scale of the damage done. Just doing what she was doing right now should've only been possible after a month of bed rest at minimum. That proved promising for what was to come later. Still, she had her doubts that the girl could really fulfill her promise to her. Determination and grit could only go so far when it came to overcoming physical limits. Still, she couldn't help the small smile that spread across her beak as she thought back to her conversation with Pinkie just a few short hours ago.

***

"You want to teach me how to gapwalk?" Pinkie asked, staring up at Hearths Warming from her bed.

Hearths Warming nodded, her face unreadable as she stared down at her.

"Sure!" she smiled. "That'd be a huge help. To be honest, I've just been kind of making things up as I went along. Getting some tips from a pro should make getting home a lot easier."

"Indeed," Hearths Warming nodded. "Though that is not the only thing that I will need to teach you."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

The High Royal sighed and said, "In your world, there are creatures called Wraiths. Terrible creatures that feed off of negative emotions to the point that the victims are driven to suicide. One of these monsters has taken up residence somewhere in Canterlot City and has chosen you and your friends to be it's latest victims."

A heavy silence filled the room as Pinkie tried to process what was being told to her. Worry and shock fought for dominance on her face as she stared at the ancient bird. Hearths Warming grimaced at the sight, not happy in the slightest with what she was about to propose. At the same time, she knew it had to be done.

"The Wraith's name is Lily Bouquet, though the few that know of her also call her Lily of the Velvet Tongue. She is strong and ruthless, even by the standards of her own kind. When she feeds, she uses her words as well as the insecurities of others to push people to the brink. Then, when they are as low as they can go, she tugs at their subconscious in order to convince them to commit suicide."

Pinkie's jaw dropped as realization struck her like a bolt of lightning, only for anger to take its place a second later.

"She did all of this?" Pinkie asked coldly.

The Phoenix nodded.

Pinkies jaw clenched as anger filled her like water in a jug. A jug that quickly filled to the brim when she remembered that Sunset wasn't the only one Lily was potentially targeting. A fire raged inside her chest as she locked eyes with Hearths' emerald orbs.

"What can I do to stop her?"

The ancient Phoenix reeled a back a bit in the face of the young girls determination, a small part of her impressed by the conviction she saw in her eyes.

"Well," she started, clearing her through behind a wing. "Normally, I would try to end her myself, but as of late my magic has started to fray. As such, I was considering taking up an apprentice. A new Gapwalker with a fresh set of talents and abilities should be able to bring Lily down if given the right amount of time and training."

Pinkie paused for a moment, then said, "You said that you would teach me more than just gapwalking. What did you mean by that."

"Quite a few things," she intoned. "Hand-to-hand combat, swordplay, ballistics, knife combat, and marksmanship just to name a few."

Pinkie was unmoved by what the Phoenix Queen was saying, a determined frown etched across her muzzle.

"Of course," she continued. "Before we can even begin your training, you will need to recover. The training will be intense and a wound such as your's will hold you back far too much for you to really benefit from it."

Pinkie gave her injured leg a harsh glare, said limb held up by an over-head hanging splint attached to her bed. A roughish smile slowly took its place as she locked eyes with her future teacher.

"One week," she smiled.

"Pardon?" Hearths Warming blinked.

"That's how long it will take me to get my leg back in shape," she clarified, smile never leaving her face.

Hearths Warming chuckled a bit at that, thinking that the young woman in pony form was telling a joke.

"That's quite the boast," she smiled.

"It's not a boast," she smiled, pulling her leg free from the splint with her good one. "It's a promise."

***

From that point on, Pinkie refused to use her good foreleg for anything. If she needed to pick something up, she used her left one to do it, regardless of what anypony told her to do. At first, her attempts were clumsy or unsuccessful , but that gradually changed over time. Whether it was her body's resilience or the result of pure stubborn determination, Pinkie was regaining control of her foreleg at an alarmingly quick rate. As Hearths Warming watched her future student move back and forth, the thought that she could recover in a week didn't seem like an empty bout of confidence.

She really is remarkable, she thought as she watched her take a swig of water from a nearby water bottle. That is good. Considering what she will need to go through soon, she will need to be just to keep up.

A mangled pulse of magic flashed next, a small smile spreading across her beak as she turned her head to its equally confusing owner.

"You certainly found me an interesting student, Discord."

The Lord of Chaos waved off her comment, a golf ball appearing in his hand as he floated closer to her side.

"Oh please," he scoffed, munching on the ball as he watched the Terran force herself to move. "Did you really think I lined this whole thing up for you? Order and destiny is your thing sis. Not mine."

Hearths Warming chuckled at that.

"Then what would you call this?" she asked, gesturing towards the walking pony with a wing.

"A spectacular coincidence," he huffed, finishing off the rest of his snack.

"Is that not your domain?" she smirked.

"....Maybe," he grumbled.

"Then accept my thanks and quit being a baby about it," she laughed.

"I hate it when you use logic like that," he huffed, crossing his arms. "It sucks the fun out of everything."

"Forgive me," she chuckled. "I can't go against my nature anymore than you can, dear brother."

Discord huffed and looked away, earning another giggle from his twin.

"Whatever," he grumbled. "That thing you asked me to take care of is ready now, by the way."

Her mischievous smile shrank into one of relief at that, a matching sigh slipping past her beak as she gave Pinkie her full attention.

"Thank you for that. For what I have planned, some changes needed to be done to reduce strain."

"No problem," he smiled, nudging her folded wing with an elbow. "I'm the fun twin, remember?"

"You never let me forget," she smiled, rolling her eyes. "Speaking of fun, how goes your new relationship?"

"Who told you about Celestia?" he asked, eyes wide with dread.

"You. Just now." She said with an evil smile as she stared at him out the corner of her eye.

"You- but- I- WHOSE SUPPOSED TO BE THE FORMER VILLAN AGAIN?!" he sputtered, face turning bright red as birds and butterflies flew out of his ears, body ramrod straight as he glared at his sister.

The Phoenix just stood there with an innocent smile on her face, mentally rolling with laughter as she enjoyed her handy work. Perhaps she should plan more visits home in the near future when everything was much calmer on Terra.

***

Canterlot Castle was a flurry of activity during the day. With staff maintaining the ancient structure and delegates helping run the country, it was rare to find a moment of peace in the castle for more than a couple seconds. At night, it was a different story. The halls were near pitch black and silent as a tomb, a chilling contrast to anypony familiar with how the castle was like during its radiant hours.

It was because of that that the Night Guard took pride in their post. With their sharper senses and thicker coats, the cold dark halls were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. As such, it was a strange moment for one lone guard as he walked through his normal patrol route. Off and on he felt like he was being followed, his ears flicking behind him every time he swore he heard the clip of a hoof or a small girlish giggle. He tried to ignore it as he went about his normal routine, sure that it was just his imagination. At the same time, his Night Tribe hunting instincts screamed at him that this was not the case. That something was hiding in the shadows, waiting for a moment to strike on him like a cat closing in on a mouse.

A bit of movement further down the hall caught his attention, the soft clipping of young hooves and girlish giggles the only sounds to follow the small figure further into the dark. The guard told the figure to freeze, but of course they refused to comply. With a grimace and faint curse under his breath, he galloped after the figure. At the same time, a small part at the back of his mind told him that something about the situation wasn't right. The same part that warned him that his paranoia was warranted.

The figure rounded a corner, the guard's sharp eyes spotting the tip of a shaggy purple tail as he continued his pursuit. His hooves echoed off of the dark walls as he ran, his target giggling sweetly as they rounded corners and darted down halls. His frustration slowly turned into worry as he started to come to a startling realization; the halls they ran through were empty. While the Night Guard didn't position themselves by doorways like their diurnal counterparts, they did try to keep a steady bit of traffic throughout the castle grounds to better make use of their heightened senses. Even so, there were gaps in the line of patrols that ran through the castle that could be exploited if one knew the timing. Clearly, the small figure was one of those few. Just as the guard realized this, his fear turned into relief. The figure took a wrong turn and found a dead end. Lightly panting, the guard closed in on his target only to freeze in confusion at what he saw.

It was a small orange Pegasus filly with a messy purple mane and tail. She stared at the wall as he approached her, an unexplainable sense of dread filling him with each step he took. It grew as the filly started to giggle to herself in a way that sent a chill down his spine. It was sweet and playful, but somehow wrong at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" the guard asked. "Nopony is permitted to be on castle grounds at this time."

"So hungry," the filly whispered, her voice rough as she slowly turned to face him.

When she did, the guard's eyes widened with shock and he took several steps back. The filly's eyes were solid gold with the whites of her eyes a solid black. A wide, near manic grin slowly grew on her muzzle as she stared into the guards soul. A pare of giggles behind him made him tear his eyes away from the creature in front of him, but all he saw were a pair of glowing golden eyes before a black dome of energy surrounded him. He wasted no time slamming himself against his confines, but all that resulted in was a bruised shoulder and a few colorful words to slip past his lips. That quickly dropped to the bottom of his concerns as the dome slowly started to shrink around him. Ignoring the pain, he desperately slammed against his confines. At the same time three fillies stood around the barrier, each giggling as the guard's muffled cries leaked past the dome's surface.

This was what they needed. The small crumbs of negative emotions they could gather during the day failing to fill their bellies in any meaningful way. Normal food was nothing but a chore to consume, none of it giving them the satisfaction or nutrients they needed. This. This was what they needed. The thrill of the hunt. The taste of pure, raw emotions. It was what they wanted, what they craved. As the barrier continued to shrink, rich, sweet fear poured out of it into their waiting open mouths. They couldn't help but laugh as they felt a rush of much needed negative energy fill them. Eventually, the barrier shrank to the point that their prey was pinned to the ground, a mere breath away from being crushed before the Unicorn among them canceled the spell. The poor guard was near catatonic, his eyes hazy and blank as they stared into the distance. His poor mind was torn with a new kind of shock, the fear center of his brain struggling to give the correct response while his other instincts short circuited under the strain of not receiving the proper signals.

The three fillies let out satisfied sighs as the guard's fear settled in their stomachs, a dreamy smile plastered across their faces as they basked in the euphoria. Then, one by one, their eyes turned back to normal as their normal consciousnesses returned, the desperate hunger of their new bodies no longer pushing them into feral states.

"Wh-What happened," Sweetie groaned, placing a hoof on her forehead.

"What?" Scootaloo moaned, doing the same as the world slowly stopped spinning.

Applebloom merely groaned as she tried to make sense of where they were. When she noticed the guard, her eyes went wide as worry gripped her heart and knocked the cobwebs out of her head.

"Hey! Are you okay?" she asked, running to the guard's head to get his attention.

When no response came, she quickly turned her head towards her friends and yelled, "Girls! Get help quick! Ah think he's hurt!"

With a quick nod, the two fillies ran down the hall to find anypony that could help the fallen guard. As they did, Applebloom sat down next to him, her heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to think of anything she could do for him.

"D-Don't worry mister," she stammered, a stiff smile marring her muzzle as she tried to keep a brave face. "E-Everythin's gonna be okay. Ah promise."

Ch. 43 First Steps

As an immortal, Hearths Warming often forgot the potential that resided in mortals. With all of the time and magic in the world, it was fairly easy for her to be extraordinary if given the right amount of time and motivation. When she was reminded, it always placed a smile on her beak. Starswirl the Bearded. Rock Hoof the Strong. Mist Mane the Beautiful. Flash Magnus the Brave. Somnambular the Hopeful. Meadow Brook the Healer. Stygian the Devoted. A handful of mortals that surprised her countless times before she moved on to Terra. Now a new name was going to be added to her list as she watched her new student walk out of the hospital's front doors towards her. It was truly incredible what one can accomplish in a week when they set their mind to it.

Pinkie sported a proud smile as she walked, her discolored leg covered with circular light pink marks that she wore like a badge of honor. Her smile grew as she stopped in front of the High Royal.

"Told ya," she said cockily pointing a hoof at her.

The fact that the Terran pointed her undamaged hoof at her was not lost on her, nor the fact that the formerly useless limb was holding her weight perfectly.

"Indeed," Hearths Warming chuckled, shaking her head. "You are full of surprises, aren't you Miss Pie."

"Just Pinkie's fine," she giggled. "All that formal stuff is too stiff for me."

"Very well," she nodded. "Are you ready?"

Still smiling, she shook her head.

"Not yet. I have a few people I need to talk to first."

"As you wish," she nodded. "Where to first?"

***

Zecora hummed quietly to herself as she added some powdered herbs to her cauldron, the bubbling blue water turning a brilliant shade of lavender. With Winter Wrap-up just around the corner, it wouldn't be long before her potions were going to be in high demand. Fortunately, muscle pains were fairly easy things to tend to and the ingredients for such potions were just as common. Carefully, she ladled the cauldron's contents into several dozen small glass bottles with the kind of practiced ease only years of experience could produce. Just as she finished corking the last bottle, a light knock at her door caught her attention.

"Who could that be, standing outside of my tree," she asked herself, walking towards the door.

A warm smile grew on her muzzle when she saw who stood on the other side of the door.

"Why if my eyes do not deceive, is that Red Hood that I perceive?"

"Sort of," Pinkie chuckled, awkwardly scratching the back of her head as she looked away. "I... uh... I'm not going to be around for a while and wanted to tell you a few things."

"That I could certainly surmise," she said, a raised brow adding to her smile as she added, "Are you going to dispel your lies?"

Pinkie cringed at that, then sighed and nodded.

"Sorry about that. I... didn't want anyone to know I lived out here and I needed your help. It... seemed like a good idea at the time."

"I understand my way word traveler," she smiled, placing a hoof on the Earth Pony's shoulder. "I felt no malice, not before or after."

"Thanks," Pinkie smiled, Zecora's hoof sliding off of her shoulder. "For everything. You're lessons really helped me out here."

"Think nothing of it my friend," Zecora smiled. "Your health is all that matters in the end."

"I guess," she chuckled. "But you deserve to know my real name at least."

Zecora nodded, patently waiting for the Terran to find her words.

"I'm Pinkamena Dianne Pie," she said with a small sheepish smile. "But you can call me Pinkie if you want."

A mischievous smile spread across the Zebra's muzzle as she said, "A difficult request that may be, as I have a friend named Pinkie. That will do nopony any good, so to me you will always be Red Hood."

Pinkie gawked at her for a second, then burst out laughing at that.

"S-So even though you know that's not my real name, you're still going to call me that?" she asked between giggles.

The Zebra nodded, still smirking at her.

"F-Fair enough," she smiled, still giggling a bit. "Guess I better start heading back to Ponyville then."

"I will not stop you if that is what you desire, but why must you go I inquire?"

Pinkie flashed her a cheeky smile as she said, "If people are going to call me Red Hood, I think I'm gonna need my jacket."

***

Stepping into Ponyville was a very jarring experience for Pinkie, a small bundle of nervous butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she crossed the border into town. She could feel Hearths Warming's eyes on her back as she walked, both grateful that she respected her wishes to do this alone and regretting said option as old habits started to rear their ugly head. Through a combination of Tattle's encouragement and her own stubborn conviction, she fought past her nerves and navigated the town.

Her first stop was Applejack's booth, but instead of seeing the orange Earth Pony mare manning the stall she saw what she assumed was this worlds version of her brother. After he stopped looking at her with what looked like fear in his eyes, she asked him if he knew where his sister went. Unfortunately, the massive stallion had no idea, earning a dejected sigh from Pinkie. With a polite "Thank you" , she turned away from the stall and made her way into town.

"Do you think you can find her?" she whispered, carefully weaving her way through the town's busy streets.

"I think so," Tattle mused. "Let me see."

For a moment, Tattle was silent as he tried to sift through the countless magical signatures around them as Pinkie continued to monitor their surroundings. Eventually, he found the signature he was looking for, but something else caught his attention.

"I found her," he said, tone laced with intrigue.

"Nice!" Pinkie cheered, startling a couple of ponies walking past her. "Where is she?"

"A dozen blocks away from us to your left. I'm also picking up eight other magical signatures with her."

"Any idea who's with her?" she asked, following her boyfriend's directions.

"In addition to the Elements of Harmony, I'm seeing a Dragon's energy as well as my Aunt and her lover's magic."

"Your Aunt?" Pinkie asked.

"Princess Celestia," he said hesitantly.

Her stride turned stiff for a second at the mention of the Princess of the Sun's name, but was otherwise unaltered.

While she was mostly over her fear of Alicorns, that did not extend towards Celestia. She still remembered the look she gave her and the other students in the Gym. Just the memory was enough to force a shiver down her spine. At the same time though, she was glad that she was going to be there. It made what she had to do much easier, no matter how much she didn't want to do it.

"We're here," Tattle intoned.

Pinkie froze, then looked around.

To her left stood a towering three story structure. It had the shape of an elegant castle tower with ring-like balconies set at the top, middle, and second floor level. Golden merry-go-round ornaments decorated the outer walls and the balcony railings. Pinkie gulped as her eyes settled on the building's elegantly crafted front door. This was it. No turning back. It was time to put an end to all of her running and start moving forward.

On shaky legs, she made her way towards the door. Once it was within grabbing distance, she reached forward, took a deep breath, and opened the door. What she saw beyond the threshold made her jaw hit the floor. What was once a waiting room was now the scene of a small party. Pink and blue balloons and streamers decorated the ceiling while a red banner reading Welcome to Ponyville Terran Pinkie hovered above everyone present on wires. A small cluster of ponies, a small purple and green Dragon, and a creature Pinkie needed to take several double-takes to register stood at the room's heart near a table with a five tier red and pink cake.

"Wh-What's all of this?" Pinkie stammered, wandering into the room.

"It's your welcome to ponyville party," Equestrian Pinkie said, slowly approaching her double with a small smile. "Do you like it?"

Pinkie's shock slowly shifted to joy as she nodded. Her demeanor tensed when Princess Celestia approached her, the strange creature that Pinkie assumed was the Princess' lover literally hovering not far behind her.

"You are the Pinkie Pie from Terra, correct?" Celestia asked, her face unreadable as she stared down at her.

"Yes ma'am," Pinkie confirmed, stance rigid as she matched the Alicorn's gaze.

"I see," she said, tone still unreadable. "Tell me, how have you taken care of yourself since you came here?"

Without missing a beat, she told the Princess everything. How she got to Equestria. Where she was living until recently. What she did to keep herself alive in the Everfree Forest. Everypony stared at her with wide eyes as she told them everything, some even seemingly impressed with how she managed to take care of herself for so long. Then came the question that Pinkie dreaded to answer in Celestia's presence. A question asked by that very same Alicorn herself.

"Why did you go into hiding?"

"Because... Because I was scared."

Everyone gave her confused looks as she stared at the ground in shame before continuing.

"I remembered how mad you were back home and I was sure that if you found me that you'd... anyway, I was scared. So I hid as best I could so that I could find a way back home and make things right with Sunset. That... didn't work out as well as I planned."

As she said that, she frowned at her scar-covered leg before she stared up at the Princess.

"But I'm done running and hiding. I want to make things up to Sunset, for you and for me."

Celestia remained unmoved by the Terran's words, her eyes seeming to burrow into the young woman's soul. Then, a small smile crept onto her muzzle as she let her mask fall away.

"Very well," she chuckled. "Then for now, let's forget the crimes of the past and enjoy the present. After all, we might end up as family someday."

"Oh sweet Maker," Tattle groaned from the back of her mind. "Not Auntie too."

Pinkie's face turned beet red at that as she let what the Princess said settle. While she wasn't against the idea, the thought of marrying Tattle was still one that could turn her head into a steaming kettle. That went double when one considered what happened between them earlier in the week. Before she could explore that thought any further, a white Unicorn with a familiarly styled mane and tail approached her. Hovering next to her in a shimmering dark blue aura was a long rectangular box bound with a red ribbon.

"I know that one usually has cake before gifts," the Unicorn, Rarity, said floating the box towards her. "But I think you've waited long enough to have this returned."

Pinkie fell to her haunches and plucked the box out of the air. Curious, she opened the gift, then with a wide smile and trembling hooves she pulled her jacket out of the box. The left sleeve was missing, but the leather in that area was smoothed and mended to the point that it looked like it was an intentional feature as opposed to damage. All of the minor rips and tears that it had acquired since she came to Equestria had been repaired with such precise skill that if Pinkie didn't know where to look, she never would've noticed them. With happy tears sliding down her cheeks, she hugged the coat to her chest. It was then that she notice what looked like a red fabric tube laying at the bottom of the box. Confused, she wiped her eyes and plucked the item out of the box.

"What's this?" she asked, examining it.

"Well," Equestrian Pinkie smiled. "Rarity couldn't replace the sleeve, so instead she made a glove to wear over your leg instead."

"I hope that's alright," Rarity said nervously. "I don't usually work with leather and it would've taken days to find anypony that could make a replacement."

Pinkie giggled and said, "Nah, that's fine. I kind of like it."

As she said that, she put the jacket on then slid on the glove. It stopped just past her shoulder, effectively hiding her scars and adding a bit of flare to her look that she never thought of before. She smiled at her Equestrian counterpart and Rarity and pulled them into a hug.

"Thanks a lot. I promise when this is all over to come back and visit."

"You better," Equestrian Pinkie giggled, returning the hug. "We've got a game to finish!"

"Definitely," Pinkie grinned.

***

Crickets chirped under a clear night sky, Luna's moon only just creeping out of the horizon line. In an open field far outside the border of Ponyville Hearths Warming stood, a flat look plastered across her face as her new student came to meet her.

"You certainly took a while," Hearths Warming said flatly.

"Sorry," Pinkie said sheepishly, pulling her hood back to look her teacher in the eye. "It took a lot longer to get everything taken care of then I thought it would."

"If you say so," the ancient bird sighed. "Are you ready?"

Pinkie nodded, not a shred of doubt present in her features as she met Hearths Warming's eyes.

"Good," she smiled. "Then let us begin."

As she said that, a glowing golden gap appeared to her left, its surface resembling melted gold as it wavered and warped.

"Please step through and we can begin your training."

Pinkie hesitantly moved towards the gap, memories of the last time she tried to pass through a portal running through her mind like a freight train.

"I-Is it safe?" she asked, a foot away from the shimmering portal.

"You are wise to be concerned, but fear not," Hearths Warming smiled, placing a wing onto the nervous Earth Pony's back. "This gap is different from the portal between our worlds. You will not be harmed."

"Okay," Pinkie gulped. "I-If you say so."

With that, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and ran forward as fast as she could. A split second later, her body felt completely different and she slid face first into the ground. A dull groan crept past her lips as she pushed herself off of the ground and onto her knees. Whining, she rubbed her bruised nose to try and alleviate pain. It was then that she came to a startling realization that made her freeze; she had hands! Her eyes popped open and she immediately examined herself. Sure enough, she was human again for the first time in weeks. That discovery quickly took a backseat when she gave her surroundings a quick once over and her jaw dropped.

The sky was a shinning golden aurora with hundreds of rippling circular gaps covering it like a patchwork blanket as far as the eye can see. The ground was clear shimmering crystal that shined with every color of the rainbow and was as smooth as polished glass. Pinkie stared with wide eyes as she took in the world around her, awe not even close to the feeling she had in the face of such a massive spectacle. A light chuckle behind her pulled her attention away from the scenery and towards its source. Standing ten feet away from her was a woman wearing shimmering silver armor, her proud and strong face the only thing not covered by armor, showing her scarlet skin tone. Her hair was a wild curtain of orange and gold that accentuated her piercing emerald gaze.

"Quite the sight isn't it," Hearths Warming asked, casually closing the distance between herself and Pinkie.

"Wh-Where are we?" Pinkie asked, staggering to her feet.

"A pocket dimension," she said as she gave their surroundings a long look. "I created it a long time ago to store my weapons and train when the need arose."

"This is where you'll be training me?"Pinkie asked. "Why not in Equestria?"

Hearths Warming's expression turned sad as she stared off into the distance, then said, "Two reasons. The first is that my magic is too strong to be used recklessly in such a magically charged world. The other is because of how time works here."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Hearths Warming gave her a sharp smile and said, "This place exists in the border between two separate dimensions. As such, time flows at a hyper decelerated rate. You could spend fifty years in here and only about a week and a half's worth of time will have passed on Terra. On top of that, you will not age a single day, nor will you feel hungry or tired."

Pinkie gaped at her, her brain working double time to keep up with what her teacher was telling her. It was then that something clicked into place in her memories.

"Bu-Wait. If you could bring me here, how come you couldn't make a gap that could take me home?"

"Because its not a complete portal," a male voice said from above.

Both of them looked up and were greeted by the sight of the same well dressed man from the assembly at Canterlot High laying casually on thin air above them. Pinkie let out a startled yelp while Hearths Warming just rolled her eyes at her brother's antics. Discord chuckled as he floated down to earth still in the same lounging position.

"Must you make an entrence, Discord?" Heaths Warming asked, exasperated.

"Always and forever dear sister," he chuckled as he stood up. "Anyway, as I was saying. Since this space technically doesn't exist in the traditional sense, a gap can be opened to get to it. The trick is that you have to know where this place is between dimensions. Since Hearths Warming and I created it, we know exactly were to look to find the way in here."

"Oh." Pinkie said, not even trying to keep up at this point. "I... guess it makes sense."

"There are firsts in every subject I suppose," Hearths Warming said, giving her brother a smirk.

"I have moments," he shrugged. "Chaos is no fun if there's no order around after all."

"If you say so," she chuckled and snapped her fingers.

Two wooden swords fell from the sky to the ground with a loud series of clacks between the ancient Phoenix and her student.

"Let us begin ," she said, picking up one of the training weapons and pointing it at Pinkie. "For the next seven Terran days I am going to teach you everything I know and then some to get you ready to take down Lily. Are you ready Pinkie?"

A determined smile grew on the teen's face as she bent down to pick up her weapon.

"Yeah. Let's do it!"

***

For one whole week, three young girls sated their hungers for things no human should ever need to crave. For one whole week, they cornered guards in the dark to feed, to savor all kinds of dark emotions. They tasted the rich sweetness of fear. The savory taste of stress. The spicy tang of anger. It was all so wonderful to them and made them feel so full. The more they fed, the more they craved. The more they craved, the less human they became. The less human they became, the more they yearned to be with their mother.

It was for that reason that three young girls laid panting in their beds, the final vestiges of a toxic metamorphosis finally taking root as the cores in their souls moved on to the last stages of their infection. They felt cold as their skin turned into a sickly shade of gray and their hair turned as black as the nights sky. A feverish warmth filled their heads as their thoughts turned hazy under their growing hunger. Their eyes cracked open, their pupils glowing gold as the whites turned as black as their hair.

Then as one, with voices as sweet and desperate as newborns they whined, "Momma."

"Hush my children," Lily cooed, her vines creeping out of the shadows of her children's rooms to embrace them. "Mommy's here."

They each let out happy hums as they snuggled into the vines.

"I missed you momma," Sweetie whimpered, black tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Don't let them take me away again! I don't want to go!"

"Their's nothing to eat there momma," Applebloom whined, her grip on her tendril tightening. "They make us eat useless stuff. They never give us any real food."

"I don't want to leave you," Scootaloo sniffled. "These people say that their my family, but their lying! I want to be with you and my sisters!"

Lily gently shushed them, a soft loving smile gracing her lips as she willed her vines to gently wipe their tears away.

"I know my sweets, I know. Mommy missed you all too. That's why I'm going to take you home. Are you all ready?"

"Yes!" all three said, hands desperately grasping Lily's vines.

"Very well," Lily cooed. "Welcome home my dears."

At that moment, three little girls vanished from their beds in Canterlot City, the only evidence of their existence being ruffled sheets and discarded comforters.

Author's Note

Two chapters in two days. Good god I need a drink.😵 Looks like were getting close to the final show down. Hope you all are looking forward to it just as much as I am to write it!:pinkiecrazy:

Ch. 44 That Which Binds Us

Sunset was not a morning person. She could get herself up early when she needed to, but if given the choice she would sleep until noon without a second thought. That went double when one considers what she had to put up with that week. Every ten seconds, students came to her practically begging her for forgiveness. A minor inconvenience at first, but it quickly became a problem as the week progressed. If it wasn't for Lightning and Vinyl, she probably would've called upon her dragon fire to scare them off. An extreme reaction, sure, but one that seemed especially attractive when a small mob of students cornered her in a bathroom. As such, all she wanted to do was relax in her bed for a few hours and snuggle into her girlfriend's side.

Imagine her frustration when her phone refused to stop vibrating on her bedside table. By the tenth buzz, she let out a very unladylike snarl and grabbed the device. Without even looking at the caller ID, she unlocked her phone and brought it to her ear.

"This had better be good," she growled.

She quickly pulled her phone away from her head as Rarity's panicked voice ripped out of it.

"SWEETIE'S MISSING!!!"

All grogginess was effectively kicked out of Sunset's head as she set the phone to loud speaker mode.

"What? What do you mean?" she asked, setting the phone down on the nightstand.

"Just that!" she exclaimed, tears audible in her tone. "I-I went to get her for breakfast and she was gone!"

"Are you sure she's missing?" Sunset asked. "Maybe she's with her friends."

"That's what I thought at first," she sniffled. "So I called Applejack to see if she was with Applebloom, but she's gone too!"

Sunset's heart sank at that, but she refused to think that something like this was actually happening.

"What about Scootaloo? Is she okay?"

As if on cue, another call came in from Rainbow Dash. Sunset audibly gulped as she added the call to the one currently running.

"SCOOTS IS GONE!" Rainbow cried, solid fear occupying every fiber of her voice.

Sunset's blood turned into ice.

At that moment, Derpy took a seat at Sunset's side, eyes narrowed as she stared at the phone.

"What happened?" she asked, tone serious. "Tell me everything that you know."

"Derpy?" Rainbow asked. "Is that-"

"No time to explain," she said, a commanding edge in her tone as she glared at the phone. "The more you tell me, the better chances I have of helping you. Tell me everything that's going on. Every little detail, no matter how pointless it may seem."

Sunset stared wide-eyed at the commanding presence her girlfriend presented, then smiled as she watched her work her magic. The same magic that saved her life and made her love her all at the same time.

***

It wasn't uncommon for Derpy's house to get a little crowded on Sundays, what with her groups weekly game nights being hosted there. What was unusual was for the house to be packed so fully at ten in the morning with not a single game in sight. The atmosphere was also a lot less merry as every girl present held a heavy sense of dread in their features. As it stood, none of them had any good news to share. A quick trip to Equestria revealed to Sunset that Discord was unavailable at the moment and there was no telling when that would change. Attempting to track the missing girls through their phones GPS was rendered useless by the fact that they left their phones behind when they disappeared. A city wide alert was spread to every phone to send any relevant information to Canterlot PD, but with so little evidence to go off of it was treated like a runaway case with only the possibility of being a kidnapping.

As such, the living room was a scene of misery as eleven girls sat scattered across the room. Nerves, fear, and panic ran through their heads like frantic hamsters on wheels as they silently sat, not sure what else they could do. This went double for Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash as they paced nervously around the room. Sunset could see the stress in the girl's faces every time they passed her and she did not blame them. If something like this happened to Dinky, she would've burned the whole city to the ground if it meant bringing her back home. It was for that reason that each of them gave Derpy passing glances from where she sat at the kitchen table, her hands moving frantically across the keyboard of her laptop as she worked.

"Do you think she can find them?" Rainbow asked, staring at the gray girl.

"Given time, definitely," Lightning nodded. "Trust me. When Derpy wants to find something, she finds it."

"How can you be so sure?" Rarity asked, a slight edge coming into her tone as she glared at Lightning.

"Because love," Octavia frowned. "She was the one that found all of the evidence needed to get Vinyl out of her vampire of a mother's clutches."

"And saved Sweet Apple Acres from the Flim Flam Brothers," Bonbon added.

"And saved my life," Sunset added, a faint smile gracing her lips as she watched her girlfriend work.

All three siblings, both honorary and biological, gawked at that and gave the computer girl another look.

"She's Meme Queen?" Applejack asked, pointing at Derpy.

Everyone in the know nodded, Lightning and Vinyl showing a hint of pride as they did so.

"Well Ah'll be," the farm girl breathed, a newfound sense of respect filling her chest as she looked at the girl. "Remind me ta' thank her when this is all over."

"Will do," Lyra chuckled, happy to finally see a break in the uncomfortable silence.

A cold chill shot down everyone's back as a soft growl crept past Fluttershy's lips. That doubled when they looked at the girl. The shadow of her bangs hid her face from where she sat, her fingers digging aggressively into the soft leather of her seat as she stared at the floor.

"Uh, F-F-Fluttershy? You okay?" Rainbow asked, slowly backing away from her friend's chair.

"If someone hurts so much as a hair on their heads..."

A feral growl came out of her as she ponied-up, her red eyes burning with rage as her long hair shifted into a warrior's braid. Sunset's older friends jumped back with a yelp while her newer ones just nodded in agreement, each of them more familiar with the girl's more primal pony form then the others. A flash of mountains came to Lyra for a moment, an image that brought a smile to her face as she approached the hybrid.

"I think we should add some red to your deck when this is all over," she whispered. "Just a hunch."

***

A soft smile graced Lily's face as she sat on her throne, all three of her children sleeping peacefully on her lap. Gently, she stroked their heads and brushed stray hairs out of their faces. They looked so beautiful to her, the gray of their skin a perfect complement to the black summer dresses they wore. Her heart filled with warmth when one of them, Sweetie Belle, snuggled deeper into her with a small smile. A common belief among those that hunted them was that Wraiths were incapable of love, that they felt nothing and were ruled by cruelty. While that may have been true, for the most part, it did not extend to how Wraiths treated their children. To them, love was meant to be given to their young or each other. Everything else was just food to them, just simple cattle or fruit waiting to be harvested.

For that reason, a rare sense of tenderness filled the Archwraith as she held her children close, her love for them so strong that it almost hurt.

"My sweet little flowers," she cooed, gently kissing each of them on the foreheads. "Oh how I missed you three. You have no idea how painful it was for me to see you go. If only you saw me that whole week you three were gone. How I raged, promising your handlers that should you come back harmed, no pit in the fires of hell could hide them from me."

She nuzzled the top of their heads, black tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes.

"I wonder if this is what The Queen feels every time she has a child."

A sleepy yawn caught her attention as Sweetie started to stir, her black and gold eyes fluttering open as she awakened.

"Good morning my dear," Lily sweetly whispered. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded, a small smile gracing her lips as she gave her mother a hug.

"Good," Lily chuckled, careful to not disturb Sweetie's sisters. "Are you ready for breakfast?"

Again she nodded, her smile now eager as she looked up at Lily with pleading eyes. The Archwraith giggled at that as she summoned a small black apple into her hand from the void. Sweetie watched in fascination as her mother worked and handed her the apple. Sweetie examined it for a few seconds before she took a small cautious nibble. Her eyes widened as an unbelievably sweet taste flooded her mouth. Eager for more, she savagely sank her teeth into the small fruit for another bite. Lily watched with mild amusement as the small Wraith tore into her prize. While not the greatest meal, fear and disappointment were the best kind of starter meals for any young Wraith. It was a lot easier to harvest and held a lot of nutrients needed to help them grow strong quickly.

Soon, Sweetie finished off her meal and let out a satisfied sigh as she leaned into her mother's side.

"I like this place," Sweetie sighed.

"And why is that?" Lily asked, a playful smile spreading across her face.

"You're here, my sisters are here, and I don't have to hide anymore," Sweetie frowned. "Way better than the other place beyond the portal."

"Portal?" Lily asked, then nodded in realization as she said, "The statue. Of course. I have seen humans moving through it a lot recently. Tell me dear, what is on the other side of this 'portal'."

Sweetie nodded and told her everything she knew.

What she heard certainly sounded rather hard to accept at first. A world ruled by talking horses full of magic? Preposterous, but she felt no lies in her daughter's words as she talked. As intriguing as this other world sounded, she knew that she would not want to go there if she could avoid it. According to Sweetie, there was very little food that she or her daughters would be able find, the only alternative being what they could drag out of ponies through forceful hunting. While she was proud of her daughters for finding a way to survive in such a harsh environment, it only solidified her resolve to not let them return.

"Listen well my dear," Lily cooed, gently holding Sweetie close her chest. "I will not let them take you or your sisters back to that place. No matter what."

"Thank you momma," Sweetie smiled, nuzzling affectionately into the Archwraith as she hugged her back. "I love you."

A warm smile graced Lily's lips as she kissed the top of Sweetie's head.

"I love you too."

***

Swirling colors of endless spectrums moved and bent in random patterns in an endless dance as it has sense time forgotten and always will long past the end of time. At the heart of all of this chaos stood eleven glowing figures, each bearing the colors and shapes of the teens they were bonded to, but lacked any details beyond that.

"This is very concerning," Acceptance mused, hand pressed to her chin in thought.

"Understatement of the decade," a teal and gold figure, Loyalty, said, her arms crossed as she glared into the void. "How did the dark one capture them?"

"How indeed," a blue and pink figure, Honesty, intoned, nonexistent eyes locked onto her three younger siblings.

"There was nothing we could do," Sacrifice said, her white and purple form drooping in shame.

"She's right," Responsibility sighed. "The dark one came for them with love. We can't reject that."

"It's part of our nature," Conviction spat, her cerulean form tense as a prismatic aura surrounded her. "You all know that."

"They're right," Forgiveness sighed, her pink and yellow form tense with frustration as she stared down into the chaotic void. "Had she come to them the same way she always did, they could've protected them."

"Exactly," Magic sighed, her mint and gray form pacing back and forth as she thought. "This was something we didn't know she was capable of. It isn't fair to be harsh on our younger siblings for something we couldn't prevent."

"Agreed," Acceptance nodded. "Though it doesn't make our current situation any less dire."

"What can be done to fix it?" Kindness asked, her gray and yellow form nervously shimmering. "My host is doing everything she can, but I don't know if it will be enough!"

"It may not be," sighed the gray and black form of Generosity. "This enemy is cold and calculating. I doubt she will do anything that will make her easy to spot."

"We can hope, right?" Laughter asked, her white and dual-blue form shrugging in the face of her sister's tension. "I mean, we all make mistakes every now and then. Maybe she'll get lucky."

"Maybe," Acceptance mused. "Though I doubt enough time will pass for such an opportunity to present itself to us."

"What do you mean?" Sacrifice asked.

A tense silence filled the atmosphere as all of the present elements waited for Acceptance to elaborate. When she did, her words held a weight to them that none of them were ready to hold.

"I fear that a great battle may be upon us soon. A battle far more difficult than any we have faced in this world."

"Well, that's not foreboding at all," Laughter snorted. "Any idea when this great battle is gonna take place?"

Acceptance shook her head and said, "Not specifically, no. I just know that it will be soon."

The elements traded looks, some showing concern while others showed a hint of excitement at the news.

"Do you think Freedom will make it?" Forgiveness asked nervously.

"Perhaps," Acceptance nodded. "She's just as reckless as her host, so I doubt she'll let anything stop her from coming to us."

"We can only hope," Generosity sighed. "If what you are saying is true, then we will need all of the help we can get."

All of the elements nodded at that, the gravity of the situation settling onto them like a press. There were so many things they didn't know about their enemy, far too many possible precautions to make that could be reliable given everything they knew. As it stood, they all came to the same conclusion; their was only so much they could do themselves.

"I think it is time we helped our hosts in a more direct sense," Acceptance said.

"How so?" Kindness asked.

"Aside from my host, none of our humans are familiar with their magic," Acceptance explained, placing a hand on her chest. "I think it would be a good idea if we found a way to change that."

"Sounds good to me," Responsibility shrugged. "Any ideas of how we go about doing that?"

"Yes, actually," Acceptance said, a smile audible in her tone as she stared at Loyalty. "When the dark one was trying to overwhelm us, Loyalty tried to make direct contact with her host in her dreams. The results were a bit... unsatisfactory, but it did show that such interactions were possible."

"I suppose that makes sense," Magic mused. "Dreams are linked to the subconscious and the Dream Realm, so it should be possible for us to communicate with them."

"Do you think our links are strong enough?" Conviction asked, a hint of nervousness coloring her tone. "I was only just born recently and I don't want to risk hurting my host. I can tell she's been through enough already."

Many of them nodded in agreement, turning to look at Acceptance for her response.

"There should be no threat to our hosts," she said. "In fact, I cannot see anything , but benefits for them."

As she said that, she walked confidently into the center of the group and continued.

"We all know that when our power comes together, no force of darkness can stand against us. Till know, the passive magic we shared with our hosts has been enough to deal with their enemies, but clearly that will not work against all threats. In doing this, we will make it so that our hosts will be better prepared for any and all threats that come their way. We will have a more direct means of assisting our hosts when the need arises, to be a guide should they seek us out. It is for that reason that I make a simple proposal."

She slowly looked at her fellow elements one by one before she continued.

"It is time that we move out of the shadows and teach our hosts how to wield the powers that reside in them. Let us show them the magic that they don't even know they hold."

Silence settled among them yet again as they mulled over what their sister said. To their surprise, A gray hand was the first to be raised, followed shortly by a yellow one.

"I agree!" Kindness cried.

"Me too!" Forgiveness said with a nod.

"Guess I'm in too," Laughter chuckled, raising a hand. "Can't wait to see Vinyl's face when I tell her what she can do."

"Quite," Generosity sighed raising her hand. "I just hope Octavia can keep the two of you under control when you do."

Sacrifice, Conviction, and Responsibility traded looks before nodding and raising their hands as one.

"Count me in too," Honesty chuckled, raising a hand.

"Do you even have to ask?" Loyalty scoffed, raising a hand.

Everyone paused then turned to face the last element present who hadn't voted. For a long moment, no one said anything as they waited for her to state her thoughts on the matter. Slowly, Magic shifted her gaze around to each of her sisters before settling on Acceptance. The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, before the indecisive element let out a defeated sigh.

"This is probably the craziest thing you have ever suggested."

With that, she raised her hand and said, "Let's bring that bitch down."

Author's Note

Three in a row! Good god am I on a roll! Don't get too used to it though. given my work schedule, I might end up going back to my usual one chapter a week arrangement soon. all the same, hope you're enjoying the story so far and are looking forward to all that I have in store for you all out there. :yay:Ciou!

Ch.45 Harsh Lessons

Mondays are never the day anyone looks forward to. Be it a working adult or innocent child attending school, very few are happy to see their free time come to a temporary end. For eleven teens, this was a grief that they wished could be the top of their lists of troubles again. For the whole day, their thoughts constantly drifted to the disappearances of three little girls. For three of them in particular, this was especially trying on their psyche as they struggled to get through their school day. The helplessness and if only's of the situation continued to eat at them, tearing their concentration away from their teacher's lectures as they tried to think of a way to help. The eleven girls ran themselves mentally ragged through out the whole day, but all they succeeded in doing was make themselves irritable around others. Even Sunset and Derpy were not immune to it as they bitterly snapped at each other through out the day. That became the first night in their relationship that they didn't share a bed. The stress was so great among the girls that sleep that night came with the speed of a lightning bolt. As they drifted off to sleep, eleven magical forces had decided to put their plan into action.

The time for their training had begun.

***

Rarity groaned, the sting of cold polished rock rousing her from her slumber as she dragged herself into a sitting position. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, but what she saw made her wonder if the loss of her sister had finally driven her mad. She sat in the heart of a massive elegant ballroom straight out of a fairytale. Solid gold walls with silver floral scenes welded into them greeted her on all sides with a giant domed ceiling covered with thousands of tiny gems and crystals. It was all so beautiful to her, but that was nothing compared to the figure that stood before her. The woman was a near mirror image of her, but only in the most superficial of ways. This Rarity held herself with a natural form of ladylike poise and confidant grace. Her attire was a work of pure art, a dress that shimmered in constant shifts of color like an aurora that flowed across her form like water. Matching formfitting silver gloves that came up to her exposed shoulders that shined like full moons covered her arms and hands.

The young girl could only stare in awe at her double as she made her way across the room to where she sat, a gentle smile on her face as she met her gaze. Once she closed the distance, she bent down and reached out a hand towards her. Still stunned, she accepted the hand and let herself be gently guided to her feet.

"It is nice to finally speak with you," the other Rarity said. "If only the reasons for it were less dire."

"Wh-Who are you?" Rarity asked, finally finding her voice.

"Of course," the double giggled. "How rude of me. I am Sacrifice. An element born from your heart and the living embodiment of your magic."

"M-My magic?" Rarity stammered, then stiffly giggled as she said, "Oh my, darling. You must be mistaken. I don't have any magic. At least, none of my own anyway."

Sacrifice sighed and placed a hand on her host's shoulder as she said, "Not yet anyway, but for what is to come, that must change."

"What do you mean?" Rarity asked, worry creeping into her heart.

Sacrifice took a deep breath, then said, "A great evil sits in the shadows. You and all of your friends have already felt her wicked touch and all of the things she is capable of. I and the other elements wish to awaken the power that resides in all of you to combat this threat. For both yourselves, and the children she has stolen."

"Stolen?" Rarity asked, only for her eyes to widen with understanding a second later. "This monster took them?"

Solemnly, Sacrifice nodded.

Her eyes narrowed and jaw clenched as white-hot anger filled Rarity's veins. A new threat had entered their lives and she failed to keep her dear sister out of harms way. The fact that she apparently had the potential power to do so only added more fuel to the fire.

With clenched fists, she said, "Let's do it. I don't care what I have to do, so long as I bring Sweetie Belle back home safe and sound."

"Excellent," Sacrifice beamed.

With that, the element waved her hand and a cloak made of the same fabric as her dress appeared around her host.

"Let us see what you are willing to give up and if the prize is worth the loss."

***

Applejack grunted, the air around her as heavy as a lead weight as she tried force herself to stand. All around her stood tall and fertile apple trees, each of them ignoring the intense gravity barreling down on them as they reached towards a clear orange sky. The farm girl refused to yield as she stared up at Responsibility, the element's face impossible to read as she stood ten feet away from her with her arms crossed. Her double wore a simple gray skirted suit akin to the kind of attire a lawyer would wear with shiny black heals and elegant wireframe glasses to complete the look. When she told her why she was there and what they were going to do, she was admittedly leery of her. That went right out the window the second she mentioned Applebloom and this monster's involvement in her disappearance.

"You are strong," Responsibility intoned. "But this isn't a battle of might. Push back my magic!"

"Ah-Ah'm tryin'!" she grunted.

"Try harder. This is your magic. Learn it. Understand it. Tame it."

Applejack growled as she pushed against the forces trying to drag her to the ground.

"Ah-Ah'm tryin'!"

Responsibility sighed, seeing that a different approach might be in order. She approached her host and kneeled down to her level.

"What does responsibility mean to you?" she asked.

Applejack paused for a moment, nearly falling flat on her face as her focus was dragged away from her current situation.

"I-It's taking your lumps when you mess up. Facing your mistakes head on."

"And?" she asked, raising a brow.

"A-And what?"

"Is that really all responsibility is? Self-flagellation? Guilt? Surly you know better than that."

Applejack thought about that, the stress on her muscles growing by the second as she struggled to make sense of her elements words. It was then that her thoughts drifted towards Sunset and a thought drifted into her head. Something she hadn't considered.

As the pieces started to click into place, a faint smile formed on Responsibility's face. The smile grew a little when the farmer stopped fighting the pull on her body and let herself slam into the hard dirt beneath her. Applejack let out a pained cough and groaned where she laid. Then, with shaky limbs she dragged herself to her feet, breaths coming out as pants as the intense gravity around her vanished.

"What did you learn?" asked the element.

"You can't fight against your responsibilities. You gotta' accept them first or ya'll won't make any progress."

"Exactly," Responsibility smiled. "Remember that and this will go by a lot smoother in the future."

"Gotcha'," Applejack nodded with a determined smile.

"Shall we move on to the next lesson?"

"Let's do it!" she cheered.

***

Rainbow let out an irate growl as she ran, soft grass crunching under her feet and a gray cloudy sky hanging high over her head. Ahead of her was her element, a version of her wearing the green fatigues of a solder running and jumping just out of her reach.

"Is that all you've got?" Conviction taunted, jumping away from her host as she grabbed at her. "Geez, I thought you were the fast one in the group."

"Shut up!" she barked as she continued the chase.

Conviction sighed as she dodged yet another grab from her host.

"Do you know what the definition of insanity is?" Conviction asked casually.

"I'm not crazy!" Rainbow snapped as she tried to grab her.

"It means to do the exact same thing over and over again expecting to get a different result," the element continued, ignoring her host's comment as she dodged her grab.

"What do you want from me?" Rainbow panted, finally coming to a stop. "You told me that if I catch you, you'll tell me how to use my magic!"

"Not this," Conviction sighed, not even winded as she frowned at the girl. "Your driven. That's good, but that's not enough to use your magic or catch me. You need to break from the beaten path. Bend that tunnel vision of yours. C'mon Rainbow, I know you're no genius, but you're not stupid either! Think!"

Rainbow glared at her double, but as much as she didn't want to admit it, she had a point. This wasn't working, but what else could she do? The field was completely open with nothing she could use to corner her. On top of that, she was at least as fast as Rainbow herself in every way.

If I was just a bit faster, she thought glaring at the element. No, that wouldn't do me any good. She'd probably move just as fast anyway. I need to trick her somehow.

She took a deep breath, clearing her head as she breathed out.

"Alright," she sighed. "Let's try this again."

With that, she bolted towards her element again. Conviction sighed as she ran backwards away from Rainbow, expecting the same tactics as before. Her eyes widened in shock as, instead of grabbing at her, the teen suddenly leapt to her left at the last second and reached out towards her. Conviction let herself fall backwards to avoid the hand, legitimate surprise filling her as she jumped back to her feet before the girl could catch her.

I think she's finally starting to get it! Perfect! Keep it up!

They kept it up, Rainbow combining her speed with her agility to constantly keep Conviction on her toes while the element dangled only just out of her host's reach. Rainbow new that she was close, that if she put more into it that she'd win this dance. And that wasn't all. She would gain the power she needed to help her friends. That she'd be able to save Scootaloo.

As she faked-out Conviction an image of her sister-figure's smiling face flashed into mind. The world seemed to slow down as she reached a hand out to grab the element's arm, said appendage moving just a hare outside her reach.

Just a bit more! JUST A BIT MORE!!!

At that moment, a surge of power shot from her chest down to her legs and a blast of air shot out of the souls of her feet, rocketing her forward. Both girls let out startled yelps as they collided and fell into the grass in a tangled heap. The two were silent, both needing a moment to process what had just happened.

A proud smirk slowly spread across Rainbow's lips as she said, "Caught ya!"

Conviction burst out laughing at that as she sat up, Rainbow doing the same as she rolled off of her.

"Yeah you did," she chuckled. "Think you could do it again?"

"Chase you?"

She shook her head and said, "That thing that let you catch me."

"Maybe?" she shrugged.

"Then it looks like you're gonna have to catch me again," she smirked.

***

Octavia stood at the heart of a vast flower garden, a clear blue sky shining above her with the kind and gentle warmth of spring. Standing before her was a version of herself dressed in a simple white summer dress with her hair tied back into a ponytail.

"Are you sure that I can do this?" Octavia asked, second thoughts running through her head as she stared at her element. "I'm not what one would consider a combatant."

"You sell yourself short," Generosity mused. "Who was it that saved Vinyl from a life of despair?"

"That was different," Octavia insisted, staring at the ground.

Generosity chuckled as she placed a hand on her host's chin and guided her face back up to her level.

"A great fire burns inside you my host," she smiled. "Believe me, I have seen it myself."

"Bu-But, will it be enough?" she asked, worry heavy in her features.

"That is why I am here," Generosity smiled, gently placing her hand on her shoulder.

"O-Okay," Octavia sighed. "H-How should we do this?"

"Close your eyes."

Nodding, Octavia complied.

"Now, I want you to imagine that you have your instrument. Imagine that it is in your hands right now."

Slowly, her hands moved into position as she imagined that her prized cello was in her grasp.

"Now play."

Octavia didn't argue as she went through the motions, countless hours spent with her treasured cello telling her what sound each subtle motion would create. A song formed in her head as she continued to "play", a simple thing not worthy of a major symphony. The song slowly started to become more real to her as she played, almost to the point that she could actually hear it. When her finger actually gripped what felt like a string, she yelped in shock and shattered the illusion. When she opened her eyes, she swore she saw the fragments of a single glowing lavender string fade out of existence. She blinked, then gave Generosity a questioning look. The element nodded, urging her to try again. With a faint smile, she nodded and moved back into position.

***

Vinyl laughed as she charged towards her double, a wide grin plastered across her face as she threw a swing at her. Laughter lived up to her namesake as she met the girl's punch with one of her her own, the two fists colliding with a loud boom of sound from the speakers in the walls and ceiling of the room they stood in. Solid concrete covered with glowing graffiti made up the entirety of the one hundred-by-one hundred square room not covered by wires and sound equipment. Laughter looked like a wild biker version of her host, complete with black leather jacket and ripped jeans.

Both girls sported wide smiles as they continued to brawl, the speakers in the room filling the room with thundering booms every time their fists connected. Vinyl's heart was pounding excitedly in her chest as she met her element blow for blow.

"Ata girl!" Laughter laughed, voice somehow audible over the explosion of sound around them. "Let that passion flow! You want that magic to wake up damn it! Get wild! let the world hear you howl!"

"DAMN STRAIGHT!" Vinyl cheered, throwing a punch.

Laughter caught the punch and used the resulting blast of sound from the speakers to help her push her host back.

"Not enough!" Laughter yelled. "You want to save those kids, right? Are you going to let that monster get in your way?"

"HELL NO!" she cried, her fists tightening at the very thought.

"Then quit holding back!" Laughter demanded. "Drop her like a bass!"

"FUCK YEAH!" Vinyl cried, rushing towards her with a punch fully loaded. "ALL OR NOTHING!!!"

Like before, a blast of sound filled the room the second Vinyl's fist made contact, only this time it didn't come from the speakers. Laughter let out a startled yelp as the sonic boom from her host's fist sent her flying into a wall, only to peal herself off of the wall a second later with an even wilder grin then she had before.

"Now that's more like it!" the element cried, applauding her host as she walked towards her. "Let's see you do that again!"

"On it!," Vinyl cried, a wide smile on her face as she charged forward.

***

Total darkness surrounded Bonbon, the silence interrupted by the occasional drip of water from the cave's ceiling and the crack of crumbling stone. In spite of the shadows that enveloped her, she was perfectly calm where she sat indian style on the cave's rough and bumpy floor. Sitting across from her was a version of herself dressed in a dimly glowing silver cloak, the lower half of her face the only thing visible about her under her hood.

"Can you feel it?" Honesty asked, her voice a soft whisper. "The light beat of the earth?"

Silence, then Bonbon uneasily said, "I think so. It's so faint."

"It should be," the element nodded. "The earth holds many secrets. It will not give them away easily."

"That's rude," Bonbon commented with a frown.

"Or stubborn," Honesty chuckled softly. "The earth is old and the elderly can be as stubborn as they come."

Bonbon nodded, more than familiar with that aspect of the more weatherworn members of her family.

"How do I get it to talk to me?" she asked.

"That is the question, isn't it?" she chuckled. "How do you get a stubborn old grandmother to tell you her secrets?"

Bonbon thought about that for a good long moment. Honesty's words felt like a riddle, a funny concept in and of itself considering her name. The clue was there, she was sure of it. Slowly, she mulled over what the element told her. How does one ask the earth about its secrets. No. That wasn't right. How does one ask an elder to tell you their secrets? An idea crept into her head as she shifted her way of thinking.

Could it be that simple? No way. Their has to be more to it, right?

Willing to try anything at this point, she closed her eyes and placed a hand on the cave's floor. Slowly, she found the low pulsing she felt earlier.

"Will you teach me, please?" she whispered.

At first, nothing happened. Then, a small pulse of power brushed against her fingers and an image drifted into her mind. She saw a small crystal buried miles under the ground slowly grow to the size of a mountain, the energies and materials needed for such a feat revealing themselves to her in a rush. Half on instinct and half guided by the forces she had tapped into, she drew power that was alien to her from her chest into the hand she had flat against the ground. A small flash of light pierced the darkness for a brief second before small beams of light peeked past Bonbon's fingers. Her eyes widened as she pulled her hand back to reveal a glowing white gem no bigger then a penny.

Honesty smiled at her host as she stared in wonder at what she had created.

"Well done my host," she chuckled. "Shall we see if you can make a bigger one?"

Bonbon smiled and nodded, once again placing her hand on the ground and closing her eyes.

***

Howling winds and pelting rain fell all around Lightning, the dry and cracked stone wasteland finally able to quench its thirst as her name lit up the sky. The teen stood her ground in spite of all of that as she glared at her opponent. Loyalty glared back, wearing something akin to a leather bikini with arm and leg guards made of the same material covering her limbs up to her knees and elbows. A black wolf fur cloak shielded her from the rain while a hood made from the wolf's head did the same to her head. Lightning was the first to strike, a flash from the storm hiding her for a second just before her attack. Loyalty did the same and they met in a cross counter. The two girls glared daggers at each other as they tried to push their fists further into the other's face before they pulled their hands back. A flurry of blows flew between the two girls in a mass of blurs, neither willing to drop or yield. With a savage snarl, Loyalty delivered a powerful punch that sent her host flying. Lighting let out a pained grunt as she slammed into the rain-slicked ground twelve feet away, a dull groan coming out of her as she dragged herself to her feet.

"Not good enough," Loyalty hissed, wiping away a trail of blood from under her nose. "You need to do better than that if you want to keep your friends safe. You're The Lightning Bolt, right? That's what Lyra calls you, right? Then show me. Show me how you got that name!"

"You got it!" Lightning growled, her blood boiling as she charged her element.

Again they rained blows upon each other and again Loyalty sent her flying with a powerful blow. She could feel that her host was close to awakening her magic. All she needed was one more push to get her started.

She grimaced as she prepared herself for what was to come, no part of her looking forward to what she had to do or the consequences said action would bring.

Oh god almighty this was going to hurt.

"If this is the best you can do, you're not going to save anyone," Loyalty huffed.

"Shut up," Lightning growled as she forced herself to her feet.

"And you know what the worst part is?" Loyalty asked, crossing her arms. "Your friends are going to be right on the front lines trying to save those kids."

"Shut up!" Lightning hissed, her fists trembling as her anger grew.

"They're all gonna die because you couldn't figure out how to use your magic!"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" she screamed, pure rage pouring through her veins like white hot fire as she threw a punch.

The second her hand made contact blue electricity burst from her whole arm, the blast sending her element flying twenty feet away. She watched with wide eyes as Loyalty skipped across the wet ground like a stone on a lake.

"Oh shit," she stammered, quickly running to Loyalty's side.

"Are you okay? Shit, I'm sorry! I-I don't know what happened back there! I just-"

A burst of laughter from Loyalty knocked all of the worry out of the girl as she got back up.

"Nice shot!" the element laughed, playfully slapping her host across her back. "Let's see if you can do that again!"

"Uh... right," Lightning blinked.

Why'd I get the weird element? she thought as she assumed a fighting stance. Damn it all.

***

Shining silver walls surrounded Derpy, glowing blue and black lines covered them like the connecting circuits on a circuit board. The floor was a glowing pane of dark blue glass that echoed under her feet with every step she took. The ceiling was a single glowing white sheet of cold light that added to the futuristic look of the gymnasium sized room.

"So...cool! she gushed, then turned as she asked, "This is where we're going to train?"

Kindness nodded, a light giggle slipping past he lips as she approached her host.

"Indeed. Shall we get started?"

Derpy nodded eagerly, earning another giggle from the element.

"First, I need you to close your eyes."

"Okay?" Derpy shrugged then complied.

"Next, I want you to imagine everyone you care about. Friends. Family. Everyone."

Nodding, she thought of her family, her friends, and finally, Sunset. Out of all of them, Sunset's face stood out the most to her. A small blush and smile came to her face as she remembered all the good times they spent together. Kindness noticed and smiled as well, glad to see her host was on the right starting point for what was to come.

"Now imagine that something has come to hurt them."

Her smile vanished as she did as she was told. While she was still afraid of something happening to her family and friends, her mind again drifted towards Sunset. She still remembered the nightmares that haunted her both during and for several days after the Annon-a-Miss incident. A dream where she was too late to save her and watched her fall to her death. A dream where she found her lying dead in her bed with a knife in her chest. Another where she was hit by a car as an act of revenge from some unknown student. The worst of all being the one where she walked into Sunset's room and found her hanging from the ceiling, her dead eyes staring at her as if to ask why she couldn't save her. Tears started to run down her face as the horrible images played over and over again before her eyes.

"Now imagine they are all at your side just moments from what you are imagining."

The second she imagined Sunset was next to her, something in her mind clicked into place. She saw a great golden shield falling into place between them and every threat. It came down to stop her from reaching the edge of the bridge. It blocked the car that tried to kill her. It protected her heart from the knife some random killer tried to use on her. Derpy became that shield and for as long as she stood, her greatest nightmare was never going to happen. She would make sure of that.

When she opened her eyes, she swore she saw a glowing wall of golden energy. It was only for the tiniest fraction of a second, but she was sure she saw it. Kindness beamed at her as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You are a truly kind soul Derpy. Sunset is lucky she found someone like you."

"Nah," she giggled. "I think I'm the lucky one."

***

Lyra floated in an empty void. No ground. No sky. Nothing. At her side floated an exact copy of her, a lazy smile gracing her lips as she casually drifted across the surrounding nothingness like a fish through water. The girl took in her surroundings with confusion as she drifted along. When her element explained their situation to her, she was all for doing what she needed to do to help. So when Magic started talking in riddles, it didn't take long for her enthusiasm to turn into annoyance.

What did she mean "Magic is nothing here"? It is something. Hell, she's the Element of Magic for peat's sake!

She huffed and crossed her arms, her body ramrod straight as she floated aimlessly. She let out a depressed sigh as she looked around.

There isn't a whole lot of anything around here, really. Its so quiet and lonely.

Her eyes drifted shut as her mind drifted back to her days in Junior High when she had no friends. Back when her Grandmother was still alive and the closest thing to a family and a friend she had at the time. It was all so bitter sweet, just like the empty peace of the void she drifted in now. She knew that her Grandmother was going to die to cancer. She knew that her parents were going to leave her alone. She knew that her depression was going to come to crush her under it's heel.

Then Bonbon appeared. A small smile spread across her lips as she remembered how green the blue player was and how sad she was that she lost. Then came all of the memories of how they started hanging out after that and became best friends. Then Derpy entered the picture. And Octavia. And Vinyl. And Lightning. And Fluttershy. And finally, Sunset.

She gasped as she felt a warm hard surface against her back, shocking her eyes open to a new scene. A clear blue sky greeted her, the peak of a mighty mountain underneath her to give her a birds eye view of everything around her. From her perch she could see rich forests, dense swamps, and vibrant plains for miles in every direction, a wide and endless ocean at the halfway point towards the horizon. Glowing blue birds flew through the sky close enough to her peak that she could almost touch them, the roars of mighty beasts hidden from her sight making their presence known to all as the teen continued to gawk.

Footsteps behind her drew her attention away from the view and towards her forgotten companion. Now Magic wore a hooded black and white sorcerer's robe, the left half black while the right was white. A wide smile spread across her face as she pulled back her hood and looked at her host.

"Now there is magic here," she smiled. "Shall we get started?"

Lyra smiled and nodded, ready to do whatever she could to help her friends get out of this in one piece.

***

A dense fog crept through the trees, the chirping of crickets serving as the only sign of life beyond the two figures standing at the forest's heart. Fluttershy hissed as she took a swipe at her element, her rapier easily redirecting the blow with its flat as Forgiveness maintained the pressure of her attacks. The two combatants traded blows in an elegant dance, Forgiveness' rapier stopping just short of a fatal blow to force her host to yield as she tried to get at her with her claws and fangs. More than once, she tried to use her wings to give her an advantage, but Forgiveness' defenses were too strong to bypass with such a simple trick.

"Have you forgotten your mother's lessons?" Forgiveness asked, casually dodging a sweeping blow from her hosts claws. "Don't tell me those instincts of yours are stronger than her teachings."

Fluttershy paused at that. The idea of using her mother's martial art while in this form had never crossed her mind before. As she briefly considered the possible applications, Forgiveness took advantage of the opening to take a stab at her with her rapier. At the last second, Fluttershy side-stepped around the blade, grabbed her element's sword arm, and jabbed two of her fingers into the gap in her armer around her armpit area. The swordswoman let out a yelp as she jumped back, the sudden shift in tactics catching her off guard.

"Well done," Forgiveness smiled, clutching her shoulder.

"That was a cheep trick," Fluttershy pouted, glaring at her element in disappointment.

"I'm sorry," Forgiveness sighed. "But our enemy will do much worse when we face her. You will need to be ready for any kind of surprise she might throw at you."

"I guess your right," she sighed.

"Besides," Forgiveness smiled, pointing at the girl's hand. "I think we're on the right track on how you can use your magic."

Confused, she looked down at her hand just in time to see a few small flecks of green energy fade away from her claws.

"What was-?"

"Instinct and training can be a powerful combination," Forgiveness smiled, earning her a confused frown from her host as she took her sword out of her other hand. "It might be a while before I can use my other arm thanks to you."

"I-I'm sorry," Fluttershy gasped, hands flying to her face in shame for what she did.

"Don't be," Forgiveness giggled as she leveled her blade at her. "Try to do it again instead."

***

Sunset stood in the middle of Canterlot High's gymnasium, not a soul in sight save for herself and Acceptance. The element lacked her usual playful nature as she stared down her host. Sunset could sense her intent as she prepared herself for what was to come. She knew that she would need to bring back the CMC. She knew that she needed to have better control of her new magic to compete this task. She knew what was about to happen.

"Are you ready?" Acceptance asked.

Sunset nodded, then closed her eyes.

"On the ashes of my past, I stand alone. With the weight of my loved ones on my back, I move forward to a new dawn."

Author's Note

Oh my god what the hell is wrong with me?! Four chapters in a row?! God damn I need a break!😵 Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying this and are looking forward to what I have in store in the future. Till then everypony, ciou!:pinkiecrazy:

Ch.46 Where It All Started

It never occurred to Rarity until very recently just how much control one's perception had over time. Of course, this wasn't in a literal sense. A second lasted a second, a minute a minute, an hour an hour, and so on. It was in how time seemed to pass by obscenely fast when she was having a good time with someone, but then seemed to crawl painfully slowly when she was trapped in a trying situation. Lately, she found herself experiencing the latter far more than the former as she forced herself to function for a whole week of school. Every second seemed to last an hour as she sat through lecture after lecture, class after class, every second making her want to scream at how pointless this all was to her. How could she sit in class like nothing is wrong when some monster had her sister in its clutches.

In her dreams however, that was a completely different story. In a dream, time was completely linked to one's perceptions on a literal level. In the eight hours she spent asleep, she experienced two months worth of intense training at the hand of her new element. At first, she wondered how this kind of training could really benefit her beyond the massive headache she was forced to endure after her first session. It was all a dream after all. When she looked in the mirror after her second session however, she quickly saw the perks of her situation. Her body had developed a slim yet toned build, not anywhere near the kind of dimensions Rainbow or Applejack possessed, but enough to show the signs of a very rigorous exercise routine. And she was not the only one to make this sudden shift in form. While it was harder to notice with her more sporty friends, Fluttershy seemed to benefit the most out of this strange form of training as her frail physique shifted into one similar to Rarity's.

As each day passed, more changes made themselves known. Rarity found that her reflexes were a lot more keen then they were the day before. Her stamina was significantly higher as well, allowing her to keep up with Rainbow Dash's lowest records without getting winded in the slightest. A very pleasant set of changes considering the nature of the magic she wielded.

When she eventually asked Sacrifice how this was possible, she explained that it was all thanks to the element's own magic. Through their bond, the element had transferred her dream body's progress into her material body. She would be lying if she didn't think of finding a way to abuse this in some way, but Sacrifice killed that notion very quickly and savagely when she told her what effect that would have on her in the long run. The idea of a severally shortened maximum lifespan and painful death was more than enough to encourage her to do things the old fashion way.

Probably the worst thing about her current situation was the waiting. Every second of every day weighed heavily on her, the knowledge that her sister was at the mercy of some horrible monster constantly taking a toll on her. She could see the same kind of stress in Applejack and Rainbow Dash as well. The heavy atmosphere around her and her friends made the waking hours a suffocating slog, but that was not the only thing she saw as they days passed.

Slowly, the burnt bridges between Sunset's new friends and her old ones were rebuilding, each of them doing whatever they could to lift their spirits. Lightning helped Rainbow vent her nerves through sparing at the local community center after school. Bonbon introduced Applejack to meditation to help her focus her mind, something that apparently helped them focus their magic and bodies if what the candy maker said was true. As for Rarity, Octavia let herself become a shoulder to cry on when the pressure became too much for her to handle. It was thanks to her that she decided to try going through her old katas as a way to relax, something that Rarity was surprised she still remembered how to do considering how long it was since she practiced Karate.

The rest of her group found other ways to stay in contact or contribute wherever they could. Rarity was sure she had misheard Sunset one day when she said that Fluttershy and Vinyl spent most of their time after school together sparing. While she was aware that her friend was a martial artist, Fluttershy was always the passive self-sparing type that never actively tried to find excuses to use her skills. When she saw the two girls going at it one day after school, her jaw hit the floor so hard she was sure the gym staff were still trying to buff the dent out even now. According to Sunset, Derpy was working tirelessly to find even a hint of where this Great Evil took the CMC. From the second she woke up to the moment she went to sleep, her eyes were locked onto a computer screen. It even got to the point that Sunset had to force her girlfriend to eat something on more than one occasion. Lyra became the emotional motivator of the group, adding her energy to the room whenever spirits seemed at their lowest with her bright smile and contagious charm.

Rarity sighed as she stared up at her bedroom ceiling, mentally preparing herself for what was to come the second she drifted off to sleep. Who could've predicted that her life was going to become this complicated when she enrolled in Canterlot High. While most girls her age stressed about boys or test scores, she had to contend with world ending beings from the abyss. It would've been hilarious if the stakes weren't so dire for everyone involved. The thought that eleven teenage girls were the world's last line of defense against the magical evils of the world was pure insanity in its finest. But if that was the case, what did it say about her mental state when she believed that they could actually pull it off?

As her eyes started to drift shut, a voice she never thought she would hear again made her sit upright.

"Rarity! Can you hear me?!"

"S-Sweetie Belle?" she stammered, eyes wide as she frantically looked around the room. "Is that really you?"

"Yes!" Sweetie said, her voice echoing off of the walls. "Please help me!

"I will Sweetie," Rarity said, her voice choked behind relieved tears. "J-Just tell me where you are."

"I don't know!" she cried, pure panic lacing her tone. "PLEASE! I'M SO SCARED! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE! I WANT TO COME HOME, BUT SHE WON'T LET ME!"

"S-Sweetie, please calm down," Rarity said, attempting to sound calm in spite of her trembling tone. "Do you see anything around you? Anything that could give me an idea of where you are?"

"I-I'll try," she sniffled.

A few seconds of silence passed, but it may as well've been several years before the young girl's voice was heard again.

"I-I think I see a stream," she stammered.

"A stream?" Rarity asked, getting out of bed and changing out of her pajamas.

"Yeah, but it's hard to see under the bridge."

"A bridge?"

"Y-Yeah."

"That's good Sweetie!" she beamed as she pulled on a shirt. "Tell me about the bridge! Do you see any signs or anything that could help me narrow down where you are?"

"I-I'll try!" she whimpered.

Another moment of silence passed through the room. Meanwhile, Rarity frantically threw on whatever she had available at the time, not once caring if what she wore matched or any other trivial matter. If it was clean, it would due. No sooner had she locked her belt around her waste did Sweetie's voice break the silence.

"I see a sign!" Sweetie cheered. "It says Canter Creek Bridge!"

Rarity froze, all the blood draining away from her face and freezing in her chest. Of all the places the monster could've taken her sister, it had to be that infernal suicide bridge. The very same bridge that Sunset admitted to nearly throwing herself off of not too long ago.

She took a shuddering breath and said, "Thank you Sweetie. I will be there as soon as I can. Please, stay safe until then."

"P-Please hurry," Sweetie whimpered. "I-I'm scared of what the monster will do."

"Of course," she smiled. "I love you Sweetie."

"M-Me too sis," she sniffled.

Rarity grabbed her phone off of her nightstand and started sifting through her contacts. After a moment of searching, she tapped a contact and brought the phone to her ear as she walked out of her room. On the second ring Sunset's groggy voice came in on the line.

"Rarity? What's-"

"Sweetie and her friends are at the Canter Creek Bridge," she said flatly an unstable cocktail of emotions whirling through her heart as she made her way towards the front door.

"Canter Creek Bridge? Are you sure?" Sunset asked, the sounds of her getting out of bed coming over the line.

"Yes," she said, plucking her car keys off of a holder hook by the door. "Sweetie told me herself."

"What?" Sunset sputtered. "How?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, the cold night air cutting into her like a razor as she stepped out of the house. "But I'm not going to let her pleas fall of deft ears."

"Right," Sunset sighed. "Derpy and I will get in touch with everyone else and meet you there. Don't try to do this by yourself. We have no idea what we're dealing with."

"I promise darling," she smiled, getting into her car and closing the door. "Please hurry."

As she put her key into the ignition she never noticed the shadow of a small girl standing near the parked vehicle, a wide twisted grin spread across her face as she faded back into the darkness. Everything was going just as her mother planned. Sweetie could only hope her fake sister tasted just as good as she looked.

***

"This is a trap," Octavia said flatly, her eyes staring out into the near empty streets from her backseat in Rose Luck's SUV.

"You think so too, huh?" Lightning sighed from her seat one row ahead of her.

"This is so stupid," Vinyl growled, her elbow taping her sister's arm as she crossed her arms. "We still don't know anything about this thing and we're just gonna walk right into it's den?"

"We don't really have much of a choice," Bonbon sighed, putting a comforting hand on the DJ's shoulder. "If we don't go, Rarity would probably try to save her all by herself. At least like this we can watch each other's backs if things get nasty. I don't know if we're ready for this, but-"

"We are," Lyra said, cutting off her friend from her place at Lightning's left.

"How do you know?" Octavia asked, blinking in shock at her friend's show of confidence.

"Because we need to be," Sunset cut in, her tone resolved as she stared out into the dark streets from her seat in the front passenger seat. "We've been training for... a long ass time in our dreams for this and now its time to show what we've got. I don't know about all of you, but I'm not gonna stop until those three kids are home safe and sound."

"Took the words out of my mouth dragon girl," Lyra chuckled. "What do you all think?"

"That this is probably the stupidest thing I've ever done," Vinyl sighed, then grinned as she added, "About damn time I found something like that around here!"

"Someone needs to make sure my dear sister doesn't blow up a building," Octavia chuckled. "Where she goes, I go."

"Do you even need to ask?" Lightning smirked, slamming her fist into her open palm. "Just tell me who to deck!"

Sunset chuckled at that and turned her head towards her girlfriend. At the same time, her girlfriend gave her a small smile from behind the wheel. She would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit nervous about what was going to happen, but there was no way in hell she was going to let Sunset wander into danger like that. All of her training had led up to this moment and she'd eat her own false eye before she'd let all of it go to waste. She was going to make sure that everyone came back from this safe, even if she had to be the one to take their places.

A cold chill shot down her spine when a familiar towering structure came into view. A similar reaction ran through everyone in the vehicle as she pulled into the bridge's parking lot. Sunset's eyes were locked onto the structure as Derpy parked. Just like every other time she saw it, her mind flashed back to that night so many weeks ago. She shivered as the cold from that night came back to her and the memories of just how empty she was that night, how hopeless the world felt as she prepared to jump.

The sound of Derpy pulling the key out of the ignition snapped her out of her dark memories. With a determined frown she let herself out of the car. The rest of her group did the same a few seconds later and made their way towards the bridge. As they walked, they noticed four figures standing in front of the stairs that led up towards the bridge's pedestrian platform. A relieved sigh slipped past Sunset's lips as she recognized them as the rest of her group.

"You waited," Sunset said as she approached Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, and Fluttershy.

They nodded.

"I did promise didn't eye?" Rarity smirked.

"Had ta' hold Dash back a few times," Applejack frowned, glaring at her friend.

"I just want Scoots back," Rainbow grumbled. "Kid's been through enough already."

"We all want them back," Fluttershy said, placing a gentle hand on Rainbow's shoulder. "But we have to do this together."

"I know," she sighed.

"Well, now we're here," Sunset sighed glaring up at the bridge. "Let's do this."

Everyone nodded and as one, they made their way up the stairs. The second they set foot on the pedestrian platform, they all felt a sudden shift in atmosphere. The air felt cold and oily, like something was infecting it with a toxic haze. A deathly silence surrounded them as they slowly walked further onto the platform, even their footsteps on the metal floor muted as they moved. Fleeting movements in the dark corners of their vision caught their attention at random moments. They could feel eyes tracking them from the shadows as they carefully scanned their surroundings.

"Stay close everyone," Sunset whispered, her hands tingling as her magic reacted to the rancid energy that surrounded them.

They all nodded and continued to scan their surroundings. A cold chill slid down their spines as a cold feminine chuckle echoed off of everything. A dark mass slithered around them in the shadows, the laughter seeming to trail behind it like the slime of a snail as it moved.

"Well, well, well," the voice snickered. "What do we have here? Eleven little lambs that have come to their slaughter? How sweet. Welcome my dears, to the last night of your lives. Bask in the cold chill, for it will be the last time you will feel it."

"Who are you?" Sunset growled, her blood boiling as the dark energy around her continued to grow. "Show yourself!"

"Such fire," the voice purred. "Amazing what a difference a couple of weeks can make. It will make breaking you all the more pleasurable."

"ANSWER ME!!!" Sunset roared.

The voice laughed harder at that and said, "Very well."

At that moment, the black mass slithered out of the shadows into the center of the platform. The girls watched with wide eyes as the mass bubbled and hissed like heated oil. Slowly, the mass rose and shifted into a vaguely human shape before assuming the hourglass shape of a woman. It looked like it was wearing a flowing black dress, but there was no separation from the creature's skin and what passed as clothing. Her face was absent with a blank layer of black "skin" in its place with long wriggling black tendrils taking the place of hair on her head.

Every instinct they had told them to run, that the thing in front of them was dangerous. They fought against that instinct as they stood their ground. The creature turned its head towards them and though it lacked a face, they could feel a mocking smile aimed at them.

"To answer your question, I am Lily Bouquet, though most know me as Lily of the Velvet Tongue. Now, are you ready to-"

"Where's Scoots?" Rainbow demanded, taking a step towards Lily.

"What have you done with Sweetie you demon!?" Rarity snarled, taking a stand next to Rainbow.

"Ah swear," Applejack growled, joining her friends. "If ya'll hurt one hair on their heads Ah'll-"

She never got a chance to finish her threat.

A split second before she could add to her threat, Lily appeared a foot in front of the trio. Her arms were out wide with fingers curved into claws in a threatening manor as she towered a full foot over the apple farmer. A fang-lined mouth appeared on her "face" as she snarled, "YOU DARE THINK I WOULD HURT MY OWN CHILDREN?! FINISH THAT THREAT YOU WORTHLESS COW! I DARE YOU! I SWEAR I WILL PAINT MY BRIDGE WITH YOUR BLOOD AND FEED YOUR GUTS TO THE STRAYS THAT PASS BY!"

Before the terrified teen could say anything, a yellow hand flew past her head from behind her and sunk its fingertips into Lily's neck. Shaken out of her shock, Applejack looked over her shoulder and spotted a very angry Fluttershy glaring hatefully at the monster she stabbed her nails into. Lily looked down at the girl that dared to strike her and her makeshift mouth twisted itself into a hideous smile.

"Dear Fluttershy, striking at shadows now, are we? Though I suppose it's an improvement over cowering from them."

As she said that, the Wraith melted back into the ground and vanished from sight. Everyone frantically looked around for her, none of them eager to have the Wraith sneak up on them. It was with that in mind that each of them one by one Ponyed-up. Sunset was about to do the same, but before she could say the chant to undo her seal, a maelstrom of dark energy swirled around her. Yelps of fear came from the rest of her party as a similar fate befell them.

"Oh how I've waited for this moment," Lily purred, her voice coming from everywhere again as everything became consumed by shadow. "Your despair will be the like the finest wine, the heartiest of feasts. Rejoice, for you shall feed myself and my children for a good long while. But first, you must be properly prepared. After all, only the ripest of fruits taste the sweetest. Come into my world Sunset. All of you. Come and know true despair."

With that, the storm of darkness dissipated and eleven young girls vanished. As silence once again made itself known on the bridge a single truth did so as well. The time for war has begun.

Author's Note

And so it begins.:rainbowdetermined2:

Ch. 47 Fireball

Author's Note

Let's get this party started!

Ch. 47 Fireball

Sunset groaned as her eyes fluttered open, her head resting on something soft and glowing in a faint gray light. A rich floral scent assaulted her senses as she forced herself to her feet. She staggered to her left and just managed to get a grip on what felt like a wall in that direction before she slammed into it. Slowly, the world stopped spinning around her and she was able to get a better look at her surroundings.

She was standing in the middle of a long dimly lit hallway. The walls and ceiling were made of some sort of black stone while the floor was covered in dark gray glowing lilies. Aside from her breathing, the hall was completely silent. A chill shot down her spine from how empty everything about the place felt. Her thoughts instantly jumped to her friends and girlfriend. Where they in this place too? Where they safe?

An image of Derpy laying on the ground crossed her mind, the girl's eyes wide with terror as a puddle of blood formed around her. The image made Sunset's blood boil as she leveled a glare into the abyss before her.

She thinks she can take her from me? Hell no. No one will take away my hoard! I'LL BURN THAT MONSTER'S ASHES TO ASHES!

A deep growl crept past her lips as she moved forward, her hands clenched into tight fists as she glared into the darkness beyond her line of sight. As she walked, the flowers nearest to her started to let out small trails of smoke, but this didn't matter all that much to Sunset. All that mattered was finding her friends, saving the CMC, and destroying her enemy.

Several turns and forks greeted her as she tried to find her way through the tunnels towards her goals. As she did, her anger continued to grow. When she found her tenth dead end, she let out a furious cross between a yell and a roar as she slammed a fist into the wall.

Calm down Sunset, she thought as she took a deep breath. Getting mad won't get you anywhere. You need to calm down and figure something out.

She cradled her chin in the crook between the index finger and thumb of her right hand as she tried to figure out what to do. It was clear that she was in a maze, a fact that nearly reignited her anger again as she stared at the wall in front of her. It was also clear that wandering around aimlessly wasn't going to help her get out all that quickly. At least, not unless she got insanely lucky, but considering that this was "Lily's world" the odds of luck helping her was hilariously low.

A frustrated sigh slipped past her lips as she turned around and started walking back down the hall. Ten steps into her walk, something below her caught her attention. In the middle of the hall, a straight line of dead flowers greeted her. A smile spread across her lips as an idea started to take shape in her head.

***

Lily lounged in her throne, a confident smile gracing her lips as she stared at several oneway portals hovering before her. Through them, she could see Sunset and her friends struggle their way through the new additions she made to her home. It took a considerable amount of power to reconstruct her pocket dimension, but it was more than worth it to see the fiery hared girl let out her frustrations on a wall. The construction was simple, but extremely intricate in scale. Her normal flower garden sat at the heart of her world, but now the twenty miles wide field was surrounded by a series of labyrinthine dungeons that surpassed the heart by twice its size. While it was far from impossible to navigate, the maze was very difficult to get through quickly if one were to try to rush through it. In addition, each of the eleven girls had a seed that they needed to get past in order to get to her. A fairly simple set of obstacles, but the kind that gave her more than a reckless direct attack. There was something about these girls that made them different from her usual prey and she was not going to take any unnecessary risks. This went double for the safety of her children as far as she was concerned

Her children giggled as they watched Sunset loose her temper, something that brought a bit of warmth to her heart as she watched them sit by her feet. She chuckled as she summoned a vine, wrapped it around them, and brought them onto her lap. She let out a happy hum as she pulled them into a tight hug, each of them smiling as they playfully struggled against her show of affection.

"Mom, c'mon," Scootaloo giggled. "I'm trying to watch!"

"Yeah," Applebloom smiled. "Ah want ta' learn how to hunt!"

"But I want to hug my darling daughters," Lily pouted, nuzzling the tops of their heads one by one. "Or are all of you too big for momma's love?"

"Nope," Sweetie smiled as she hugged the Wraith. "Never!"

"No fair," Scootaloo pouted, a dark gray blush coloring her cheeks as she stopped resisting and hugged her back.

Applebloom just smiled as she melted into the hug.

"Besides," Lily smiled. "It looks like one of you already knows how to hunt."

Sweetie giggled as she playfully stuck her tongue at her sisters. Scootaloo and Applebloom rolled their eyes at that as Lily let them all pull out of the hug.

"Why, before I know it, you three will all grow strong enough to head out and make your first kills. Oh how I will miss you all when that happens," she sighed, her smile turning wistful and sad as she lightly moved Scootaloo's hair out of her eyes.

"Mom, are there others like us out there?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yes my child," the Wraith smiled. "The Queen has made many brothers and sisters for me and I have done the same for you."

"The Queen? Who's that?" Applebloom asked, tilting her head.

Lily's gaze turned distant as a soft smile spread across her face.

"She is the oldest and most powerful Wraith in the world. With but a flick of her wrist, I have seen her level mountains and split seas. Armies have tried to slay her, but none all of them were nothing but ants before her power. All Wraiths aspire to be like her, even a little bit. A goddess of power and bounty to herself and all of her children that could end all who crossed her path."

The girls stared at Lily in awe, the thought that a being of such great power too much for them to comprehend. The fact that their mother had met this person, this great progenitor of their kind, made them look up to her all the more. A pride that they didn't properly understand started to fill them as they basked in their mother's presence.

"But," she continued. Do you know what the greatest fact of all is about the Queen?"

They shook their heads.

With a proud smile, she pulled them into another hug and said, "That she has such beautiful Grandchildren."

They froze, shock widening the young Wraiths eyes as they processed that, only for wide smiles to spread across their faces.

"W-We're The Queen's Grandchildren?" Applebloom asked.

"For real?" Scootaloo gaped. "That's so awesome!"

"Can we meet her?" Sweetie asked, pulling out the hug just enough to meet her mother's eyes.

Lily's face fell at that and said, "No my dear. Mother has been allusive lately and no one can find her unless she wants to be found. That is why Wraiths try so hard to become strong. If you can reach her level of power, then she will show you the way to her throne."

The three girls traded glances, then smiled as they pulled out of Lily's hug and as one said, "We will do it! We will meet The Queen one day!"

As they said that, a black burst of power shot out of their backs like an inky mist. The sight earned a proud smile out of the elder Archwraith.

"Perhaps," she purred. "You all will need a lot more power to do it, but you are off to a good start. I don't know what happened to you all in that other world, but you each have much more power than any youngling should have at your age."

They beamed up at her.

A bit of movement from one of the oneway portals caught her attention.

"Well now," she said with a venomous smile. "It looks like she's closing in on one of the seed chambers. Let's see how well she fairs against it."

***

Sunset's eyes scanned her surroundings with the precision of a raptor as she walked, the air growing heaver with each step as the oily tainted energy grew thicker around her. It wasn't hard for her to figure out how to navigate the maze. Thanks to the dead flowers, she quickly figured out where she didn't need to go and used a simple process of elimination. The fact that Lily's magic was so rancid didn't hurt her chances all that much either. Even a complete novice should've been able to sense such a foul build of power blindfolded, the only difference being that a novice would know to go the opposite direction of such a source.

Sunset was silent as she made her way towards the magic's source, her own magic raging in her core in response. It was as if an inferno rested inside of her, filling her with power with every step she took.

Was this what a dragon felt before a fight? she thought idly. No wonder they were such jerks back home. I feel so strong, like nothing can get in my way.

"And nothing will," she whispered coldly.

As the words left her lips, she made a turn and stepped into a new addition to the maze. It was a massive circular room easily the size of a football field. Like the rest of the maze, glowing flowers grew out of the floor, but now they also grew out of the ceiling and shined twice as brightly. The change in scenery meant little to her compared to what stood at the center of the chamber. At its heart stood the very same monster she saw on the bridge, its shredded paper-like mouth the only facial feature it held twisted into a long sadistic smile.

"Welcome Sunset Shimmer," the creature said, its voice gurgly and wet. "To the last few minutes of your life."

"Really?" Sunset snorted, stepping further into the room. "I don't see that happening. I don't plan on dying here."

"You say that like you have a choice," it said with a hissing laugh. "My mistress has marked you for death. Therefore, you shall die."

"Mistress? I guess that means you're not Lily, right?" she asked.

"No," it hissed. "I am a seed she crafted to end you. A miserable whelp like you is not worth my mistress' time."

A moment of silence filled the room before Sunset let out a humorless chuckle.

"Funny," Sunset said as she gave the seed a cold smile. "I feel the same way about you."

https://youtu.be/st483RdmSQY

The seed's smile fell and with a savage scream its arm stretched as it lashed it out at her like a whip. In a flash, a Unicorn horn appeared on her forehead followed by pony ears appearing on her head. A second later, a flaming whirlwind surrounded her, completely incinerating the incoming limb before it could even touch her. The seed screamed in pain before it tore off the damaged appendage, a new one growing in its place mere seconds later. Sunset stepped through the flames, a look of cold indifference on her face as she stared at the seething seed.

"I'm going to make this simple for you," she said coldly. "Get out of my way or I'm going to kill you."

The seed hissed like an enraged cobra, its tendril-like hair writhing spastically on its head.

"You think yourself worthy of the mistress' presence? Don't make me laugh! A paltry fire trick such as this will not make me yield!"

"Fine," Sunset sighed as she pointed her palm at the monster. "Then die."

With that said, a stream of fire shot out of her hand towards the seed. The monster smiled as a hole opened in her body where the blast of fire was about to hit, passing harmlessly through her and searing the ground. Sunset's eyes narrowed with annoyance while the seed laughed manically.

"Fool! My body is like liquid!" the seed boasted, its form rippling as if to prove a point. "A pitiful attack like that will never touch me, let alone kill me!"

"Really," Sunset growled. "Good to know."

As she said that, she gathered some of the fire covering the battlefield into a tight ball in her hand and threw it at the seed. It just laughed as it let the attack pass through another hole before running towards Sunset, its lower body like that of a snake as it slithered towards her. Sunset summoned a wall of flame when the monster made the five-foot mark, but it dove through it towards her. Sunset gathered some fire into her hand again, but instead of making it into a fireball, she compressed it as hard as she could and aimed her flaming palm at the creature's face. At the last possible second, she jumped back as the spell touched the seed's forehead. It exploded instantly, tearing the whole top half of the creature's body apart. Sunset stayed on guard, flames already forming in her hands as she stared her enemy's remains down. There was no way it was that easy.

As if to prove her point, the creature laughed as its body reformed.

"Impressive," it grinned. "But futile. You can blast me apart as many times as you like, but it will do nothing. Just surrender and let your death come. I promise to make it as quick and painless as I can."

"Tempting," Sunset smirked. "But I think I'll pass. I have a girlfriend I need to find and a monster to kill after all."

A deep scowl grew on the seed's face and with another furious scream, it charged at her. Sunset smiled as she ran forward, flames covering her hands and arms as she decided to put all of her training to use.

In the past, she would've simply coated her hands or hooves in flame, now whirling tempests of fire surrounded her hands and arms. The result turned her punches into devastating flame drills that tore into her opponent's body and ripped apart anything she blocked. The seed's attacks were relentless, each as fast as a viper and just a touch less precise as its temper continued to grow. Every now and then Sunset would break away from melee combat to release more long range blasts, her opponent snarling in fury and the battle field becoming further consumed by Sunset's blaze.

Almost there, she thought, panting as she stared down her opponent, flames raging around them and growing wilder by the second

"Not too bright, are you?" the seed sneered, not even winded as it stared Sunset down. "As a human, you need air to live. All this fire is going to make that rather hard soon."

"Your right," Sunset smirked. "A human would have a hard time here, but let me tell you something interesting."

"What?" the seed chuckled.

Sunset's smile grew as she said, "I'm not exactly human."

A second later, gold and red flames manifested all over Sunset's body, all of it writhing and surging like liquid gold as it moved. The heat in the room skyrocketed as the same flames appeared on every surface not previously consumed by the growing inferno. The seed's smile wilted as it looked around, genuine fear making itself known in its features. Slowly, its body started to bubble as a rancid gray steam wafted off of its body. The seed screamed as right before its eyes, its liquid body started to turn to vapor.

"No! Stop! Please!" it begged, its body slowly shrinking as the heat gradually took its toll. "H-Have mercy on me!"

"Why?" Sunset asked, her eyes cold as ice in spite of the raging inferno that surrounded her.

"I-I can take you my mistress," it stammered. "I will be your servant for the rest of my life! Please, spare me and I will do anything you wish!"

Sunset stared at the seed for a few seconds then sighed as she said, "I told you to get out of my way."

The seed gaped at her, then growled as all of its previous desperation gave way to anger.

"Then if this is to be my fate, let it be the one we share!"

As it said that, the seeds body melted into a large black puddle and surged towards Sunset. The girl barely blinked as she was enveloped by the viscus black sludge, the monster forming into a large sphere around her. The seed laughed, the pain from the flames that surrounded her mostly forgotten as it tightened its grip on its target.

"Die! Struggle! Gasp for air as you are erased from this world along with me witch!"

The seed laughed harder as it continued to squeeze, all the while wondering if her bones would break before her lungs. This was it, the seed had won.

Then it felt the heat. Not from the flames that surrounded it, but the prey it held tight in its clutches. It was faint at first, almost pleasant compared to the hell that surrounded it, but it quickly grew to match as the seconds ticked by. An unbearable pain surged through the seed, a blood curdling scream filling the room as it was cooked from the inside out like a hard boiled egg. A gold torrent of flame blasted out of its body, merging with the existing flames and filling the room with a whirling hurricane of golden fire. The seed let out one last fading scream as it was completely annihilated and in its place stood a lone teen, her hair waving wildly in the heart of the firestorm as her spell ran its course.

In a matter of seconds, everything in the room had been reduced to ash and total darkness took the flame's place. Sunset sighed as she conjured a small fireball in her hand to help guide her through the darkness.

"I forgot about the flowers," she grumbled.

Irritated that she now had to wander the giant room nearly blind, she carefully walked forward with the hope that she would find a way out of the chamber quickly.

Ch. 49 Gurenge

Total silence dominated Lily's chamber, her children watching in awe as their mother worked. From her throne she sat with her hand out in front of her, nine jagged black crystals slowly forming in her palm. It became apparent from Algantha's and Lugara's battles that she greatly underestimated her opponent's strength. While they still paled in comparison to her own power, she never truly relied on power alone to win her battles. It was thanks to her cautious tactics that she was able to hold her own against beings as strong as Hearths Warming in the past. A practice that she was more than willing to repeat with her latest targets.

"Mama, what are those?" Applebloom asked, staring at the gems.

"Just a little something to help the others out a bit," Lily smirked. "Watch."

As she said that, the gems floated out of her hand and shot through the portals.

"What did you do?" Sweetie asked. Staring at the portals.

"Watch and see," the elder Wraith chuckled as she leaned back in her seat.

No sooner had the words left her mouth did a figure step into one to the nine remaining arenas in the maze. Her smile grew as she saw the young girl look around cautiously, her ivory complexion and violet braid showing nicely in the chamber's bright light.

"It's the faker!" Sweetie growled, her teeth turning into fangs as she glared at the image of her sister. "That jerk! Can I kill her if Alura can't?"

"Maybe," Lily mused, tapping her chin in thought. "Let us see what kind of powers she has first."

"But-" Sweetie started only to be cut off by a raised hand from her mother.

"Sweetie, what is the first rule of direct hunting?" she asked, face hard as she stared down at the younger Wraith.

"Observe and exploit," she sighed, staring dejectedly at the ground.

"That's right," Lily nodded, her features softening as she patted the girl on the head. "Only a fool charges blindly into a hunt without a plan. If you really want to kill this girl, watch her every move. Take note of how she moves and how her power operates. Study her reactions to what is told to her. Take in every little advantage she can give you, then strike with everything you have. Do you understand?"

"Yes mother," Sweetie nodded, a small smile growing on her face.

"Good," she smiled. "Now let's see what this girl has at her disposal."

As they turned their attention towards the relevant portal, a proud smirk spread across the elder Wraith's face.

This should be interesting. Show me child. Show me how well you'll fair against Alura.

***

Rarity scanned the massive room with intense scrutiny as she walked towards the center. Aside from flowers and herself, the room was completely empty of life. If it wasn't for the toxic energy prickling her horn, she would've thought that there was nothing worth noting about the chamber. Her ears twitched as she searched for any sign of danger beyond what her instincts were telling her.

Something is here, she thought, her horn tingling as she primed her magic. Where is it?

A soft click echoed through the room, freezing her in place as her ears swiveled to find its source. Another click made her jump into a fighting stance as she gave the room a quick once over. A high-pitched giggle filled the room as more clicks could be heard, the sound sending a chill down her spine as she frantically tried to find the source. She heard a faint whistling as a gray mass of threads descended upon her from above. She let out a surprised yelp as the threads tightly wrapped around her. In a matter of seconds she was trapped in a gray cocoon with only her eyes and nose exposed.

Another high pitched giggling filled the room as something dropped down onto the ground from the ceiling. Rarity mentally kicked herself for not thinking to look up as the creature scuttled into her line of sight. The creature resembled a centaur, only instead of a horse the bottom half of the creature was the body of a jet black spider. the top half of the creature was the slim form of a woman, her only article of clothing being a tattered strip of black fabric covering her slightly above average bust and a matching masquerade mask on her face. Her straight gray hair was cut short in a manor that was a charming mix of messy and classy. Long, elegantly manicured claws decorated her hands with the same gray threads wrapped around her prey coiled lightly around her fingers. The creature giggled impishly, long and deliberate steps allowing her to circle the bound girl.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" the seed cooed. "A little girl, far from home? A sweet little fly looking for a comfy web to snuggle into? A gutless traitor trying to make amends?"

Rarity's eyes widened at that, the silk around her mouth muffling her words. The seed giggled as she settled in front of Rarity, a wide grin plastered across her lips as she leaned in close with licked lips. A sick chill shot down Rarity's spine as she felt her enemy's claws trail across her body through her bindings.

"It all doesn't matter to me," she purred wickedly as she planted a kiss on the bound girl's cheek. "Alura will make your death beautiful regardless."

Pain shot through Rarity as Alura punched her in the chest, knocking what little air left in her lungs right out of them as she flew across the room into a wall. More pain ran through her as she made contact with the hard stone, a wide crater surrounding her in the wall before she flopped to the ground. Alura laughed sadistically as she scuttled to the girl's side, said girl barely conscious as the monster propped her back up. Laughing cruelly, she slammed a fist into Rarity's stomach, the blow forcing a pained squeak out of the girl.

"I know all about it you know?" Alura taunted, her fist repeatedly pounding into the girl's gut every few seconds. "The way you abandoned your friend. The way you pushed her into ending her life. I'm really impressed! I never knew someone so beautiful could be so ruthless! Well, other then the Mistress of course, but that's different."

Pained coughs were the only things Rarity could manage as her enemy continued her assault, memories of the past few days running through her head against her will. The dead look in Sunset's eyes that night at The Sugarcube Corner Café. The revelation that Sunset had been homeless the whole time. The knowledge that her sister was responsible for the school turning against Sunset. All of it came back to her at once with each plow her opponent landed.

Tears started to slide down her face as the weight of her crimes bored down on her, her body going limp from grief and the damage it was sustaining. Alura laughed maniacally as she backed away from the weeping girl, more thread forming between her fingers as she admired her handy work.

"Yes, that's it," she purred. "A filthy traitor like you deserves to suffer like this. Besides, you humans are always more beautiful when soaked in despair. Let it fill you and give in to it!"

As she said that, she lashed her hand at the bound girl and wrapped the thread coiled around her fingers onto Rarity's cocoon. with a wide smile, the seed grabbed the extended threads and swung Rarity through the air like a flail. A loud crack filled the air as the poor girl was slammed into the ground, the stone beneath her cracking like glass before the seed heaved her into the air to repeat the process. Rarity was numb to the pain as her most hated memories ran through her mind, the world blurring behind her tears.

Then, a different memory made itself known. An open field, the first breeze of spring turning the snow into irritating slush under her boots. Two equally guilty girls standing at her sides as they each confessed their sins to the one they used to call friend. Then a warm embrace as she was forgiven along with her friends.

Her vision instantly cleared, the fugue that held her back this whole time shattering like a stone through a window as she glared at her enemy. Alura noticed and for the first time since the two beings crossed paths, her smile faded away.

"I don't like that look," she growled. "That ugly glare doesn't suit you."

As she said that, she again propped Rarity up, now at the heart the chamber as she continued to glare at the seed.

"You look so much better in pain. Let me show you!"

As she said that, she straightened out her claws on her right hand and plunged it towards her. At the last second, Rarity's magic activated and a loud metallic clang echoed through the room. Alura blinked, confusion evident on her face as she stared at the point her claws should've penetrated the girl. Instead of blood, she saw what looked like a small shifting prismatic light peeking out through the stab wound.

"What the-," she muttered, then screamed and covered her face as the cocoon surrounding Rarity exploded in a rainbow flash of color.

When she looked again, what she saw made her jaw drop in awe. Rarity was now dressed in an ornate gothic lolita dress with long gloves that came up to her exposed shoulders. Draped over her shoulders was a long hooded cloak that trailed behind her like a wedding train. While the outfit was beautiful, this was not what captivated the seed about her opponent. It was the fact that the outfit continuously changed colors. It was as if it was made from the northern lights themselves as it shifted seamlessly from one color to the other before her eyes.

"W-What are-" Alura started only to be cut off by her opponent.

"You are right about one thing," Rarity said coldly. "I am a traitor, but that doesn't matter right now. What does is that there is a monster running around and that my sister is in danger."

Slowly, she shifted into a combat stance and added, "And I will do whatever it takes to change both of those things for the better."

https://youtu.be/sdIeZikX_5c

Alura jumped back, claws bared as she matched her opponent's glare. Something had changed about the girl beyond her outfit, though that did raise a lot of questions in the seed. While not as many as Algantha, Alura faced her fair share of magic wielders. Slowly, she circled the girl, carefully studying her form from every available angle. Rarity tracked her with her eyes, body unmoving as she refused to lower her guard. Alura maintained her slow orbit for several long minutes, threads forming around her fingers as she considered her options. All the while, Rarity continued to patently track her progress. For what felt like an hour, the two continued their little dance, neither willing to be the first to break it. Eventually, Alura cracked and struck with her claws as soon as she got behind the girl. Sparks flew as the nails raked across the cloak's surface, a few of them snapping from the attempt. She screamed in agonized fury as she jumped back, her damaged hand clutched tightly in her other as she glared at the girl's back.

Rarity sighed, then slowly turned to face the monster and said, "I'm afraid an attack like that won't work, darling. Ineffigiatus is quite durable in this state, after all."

"Ineffigiatus?" Alura hissed, confusion mixing with her rage and pain.

"It means fashionless," she said with an empty chuckle. "Quite fitting, all things considered. Anyway, that's what my outfit is called. As it is, not even armor-piercing rounds can harm me. The catch, as it were, is that I can't move very fast, nor hit any harder then I would normally."

"Impressive," Alura grumbled, her claws regenerating back to their full glory as she brought her other hand away from it. "Though I suppose that does explain how my claws didn't pierce you earlier."

"Indeed," Rarity nodded.

"However," Alura added, a cocky smiled spreading across her lips. "Do you think it was wise telling me how your powers work? I know that an armor like that could make anyone cocky, but knowing that you can't hurt me doesn't really help you all that much."

"Whatever do you mean, darling?" she asked, a faint smile coloring her tone.

Before Alura could respond, another flash of light briefly blinded her and pain exploded throughout her entire body. When she finally managed to blink the spots out of her eyes, she came to several shocking discoveries. The first was that she had been slammed deep into a wall on the other side of the chamber, blood pouring out of her chest where her ribs had torn through her skin. The next one was that Rarity was wearing a completely different outfit.

Now she wore a partially ripped T-shirt under what appeared to be a biker-style vest jacket. A matching pair of ripped jeans covered her legs while a pair of thick combat boots replaced her stylish tennis shoes. Spike-knuckled open-fingered gloves covered her hands, one of them still pointing forward from when she punched the seed across the room. Like her previous outfit, her new one shined in a continuous aurora-like pattern.

The seed wheezed as she pried herself out of the wall. Wet coughs and hacks fell out of her mouth as her chest snapped back into shape, her eyes wide as she tried to make sense of what just happened. Rarity stared at the creature before her with cold eyes as she quickly shifted into a fighting stance. Alura hissed as she assumed a stance of her own, her back arched as she scuttled towards her with her arms wide and ready to strike with web covered claws. She swiped at her human prey only for her to duck under the blow and deliver a powerful punch to the seed's gut. Prepared this time, she forced her way past the pain to grab Rarity's arm. She opened her mouth, ready to sink her fangs into the girl's open flesh only for another flash to fill the room and her fangs bounced harmlessly off of the sleeve-covered arm as Rarity's outfit shifted back into its previous form. Alura hissed furiously as she let go of the limb and fired a stream of threads at her from her hands. A flash of light signaled another outfit change, but instead of seeing the teen in her biker attire, only empty space occupied the girl's original position. Frantically, the seed looked around for her prey, only to suddenly feel a fist slam into her face for her trouble. While nowhere near as powerful as the attack that sent her flying, it still forced a pained snarl out of her as she tried to find her prey as she ignored the blood pooling from her now broken nose.

"Impressive, no?" Rarity smirked from behind the monster.

Alura snarled as she turned around and thrusted her hand forward. As she suspected, the girl's outfit changed again. Now she wore a skimpy tank top and shorts that left nearly nothing to the imagination that shined in the same manner as the previous outfits. In spite of the claw currently plunged into her gut, the girl looked happy with her current position. That is, she did before she vanished before Alura's eyes.

"What in the-?" she started only to freeze as a dainty giggle could her heard behind her.

"You need to be quicker, darling."

Alura snarled as she turned to strike, only to be met by a lightning fast white blur. A second later, pain wracked her body as it registered the countless punches that were delivered. Another flash and Rarity was back in her biker outfit and delivered another devastating right hook to the creature's chest. As she staggered back, she struggled to make sense of her opponent's magic.

"H-How are you doing all of this?" she gasped painfully, claw resting tenderly on her slowly mending chest. "Y-You said that you can't hit that hard or move fast."

"Correction," Rarity chuckled. "I said I couldn't move fast or hit hard in my previous state."

"What?" Alura croaked.

"Ineffigiatus can take on several different forms based on the wearer's needs," she explained, shifting back into a fighting stance as she glared at her opponent. "But their is a cache. Each form strips away magic from one part of it to another, based on the need. Style One is an incredible suit of armor, but it lacks any form of offense and lowers my mobility. Style Two has almost no protective abilities, but tremendous destructive power. Style Three offers little attack power and no defense, but gives me an amazing boost of speed."

"Impressive," Alura smirked. "And thank you for telling me how your power works. Now that I know, it should make killing you a lot easier."

Rarity sighed, then said, "You misunderstand, darling."

"What?" the seed asked.

"I have no need to keep secrets from someone who's dead."

Alura blinked, then chuckled as she plucked something out of her tattered top.

"You think you can kill me? Fool. I haven't even begun to show you my power!"

As she said that, she held up her prize above her head, a single jagged black crystal about the size of a marble. With a manic grin, she stabbed the gem into her gut. A dark mist quickly formed around her, twisted laughter slowly warping at its heart as a twisted change began to take place. The cloud parted to reveal a monstrosity straight from the mind of a madman. Alura's spider body had been replaced by a heavily armored scorpion's, complete with pincers and gifted with three stingers instead of one. Her human part was noting but a writhing mass of gray thread and jet black spiders trapped in the shape of a beautiful woman as they moved.

"Amazing," Alura groaned breathily, her "hands" trailing sensually across her form. "This power is .....intoxicating! Never have I felt so .......powerful! And this body! I'm so...so....BEAUTIFUL!!!"

"Revolting," Rarity spat. "While you may have been charming before, now you truly are a monster. I really will be doing the world a favor by removing you from it."

Alura giggled wickedly as she turned her head towards her and said, "You can try, hag, but I doubt you can manage it."

As she said that, the monstrosity charged towards her, claws and pincers ready to tear the girl to shreds. Rarity stared Alura down, her horn and outfit tingling as she channeled her magic. Rarity took a quick step forward and met one of the pincers halfway as she threw a punch into it. A loud metallic clang echoed off of the walls as the deadly limb was knocked back only to be replaced by its twin and countered the same way. This continued for several long minutes, both fighters moving in a blur as they each tried to overpower the other. Eventually, the clank of metal gave way to a loud crack as Alura's pincers finally shattered. With a savage snarl, Alura aimed her deadly stingers at her prey. With three well placed strikes, Rarity knocked back the stingers, flashed into her faster form, and then shifted into her attack style as soon as she stood in front of Alura's main body. If her current form had given her eyes, they would've widened as the girl smiled wickedly at her. In another flash, Rarity had returned to her normal clothes only now her entire right arm was covered in the shimmering thread of her magic.

"Let me show you true beauty, darling," she beamed, then slammed her fist into the creature's face as she proudly declared, "FINAL SPLENDOR!!!"

A titanic explosion of color and power filled the room, the seed a distant memory as she was completely destroyed by the girl's attack. Rarity fell to her knees, breaths coming out in quick gasps as the shock and strain of using so much magic so quickly took its toll on her.

"P...Perhaps I over did it just a scooch," she panted, wiping some sweat off of her brow. "Maybe Sacrifice had a point when she told me not to be so theatrical."

Her eyes drifted towards an opening further into the maze, a soft smile forming on her lips as she caught her breath.

"Hold on Sweetie. I am on my way."

Ch. 50 The Response

Author's Note

Time for the next performance, love.

Ch. 50 The Response

Octavia calmly made her way through the seemingly endless halls of the maze, a bored expression marring her beautiful face as she took in her surroundings. When she initially found herself in her current prison she was on high alert, certain that she would be attacked at any moment by some unknown horror. When no such thing happened after an hour or so of walking, she started to wish her captor would get on with it. She was no fool. The gravity of the situation was not lost her to her, but at the same time, she thought her opponent had a more horrible fate planned for her than boring her to death.

She stopped and sighed when she came to a fork in the path before her.

I can only imagine how Vinyl is taking this, she thought as she closed her eyes. It will be a small miracle if this place is still standing when she's through with it.

She took a deep breath and concentrated, her pony ears twitching as she emptied her mind of all distractions. At first, nothing happened, then a faint sound graced her ears. It was a sharp disjointed thing, like nails on a chalkboard mixed with the cry of a dying cat. She opened her eyes and leveled a disgusted look at the left path as she took it, the horrid sound gone along with her concentration.

It is getting louder, she thought with an exasperated breath. I suppose that is one point in my favor, depending on how one chooses to see it.

A bitter grumble made its way past her lips as she stomped with a little less poise forward. One of the more unique aspects of her magic was detection, a blessing and a curse given her current predicament. By concentrating, she could pick up different types of energy outside the range of her normal senses. These would manifest as different types of songs or sounds based on the kind of magic her target wielded. While each of her friends possessed beautiful symphonies that she wished she could recreate, this monster could only give her disjointed mangled messes that she doubted even someone as talented as her sister could find a use for.

"The reasons to end this demon keep growing by the minute," she said bitterly.

Her outrage grew as she remembered just how far this monster's misdeeds reached. If it wasn't for this "Lily Bouquet", the seeds of Sunset's downfall never would've been sown. But that wasn't the only reason Octavia was so furious with the Wraith. Over and over again, the memory of a mentally destroyed Rarity sitting on a park bench flashed into her mind, dozens of empty bottles littering the ground were she sat. To see someone so full of passion be reduced to such a sorry state hurt Octavia on a level not too many things could. It reminded her of how her Vinyl looked the day her "mother" tried to break her in the hospital. The fact that she had a hand in putting Rarity into that dark hole added a hint of self-loathing to the raging inferno growing in her heart.

With a furious snarl, she swung her right hand out to her side and called upon her magic to manifest. With a faint flash, a lavender rapier appeared in her hand, dozens of different types of musical notes decorating the blade like a thin sheet of music paper. The hilt was rounded with a cage-style knuckle guard designed to look like the strings of her prized instrument. The girl's grip tightened on the blade's handle as she let her anger guide her steps through her dimly lit surroundings.

"I need to make things right between us, " she muttered, then gritted her teeth painfully as she said, "But first, there is a demon I must slay."

***

Lily shifted her attention evenly among the different oneway portals, a bit of excitement mixing with her need to be cautious. It was rare that she found prey that truly made her have to work for a meal. With the exception of Hearths Warming, no one gave her any real challenges. Most of the people that opposed her directly failed to make it past her specially crafted seeds or died in an instant when they finally made it to her. These girls were quickly proving that they were not the pack of fat pups she thought they were. While Sunset wasn't too much of a surprise, the others were showing that she was wise to be cautious when dealing with them and not letting her apatite get the better of her. Her children on the other hand...

Sweetie let out a furious snarl as she glared at Rarity's portal, a black mist swirling around her as her magic struggled to give form to her outrage.

"Damn it! Why didn't she die?!" she snarled, slamming a soccer ball sized crater with her a bare foot. "Alura had her! She had her!"

"Sis calm down," Applebloom pleaded, her hands up in a placating manner as she approached her.

"NO!" Sweetie screamed, the dark energy flaring sharply as she aimed her anger at her sister. "NOT UNTIL SHE'S DEAD!"

Applebloom put her arms up in an ex over her face and chest as her sister's unstable energy surged towards her, only for a solid black wall of energy to come down between the two girls. Applebloom let out a relieved sigh while Sweetie's rage turned into pure terror when she realized what she almost did. That turned into guilt when she heard her mother angrily call her name. Wilting, she turned to face Lily, the Arch Wraith staring down at her with crossed arms and a stern frown on her face.

"S-Sorry," she stammered. "I-It w-w-was an a-accident. I-I didn't mean-"

Lily stopped her with a raised hand, the young girl quickly closed her mouth and looked sheepishly at the ground. Lily's features softened as she gently brought a hand to her daughter's chin and guided her face back up to her own.

"I understand that you are frustrated my dear," she said softly, lightly stroking the young Wraith's hair out of her face. "But you need to stay in control of yourself. Otherwise, you could become feral."

"Feral? What's that?" Sweetie asked.

Lily sighed, then kneeled down to her daughter's level as she said, "Going feral is when a Wraith lets their powers go out of control in a blind rage. It can also happen if a Wraith goes hungry for too long. When that happens, they will attack everything around them until they regain control."

"How long does that take?" Applebloom asked nervously as she gave her scared sister worried looks.

"It depends on the Wraith," she said evenly. "It could be a day, a month, even a year if they're especially powerful. One time, The Queen went feral for ten years. It was the last time anyone ever saw Atlantis and all of the fifty islands that surrounded it."

Applebloom and Sweetie gawked at her before the latter ran crying into her mother's arms.

"I don't want to do that! I don't want to hurt you or my sisters like that!"

"I know, I know," Lily cooed, gently rubbing her daughter's back as she let her cry. "That's why you need to pay careful attention to what I teach you."

Applebloom watched the exchange with a relieved sigh as all of the tension in the air faded away. While she wasn't happy to see her sister so scared, it was definitely an improvement over her being furious. It was then that she noticed that her other sister was nowhere to be seen. Panicking, she scanned the throne room for Scootaloo, only to let out an other relieved sigh when she spotted her watching one of the portals. Chuckling to herself, she walked to the sister's side to see what had her attention.

"What'cha watchin'?" she asked.

"This girl's getting really close to one of the seeds," she said, pointing at the girl in question.

"And tha' means what?" Applebloom shrugged. "All o' them have been gettin' close to them."

"But she's going straight towards him," Scootaloo insisted. "The others are trying to figure out the maze, but she's taking every route perfectly to get to Galen! It's like she knows exactly where he is and how to get to him!"

"Huh," Applebloom hummed, the prim girl holding her attention a bit tighter now.

To her surprise, Scootaloo was right! No matter how many forks the girl came to, she didn't even blink as she picked the correct path. The young Wraith nodded, impressed by the girl's abilities as she gradually closed in on her portion of the maze's guardian. It was around that time that she noticed that the girl was holding something in her right hand.

"What's that in her hand?" she asked, pointing at the portal.

"I think it's a sword," Scootaloo said, squinting as she stared at the girl's hand. "Doesn't look all that big though. Do you think it has something to do with her magic?"

"Probably," Applebloom shrugged. "Guess we'll find out soon. She's comin' up to Galen's room now."

***

Octavia stepped into the arena with purpose, her sword gripped tightly in her hand and the shadow of her bangs hiding all but the frown that marred her beautiful face. She stopped five steps into the room when a figure sitting at the chamber's heart caught her attention. The figure held the general shape of a man with long flowing hair draped across his shoulders. He was as black as night with his shining white irisless eyes and silver hair his only defining features. He wore no discernible clothing on his detailless body, but that barely registered in Octavia's mind as she studied him. He sat cross-legged at the chamber's heart with his arms resting casually on his knees as he observed her in turn.

"You are not Lily," Octavia said coldly.

"No," the figure said, his voice deep and echoing. "I am one of the mistress' seeds. I go by Galen."

Octavia's frown deepened as she stared at the seed, then with a voice filled with forced patience said, "I suppose that means asking you nicely to stand aside is out of the question then."

"Indeed," he nodded. "Though I hold no grudge against you myself, Lady Lily's word is absolute."

"I see," she nodded. "If that is how it must be, then I have just one thing to say."

"And that is?" Galen asked.

She slowly leveled her blade in the seed's direction and threw back her bangs with a sharp upward nod to show her fiery glare as she shouted, "En garde!"

In response to her challenge, Galen nodded and twelve large black hands appeared around him, each the size of trucks seemingly made of the same light-eating material he was made from as they floated around him. She could sense a smile coming from him as the floating hands rocketed towards her. Her glare intensified as her threats closed in on her, then, a light melodious sound filled the air as she swung her sword at the nearest hand. The hand stopped for half a second before it split cleanly apart down the middle and fell to the ground. If Galen had eyebrows, they would've shot to the top of his head at that moment. Before his eyes, the girl quickly made short work of his opening attack. Her arm was a blur as she sliced the hands to pieces, her movements almost dance-like as she effortlessly alternated between offense and evasion. Adding to the performative nature of her attacks, each swing and thrust of her blade filled the chamber with a light cadence not dissimilar to a harp or cello.

When the last hand fell, she leveled a sharp glare at her opponent and said, "It will take much more than that to stop me, love."

"Indeed," he nodded.

More hands appeared a second later, only now they were about the size of soccer balls and there were twice as many as before. The hands curled into fists as they flew towards her with the speed of a ravenous murder of crows. Octavia charged towards the attack, blade literally singing as she leveled it with a lavender shimmer surrounding it. Galen's eyes widened as his shadow hands were sliced to pieces, their remains disintegrating as they fell to the ground. With eyes filled with hate, Octavia quickly closed the gap between herself and her opponent and thrusted her rapier at him. Galen pointed his right palm at her and a translucent black barrier surrounded him at the last second. A sharp note came out of the sword as half of the blade ran through the barrier, stoping just short of running through the seed's head. For a moment, the two combatants glared back at each other before Galen shattered the moment by knocking her back with a shadow tentacle.

"You are a lot stronger than I thought you would be," he intoned, a hint of respect coloring his voice. "What is your name, young warrior?"

"Octavia Melody," she said with a light curtsy as she stared coldly at him.

"Octavia," he mused. "A fine name for a skilled warrior. It is almost a shame that one of us must die. You could've been one of the few mortals I could stomach being near."

"As much as I hate to admit it, I feel the same," she frowned as she resumed her stance. "You do not seem all that hostile compared to your mistress."

The two stared each other down, respect and reluctance mixing with their sense of duty as they studied each other. Galen took note of how Octavia's weapon operated, how easily it sliced through his shadow limbs and the admittedly beautiful sound it made as it went to work. More specifically, he noticed that he felt no pain as she sliced through his attacks. As he mulled over what this meant, Octavia was taking her own notes of how her opponent's powers functioned. What she quickly noticed was how solid the hands were. At first glance, she thought they would have a more etherial feel to them like slashing through water or tar. Instead, it felt eerily like cutting through a stake or some other form of meat with a knife. Even the tendril that struck her felt more organic than it initially looked. At nearly the same time, the two warriors seemed to come to an understanding about how their opponent's powers worked.

"You can control sound," Galen chuckled. "If I had to guess, the blade has the power to focus sound into a slicing edge and allows the sword to cut through most things."

"Correct," Octavia nodded. "Oiseau Chanteur has the power to convert my magic to a slicing sound attack. A fairly simple power, but one that will always carry truly devastating results."

"Indeed," he nodded.

"As for you," Octavia continued. "Am I correct in thinking that you can make shadows part of your body?"

He nodded, then said, "It was what helped me understand how your sword worked."

"I see," she nodded. "Shall we continue?"

"You say that as if either of us can yield," he sighed.

"A hopeful thought I suppose," she frowned.

A heavy silence filled the room as the two warriors locked eyes. Neither wanted this, but be it destiny or some other cruel force, they had to fight and one of them had to die. Octavia let a sad smile grace her face as she carefully picked her words.

"Your name is Galen, correct?"

He nodded.

"Well then, Galen, if I survive this battle, then I promise to dedicate a song to you. It will be a calm and soothing melody that others will listen to for generations to come."

He blinked, then chuckled at that as he said, "You will, will you? Then should I survive, I will craft a shadow of your weapon to wield at my side in your memory."

"Quite the honor I'd surmise," she said with a small titter.

"Indeed," he chuckled.

With all of that said, the two warriors smiled as they prepared their next strikes. Oisaeu Chanteur sang as Octavia filled it with magic and charged towards Galen. Seeing little point in using the same attack a third time, the seed conjured a dozen shadow tentacles out of the ground around him and lashed out at her. She halted her charge and alternated between attacking and dodging the tentacles. Galen watched with no small amount of mirth as she fought her way towards him, his respect for her spirit growing more and more by the second. It was as he watched her slash away his last tentacle that guilt filled his heart. In his left hand, a dark violet crystal shined and pulsed with dark energy. He summoned shadow spikes out of the ground as his second strike against the girl only for her to nimbly move out of the way and continue her advance. His pride cried out in shame as he watched the girl close in on him a second time, the crystal's power coursing through his hand like a second heartbeat.

The Mistress' word is absolute.

With that thought echoing through his head, Galen reluctantly stabbed the crystal into his leg. A massive surge of dark energy burst around him, knocking Octavia back a foot away from the opening she used to get into the chamber. As she staggered back onto her feet, she watched the mass of dark energy rise up towards the chamber's ceiling like a geyser before it exploded out. When it cleared, a towering figure took its place. The monster was easily twenty feet tall and carried a human like form with thick rippling muscles. Its skin was as black as night, with a pair of burning red eyes open wide like a pair of full blood moons and large bull-like horns curving out of its head. It's wild silver locks added to the creature's fierce presence, along with its shining silver fangs that glinted brightly in its long jaws. It's lower body was decorated by a simple torn loincloth that served as the monster's only article of clothing. It gripped a massive iron club made from the blackest shadows in its left hand, said weapon covered with jagged curved spikes that seemed to eat all of the light surrounding it.

Most would've been terrified of Galen's new form, but that was a privilege Octavia couldn't be given as the beast raised its club to strike. She didn't have time to be afraid, but she had time to move. Galen roared furiously as his prey dodged his strikes, the club leaving deep craters in the arena with each strike as Octavia barely avoided certain death. At the same time, Octavia landed whatever strikes she could against her much larger opponent.

Roars and music filled the room as the two warriors traded blows, the impact waves of Galen's club doing almost as much damage to the girl as her blade cut into his lower legs. Galen roared as he channeled some of his power into the ground, summoning more shadow spikes in an attempt to impale Octavia only for her to dance out of the way and land a few quick stabs into his leg.

"This isn't working," she muttered, dodging yet another deadly blow from Galen's club. "I'm going to have to use my strongest attack to kill him, but if I do that..."

She shook her head, knowing all to well how pointless an argument it would be to hold back at this point. What good would saving her magic be if she died before she got a chance to use it against Lily. If there was ever a time to pull a Vinyl, now was that time.

Sister would be so proud of me, she thought with a snicker as she poured all of her remaining magic into her blade. Galen seemed to sense what was coming if his furious roar was anything to go by as he doubled his efforts to crush her. As she dodged his attacks as best she could, Oisaeu Chanteur's body started to shine and vibrate in her hand with her accumulated magical might. Slowly, she felt the pressure start to build in her palm as she stayed on the move. When it felt as if the blade would explode from the pressure, she stood her ground and poised herself for a one final thrust. Not seeing the danger, Galen roared in triumph before bringing his weapon down on her. At the last second, Octavia thrusted her blade into the monster's weapon and released her magic.

A sharp cry, like the call of an eagle filled the room as the club shattered, a narrow beam of lavender light shooting out of the tip of Oisaeu Chanteur's blade and through Galen's chest and heart. A brief look of shock showed on the monster's face, before a look of calm resignation took its place. Tears ran down Octavia's face as she struggled to make peace with what she had just done, her weapon slowly fading away in her hand as the magic needed to maintain it ran out. Slowly, Galen's form started to crumble away as his life came to an end, but instead of meeting death with sorrow or fear, he did it with a smile.

"Well done Octavia Melody. May you live with pride as a true warrior."

Octavia wiped her eyes and with a small smile said, "I am no warrior, but I will make good on my promise as a musician. The world is my stage and it was an honor to share it with you Galen."

As he nodded in thanks, the last of his body crumbled away. Octavia stayed still for a moment in respect to her opponent, her heart heavy as she let an equally dense silence fill the room. Then, she gave a polite bow and made her way towards the chamber's exit. Their would be time later to make good on her promise to Galen. She still had important business to attend to and her name was Lily Bouquet.

Ch. 51 No Limits

Author's Note

DROP THE BASS!!!

Ch. 51 No Limits

Vinyl bobbed her head as she walked, music blaring from her cellphone filling the normally silent halls all the while. An easy smile decorated her face as she scoped out her surroundings through her signature purple shades. All the while, she felt her horn tingle as her magic surged around her in response to the thin layer of poisonous energy in the air. In spite of that, the girl continued her leisurely stroll without a trace of fear. Instead, excitement ran through her as the noxious energy thickened around her.

It's finally time to put all that training to work, she thought as she rounded a corner. I wonder which of us is gonna get to her first. Probably Lightning or Rainbow if Flutters or Sunset doesn't beat them to it.

Her mind wandered to her matches with the shy girl and she chuckled. It was still hard for her to wrap her head around the idea that such a cute and timid girl could be such a major threat. If there was a word that Vinyl could use to describe her Thestral friend, it would be "soft". She was like a giant fluffy kitten, more cute than threat for the most part. Then again, even a kitten has claws and fangs. Something Vinyl became very aware of when she spared with the girl.

A faint chill shot down her spine when she remembered an especially grueling match she had with Fluttershy a couple days ago. As it turns out, losing all feeling and function in your arm can be a very distressing situation to be in.

"We should hang out more when this is over," she idly mused to herself. "See if I can help her get out of that shell of hers. Bet her girlfriend would love to see that a little."

She chuckled at that, only to let out a frustrated sigh a second later as she came across a fork in the path. Rolling her eyes, she turned off her music and closed her eyes. She channeled a small amount of her magic into her mouth then made a loud popping sound with her lips. As the sound traveled down the two paths, a near detailed map of the pathways formed in her head. When an image of a massive chamber came to her, she smiled, opened her eyes, and went down the right path as she turned her music back on. Her smile grew as the sickly energy from before grew around her the further she walked down the hall.

***

While it wasn't a common thing for a Wraith to feel, fear was a very real thing for them. It helped them know how far into another Wraith's territory they were in and if the native Wraith was strong enough to do something about it. At that moment Lily's daughters felt that as they watched one girl in particular navigate the maze. While the wide smile and casual pace of her stride was concerning to Lily, the fact that they felt no fear or anger from her was an even greater worry. In fact, she seemed to be looking forward to the coming battle as she slowly closed in on one of the maze's remaining seeds.

"M-Mom, is she a Wraith?" Scootaloo gulped from her seat next to her mother's throne. "Cuz it's getting hard to tell the more I look at her."

"No dear," she frowned, eyes locked onto Vinyl's portal as she struggled to understand her. "Though I do agree that she is a strange one."

Applebloom and Sweetie nodded, both of them sitting in their mother's lap as they stared at the girl. Not helping the group settle their nerves was the sheer lack of information they had about the girl. Aside from her name and love of music, there was nothing of any real note that any of them could share. These were always the more tedious prey options for the elder Wraith. Enemy's that showed no fear in her presence generally fell into two camps. Either they were foolishly overconfident in their abilities or they were recklessly battle crazed. While the former could be easily dealt with, the latter always added an extra level of danger. Those types were always harder if not outright impossible to predict in a direct battle.

"Zan should be able to show us what she's capable of," she mused. "Hopefully, he'll be able to do a better job than Galen did."

"Yeah," Sweetie sighed, frowning towards the ground. "I liked him. He was a really good listener."

"I know my dear," Lily sighed. "He was one of my favorites too."

"Can you bring him back?" Applebloom asked, staring up hopefully at her mother.

Lily sadly shook her head and said, "No my dears. While I can recreate him, he wouldn't have any of his previous memories or personality."

"Oh," Applebloom wilted.

It hurt to see her children so downtrodden, but there was only so much she could do. She did make it a point to tell them not to get attached to any of her seeds, but as most children will do, they ignored her guidance in the matter. While she was equally guilty of the same thing, it was more the heartbreak of seeing an art project being damaged than the loss of an ally in battle. Be that as it may, she and her daughters would still miss Galen and all of his quirks.

"I hope Zan wins," Scootaloo said evenly from her seat. "We need to get at least one win for peats sake!"

Lily tittered at that, then summoned a dark vine out of the ground near her daughter to scoop her off of her seat and into her lap. The young Wraith let out an annoyed yelp as she was pulled into a tight hug.

"Do you think Mommy won't win in the end?" she said with a playful smile.

"N-No, I know you'll win!" Scootaloo grimaced, a light gray blush coloring her cheeks as she reluctantly leaned back into the hug. "I just don't like seeing our team lose so much."

"Are we losing?" Lily asked, her smile growing a bit with a knowing glint. "It doesn't look that way to me."

"What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked.

Lily just giggled and shifted her attention back towards Vinyl's portal.

"Think carefully my sweet. I'm sure the answer will come to you soon."

***

A hulking figure stood still at the heart of a flower-filled arena, the silence filling him with a light serenity as he waited. He stood at a towering six feet tall, the top half of his bulk covered by a tattered gray hooded cloak. A sheet-metal kilt and pair of heavy iron leggings decorated his lower body with matching metal boots protecting his feet. Thick iron gauntlets protected his ams and hands as they hung loosely at his sides. His face was a complete mystery to anyone that saw him, the shadow of his hood hiding that detail, save for a single glowing silver eye. Slung casually over the seed's shoulder was a hulking grey metal war hammer, the weapon's rectangular head measuring four feet long and two feet wide on its five foot long pole handle.

A small break in the silence drew the seed's attention to one of the opening leading into the chamber. It was faint at first, but it quickly grew into what the more musically cultured would call organized symphonic chaos. The seed's glowing eye narrowed as he turned to face the opening. After a few minutes of waiting, Vinyl casually stepped through the opening, hands in her pockets and cocky smile spread across her face as her phone flooded the chamber with dubstep.

She stopped two steps past the threshold, looked at the seed, and nodded her head in greeting as she said, "Sup?"

The seed continued to glare at her for a few seconds before asking in a gruff metallic voice, "What is that infernal racket?"

"Uh, dubstep?" Vinyl chuckled, tilting her head. "Why? Not a fan?"

"It sounds like someone is killing a piano with a sack full of hounds," the seed growled.

Vinyl laughed hard at that.

"Wr-Wrong genera pal," she chuckled, lifting her glasses up just enough to wipe away a tear. "That's death metal."

"More like the death of art," he grumbled, hefting his weapon off of his shoulder and assuming a battle stance. "Ending you will be a good way to end such noise."

"Yep, a classic fan," Vinyl chuckled, turning off her music. "You should've met my sister. Bet the two of you could've spent hours talking about that stuffy crap."

The seed let out a furious growl and charged, hammer raised in preparation to strike the second he was in range to do so. Vinyl's smile never left her face as she jumped into a boxing stance and charged forward. The seed wasted no time in bringing his weapon down on the girl, a massive explosion of force cratering the ground and wiping up a thick cloud of dust around Vinyl's general area. The seed felt a strange mix of satisfaction and disappointment that his task had been completed so quickly only for confusion to take its place as he heard a light chuckle come out of the dust cloud.

"Wow! I almost felt that!" the voice chuckled. "Not bad!"

A sudden blast of sound tore the dust cloud apart to reveal a smiling Vinyl standing in the heart of a massive crater. Littered around her were the shattered remains of the seed's hammer's head. The seed jumped back ten feet still griping what was left of his weapon as he kept Vinyl in his line of sight, now with a much higher level of seriousness as he watched her.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," she chuckled. "Names Vinyl Scratch. What's yours?"

"Zan," he said evenly.

"Well Zan," she smiled. "Hope you're single, cuz I'm about to rock your world!"

"We shall see," he intoned, pointing his damaged weapon at her.

A loud grinding noise filled the air as the pieces of Zan's weapon lifted off of the ground and reassembled themselves on the end of its pole. Vinyl's grin grew at that before she charged forward, her heart pounding with excitement as she closed the distance. Zan wasted no time as he swung his weapon at her, only for the massive hammer's horizontal swing to be stopped by a jab. A thundering explosion of sound filled the arena the second the weapon made contact with her fist, both combatant's getting knocked back by the force. Zan let out an annoyed groan as he staggered to his feet while Vinyl laughed like a loon as she did the same. He barely had time to brace himself as Vinyl seemingly appeared in front of him and slammed her fist into his chest. Another blast of sound echoed through the room as an equally powerful force sent him flying back ten feet. An angry growl forced its way past his lips as he landed shakily on his feet, thankful for his armor as he charged forward again. Not willing to give his opponent a chance to cancel his attack, he flooded his hammer with power. When his weapon swung towards her, Vinyl tried to counter it with a jab only to get knocked back twenty feet by the force of it. Capitalizing on his advantage, the seed charged forward in with the intent to put an end to this battle. Vinyl just laughed were she laid as she brought herself into a sitting position and looked at the incoming seed.

"Die!" he roared as he brought his hammer down on her.

His eye widened as she leaned her head back then quickly rammed it forward into his hammer with a roughish smile. Another sound blast filled the air the second the weapon made contact, the force sending the seed staggering back five steps. Vinyl laughed as she got on her feet, not even a mark on her as she dusted her pants off and resumed her stance.

"How are you still standing?" Zan demanded, pointing his hammer at the girl with one arm. "My hammer can crush diamond as if it were glass, yet you don't even bear a bruise!"

"Oh, that," Vinyl shrugged. "It's how my magic works."

"What?" Zan asked, head tilted in intrigue.

"See, its like this," Vinyl snickered. "My magic allows me to store and release sound in my body. It kind of makes me a walking boom box."

As she said that, a faint blue flash crossed her whole body for a second. Zan noticed and leveled a sharp glare at the girl as he tightened his grip on his weapon.

"So that is how you survived. You can make sound armor. Impressive, but that will not be enough to win against me."

"Well duh!" Vinyl scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I know that much. Besides, defense isn't really my style anyway."

A wicked grin spread across her face as she added, "If I'm gonna do anything, it's always with a bang!"

As she said that, she channeled some of her magic into her fists and threw a flurry of punches in Zan's direction. A second later, bright red fist-sized balls of light flew towards him from her hands in a tight swarm. The seed put up his weapon in a feeble attempt to guard against the incoming assault, a long series of explosions filling the chamber as each of them hammered into him. As soon as the last ball hit him, he let out a furious growl as he rushed towards her. She smiled as she charged more magic into her hands, ready to counter his hammer again. Her smile switched places with a look of shock as she felt a heavy metallic fist slamming into her side. While her sound armor took the brunt of it, the force of the attack was enough to knock the wind out of her. Taking advantage of the moment, Zan grabbed her by the head, ran forward, and slammed her into a wall. A pained gasp made its way past her lips as more damage slipped past her armor, dazing her further. Zan let out a battle cry as he poured more power into his hammer and slammed the weapon into the pinned girl. A thunderous explosion once again filled the room as Zan's hammer left a massive crater in the wall, Vinyl's still form trapped under it at its heart. Zan let out a satisfied grunt as he pulled his weapon free from the crater, Vinyl's limp body falling to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Foolish child," he sighed. "None can oppose the mistress' wishes. As her hammer, I will crush all who oppose her. That is my role and yours is to be her prey. Nothing can change that."

With that, he turned and made his way back towards the center of the room. At the halfway mark, he paused as dust started to cover his hands. His confusion quickly shifted into shock as his weapon crumbled into dust in his hands. A light chuckle behind him made him turn around. Vinyl staggered to her feet, a wide smile spread across her face as she stared at him with cracked glasses.

"Sound's a funny thing, eh," she chuckled. "Runs through things like metal pretty damn easily when it gets the chance."

Zan stared at her in confusion for a moment before realization widened his eye as a light wining filled the air. A second later, the metallic parts of his body shined bright red and exploded as the sound magic running through them activated. He let out an agonized yell as he fell to the ground, his arms and legs bleeding black blood as dozens of shrapnel cuts covered them. Vinyl stared down at him with a satisfied sigh, then grimaced as she plucked her damaged glasses off of her face.

Great. Now I've got to replace these. Maybe I can talk mom into giving me an extension on my allowance to get these taken care of.

She sighed and placed the glasses into her pocket, but before she could head towards the chamber's exit, Zan staggered back to his feet. The seed let out pained gasps as he glared at her, his eye glowing a hateful red as it tried to burn a hole into her. She assumed a boxing stance as she locked her own red eyes with his. Zan reached into his cloak and pulled out a jagged black crystal, the gem pulsing in his hand with rancid energy. Not knowing what to expect, Vinyl tapped into as much magic as she could and went to work preparing her next spell. As fun as this had been up until know, she really needed to put an end to this and it looked like Zan felt the same way.

The seed rammed the crystal into his chest with a sickening crunch, his glare never weakening as he let it work its magic on him. A furious roar made it past his lips as a furious tempest of dark energy consumed him. When it parted, a new horror greeted the young DJ. Zan had turned into a large obsidian skeleton, all twelve feet of him naked save for the hooded cloak that covered him. Each of his hands were covered in dark energy that flared like black fire around his skeletal fingers. His eye sockets were home to a pair of burning red flames that leaked fire and smoke past his forehead.

"Guess I was wrong," Vinyl chuckled, vibrating red magic surrounding her arms and shoulders. "You're a death metal fan after all ."

Zan let out a furious roar as he charged, the dark magic flooding his mind and dulling his senses as he threw a punch. Vinyl matched his strike, more thunder filling the room as the two fists collided. For several long minutes they two fighters traded blows, Vinyl mildly surprised by how durable her opponent was while Zan just focused on trying to crush her. Their arms were a pair of blurs as they rained blows upon each other, neither willing to drop no matter how many times they were struck. With a pair of battle cries, the two fighters pulled back and threw one mighty punch towards their opponent, one fist covered in vibrating red magic while the other was covered in black fire. A massive explosion of sound and power ripped through the air as the two fists slammed into each other, Vinyl's half of the room covered with deep cracks while all of the flowers on Zan's half was completely burned away.

"You're pretty tough," Vinyl panted, grin never leaving her face and fist still touching Zan's as she locked eyes with him. "Wish we could do this again sometime, ya know?"

"You talk as if you will live through this," Zan growled. "This is where you will die child. I will make sure of it!"

"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever," she snorted, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, this's been fun, but I really need to move on. Tavy'll give me all kinds of crap if I take too long here."

As she said that, she gathered what was left of her magic and spread it all through out her body, a dense vibrating red magic aura surrounding her. The seed's eyes widened as he sensed a massive spike in power surround the girl, but before he could flee Vinyl tightly grabbed his arm. Her red eyes held a wicked gleam that matched her smile as she looked him in the eyes. It was then that Zan knew that his fate was sealed, that whatever was coming was going to be the last thing ever saw.

"Bass drop mother fucker. EAT IT!"

With that, a thunderous roar filled the arena as Vinyl's red magic filled it, deep cracks forming in the walls, floor, and ceiling as it ripped everything around her to shreds in an overwhelming blast of sound. Zan heard nothing as his body slowly disintergrated, the sheer destructive force of Vinyl's magic too much for him to take this close to her. He felt himself falling back as his arm slipped out of the girl's grip, a great weariness coming over him as he faded out of existence. While he hated his enemy for ending him, he couldn't deny that he felt something new from the battle with the girl. For the first time in his empty life, Zan had fun in a battle. He stared back at Vinyl with a smile that had little to do with his new form and said something he never thought he would ever say to an enemy.

"I want to fight you again."

"Yeah," Vinyl said, her smile more somber as she stared down at her fallen enemy. "Same here, pal."

Zan let out a small chuckle and laid back, the red fires in his sockets going out as the last of his body turned to ashes. Vinyl stared down at Zan's remains with a bitter smile before turning and making her way towards the arena's exit. As she did, she wondered if there were any death metal songs she could mix when this was all over.

Ch. 52 Last One Standing

Author's Note

Time to be awesome.

Ch. 52 Last One Standing

A near blank expression graced Rainbow's face as she walked through the labyrinth's halls. Her half-lidded eyes barely registered her surroundings as she walked, her wings and pony ears twitching every so often. A faint breeze surrounded her at a near constant rate with each step, its flow a mirror of her own breathing. A light fog kept her mind focused and calm as she channeled her magic throughout her body. It was a surreal experience for her to be in such a state, to be so calm in the face of certain danger. Was she scared? As shameful as it was to her to admit, yes she was. Was she angry at the creature that led to her greatest regrets to date? Absolutely. To say she hated Lily would've been an understatement worthy of a nobel prize. Was she worried about Scootaloo? No dumber a question was ever asked. So why was she so calm? Why wasn't she spiting poison down the halls as she hunted down the Elder Wraith like a shark on a blood-trail? The answer was simple; that was how she lost Sunset in the first place.

If she had stopped for a moment and thought, then maybe she would't've been tricked so easily. If she had listened to Loyalty from the start, maybe the element wouldn't've needed to be so brutal to get her attention before she left her. If she had been a better sister-figure, maybe Scootaloo and her friends wound't've ever made Anon-a-Miss in the first place. So many "if maybes" had entered her life recently, all because of her impulsive nature and rash actions. She was tired of it. Tired of charging blindly into things and watching the people she cared about getting hurt in the crossfire. It was like Conviction said on the first night of her training; she had a brain and it was about damn time she started using it.

Stay calm, she thought, gentle breaths passing her lips as her magic lightly drifted through her. You can get through this. This is what you've been training for, right?

A faint smile formed on her lips at that.

Still, I wish Scoots hadn't got dragged into this, she thought, her smile wilting. Why did that have to happen? Hadn't the squirt been through enough?

She sighed and shook her head. Thinking like that wasn't going to get her anywhere. Scootaloo was in danger and she had the power to save her. That was what mattered.

Her inner musings paused as she came to a triple break in the path. She stared blankly at the three halls for a few seconds before she sighed and closed her eyes. Her wings twitched open as she channeled a bit of her magic through them into the open air. A light breeze washed over her then into the paths with a soft whistle. Her mind completely emptied as the enchanted air traveled freely beyond her line of sight. A few seconds later, a faint breeze from each of the paths returned to her, the center path's breeze slightly different from the others as it tickled her feathers and added to her smile as she opened her eyes. With a nod, her wings closed and she took the center path with the same calm stride she used before.

***

Scootaloo sat with her knees curled up to her chest, her arms wrapped tight around them as she stared at one of the portals with wide, barely blinking eyes. Lily watched her with a wide smile while her daughters stared at their sister with heads tilted in confusion. Till now, nothing could really hold the young Wraith's attention for very long. One minute, she was going on about building a pocket dimension full of stunt ramps and the next she was asking if a TV could function in Lily's nest. Now the girl's attention was one hundred percent focused on the rainbow haired girl shown on the portal.

"Sis?" Applebloom asked, taking a step towards Scootaloo. "Are ya' okay?"

Scootaloo didn't respond as she continued to watch Rainbow. Sweetie gave her mother a worried look, only to be met with a reassuring smile from the elder Wraith.

"She's hunting," she whispered, subtly creeping behind her engrossed daughter to watch Rainbow as well.

Sweetie nodded in understanding while Applebloom looked even more confused. While she had seen Sweetie hunt, her sister never acted like this. The Unicorn would alway sport a wide grin and giggle sweetly as she lured a guard or staff pony into a dark corner of the castle and harvest their fear. Then again, Sweetie was always the more expressive sibling.

"When you find your prey," Lily explained. "You want to gather as much information on them as you can on them. How they move, how they think; all of it get's trapped in a fine laser focus. It was the same for me when I found Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie Pie."

Applebloom nodded, but still sported a concerned frown as she stared at Scootaloo.

Will Ah be like that when Ah find prey?

A shiver shot down her spine as she imagined herself in the same position. As much as she loved her sisters, she hoped her hunting instincts would manifest in a more dignified way. Perhaps something caught between Sweetie's sweet mirth and Scootaloo's eagle-eyed obsession.

Lily giggled as she gently petted Scootaloo's head, a flood of pride filling her as she watched the young Wraith.

That's my girl.

As she thought that, her eyes drifted towards the portal and a curious grimace marred her face. The girl on display was normally a very emotive person, a fact that Lily was able to capitalize to great effect when she was ripening Sunset. Even after Sunset escaped her, the rainbow-haired girl was a delicious hurricane of emotions just waiting to be harvested. Now, there was barely a trace of negative emotion to be found in the girl, at least none that she could detect by any noteworthy degrees. This remained constant, even as she closed in on one of the seed chambers.

Curious. Show me girl. Show us what kind of prey you are.

***

Rainbow squinted her eyes as she stepped out of her dimly lit hallway into a well lit arena, her wings opening fully as her body braced for any dangers. As her eyes slowly adapted to the sudden shift in lighting, a figure standing in the middle of the arena slowly came into focus. For the most part, the being resembled a lean yet toned human male, but only in the most basic sense. The whole creature was covered in a shinning black resin like a kind of exoskeleton with a pair of gray metallic leggings and kilt as his only article of clothing. His head was that of a wasp, complete with antennae and vicious pincers for a mouth. Two gray wings were spread wide at his back, flicking with a deep propeller sound with each movement. Instead of a right hand, he had a football-sized insect's abdomen attached to his wrist with a foot long stinger arming it like a blade.

Her eyes narrowed into a glare as she stepped further into the room, the sounds of flowers crunching under her shoes mixing with the sound of the creature's wingbeats. Said creature stared her down as she approached, his compound eyes unable to showcase what he felt about the girl, though his tensing right arm gave her a pretty good idea what he wanted to do to her. With a literal blink, the creature disappeared, making her pause and quickly tap into her magic. At the last second, a faint breeze on her left wing caught her attention and she threw herself to her right. A second later, a loud burst of sound and wind slammed into where she stood previously. She jumped to her feet and assumed a defensive stance as she turned to face her attacker. Said attacker was kneeling with his stinger-blade halfway dug into the ground.

"Your quick," he said, voice dry and full of clicks as his mandibles came together between word. He jerked his weapon free and slowly stood up, turning to face Rainbow fully. "Good. I was afraid that this would't be a challenge."

"Who the hell are you?" she growled, senses on high alert as she stared the seed down.

"I go by Pearce," he said, a hint of mirth decorating his tone as he stared down at his weapon. "Pretty fitting I think. What do they call you, human?"

"Rainbow Dash," she growled.

Pearce froze, then threw his head back as a laugh forced its way past his mandibles. Rainbow rolled her eyes at that as she channeled her magic in preparation of at least five different spells if the seed moved again. Instead, he let out a happy sigh and stared at her with relaxed body language and said something that brought a rueful chuckle out of her.

"Now that is a fitting name. Such a quick and colorful opponent could never ask for a more fitting one even if they tried!"

"Don't know about that," she grimaced. "I've been pretty slow about other things lately."

"Right, that Sunset girl, right?"

Rainbow's eyes widened at that and with a drying throat she asked, "Y-You know about that?"

"All of us seeds know," Pearce chuckled. "We share a kind of mental link with the Mistress. She learns everything we learn and we gain whatever knowledge she wants us to have. Kind of boring sometimes, but every know and then, I get to learn about how others have fun."

"Have fun?" Rainbow asked, shock making way for outrage as she growled, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, tilting his head. "Didn't a part of you want what happened? Didn't you want an excuse to kick that girl to her knees for what she did to you all those years ago? Why else would you put so much effort into plotting her beatings? C'mon. Admit it. Deep down inside, you wanted to see her break."

She should've been furious. She wanted to deny what Pearce was saying. She wanted to break the seed's mouth to make him shut up. Instead, she stood there frozen as her guilt slowly filled her like a sickly cold tar. Everything he said was true. A part of her did want Sunset to suffer for everything she did and the Anon-a-Miss incident gave her just the excuse she needed to put all of that resentment to work. She felt sick as she remembered all of the horrible things she had planned for Sunset the day Lightning decked her.

Pearce's clicking chuckle snapped her out of her dark thoughts as he said, "Why are you beating yourself up over it? You were just doing what comes naturally!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she snarled, a light tremble running through her as she glared at the seed before her.

"Don't we all just want to have fun?" he asked matter-of-factly.

Those simple words made Rainbow's mind freeze as a cruel reality she tried to deny charged to the front of her mind. As much as she hated to admit it, it was a lot of fun to have a chance to crush Sunset. The world felt like it was made of jelly as she watched Pearce point his weapon at her, a cold numbness dominating her senses as the stinger moved towards her as if in slow-motion. She closed her eyes as she let the self-loathing she had been fighting against for weeks have its way with her. It was just like that day she was on Canter Bridge. She really had no right to live in this world.

It was then that she remembered what happened on that day, how Lightning Dust ran to her aid and saved her from the dark. Then she remembered her sessions with Doctor Hearths Warming and all of the genuine concern the Therapist gave her each time they talked. An early spring day came to her, a day that the very girl she hurt so deeply forgave her for her betrayal.

Her eyes flew open and at the last second sidestepped away from the blade aimed at her heart, her shirt getting torn just below the chest by the weapon's edge as it passed her. She quickly jumped back ten steps and assumed her fighting stance, a fire burning behind her eyes as she stared her enemy down.

"You're right," she growled, her magic flaring around her in a lightly whistling breeze around her wings and limbs. "I made some big mistakes and hurt someone close to me, but I'm not going to be that person anymore. I refuse to let myself fall for that shit ever again!"

"Don't fool yourself," he sighed, then flew towards her with his weapon aimed at her as he roared, "No one can deny who they are!"

"You're right," she smiled, then stood up straight an pointed a finger-gun at him. "But they can change."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uurkmfkKodg

In a matter of seconds, a small ball of air the size of a golfball formed on her fingertip and with a loud whistle, fired off it towards the incoming seed. Pearce saw it at the last possible second and tried to dodge it only for it to tear a deep gash into his shoulder as it grazed him. An irritated growl made it past his mandibles as he closed in on her, only to stab into empty space when a blast of air from below sent the girl into the air. He head just enough time to look up before the girl let loose a hellfire barrage of air bullets on him, her wings keeping her airborn as she attacked. Pearce let out agonized screams of fury as he flew out of the attack zone, dozens of deep gashes and dents marring his body. The seed let out a demonic screech as he took to the air, gray blood leaking from his countless wounds as he angrily aimed his weapon at her.

"Not bad," he snarled. "Maybe this will be more fun than I thought it would be."

A jet black beam of energy shot out of the stinger's tip, narrowly missing Rainbow's head as it hit the wall behind her in a continuous stream like a laser sword. She ducked down just as the seed jerked his weapon sideways, a bit of her prismatic hair coming off as the beam passed over her head. Pearce laughed as he swung his weapon around, the beam always closing in on Rainbow like the world's most lethal exact-o-knife as she flew about the room. Every now and then, she would fire a flurry of air bullets at him, but aside from annoy him, the attacks had little effect on him. She needed to hit him with something stronger and for that, she was going to need time. To give her what she needed, she shifted her magic to her wings and the bottom of her feet and summoned a constant blast of air from them, tripling her speed as she flew all across the room.

"Fly as fast as you want Rainbow," Pearce laughed. "I'll catch you eventually!"

"We'll see about that!" Rainbow cried.

For what felt like an hour, the two continued this deadly game of tag. At the same time, Rainbow was gathering as much air as she could into one of her hands, compressing it as tightly as her magic could into a mass of swirly gales the size of a soccer ball. She glanced at her handy work with a sly smile and threw it towards the chamber's ceiling. Pearce noticed, but before he could respond, Rainbow appeared above it with a blast of wind and bicycle-kicked the orb towards him. Not eager to see how powerful Rainbow's spell was, he quickly got out of the way only to see Rainbow now hovering a foot over the ground with a wide smile. Faster than he could blink, the girl kicked the ball back up towards him before disappearing again. Letting out a battle cry, the seed met the attack head on and stabbed his stinger into the incoming air ball. A thundering, whistling explosion filled the chamber as the two forces clashed before a loud snap followed by the sound of shattering metal took its place. Pearce looked, dumbfounded at the broken blade, half of which was now a crumbled pile of shards sitting on the chamber floor below.

"There's plenty more where that came from bub," she smirked as she hovered behind him, another ball of wind sitting in her palm to prove her point.

For a moment, no sound beyond the whistling of Rainbow's wind and the flapping of wings could be heard in the room. That changed when Pearce trembled with laughter and turned towards Rainbow.

"Now, this is more like it!" he cried, his motions more animated as he continued to laugh. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited for someone like you?! After all this time trapped in boring fights, I finally find someone that can get my heart pumping! This is amazing!"

The seed fell into a laughing fit as he reveled in the moment. All the while, Rainbow felt a cold chill run down her spine.

What the hell is wrong with this guy?

"Th-This is great," he chuckled, his laughter finally seeming to taper off to a more manageable degree as he reached for something in his kilt pocket. "Now I know I can go all out. Let's hope you can keep this up a little longer."

As he said that, he pulled a black gem out of his pocket and stabbed it into his chest. Cracks covered his body seconds before he seemingly exploded into a mass of black smoke. A sharp buzzing filled the air and the cloud flew apart to reveal a horror that Rainbow would never forget. Hovering before her was a twisted cross between a human and a fly. His arms and legs were covered with thick bristly hairs and bent in unnatural ways. Three sharp claws ended each limb that dripped with a substance that hissed when it hit the ground. His torso was covered with patches of the same hair along with a thick chitinous shell that glistened like oil-slicked glass. The worse new feature about him was his head. Round, bulbous, red eyes fastened to an equally round head covered by the same chitin that armored the rest of his body with a slimy tube coming out his face where his mouth should've been.

A terrible screeching roar filled the room along with the thundering infernal buzzing of a million bees when the monstrosity threw its head back. Rainbow waisted no time going on the offensive, a disgusted glare marring her face as she let go of her wind orb and kicked it towards the monster. The creature disappeared just before the attack could connect, said spell blasting a huge crater into the far wall as she looked around for the creature. A sharp increase in the buzzing to her left was what saved her from certain death as she snapped her wings closed and fell, a pair of claws just inches away from slitting her throat. She quickly gathered her magic into her right hand and fired a barrage of air bullets towards her opponent. She blinked and the creature disappeared again, her previous attack slamming harmlessly into the wall beyond. She snapped her wings open and flew with her back towards the ground, a mere foot of space separating her from it as she scanned the room for Pearce. As her eyes frantically searched for the fly monster, she tried to think of a way to deal with him.

He's too fast for me to hit or track. I need to find a way to get him before he has a chance to escape, but how?!

She frantically ran through her list of spells, hoping against hope that she had something in her arsenal that could help her here. When one spell in particular caught her attention, a faint whine crept past her grimace as a plan started to form in her head. When it came together, she tried to think of another one, any other plan that could get the job done. Sadly, nothing came to her that wouldn't lead to a very painful death. It was a reckless, stupid, and near suicidal plan, the kind of plan Rainbow needed to end this.

Heaths Warming's gonna pull a late shift after this, she thought with a gulp as she started channeling her magic.

As she floated backwards over the ground, she gathered as much air towards her as she could, her hands close together over her chest as a small ball of air formed between them. Her magic gathered and compressed the air as tightly as it could, the ball vibrating against its confines as the air within it continued to grow. At the same time, numerous small glowing orbs formed within the ball, like fireflies caught in a jar as the second part of Rainbow's spell started to take form. While she put the finishing touches on her spell, Rainbow continued to scan the chamber for Pearce. She was only going to get one shot at this.

The seed suddenly appeared on the ceiling above her, his back facing her as he sunk his claws into the flowers like the insect he resembled. Her eyes widened when she felt a sudden spike of magic before a thundering blast of sound filled the room, everything seemingly wavering under the force of the seed's attack. It took everything Rainbow had not to cover her ears as the sound slammed into her, the force pinning her to the ground as she continued to prepare her spell. She silently thanked whatever god was listening that she was an aeromancer, her magic leeching the sound magic away from her ears and into the ground. With gritted teeth, she forced herself to her feet, ball of magic air shaking in her hands as she stood in defiance of her opponent's might.

"Is that the best you've got?" she growled. "Cool. Let me show you what I've got, pal."

With that, she spread her wings and, with the aid of what bits of her magic she could spare, ripped her way through the constant buzzing sound-wall as she flew towards Pearce. Her body burned as it was pushed further and further against its limits to reach her goal. It hurt, like her whole body was slowly being torn to shreds as she made her way towards the seed, but she forced herself to keep going. A weary smile formed on her lips when she got to the two foot mark and she put her hands up towards the seed, he spell finally freed from its confines. Pearce had enough time to dislodge himself from the ceiling, but by that point it was already too late as the wind orb quickly expanded and trapped him. The small spheres contained with him went from gently drifting about to rapidly flying around him like a swarm of furious hornets. They flew faster and faster, the air gradually turning more wild as they moved. The giant fly tried to claw his way out, but all it did was let the wind magic rip his claws apart. In time, a furious windstorm filled the orb before the magic in the orbs finally activated. The pressure in the sphere hit critical mass and a massive explosion filled the room. As Rainbow slowly floated back-first down to earth, a light chuckle crept past her lips. In the sky above her, the last fragments of her spell formed a beautiful rainbow before disappearing along with the crumbling remains of the seed she fought. The soft crunch of flowers greeted her as she finally drifted towards the ground.

A peaceful silence filled the room as she stared up at the ceiling. She chuckled as a single thought rang through her head.

I'm so gonna need a nap when this is over.

Ch. 53 One More

Author's Note

Let's do this!

Ch. 53 One More

Lightning sighed as she leveled a deadpan at the dead end before her. Rolling her eyes, she turned and made her way back down the hall to the fork she crossed that led to her current situation.

"You said you were sure that was the right way," she muttered.

"Sorry," The Voice said sheepishly. "The dark magic seemed to be denser this way so I thought..."

"Hey, it's okay," she smiled. "Don't let it get to ya. We'll just take this one step at a time, okay?"

The Voice didn't respond, but she knew that the mental aspect was in agreement with her. The whole situation was so surreal to her. The very thing that was a constant reminder of all of the shit she dealt with as a kid was now helping her navigate a maze. Out of all of the crazy things in her life, this was the one that made her shake her head and laugh at the insanity of it all. A chuckle slipped past her lips as she thought back to how she gained this new skill, regardless of how messed up it was in the grand scheme of things.

***

Lightning laid panting, rain hammering into her face and the countless bruises that covered her body as she stared up into the permanent storm of her dreamworld. For the last three weeks since she fell asleep, the teen had crossed fists with her element. Each "day" gave her a tighter grip on her magic and more ways to use it against her teacher, but she could feel that something wasn't right. It was subtle at first, a small niggling feeling at the back of her mind every time she used her power, but over time it became harder and harder to ignore. It was because of that that she found herself in her current condition.

Loyalty looked down at her with a sigh shaking her head.

"Looks like this is as far as you can go. Should've seen this coming, really."

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Lightning panted, forcing herself into sitting upright.

Loyalty looked away, a brief hint of sadness catching her host's attention as she did. The element silently worked her jaw as if she was trying to find the best words for what she had to say. In time, she seemed to succeed as she slowly turned her head back towards Lightning. The girl flinched when she saw the pained frown on her element's face before she let her thoughts be known.

"You're not complete. A part of your mind and soul is broken and its getting in the way of your casting."

"What are you talking about?" Lightning frowned, staggering to her feet. "I'm fine."

"No we're not."

Lightning froze, eyes widening as she processed the sound of her voice being spoken by another. Someone other than Loyalty. Someone standing behind her. She quickly turned around, jaw clenched and fist ready to strike the thing that haunted her for most of her teenage life. What she saw made stopped her dead in her tracks, her jaw going slack and eyes widening in shock at what stood before her. It was a much younger version of herself, possibly fifth or sixth grade from what she could guess. The young girl was wore nothing but a tattered burlap sack fashioned into a rough approximation of a dress, though that paled in comparison to the condition of the girl herself. She was skinny to the point of emaciation, her teal skin covered with countless scars and bruises both fresh and old. Her bare feet were cracked and covered with bleeding callouses, the rain doing little to wash the red liquid away as it soaked the hard stone ground. The child's eyes were sunken and sad, all hope long sense faded as they stared back into her older double's shocked ones.

"Wh-Who... What are you?" she asked, letting her arms fall limply to her sides.

"You know what I am," the child said hollowly, her voice sounding like a dry summer wind as she stared down at the ground.

"T-The Voice?" Lightning stammered.

The child nodded, face still pointed at the ground.

"I am the part of you that kept you safe back then. To help you retain your sanity, I cut myself off from the rest of your conscious mind. Every time you felt trapped or hurt, I took the brunt of it for you."

Lightning gulped, then hardened her stare into a glare as she asked, "Then why did you always rub my screw ups in my face? Trying to even the score a little?"

The Voice shook her head and said, "It was to help you. You can't fix a problem if you don't know what it is in the first place."

Lightning's glare sharpened .

"What!? Do you think I'm too stupid to figure things out?!"

The Voice cringed, hands covering her head as she shakily said, "I-I'm s-s-sorry! P-Please don't hate me! I-I-I-I just wanted to help!"

Lightning blinked in surprise at that, not expecting that kind of reaction out of the girl. Heavy guilt settled in her gut when The Voice fell to her knees and started crying, pitiful hiccups racking the poor creature's form as she trembled before her. The teen quickly fell to her knees and pulled her younger self into the gentlest hug she could manage. Her guilt grew when she felt just how fragile the girl was. Every part of The Voice felt as if she would snap if Lightning so much as pushed her.

She lightly stroked the small child's hair as she gently shushed her.

"It's okay," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't've yelled at you like that."

The Voice whimpered and grabbed her shirt, the bony fingers surprisingly strong as they clung to her for dear life.

"She separated herself from you at a young age," Loyalty sighed. "As such, she isn't that different from a small child."

As she held her younger self to herself, she remembered all of the things she had to put up with in her earlier years. All of the stress. All of the sleepless nights. All of he fights and times she passed out from overexertion. This version of her took all of that and then some for years and she didn't even know it. A version of her that was nothing but a small child that wanted to help.

Lightning's voice became tight, tears starting to form as she looked down at her double and asked, "Hey, do you have a name or what?"

The Voice shook her head.

"I-I never had one."

A smile crept onto Lightning's face as she rubbed the child's head and said, "Not cool. Sorry about that. How does Lightning Shard sound?"

"L-Lightning Shard?" she asked, a bit of hope filling her teary eyes as she looked up at the girl.

"Yeah," she chuckled. "Cuz you're, like, a piece of me, right?"

"Lightning Shard," The Voice said, her face turning blank as she stared up at the stormy sky.

"It's okay if you don't like it," Lightning smiled. "We can think of something else if you want.

The child shook her head and with a small smile said, "I like it. Call me Shard for short."

"Will do, Shard" she chuckled.

Shard's smile grew and her body started to glow. Little by little, the child named Lightning Shard turned into a bright yellow light and faded into Lightning. When the last of her was gone, Lighting felt something inside of her change. It was as if some kind of blockage that was inside her had finally cleared away and a new warm force of power surged through her. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself as the energy flowed through her, tears joining the rain running down her smiling face.

"Looks like you're ready to move on to the next part of your training," Loyalty smirked.

Sporting a smile of her own, Lightning stood up, wiped her face with her arm and turned towards her element.

"Yeah," she snorted. "I think we are."

***

Lightning chuckled a bit as she made it back to the previous split in the path. She could almost feel Shard look at the two remaining paths uncertainly as the teen tried to think of a way to make it easier for her. That was something that took some getting used to in training. It was one thing trying to be patient with others, but now she had to be patient with herself. While that was a little frustrating at first, she quickly found out how great the payoffs were for having the subconscious copilot. Especially when it came to her magic, given its nature and Lightning's admittedly limited imagination.

"Can you send a spark through the walls?" Shard asked.

"Send a spark? Why?" Lighting asked.

"If there are any metals in the walls, we should be able to use it as a conductor to help me get a better look at the paths ahead."

Lightning blinked then said, "You know, for a kid, you're scary smart."

"Nuh uh. You just don't pay attention in science class," she said, a smile audible in her tone.

"Yeah, yeah," she chuckled, reaching out a hand towards the nearest wall. "You learn anything else in my subconscious?"

"Nothing that can help us right now," Shard giggled.

"What's so funny?" she asked with a smirk as she sent a small bolt into the wall.

"Nothing," Shard said in a singsong kind of tone.

"Whatever," she shrugged, then stared at the wall and said, "Did it work?"

"Yep!" she chirped. "Take the middle one. I'll tell you which turns to make when we get to them."

"Thanks," Lightning sighed as she took the path Shard recommended.

She walked in silence for a few minutes before her former tormenter said something that made her face turn bright red.

"If you think he's cute, why haven't you talked to him?"

"Wh-Who are you talking about?" Lightning stammered.

"Really?" Shard said flatly.

"Right," she grumbled, her blush slightly smaller. "You're in my head. Forgot about that for a second."

" I noticed," she said sweetly. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Why don't you talk to him?"

Lightning choked on her words for a second, before a meek, "I don't know," made it past her lips.

"Huh?"

"Y-You probably wouldn't get it," she stammered.

"I can try."

She couldn't really argue with that kind of logic. Shard did have access to her subconscious after all. Maybe talking to the mind fragment for a while could help her figure things out. It was a good way to kill time as she made her way through the labyrinth at the very least.

"Okay," she sighed. "I guess... I'm scared to."

"Scared to do what?"

"Talk to him," Lightning grunted. "I'm scared of talking to him."

"Is that all?"

"No," she grumbled. "I mean, look at me! I'm not some girly-girl like Rarity or Octavia or Flutters, so I doubt I could get his attention there. I'm not some party girl like Pinkie or Vinyl so that's out. I'm just some dumb boring jock with a short fuse that couldn't get a date even if she payed a guy."

Shard stayed silent for a while after that, only breaking it every now and then to give her directions. Eventually, the mind fragment found her voice and said something that made her pause.

"You think too much. Just talk to him, big sis."

"Big sis?" she blinked.

"Yeah," Shard said, a hint of hopefulness coloring her tone. "I mean... if that's okay with you. I-I understand if you don't want that, but..."

Lightning let out a groan, her right hand coming up to her face to massage her forehead with her thumb and index finger. This was not the first time Shard made things interesting in her life since she took her in. She still remembered the literal massive migraine she went through when she saw a horror movie before going to bed one night. As it turns out, mind shards can scream and said screams hurt a lot. Having essentially a seven year old version of herself in her head took some serious getting used to. Not helping was how easy it was to forget Shard's "age" given her mature vocabulary. Lightning was happy that she didn't need to explain certain things in her life to her new "roommate", but that didn't keep the occasional awkward talk from happening when she was alone. Turns out, the teen's subconscious library had a lot of adult books in it, something Shard teased her over whenever she got the chance. All of it made her want to rip her hair out at times, but at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to hate her. Shard had this hopelessly honest air to her that Lightning rarely got from other people. Sure, Shard wasn't exactly a person in the traditional sense, but she wasn't exactly a figment of her imagination either now that she had magic. She was a part of Lightning, but her own entity at the same time.

How do I see her? she thought with a frown. A friend? No. It feels a bit more...what's the word? Intimate? Yeah, I think that's the word. Is it because she's in my head? Nah. Loyalty's in there too and I don't feel all that close to her. We're more like coworkers than anything else, I guess.

"I've never had a sister before," she sighed. "I don't know if I could be a good one, y'know?"

"Th-That's fine," Shard stammered. "I-I don't want to be any more of a burden than I already am."

"Don't say stuff like that," Lightning smirked as she resumed walking. "I didn't say I didn't want a sister. Just that I'm not the best girl for the job, sis."

For a few seconds, neither of them said anything as she walked. Then, a high-pitched happy scream filled Lighting's mind. Lightning's hand flew to the sides of her head as she fell to her knees, her head pounding under the strain of her sister's excitement.

"God damn it Shard!" Lightning growled, the ringing in her mind winding down along with the pure agony in her head. "Inside fucking voice!"

"S-Sorry sis," she said bashfully, then giggled as she added, "I'm just so happy! I've always wanted a sister and now-"

"I get it," she sighed as she staggered to her feet. "Just remember, your screaming hurts a freaking lot."

"Okay. Sorry big sis."

As she said that, Lightning couldn't help but imagine a smaller version of herself looking up at her with a cutely determined frown and a nod. The image brought a small chuckle out of her as she resumed her forward march.

When did my life get so crazy?

Her smile flattened out when she rounded a left corner into a ten foot long hallway and stopped in her tracks. The room beyond was brighter than the hallways she crossed to get here. Bigger than any of the hallways as well if the space between the opening and its twin on the opposite end of the room was anything to go off of. That was a small detail compared to the figure standing in the middle of the room. Lightning glared at it as she resumed her stride, her wings flaring with electricity sparking off of her feathers with each step.

"Are you ready Shard?" she asked, eyes locked onto the figure in the distance.

"Yeah," Shard said, a faint hint of a growl entering her tone.

They didn't say a word the whole way past the hall's threshold. Lightning did have to do a quick double take when she got a better look at what she had to fight. It looked like a jet-black eight foot tall dragon, looked being the most accurate word as far as the creature's description went. It's body held the general shape of a bird, complete with a pair of membranous wings in place of forelegs or arms and a beak-like mouth. It's tail resembled a scorpion's with said creature's type of stinger at the end. Lighting couldn't hold back a small rueful chuckle as she locked eyes with the monster.

A dragon. Of course its a dragon. What's next? A giant spider? A troll? Hell, I'm friends with a vampire, so why not throw a werewolf at me when this is over?!

"Do you find me amusing human?" the dragon growled.

"Nah," she sighed. "Inside joke. Don't worry about it."

"Explain," he growled, his amethyst eyes glowing as he glared at her.

Lightning shrugged and said, "I got my ass kicked by a dragon in a video game. Thought it's kind've funny that I get to fight one in real life."

The dragon reeled back a bit at that, then leaned forward with bared fangs and roared, "Insolent whelp! I am no simple dragon! I am a Wyvern! A beast of war and destruction!"

"Really?" Lightning frowned, crossing her arms. "Cuz you look like what happens when a dragon fucks a chicken."

The wyvern's glare intensified for a few seconds before his lips curved into a cruel smile.

"You have quite a lot of spirit for a human. Tell me, what do they call you?"

"Lightning Dust," she said evenly, arms still crossed as she met the Wyvern's stare. "You?"

"Yim," he answered. "Do you not fear me Lightning Dust?"

She shook her head, the girl looking more bored than anything else as she let her arms fall to her sides.

"I go to a school that got attacked by a demon and three sea monsters a few months ago. To be honest, you're kind of tame compared to them."

Yim threw his head back and laughed at that. It wasn't often that he met someone with such ice in their veins, but it always put him in a good mood when he did. It was a lot more fun to clash with prey that didn't tremble in his presence. It was twice as much fun when the prey in question could fight back.

"What a world we live in," he chuckled, staring down at his opponent. "Now, Lightning Dust, let us see just how "tame" I am."

As he said that, he spread his wings and shot into the sky, a fierce blast of wind knocking Lightning's hair back briefly as he did.

A crooked smile formed on her lips as she spread her wings, electricity sparking off of her body as she stared up at Yim.

"Ready Shard?" she asked.

"Yeah! Let's do this sis!"

Lightning jumped and shot up towards the wyvern, electricity surging around her left hand as it rolled up into a fist. A battle cry tore itself free from her as she threw a punch at the seed, sparks shooting off of it en mass as it closed in on him. He smiled as he slammed his head into the fist, full bolts of lightning flying in every direction the second the two attacks made contact. Surprised, Lighting flew back six feet away from him. Her surprise grew when she saw how little damage her attack did to him. There wasn't even a burn on the wyvern's scales as he leveled a sinister smile at her.

"Algantha may be the Mistress' favorite," he chuckled. "But I am the strongest of all her seeds. Such a pitiful attack will do nothing against me."

"Really?" Lightning frowned. "Guess I just have to hit harder than."

As she said that, her namesake surged out of her body in a dense field of power. The smell of burning ozone filled the room as the teen's power raged around her, searing the sky like a plasmic cleaver as it raged. Then, in a flash, she appeared in front Yim and slammed her fist into him. The seed's smile grew as the attack failed to even singe his scales before he turned and slammed his tail down onto her, sending her crashing straight into the ground with a literal earth-shattering thud. A pained swear flew past her lips as she dizzily stared up at her opponent. It was in that moment that she found her electrically charged hand grabbing a scorpion stinger just inches away from her heart, the monster it was attached to standing over her with a wide grin. The rest of her caught up with the situation and quickly moved the stinger towards the ground before she rolled out of danger and jumped to her feet. Yim's smile grew as he wrenched his stinger free and took another stab at her with it, only for her to jump back at the last second to avoid it.

Thanks Shard, she thought with a gulp. That was way too fucking close!

"Anytime," Shard chirped happily. "But yeah. This guy's pretty quick."

Tough too. That last attack was strong enough to blow up a tank! What the heck is this guy made of?!

"I don't know, but I don't think a frontal assault would be a good idea."

Lighting nodded.

Obviously, her usual strategy of "Punch it Until it Breaks" wasn't gonna cut it here. She needed to get a better idea of what she was dealing with. Then, as soon as she knew where to punch, she could knock this guy out of the sky. Unfortunately, it was going to be a bit difficult for her to learn anything about an opponent that moved as quick as Yim did. At least, it would be if she wanted to play it safe. A roughish smile grew on her lips as she sent a thought to Shard she knew was a pretty big gamble, but if it all worked out than they might have a shot at winning this.

Wanna to do "the thing"?

"Are you sure?" Shard asked, concern heavy in her voice. "It might be too much for you to handle. I...don't want to hurt you sis."

I don't think we have much of a choice, she thought, not once taking her eyes off of Yim as she "talked" to her sister. Like you said, this guys pretty fast.

A couple seconds passed before Shard let out a sigh and said, "Okay. I'll do it. Just focus on attacking and I'll take care of the rest."

Thanks sis, she thought, her smile becoming a bit more tender as she braced herself for what was about to happen. I'm gonna owe you big for this later.

"Oh you know it," Shard sighed, a hint of mischief present in her tone as she set things into motion.

Yim's grin grew as he watched his opponent, his heart pounding in his chest as he saw her smile as well. He knew that look. It was the look of someone who had a plan, a way to make this fight more interesting. Lightning was already proving to be an exciting opponent. Even some of his fellow seeds struggled to keep up with his speed, Algantha and Pearce being the only ones that could give him any real challenge when his mistress was too busy to humor him. Humans gave him even less of a challenge with Hearths Warming as the only exception. Most of them die from a single strike, but this girl managed to not only avoid his killing blow, but was still willing to face him. Whether it was foolishness or confidence, it didn't matter all that much to him. Regardless of what drove this human to fight, it filled the seed with hope that this would be a fight to remember.

"Alright," Lightning said, eyes narrowing as she smiled at him. "Let's do this."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4kEmZ0ONWY

Her eyes widened as a sudden surge of power ran through her. Quickly, it grew higher and higher as it ran through her body, the force building to critical levels as her body adjusted to the sudden shift. When it finally reached critical levels, gold lightning exploded out of her in a wild electric tempest. This was especially noticeable around her wings, the feathery appendages coated in electricity as they flared wide on her back. Her eyes stayed wide as they quickly scanned her surroundings before setting on Yim. He reared back a bit as her eyes drilled into him, the intensity feeling like they were looking into his soul. In a flash of gold light, the teen zipped in front of him and pulled her arm back to through a punch. Yim smiled as he spread his wings wide in defiance, only for a confused frown to take its place as the teen disappeared in another flash of light. A second later, a wild barrage of blows slammed into his chest before Lightning appeared above him. While the previous assault was no more lethal than a light push, the sheer number of strikes and the fact that he never saw them coming made him a little more leery of the girl's attacks. He struck out with his tail, but she disappeared again before his stinger could make contact. He shot into the air just in time to avoid a kick to the back, her shoe barely clipping the base of his stinger on the way up.

Lighting's eyes never left him as he flew above her, the golden orbs wide and trembling as her spell ran its course. Normally, it was impossible for the conscious and unconscious minds to merge. The strain it had on the body would be too much for it to handle all at once, but Shard helped make it easier. In addition, her electromancy allowed her to give her whole body a massive turbo charge. As an Electromancer, her body had a naturally high tolerance for the element and could even absorb it when needed. The real risk was when she used this spell on her organs, more specifically, her brain.

I can see it, she thought, her wings spread wide as she prepared herself to follow her opponent. Every movement. Every twitch. It's like he's moving in slow motion. I can do this. I can win!

A blast of lightning shot out of her yet again as she flew towards Yim, the wyvern seeing nothing but a flash of gold as the girl seemingly teleported beside him. He moved in slow motion as he turned towards her, a faint glint coming off of the edge of his wing as he swung it at her. As the attack crawled towards her, she let loose several dozen punches into his chest, each holding the destructive power of a hundred lightning bolts as they slammed into him. An irate grimace formed on her face as she ducked under his attack and flew to his other side to continue her assault. After a few seconds of this, she decided that a change of tactics was in order. After delivering a few more punches, she gathered some of her magic into her right hand and straightened her fingers. The electricity swirled around her hand as it formed itself into a fine point at the edge of her fingers like a blade. Without a second thought, she swung her hand out in a wide horizontal chop towards Yim's chest. A wide smile grew on her face as her attack cleaved clean through his scales and left a deep gash in the seed's chest.

"Gotcha'!" she cheered, a cocky smile gracing her face.

She quickly split the spell to both of her hands and let loose a flurry of slashes. Dozens of cuts carved themselves into the seed's body, each attack too fast for him to perceive as he futilely tried to track her. To him, the girl seemed to have turned into a living bolt of lightning, a whirling mass of golden electricity briefly hovering in front of him before it zipped twenty feet away from him and turned back into a teal girl. A second later hundreds of deep gashes covered his body, rivers of black blood pouring from them and staining the ground below. His eyes widened as an agonized groan blew past his maw, deep pants fallowing as he stared at Lightning.

"Looks like you're not so tough after all," she smirked, holding up an electrically charged hand.

Yim's wide-eyed shock slowly shifted into a sinister smile before he threw his head back and laughed, the sound wild and untamed before he shifted his attention back to the girl before him.

"Finally an opponent that's worth killing!"

As he said that, the blood stopped flowing from his wounds. In its place, a dense black cloud of what looked like smoke poured out of them. A manic laugh forced its way past the wyvern's lips as he charged towards her, the beast no longer looking slow to her as he closed the gap between them. Lightning extended her Taser Blade spell to the entirety of her arms just in time to block one of his wing swipes. A smart move on her part, as the second the wing made contact, she felt its glinted edge try to cut through her magic to get to her. For a moment, the two combatants traded blows before they broke away from each other to opposite ends of the chamber. As they repeated the exchange several more times, Yim continued to bleed out black smoke into the air. Soon, the whole chamber was mostly filled with it, but that didn't concern Lightning all that much. Even with the smoke giving him cover, her heightened perceptions told her exactly where he was at all times. It wasn't until she started having difficulty breathing that that started to change. That wasn't all she noticed as her vision started to partially blur and her movements slowed.

The fuck? she thought, narrowly avoiding a decapitating blow as she flew back to give herself some breathing room. Shard, what's going on? Is the spell starting to wear off?

"No, its still working," she said, a hint of panic filling her voice. "I think its the smoke!"

What about it? she thought, redirecting Yim's tail as he tried to impale her with it.

"I think it's some kind of poison! Every time we get close to it, your lungs start to freak out. I thought it was just normal smoke damage at first, but now I'm not so sure!"

Anything we can do about it?

"I'm going to try using the electricity in our body to fry it, but it will make the spell lose some of its power. Big sis, this might damage your lungs, but I can't think of anything else to try right now!"

That's fine! she thought, a grunt making its way past her lips as she barely dodged another wing slash. We're dead anyway if we don't do something!

A second later, a sharp tingling filled her chest as Shard went to work trying to keep Lighting alive. At the same time, Lightning forced her body to move faster to land as many strikes as she could. Meanwhile, Yim's attacks were just as relentless as ever, the seed's manic smile never leaving his face even as more gashes covered his body. Soon, the two warriors broke apart from each other, both panting as they stared each other down. Yim's body was a massive mass of cut scales as he smiled at Lighting, blood and smoke pouring out of his body in a dense miasma. Lightning could feel her Super Charge spell starting to reach its limit, her movements slowly starting to go back to their normal maximum and her awareness of her surroundings limiting by gradual intervals.

This isn't good, she thought, wiping some sweat off of her brow with the back of her hand as she glared at Yim. I can't keep this up for much longer. I need to end this before Super Charge times out completely or I'm screwed.

"Marvelous!" Yim laughed. "It's been far too long since someone pushed me to such a degree! With an opponent as amazing as you, I feel no need to hold anything back!"

The seed's smile grew more manic as a small black gem appeared and floated in front of him.

"Come Lightning Dust," he growled. "Let me show you what I am truly capable of!"

With that, he quickly devoured the gem with a loud crunch. The second the gem snapped, all of the smoke in the room converged on Yim in a maddening tempest. Little by little, the black tornado shrank as it merged with its maker and in time the monster that took its place was revealed to the world. The wyvern was now a jet black winged serpent, his new body easily twice as long as his old one with feathered wings of equal change in span. Hundreds of small needle-like spikes covered his body in a way that resembled a shaggy coat of fur that rattled rhythmically as he moved.

If her eyes were't already wide, they would've did so in shock as she took in Yim's new form. The seed chuckled darkly as he gave his mighty wings a flap, the same toxic smoke from before coming off of them in a thin spray into the air.

"Show me Lightning Dust," he smiled. "Show me the full extent of your powers! Show me what you hold deep inside!"

As he said that, all of the spines covering his body stood on end, then fired off of him in a thick swarm. Lightning spread her Taser Blade to her whole body and crossed her arms over her face as the attack washed over her, the needles slamming into her with the force of a furious rainstorm as they pushed her back. All of the needles that hit her were obliterated by her makeshift shield, but she didn't get to celebrate for very long before Yim's tail slammed into her. The shock of the attack knocked the air out of her as she crashed into a nearby wall. She groaned as she pried herself out of the resulting crater just in time to avoid a rain of razor sharp feathers the serpent had sent her way as she tried to get back into the air.

A stream of curses rolled off of her tongue as she frantically flew all across the battlefield, their previous trading of blows now reduced to an arial dog fight. Yim's attacks were just as swift as they were relentless, the seed seamlessly switching between needles and feathers as he tried to take Lightning out of the sky. All the while, Lightning's Super Charge was nearing the end of its time limit.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What the hell do I do?! He won't let me get close enough to hit him and I'm almost out of time! C'mon Lightning, think!

Yim let out a fiersom roar, but instead of using his normal attacks, the seed belched out a thick cloud of poison smoke that filled the chamber. Lightning's eyes and throat burned as the poison washed over her, but a light tingling in her body told her that Shard was doing everything she could to keep it from getting any worse than that. A faint disturbance in the smoke was the only sign Lightning got before a spine covered tail slammed into her side and pined her to a wall. A single flap of Yim's wings was all it took to dispel the smoke, the seed's blood red eyes glowing with mirth as he stared down at his prey as his spines dug deep into her side. As if that wasn't bad enough, Lightning's spell chose that exact time to finally wear-off. She grit her teeth as the spines stabbed into her, blood dripping down her legs as she glared into Yim's eyes. She channeled some of what little magic she had into her hand and tried to cut into his tail with a Taser Blade, but all she did was cut off some of his spines.

Yim chuckled and said, "Looks like this is as far as you go. Pity, I hoped our fun could've lasted just a bit longer."

"Fuck you," Lighting growled, hand gripping tightly around a few of the spines she cut off as she gathered the last of her magic into the very same hand. "I'm not dying here! So go take your fun and shove it up your ass, pal!"

With that, she rammed the needles into Yim's tail and poured all of her power into them. A look of shock came over the seed's face only for it to shift into agony a second later as his own needles tore through his scales and a whole storm of lightning ripped into him. As he fried from the inside out, a single thought passed through his mind.

So this is what you are capable of. Simply marvelous! I could never ask for a better warrior to be bested by!

Soon, Lightning's attack ran its course and a heavy silence filled the room. The two combatants were motionless where they floated, Lightning still pinned as she glared into the barely living eyes of Yim. Then, a dull crack broke the silence as the great serpent started to crumble, his body falling apart like brittle charcoal as a satisfied smile spread across his lips.

With a voice as dry as sand he said one last thing before his body collapsed completely.

"Well done...Lightning Dust."

A quick flare of her wings let her glide down to the ground as what was left of Yim turned into dust. She bonelessly flopped onto the ground face first, the softness of the flowers paradise after everything she had just went through. She was dimly aware of how her wounds were tingling as she flopped onto her back.

"Status report," she groaned, her whole body a weird mix of tingly and throbbing as she stared at the ceiling.

"A few bruised bones and minor poisoning," Shard said calmly. "Luckily, I held onto enough of our magic to patch this up. We'll need to wait a few minutes before we can patch up everything else."

"So, I'll live?" she smirked.

"Yep!" Shard chirped.

"Good,"she sighed.

As she laid there recovering, a thought crossed her mind that made her laugh.

Can't wait to tell Bonbon and Lyra that I slayed a fucking dragon. Suck it Dark Souls!

"Yeah, sis," Shard giggled. "You're awesome! Maybe now you can talk to him when this is over!"

Lightning's eyes widened as a deep blush covered her face.

"Sh-Shut up Shard," she stammered, an awkward grimace forming on her face as she stared bitterly at a nearby wall.

Shard just giggled and went back to patching her sister back up.

Ch. 54 Rise

Author's Note

Let's get ta' work!

Ch. 54 Rise

Aside from the soft crunching of the glowing flowers under her boots, the halls were silent as Applejack made her way through. If anyone saw her at that moment they would've thought that she was the picture of calm, that she was facing her current mission with unshakable convictions. That couldn't be further from the truth.

Underneath her calm mask was a hurricane of fear as she remembered her close encounter with the mistress of this maze. It was only for a second, but in that second she could feel the ferocity the Wraith had at her disposal. For that small moment, she felt like a monster had its fangs at her throat.

She stopped, her calm breaths turning into panicked shaky pants as she stared forward into the dim halls. She looked down at her sweat-soaked trembling hands, a single thought running through her head.

C-Can Ah really do this?

"No!" she snapped, eyes closed tight as she took a deep breath. "None of that! Remember what Bonbon taught ya'."

She took another deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then slowly let it out. Little by little, her fear started to level out as she repeated her cousin's breathing exercise. After a few minutes, she was back in control of herself and resumed her walk.

A small smirk spread across her lips as she thought of how much of a help her cousin had been the past few days. Even though she had Sunset's forgiveness, it was still difficult accepting it after everything she did. With a little help from Bonbon, that was gradually becoming less of an issue for her as the days went by. She chuckled as she thought back to how there little sessions started.

Ah was a right heel throughout most of those, wasn't Ah? she thought with a rueful smile. Easy ta' see which of us got the family patience.

***

Sweet Apple Acres was a picture of peace, the last traces of winter snow making way for the first leaves of spring. At the heart of the northern orchard stood one tree that held sacred importance to the whole family. Standing before this sacred tree were two teens, one the direct descendant of the people the tree stood in remembrance of while the other was her distant cousin. Applejack looked around sheepishly, not exactly comfortable being near such an important landmark.

"Do we need ta' do this here?" Applejack asked, eyes shifting nervously back and forth between the Memorial Tree and her cousin.

Bonbon gave a resolute nod and said, "You need to get in touch with your magic and this is the most magically charged place in the city."

"How do ya' know that?" she asked, crossing her arms and raising a brow.

"It's part of how my magic works," she shrugged. "If it's connected to the earth, I can find it."

"Bit of a stretch if ya' ask me," Applejack frowned.

Bonbon rolled her eyes before she sat herself cross-legged on the ground.

"Just humor me for a few seconds, okay?"

Rolling her eyes, Applejack did the same.

Don't really see the point in all of this. Responsibility's already givin' me lessons anyways.

"Hear her out," Responsibility chided. "Honesty's host may surprise you."

Grumbling, she mentally nodded as she reluctantly let herself see where this would go. Seeing that she had her stubborn cousin's attention, Bonbon smiled and took a deep breath.

"First, close your eyes."

Sighing, Applejack nodded and obeyed.

"Now," Bonbon continued, closing her own eyes. "Take a deep breath, count to ten, and slowly let it out through your nose."

Again, Applejack did as she was told.

"Good," Bonbon said, tone calm as steady as she guided Applejack. "Keep it up. You're doing great."

For several long minutes they kept at it, the farm girl's irritation slowly dwindling with each breath. It was strange. All she was doing was sitting and breathing, but she didn't think she had ever felt so relaxed in her life. It was as if all of the world's pressures had finally came off of her shoulders little by little with each breath. It was then that she felt a strange sort of pulse running through her body. It was similar to her heartbeat, or rather, it pulsed in synch with her heart as it flowed through her. The shock ruined her breathing and made her eyes fly open as she returned to reality, her hand flying to her chest as she she stared wide-eyed at the ground.

Bonbon chuckled a little and said, "You felt it, right?"

Applejack shifted her attention away from the ground towards her cousin and hesitantly nodded as she said. "Ah, felt somethin', that's for sure."

Bonbon nodded then said, "Let's see if you can feel that again."

Gulping, Applejack nodded as she closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing.

Soon, she found herself back in her previous state of calm. Again, she felt a series of pulses run through her along with her heartbeat. Now that she was expecting it, she let them wash over her as she concentrated on her breathing. Slowly, her awareness bled into the ground beneath her with each pulse. A small smile formed on her lips as she let what she slowly recognized as her magic run its course.

A soft hand on her shoulder made her flinch, but its warmth eased her back into her previous mental state. On the shoulder opposite, a larger hand set itself into place as a new warmth filled her heart. The images of two people she thought she would never see again came to the front of her mind. One was a woman in her late thirties, her build full yet toned with a light green plaid short-sleeved button-up shirt and light blue jeans emphasizing her youthful figure. Her light peach skin and wild tangerine curls that reached the middle of her back added an extra sparkle to her light blue eyes as they stared down at Applejack. Eyes that shined with love that only a mother can have. At her side stood a tall mountain of a man, easily two heads taller than the farm girl next to him with a body built as strong as the trees he once tended. Like his wife, the man wore a plaid shirt, but his was a rusty shade of brown and countless discolored patches covered his aged jeans in random places. His skin was the same shade of golden yellow Applejack saw on her younger sister with the same red hair cut short and messy under his aged stetson. He gave her a warm smile as he looked down on Applejack with eyes as green as her own, the one reminder she had of him every time she looked in the mirror. Her eyes drifted open and widened. Bonbon was gone and in her place the very same figures appeared before her, each of them kneeling before her with a hand on her shoulders.

"M-Ma? P-Pa?" she stammered, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.

"Hey there Jacky," her father, Bright Mac, said, his smile just as she remembered it.

"Hi honey," Pear Butter beamed, her smile just as bright as her husband's as she met Applejack's eyes.

Her lips trembled as she brought shaky hands up to reach towards her parents. A new sea of emotions filled her as she stared at the two people she thought she would never see again. A part of her wanted to reject what she was seeing, that it was too good to be true. Her parents were long dead, buried in the family plot ten miles away in Canterlot Memorial. She was there the day their caskets were lowered into the ground and the third person to put dirt on the pile. Yet here they were, kneeled down to her level and just as she remembered them.

"H-How are y'all here?" she stammered. "Y-Yer dead. Ah-Ah was there! Y-Y-Yer gone..."

Pear Butter's smile turned sad as she reached her free hand forward and brushed some of her daughter's hair out of her face.

"Yer right," she sighed. "We're dead, but we're not gone."

"H-Huh?" Applejack stammered, a hand drifting to the same place on her face that her mother touched.

Bright Mac nodded, and added, "We're always with y'all Jacky. Remember what Ah always used to tell ya'?"

The young farmer nodded, then said a set of words that held more weight now than they had before.

"We're Apples. And Apples never leave their own behind."

They nodded and suddenly, a pair of hands appeared over their shoulders as two new figures formed behind them. Applejack didn't know who they were, but she smiled up to them as well as a feeling entered her bones. It grew as more people appeared behind them and more behind them as well. A seemingly endless pattern slowly grew before the girl as more and more people joined her and her parents in the orchard. When it finally stopped, the feeling Applejack had as she locked eyes with the hundreds of unknown faces became impossible to confuse. It was family. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew that everyone here was part of her family.

"Someone's stolen an Apple from our orchard," Bright Mac said, a small frown marring his features as he and his daughter relocked eyes. "I say its time to get her back, don't you?"

Applejack paused, then smiled as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and gave a determined nod.

"Ah swear as an Apple that Ah'll bring Applebloom back."

Bright Mac's smile came back, both parents burning with pride as they nodded their approval before wrapping their daughter in a tight embrace.

"Ah know you will, Jacky," her father smiled.

"Remember honey," Pear Butter cooed. "You've got the whole family behind you."

"Y-Yeah," Applejack smiled, her arms wrapped tightly around her parents. "A-Ah will mom. Ah love y'all."

"We love ya too," they said in unison.

Slowly, their forms became less solid as Applejack came back to the land of the living. With one last blink, all of the Apples from the past vanished with only one Apple of the present and one from a distant tree as the only people in the immediate area. Applejack's eyes were wide as she sat panting, the emotional whiplash of what she experienced taking a toll on her. When she finally managed to regain control of herself she looked up at a very pleased Bonbon.

"What did you see?" she asked.

"M-My family," she stammered. "Not just my folks, but their folks and beyond."

"I see," Bonbon hummed. "Makes sense."

"What does?" she asked.

"In meditation," Bonbon continued. "You need something to help you stay grounded. This can be anything really, but it has to be something that matters to you. For you, that thing is our family."

"My family," Applejack whispered, her eyes drifting down to her lightly sweaty palms.

"Want to keep going?" Bonbon asked.

Applejack nodded, a determined smile growing on her face.

"Yeah. Let's see what these lessons can teach me. Ah've got a sister to save and somethin' tells me Ah'm gonna need all the help Ah can get."

***

Applejack chuckled ruefully as she thought back on how taxing those sessions were on her. That combined with her dream training put a heavy toll on her in more ways than one, but she couldn't deny that it was all worth it in the end. It was as if a doorway to a whole new part of herself had been opened for her. She felt more focused, yet also aware of other routs she could take to get to her destination. It was all just a matter of picking the rout that best suited her at the moment. It didn't hurt that her magic took to her new shift in perspective like a fish to water. For a while, it felt like she was trying to wrestle the power into doing what she wanted it to do, but now, as she navigated Lily's labyrinth, she could feel her magic flowing in a way that felt a lot more natural. It felt like it had finally deemed her worthy of being its master.

A bright light at the end of the hall brought an end to her quiet musings on her life, a poisonous energy emanating from it to such a degree that even her flimsy detecting abilities could register it. The farm girl leveled a hard frown at the light as she doubled her pace. It was time to get to work and she was more than willing to do what she needed to do to get the job done.

In time, she stepped out of the hall into a massive room illuminated by much brighter versions of the same flowers that filled the labyrinth. At its heart stood a lone figure and the source of the rancid energy she felt earlier. The figure was a four-armed woman, her figure light and graceful with skin an ashy gray like a statue. She was balled with the sole exception being a long black braid that came down to her rear from the back of her head. Aside from a loose pair of gray belly-dancer pants and a matching strip of fabric covering her modest bosom, she was bare to the world as she stood there. Her eyes were closed as she held herself in a kind of meditative stance, two of her hands held together in front of her in a prayer-like fashion while her two upper ones were bent at her head's level with the hands open towards the sky as if they were holding some invisible object over her head, all while she balanced herself on a single leg while the other bent itself in a way that allowed her to place its foot on her inner thigh.

Applejack stayed on guard as she stepped further into the arena, her eyes locked fully onto the figure as she focused her magic into a spell. The figure opened her eyes the second the farm girl took her fifth step to reveal glowing pupilless golden eyes.

The figure looked down her nose at her and said, "How the Mistress must detest me. Forcing me to deal with a traitor? How infuriating."

"You ain't Lily," Applejack growled, lips pulled into an unimpressed frown as she stared the woman down.

"No," she said flatly. "I am a seed made by the Mistress to eliminate all who walk this path towards her. Mar is what I go by."

"Nice ta' know," Applejack frowned. "Now, think ya' can get out of my. Ah don't have time ta' waste on ya'll."

Mar scoffed at that and shifted into a fighting stance.

"The nerve. A foolish traitor thinks she is worthy of the Mistress' presence? I will enjoy covering the walls with your blood."

Applejack stood unmoved as she glared hatefully at the seed.

"Ah ain't gonna' say it again. Get out of my way."

"Such stubborn pride," Mar scoffed. "The same trait that cost you a friend.

Applejack's eyes widened in shock at that. How had her opponent known about that? It wasn't a question she had long to ponder as Mar suddenly appeared in front of her. In a literal blink, a fist firmly planted itself in Applejack's gut followed shortly by an explosion that sent her flying across the room. An agonized gasp made it past her lips as she writhed on the ground, a part of her grateful for the Earth Pony durability Bonbon mentioned as she waited for the pain to pass. Mar didn't give her that chance as she appeared above her. Fists landed on her body in a furious rain, each impact ending with an explosion that slowly cratered the ground beneath them.

"Worthless scum," Mar sneered as she struck. "Those who live by an oath must be willing to die by it! Worthless maggots like you aren't worthy of the air you breath! Have you no shame or is a pitiful beast like you even capable of such a thing? It doesn't matter! Just do the world a favor and die. Die! DIE!!!"

At the end of her rant, Mar delivered one last punch, the explosion tripling the already massive crater and leaving a thick cloud of dust in the air. The seed let out deep gasping pants as she glared hatefully into the ground below her, the dust hiding the farm girl from her sight. Mar let out a frustrated growl as she pulled her fist back, blood coating the knuckles as she stood up straight.

"Scum," she spat then made her way back towards the center of the room. "Such a fragile soul could never be worthy of the Mistress' time."

"Ya got me there."

The seed stopped, a look of shock coloring her face as she slowly turned to face the voice in the crater. Out of the dust rose a battered and bruised Applejack, a stream of blood trailing from her nose as she glared at her attacker.

"Ah'm as big a piece of crap as you can get," she sighed. "Ah stabbed Sunset in the back the second things looked bad and Ah gotta' live with that for the rest of my life. All because Ah refused to listen to her side of the story. Ah'll never be able to really fix that, but that's not what Ah need to worry about right now."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pYHjyGdLAo

She leveled a hard glare at the seed and pointed a palm at her as she said, "Right now, Ah have a sister ta' save and you're in my way."

Mar let out furious screech and charged towards the lone teen, only to freeze as her center of balance took a sudden shift. A light green glow surrounded Applejack's hand as the feeling rapidly increased, the seed suddenly feeling herself being pulled backwards. A shocked scream made its way past her lips as she suddenly flew backwards into the wall behind her on the other end of the arena. The seed cursed under her breath as she tried to pull herself away from the wall only to find her center of gravity drawn to it. Slowly, she came to a find that she could actually walk on it as if it was the ground.

"What in the world?" she muttered.

"Neat trick, right?" Applejack said casually. "My magic let's me control gravity. As long as Ah can see it, Ah can affect an objects gravitational pull. Took a lot of work for me ta' figure out how ta' use it properly, but Ah think Ah've done a pretty good job, all things considered."

Mar's glare turned into a cold grin as she stared "up" at the farm girl.

"Yes. Quite the trick. Too bad it can be so easily countered."

As she said that, the "ground" beneath the seed's feet exploded as she jumped towards her. Applejack quickly stepped out the way as Mar flew towards her, the seed throwing a punch as she passed that barely missed her face. Applejack spun to face her just as Mar rolled onto her feet and charged in for another attack. The farm girl sported a cocky smile as she let her magic flow freely through her whole body, a light green glow covering her as her spell took effect. Mar threw a punch with both of her left hands at the girl's head only to be met with empty air as she disappeared. Shocked, she looked around just in time to see Applejack's haymaker come at her from her right at blinding speeds. The seed let out a pained yelp as the fist slammed into her face with the force of a freight train as she flew across the room.

What just happened? she thought, spitting out a glob of black blood as she dragged herself to her feet. For a moment, my body felt wrong.

"Had enough?" Applejack called, her body still glowing as she assumed a fighting stance.

"Silence," Mar hissed as she assumed a stance of her own. "A traitor like you will never best a loyal warrior such as I. Your petty tricks will only make my victory all the sweeter as I grind your head into the dirt."

"Just try it," she said, eyes narrowing as she glared down at the seed.

Mar grew a smile as she met Applejack's glare, then charged towards her. The farmer jumped back just in time to avoid a forward jab, but let out a startled yelp when a massive explosion exited the same fist pointed at her. A dense cloud of dust surrounded her from the explosion. Cursing under her breath, she carefully scanned her surroundings, her pony ears twitching as she searched for even the faintest trace of her opponent in the cloud. She didn't have to wait long before a pair of fists slammed into face followed by a pair of explosions that sent her flying. Cursing, she canceled her spell to return to her normal weight before she could become a big smear on the wall she slammed into. Trying to capitalize on her advantage, Mar charged towards her prey with a wide smile and four clenched fists. Applejack waisted no time casting her next spell as she pointed a glowing hand at the seed. Mar let out a surprised gasp as a similar faint glow surrounded her before her body slammed itself into the ground like a lead weight. Applejack pried herself out of the wall and laid her free hand onto her chest a she cast a spell onto herself and jumped. Mar watched with wide eyes as the girl seemed to fly into the air, easily reaching a hundred feet into the air right above the seed. A look of pure rage formed on Applejack's face as she changed the spell she casted on herself from one that made her lighter to something much more useful in her current position. With a furious cry, she came down on the seed like a meteor, the increased weight of both her spells leaving a deep crater on impact that spanned the entirety of the arena's floor. Mar's mouth hung open as wide as her eyes, deep globs of black blood pouring out of her mouth in as she gasped in pain.

"Ah told ya' ta' get out of my way," Applejack growled, her glare remaining as she slowly removed her boot from the seed's crushed chest. "Hopefully, Ah didn't waste too much time getting past ya'."

As she said that, she turned to make her way towards the exit only to pause as her opponent staggered back to her feet. She sighed, then turned to face Mar with a flat expression. A part of her could admire the seed's determination, but a bigger part of her was growing more annoyed by her desire to keep her held up here. She had more important things to do than deal with an enemy that didn't know how to stay down.

"You think this is enough, traitor?" she coughed. "While I will admit that you have power, it still pales in comparison to what my Mistress has given me."

"Stop," Applejack said flatly. "Take a look at ya'. Y'all're barely standin' and Ah'm still rarin' ta' go. Ya' can't win this."

"We shall see," Mar grinned, reaching into her pocket for something. "You are not the only one with a stubborn streak traitor."

With that, she pulled a jagged shard of violet crystal out of her pocket and rammed it into her thigh. Manic cackles filled the air as the seed's body started to crack, deep and jagged breaks in her skin forming in rapid succession as black smoke poured out of her. With a massive explosion, the remains of the seed was consumed by a dark cloud of black smoke. When it cleared, a new monstrosity stood before Applejack. While the creature had the same general shape of Mar, the monster was made entirely of pitch black flames with a single strip of silver flame taking the place of her braid. Her eyes were still golden, but now glowed with a bloodlust beyond anything the teen had ever felt.

"Now," she said, her voice echoing with the sound of crackling flames. "Show me what you are truly capable of, traitor."

The fire demon instantly closed the gap between her and her opponent and slammed a fist into her. Applejack's eyes widened as new pain shot through her in the form of an earth-shattering explosion that sent her flying. All of the air flew out of her as she slammed into a wall. She couldn't even spare a breath to scream as Mar closed in on her and rained blows upon her. The room ran with thundering booms as the seed's literally explosive blows tore into Applejack's body, blood leaking from her nose and mouth as she tried to endure the assault. Her vision blurred as her consciousness started to fade away. Was this it? Was this how she was going to die?

Images of her life came to her in brief flashes as her senses faded. She saw the day she helped her parents in the orchard for the first time. The day she met her friends in the first grade. The day Big Mac and her burned their first pie together. The day Applebloom was brought home after she was born. Like a switch had been flipped, countless memories of the young Apple came to the front of her mind in a near overwhelming wave. Her first tooth. Her first day in kindergarden. Her first steps. The day she met Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle for the first time. After their parent's died, she, Big Mac, and Granny Smith had all raised the girl like their own daughter with all the love they could muster. Now, it was time to bring her back home!

Applejack's eyes refocused as she came back to the world and all the pain that came with it as she glared into Mar's eyes.

Ah ain't dead yet and I don't intend ta' die anytime soon neither! Ya' want my best? Fine! Let's see if ya' can take it!

A bright light surrounded her as the farm girl poured all of her magic into one last spell, the air around her shaking in the face of the power she was about to unleash. With a bellowing cry, she let the power out in one massive burst. Mar let out a startled yelp as she flew back, her body slamming wholly into the wall on the opposite end of the room as the teen's magic flooded the room in a massive malstrom of power. A cough made its way past her lips as Applejack pried herself out of the wall, her eyes glowing green as she staggered to the center of the room. Mar tried to pull herself off of the wall, but no matter how hard she tried her body refused to move. It was as if a great press held her in place as she watched her enemy get into position.

"Ya' know," Applejack growled, glowing eyes glaring a hole into the seed. "Everythin' in the world has its own gravity field. Ah never knew that before all of this bull honky. Even the air we breath has it. Thin' is, ya' gotta' be really big for it to make any real difference. It's kind'a like everythin's tied to other thin's by chains; the bigger the thin' the more chains they have. Pretty fittin' all thin's considered."

As she said that, she raised a hand above her head. Slowly, a small green shackle formed on her wrist. Aside from its glow and color, it was rather unremarkable at first glance. That quickly changed when hundreds of small chains formed on its perimeter, the emerald links spanning out across the entire battlefield like an intricate spiderweb. Mar took in the sight with wide eyes full of wonder only for it to turn to dread when she saw that five of the links were connected to her as well.

Applejack's glare turned colder as she clenched her raised hand into a tight fist and said, "This kind of power takes a lot of work to figure out, but one thin' Ah learned real quick about it is this."

She took a deep breath, then yelled, "It can break the world in seconds!"

As she said that, she swung her hand down, snapping all but the handful of chains connected to Mar. All hell broke loose immediately as every loose stone, flower, and grain of dust flew towards the seed in a merciless tsunami wave of destruction. An agonized wail was barely snuffed out along with its source as several thousand pounds of force slammed into the greatest source of gravitational pull in the middle of Applejack's spell. The effect continued to intensify as every shattered stone and grain of dust was added to the pile even as said stones continued to break on impact. Applejack increased the power, adding to Mar's gravitational pull as she fed more magic into her spell. Eventually, the pull got so strong that all of the debris and the seed herself were compressed into nothing but a single pebble. Only then did Applejack finally let the spell cancel itself and the glow from her eyes and wrist along with it.

She fell to her knees and gasped, the strain of using her Gravity Well Spell immense as she waited for her battered form to catch up. While not that difficult to cast, control for it became more difficult to maintain depending on the area she was casting it on. In addition to that, she couldn't move while the spell was in effect as she had to use herself as the central anchoring point for the area of effect. It was for those reasons that she preferred to use her Gravity Hammer or Light Foot Spells for offense and Wall Waker Spell to disorientate her opponent. On top of being much more flexible, those spells required a lot less magic from her to maintain.

As she waited for her body and magic to recover, her eyes wandered towards the pebble that was once Mar. Her lips curved into a determined frown as she crawled towards it. When she finally made it to the stone, she picked it up and glared at it before she put it in her pocket. An exhausted groan made its way past her lips as she rolled onto her back and stared up at the sky, a small handful of glowing flowers giving the arena a gloomy form of broken light.

Ah am a traitor. The lowest of the low. Ah took someone Ah claimed was family and pushed them into doin' somethin' that can't be taken back. Ah know that their's no way Ah can change any of that.

A resolute nod came out of her as one last thought echoed through her head.

But Ah will do what Ah can ta' make up for it. Thats a promise.

Ch. 55 Adamas

Author's Note

Time for a sweet deal!

Ch. 55 Adamas

Bonbon bobbed her head gently as she walked, soft opera music being fed to her from a pair of earbuds connected to her phone. At the same time, several dozen formulas ran through her head as she tried to navigate the maze. A small smile grew on her face as she mulled over how easy her "gift" made this task as she rounded a corner. Granted, her magic made the task a lot easier, but this only applied to massively branching paths. Even in those cases, the magic could only paint a picture that a few simple formulas could be applied to fill in the gaps. To be frank, she was a little disappointed with Lily's ability to build a maze.

"I think Lightning could've built a more challenging maze," she muttered, rounding another corner. "At least she could've made it habitually confusing for everyone else."

She let out a small chuckle at that, a small part of her wondering if she could talk the irritable teen into attempting that very action when this was all over. At the same time, a growing concern grew in the back of her mind. While she was worried about all of her friends, three girls in particular sat at the front of her worry as she made her way through her part of the dungeon. She knew that Sunset could handle herself thanks to her experience with this kind of thing and that extended to Applejack, while at a lesser extent. The main issue being how mentally fragile the two girls were thanks to recent events, especially in regards to Applejack. The memory of how broken Sunset looked at the start of Derpy's involvement in the Anon-a-Miss incident left her wondering how she would react when she met the being responsible for it all. As for Applejack, she worried if her cousin's guilt would drive her to do something reckless when the opportunity presented itself to her. As bad as all of that was, it paled in comparison to her fears in regards to Lyra's reaction to this. While the girl was known for being a quirky goofball, the truth was much darker than most would be willing to accept.

She trembled as she remembered what happened the fateful day she came to that startling discovery. It was a week after she played against her for the first time. At that time she wasn't really a friend per se, but she had started to form a sort of student/teacher relationship with her when it came to Magic the Gathering. It was during Spring Break in their second year of Junior High. Before then, the two girls shared texts and calls almost daily, but when she tried to get in contact with the mint teen, only her answering machine would take her calls. When she did finally pick up the phone, her tone was so void of emotion it sent a chill down her spine. She remembered how much her heart pounded in her chest when she ran out the door, how her hands trembled as they gripped her bike's handlebars as she peddled through town to her house.

***

Bonbon stood panting before Lyra's front door, her bike sprawled out haphazardly across the front lawn as she knocked. For several seconds, she waited nervously for any kind of response from the girl inside. After what felt like hours, the door's bolt slowly slid out of place and it creaked open a crack. A single gold eye peeked out of the sliver before its owner let the door open fully. Lyra was dressed in a baggy white T-shirt and blue sweatpants, both covered with stains and wrinkles. Her hair was a total mess with stray strands sticking out at random angles with a few wild curls scattered as well.

Her eyes were what held the girl's attention.

Those golden orbs drooped in a way that cut into Bonbon's very soul as they met her own light blue ones. Lyra barely moved as her eyes slowly took in the girl's presence, a blank and unreadable expression plastered across her face as she did.

"You're here," she said flatly.

"Y-Yeah," Bonbon panted.

"Why?" Lyra asked, voice still void of emotion.

"I was worried about you," she said with a confused frown.

"Why?" she repeated, head tilting. "I didn't say I was hurt, did I?"

A heavy weight started to settle into Bonbon's stomach the longer she took in the girl's demeanor. It was as if all of the life had been sucked out of her and what stood before her was the leftover husk. She nervously licked her drying lips and forced a smile onto her face as she wracked her brain for some way to explain herself.

"Uh...well...um...no, but I still wanted to check up on you."

"Okay," she said flatly before she neutrally added, "You came. I'm fine. You can leave now."

She slowly started to close the door, only to pause when a hasty, "Wait!" flew past Bonbon's lips.

"What?" she asked, a hint of irritation entering her tone.

Bonbon took a deep breath then nervously asked, "D-Do you want to hang out?"

Lyra blinked at that, a hint of surprise entering her features before a small skeptical frown took its place.

"Why? No one wants to be around me."

"I do," Bonbon said meekly, her gaze falling towards the ground along with her smile as she added, "But if you don't want me around, I-I understand."

For a long while, Lyra stared at the girl, then let out a dull sigh as she said, "Fine. Just don't break anything."

With that, she let the door swing open and walked further into the house. Gulping audibly, the tan teen followed her mint teacher into the house. The first thing to hit her was the all encompassing gloom that filled the air. Aside from the windows and a wall-mounted widescreen TV, no light could be seen and even those sources seemed somehow muted. The house had a very sterile look to it with next to no decorations on the plain white walls. It put a chill down her spine as she followed Lyra into the living room. The girl flopped bonelessly onto the couch before rolling onto her side and half curling towards the TV. Seeing little else to do, Bonbon took a seat next to her and looked up at the TV.

"What are you watching?" she asked, desperate for any kind of topic to break the gloom.

"Don't know," Lyra shrugged. "It was too quiet, so I just turned the TV on."

Bonbon nodded awkwardly at that before she sported a matching smile and scanned the room for another thing to talk about. The coffee table before her caught her attention and brought turned her smile into one of relief. Sitting at the heart of the table were two stacks of cards. Each card in the decks were protected by individual plastic sleeves, a common practice for those that participated in collectable card games, but a small detail about the decks made her raise a brow. From what she could see in the dim light the protector sleeves bore the tattered and dented signs of extreme aging that she knew got on her teacher's nerves, a fact that she never let her forget every time she got the chance. The damage was so extreme that she couldn't even tell what color the sleeves use to be. Another odd fact was that, while one deck was stacked neatly, the other looked as if it had been dumped onto the table with next to no care.

"New decks?" she asked, nodding towards the cards.

Lyra's eyes drifted towards the cards and for the tiniest of seconds, a flash of pain crossed her features.

"No," she said, coldly. "Just some old cards."

"Oh," Bonbon smiled. "Were you looking through your collection for things to sell or-"

"Never," she hissed, pure venom lacing her tone like a cobra bite. "I'll fucking burn myself to death before I sell these."

Bonbon put her hands up placatingly, a gulp making it past her dry throat as she locked eyes with the girl. Never had she heard someone talk with such vitriol before, let alone the girl that laid before her. Lyra took note of the girl's fear and let out a defeated sigh as she forced herself to sit up properly.

"Sorry," she muttered, her messy bangs hiding her eyes as she stared at the table. "These cards are just really special to me. Especially today."

"Why?" Bonbon asked, her dread replaced by nervous confusion as she looked at the decks again. "Were they gifts or something?"

"Sort of," Lyra sighed. "That one belonged to the person that taught me how to play and that was the deck I use to play with a while back."

As she said that, she first pointed at the neatly stacked deck then pointed at the messily alined one. Bonbon nodded, following so far.

"Okay, but if that's the case, why is that deck all-"

"Messed up?" Lyra asked, her tone just as limp as it had been this whole time.

Again, Bonbon nodded.

Lyra sighed, then pulled her knees into her chest and said, "Let's just say, I wasn't the best person in the past. When my teacher tried to talk some sense into me, I told her to go shove it and did my own thing. It took her dying to help me figure that out, but by that point, I had already pushed everyone away from me. So, every year, I pull out her deck on this day to remember her and my old deck to remind myself to never become that person again."

Bonbon's eyes widened, the dread and gloom that filled the air now making total sense to her as she gave the two decks another once over. Her eyes wandered towards the hollow-eyed teen on the couch, her arms lightly trembling as they hugged her legs to her chest. A determined frown formed on her face as she nodded to herself and pulled the girl into a one-armed hug. Lyra blinked dumbly for a second, the girl's usual spark seeming to come back for a brief second as she turned her head towards her.

"It sounds like you're going through a lot right now," she said, her tone firm yet kind at the same time. "Do you want to talk more about it?"

Lyra's shock grew, before a shaky, "Why?" crept past her lips.

"Why what?" she asked.

"Why do you care?" Lyra stammered, her lip trembling as she fought to keep her tears at bay.

"I guess, its because I know what its like to be lonely," she sighed. "And I'd really like to be your friend."

"R-Really?" Lyra balked.

Bonbon nodded, then sheepishly added, "If you'll let me anyway. I-I'm not really good at this sort of thing."

Lyra let out a rueful chuckle at that, then said, "Let's figure it out together then, I guess."

***

It wasn't long after that, that Lyra told her the specifics of her past and how she felt about using black cards as a result. Ever since, she had been Lyra's rock when things got to be too much for her to handle. Eventually, Derpy's group took the two of them in and their outlooks on life got a little better as a result. Now that they were cut off from that network, she feared for what this could do to the girl.

Pausing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Relax Bonbon, she thought, slowly taking more breaths to steady her nerves. There's nothing you can do about it right now. Just focus on what you need to do, then worry about her when you can. She's not completely helpless. She has her magic, just like you do.

"She's got this," she sighed, then opened her eyes with a determined gleam. "And so do I."

When she took her next step, a sudden pressure surrounded her. She gritted her teeth as she forced herself to move forward in spite of everything in her telling her to runaway. She could feel it in the stone walls just as plainly as the air, a rancid energy near identical to the foul aura she felt around Lily on the bridge. Her pony ears twitched in irritation as she tried to ignore the poisonous energy swirling around her as she rounded a corner. A light at the end of the hall shined like a beacon guiding her towards the heart of the foul energy, her steps firm as she made her way towards her fate.

"Alright, here we go," she muttered. "It's show time!"

As she said that, she stepped out of the hall into a massive arena filled with a brighter variant of the flowers from the halls. At its heart stood the strangest being she had ever seen in her life, a tall claim considering the her level of contact with the Equestrian High Royal class. It had a vaguely male humanoid shape, but that was the only tie he had to a basic human form. A ragged gray tank top covered his upper body with a matching pair of shorts doing the same for his lower body. While its right arm was thin and gripping a scimitar, the left one was five times the size of a normal human limb with a hand made up of five jagged claws functioning as fingers. It's left leg was in a similar state, several long spikes coming out of its knee and thigh. The rest of the creature's body was like that of an emaciated scarecrow, its skin a dark gray that shined like plastic as the arena's light bounced off of it as a dull glare. His head stood tilted to the left side on his shoulders, his hair a mess of dirty brown that covered the left side of his head with a single red eye visible on the right side of his head. Only the left side of his face had a mouth, the right half of where it should've been replaced by perfectly smooth plastic skin.

The creature let out a dry laugh and in an equally parched voice said, "Well, well, well, who might this be?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Bonbon said, her tone just as calm as her stride as she stepped further into the arena.

The creature let out a cackle that reminded her of snapping twigs.

"You have spirit. I like that. The name's Palk."

"Bonbon," she said evenly, stoping about fifteen feet away from him.

"Seriously?" he asked, his literal half smile replaced by a confused frown.

She nodded.

He blinked once, twice, then laughed.

"Wh-Who names their child after a type of candy?" Palk gasped, massive hand covering his chest as he fought against his laughter.

"It's pretty normal in my family," she shrugged. "I have a cousin named Jawbreaker. Bet you can guess what he's good at."

"I can think of at least three things," he said teasingly, his head tilting to the other side.

She noted that he only had one eye, the place that the organ should've been suffering the same fait as the right half of his mouth.

"Care to guess what they are?" he continued.

"Not really," she frowned. "But I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me pass."

Palk laughed wickedly at that.

"Sorry. Can't," he grinned. "The Mistress was very clear in her orders. Kill anyone that enters this room. No exceptions."

"I see," she sighed. "Figures. Just remember, I gave you a chance."

As she said that, she leveled a cold frown at him and plucked her earbuds out of her ears, the music long since ended as she put them into her pocket. A small pulse echoed through the room as her magic merged with her surroundings, dozens of different spells running through her mind as well as a sea of calculations. A bit of fear sat at the core of her heart, but a strong sense of duty kept her from letting it grow. It was time to put her training to the test.

Palk's broken grin grew as he took a step towards her with his massive mismatched leg. The limb's spikes trembled for a moment, then suddenly stretched towards her. A flurry of numbers and a spell ran through her head in less than a second before said spell took effect. A sound similar to cracking glass filled the room as Palk's spikes slammed into a glowing wall of clear diamond, ten feet tall, twenty feet wide, and three feet thick. Palk blinked dumbly at it while Bonbon walked out from behind it with a chuckle.

"0.045 seconds. Not bad," she grinned. "I might have to put some effort into this."

The seed's smile returned as he locked eye with her, then laughed as one of his extended spikes sprouted a new point that stretched towards her. She barely blinked as she conjured a new diamond wall to intercept the spike, this one no bigger than her before she pointed her palm at the seed and fired a marble-sized glowing chunk of the same material at him. At a speed that should've been impossible for something of its size, he blocked the attack with his mismatched arm before he pointed its palm at her. A hail of black spheres the same size as Bonbon's projectile shot out of it towards her only to be intercepted by another diamond wall at the last second. She quickly put her hand against the wall, the spell responding her will through the simple contact and through her will allowed her to push it forward. She charged forward through the assault, her battle cry echoing off of the walls as she closed the distance and slammed her makeshift shield into her opponent's outstretched hand. A pulse of magic ran through the shield before foot long spikes sprouted out of it into the seed's hand, forcing him back a couple steps that snapped his still extended spikes off of his leg, but failing to do any noticeable damage beyond that. A manic laugh made it past the seed's lips as he took a swing at her with his blade only for it to slam into a new diamond wall. His laughter grew even more wild as his whole upper body twisted, his hulking fist slamming viciously into her defenses with thundering force as his body continued to spin unnaturally. Bonbon gritted her teeth as she pushed her hands into her shield's smooth surface, her magic keeping the stone barrier from shattering under her opponent's relentless assault. She quickly redirected her flow of magic from her hands down into her feet and the stones beneath her, the data she was able to gather telling her that her diamond shield didn't have long to last if Palk's attacks continued. A strained smile formed on her face as a flurry of diamond spikes sprang up out of the ground under her opponent, many of them trapping his giant arm mid-spin while the rest knocked him off balance and onto his back. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Bonbon conjured a literal diamond shield onto her left arm while a diamond sword formed in her right as she summoned a diamond pillar under herself to give her the boost she needed to jump over the walls she created. She could see shock on the seed's face as she leapt towards him, her blade aimed at his throat as she let gravity guide her towards her destination.

This is it! Checkmate!

Her assurance turned into shock when at the last second, a dozen long sword-blades burst through the seed's lanky torso. She quickly shifted position and blocked the surprise attack with her shield before she rolled away from him the second she hit the ground. Palk laughed as he dragged himself to his feet, blades still protruding from his chest as he turned towards her.

"Surprised?" he asked. "My body is a walking weapons factory. All I have to do is think about it and, boom! New weapon! Not too shabby, eh?"

"Not bad," Bonbon nodded. "Don't think it means you've won this, though. I've still got a few tricks left up my sleeves too."

"Well then," he cackled. "Guess I'd better get serious then, huh?"

Suddenly, his body started to spasm and twitch before it blew apart with a loud wet ripping sound. The only part of him that stayed in place was his head, the appendage floating a the center of the room as the rest of his body continued to writhe and pop. Slowly, the remains broke apart and changed into shapeless blobs before assuming new forms that made the teen a little less sure about her odds. Guns, swords, and shields floated off of the ground and orbited the floating head, said head eyeing her with wild glee as he leveled his new weapons at her.

Pure terror ran through her as the guns locked onto her, her magic reacting on an instinctual level as her shield turned into armor around her just in time to deflect a hail of bullets. She quickly shifted gears to full on defense and evasion, stone walls sprouting around her as she ran from Palk's gun fire. The seed just laughed as he pressed his advantage, his "body" floating at the heart of the room with ten small kite shields orbiting him as he watched her run. His grin grew as he slowly started to see a pattern in her actions. Each time she saw his guns move into position to take a shot at her, there was always a small gap in time before a diamond wall would come up to block a bullet. Little by little, he added more pressure to his attacks, swords plunging towards her every so often before he let his guns fire at her. Eventually, the whole room was filled with diamond walls with only the center clear of the shining rocks. By that point, the seed had gathered all the information he needed to finish this.

Meanwhile, Bonbon ran in a haze of terror as she did everything she could to avoid getting shot. Never did she think that she would ever find herself in such a horrifying position as she bobbed and weaved around her own diamond walls. Her mind ran at a hundred miles an hour as she tried to think of a way out of this situation, only for a pistol to hover before her and shatter her train of thought and force her to create a diamond wall in panic.

Come on Bonbon, think! she thought frantically. There has to be a way out of this!

No sooner had she thought that before half a dozen pistols came out from behind her diamond walls and surrounded her. She frantically tried to put up a few more walls around herself only for her focus to be shattered by seven swords that came down from above and slashed at her. While the blades bounced harmlessly off of her armor, the bullets proved to be much more powerful. The projectiles slammed into her armor with the force of a hundred freight trains, shattering it, but luckily not going beyond that. She screamed in pain and terror as she fell to the floor, all of the weapons aimed right at her with a second attempt clear in their intent. Again, her instincts saved her as a solid dome of diamond formed over her, the clang of metal and ricochet of bullets barely muffled behind her barrier.

She panted, shock making her numb to the countless blooming bruises that covered her body from where she laid. Gradually, tears started to well up as the hopelessness of her situation started to take hold. Did she honestly think she could do this? Impossible. She wasn't some magical warrior or anything like that. She was just a candy maker; not some super hero that can come in and save the day.

"What the hell was I thinking?" she whimpered, her hands drifting to her eyes as she tried to rub them dry.

Her head was blank as she slowly made peace with the cold hard truth of her situation. She was going to die here and there was next to nothing she could do about it. Her thoughts drifted towards her barrier, the glowing gemstone that surrounded her serving as the only thing keeping her alive.

Why should I even bother?

She reached a hand forward towards the top of the dome as she prepared to dispel it and get this all over with. She marveled at how pretty it looked, a part of her happy that she could create something so beautiful before her end. At the very least, her foolishness allowed her to leave something worth while behind.

Sorry girls, she thought with a sad smile. I tried.

Just as she was about to cancel her defense, a fleeting memory came to the front of her mind made her pause. A memory of her sitting in Derpy's mom's van as they drove towards this wretched battle field. They knew exactly what they were agreeing to when they got out of that car and stepped onto the bridge. Right now, they were all fighting with everything they had, danger be damned as they stood against an enemy far worse than anything they had ever encountered. She wasn't a warrior. None of them were. The odds of survival were slim, but if she was going to die, she was going to die a warrior's death.

With a determined grimace, she pulled her hand back and used it to wipe the remaining tears from her face. She ignored the aches that wracked her body as she forced herself into sitting cross-legged. She emptied her mind, focusing on the pulse of her magic as it ran through the battlefield. Little by little, she started to get a better picture of her situation and now that the panic had left her, a plan started to form in her head. She took note of everything she'd seen as far as Palk's abilities were concerned, various calculations mixing into her plan before a small smile graced her lips. With a nod, she stood up, her head just barely grazing the ceiling of her sanctuary. With her battle plan set, she put her hand out towards one of the dome's walls.

"Time to end this," she whispered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69fm5XF4_Kc

With a simple pulse of her magic the barrier burst apart, the pieces a second later zeroing in on the countless weapons that surrounded her. On contact, the diamond chunks quickly molded around the weapons like glistening clay. The guns tried to shoot their way out of their prisons, but Bonbon had already calculated the strength of the bullets from when they destroyed her armor and made sure that the Diamond Prison spell was a hundred times harder than that had been. She wasted no time as she ran out of her would-be tomb towards the heart of the room. As she ran, her hands started to glisten as glowing crystal formed around them. By the time she made it to her destination, a glowing sphere of solid diamond surrounded each of her hands.

Palk had enough time to give her a surprised look before she slammed her fist into his face, the head flying back twenty feet from the force of her Earth Pony strength. The head cursed violently as he barely kept himself from slamming into the ground. She didn't give him a chance to comment as she quickly closed in on him and threw another punch. The seed managed to block her attack with one of his shields this time, only for it to get slammed into his face along with the fist. Spitting out some black blood and a few teeth, the seed swore a storm as it floated high into the air to get out of her striking range. Bonbon just smiled as she tapped into the magic contained in two nearby diamond walls. They quickly turned into a pair of massive fists and flew up towards the flying head. Palk had just enough time to let out a whimper before the two fists bashed through his defenses and slammed him into the ground below.

Dozens of spider cracks covered the head, black blood leaking past his lips as he glared hatefully at his opponent.

"H-How?" he gasped, his normally dry voice moist from the blood pooling past his lips.

"I'll admit," she sighed, walking towards the battered seed. "You had me on the ropes for a bit there. I almost gave up because of you, but I'm not here just for me."

She stopped a foot away from the seed, her eyes cold as she stared into his wild eye.

"I'm here because my friends and family need me. Maybe it's the Apple in me, but I can't bring myself to die with that hanging over me. Now..... die."

As she said that, she pointed her hand at the head and a massive diamond spike burst out of the ground, impaling the seed through the back of him with the tip protruding out of his forehead. Palk's eye widened for a brief second before all life left it and his jaw went slack. Bonbon sighed in relief and started to make her way towards the arena's exit. A light chuckle made her pause, her diamond encased fists clenched as she turned towards the impaled seed.

"Not bad Bonbon," the head said, features still limp as Palk's voice echoed out of it. "But like I said, the Mistress's words are absolute."

As he "said" that, a black crystal appeared in the air by him before it suddenly plunged into his jaw. A massive explosion rocked the room as Palk's "body" was consumed by a thick black miasma. Slowly, the cloud grew at the room's heart, something immense writhing at its center. When half of the space was dominated by the dark fog, it parted to reveal what new monstrosity stood before the girl. The head had turned into a single giant eye, the organ easily dwarfing a bull elephant. Giant black metallic millipedes spouted out of he eye's perimeter like twisted tentacles, their vicious mandibles snapping hatefully at the air as they writhed. A fierce screaming roar filled the arena as Palk's eye zeroed in on her like a demonic spotlight.

Bonbon leveled a harsh glare at the beast, a part of her suspecting that something like this was going to happen. It was for that reason that she didn't dispel her previously cast spells. After all, even lousy boss fights came in phases. Palk didn't waste any time as he let his new appendages lunge towards her, the teen countering the incoming assault with the two giant hands she created earlier. While they managed to keep two of the arthropods busy, the dozen or so that remained were too much for them to handle. That didn't matter all that much to her, they served their purpose as she ran towards the heart of the room. She felt that the seed was smiling as its eye tracked her only to give her what looked like a confused blink when she stood in front of him. Bonbon stared unafraid into Palk's eye as she slammed her hand into the ground, her magic shooting out to all of the crystal she had conjured in a great pulse of power. The diamond immediately responded to her will and a sound like shattering glass filled the room as it did just that. Not sure where this was headed, the seed willed his appendages to attack the girl. He never got a chance as the girl's spell took effect. All of the diamond pieces took flight as a wild gem whirlwind, the enchanted glowing stone ripping into the seed's limbs like a million daggers. All the while, the gems ground themselves into smaller and smaller fragments as they flew. Soon, a thick cloud of glowing dust filled the room in a wild tempest, the seed's eye and a lone girl at its heart. Slowly, Bonbon pulled her hand back as if she was going to throw a punch, the diamond around her hands already worn away to add themselves to the glowing storm as she leveled a cold glare at the trembling eye. In response to her will, the cloud of diamond dust gathered around her fist as a great spiraling mass primed and ready to aid her in delivering the finishing blow.

As she looked into Palk's eye, a single word echoed in her heart.

Checkmate.

She threw her punch, the spiraling mass of diamond dust tearing the eye apart from the inside out as it pierced the organ and exploded off of her hand in a wild cyclone. When the dust finally settled, not a scrap of Palk could be found. Bonbon let out a relieved sigh as she let herself fall to her knees, the strain of both the fight and her magic finally taking its toll on her now that it was over.

For now at least, she thought with a sigh as she reached into her pocket. I just hope the others are alright.

As she thought that, she plucked a small glowing orb out of her pocket and popped it into her mouth. A sweet taste filled her mouth as she slowly felt her fatigue start to fade. Who knew that magic rock salt could make jawbreakers good for you?

Ch. 56 Breaking Point

Author's Note

Um....Let's do this!

Ch. 56 Breaking Point

Fluttershy hummed a happy tune as she navigated the dimly lit halls of the maze, her Thestral ears twitching as they picked up the slight shifts in sound in the air around her. A strange sense of calmness filled her as her red eyes examined the lightly cracked stone walls of her surroundings. It was as if this was the kind of place she was meant to be, that this environment was homey in a way that only made sense on an instinctual level. She knew that it was because of her new instincts that she felt this way, but by this point she had long sense made peace with the new quirks her body came with. After all, it was thanks to those very same quirks that she could move so freely through the maze. Her sharp ears could give her a near perfect blueprint of her surroundings while her nose picked out a wide variety of scents to give her a better idea of what her surroundings held that her hearing couldn't. Added to that was her night vision and how her eyes seemed to be able to zoom in and out on things well beyond what her human eyes were capable of.

Of course, a large part of how she was able to accept herself was thanks to her girlfriend. She let out a small giggle when she thought about that particularly crazy part of her life. Never did she think she would ever get a girlfriend, let alone have that girlfriend be a pony version of herself from another world. Even now, she couldn't wrap her head around just how insane her life had become, but at the same time she wouldn't have it any other way. She loved her friends and was more than willing to jump into the flames of hell if it meant keeping them safe. Just the thought of seeing any of them hurt or worse made her blood boil as her inner Thestral raged against her restraints.

She sighed as she silently thanked Vinyl for letting her spar with her. According to Equestrian Fluttershy, Star Eater Thestrals were the combat elite of the old Lunar Military. It was largely due to their higher ferocity and larger magical storehouses compared to conventional Thestrals. This gave them faster bodies and made them more focused hunters when the need arose. Outside of combat, this also made them great hunters of both monsters and ponies that got lost in dangerous places. Thanks to Fluttershy's unique circumstances, she was constantly at war with a collection of new abilities and instincts that most Star Eaters grew to understand and tame as they grew. In a lot of ways, it was like going through puberty all over again. Needless to say, Fluttershy was not happy to have to go through something like that again. It was only thanks to the combined efforts of Forgiveness and Vinyl that she was able to get a grip of her new self in any productive way.

It was with a small blush that she remembered how her first sparring match with the DJ went and the near disaster that befell them as a result.

***

Two girls stood resolute, both of them holding a stance unique to their individual fighting styles. Vinyl held her arms up in a traditional boxing style while Fluttershy stood in a manner similar to a praying mantis. The boxing ring they rented for the day from the local gym was surrounded by people, each of them watching with bated breath as the two girls continued to walk in a wide circle. Neither girl was eager to jump into the fray, both of them well aware of the other girl's individual abilities. Vinyl took great pride in the skills she spent the last four years perfecting in the boxing ring. More often than not, she would deck her opponents with one or two well placed punches, earning her the nickname "Lullaby" from some of her normal opponents. Fluttershy was not one of her usual opponents. The girl's style seemed to have a heavy emphasis on evasion and attack deflection and only striking when the time was right. A simple philosophy to go by, but what made it so devastating was how those few strikes Fluttershy delivered could be.

Fluttershy knew that Vinyl was a strong fighter. Her attacks had plenty of speed and power behind them and if it wasn't for her Thestral instincts backing up her mother's training she would've knocked her out in a matter of seconds. As such, she let those instincts guide her forms as she alternated fluidly between attacking and deflecting each time they came to blows. This also made them a little more hesitant to initiate the first strike when those moments ended.

Seeing an apparent opening, Vinyl charged in and threw a quick right jab. Fluttershy responded with an equally fast backhand to redirect Vinyl's attack before countering with a finger strike aimed at that same arm's shoulder. Vinyl sidestepped out of the way at the last second before following up with a left hook. Fluttershy ducked under it and landed a quick finger strike on Vinyl's left shoulder. The DJ cursed lightly under her breath as her left arm went limp, most of the feeling being sucked out of it as she locked eyes with her opponent. Vinyl's grin widened as she wasted no time throwing another lightning quick jab. Fluttershy prepared to redirect it again, only for her hand to come up short when Vinyl halted her punch, pulled back, and shifted into an uppercut that connected with the girl's chin all in the blink of an eye. The pain and shock stunned her as her head snapped upward and she stumbled back only to get the air knocked out of her by a blow to her gut before she could recover. If it wasn't for the padded boxing gloves on Vinyl's hands, the two blows would've brought Fluttershy to her knees, but that didn't make the incoming barrage of punches any more pleasant.

Fluttershy crossed her arms over her face and chest to weather the storm of punches. At the same time Vinyl continued to press her advantage, all the while she could feel her other arm start to obey her commands. Fluttershy knew that she needed to launch a counter attack, but Vinyl's barrage was difficult to read without risking another powerful direct hit. An irritated hiss slipped past her lips as her frustration mounted, her Thestral instincts steadily growing restless under the continued assault. Slowly, she felt a heat fill her veins, the flow moving with the beat of her heart like a second set of blood flowing through her body. Little by little, the heat continued to grow until it felt like a raging inferno was running through her veins. A fierce high-pitched screech filled the room as the cornered teen delivered a lighting fast dual palm strike to Vinyl's chest, knocking her back five steps. Fluttershy quickly closed the gap, the shadow of her bangs hiding all but her nearly glowing teal eyes as she closed in on the DJ. Vinyl's eyes widened as a flurry of finger strikes flew towards her, each of them moving almost too fast for her to track as she bobbed and weaved around them. A soft hiss greeted her as the shy girl's strikes doubled in speed, her opponent's rage washing over her like a burning tide. Pure terror showed on Vinyl's face as dozens of light stings riddled her arms and left thigh before all feeling left them. With only one leg keeping her up, Vinyl could only watch with growing horror as her opponent grabbed her by the collar of her tank top and dragged her towards her. Acting on pure instinct, Fluttershy opened her mouth and bit into Vinyl's neck. The feel of her friend's pounding pulse on her lips snapped her out of her trance, leaving the two girls frozen as they tried to make some sense of the situation. When Fluttershy finally managed to do so, she let out a soft "Meep!" and darted to the other end of the ring. Vinyl let out started yelp as she fell bonelessly onto her side in the middle of the ring, her eyes wide and skin paler than usual as she stared panting at the gym ceiling.

Fluttershy stared at her in wide-eyed dread as she processed what she had done, what she had almost done to her friend. She knew that this was a bad idea. She knew that she was going to hurt her friend if she went along with this.

"V-Vinyl," she stammered, her legs shaking as she took two steps towards her. "I-I-I'm sor-"

"Hey Flutters, think you can help me out here?" Vinyl chuckled, flashing a smile at the trembling girl. "Can't really move all that much right now, ya know?"

Fluttershy blinked in shock for a moment, then nodded meekly as she kneeled down to where her friend laid. With a few quick pokes and prods, Fluttershy managed to give back enough control to the girl's limbs for her to drag herself to her feet. Vinyl still smiled as she flexed her fingers, seemingly testing them before she looked at her sparring partner. Her smile wilted when she saw how shaken-up the girl was and how nervous their audience looked.

Fluttershy's thoughts were a wild tempest of guilt as she let what she did sink in. While it was only for a moment, she still lost control of herself and nearly bit her friend's throat off. Her whole body started to tremble as that knowledge settled into her like a lead weight. Images of a bed bound Pinkie and a nearly broken Sunset flashed in her head like a twisted slideshow, her breathing spiking as her guilt mounted. She was suddenly brought back to earth when an arm draped itself across her shoulders and pulled her into a stiff half-hug.

"Geez Flutters," Vinyl beamed, her arm gently tightening around the girl. "At least buy me dinner first, kay?"

Fluttershy blinked owlishly at her, then hid behind her bangs as the DJ's words brought a raging blush to her face.

"Let's save it for the showers," she chuckled as she practically dragged the poor girl out of the ring.

A few seconds later they were sharing a bench in the surprisingly empty gym locker room. Vinyl took a long pull from her water bottle while Fluttershy sat staring at hers.

"You okay?" Vinyl asked, nudging the other girl with a light punch in the shoulder.

She shook her head slowly, eyes still locked onto her bottle. Vinyl sighed then stared at her own drink as she tried to think of something to say.

"I'm sorry," Fluttershy whispered, her lips trembling as tears started to build in her eyes.

"No big deal," Vinyl shrugged. "Not the first girl to try to bite me."

"Wh-What?" Fluttershy balked, half formed tears running down her cheeks as she stared at her friend.

"Long story," she chuckled, waving away her friend's shock. "Now, what happened back there? Was that a Thestral thing or something?"

Fluttershy nodded then looked back down at her water bottle.

"Forgiveness has been helping me keep it under control in our magic lessons, but sometimes my instincts become too much for me to handle."

Vinyl nodded, her lips pulled into a thoughtful frown as she stared at her own drink.

"What kind of things trigger them?" she asked.

Fluttershy nervously bit her lip then said, "W-Well, it used to be when I got really angry or when someone threatened any of you, but now its if I feel cornered or if I'm in a dark place."

Vinyl hummed in thought at that for a few seconds before she leveled a small smile at her and said, "Guess we'll need to do a few more of these matches then."

"W-What?" Fluttershy stammered, staring wide-eyed at the girl.

"If shits about to get as bad as Laughter says it will then we're gonna need to be at our best. To get there, I'm gonna need to up my game and you need to get those instincts under wraps. Best way to do that is for us to get into the ring a few times."

"B-But I might-" Fluttershy started only to get cut off as Vinyl put a hand on her shoulder.

"You won't," she smiled. "You pulled yourself back, right?"

"Y-Yes," she stammered. "But I almost-"

"You didn't," Vinyl said, her smile softening. "You've got this."

"I-I don't know," Fluttershy sighed. "I don't want to hurt my friends."

Vinyl nodded, then gave her an impish grin as she said, "Tell ya what. If we do this, I'll help you spice up your love life."

"Huh?" Fluttershy gawked, face turning a fine shade of pink.

"Well, I know you and your double did the due recently, but I bet it was pretty tame, right?"

Fluttershy looked away silently, but her growing blush said more than any word possibly could. Vinyl's smile grew at that.

"Bet you've got a pet name for her too, don't ya?"

Fluttershy nodded stiffly as she tried to look at anything other than Vinyl.

"Well, what is it 'Flutterbat'?"

Fluttershy fidgeted a little in her seat for a few minutes, her face turning redder than a tomato by the second.

"B-B-Butterfly," she stammered.

Vinyl stared at her for a few seconds, then gasped as she clutched her chest and fell back across what was left of the bench they shared.

"G-Goddamn it Flutters! All that sugars is lethal!"

Fluttershy let out a small squeak as she pulled in on herself, her hair hiding all but her red ears from the grinning DJ. Vinyl chuckled as she playfully pulled the girl into a one-armed hug.

"Well, I think I know of a few things you can do to get your little 'Butterfly's' heart fluttering."

"L-L-Like what?" she stammered, her poor brain short circuiting from her embarrassment.

"Well," she smiled wickedly, pulling out her phone and tapping on the screen a few times. "I bet if you got her over here and you were wearing this, she'd go totally nuts!"

As she said that, she brought the phone into Fluttershy's line of sight. The girl's eyes widened as her blush spread down to her neck. She gulped audibly as she struggled to form a coherent thought, but the barrage of naughty thoughts flooding her brain shut that down in a matter of seconds.

Vinyl's smile grew more wicked as she whispered something that completely shut the girl down.

"Or maybe you could talk her into wearing it."

The whirlwind of embarrassment became too much for the poor girl and she let out a pitiful whine before she flopped bonelessly across the bench. A loud cackling was the last thing she heard before she passed out from the strain. The next time they sparred, she vowed that she was going to get back at her for this. Big time.

***

She sighed helplessly at the memory before a chuckle came out of her when she took note of how Vinyl treated her recently. While she didn't like the teasing all that much, she loved how easy it was to talk to the girl. On top of that, she always seemed to be full of this wild energy that spread to everyone around her. It wasn't the same kind of craziness that surrounded Pinkie, but it was just as passionate at its core. It was enough to get even a shy girl like her to stand up and take charge when things looked hopeless.

"M-Maybe we can spend some time together when this is over," she whispered to herself, a small smile gracing her lips.

A deep growl in the distance made her freeze when she came to a fork, her ears twitching as she tried to track its source. Her smile melted into a frown as she eyed one path in particular. Her fingers and jaw clenched as her instincts warned her of the danger ahead, but instead of telling her to flee, they told her to brace herself. A soft growl rumbled in her throat as she took the dangerous path, her gait strong and defiant as she marched towards danger of her own volition. Each step filled her with primal fury as the cold chill of negative energy washed over her like cold oil. This spiked when she rounded a corner into a long hallway that lead to a slightly brighter room.

She lightly brushed her hand across her eyes, the red orbs changing back to their normal shade of teal as she continued her march. It was time to fight and for this she didn't need her night vision to see her prey. When she crossed the threshold, she found herself in a massive arena lit by larger and brighter versions of the same flowers that filled the halls. At its heart stood her opponent, a beast that brought a small smile to her face in consideration of her circumstances.

It had a hulking humanoid form with a thick coat of black fur coving it from top to bottom with white swirling patters moving through it. Its legs, tail, and head were like that of a great wolf, red eyes glowing as they glared hatefully at her. Fluttershy stood tall as she slowly made her way further into the room, her face void of emotion as she locked eyes with the beast.

"Who dares enter my domain?" the beast growled, his voice a strange mix of a bark and human language.

"Fluttershy," the girl said curtly, her steps halting nine feet away from the beast. "What is your name?"

"Roethan," he growled, falling to all fours and crouching down in a threatening manner.

"Well, Roethan," she frowned. "I have one thing to say to you."

"And that is?" he growled.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, then assumed her stance.

https://youtu.be/_HUTkclChpE

The werewolf roared as he charged towards her, fangs and claws bared as he closed in on her. Fluttershy's eyes narrowed as she picked her target. In a blur of motion, Roethan swiped a claw at her only to miss as she stabbed her left fingers into his chest. A hint of regret hit her as she made peace with the fact that she used one of the seven lethal techniques in her arsenal. While she knew she had no choice in the matter, it didn't make the act any less painful for the girl. Guilt switched places with shock as, instead of falling, Roethan took another swipe at her. An enormous wave of pain shot through her as she flew ten feet away from the seed, a pained squeak coming out of her as she hit the ground. Gritting her fangs through the pain, she staggered to her feet only to stare in wide-eyed horror at her left arm. Blood leaked from several points where bone broke through skin, the limb hanging limp at an unnatural angle at her elbow. She didn't get to study her wound for long before the seed steamrolled towards her. An angry snarl flew past her lips as she quickly took to the air at the last second, the sudden shift into the air jostling her arm and forcing a pained hiss out of her. Now that she was outside her enemy's reach, she gave her arm a more detailed look over. She grimaced, then channeled some of her magic into her nails. With a quick jab, her now teal glowing claws sunk into her flesh for a second before she pulled them free. Her damaged limb slowly started to glow the same color as the bone snapped back together, the glow fading little by little as it returned to its previous pristine condition. She smiled as she flexed her left arm, everything moving as it should before she gave her ground-bound enemy her full attention.

Good, the spell worked, she thought, sighing mentally. Now, how did he survive? That attack should've stopped his heart.

It was then that she noticed that the swirls around Roethan's chest were no longer silver. Instead, the swirling patterns were a bright glowing red. She frowned at that as she focused on the flow of her magic. While she didn't know what the change of color meant, she knew that it was somehow blocking her strikes.

It's time to use it, she thought, her eyes shifting back into the blood red slit pupils of her Equestrian tribe. It's time to hunt.

A teal glow formed around her nails a she glared down at Roethan, her Thestral instincts raging free from their constraints. Then, with a high-pitched cry, she dived towards the werewolf. Roethan roared as he took a swipe at her only to hit empty air. He blinked, then let out a pitched bark as over a dozen sharp stings came across his chest. He tried to sink his fangs into her only for her to disappear again. A furious pained snarl came out of him when another flurry of stinging blows struck his back. He turned to swipe at her only for her to disappear yet again, all the while, his silver markings continued to turn red. His rage grew with the shift, his attacks becoming more wild as the little game of tag continued. Fluttershy started to feel a little sorry for the creature as she landed several quick strikes to his leg before a heavy clawed hand forced her to move.

This quickly changed when she was suddenly backhanded across the face by the seed, his speed taking a massive sudden increase. A startled squeak came out of her as she crashed into a wall, the impact putting stars into her eyes before a clawed hand around her throat brought her back to reality. She bared her fangs as her opponent did the same to her, pure hate radiating in his glowing red eyes. Her eyes and mouth flew wide open as a great fist slammed into her gut, a faint squeak making it past her mouth before the blow was repeated. Her vision started to fade as the blows continued to come, the pain numbing with each titanic blow. She was faintly aware when a set of fangs closed in around her right hand before a new pain shot through her only for it to be repeated with her left one. A second later, she felt herself get flung through the air before hitting the ground face first. She could feel his lumbering steps through the ground as she laid there, her body still and blood pooling from her hands as she faded in and out of consciousness. The beast loomed over her, the seed's lips pulled back to reveal glistening blood-soaked fangs.

It was then, as the seed reached down to finish off his prey that a single thought entered Fluttershy's mind. It was simple, yet powerful on a primal level. Four simple words that gave her the strength she needed to pull herself back from the brink.

I want to live.

Her eyes flew open and without a second thought, she channeled some of her magic into fangs and ran one through her tongue. In an instant, a surge of energy ran through her, springing her wings open just in time to pull her into the air and away from Roethan's clutches. The werewolf snarled before he jumped towards her, the beast quickly closing in on her from were she hovered twenty feet in the air. The girl let out a screeching cry as she she flew towards him, her hands glowing as the damage dealt to them healed right before his eyes. The two beings met mid way, claws slamming into each other as they fell back to earth with the ferocity of savage beasts. Fluttershy quickly noticed that the seed was moving a lot faster than he was a minute ago and his blows were a lot stronger. Another thing she noticed was that all of his markings were now completely red. Mentally kicking herself for not noticing sooner, she doubled her efforts to end this bout.

Both of them moved in a constant pair of blurs, neither of them willing to relent in their desire to end their opponent. Blood both black and red stained the field as the two traded glancing blows with each other. Fluttershy pushed herself harder, refusing to back down even as she felt a claw graze her cheek. She had too much to live for to let herself fall here. Her girlfriend. Her friends. Her family. All of them were counting on her to make it through this and come home safely and she was not going to let them down.

A fierce screech filled the arena as she channeled a large chunk of her magic into he right hand, the appendage shining a bright teal before she stabbed its nails into the seed's neck. The werewolf froze, gasping wetly as he stared down at her before she jerked her hand free. Wet coughs forced their way past his maw as he fell to his knees, shock replacing his rage as the glow in his eyes and marks started to fade. The fury in Fluttershy's eyes melted away, a deep sadness taking its place as she stared down at her opponent. She let out a small sigh and made her way towards the arena's exit as the seed choked on his own blood. A ferocious snarl made her stop, the exit a mere two feet away as she looked over her shoulder at Roethan.

The seed stared at her with burning eyes as he held up a black crystal in his right hand.

"No!" he roared. "Not yet! I won't die yet! I won't die until your blood soaks the ground! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I WON'T DIE LIKE THIS!"

With that, he rammed the crystal into his chest. Roethan roared as as the crystal's power surged into him, his body making loud ripping noises as it changed. His body grew from its impressive six feet to a hulking ten, his muscles swelling to inhuman levels to match his new hight. Bone like spikes jutted out of the seed's back while his fangs grew past his lower jaw by a full foot. His marks shined to a nearly blinding degree as he let out a furious howl that shook the ground. The new beast snarled viciously at the teen that dared to keep her back turned towards him. In a blink, he was upon her, claw raised and ready to strike the teen down from where she stood.

"DIE!" he roared as he brought his claw down.

At the last second, his body froze, massive claw an inch away from taking the girl's head off of her shoulders. Confused, he tried to press his attack, but his arm refused to move. Not just his arm, but his whole body was frozen, only his eyes obeying his commands as he glared down at the girl. Fluttershy turned to face the seed, the shadow of her bangs hiding her eyes as she stared down at her hands.

"My magic is strange," she mused. "By channeling it into my hands or fangs, I can use it to heal or give an adrenaline spike by injecting it into someone. I can also paralyze them by having it attack their nervous system from the inside out."

She looked up at the seed with an expression that made him rear back the fraction of an inch his body allowed him. The girl didn't look at him with rage or disgust like he expected. It was one that he had never seen before, but on some level appreciated; compassion.

He felt a strange sense of peace as she placed a hand on his shoulder, the rage that burned in his heart dimming as she locked eyes with him.

"With these kind of abilities," she continued. "I could do horrible things to people, but I don't want to do that. Even now, I don't want to be that kind of monster. You are so full of rage. Of pain. I want to help you so much, but the only thing I can do is..."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around the stunned seed, surprise overwhelming his rage as he yielded to the girl's kindness.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, magic gathering in her fangs.

A light pair of stings brought a pained yelp out of the seed before all feeling started to fade out of his body. For the first time in his life, the burning rage inside him gave way to a cooling calm. A weariness he never knew existed washed over him, his form slowly crumbling away into black dust as his heartbeat slowed. Peace filled his heart as it stopped, his eyes closing for one last time as his form disintegrated in Fluttershy's arms.

"Thank you," he said before he turned completely into dust.

Fluttershy fell her knees, tears running down her face as she stared down into her hands, the last particles of Roethan rolling off of them onto the ground beneath her.

"Y-You're welcome," she sniffled, a sad smile marring her features as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Now rest."

Ch. 57 Digital World

Author's Note

Time to delete some viruses!

Ch. 57 Digital World

Eerie silence filled the dimly lit halls of Lily's dungeon, no sign of the girl that should be wandering them to be found. At least, none that could be seen at an initial glance. A faint shimmer could be seen peeking out from around a corner, the flowers beneath it flattening under unseen feet. It slowly moved around the corner while hugging the wall. Derpy nervously bit her lip as she tried to stay as quiet as possible while her barrier kept her body from being effected by light. While not true invisibility, it was the closest thing her magic could manage. She made sure to activate the spell the second she woke up in the labyrinth, sure that Lily would use the fact that she was alone as a way to take her out. A pretty sound strategy considering what she knew her friends were capable of. Granted, most of the information she had was based on boasts or hearsay from her friends, but even if they were half as strong as they claimed they could still do a considerable amount of damage. It also made her worry even more about them now that she wasn't there to watch their backs.

Please be safe everyone, she thought, her pony ears twitching as she scanned for even the slightest sounds.

Her thoughts quickly jumped to Sunset and how she was probably handling this situation. An image of the the girl turning a portion of the maze into an ocean of flames as she made walked proudly forward entered her mind. Her face turned just as hot as those flames as she gulped. It was insane to think that a girl as amazing as Sunset was her girlfriend. She was pretty, strong, talented, smart and so much more while Derpy was just...not. While she didn't think she was that bad looking, she knew that her eye was a major obstacle to get around if she was going to find anyone that would give her a chance to be more than friends. Her hacking skills were a huge point in her favor, but those could only attract certain types of people towards her. People that she didn't really want to associate with if she could help it. Aside from that, she didn't have much to offer when it came to finding a significant other. She wasn't very athletic or talented outside of a computer room and she had the fashion sense of a drunk donkey. She knew that she was more on the cute side with her messy yellow hair that refused to stay put and baby face, but that didn't get her very far when people saw her eyes.

But Sunset didn't seem to care. Sure, she thought she only liked her because she helped her with the Anon-a-Miss Incident, but that changed after their first date in Equestria. She could see that the girl genuinely cared about her and Derpy wanted to do everything she could to protect that. That desire doubled when the two of them shared a very private moment the day before. Just thinking about it made her face burn even hotter, but also steeled her resolve to get back to the Equestrian. Her pace doubled as she thought back to what happened that day and the promises they made.

***

"It's finally over," Sunset sighed, her stride more sluggish than usual as she plodded out of the school.

"Yeah," Derpy giggled, playfully leaning into her girlfriend's side as they walked. "Now it's time for homework and then training, right?"

"Yep," she weakly chuckled as she put an arm around the girl.

For a long while, they walked in silence, neither of them willing to end the small moment of quite they had managed to earn. Derpy was on cloud nine to have this moment with Sunset, but the nervous tension that sat under the surface tainted it in a way. She could feel how tense Sunset was as she held her, the way her hand shook as it lightly gripped her shoulder. She understood that the girl was stressed, what with the danger looming over their heads and the CMC missing. Combine that with the "days" they each spent training with their elements to prepare for the inevitable clash to come and it was a wonder that none of them had lost their minds from the strain. It tore her apart to see her girlfriend like this, but what could she do? It wasn't as if she could pull up her computer and type the problem away. This was something that she had to wait and prepare for.

A passing glance at Sunset's forced smile lit a fire in Derpy's heart. It all felt so fake, so forced. Like the girl holding her was a really convincing impostor instead of the girl she fell in love with. She wanted her Sunset back. The Sunset that was full of passion and life. The Sunset that looked so out of reach yet was right at her side. The Sunset she saw back in Equestria when they had their first date.

Her body reacted faster than her mind for once as she dragged Sunset into a nearby alley and pinned her to a wall. Sunset blinked widely at the girl, the shadows of the alley hiding them from view as Derpy glared into her eyes. She was going to get her girlfriend back no matter what she had to do to do it. Before she lost her nerve, she locked lips with the stunned girl. Sunset let out a startled squeak, then moaned lightly as she leaned into the kiss. For that moment, there was no great battle or mission that they needed to prepare for. Just them and a growing fire between them. When Sunset broke the kiss, a pang of disappointment filled her only to be replaced by confusion at what she saw in the other girl's eyes. The light blue orbs shined with desire, but also fear as they locked with hers. Sunset's gasping breaths rattled with the two waring emotions just as much as her arms as they held her close.

"S-Sunset?" she squeaked.

"W-Why did you do that?" Sunset gasped, her jaw clenched tight as she held Derpy against her.

Determination flared back into her as she leveled a glare at the fiery teen.

"Because I wanted to!"

Sunset blinked at that and was about to say something, but Derpy cut her off.

"Everything's been so crazy lately, but I knew that would probably happen when I decided to stay with you. Hell, I knew that was a possibility when I talked my folks into letting you live with us. I went all out to save you and I knew that was going to be hard, but do you know whats harder?"

Sunset shook her head, stunned into silence by the girl's nerve as she talked.

A trembling smile crept onto Derpy's face as she leaned in, their noses separated by a sliver of space as the light gray teen whispered, "Seeing you so scared."

Sunset's eyes widened before a defeated smile formed on her face. Derpy pressed her forehead against her's, her golden orbs lost in Sunset's light blue ones. The trembling remained, but it was more from restrained desire than fear as Sunset held her close. The half-Dragon's perpetual warmth thrummed through her lover with the beat of her heart as they held their position, the sensation filling the human girl with comfort beyond anything an electric blanket to could hope to do.

Sunset let out a small chuckle and said, "So this is what its like."

"Huh?" Derpy blinked.

"Usually I'm the one that makes the moves. When did you get to be the bold one?"

"Guess you're rubbing off on me," Derpy winked.

"Tell me about it," Sunset groaned, her grip tightening slightly before quickly loosening.

"You first," Derpy frowned. "What's got you so nervous?"

"You mean, besides the obvious?" Sunset frowned, raising a brow.

Derpy nodded slowly.

Sunset sighed and said, "You know I'm half dragon, right?"

"Yep!" she smirked.

"Well," Sunset continued, her lips pursed and hips fidgeting as she struggled to get her words out. "One of the side effects of me taping into my new magic is that it makes me more Dragon and Dragons are really greedy."

"I think you told me about that," Derpy nodded. "Does that mean you're gonna start stealing things and turn giant?"

"I wish," Sunset snorted. "No. I've got enough pony in me to keep that from happening. It's a....different kind of greed."

"What kind?"

Sunset gulped, her arms trembling as she seemed to be fighting against them before she shakily said, "W-When Dragons find mates, they get really possessive of them. It's bad for Drakes, but its even worse for Dragonesses. W-When they get together, they try to make a nest and.....make eggs."

Derpy blinked at that, then her face turned bright red as she asked, "D-D-Do you want to do that with...me?"

"Well, we kind of already did that," Sunset chuckled, her shaking a little less intense. "The difference was that I had almost no magic in my system beyond what I needed to live. Now, I'm at full power and a lot stronger than I was before. I have a lot more Dragon in me and they aren't know for being gentle."

"O-Oh," Derpy gulped. "H-How bad is it?"

"I want to pin you to the wall, tear your clothes off, and do unspeakable things to you for hours," Sunset groaned.

Derpy always wondered what she would look like if she was bright red instead of light gray, now she knew as she stared at her reflection in Sunset's eyes, a veritable hurricane of dirty thoughts running through her head. Part of her wanted to see if her girlfriend could back up that claim, but the more rational part of her mind knew that was a massively stupid idea. That went double when she remembered what apparently happened to Sunset's father. That was probably a damn good way to go, but Derpy was not in a hurry to see the afterlife quite yet. Good thing she wasn't an ordinary girl anymore.

"Do you think it'd be that easy?" she smirked, nuzzling her nose against Sunset's

Sunset shivered.

"Th-That's not the only thing," she stammered. "I'm...worried about you."

"Me?" Derpy blinked. "Why?"

"We're going to be going up against some killer monster soon," Sunset sighed. "What if something happens to you? What if you get hurt? What if you d-"

Derpy cut her off with another kiss, this one a lot less fierce than the first as she leaned into her. The gray teen sported an impish smile as their lips parted, a playful confidence shining in her eyes that matched the shock in Sunset's.

"I won't let that happen," Derpy whispered, resting her forehead back against Sunset's. "We will get through this. No one's going to die. You got that?"

Sunset gave a reluctant nod, but that wasn't good enough for her. A glint on the floor caught her attention. A quick and stupid plan entered her mind, but it was just the kind of thing she needed to get her point across. In a blur of motion, she got out of Sunset's near frantic grip, grabbed the broken knife off of the ground, and stood five feet deeper into the alley. Sunset blinked dumbly at her for a few seconds only for a look of pure terror to take its place when Derpy held the blade of the knife over her open palm. Derpy kept her confidant smile as she channeled some of her magic into the open palm. Still staring at Sunset, she jammed the knife into her hand. Sunset yelped, reaching towards the girl with the expectation of seeing blood come out of her hand. What she saw instead made her freeze.

A gentle golden glow surrounded the hand, the knife's blade shattered where it made contact with it like brittle glass. Derpy giggled and threw the blade back onto the ground, hand still glowing as she casually walked back towards Sunset.

"I'm not defenseless babe," Derpy smiled, gently grasping Sunset's outreached hand with her shielded one. "I can defend myself if I need to."

"B-But-" Sunset stammered, only to pause as Derpy cupped her cheek with her free hand.

"Tell ya what," Derpy giggled. "Let's protect each other. That way, you don't have to put all of the weight on your shoulders and I don't have to watch the most important girl in the world tear herself apart."

"Th-The most important?" Sunset stammered, face turning bright red at that as she stared deeply into Derpy's eyes.

"Well," Derpy giggled. "There's still Dinky sooooo."

Both girls giggled at that, only to share loving smiles as it winded down.

"So, do we have a deal?" Derpy asked softly.

"Yeah," Sunset smiled.

"You know," Sunset added. "You're kind of like a knight."

"H-Huh?" Derpy blinked.

A wicked smile spread across Sunset's face as she quickly pulled Derpy into her arms.

"You try to help people when they need it the most and you keep jumping straight into the dragon's den."

"Except the princess I'm saving is the dragon," Derpy smirked, giving Sunset a playful peck on her neck.

"Yeah," Sunset shuttered. "Doesn't fix our current problem though."

"True," Derpy giggled. "But I think there's a hotel not far from here."

"But-"

"I can make the shield cover more than just my hand," Derpy said with a hungry smile. "Now come on dragon. I wanna go for a ride."

***

A pleasant chill ran down her spine, the memories of what happened that day nearly distracting her enough to dispel her barrier. That was without a doubt the most wild five hours of her life and she wondered how Sunset planned to top it in the future. Hopefully they won't have to explain why there were claw and scorch marks all over the room next time they had a moment.

A bit of drool made it past her blushing smiling face before she shook her head and wiped her lip.

Stay focused. You can gush about your literally smoking hot girlfriend later. Right now you need to try not to get yourself killed.

Nodding to herself, she doubled her efforts to keep track of her surroundings. A wise decision as a rancid energy started to surround her. The feel of it made her sick on a level she never experienced before, almost like something was tainting something somehow sacred to her. A strange wind passed through the halls, its taint sending a slight burning sensation through her wings in spite of the barrier surrounding her. A part of her said that she should be scared, that the wind was deadly to someone like her. Instead, a great rage moved her forward, the burn in her wings guiding her towards where she needed to go. Her false eye glowed gold as the magic powering it sprang to life to reveal what she instinctively suspected. Moving like a vaporous serpent through the halls was a jet black energy riding on the breezes. It wasn't the only one of it's kind either. There were over a dozen of them, each coiling and twisting across the walls and ceiling like gaseous ivy.

Eyes narrowed, she followed them further into the maze. At the same time, she mulled over what kind of spells she would need to use when she found the source. While she did have some level of offensive ability, it was far weaker than what the rest of her party were capable of. That was a fact that she didn't need her magic eye to tell her given how much magic she could sense coming off of her friends recently. This meant that she would need to focus on how she used her spells as opposed to how big she made them.

Just like Kindness said, she thought as she rounded a corner. Finesse over power.

After a few dozen forks she came to a long hallway that led to a brightly lit room. The trails of noxious energy writhed from the doorway like a great demonic sea anemone. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and deactivated the magic effecting her vision. When she opened her eyes again, the trails of darkness disappeared, but their presence was felt against her wings. Seeing little point, she also dispelled her stealth barrier and marched forward. Soon, she made it past the threshold into a massive arena with much brighter versions of the same flowers from the halls growing from the floor and ceiling. What she saw standing at the heart of the arena put her on high alert, at least ten different spells already prepped and ready to spring into action at a moments noticed.

The creature was at least eight feet tall and humanoid in shape, but that was as far as the similarities went. It's body looked as if it was made of gray storm clouds cut into a crude female shape with long almost skeletal shaped arms and legs made from the same substance. It's hair was a constantly moving mass of black smoke that seemed to sway and shift as if it was in a constantly changing breeze. It had no mouth or visible nose with a pair of glowing blue orbs where its eyes should've been. Unless the hazy mass of cloud the made up it body was covering them, the creature lacked any kind of clothes as far as Derpy could tell.

In a lot of ways the creature reminded Derpy of a scarecrow someone would put up for Halloween, a fact that brought a small smile to her lips as she imagined a cluster of birds taking roost on its arms and shoulders.

The creature's eyes narrowed into glare at that before it said in an echoing and undeniably female voice, "Do you find something amusing, child?"

"Maybe," she shrugged. "Names Derpy by the way."

"Well Derpy," the creature chuckled. "My name is Venta."

"Venta, eh?" she frowned, tilting her head. "How do you spell that?"

"V-"

Before she could move past the first letter, a transparent glowing wall of light fell down on her from seemingly nowhere. Derpy smiled as she cut off the magic maintaining the wall, a faint flash coloring the arena as it disappeared.

"Never mind," she giggled. "I'll just Google it later."

"Indeed," Venta's voice intoned, the voice seeming to come from the walls themselves. "A valiant effort child, but such tactics won't work on me."

A cold breeze wafted through the arena as the same rancid energy she felt before stared to spread through it. She wasted no time activating her eye's full capabilities and what she saw put her further on edge. Dark wisps of energy flew through the room, riding the currents the seed generated with her twisted powers. As the wisps converged in the same place the seed had been a moment ago, a wild build up of her dark energy gathered above the teen. A thunderous roar filled the arena as a ferocious whirlwind dropped down on her. Venta watched her handy work with the closest thing to a smile her mouthless face was capable of. No mortal short of her mistress' nemesis could survive such a vicious attack. What appeared to be a tornado was in actuality a mass of grinding air currents spiraling into the ground. Even now, she could feel her attack tearing apart the arena's floor like a great drill. A small bit of revenge against the girl, but one best served with the kind of ruthlessness her mistress would expect from her. A small chuckle made it past her nonexistent lips as she enjoyed her victory, before an odd sensation took that sense of accomplishment away from her. She could feel a kind of resistance at the heart of her attack, like something was pushing back against it from within.

Her eyes widened as a sudden surge from the heart of the tornado tore it apart from the inside out, a solid cube of transparent golden magic taking its place. At its center stood Derpy, the girl sporting a cold glare, but otherwise showing no sign that the seed's attack had any effect on her. Venta met her glare with a look of calm acceptance, the seed now seeing that this might be a more challenging fight than she initially thought.

"Impressive," she intoned. "Take pride in knowing that you are the second human to ever withstand my first strike."

"I'll take note of that," Derpy nodded. "Maybe I'll brag about it to my girlfriend when this is all over."

"You talk as if you will win this," Venta "frowned". "Or that your lover will as well. How do you know she is not already dead?"

Derpy chuckled.

"Sunset's too tough to die here."

Then, Derpy pointed her glowing palm at the seed and with a cold glare added, "And I'm not going to either."

"What a coincidence," Venta chuckled, pointing her own palm at the girl. "I don't plan to either."

https://youtu.be/z6PYAkXO-bU

They stared each other down for a few long minutes, neither breaking eye-contact as they mulled over what kind of attacks they could launch. Venta was the first to test the waters as she fired a thin curved wave of dark wind at the girl. Derpy wasted no time launching her own counter attack as she conjured a pair of square gold energy walls at each Venta's sides and mentally ordered them to collide. They slammed together with a thunderous boom, but that barely registered to her as Venta's attack sliced clean through her barrier. She barely managed to duck under the attack in time. When she looked back to where the seed stood, her eyes widened at what they saw.

The seed stood with the two magic walls perfectly dividing her down the middle, as if they were nothing more than holograms to her. She chuckled, then slowly stepped forward through the walls towards her opponent.

"No wall can stop me," Venta said, a smile audible in her tone. "My body is the wind and the wind is free to go where it pleases."

"We'll see about that," Derpy grimaced.

Venta giggled, then stopped ten feet away from the girl before pointing her palm at her to release a dense swarm of air blades towards her. Prepared this time, Derpy increased the strength of her barrier and added three more reinforced layers to it just to be sure. Her efforts were not in vain, the shield's first layer easily deflecting the attack with next to no damage. Derpy smiled at that, only for it to shrink slightly as the seed resumed its slow walk. Chuckling, the wind monster raised a hand up above her head and summoned another air massive air drill onto Derpy's defenses. She grunted in pain, the strain forcing her to her knee as she fought to maintain the shield.

"Poor child," Venta cooed, her form easily phasing through the wall. "Nothing can withstand the power of the wind."

As she said that, she passed through Derpy's second shield. Derpy let out a pained groan as the agony of Venta's attack brought her to her hands and knees. The seed stood in the gap between the second and final barrier to watch the girl, a part of her relishing in Derpy's suffering while the other felt pity for her. Why such a young one would even try to stand against her mistress was beyond her understanding. Such a thing was impossible and foolish to the extreme. The Archwraith was ruthless, fearless, and had killed much stronger opponents dozens of times in the past. In a way, she was doing the girl a favor in ending her fruitless quest. At least she would be merciful enough to give her a swift death, a curtesy her mistress gave to none that crossed her.

Slowly, the seed reached towards the girl, ready to end her with another flurry of air blades. A searing heat shot through her claws the second they touched the final barrier, forcing her to jump back. At the same time, a cubic barrier surrounded her air drill before it suddenly shrank to the size of a marble and exploded. She looked up at the display with wide eyes, only to just as quickly shift her gaze back towards Derpy as she rose to her feet with a shark-toothed grin.

"My magic's pretty basic," she chuckled. "I can make barriers, so offense is a bit tricky for me to pull off, but that doesn't mean it's off of the table for me."

As she said that, the barrier surrounding her took on a slightly orange tint. A sharp spike in temperature was the only other change Venta noticed before Derpy pointed a palm at her.

"Type two: Fire Wall."

Venta's eyes widened in realization before the wall blocking her path flew forward at breakneck speed. A pained wail shot out of the seed's nonexistent mouth, the wall searing into her body as it propelled her to the other end of the arena. Her screams tripled in volume as the wall pressed her against the wall, the flames of the shield devouring her. Derpy added more power to her attack, the wall pressing the seed even harder against the arena's perimeter wall.

"No!" Venta snarled, a black crystal appearing in her hand. "This will not be my end! Cursed child! I WILL SHOW YOU THE FURY OF THE STORM!!!"

With that, she rammed the crystal into her bony leg. A massive spike in power blasted the wall apart, forcing a pained scream and stagger out of Derpy. Before her eyes, the seed's body turned into jet black cloud. Bolts of lightning shot out of the shapeless mass as it quickly grew, it towering over her by a mighty twenty feet as it slowly started to take shape. The cloud matter shifted into a wispy cloak while the new creature's body was a massive skeleton made of lighting. Venta's head was the feature that stood out the most to Derpy. It was a ram's skull, hateful balls of lightning taking the place of eyes as she stared down at her with the fury of a storm demon.

Derpy stared up at her, determination burning in her heart and eyes. This was the kind of world she signed up for when she became Sunset's friend. Now that she was her girlfriend, she would stand proud against this monster with no regrets. Sunset was her dragon and she her knight. No. She was Sunset's stronghold.

"Come on!" Derpy yelled defiantly. "Show me what you've got!"

Venta roared as she reached for the girl with a massive electric skeletal hand. As soon as it was over Derpy, a waterfall of electricity fell towards her. A cocky smile grew on the teen's face as she shifted the nature of her defenses yet again and created a new wall to replace the one she lost. A faint teal color filled her barrier as the lightning hit it, the walls absorbing it instead of facing it head on. Venta eyed her in confusion only to be met with a wider smile from the girl.

"Type seven: Storm Proofing."

The seed let out a furious roar as she took a swipe at the girl's barrier, the electricity in her attack mostly nullified while the force covered them with cracks. A pained grunt made it out her as she restored the shields and added power to reinforce them. Venta screamed in fury and began to pound on the shield, wild air drills and blades raining down onto the battle field in a furious dance of destruction. Derpy stood defiant of it all, her shields holding well against the brutal assault, her magic gathering inside her for one last spell.

Just a bit more......GOT IT!

And not a second too soon as at that exact moment Venta had just managed to break through Derpy's shields. She was instantly bombarded by the thundering roar of a raging storm, savage winds and surging lightning frizzing and battering her messy blond hair as she glared defiantly up at her opponent. Venta let out high pitched cry as she swung her fist down towards her, only to freeze as a golden glow surrounded her. Derpy smiled, the storm around her suddenly coming to an abrupt halt as its source was cut off from it. Derpy's smile grew as she felt the seed struggle against her confines.

"Type zero: Straight Jacket," she giggled. "It's kind've my best attack. Instead of using a barrier to protect myself, I can trap someone in one. Don't bother trying to talk your way out this one. That barrier is completely one way. No air, sound, or light can come out, but they can go in. At least, they go in heavily coated in my magic. That way, you can't use that to get out. It's also completely inverted! That means the part of it that is meant to block stuff is on the inside instead of on the outside like a normal barrier! Pretty cool, huh?"

Venta let out a nervous groan.

Derpy sighed, then said, "I really didn't want to use this spell. It's kind of messed up all things considered, but I didn't have any other choice. Please, don't hold it against me."

As she said that, she pointed her palm up at the restrained seed, the creature's eyes widening in horror at what she knew was coming.

"I'll make it quick," Derpy frowned. "I'm sorry."

She snapped her hand shut and a second later the barrier restraining the seed retracted itself out of existence, the seed vanishing along with it as she was crushed. Derpy sighed, then leveled a determined frown at the arena's exit.

Hang on Sunset. I'm on my way.

Ch. 58 Hunters and Prey

Lily leaned back in her throne, an unreadable pokerface hiding her thoughts from her disappointed children. While she suspected that these teens were more than they appeared, the sheer scope of their abilities surprised her. She could sense their convictions as they traded blows with the seeds. Absolutely nothing was going to stop them from coming to her. But that was not the only thing she sensed from them. At the heart of all of that power, she sensed a brittle frailty. Doubt and fear tainted the true potential these eleven teens had at their disposal. The girl named Bonbon was a prime example of that, but three girls in particular held that truth to a more extreme degree.

As a smile started to grow on her face, her attention shifted away from the portals to her three fuming daughters. None of them took the loss of the seeds well, each of them having just come down from a thirty minute rant about how unfair it was that the girl named Derpy won. With a light chuckle, she summoned a shadow tendril out of the ground and scooped them onto her lap.

"Have you all gotten it out of your systems?" she asked, a hint of playfulness coloring her tone.

They each gave her some reluctant nods, but continued to pout and stare at the ground.

"Now none of that," she frowned. "Sometimes, seeds lose. It's something that happens from time to time. When you three create your own, you will have to come to terms with that someday."

"No way," Scootaloo grumbled. "My seeds will be the best in the world!"

"Same," Applebloom nodded.

"I won't let them fight," Sweetie sniffled. "If I'm strong enough, they won't need to."

That last comment surprised the Archwraith. While she admitted to having favorites among her seeds, they never amounted more to her than just tools. To see her daughter actually weep at the thought of losing one was as novel a concept as could be to her. It reminded her of her own sister in a way and how forward she was when hunting.

Perhaps I should arrange a meeting when this is over, she mused.

Shelving that train of thought for another time, she leveled an excited smile at the young Wraiths in her arms.

"Enough gloom my dears," she cooed. "What do you say we have a little fun?"

Scootaloo looked up at her in confusion and asked, "Aren't we under attack?"

Lilly giggled and patted the confused girl on the head as she said, "For the most part, but this is the perfect chance to put what you've learned into practice."

"Do ya' mean it?" Applebloom gasped, an excited smile threatening to spit her head in half.

"Yes," Lilly nodded, then gave them a stern look as she added, "But there are a few conditions that you will follow. Do you three understand?"

They nodded eagerly, the three young Wraiths practically vibrating with excitement.

"Very well," Lily smiled. "This is what we are going to do."

***

Rarity sighed, her shimmering clothing catching the dim light surrounding her like a faint aurora. Having seen little point in it, she decided to hold off on dispelling her magic garment as she, yet again, found herself navigating seemingly endless hallways. It was frustrating, but any time spent outside of battle was time she could spend replenishing her magic. A relatively kind trade as far a she was concerned. The thirty minutes she spent resting in the arena after her near brush with death had managed to replenish most of her reserves, but it still put her on edge. If crossing blades with a mere grunt took that much of an effort for her to defeat, what kind of trial awaited her when she faced off against Lily?

She paused and shook her head.

"None of that," she frowned. "You will see this through. This time tomorrow, you will have Sweetie back in your life and everything will be right in the world again."

With a firm nod, she resumed her march through the gloomy halls, a new determination burning in her eyes. The same could be said for two other girls whose paths slowly started to cross with hers. She was the first to enter this intersection, the sudden shift in decorative style making her halt her forward march. It was yet another massive chamber, but instead of glowing flowers providing the light for it, massive gold crystals shined brightly in the ceiling and upper walls. Ten openings marked the room's perimeter and instead of flowers covering the floor, elegant slabs of marble depicting an ornate forest shimmered below her feet. It all reminded Rarity of an ornate ballroom from some fairytale, a fact that she would've appreciated greatly if the circumstances were different. She frowned as the comparison reminded her of the reason why she was here. Countless nights of her not so distant youth spent playing make-believe with her much younger sister. Oh how she wished she could go back to those simple days, when magic was nothing more that myth and legend.

Two sets of footsteps caught her attention, bringing her back to the present as she turned towards their source. She jumped into a fighting stance as her outfit switched into its attack form. When she saw who it was she let out a sigh and lowered her guard.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you two," Rarity smiled.

"Ditto," Rainbow chuckled, staggering almost drunkenly into the chamber.

"Same," Applejack sighed, leveling a weary smile at her fashionable friend. "Came close to not makin' it though."

"You had to fight something as well?" Rarity asked.

"You guys too?" Rainbow frowned.

"Ah'm willin' ta' bet we've all got a partner for this hoedown," Applejack spat. "That Lily varmint ain't makin' this easy for us, that's for sure."

"Bring it on," Rainbow smirked, punching her palm. "We'll bring down anything she throws at us."

"You will, will you?" a familiar female voice said, condescension thick in her tone as it echoed around them.

All of them took stances, standing back to back and scanning their surroundings.

"Where are you bitch," Rainbow snarled, her wings flaring back into existence as she ponied back up.

Applejack was not far behind her, her eyes glowing as her magic surged through her. The Archwraith chuckled coldly at the display. A cold wave of power washed across the room that forced a chill down the trio's spines.

"Such crude language. And after I've been such a courteous host. Anyway, now that I have the three of you in one place, I feel it is only fair that I give you a reward for all your hard work."

"Ah ain't buyin' anythin' you're sellin'," Applejack growled, her glare traveling across the room.

"Oh no my dears, I insist."

The sadistic glee in the disembodied voice made their blood run cold as it echoed all around them. A bit of movement from the room's center caught their attention. They quickly turned to face it, ready to unleash whatever spell they would need to deal with the new threat. What they saw froze them to their cores. Fazing out of the ground like ebon-clad phantoms were the very same girls they came to rescue. Each of them were dressed in black summer dresses, but that wasn't the only change they noticed. Each of them were as gray as ash, their hair as black as the darkest shadows of the abyss. Their eyes were just as dark with golden pupils that shined with a faint demonic light. The young girls smiled up at the teens, but instead of the sweet innocents they usually held, the smiles carried something that felt wrong to the older girls.

"Well, what do you think?" Lily asked, her tone a strange mix of jovial and sadistic. "After all this time and everything you've been through, you finally got what you wanted. Now, you get to do what every good older sibling strives for, to help guide their sibling into becoming stronger people. Now , my sweet little ones, time to feed."

Applebloom wasted no time making the first move, a wide grin spread wide across her face as she blitzed in front of Applejack. The older Apple had just enough time to look shocked before a small fist slammed into her chest and sent her flying across the room into a wall. Rainbow looked back to call out to her friend , only to feel something rip into her left shoulder a second later. With a pained hiss, she examined her arm to see three deep claw marks cut into it. A light giggling behind her pulled her attention away from her wound towards a smiling Scootaloo, the preteen licking blood off of her freshly grown claws. Rarity could only watch in horror as her sister pointed her palm at her and summoned a jet-black transparent sphere around her. Rarity quickly shifted her outfit to its defensive form just as the barrier shrank around her. An intense pressure enveloped her as she tried to fight back against her sister's shield, but it was slowly proving to be a futile effort. At the same time, Applejack pulled herself out of her wall with just seconds to spare before her sister moved within striking range. Thinking fast, she pointed her palm at the younger Apple and tapped into a small amount of her magic. A faint green glow surrounded her before she flew back towards the other end of the room. Half way there, she slammed her foot into the ground, deep cracks covering it as her foot planted itself firmly into the damaged marble. Applejack watched in horror as her sister repeated the processes, the young girl slowly advancing in spite of the gravity field pulling her the opposite way. She tried to increase the strength of the spell, but Applebloom killed that attempt by chucking a soccer ball-sized piece of marble at her head. Rainbow was meanwhile caught in a razor-sharp tempest of pain as Scootaloo shot around her at supersonic speeds. In a matter of seconds, the sporty teen was covered with deep gashes as she tried to keep track of the young girl. While her aeromancy gave her some kind of hint as to where the girl was, the attack was always too quick for her to do more than cover her face. She tried to cast an air barrier around herself to give herself some breathing room, only for Scootaloo to appear in front of her inside her defense. With a blindingly fast slash to the face, the young Wraith tore through that idea with next to no effort. Meanwhile, Rarity struggled to think of what she could give up to make her defense stronger as Sweetie tried to squeeze the life right out of her. Sweetie's smile grew more demented as she slowly closed her outstretched hand, the pressure her shield put on her sister steadily growing more intense as she did. She felt like a bug in a display case, crushing weight put upon her making it harder and harder to breath by the second. Applejack grit her teeth as she shifted the spell she cast on Applebloom into one that returned her center of gravity back towards the ground, but at three times the weight in an attempt to make the girl stop. Applebloom's smile grew as she powered through the intensified gravity zone with little effort. The farm girl had just enough time to look shocked before her sister grabbed her outstretched hand and easily flipped her over her shoulder into the cracked ground below with a thundering boom. Rainbow tried to ignore the cry of pain Applejack made as she tried to fly to the top of the room to escape Scootaloo, only for the speedy Wraith to follow her seconds later with a pair of bat-like wings of her own. Rainbow wailed in pain as the small girl ripped into her even more on the way back to the ground.

"What's wrong Rainbow?" Scootaloo mocked as she floated down to the ground. "Can't keep up?"

Rainbow groaned as she staggered to her feet, pain written across her face that had nothing to do with her wounds as she stared at the young girl before her.

"Scoots, please, don't make me do this," she whimpered. "I don't want to hurt you."

Scootaloo giggled and with a twisted smile said, "Hurt me? You can't even catch me! And you call yourself the best? Please. You're a joke! Then again, what do you expect from someone too stupid to know they're being played."

Rainbow flinched at that, Scootaloo's words cutting her deeper than her claws ever could. A stray tear made it past her defenses as she stared numbly at her. Why did it need to be this way?

"When you think about it, I'm doing you a favor," Scootaloo added, flexing her claws.

At the same time, a similar scene played out between Applebloom and Applejack as the younger Apple pinned her elder to the ground under her foot. Applejack could only grunt in pain as she pushed against the small foot to keep it from crushing through her chest. Applebloom just watched her struggle with a calm smile, the Wraith slowly adding more strength to her stomp to drag out the pain for as long as possible.

"A-Applebloom, please, stop," Applejack begged, her strength failing her more and more as the seconds ticked by. "We're sisters! Family! We don't need ta' do this!"

"Funny," Applebloom snorted. "Ah remember you tellin' Sunset that once. Does that mean you'll throw me under the bus someday too?"

Applejack's eyes widened at that, the shock almost great enough to make her forget about the foot coming down to crush her as she stammered out, "Ah...Ah would ne-"

"Guess I should get rid of you before ya' get the chance, huh?" she said, her smile widening as she added a little more pressure to her attack. "Can't take too many risks when it comes ta' snakes, right?"

Applejack gritted her teeth as she fought against the crushing weight pressing down on her. As she laid there fighting back tears of shame, it was hard to tell if the weight came from her sister's heel or her guilt.

All the while, Rarity struggled to find a way out of a similar situation as Sweetie's barrier threatened to crush her like a bug.

"S-S-Sweetie, please!" She grunted, falling to her knee under the intense strain her body was under. "S-Snap out of it! Do you have any idea what y-you're doing?"

"Yep!" Sweetie chirped, proud smile wide across her face. "I'm going to kill you, duh!"

Rarity let out a pained wail as she felt her right shoulder crack under the pressure, but that still paled in comparison to the pain she felt when she heard those words leave her sister's mouth. The casual way she said it felt like a kick to the gut with a steel-toed boot. A part of her didn't want to believe it, but she couldn't deny the reality of the situation. If nothing changed, her sister was going to kill her.

"I can't believe you fell for that," Sweetie giggled. "Didn't you learn anything from Anon-A-Miss? It was such an obvious trap and you jumped head first into it! 'Oh please save me from the scary monster big sis' how pathetic! To think I looked up to you at some point!"

A menacing edge filled her tone as she said, "Good thing I've got new sisters to look up to now."

Rarity's eyes fell to the ground, her hands trembling as she felt her heart fall into the abyss. Tears slid down her face as she let herself come to terms with her fate. Not just hers, but the fates of all of her friends as well. It was her own foolish hope that put them in this situation. If she had just stopped and thought about the situation for a moment, registered how convenient it had all seemed, then maybe things would've played out differently.

As the three older girls fell into despair, the young Wraiths came to the same conclusion at almost the same time; it was time to harvest. Each of them prepared themselves to deliver the finishing blow, but just before they could do so, three figures charged into the room. Applebloom let out a yelp as a pillar of diamond shot her into the air from beneath her other foot before a fist made of the same material knocked her across the room. Sweetie screamed in pain as the hand she was using to channel her barrier was sliced clean off at the wrist, the rapier's owner leveling a cold glare at her as she stood between the young Wraith and her prey. Scootaloo had just enough time to blink before someone seemingly appeared in front of her and sent her clear across the room with a single punch, a searing electric charge ripping through her from the point of contact all the way to the tips of her freshly grown wings.

Rarity gasped, the barrier holding her in place vanishing and taking its crushing grip with it. Coughing, she looked up to see who her savior was. Standing like a warrior from a forgotten legend, Octavia glared at the seething Wraith child. Her hand gripped her rapier tightly as she pointed its blade at Sweetie, a new hand regrowing on her wrist as she growled at her like a furious beast.

"That is enough," Octavia coldly declared.

"Y-You cut off my hand!" Sweetie said incredulously.

"And I will do much more than that if you do not retreat," Octavia glared. "This is your last warning."

Sweetie's shock slowly shifted into rage, her hunter's instincts flaring in her like lit napalm the longer she stared at Octavia. She worked hard to get Rarity ready to be harvested and she'd be damned if she was going to let this human get in her way. Applebloom found herself in a similar situation as she pried herself out of a wall, Bonbon kneeling down to Applejack and putting something in her mouth. The Wraith snarled as she charged towards the girl, only for a thin diamond pillar to spout from the ground at just the right angle for it to slam into her chest. Her eyes popped wide, the blow knocking the air out of her as she staggered back.

"Hey cousin," Bonbon said coldly, slowly rising to her feet. "Been a while, huh?"

Applebloom leveled a glare at her as she struggled to get air back into her lungs, every fiber of her being screaming at her to tear this girl apart. Bonbon took in the show of aggression with a sigh, then turned to fully face her. Her blue vest rippled before it shifted into a hooded summer jacket, said hood covering her head and hiding her eyes within its shadow. Applebloom tightened her hands into fists then charged towards the candy maker to deliver a devastating right hook. To her surprise, the girl casually leaned away from the strike.

"What? You didn't think I was just going to stand here and take it, did you?" she smirked.

Applebloom let out a battle cry as she took more swings at her, each missing by the tiniest of fractions. All the while, Bonbon's smile never left her face. That smile added to Applebloom's fury as she doubled her efforts to hit the girl. Her fist nearly connected with the girl's chin before the diamond fist from earlier slammed into her side. Applebloom gained enough traction to both keep herself from flying across the room and push back against the car-sized adamant fist. She growled as she pushed back against it, her rage adding to her already impressive strength. Bonbon sighed and shook her head at the display.

"I'm only doing this because we're family," she said flatly, smile finally melting off of her face. "Stop this and we can see if there's a way to turn you back to normal."

"Shut up!" Applebloom grunted. "Ah came here ta kill Applejack and Ah'll do the same ta' you if you don't get out of my way!"

"Hard way it is then," she sighed. "Fine. I did give you a chance though. Remember that."

At the same time, a similar standstill was happening between Scootaloo and Lightning Dust, the two girls staring each other down like tigers waiting for the right moment to pounce. Scootaloo's wings and claws twitched with nervous tension, the girl's fight with Yim running through her mind in a loop. She knew that the older teen was fast, even without her magic boosting her body. She could also confirm that her lightning attacks were a lot stronger than she thought, passing blow or not. If she wanted to get out of this in one piece and still have a chance of finishing her hunt, she was going to need to be careful. She spread her wings slowly, every muscle in her body tense as she prepared to strike. Lightning matched her, her feathers twitching faintly as her wings tensed with nervous energy. Their stare-down continued for several long seconds before they disappeared in a blast of air. Two blurs, one gray and one teal, shot across the sky faster than the eye could properly track. Every now and then, they would meet before separating again the next second. They soon returned to the ground and ran towards each other at the same speeds. When they met, they were still blurs as they threw punches, kicks, and various other attacks. Eventually, Scootaloo was shot across the room by an electrically charged punch from Lightning, the girl holding her pose after landing the blow as the young Wraith slid across the floor. Scootaloo groaned as she staggered to her feet, a look of murderous fury plastered across her face. That changed into horror when she saw the state of her left arm. The limb was completely jerked out of its socket at her shoulder, everything from that point down hanging limply at her side.

"I might not have fancy pressure point martial arts like Flutters, but I can figure something out when I need to," Lighting sighed. "What do you say we stop this before things get out of hand?"

Scootaloo's glare hardened and with a loud pop, her shoulder mended itself. Lighting sighed, then shifted into a fighting stance.

"Can't say I didn't try."

As they two sporty girls clashed, Sweetie tried to find away to get past the one foolish enough to get between her and her prey. A ferocious snarl passed her lips as she summoned over a dozen soccer ball-sized black spheres and with a swing of her hand directed them towards Octavia. The musician's blade sliced the projectiles to pieces, her movements an elegant dance as she stood her ground. The young Wraith's rage grew as she tried to do to Octavia what she did to Rarity, but the second the barrier took shape, she sliced clean through it with a quick full-body spin. Sweetie let out a frustrated scream, but before she could launch another attack, Octavia closed the distance between them and swung her sword. Agony and horror filled Sweetie as she saw her arms fall away from her body, the shock more than enough to encourage her to jump ten feet backwards from her attacker. Anger took back its place from shock as Sweetie's arms regenerated. A bit of movement out the corner of her eye caught her attention, giving her just enough time to create a soft barrier to keep her real sister from slamming into her. A wasted effort as Scootaloo crashed into them a second later with the force of a SLAM missile, making the trio collectively do that with a wall.

Dazed, but still alive thanks to their powers, they groaned and staggered to their feet. Octavia, Lightning, and Bonbon stared them down from the middle of the room, none of them showing any emotion as they prepared their next spells. They never got the chance. All of the light in the room dropped to near darkness as a new presence made itself known to them. Cold chills shot down all of their spines as a figure slowly faded into existence in front of the CMC. It looked the same as the creature that greeted them at the bridge, only now it had more details. They saw that the creature had gray skin and long hair that matched her slim fitting dress. She had the same eyes as the children behind her as she faced the three teens with an impossible to read look.

"It isn't wise to stand between a child and their meal," Lily said coldly. "They need all the strength they can get in this world."

The three girls tried to say something, but their mouths refused to move. Pure, unadulterated fear filled them as Lily's energy surrounded them like a hungry python. A cold sweat covered their bodies as they tried to think of a way out of this mess. Lily continued to stare at them for a few more agonizing seconds before she shifted her attention down towards her discouraged children.

"Time to go," she said simply.

They huffed irritably as they faded away, their mother not far behind. The light in the room abruptly returned the second the Archwraith vanished and the three teens felt like they could breathe again. They traded wide-eyed stares as they struggled to process what they had just experienced. Finding little else to do with themselves, they turned to administer aid to their fallen friends. It was as they did that that they started to wonder if they really had what it took to see this mission through.

Author's Note

And here we go folks. Time to get to what you've all been waiting for. FINAL BOSS TIME!!! I hope you guys are ready for it because the next few chapters are gonna be WILD!!!
Also, the two fight scenes here have tracks.
CMC vs Sisters: https://youtu.be/Dj_d8DlZ-Jo (What I've Done)
CMC vs Savior Trio: https://youtu.be/lYTLhXTPM4s (Bad Time Trio: Triple the Threat)

Ch. 59 Den of Despair

"What was my condition?" Lily demanded, arms crossed as she glared down at her daughters.

The three Wraiths traded chastised frowns amongst each other, but otherwise remained silent. Lily's eyes narrowed as her fingers impatiently drummed on her arm.

"Well?" she urged.

The girls became antsy, none of them eager to incite their mother's wrath, but neither of them were willing to put themselves up as tribute. While they found her affection smothering at times, it was something they greatly loved about her. Instinctively, they knew that such a thing was difficult for their kind to express and to be loved so fully by her was a small miracle on its own. To sense such raw disappointment and worry from her hurt far more than any of the wounds they received from their previous fight. Eventually, Sweetie found her voice, but her eyes refused to leave the ground.

"W-We were supposed to leave if any of the other girls showed up," she mumbled.

"And what did you do?" she asked, raising a brow.

"F-Fight them," Applebloom mumbled.

"Exactly," Lily sighed. "Do you have any idea how stupid that was? You three may be able to regenerate, but you don't have nearly enough energy to use it recklessly! Then there are your individual abilities putting a further strain on your reserves! What do you think would've happened if they blew you apart or decapitated you and you didn't have enough energy to heal yourselves?"

All three of them gasped as their hands flew to their throats.

"Honestly," she continued. "I have half a mind to put you three over my knee for this."

The young Wraiths tensed, their hands flying from their necks to their rears.

"Fortunately for you three, I think you have all been through enough for one night. Until further notice, you girls are grounded."

The CMC groaned in protest, only to be cut off by a hand raised in halt.

"None of that now," she frowned. "Go to your pocket dimensions until I come for you.

Sweetie sniffled as her form shimmered and she faded out of existence. Applebloom hung her head in shame as she did the same a few seconds later. Scootaloo grumbled irritably to herself for a few seconds and looked like she was going to defy her mother's order, but one stern look from the much older Archwraith killed that urge very quickly. When her last daughter went to the closest thing their kind had to a room, Lily sighed tiredly before she made her way towards her throne. It was clear that she was going to need to teach her daughters how to better defend themselves when this was over, given how reckless they were in their first hunt and harvest.

She also had to admit that she was fairly impressed with how the three humans handled themselves. It was rare to see those so young willing to be so restrained when fending off a threat. While the display of power they showed against her Seeds were not anything to laugh at, the finesse they exhibited in the fight against her children was something much more impressive. The fact that they avoided using attacks that would cause mass bodily harm was not lost on her, the fencer focusing on literally disarming Sweetie whenever she got the chance.

"A slight change of plans is in order," she mused, taking her throne. "A small thing, all things considered. This does make things a little easier for me though."

A cold smile spread across her face as she watched the girls progress. The game was set, the pieces moving across the board better than she had initially planned. She casually leaned back in her seat, her smile turning eager the more her prey closed in on her. This was going to be more entertaining than she thought.

***

Sunset was on high alert, her pony ears twitching at every noise with a spell resting on just the edge of her horn and ready to turn any attacker into ashes. Adding to her nerves were the surges of magic she faintly felt through the walls a couple hours ago. Most of them were familiar to her while others felt radically different to her. Of course, she also felt the rancid energy of Lily's creations, each of them nearly identical to the one she fought previously. Now the only thing she sensed was Lily's energy sliding around her. The sickeningly oily energy put a chill down her spine, but it was nothing compared to the worry that sat in her heart.

Were her friends okay? Did any of them need help? Was Derpy safe? She had to know!

She grit her teeth as her magic raged against her control, the thought of something happening to her girlfriend or her friends stoking her inner fire. Feeling her magic start to reach critical levels, she stopped and took a deep breath. Part of what made her magic so powerful was how closely it was linked to her emotions. The more she felt, the more powerful her magic could become. It was also a massive double-edged sword, as her magic also took on the nature of the emotion it drew strength from. Too much anger or panic and it became significantly harder to control.

"Breath in. Breath out," she whispered, acting out her words. "Derpy is fine. Everyone is fine."

Over and over again, she repeated both mantras, her stress slowly ebbing away. When she no longer felt like she was going to explode, she resumed her march down the halls. What few bits of worry that still sat in her faded when she started to feel several familiar traces of magic. They were still far away, probably half a mile at best, but the fact that she could feel them at all put a smile on her face. That smile grew when she stumbled out the dimly lit halls into a massive ornate ballroom. It was even bigger than the arena she fought in previously and free of any of the glowing flowers she had quickly grown to hate. The floor was made of pure bronze while the walls and ceiling were made of silver and gold respectively. Ornate plant patterns made of brightly glowing emeralds covered the walls and ceiling in an intricate pattern that reminded her of ivy. Eight doorways, including the one Sunset entered the room through ringed its perimeter with a single obsidian door being the only differing path. It didn't take much for Sunset to guess what laid beyond that door, the dark energy leaking out of it putting every cell in her body on high alert.

Forcing her focus away from the door, Sunset took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the ground. Eyes closed, she tried to zero in on her friend's magic signatures. Most of them were alone, except for a cluster of six moving together not to far away from her. A portion of her previous anxieties faded away as she let the knowledge that her friends were at least alive and moving settle in her. Eager to see them all as soon as possible, she sent out a small pulse of her own magic through the air around her. She sensed them all pause for a moment, then double their efforts as they made their way through the maze. One of them was moving quicker than the others, her eagerness practically shining in her magic field as she ran. A smile spread across Sunset's face as she sent out another pulse, the running girl's identity barely a mystery to her while she waited. Soon, the faint sound of frantic footsteps could be heard coming from one of the paths.

Sunset opened her eyes just in time to see her girlfriend running into the room, a blindingly bright smile decorating her face as she charged towards her. Sunset sported a similar smile as she stood with her arms out, ready to embrace the girl for the first time in what felt like years. The whole world seemed to freeze as the two girls embraced, happy tears sliding down their cheeks as they enjoyed the moment for as long as they could.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Sunset sniffled.

"Same," Derpy giggled, the sound wet thanks to her tears.

Some movement from one of the doorways caught her attention, the pair reluctantly stepping apart from each other to see who it was. Staggering out of the dark was a grinning Vinyl, her cloths slightly tattered and covered with dust. At the same time, a weary Fluttershy made her way into the room from the passage next to Vinyl's.

"Yo! Good to see the power couple's still alive," Vinyl chuckled, waving as she approached the two girls.

Fluttershy nodded, the Thestral-human not far behind the dusty DJ.

"Yep!" Derpy beamed. "It's gonna take more than some freaky storm monster to take me down!"

"You had to fight something too?" Fluttershy asked, her red eyes scanning the other girls frantically for any visible injuries.

"Yeah," Sunset sighed. "Some water monster thing. I think it said it was a Seed."

"That's what the guy I fought said he was," Vinyl shrugged. "Didn't make things easy for me, I'll tell ya'."

"Is that why you're covered in dust?" Fluttershy asked.

Vinyl chuckled and said, "Nah! Got a little antsy when I sensed Sunset's magic and decided to bust some walls down to get here quicker."

On cue, a loud series of thuds echoed out of the entrence Vinyl used along with a thick cloud of gray dust.

"Oops," Vinyl giggled awkwardly.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Sunset muttered under her breath.

Before anyone could do more than laugh at that, the sound of a heralding trumpet could be heard blaring out of one of the doorways. A minute later, eight knights made of pure magic marched past the threshold in two single-file lines, the ones on the right pure white while the ones on the left where jet black. The two rows stopped a foot away from the passage, turned towards each other, backed up one step, and raised their swords above their heads in salute in perfect synch. A second later, Lyra rode into the room on a horse made of red magic with a wide smile spread across her face, before jumping off of its back at the last second. She did a midair flip before landing a foot away from the slack-jawed girls, her summons exploding in to bursts of small lights that were the same color as the magic used to make them before they faded away.

"Sup?" Lyra smirked, hands resting on her hips and chest puffed out.

"And I thought I could make an entrance," Vinyl gawked, then grew a wide smile as she applauded her friend.

"Hope you didn't waste too much magic doing that," Sunset frowned. "Summoning is pretty taxing after all."

"Eh, I didn't use that much," Lyra shrugged, waving Sunset off.

"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked, concern heavy in her tone as she gave the girl a quick look over.

"Totally," Lyra said reassuringly, patting her fretting friend on the shoulder.

"If you're sure," she sighed. "You aren't hurt anywhere, are you?"

"Nope," Lyra sighed, her previous joviality replaced with a seriousness seldom seen on the girl as she glanced over her shoulder. "My summons kept me safe, but I had a few real close calls back there. Lily's not fooling around here."

"Yeah," Derpy sighed. "Hate to say it, but I had a few close calls myself. If my barriers had been just a bit weaker, I don't think I'd be standing here right now."

Fluttershy nodded, her thoughts drifting back towards Roethan and the mixed feelings she had about their clash.

"I guess I got lucky," Sunset frowned, pulling Derpy closer to her side. "The seed I fought was a total push over."

"Or maybe it wasn't dragon proof," Lyra chuckled.

"Maybe," Sunset mused.

Before she could think further on her fortune, a series of footsteps echoed out of one of the paths. She smiled as the rest of her party entered the chamber, only for it to fall when she took in their condition. Bonbon, Lightning, and Octavia looked fine beyond a few small rips in their clothes and the shaken look in their eyes, but that could not be said for the rest of the people in their group. Rainbow was covered in cuts, most of them barely healed with just drying blood staining most of her clothes. Applejack was a walking bruise, dried blood leaking out of her nose and her left eye swollen shut as she staggered stiffly with each step. Rarity was the least battered, but it was hard to miss the look of agony on her face as she clutched her left shoulder, the limb attached to it hanging uselessly at her side.

Fluttershy gasped at the sight and was on them in the blink of an eye, the girl moving frantically as she examined all of their injuries. The rest of the girls were not far behind, worry plain on their faces. Sunset's hands shook as she took in her friend's condition, from rage or worry, even she had no clear answer. Fighting back control of herself, she turned towards Octavia.

"What happened," she asked, struggling to keep a growl out of her voice.

"Apparently, Lily decided to sick her captives on them," Octavia frowned, nodding towards the three battered girls.

"What?" Sunset gasped.

"Yeah," Bonbon sighed.

"Are you sure it was them?" Derpy asked, adding herself to the conversation.

"Positive," Bonbon nodded. "I sensed Equestrian Magic in them the whole time."

"Same," Lightning grunted. "And that's not the only thing."

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked, already dreading the answer.

"They had the same kind of power as Lily," she frowned.

"How do you know that?" Sunset asked.

"She decided to say hi," Bonbon shuttered, jamming her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "She apparently got them thinking she's their mother on top of whatever else she did to them."

Sunset gave the ornate door on the other side of the room a passing glance. Just the few wisps of energy she could sense from it made her nauseous. To be exposed to its source at point blank without any prior warning could not have been a pleasant experience.

"Are you all okay?" she asked, turning back to face them.

They took a collective shuttering breath and a reluctant nod.

"She's crazy strong Sunset," Bonbon gulped, turning her head towards the door. "She was just standing there and I froze."

"Y-Yeah," Lightning gulped, doing the same.

"I have been better," Octavia allowed, her professionalism persona hiding her fear. "Though I suppose we all have."

As she said that, the group turned to face their battered friends. One by one, Fluttershy lightly jabbed her claws into them, a faint green glow jumping from the tips of her nails into the girl's bodies. With each prod, the wounds faded away, with the snap and grunts of bones coming back into alinement and mending in the cases of Applejack and Rarity. The sight added more fuel to Sunset's fire, heat raging in her veins in the face of what she knew.

Her head snapped towards the door to the heart of Lily's domain. With clenched fists and a furious glare, she stepped towards it, stopping roughly fifteen feet away from it before she yelled her intentions at it.

"LILY! I AM GOING TO END YOU!!!"

With a voice flowing with fury and flames licking at her heals and wrists, she yelled, "ON THE ASHES OF MY PAST I STAND ALONE! WITH THE WEIGHT OF MY LOVED ONES ON MY BACK I MOVE FORWARD TO A NEW DAWN!!!"

A wild tempest of flames engulfed Sunset, the fire a chaotic mass of colors as a wave of powerful magic surged through the room. The ten girls watched the spectacle in awe, Sunset's magic tearing way the curtain of despair that threatened to smother them. With an explosive burst of heat, the flames parted to reveal Sunset's new form to the world for the third time in her life. Golden scales covered her forearms like a pair of gantlets, her hands equally covered with sharp claws taking the place of her nails. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail with multicolored stands of flame adding two feet of extra length. Her eyes were the same light blue they had always been, only now they were slit like snake's and glowed with power. Her horn had a slight curve and sharp point with a diamond shaped cluster of golden scales at its pace on her forehead. None of that held everyones attention more than the flaming wings the girl now sported, said appendages shining with ever shifting colors as they spread proudly on her back.

Back still turned towards her friends, Sunset said, "We are going to win! All of us have fought too hard, trained for too long, and have come too far to turn back now! The only thing we can do is move forward! Lily thinks she can stop us? Let me tell her something. We will save Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo! We will stop Lily! And we will all make it home!"

"Damn straight!" Vinyl cheered, stepping up to Sunset's side.

"I have no intention of dying tonight," Octavia smirked, her weapon shining brightly in her hand as she stood next to her sister.

"Final boss time, let's end this!" Lyra beamed, taking a stand next to Octavia.

"I doubt Lily would let us leave anyway," Bonbon sighed, then smirked as she added, "Let's make her." and stood next to her first friend.

"I'll make sure none of us die in there," Derpy nodded, a resolute frown on her face as she took Sunset's unoccupied right side. "You just focus on blowing Lily to bits."

"Save some for me," Rainbow growled, some of her fire back in her eyes as she stood next to Derpy. "I've got a score to settle with that bitch."

"Likewise," Rarity sneered, a shimmering biker outfit covering her as she stood next to Rainbow.

"Ah'm gonna make her regret what she did to Applebloom," Applejack said, her tone as cold as ice as she stood next to Rarity.

Fluttershy simply nodded, her jaw clenched too tightly in rage for her to get any words out as she joined her friends at Applejack's side.

Sunset gave each of them a passing glance, her heart swelling as she felt their magic surge with her own. A warm smile spread across her lips as she pointed her right palm at the door and gathered some of her magic into it. The time had finally come to close this dark chapter in her life. No. It was time to close it for all of their lives.

A ball of fire the size of a bowling ball formed in her hand, a single thought echoing in her head before she fired it.

Here we come Lily. Get ready!

A loud boom shook the air as the door exploded under Sunset's attack and the eleven girls ran through them. They were instantly greeted by the sounds of plants being crushed under their shoes, but that was the only sound they heard. The unnatural silence froze them three steps into the room, forcing them to give their surroundings a more detailed scan. They stood on the edge of a giant flower garden, jet black lilies as far as the eye could see from every direction before the walls of the surrounding labyrinth terminated them. A clear, starless night sky hovered over them with a massive silver full moon shining down on them like an eery spotlight. At the heart of he field, sitting casually in an ornate black throne was the monster they had come to slay.

The Archwraith smiled as they moved closer, not a trace of fear or concern present in her features. Sunset could feel her rancid energy swirling around her, but it was faint compared to the raging inferno that was her presence. In time, the eleven girls stood twenty feet away from the monster, each eager to attack, but none foolish enough to do so recklessly. Even with Sunset so close, the Archwraith refused to show anything more than mild amusement.

Can't she sense our magic or is she just that confidant? Sunset thought, locking eyes with her enemy.

"Now look what we have here," Lily purred. "Friends and sisters in arms standing together to fight the queen in her domain. Quite foolish, but impressive all the same."

"If you're a queen, then I'm a talking donkey," Lyra spat.

Lily's eyes drifted towards her and with a small giggle she said, "Perhaps not a donkey, but you are quite lonely, correct?"

Lyra flinched at that, but stood her ground as the Wraith's eyes drifted towards each of her friends in turn.

"Perfectionism. Regret. Addiction. Alienation. Depression. Self-loathing. Doubt. Emptiness. Nihilism. Rage. So many different flavors. I feel like a child in an ice cream parlor."

"Where are they?" Sunset growled.

"Who?" Lily asked, her smile replaced by a confused frown.

"Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo."

Lily's eyes narrowed, an equally sharp edge entering her tone as she said, "Far from your grasp, monster."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Vinyl demanded. "You kill people and you're calling us monsters?!"

"I need to eat," Lily growled. "Is a lion a monster because it must eat other animals to survive?"

"No, but you are as far as we're concerned," Rarity growled, fists clenched tight at her sides.

"We are not prey!" Fluttershy screamed, pure hate radiating from her crimson eyes.

"Indeed," Lily sighed, rising from her throne. "Show me then."

https://youtu.be/zDXgbdhj5Zc

As she said that, she took three steps towards them and raised a hand over her head. A ball of dark energy formed in it before it morphed into a jet black spear. She expertly twirled it around herself then straightened her posture, a confidant smile present as she stared her opponents down. A dense wave of the Archwraith's energy washed over them like a cold gale, its weight and pressure telling them just what kind of demon stood before them. Sunset risked a glance at her trembling hands, the palms coated with a fine layer of sweat. A heavy silence filled the field, a silence that broke when Rarity charged towards Lily.

"DIE!!" she shrieked.

Lily stood there, still smiling even as Rarity moved into striking range and threw a punch. The blow connected, a blast of raw magical force echoing across the field with a cloud of dust hiding Lily from view. When it settled, Rarity's rage gave way to shock. With the form Ineffigiatus was currently in, her punches should've been strong enough to level a skyscraper, but Lily didn't even have a bruise as she stood there with Rarity's fist planted firmly in her cheek.

"Is that it?" she asked sweetly.

Rarity barely had time to react before a backhand from her opponent sent her flying to the other end of the field. A quick cast from Derpy was the only thing that kept the stunned girl from becoming a smear on the stone wall, the cubic barrier covered with spider cracks before finally collapsing under the force it was forced to endure as Rarity fell limply to the ground. Shock filled the group for a moment, before Applejack and Rainbow aimed pure hate at the Archwraith.

Rainbow shot into the air, wind howling around her as she prepared to drop everything she had onto Lily. At the same time, Applejack gathered as much of her magic as she could, ready to do to Lily what she did to her seed. Lily sighed, barely even paying the two girls any mind as she continued to stare at Sunset. She never took her eyes off of the Equestrian as her two friends were hit by pillars of dark energy that shot out at them from below. She turned just in time to see them fall to the ground, eyes wide, blank, and empty of life.

Sunset's mind froze, her fear muted as she watched her friends fall. She couldn't hear anything. She barely felt anything. All she could do was watch as their bodies hit the ground. The last few seconds played in her head like a maddening recording of her worst nightmare come to life. Images of the rest of her friends falling prey to the same fates came to mind and something in her snapped. Red hot rage filled her veins as she turned her head towards Lily, her fear completely consumed by the hate boiling within her.

"Derpy," she said, voice a cold whisper. "Keep them safe."

The girl's eyes widened as she nodded then turned towards Lightning.

"Get Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash over to Fluttershy. Now!"

The girl nodded, momentarily shaken by the sudden edge in her friend's tone before she sprang into action.

"Get around me everyone!" she Demanded.

Everyone quickly did so and a second after Lightning managed to complete her mission, Derpy erected a massive barrier around them and herself. Lily watched the whole line of events in intrigue, not entirely sure what was going on or why they chose to keep Sunset out of their defensive line. No sooner had she finished that moment of wonder did Sunset charge towards her. Lily's smile returned as she watched the flaming girl close in on her. With a casual thought, she summoned another pillar of dark energy below the girl, only for Sunset to side-step out of the way at the last second with a single flap of her flaming wings. Her smile grew at that, happy to see that the girl could make this a little more challenging.

"LILY!!!" Sunset roared, bringing a flaming fist down on the Archwraith the second she got within range.

A thunderous boom echoed across the field as a massive explosion wracked the place Lily stood, wild flames devouring the flowers all around that portion of the Archwraith's domain. Lily's smile threatened to split her head in half, what few specks of damage she received from Sunset's attack already healing as she held back the girl's fist with her free hand. Such raw hatred made her heart dance with glee as she stared into Sunset's glowing blue eyes.

"Why so angry dear?" she cooed. "Weren't they the ones that left you at my mercy? Didn't one of them try to hurt you at some point? Why do you care what happens to them?"

"Because they're my friends!" Sunset snarled, flames leaking out of the corners of her mouth. "And I've already forgiven them for that!"

"Really? Then why did you lead them here?" Lily asked, leaning closer to Sunset's face.

"To kill you!" Sunset snarled.

"No dear," she cooed. "It was to kill them."

Sunset let out a furious scream, her magic bursting out of her as a wild maelstrom of flames. Lily did nothing, letting the inferno wash over her like a hellish ocean as her eyes burned into Sunset's own. They jumped back from each other, Sunset immune to her own flames while Lily's body healed itself at such a quick rate that she barely noticed it. The two stared each other down for a moment before they charged, Sunset's flames spiraling around her like a prismatic armor from hell while Lily leveled her spear with a maddening grin. The two clashed like a pair of monsters from a nightmare, Sunset literally roaring as she slashed and punched at the Archwraith while Lily dodged and stabbed at Sunset with her spear. As the two fought, Derpy and her friends watched, tension heavy in them as they silently cheered Sunset on.

"I can't stand this!" Vinyl growled, unable to tear her eyes away from the fight. "We should be out there too!"

"Yeah!" Lightning nodded.

"No way," Derpy sighed. "We'd just get in Sunset's way."

"WHAT!?" everyone still conscious demanded.

"Sunset told me once that her magic is linked to her emotions," Derpy frowned, her eyes still locked onto her girlfriend as she ducked under a wide swing of Lily's spear. "The more she feels, the more power she can use, but she loses some of her control too. Normally, her fire can only burn what she wants it to burn, but if she gets mad enough..."

Bonbon cringed at that, the rest of the sentence not needed to be completed for her to get the message.

"So," Bonbon gulped. "I take it the barrier isn't just to protect us from Lily then."

Derpy nodded, then said, "This should let Sunset fight without worrying about us getting hit in the crossfire."

The seven girls ran that through their heads for a minute, the frustration and helplessness they felt growing by the second. A solemn expression formed on Lyra's face before she nodded and stepped up to the barrier's edge. Her magic flared as she stared out into the burning battlefield beyond.

"Lyra?" Derpy asked, caution heavy in her tone.

"We can't head out there with her, but that doesn't mean we can't help her."

With that, her magic gathered outside of the barrier into a summon. Black and white magic congealed outside the protective space Derpy created and slowly took shape. A six foot tall female human shape took form, six feathered wings of light and shadow formed on its back, the left arm garbed by a black claw gauntlet while a shining sword of light was griped in its right. The angel turned its faceless head towards Lyra, the girl leveling a friendly smile at it.

"Go Alara. Go help Sunset."

The angel nodded, then shifted its attention towards the fight ahead of it and flew into the fray. Lyra flashed an impish smile at her friends, a smile that slowly spread to the rest of them. While they couldn't jump into the fray like Alara, they were not completely out of options. Catching on, Bonbon took a meditative seat on the ground and began channeling her magic into the ground, dozens of calculations coming into her head. Fluttershy doubled her efforts to heal her fallen friends, the shine from her claws glowing righter as she did everything she could to speed up their treatment. Vinyl took point next to Derpy, her body literally vibrating as her magic surged through her. Octavia held her rapier up above her head, the blade letting out an eagle's cry as a spell she hadn't had a chance to cast before now echoed through everyone.

All of their eyes widened as a sudden surge of power shot through them, the magic forming Alara surging wildly as she struck at Lily while the barrier Derpy constructed shined with a nearly blinding light. Vinyl leveled a shocked glance at her sister, an act mirrored by all of her friends.

"While I can't do it to myself, I can replenish and amplify the magic of overs around me," Octavia beamed. "I call it Charity Bell."

"Awesome," Vinyl smirked.

"I'll say," Lyra chirped, watching her Summon ram her sword into Lily's chest.

"Ditto," Bonbon smirked. "Show time."

As she said that, diamond spikes burst out of the ground, a few of them managing to impale Lily's free arm while the others bent at odd angles to avoid Sunset and Alara. Lily frowned at the crystal spikes before she ripped the useless limb off to resume her attack. A new limb regrew seconds later, just in time for her to call a wall of darkness to block Alara's sword. The Archwraith showed herself to be an incredibly adaptive fighter, easily alternating between blocking her combatant's attacks with her spear and dodging the attacks coming at her from the ground. Every now and then she would strike out at Sunset or Alara with her spear or a blast of dark energy, but those would get either parried or canceled by Sunset's fire or Alara's weapons.

As the three combatants clashed, Derpy started to notice that something was off about the Wraiths movements. While they were as precise as one would expect from a seasoned fighter, her attacks seemed to have far too many telegraphs. Her swings with her spear seemed too broad and her blasts took too much time to charge for Sunset to not see them coming. Then there was Lily's smile, as if the Wraith was simply playing a game instead of being pushed into a corner by two equally powerful threats. When the Wraith suddenly stopped moving and her smile grew, Derpy's blood turned into ice.

She's toying with us!

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind before a huge burst of dark energy exploded out of Lily, Alara screaming as she was torn apart by the maelstrom of power. Sunset's fire raged against it, drawing on all of the girl's rage to fight against the wave of destruction, but even that wasn't enough. The darkness whirled around her like a tornado, the dragonic teen trying to force it back with her bare claws to no avail. She tried to call upon her flames, but they refused to come. The darkness washed over her, thick as tar as it covered her mouth and nose. She struggled to fight against it, Lily's power literally suffocating her as she fell to her knees.

"Fire. Quite an incredible force in its own right," Lily mused, the Archwraith casually walking through the darkness as she stepped in front of the girls's blurring vision. "It can destroy almost anything that crosses its path like a wild beast. But just like any beast, it can't live without air."

Sunset gasped, desperate to take a breath as her panic riddled mind began to spin. Lily just smiled, the girl's fear and desperation sustaining her as she kneeled to her eye level.

"Don't feel bad my dear Sunset. None of you had a chance from the start."

With that, she turned her head towards Derpy's barrier, the shining cube barely standing in the heart of Lily's destructive power. She watched as the girl fell to her knees, the teen putting everything she had into keeping her friends safe. Lily rose to her feet and made her way towards it, the sheer pressure of her power crushing any diamond spikes Bonbon tried to attack her with as they came out of the ground. She watched as Octavia cast another Charity Bell to help her friends, but it did little against Lily's raw power. The Archwraith chuckled to herself as she walked. Had they attacked her while she was still weak from hunger, they may have had a chance of beating her, but thanks to her daughters, she had more than enough power to crush them under her heal. A fact that she was more than willing to display when she finally found herself standing in front of Derpy's barely standing barrier.

Still smiling, she gently pressed her finger against it and every so slightly pressed forward. Derpy let out an agonized shriek as the barrier shattered, her glass eye not far behind as she fell to the ground. The rest of her friends could do no less as the darkness washed over them like a tsunami. Lily stood at the heart of the maelstrom of destruction, a satisfied smile spread across her face. When she felt the girl's consciousness start to fade, she raised her free hand over her head.

The dark energy instantly vanished, eleven black vines taking its place. Each vine held a girl, each of them barely conscious as they hung limply in their grasp. Lily casually approached them, her smile growing steadily more proud with each girl she passed. By the time she approached Sunset, her smile practically oozed with pride. All of them held the same blank look, some part of them desperately clinging to life and the vein hope that they could win this. This belief burned brightest in Sunset's eyes, even as she hung helpless in Lily's clutches a part of her still believed that she could somehow turn this around in her favor. Oh how Lily was going to enjoy destroying that hope.

"Don't worry my dears," she cooed, her eyes slowly drifting over the girls. "I won't kill you. Not yet anyway. None of you are ripe yet and my dear daughters need practice when it comes to that. No. We will slowly strip you girls of every trace of hope you all have. Then, when you are all drowning in despair and begging for death, we will allow you to do the deed yourselves."

A happy purr slipped past her lips as she turned towards Sunset, spear pointed at the bound girl's chest as she said, "Shall we begin?"

Before the scene could play out any further, a small bit of space next to Lily's head started to ripple. A second later, a pink hand emerged holding a gun. Lily had just enough time to turn her head towards it before the weapon fired, blasting her head apart in splatter of black blood and viscera. As the Wraith staggered away, her free hand clutching at her slowly regrowing head, the small portal quadrupled in size. Out of the now larger portal walked a girl wearing a lightly tattered red hooded trench coat. Under it, a black tank top could be seen along with a matching pair of pants and boots. The coat's left sleeve was missing with a long red open-fingered glove covering the girl's left arm up to her shoulder to compensate. A gold ring shined brightly on the girl's left ring finger, its shine barely hidden by the gun she held in that same hand.

The girl holstered her weapon on and examined Sunset, her blue eyes carefully scanning the girl before giving a resolute nod that revealed her straight dark pink hair with curls at the tips.

"It's going to be okay Sunny," the girl said, summoning a knife from another portal and hacking at Sunset's restraints. "I'm going to get you all out of here. I promise."

Sunset's eyes cleared slightly as she stared at the girl trying to free her, a single dry question making it past her lips.

"P....Pinkie?"

"Yep," Pinkie smiled, a small giggle coming out of her as she cut the last of Sunset's vine. "Sorry I'm late to the party."

Sunset just smiled before she collapsed into her friend's arms. Pinkie held her close, a well of emotions filling her that she needed to push down. As happy as she was to see her friend again, she had something important to take care of first. She looked to her left just as the front of Lily's head finished regenerating, the rest of it still a writhing mass of dark energy.

"Who are you!" Lily demanded, her voice a demonic echoing hiss that sliced the air.

"My family calls me Pinkamena," she frowned, drawing her gun as she held Sunset close to her. "My friends call me Pinkie. You can call me Red Hood if you want."

She pointed the gun at the Archwraith and in a voice colder than the waters of the River Styx said, "It doesn't really matter what you call me, because you just need to know one thing. Lily Bouquet, I'm the one that's going to kill you."

Author's Note

In the immortal words of Coryxkenshin, LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!:pinkiehappy::pinkiehappy::pinkiehappy::pinkiehappy::pinkiehappy:

Ch. 60 Fruits of Labor

Lily stared Pinkie down, a range of emotions running through her. While centuries of life and death battles more than gave her a way to prepare for dangerous encounters, the young woman in front of her put her on edge. When others had come for her head in the past, the hatred they radiated was always so intense that she could inhale it with each breath. This girl was different. While she could sense emotions coming off of her, they were ones that she never felt from an opponent. Confidence. Conviction. Joy. She could even sense a trace of hope, but the lack of one particular emotion made her gather a larger portion of dark energy than she normally would. She felt no fear in the young woman.

Two titanic surges of power rippled across the field as two new portals opened. From them, two new figures entered the space, one familiar to Lily while the other was a complete mystery. One of them was a red woman with hair the same combination of colors as Sunset with sharp emerald eyes. She wore a dress that shined with the colors of a raging fire, gold, red, and orange moving through the fabric in a constant dance as her magic drifted among the threads. Standing next to her was a tall man dressed in a finely pressed gray business suit, his skin tone a lighter shade of gray. His red and yellow eyes scanned the battlefield with a solemn air to them, his usually bright smile replaced by a deep frown.

"Remind me to plan a vacation for you sis," Discord sighed. "Even a stiff like you shouldn't have to put up with this kind of thing all of the time."

"My duty in unending brother," Hearths Warming sighed, flashing him a rueful smile as she added, "I appreciate the thought though."

"Hearths Warming," Lily growled, pure vitriol poisoning her tone as she glared at the woman.

"Lily," Hearths Warming nodded, tone as cold as her expression.

"Come to die again?" the Wraith seethed, a cruel smirk forming on her face.

"Not this time," she sighed. "I have long grown tired of our foolish song and dance. My brother and I are just here to make things a little easier for my student."

As if signaled, Discord chose that moment to snap his fingers. Several flashes filled the air as Sunset and her friends vanished. Lily blinked, her head moving frantically on a swivel to find any trace of her stolen prey. Finding none, she leveled a burning glare at Discord.

"You will regret that," she growled, her energy flaring dangerously around her in a undulating black aura.

"I doubt that," Discord smirked.

"TATTLE, NOW!" Pinkie cried.

"As you wish," a male voice purred.

Violet, star-spotted tendrils sprouted out of Pinkie's shadow and stabbed into three seemingly random spaces in the field. Their ends seemed to melt into the space around these places, the space shimmering like heat waves as the slowly pulled themselves free. Struggling in their grip were three very surprised young Wraiths.

A mix of horror and rage shot through her at the sight, her energy flaring out of her in response as she charged towards her helpless children. She barely took nine steps before chains made of the same star-spattered substance sprouted from the ground and held her in place. She fought frantically against her restraints as she watched her children struggle. Her heart sank when she saw that not even Applebloom's impressive strength could break her free. It completely shattered when Sweetie's terrified face turned towards her, panicked tears rolling down her cheeks as she reached towards her mother.

"Momma help! Please! Don't let them take me away!"

"I won't!" Lily wailed, her own tears flowing as she pulled desperately against her chains. "Your shields! Sweetie, use your shields!"

Sweetie nodded and tried to do as she was told, but she couldn't push past the terror running through her. A terror that doubled when a new tendril pointed itself at her chest. Her and her sisters fought with everything they had against their bindings, the chains holding Lily barely holding her down as she raged against them. The Archwraith could only watch in horror as her little ones screamed in fear in front of her. Then, like a viper, the three new tendrils phased into the young girls chests.

They froze, eyes wide yet blank as the tendrils slowly phased out of them. Clutched firmly in their grip were three pulsating black diamonds. Lily watched, pure despair marring her face as the only thing she ever loved was being slowly ripped away from her. While it was only a few seconds, to the Archwraith, time seemed to slow to a crawl as the cores of her three daughters were shattered right before her eyes.

The three girls went limp and their original colors returned to them as their eyes slowly slid shut. At the same time, Lily fell to her knees, a look of absolute defeat spread across her face. The star studded tendrils gently carried the girls to Discord and Hearths Warming before they melted back into Pinkie's shadow. The two High Royals traded nods before they took their leave, Hearths Warming giving her student one last nervous look before she passed through her portal.

I leave the rest to you. Please be careful, my dear student.

As if sensing her teacher's thought, Pinkie looked over her shoulder at her and flashed a confidant grin before giving Lily her full attention. A second later, the Archwraith let out a wail of pure agony, a massive geyser of dark energy exploding out of her and leaving deep gashes in the ground around her. The chains binding her finally shattered as her grief cut through her, a grief that quickly turned into hatred when her tearstained gaze landed on Pinkie.

"YOU BITCH!" Lily roared. "YOU'LL DIE SCREAMING!!!"

With an earth-shattering shriek, the grieving mother fired a massive beam of dark energy at Pinkie, the attack more akin to a literal tsunami of darkness than a beam. Pinkie continued to smile in spite of the approaching assault, a smile that grew slightly as a figure emerged from her shadow. He was a young man around Pinkie's age, his skin a dark purple with specs of silver moving through it like stars in the night sky. His hair was dark brown, long, and messy in a way that sat mischievously on the border between accidentally and intentionally being made that way. He wore a black shirt and jeans with a matching pair of boots to complete the look. In one fluid motion, the figure raised his left hand above his head and a violet barrier covered with silver specks surrounded them at the last second, its shine almost hiding the glint of a gold ring on his raised hand's ring finger.

With a small flair of her own magic, Pinkie reached into a small gap and drew a machine gun while her partner used his to conjure a glowing silver magic circle over his free palm. Trading smiles, Pinkie opened a gap at her right, the other end opening up right behind Lily. They pointed their weapons at the distracted Wraith and fired, a hail of bullets from Pinkie while a burst of white light shot out of Tattle's circle

Lily screamed in agony, her attack canceling itself as her whole body was torn in half with dozens of bullet holes covering her upper torso. Her lower body quickly pulled her upper half back onto it with a pair of black tendrils before she turned to face them, bullet wounds already closing as she pointed her spear at them. Pinkie quickly closed the gap and leveled her weapon at Lily before firing another volley at her, the Wraith letting out another agonized wail before Tattle blasted her away with another burst of light.

Lily swore loudly as she staggered to her feet, her mind a whirling vortex of rage as she glared at the pair. Every fiber of her being wanted to tear them apart, dark energy writhing around her like a mass of strangled vipers. A loud pounding echoed through her ears, hate-filled red tinting the edges of her vision more and more the longer she stared at them. It was when this wild hate threatened to literally consume her that a part of her mind pulled against it. It was just barely enough to help her come to an unfortunate conclusion; she would lose this fight if she kept this going.

Slowly, she forced herself to calm down, the darkness surrounding her shifting from a wild tempest into steady stream. Her grip tightened on her spear as memories of the children she just lost threatened to drag her back into madness, but she pushed that grief to the back of her heart for later. There will be time to grieve after she had disposed of her children's killers. She straightened her posture, wiped her tears away, and gave Pinkie and Tattle a glare that could freeze the sun as she leveled her spear at them form where they stood fifty feet away.

"No more games," Lily hissed, her voice echoing through the field in spite of its soft tone. "You...will...die."

https://youtu.be/18xOB0zJvSE

Pinkie's smile fell away, then she fired her gun at the Wraith again. Lily's hand was a blur for a second before she raised it as a closed fist. With a cold glare, she let her hand open and drop over a dozen crushed bullets onto the ground. Tattle had just enough time to put up another barrier before Lily closed the distance and threw a punch. The barrier shattered like glass on contact before Lily thrusted her spear towards them, ready to run them both through in a single stab. Pinkie opened a gap in front of the weapon with an exit aimed at the back of Lily's head, but she tilted her head to the side just in time to avoid it. The couple dove in opposite directions just in time to avoid a pillar of dark energy as it burst out of the ground. Pinkie tossed her gun aside, shoved each hand into two different small gaps, and drew two machetes while Tattle created a blade of pure light. Lily pulled her weapon out of Pinkie's previously summoned gap and rushed towards her.

The three combatants clashed, Pinkie's swift and ever-changing dual-sword play combined with the raw power of Tattle's light sword more than enough to keep Lily on her toes. At the same time, Lily was far from an easy opponent. The thousands of years of experience the Archwraith had accumulated was more than apparent as she swiftly shifted her attention back and forth between her two opponents, her spear knocking away lethal strikes with occasional bursts of dark energy narrowly missing their mark at seamless transitions between attacks.

This isn't working, Pinkie mused, narrowly avoiding a head-strike from Lily's spear.

"Act Two!" Pinkie cried.

Tattle nodded, putting about ten feet of distance between him and the other two women. Pinkie charged forward, dropping her blades half way towards Lily as she aimed her spear at her head. Pinkie shoved her hands into yet another pair of gaps and when she pulled them out this time a pair of steel gantlets adorned her arms. She quickly parried the spear and threw a punch with her free hand. Lily put up an hand to block, but instead of preventing the metal fist from connecting with her chest, it blasted through her hand to complete its mission. Lily rode the impact, using it to put five feet of distance between her and Pinkie as she let her body heal itself. Not wanting to lose momentum, Pinkie pressed her attack, her fists flying at lightning speed as she forced her opponent onto the defensive. As the attacks came at her, Lily noticed a faint glow was coming off of the gantlets. A similar light in her left peripheral encouraged her to risk a quick glance that way. Tattle stood with his hands together as if in prayer, a cheshire grin spread wide across his face in the brief instant that their eyes met.

"So that is how it is," Lily grinned. "So be it!"

With that, she gained a bit of distance from Pinkie and exerted her will over her spear. The weapon quickly morphed into energy then covered her hands like shadowy gantlets. The two resumed their assault, fists flying in rapid succession as the two fighters tried to destroy their opponent. On contact, their fists released bursts of power that shook the ground like small explosives, direct bodily contact avoided by mere fractions of an inch save for fists colliding with fists. Pinkie's attacks were relentless, her technique constantly changing in an attempt to catch Lily off guard, but the Wraith was nothing if not adaptive. In time, Pinkie resorted to using her gaps to try turning the fight in her favor by redirecting Lily's attacks back on her, but after her fist entered a gap and nearly slammed into her head, she started introducing feints at random points to through Pinkie off.

"Act Three!" Pinkie called, jumping backwards through a gap behind her to Tattle's left side.

Lily had just enough time to rase a brow at the pair in confusion, before Tattle charged at her. In a flash, the young man's hands changed into razor sharp foot-long claws and, as soon as he got into range, he took a swipe at her. It was only thanks to her keen reflexes and the energy coating her forearms that the claws didn't rip her upper torso apart. While she could've easily healed from such an injury, she didn't want to waste the energy if she could avoid it. Her smile grew along with her bloodlust as the energy coating her hands shifted into claws themselves before she took a swipe at him. The two were a blur of motion, both moving with the speed and grace of hunters as they tried to sink their claws into each other with smiles on their faces. Lily couldn't help but to be impressed with Tattle's skills, the young man dodging her attacks with the kind of grace and flexibility that reminded her of feral cats. That made her desire to kill him all the stronger, a part of her thrilled with the thought of killing a new powerful enemy. Him, and the wretched witch that took her daughters from her.

"Now!" Pinkie cried.

Tattle nodded and broke away from Lily just before a hail of bullets slammed into her from behind. She forced back her agonized scream as she fell to the ground, her lower back and legs torn to shreds as she looked over her shoulder. Pinkie sported a sinister grin, a mini gun clutched tightly in her hands with the barrel still spinning and smoking. Tattle came to her side, his hands no longer claws as he grinned at Lily. The Wraith silently seethed as she reformed herself, dark energy shimmering around her like heat waves as she turned to face them.

Stay in control, she fumed, her power raging inside of her, threatening to consume her from the inside out. Own your rage. Weald it! Aim it!

The mechanical grinding of Pinkie's weapon snapped Lily back into the present just in time to put up a wall of dark energy to block another hail of bullets. Channeling her anger, she manifested another spear and ran out from behind her cover to charge towards Pinkie. Pinkie quickly aimed her still firing mini gun at her approaching enemy, only to stop and drop the weapon when a dark aura surrounding Lily deflected the bullets.

"Act four!" she cried, putting both of her hands up in front of herself.

Dozens of gaps appeared around her and Lily each, stopping the Wraith dead in her tracks as she waited to see what new hazard the pink girl had in store for her. She didn't need to wait long, as Tattle pointed his own hands at two of the gaps surrounding him and Pinkie , formed a magic circle in each palm, and fired a narrow beam of white light out of them into the portals. Lily barely managed to avoid the two beams when they shot out of two of the gaps surrounding her into another pair behind her. Tattle did it again several more times, each shot being fired into different gaps at varying angles in an attempt to trip up the Wraith. The Dream Cat's attempts where mostly successful, beams occasionally managing to find their mark in spite of Lily's impressive reflexes and sharp environmental awareness.

Both Tattle and Pinkie sported wide smiles as the Dream Cat altered his form, a new set of arms spouting from his body and pointing a circle inscribed palm at a different gap. Lily had just enough time to level a wide eyed look of shock at the pair and erect a dome of dark energy around herself before a volley of magic beams fired at her from every direction. She fell to a knee, the strain of maintaining her defenses taking its toll on her already fraying resources. She gritted her teeth, her jaw almost snapping under the pressure as she tried to make her barrier endure the assault. At the same time, her power continued to rage inside her, demanding that she let it take over and bring an end to this pitiable farce.

No! her pride screamed, her legs shaking as she forced herself to her feet. I will not give in! I am The Queen's daughter! None shall force me to resort to that! I REFUSE!!!

The temptation receded, and with a furious scream she let her power surge around her, the dark energy absorbing her shield to add to itself. It pushed back against Tattle's magic as Lily glared at the two teens, hatred burning in her eyes as she pulled back her spear. She let out a furious battle cry as she threw the spear, the weapon morphing into a narrow mass of dark energy as it tore though the air. Pinkie and Tattle quickly canceled their attack and got out of the way, Pinkie using a gap while Tattle teleported to her side twenty feet away from their original position. A massive explosion shook the field, a destructive dome-shaped burst of dark energy completely obliterating a huge chunk of it in the far distance before it faded away. The couple gave it the barest of acknowledgments as they stared at Lily, the Wraith summoning a new spear to throw at them.

The two gave each other a quick glance and grinned as Pinkie sent him a small nod. It was time to stop playing around and bring this show to a close. Tattle's whole body turned into a shapeless mass of violet magic energy with specks of silver before he completely engulfed Pinkie. Lily's glared took on a slightly confused edge at this, but she was through with the pairs surprises. With another scream of rage, she threw a spear at them only for a sudden burst of magic to destroy it before it made contact. Tattle's magic flared around them, a dense star-lit tempest of power raging as Pinkie felt her reserves blast past their normal limits. That was not the only change to take place, a fact that Lily became aware of when the storm of power blew apart.

The raging maelstrom had knocked Pinkie's hood back revealing her now equine head, a cocky smile spread wide across her muzzle. A thin layer of fur covered every part of exposed skin that shined like silk under the moonlight. Her boots were gone, putting her hoofed feet on full display. Clutched firmly in her right hand was a glowing violet sword, small specks of silver flashing in random parts of it like small stars.

"Wha-What are you?" Lily demanded, a new spear forming in her hand in spite of her shock.

https://youtu.be/N8wTmqSby0E

"I already told you," Pinkie snorted, taking a stance. "I'm the one that's gonna kill you."

Before Lily could respond, Pinkie appeared in front of her, wide smile spread across her face as she swung her sword at her. Lily brought her spear up in defense only to watch with wide eyes as Pinkie's weapon sliced clean through her's, her upper torso not far behind as the attack continued. Lily screamed in agonized fury, but a burst of light from Pinkie's free hand sent her flying back before she could do anything about it. The Wraith let out a furious snarl as she forced herself to grow a new lower half and created a new spear as she regained her footing. Pinkie didn't relent, closing the distance yet again with her glowing blade ready to deliver another devastating blow. Lily tried to dodge it, but the girl opened a gap in the arch of her swing and cut into Lily's back at the last second. Seeing the futility of defense, Lily tried to press a counteroffensive, hoping her more experienced skills with her spear could aid her in her clash with the young swordswoman. That hope died a miserable death as Pinkie not only matched her, but the young woman's attacks tore through Lily's, her magic blade cleaving through several of Lily's spears regardless of how much power she put into them.

"Forty years," Pinkie frowned, blade pointed at her panting and bleeding opponent kneeling before her. "I spent Forty years training nonstop in a pocket dimension with two of the most powerful beings in two worlds for this."

Magic circles formed all across Pinkie's blade and the ground below Lily, raw magic thrumming through them like the bass from an amp. Lily glared hatefully at Pinkie, her dark energy coming to her in the form of a barrier. Pinkie sighed, knowing that such an act was futile as she willed her spell into action.

"Goodbye, monster."

With that, the magic circles activated, a beam of pure stellar magic exploding out of the center of Lily's circle like a great shining pillar into the heavens. Pinkie watched with a reserved sigh, a small relieved smile gracing her muzzle as Lily screamed in agony. Taking no pleasure in Lily's suffering, Pinkie turned her back on the scene and walked away. It was going to take some time to find a portion of Lily's nest that was thin enough for her to make a way out before it collapsed, especially now that she cast Tattle's Thirteenth Hour.

As she did, Lily wailed in agony, Pinkie's last attack still going as it tore at her body's healing abilities. Slowly, her mind detached itself from her body, her heart and soul waiting for the inevitable to take her. While she waited, memories of the daughters she lost drifted towards her from the void. While she hadn't had them for very long, she loved her triplets with everything she had and cherished the few days she spent with them. A tear slid down her cheek as the memory of their death ran through her head like a cruel video reel stuck on repeat, frustration and despair swirling in her heart at her inability to avenge them.

The ever-present primal darkness tapped at her restraints, the maddening power tempting her at her lowest point. She turned her head towards it, her will as brittle as glass as the swirling madness licked at the barrier. A sad smile spread across her lips as she shifted her attention down to the solid void beneath her. She lost her family, so why not her pride as well? She closed her eyes and with a hollow sigh, let the darkness in. As her mind drowned in the primal darkness and all of the immense power it offered, a single regret came to her.

She regretted that she would not remember Pinkie's death when she regained her senses.

Author's Note

No more games folks. Get ready.

Ch.61 Feral

Pinkie scanned the massive flower field, Lily's agonized wails behind her as she tried to find a portion of the Wraith's domain that was thin enough for her to safely leave her dimension. She didn't know how much longer Lily's healing powers would last and it would be a lot harder to leave her domain when she did finally die. While doing that, she couldn't help finding the Wraith's domain oddly beautiful in its own kind of way. Even with all of the damage it had acquired from all of the fighting, the clear night sky and full moon gave the flower field a somber feel that was almost therapeutic. It reminded her of the empty school she visited in her dreams in her earlier days spent in Equestria. A cold peace that was just a breath away from a tomb's in comparison.

"Are you okay, my love?" her sword asked.

"Yeah, Tattle," Pinkie sighed. "Just thinking."

"About?" he asked, playfully.

"The School Dream," she answered simply, staring at the moon.

"Oh," the sword audibly frowned. "I suppose this place is rather similar."

"Yeah," Pinkie sighed, closing her eyes. "The same kind of quiet too."

She let that very silence wash over her like a cold blanket, it's peace chilling her just as much as it soothed her. Her eyes flew open when a sudden realization hit her. It was quiet and Lily's domain was still standing. If the Wraith was dead, than the whole pocket dimension should've began deteriorating. That just left one question sitting on the front of Pinkie's mind, why wasn't Lily still screaming? She turned and what she saw filled her with even more dread. Still on her knees at the center of a pillar of destructive light was Lily, the Wraith reduced to nothing more than a black silhouette as her body struggled to keep that much of her together.

Slowly, Lily raised her head towards the sky, a dry series of snaps accompanying the movement like logs in a fire. Pinkie assumed a stance, every cell in her body on high alert and ready to attack or flee in a moment's notice. A faint noise came from the burning Wraith, too small for Pinkie to properly register what she was hearing. In time, it gradually grew into dry laughter. As the seconds ticked by the laughter became louder and louder, a level of insanity becoming more pronounced along with the increase of volume. Soon, manic wailing laughter echoed through the whole field, pure insanity making it almost a shriek to the heavens. As this was happening, a dark aura shimmered around the Wraith, the energy seemingly corrupting the light magic surrounding her.

Seeing this, Pinkie added more magic to the spell, but it did nothing to stop the destructive energy's path. Still laughing, Lily slowly turned her gaze towards Pinkie. Swirling pools of dark energy where her eyes should've been locked onto Pinkie with clear malevolence at their core. The laughter stopped, but a wide twisted smile remained on the Wraith's face as she said three words that turned Pinkie's blood into ice.

"We ArE DiSpAiR."

Darkness exploded out of the spell, completely devouring it as it poured out into the world. Everything from the sky to the ground shook titanically as everything violently tore itself apart. Pinkie fell to her knees, stabbing her sword into the ground to give her something to hold onto as the land broke away and flew off in the howling dark winds. Then, just suddenly as it came, the hurricane vanished, leaving a sight that added to Pinkie's fears. What had once been a vast field of flowers was now a collection of massive islands covered with flowers floating in an infinite dark void. Even the moon was not spared in the chaos, glowing Islands drifting by as the only evidence that it existed in the first place. On an island at the heart of the ruined world stood the monster Pinkie now faced. It was a sight that scared her to her core.

The creature had the general shape of a woman, but that was the only similarity she shared now. Her lower half was a mass of long jet-black vines, clustered together in a manner similar to a dress' train. Her upper-torso retained her slim and modestly endowed build, but was made of constantly shifting dark energy, screaming faces fading in and out at random places. Her head was the same as it had been before from just above her nose and down while the top half was a cluster of flower petals arranged like a half blossomed lily. She slowly turned her head towards Pinkie and smiled widely at her.

Pinkie felt a pair of eyes boring into her in spite of her opponent's lack of them. She gulped as she staggered to her feet, her whole body trembling as she processed what had just happened. Lily had willingly gone Feral. Her mind instantly jumped to what Hearths Warming told her about Wraiths that go into this kind of state and what this meant for her. They didn't leave her with any optimistic thoughts on her current odds.

***

Three figures sat on the ground in Hearths Warming's pocket dimension, the realm's owner in a more dignified manner while the other two held each other in a more intimate way as they sat cross legged across from her. Each of them had a silver tea cup set in front of them with an ornate ivory teapot between them. While they did spend a good portion of their time fighting and practicing, these quiet moments were also necessary parts of Pinkie's and Tattle's training. They calmed the mind, but most importantly they allowed the more experienced Gapwalker to pass on knowledge to her students. This one in particular was vital both in the battle to come and the many that were likely to follow.

"Listen carefully my students," Hearths Warming intoned, her voice a careful mix of calm and firm. "What I am about to tell you could be the difference between life and death if you are not careful."

They both nodded, lips pulled into resolute frowns as they gave Heaths Warming their full attention.

"You are both fully aware of the kind of powers Wraiths have. Regeneration. Increased strength. Dark energy manipulation. Typical abilities that all Wraiths possess to varying degrees. Naturally, Archwraiths like Lily Bouquet have a higher level of control and power levels compared to Normals, as well as the ability to create semi-sapient Seeds that can serve their needs. In addition, they have an ability that they seldom tap into, a taboo of sorts that they only use as a sign of desperation."

"And that is?" Tattle asked, raising a brow.

"All Archwraiths have a well of power that they keep in reserve that is separate from the kind that they wield. This power is several hundred times stronger than what they use normally, but using it takes away what little sanity they have. We call this going feral."

"Going feral?" Pinkie asked."

Hearths Warming nodded.

"There are only two ways for an Archwraith to go feral. The first is through starvation, in which their mental controls over their power becomes so compromised by their hunger that they give in to the power and go on a murderous feeding frenzy. This is often the cause of the high scale massacres found in news reports and history books. The other is to do so willingly, a capital taboo among their kind as it implies that they couldn't win a battle through their own power. Regardless of the trigger, a feral Archwraith is a force of unimaginable destructive power that is nearly invincible. Should you encounter one, you must do everything in your power to escape them and save only those that you can from the carnage."

"Have you ever fought one?" Pinkie asked.

"Several actually," she sighed. "And that is exactly why I am telling you to flee instead of fight."

"Why?" Pinkie asked, a faint nervous tremble entering her tone.

"Because, unlike I, you won't come back when you die."

***

Pinkie's mind ran in a million different desperate directions as she tried to think of a way out of her situation. With Lily's nest fractured as it was, any hope of finding a way out quickly was thoroughly thrown out the window. The crushing unstable energy she sensed coming off of the Archwraith was far to intense for her to withstand, even from the great distance between her and the monster. She could send out some of Tattle's magic to help her find a way out, but that would mean dividing her focus between the spell and Lily. She did not like how that could affect her odds. That was, of course, assuming Lily gave her a chance to cast such a spell in the first place. Tattle picked up on Pinkie's fear and quickly started to envelope her in a shimmering violet aura, the only thing he could do in his current form to protect her from what was to come.

As he did, Lily continued to stare at them, her tongue lazily licking her lips as if she was tasting their fear. Pinkie slowly assumed a fighting stance. While she hated to admit it, there was only one option at her disposal. She needed to wait for Hearts Warming and Discord to find an opening in Lily's nest and get her out of there themselves. Given the state of the nest, Pinkie didn't hold out much hope that it would be a speedy rescue.

https://youtu.be/F4kAmqqGVr4

A small twitch from Lily made her flinch, every nerve on edge as she stared at the twisted monster. Then, in a literal blink, the monster was right in front of her. Pinkie had just enough time to yelp before a punch to her chest sent her flying. The wind whistled past her ears before she slammed hard into another floating island, her Earth pony durability and Hight Royal magic the only thing keeping her from becoming a red smear on the ground. She forced herself to her feet just as Lily appeared in front of her. Pinkie summoned a gap below herself and allowed herself to fall through it just in time to avoid another punch. When she came out of the next portal on another Island fifty feet away, she watched Lily vanish in a puff of black smoke before she reappeared on the same island ten feet away from her. Lily laughed maniacally as she threw another punch at her. This time, Pinkie opened a gap in front of the fist with the opening aimed at Lily's head. The monster's head exploded the second her fist made contact, only for a new one to replace it seconds after she pulled her arm back. Pinkie's eyes widened at that and she produced a violet barrier just in time to avoid a barrage of punches. The strain of maintaining the shield took it toll on her, each punch feeling like she was holding back a falling skyscraper. At the same time, Lily's wailing laughter echoed around her like a twisted orchestra. As she felt her barrier start to buckle, Pinkie prepared to open a gap to escape the second it broke. That was thrown completely out the window when black vines sprouted from the ground and grabbed her. Pinkie barely had time to respond before a vine gripped her head and slammed it into her barrier, shattering it along with her focus. Lily stared at her, still laughing wildly as her vines tried to squeeze the life out of her opponent. Pinkie glared defiantly at Lily, her teeth gritted in an attempt to keep herself from screaming.

Two can play at that game!

While Tattle struggled to maintain the aura keeping Pinkie safe, Pinkie summoned the very same chains Tattle had used previously to bind Lily. Granted, she knew that they wouldn't do much to her now, but they could at least distract her long enough for her to escape. Lily surprised her by casually shrugging the chains off, not once turning her head away from Pinkie.

"B-B-Break," Lily giggled. "Break! Break you! BREAK YOU!!!"

The vines stretched twenty feet out of the ground and slammed Pinkie back down, the impact knocking all the air out of the girl before the action was repeated. It happened again and again, over and over for what felt like an hour before the vines threw her onto another island. Pinkie hit the earth like a rag-doll, a dull groan her only sign that she was still alive. Sore and bruised, she staggered to her feet and assumed a combat stance. The second Lily teleported to her, Pinkie swung her sword at her. The blade passed easily through her, but the wound healed as the it did. Unwilling to admit defeat after everything she'd been through, Pinkie continued to attack the Wraith. Lily just laughed, almost seeming to mock the girl as she let Pinkie attack her. Still laughing maniacally, Lily eventually went back on the offensive, grabbing Pinkie's sword arm at the forearm. With a loud snap, she crushed the bones with her grip alone before she tossed her aside. The pain was beyond anything Pinkie had ever experienced as she staggered to her feet, but she refused to let it distract her from the monster before her. She willed her sword into her other hand as she tried to put as much distance between herself and Lily.

The Wraith didn't give her that as she teleported to her yet again. Pinkie tried to open a gap, but Lily was too quick for her. She grabbed Pinkie's throat and slammed her into the ground, cratering it and sending a spiderweb of cracks into the stone surrounding them. Pinkie gasped, both from the pain and the firm grip Lily had on her windpipe as the monster smiled down at her. Pinkie stabbed her sword into Lily's chest and sent a blast of pure magic into her, the attack making Lily's upper body explode in a wild mass of gore. She wasted no time yanking the now limp hand off of her neck before she gapwalked to yet another nearby island.

Stellar magic enveloped her broken arm, Tattle doing everything in his power to mend the wound while they still had time. It was soon seen to be a moot point as Lily appeared in front of them yet again. While Tattle healed her, Pinkie expanded her focus to her surroundings to prevent her opponent from catching her off guard again. A wise decision as more of Lily's vines sprouted from the ground around her a second later. Pinkie dodged and slashed at them before avoiding another of Lily's earth-shattering punches. The two stayed like that for several grueling minutes, a deadly dance as Pinkie did everything she could to avoid getting caught by the vines or crushed by Lily's fists. As soon as Tattle had finished healing her arm, she quickly switched her sword back into it before she gapwalked away from Lily to another island.

The second she set foot on the floating rock, a burst of dark energy shot out of the ground and blew the island into rubble. The shock stunned Pinkie, her body falling limp as she plummeted towards the abyss below. She tried to summon a gap, but her magic refused to listen to her as her shock kept it locked. A cluster of vines from a nearby island grabbed her and slammed her into the ground, knocking both her air and a pained groan crawling past her lips. Lily laughed maniacally as she stood over the downed girl, her impossibly wide smile growing even more by the second. The girl's vision swam as she felt a hand grab her head and drag her to her feet. Lily forced her to stare into her face as she pulled her free hand back, made a fist, and slammed it into Pinkie's gut. Strangled gasps escaped Pinkie's muzzle as Lily repeated this, each time saying a single word with wicked glee.

"BREAK!....BREAK!....BREAK!.....BREAK!!!"

After ten more iterations of this, Lily let out another wailing laugh as she bent down and slammed Pinkie's head into the ground. A two toned scream filled the air as Tattle's protection finally shattered, her form shifting back to her normal Ponied-up form. She was barely aware of Lily's fingers releasing her head and Tattle's voice begging her to get back up in her mind, but her body refused to move. Her vision blurred as all of the damage she had sustained finally took its toll on her, her magic barely high enough to maintain her Ponied-up form. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion as she was rolled onto her back, Lily's blurry image standing over her as the Archwraith raised a fist. Dark energy enveloped the fist as she prepared to finally put an end to this battle. A part of her tried to get up, to do anything to prevent what she knew was coming, but all she could do was smile as Lily brought her fist down towards her. As she closed her eyes for the last time, she gave a mental apology to Tattle for not being able to keep her promise to him.

A furious high pitched roar and searing heat startled her eyes open, bright golden flames burning around her and a figure standing over her. A pained wail and distant thud told her of the fate of her attacker, but in that moment, Pinkie's attention was aimed more at her savior. At first, she thought it was Hearths Warming, but as her vision slowly cleared, she saw that another had come to her rescue.

Standing over her with wings shielding her like a flaming angel was none other than Sunset Shimmer. Her eyes were a solid blue and glowing with a rage matched only by her fanged scowl, one hand still held in front of her as a flaming fist from the punch she gave Lily. Pinkie flinched when Sunset turned her head towards her, a small hint of worry present in the blinding fury they held. She watched, mesmerized as her friend slowly turned her head towards the staggered Archwraith, let out another roar, and flew towards her with claws of raging flames at the ready. A whirlwind of golden flames exploded around them, preventing her from seeing what happened next. It was when a pair of gentle hands grabbed her shoulders that she let her weariness take her, a sharp sting in one of them the last thing she felt as she faded off to sleep.

Author's Note

Next Chapter: The Little Sun

Ch.62 The Little Sun

A deep throb covered every square inch of Pinkie's body, muffled voices and faint sounds of movement surrounding her at the edge of her senses. The throbbing started to fade as a sharp stinging sensation shot through her shoulder every few seconds. A harsh gasp came out of her when she felt some of her ribs snap back into place, her eyes fluttering open as she came back to the waking world. Blurry shapes moved around her frantically, some letting out cheers while others fussed over other blurs laying next to her. A pink and yellow blur leaned over her, two points of red staring down at her like a pair of eyes as more stings hit her shoulder. Slowly, the blur turned into the familiar face of her friend Fluttershy, her red eyes filled with worry and tears as she jabbed a glowing claw into her shoulder in brief intervals.

"Hey," Pinkie smiled weakly.

"Don't talk," Fluttershy sniffled, her glowing hands moving to Pinkie's right arm. "You're still in really bad shape."

Pinkie chuckled then cringed as a sharp pain shot through her chest. Considering what she had just been through, it would've been an insane miracle if she wasn't. As Fluttershy worked on her, Pinkie let her eyes wander around herself. From where she laid, she could tell she was still on the bridge's main residential platform. Next to her were the still unconscious bodies of the CMC with their sisters and sister figure holding them close. On the other side of Fluttershy laid Derpy, streaks of blood leaking from her closed left eye with bloody shards of broken glass laying next to her. On one side of the platform stood the rest of the group, all of them staring at a large mirror that shined wildly as explosions could be heard from it. Given Pinkie's angle, she could not see what the mirror showed, but she could guess from the sounds of Sunset's roars and Lily's wailing laughter.

"How is everyone?" Pinkie asked, letting her gaze shift towards the night sky.

Fluttershy paused, then grimaced as she said, "Everyone was almost dead when Discord pulled us out. It's only thanks to Ms. Hearths Warming that we are all okay right now. The CMC are still asleep, but are perfectly fine otherwise."

"No surprise there," Pinkie smiled. "Wraith Cores take time to fully merge with people. It's hard to remove them safely, but if you can do it quickly, then you can stop them from doing anything permanent."

Her smile wilted as she asked, "And Derpy?"

Fluttershy flinched, then swallowed a lump in her throat before she answered.

"She...she pushed herself too hard and since her eye was linked to her magic, it broke from the strain. Discord managed to take the shards out with his magic, but even Ms. Hearths Warming's magic can only do so much. I've been alternating between healing you and her while she kept the gap between here and Lily's dimension linked."

"She's stable now, right?" Pinkie asked, worry heavy in her tone.

"Yes," Fluttershy nodded, wiping some tears out of her eyes with a free hand.

Pinkie let out a relieved sigh at that. A relief that doubled when she felt a now familiar string in the back of her mind.

Are you okay?

"I have been better," Tattle groaned. "But what about you?"

Ditto, she thought with a small chuckle. Do you have enough power to manifest?

"I think so. Let me try."

A moment of silence, then a faint snoring echoed through her mind before she felt a small shift in her magic. A little gasp came out of Fluttershy as a small violet cat with silver specs covering it appeared. Two small wings were tucked loosely at its side that fluffed worriedly as it walked onto her chest, its blue eyes scanning Pinkie frantically.

Pinkie simply smiled at the small creature and said, "Hey honey."

"Don't 'hey honey', me!" the cat frowned. "Do you have any idea how bad you scared me?!"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Sorry."

"Apology accepted," he sighed. "I know we didn't have much of a choice, but I was still scared."

"Me too," she smiled, leaning forward to kiss the cat on the nose. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Uh, Pinkie? Who is this?" Fluttershy blinked.

Pinkie and Tattle both looked at her, before an understanding smile graced Pinkie's lips and she said, "Right, I should probably introduce you. Flutters, this is Tattle, my husband."

***

Sunset roared as she flew towards Lily, flames coating her fists as she brought them down on the Archwraith. Lily just continued her manic laughter as she met Sunset's fists with her own, her own fists covered with shadowy dark energy. An earth-shattering explosion echoed through the void like an atomic bomb, but Sunset didn't care. Red hot rage flooded her mind as she gave in to the fire that ran through her very being. A small cluster of thoughts were the center of her mind as she slammed a flaming fist into Lily's gut. The first was simply "kill Lily", but the others were a lot more detailed and held a lot more meaning to her. She remembered how helpless she felt under the force of he Archwraith's power. She remembered the limp forms of her friends as she was toyed with. Most importantly, she remembered what happened on the bridge when Pinkie jumped into the fray. That, and the raging inferno that was born from it.

***

Sunset gasped as all of her senses came back to her, hacking coughs bursting past her lips as she forced herself into a sitting position. A flickering gold and red light drew her attention down to her chest as a feather placed there faded out of existence. Panic pounded through her heart as she frantically turned her head around, a panic that slowly faded when she fully processed her surroundings. She was back on the bridge, each of her friends laying near her with similar glowing feathers on there chests. A trace of movement out of the corner of her eye pulled her attention to her left, a large circular shimmer in the space on the edge of the platform over the water below. Both Discord and Mrs.Hearths Warming stepped out of it onto the bridge. She watched with wide eyes as they laid the now human again CMC out on the bridge next to her.

"Wait," Sunset stammered. "You're my world's Hearths Warming!?"

The Therapist laughed good naturedly at that, kneeling to Sunset's level and placing a hand on her shoulder as she said, "Technically. She did die here at least once as far as I know."

Sunset let out an annoyed groan, her shoulders slumping as she stared down at her lap. Many would think that she would be numb to things like this happening to her at this point, but revelations such as this still staggered her from time to time. A groan from her right caught her attention as her friends each started to come to. Her nerves slowly started to settle as she watched them all sit up, bruised and battered, but still very much alive. When Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash regained their senses, their eyes locked directly onto the three downed family members laying next to Sunset. Tears ran down their faces as they scrambled towards them and held them close.

"They should recover soon," Hearths Warming smiled. "My students did an excellent job ridding them of the Wraith Cores before they could completely merge."

Sunset didn't understand what she was talking about, but decided not to voice it. The girls were back with their families and that was all that really mattered in the end. Feeling relief for the first time in days, she looked around at her tired friends, searching for one in particular. When she failed to see her, her peace slowly turned into dread.

"Where's Derpy?" Sunset gulped, giving Hearths Warming her full attention.

A deep frown marred the High Royal's face, an agonizingly long pause coming from her as she tried to find the right words. Discord denied her that privilege as he knelt down to Sunset's level and held out a hand to her. The normally jovial spirit's stoney expression filled her with dread as she took it and allowed him to bring her to her feet. Her body felt stiff as he guided her to the back of the cluster of girls, most of them already staggering to their feet in spite of their daze. Her heart froze in her chest at what she saw. Laying with three feathers on her chest was Derpy, blood leaking from her closed left eye in small streams.

Sunset's mind froze, half of her wanting to scream while the other wanted to cry as she fell numbly to her knees at her girlfriend's side. She watched with unshed tears as Discord snapped his fingers over the girl. Derpy's left eye slowly opened, the sight bringing a strangled gasp out of Sunset. The socket looked like it was full of red wine, shards of glass floating in it like jagged pieces of ice. Slowly, the shards floated out before falling to the ground with a faint clink, but to Sunset they sounded like the pounding of falling boulders.

"There's only so much we can do for her," Discord frowned. "My magic isn't meant to heal things like this, and sis' magic has a hard time working around things that aren't meant to be in a body to begin with. Her feathers can make Derpy's body heal around the shards, but that can lead to even more problems further down the road."

Sunset nodded, barely paying attention to what he said as she took Derpy's hand in her own. Derpy felt warm, a wide contrast to the frost that consumed Sunset from the inside out. If she ignored her eye, she could trick herself into thinking Derpy was just a sleep, that she'd wake up any second now and give her a wide smile. She could feel Derpy's heartbeat, faint against her palm. A reminder of how close her girl was to never waking up. Dull clinking echoed in her head as Discord extracted the remains of Derpy's false eye from her damaged socket. Her vision blurred as tears finally forced their way past her defenses, thick sobs shuddering sobs ripping themselves out of her as she collapsed inside. It was too much. The pain was too much for her to bare. It was that night on the bridge all over again, only this time there was no one to pull her back from oblivion.

Just when the pain was about to consume her, a set of glowing green nails tapped Derpy's shoulder. She looked up to see a determined Fluttershy, her red eyes almost glowing as she directed as much of her magic into Derpy as she could manage. Both Sunset and Discord watched with wide eyes as a few shards floated out of Derpy's socket, each of them coated in the glow of Fluttershy's magic. After a few seconds of this, Fluttershy nodded to herself before she brought Derpy's arm to her mouth and sank her fangs into the girl's flesh. Sunset let out a startled yelp, hand reaching out to push her friend away from her love, but stopped when a green glow surrounded Derpy. The girl gasped as Fluttershy's magic coursed through her veins, her pulse springing back into action as more shards floated out of her. Slowly, the glow faded away, Fluttershy pulling Derpy's arm out of her mouth as her magic added to the power in the feathers on Derpy's chest.

"My magic is linked with blood," Fluttershy sighed, a small smile gracing her lips as she gently lowered Derpy's arm to the ground. "When it heals, it removes things that are dangerous to the body. I can't give her back her old eye, but I can make it so her false one won't do any permanent damage."

Sunset nodded, joy pouring out of her like a fountain as she tightened her grip on her girlfriend's hand. The whole world blacked out around her, Derpy her main focus as she took in her girlfriend's unconscious form. Slowly, the shock that had a strangle hold on her faded away, new emotions taking form in her by the second. While a large part of her was over the moon that Derpy was going to be okay, a steadily growing other part of her ran over what led to Derpy's condition. Not just her, but all of her friends as well. The pain Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow had to go through because of the monster that put them all in this situation in the first place. If it wasn't for Lily, none of them would be in this situation in the first place. Derpy wouldn't've almost died. The CMC never would've been taken away from their families. None of them would be on this god forsaken bridge, fighting for their lives against a monster.

A familiar flame started to grow in her, a dull ember at first that little by little grew into a wild inferno. Sunset's magic raged through her as her anger grew, her will barely keeping it in check as it tore at her restraints. A roar fermented at the back of her mind as her Dragonic instincts demanded attention. Someone tried to take her horde away. Someone tried to take her mate away!

A deep growl escaped her lips, steam pouring off of her body as she fought against her instinct's demands. A hand on her shoulder tore her seething attention away from her thoughts and towards Discord.

"Easy girl," Discord smiled, seemingly unphased by the heat in both the girl's stare and body. "No need to burn the world down. Right now, Pinkie and Tattle are making Lily regret she was ever born."

Sunset's rage retracted, confusion taking its place as she asked, "Pinkie and who?"

"Luna's boy," he chuckled. "Great boy. You should really get in touch with him when this is all over. He's a total scream to be around!"

Sunset blinked dumbly at that. She didn't know her Aunt had a son, let alone that he had befriended Pinkie. Then again, the time spent in Equestria was largely a mystery to her, allowing the girl's family to have priority over their visit with her in the hospital. It ashamed her that she never tried to reach out to her while she went through rehabilitation, a slight she resolved to fix when this was all over. Hopefully she wouldn't hold it against her too much.

When the rest of Discord's words registered to her, she jumped to her feet. The fire inside her spiked just as quickly as she desperately grabbed ahold of his suit caller.

"Pinkie's fighting Lily?!"

He nodded, still smiling.

"Send me in there!" she demanded. "She can't fight that monster alone!"

"Oh, trust me," Discord chuckled wickedly. "She's more than got this covered."

With a snap of his fingers, a large mirror appeared next to him. With a wave of his hand, the mirror's reflective surface warped and a new image came into view. Pinkie stood her ground, casually holding her own against Lily's attacks. The sight made Sunset's jaw drop, the red-hooded teen making Lily look like a rank amateur as she traded blows with her. A well dressed boy, the mysterious Tattle she assumed, lent what assistance he could before jumping into the fray himself. The rest of the girls gathered around the mirror to take in the show, a proud smile spreading on Hearths Warming's face as she took in the sight. Everyone let out cries of surprise when Pinkie pulled a mini gun out of one of her portals and blew Lily apart with it.

"She's amazing," Sunset gaped.

Discord laughed and said, "She should be. She spent forty years preparing for this!"

"WHAT!?" everyone squawked, momentarily taking their eyes off of the fight to give Discord wide stairs.

"It's true," Hearths Warming chuckled. "While a few days passed for you all, Pinkie was training nonstop in my pocket dimension. Time flows differently there with food, drink, and even sleep not being needed for everyone inside it. I taught her everything I know. Everything from hand to hand combat to mass demolition. I even gave her little friend some new spells to play with while he was there."

"I even added a few things for her to deal with when I could," Discord bragged, playfully buffing his knuckles on his chest and studying them. "After everything we put her through, not only could she fight a war all on her own, she could win it a hundred different ways over."

Sunset gave them wide eyes before she shifted her attention back to the fight before her. As much as she wanted to think Discord was exaggerating, she couldn't deny the proof standing in front of her. They all watched with bated breath as Pinkie and Tattle fought Lily, the duo showing just how far their training had taken them. When they fused together, everyone let out loud cheers. Even from here, they could feel the power their friend was giving off as she resumed combat. When Pinkie cast Thirteenth Hour, Sunset dared herself to hope that this was finally over. That a spell of that extremely high level would be enough to finally put an end to this nightmare once and for all. It looked like it would be at first, but as Pinkie was looking around for something, a cold dread settled in her core. She didn't know why at first, but then she realized something critical; Lily wasn't screaming anymore.

Pinkie seemed to notice it as well, but when she turned to face Lily, it was already too late. Pinkie's spell collapsed and a loud roar filled the air as Lily's domain blew apart. Sunset watched in horror as Lily, now in a more horrible form, turned the tables and started beating Pinkie into the ground. She was dimly aware of Discord and Hearths Warming yelling, both of them doing something with their magic, but all of her focus was centered on Pinkie's battle. That same fire from before surged through her again, her restraints slowly crumbling like a sand wall before a rising tide. Gradually it grew stronger and stronger, her vision slowly turning red as the last tether of her resolve started to buckle. Just before it finally snapped, she heard Hearths Warming say something that tore her eyes away from the mirror.

"Found it!" she said, using her magic to rip open another gap into Lily's ruined world. "When I get Pinkie out, close the gap behind me!"

"Are you stupid?!" Discord snapped. "She'll kill you!"

"I'll come back!" she yelled.

"But sis-"

"For once in your life, DON'T ARGUE WITH ME!!!"

Before he could disobey her, a single word cut through the air like a bolt of lightning.

"Move."

The weight it held made the two High Royals freeze, both feeling like a claw had been placed at their throats as they turned towards the voice's owner. Sunset slowly rose to her feet, wild magic surging around her in a burning blue aura as she turned towards them. Everyone nervously stepped away form them, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Rarity, and Applejack moving their less abled charges as far back as they could. Something that they would look back on as a wise decision in the future. A brief flash was the only warning they got before Sunset's magic tore free from her control, a high-pitched roar and torrent of gold fire blasting into the heavens as she transformed. The teen glowed as power and heat radiated off of her, her flaming wings spread wide in their multicolor glory. Her eyes shined a solid blue, the whites completely devoured by it. Sunset let out another roar before she flew towards the portal, Hearths Warming barely having enough time to get out of the raging Dragon's way.

***

A small part of her conscious mind was grateful that Fluttershy managed to get Pinkie out of this place, but it was a single drop of rain in the raging hurricane that consumed Sunset's mind. Rage, pure and devastating filled her like molten lava as she charged towards Lily. The Archwraith continued to laugh wildly as she met Sunset's blows, dark energy coating her fists like corrupt mockeries of the flames that enveloped Sunset's owns. Explosions echoed all around them each time their fists met, flames and dark energy swirling around them in a destructive maelstrom. Sunset took to the air and roared as she let loose a blast of golden fire from her mouth. Lily countered with a dark tornado before she hurled a hazy spear of dark energy at her. Sunset knocked the attack aside with a wide backhand before she dove down at the Wraith. Lily's smile widened as she willed a pair of dark claws onto her hands and tried to take a swipe at the flying girl, but Sunset managed to avoid all but a small glancing cut to her left side before she grabbed ahold of Lily's head.

Her hateful roar echoed through the void as she dragged Lily off of the island they were fighting on and slammed her head into the side of another one not far away. Another roar flew past her lips as she flew across the island's surface, dragging Lily's head into the jagged rock the whole time. When Sunset finally flew up and away from the island, only a mangled mass of meat and blood was all that was left of Lily's head. Sunset's grip on the doubled before she savagely threw Lily's remains into another island. The body hit the stone with a thundering crash, a wide crater marking the point of impact.

Sunset wasted no time landing, her rage far from sated as she added a flaming crater to the island. Wet laughter could be heard as Lily rose to her feet, a new head already halfway done reforming on her neck. The two titans stared each other down, one acknowledging the other as a predator worthy of respect while the other just wanted to see the other burn. Lily twitched spastically, her instincts and madness running high as some part of her that was still capable of it tried to consider her next move. Sunset was doing the same, her wild mind struggling to decide how she wanted to end the monster.

A heavy silence settled between them, Lily's manic giggles and Sunset's ragged breathing the only signs of life in that twisted world. Then, each of them uttered one word, one with twisted glee while the other held barely restrained rage.

"Break...."

"Burn...."

"Break!"

"Burn!"

"Sunset!" Lily screamed, dark energy surging behind her like a tsunami of shadow.

"Lily!" Sunset roared, a similar wall of gold fire behind her.

"I WILL BREAK YOU APART!!!"

"I WILL BURN YOU AWAY!!!"

https://youtu.be/15JCb6P60Vw

With that, the they charged towards each other, the waves of power they summoned not far behind them. Total chaos filled the ruins of Lily's domain. Fire and dark energy whirled wildly around the two fighters as they traded blows, their energies spreading to the other islands that floated around them. Sunset's claws ripped into Lily like a not knife through butter, but the Wraith's body continued to heal no matter how much damage was dealt to it. Lily's attempts were just as fruitless, her attacks incinerated by the heat coming off of Sunset's body long before they touched her skin or scales. They screamed in frustration as they continued, the island they shared cracking and cratering under their constant assault on each other. Eventually, it became too much for the landmass to handle and with one last exchange of flame and dark energy, the island exploded. Lily quickly teleported to a nearby burning island while Sunset relied on her wings to save her, though that wasn't the only thing she did. She sank her left claw into a bolder ten times her size that happened to be floating by at the time, her magic making it combust on contact. She dragged it with her as she flew swiftly towards her foe.

"DIE!!!" she roared as she slammed the stone down on Lily, the burning rubble exploding on impact.

Lily let out a furious scream as she reached out towards Sunset, ignoring the intense pain shooting through her hand as she grabbed ahold of the girl's throat. She pulled her close as she stood back up, conjured a ball of dark energy into her free hand, and jammed it into Sunset's gut. The Dragon Girl let out a surprised gasp as the ball exploded, the force sending her to the other end of the island. The two combatants traded glares for a brief moment, then let out battle cries as they summoned their elements around themselves, searing golden flames for Sunset and writhing dark energy for Lily. They thrusted a palm at each other and their powers responded in kind. Dark energy clashed with raging flames, the force sending the two forces to neighboring islands fifty miles away. Balls of fire met spears of darkness. Spikes of darkness that sprouted from the ground were met by falling balls of fire that rained down from the heavens. Waves of fire met waves of dark energy like water from two separate worlds. As these two hurricanes of power clashed, their crafters stood at their hearts with noting but a taste for blood keeping them standing.

The two storms parted as the two fighters let out another furious cry, both breathing heavily from the toll this fight had taken on them. They knew that they didn't have much left to give and that their opponent was far from willing to give up. Both of them knew that the time had finally come. It was time to end this.

At the same time, they gathered as much of their remaining power as they could, Sunset gathering it into a single deep breath while Lily focused it into an outstretched palm. The air hummed as their power built, the tension thick enough to steal a person's next breath. Then, when the strain finally built to a breaking point for the two of them, they let loose their final gambits.

With a mighty roar, Sunset let loose a truly titanic blast of fire from her mouth, the flames covering her half of the island like a searing tsunami of gold as it rushed towards Lily. The Archwraith unleashed an attack of equal scale and power, the dark energy pouring from her palm moving like water straight from the River Styx itself. The two attacks met with a massive thunderclap, both of them trying to push back or devour the other. Neither combatant gave an inch, pouring everything they had into their attacks. More and more they added, every scrap of strength and will they had to spare going into this last push for victory. For a fleeting moment, it looked like the attacks would cancel each other out, but a final roar of defiance from Sunset put that fear to bed. With the absolute last drop of power she had behind it, the flames overwhelmed and devoured Lily's dark energy. A look of fear briefly covered the Archwraith's face before she was taken by the flames.

Lily's half of the island exploded as the sheer force of Sunset's final spell made contact with it. The teen fell to her knees, exhaustion and a near severe lack of magic forcing her back to her human form as a panting mess. Her vision blurred as she stared at the destroyed remains floating before her, a tired smile gracing her lips.

"That....was for Derpy," she panted, a tired smile spread wide across her face.

That smile fell when a wet scream filled the void.

The debris shot away like small fish before a large predator as a near destroyed Lily floated before her fifty feet away. Most of the Wraith's body was gone, all but the left half of her face reduced to black slime in the rough shape of her normal body. That slowly changed, as little by little she returned to her original form.

Sunset tried to get up. She tried to gather some scrap of magic that she could use to defend herself. Nothing worked. She was too tired to do more than breathe and she used up all of her magic already. She had nothing left to give.

Lily wasn't that much better, her stride unsteady when she set foot on Sunset's scrap of land, but she was still in much better shape than Sunset. With heaving breaths, the Archwraith summoned a spear and leveled its point down at Sunset's head.

"Never before has anyone made me work for a meal as much as you have," Lily growled. "Take some pride in that. You are now so much more than a name and face for me now."

Lily pulled the spear back, priming herself to bring the weapon down to land the finishing blow. Sunset closed her eyes and waited for it to come. And waited. And waited. And waited a few minutes more. Confused, she finally opened her eyes and sighed as a familiar sight greeted her. She was in an infinite black void, empty of all but herself and the cold chill of death.

"I must not've felt it," she frowned, still on her knees. "I guess she wanted to kill me before the others could get in the way."

"Not quite," a familiar deep voice boomed.

Sunset blinked, then looked around for the Dragon she knew the voice belonged to. A bit of movement in the distance caught her attention and what she saw filled her with even more questions. A man walked towards her, his skin and long wild hair a shining gold that complimented his blue slit pupils perfectly. He looked to be in his late fifties with a build most bodybuilders his age would kill to have. He wore a suit of silver plate mail, its surface covered with scars from countless battles with a lion's hide cape draped over his shoulders with the beast's head covering his right shoulder plate.

"I might as well be," she sighed, head lowered in shame where she knelt. "I threw everything I had at her and she's still standing. I even used my dragon magic and it still wasn't enough."

Booming laughter filled the void, snapping Sunset's head up to the Elder Dragon with a look of incredulity.

"You thought that was Dragon Magic?" Polaris laughed, wiping a tear from his eye.

"It wasn't?" Sunset blinked. "But that form-"

"A result of the magic you inherited from your mother merging with what few Dragon traits you inherited from me," he smiled. "My dear Little Sun, did you really think the seal would give you my gift to you all at once? No, it only let out a little of my blood's attributes to you to ease you into the true power of a Dragon. Training wheels I believe is the term mortals use these days, correct?"

Sunset nodded, following so far before she asked, "But how is that any different from Dragon Magic?"

Polaris' smile grew more mischievous as he said, "The difference, my dear, is the source."

"How?" Sunset asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Polaris laughed, then said, "For ponies, your magic comes from wells within you that are drawn to focal points in your bodies and enhanced by your emotions. Add that to a Dragon's barely restrained emotions and you have a pony with power rivaling that of an Alicorn. Dragons are different. We draw strength from something that takes years to grow that we nurture almost as carefully as our young."

"And that is?" Sunset asked, an eager edge filling her tone.

"Our hoard," Polaris beamed.

Sunset visibly wilted at that, her gaze returning to the ground as she muttered, "Then I must be a pretty weak Dragon, huh? I barely have anything of my own. Aside from my journal and a few outfits, everything I have is something someone gave me."

Again, Sunset' attention shifted back to the man before her as he laughed.

"I forget how ponies see our kind sometimes," he sighed with a smile. "Yes, we hoard treasures such as gems and gold, but would you say those Dragons are truly mighty? No. Just immature hatchlings that have yet to find the kind of treasure to truly become great! To become Elders that rival even the Dragon Lord! Only those that can hoard more than food and shiny trinkets can claim that kind of power!"

"What kind of hoard can do that?" Sunset asked, shocked by the Elder Dragon's proclamation.

Polaris held out a hand in front of himself as if he was holding something, his smile never leaving his face as a familiar object faded into existence in his palm. A shimmering phoenix feather, the very thing keeping her powers sealed away shined brightly in his palm, only now, half of it was burning in gold fire.

"Let me show you," he said, tone as soft as silk as he waved his free hand over the feather.

Small trails of gold fire branched off of the feather, each as thin as thread and moving like vines through soil as they spread all through out the void. Every now and then, a thread would stop growing and a rectangular gold panel of flame would form at the end. Soon, they were surrounded by a web filled with similar golden portals. Sunset rose to her feet, mesmerized by what surrounded them, before a bit of movement from one of the structures caught her eye. A blurry image appeared on the flame panel that slowly shifted into a familiar scene. It showed Derpy pulling her to safety the night she tried to kill herself. Another panel showed the time she spent with Bonbon at her house when her mother tried to hug the life out of her. Another showed the time she helped Lyra make magic charms, one such charm sitting safely on her nightstand at home. Each portal showed similar scenes, some from just after the Fall formal to more recent adventures. Memories of time spent with her friends, both old and new played around her like a moving scrapbook that warmed her heart more than the first rays of summer.

"A Dragon's hoard can have many things," Polaris intoned, his smile soft as he stared at the many memories surrounding them. "But nothing is more valuable to us than those we hold dear, and that value becomes our strength. Friends, family, your mate, those are your hoard my Little Sun, and a Dragon's hoard is their true strength. That is, if you are willing to accept it."

As he said that, he presented the feather to her. Sunset stared at it with wide eyes, a part of her scared of what she was being offered. A long time ago, she would've jumped at the chance to gain more power. She would be lying if she said that part of her was gone. For a long moment, she looked around at the different memories presented to her and that worry slowly melted away. Dragon, pony, or something in between, she was going to do whatever it took to keep those she loved and cherished safe.

"Yes," Sunset smiled, taking the feather from Polaris and holding it close to her chest in a small embrace. "I accept them."

A bright flash was the only warning they got before the feather burst into flames, golden fire surging past Sunset's hands and filling the infinite void. Polaris knelt down to her level, his smile taking on a pained hint as is eyes locked with Sunsets.

"This will be the last time we see each other in this life. I want you to know that I am so, so, proud of you and that I wish I could've been there for you when you truly needed me. I will miss you my Little Sun."

"Yeah," Sunset sniffled. "I wish I could've gotten to know you. I'll see if Mom can tell me more about you when this is all over."

"I'm sure she has a few stories," he chuckled. "Sweet Celt always did have a steel-tight memory when it came to those kind of things."

"I hope so," Sunset chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye. "I will see you again someday, I hope."

"Not too soon," he frowned. "I want you to leave behind at least one grand kid for Celt to dote over. Neither of us will be happy if she doesn't have a youngling to spoil rotten soon."

"I'll get around to that, eventually," Sunset sighed. "Assuming her and Discord doesn't give me a sibling before then."

"All the better!" he said with a bark of laughter. "So long as those I left behind are happy, then I can rest at ease."

The two shared a smile as the flames consumed the darkness, Polaris' form slowly fading away with a peaceful grin.

"So long, my Little Sun."

"Goodbye....Dad."

With that, they both vanished, the last of the darkness consumed by Dragon fire.

***

Lily froze, spear just inches away from impaling her prey's neck. A strange pressure surrounded her, setting off alarm bells in the Archwraith's head. Trusting her instincts, she jumped back, giving a twelve foot distance between herself and the girl. A wise decision as a ring of golden flames surrounded Sunset, a strange gray crystalline substance covering the girl from top to bottom in seconds. The flames shined brighter as they morphed into a golden pillar and the sound of shattering glass echoing through the void.With a bright flash, the pillar blew apart to show what laid within.

Sunset stood eyes closed and a content expression gracing her face. Scales covered her body in its entirety, small flares of red mixing with the gold when the sun hit them just right. Her horn was an inch longer with its curved point as sharp as a spear with a glowing gold spiral crossing through it from the tip all the way to the base. While ominous, those features weren't what put Lily on edge. What were once wings made of flame were now flesh and blood, the new appendages bright red with wavy golden patterns covering the inward facing membranes. When Sunset opened her eyes, glowing blue slit pupils took in the world with mild interest.

Lily looked upon Sunset with an emotion she hadn't felt in a very long time, fear coursing through her as she leveled her spear at the girl. In contrast, Sunset felt as if she had just woken up from a deep sleep. She could feel her magic running through her, not as a force to command, but as a physical part of her body. When she moved, so did it. She couldn't feel the scope of what she had at her disposal anymore than she could tell the strength of her muscles without a weight to lift, but she knew that it was immense. She drowsily stared at her new wings, the feeling and actions of moving them so natural to her that she almost believed that she had always had them. Her gaze shifted towards Lily and a small frown formed on her lips. A part of her told her that she should be angry at the Wraith, that she should hate her, but a larger part of her disagreed. The foolish creature was not worthy of such things, just destruction.

"This is it Lily," Sunset said, her tone even as she assumed a stance. "You're done."

(hidden battle track unlocked: The Grand Finale) https://youtu.be/pZ3gFlg6IDs

"We'll see about that," Lily frowned. "I have faced countless enemies for hundreds of years. No matter how many powers you may have, I will never fall!"

"Yes," Sunset sighed, pointing an open palm at Lily. "You will."

Less than a second after she said that, a narrow beam of orange light shot out of Sunset's palm and clean through Lily's chest. Lily stared at the hole in herself in disbelief for a second before she began healing it. A cold stone settled in her gut over how much of a strain doing so put on her. She poured as much power as she dared into her weapon before she threw it at Sunset. She knocked the projectile aside as easily as one would a fly before she spread her wings wide and with a single flap closed the gap between them. Lily had just enough time to reel back in shock before a punch to the gut sent her flying. A pained gasp and a few streams of black blood flew past her lips as she slammed onto another island. Again, she tried to heal the damage, but what little power she had left could only do so much. Desperate, she tried to tap into what energy she could from her domain, but with so much of it broken and burning there was next to nothing to harvest. Staggering and cursing in pain, she came to a very unfortunate conclusion; she couldn't win this.

Some movement above her caught her attention, the sight of what towered over her chilling her to the bone. Held aloft by her new wings floated Sunset, the girl's distance making her look like a figurine that could fit in the palm of her hand. Even from that distance, Lily could see the girl's glowing eyes as she passed judgement on her.

I need to get out of here!

She tried to open a portal out of her destroyed domain, but before it could properly manifest, stellar chains bound her where she stood. She struggled against them, desperate to escape before a stinging golden aura surrounded her, halting all movement beyond her eyes. It was only then that she noticed a gap had opened near her, three figures and a stellar cat present. Pinkie, Derpy, and Fluttershy glared at her, the healer of the group holding the two girls up with glowing hands while derpy and Pinkie channeled their own magic in a similar manner, each pointing a glowing palm in Lily's direction.

"Nice try," Pinkie gasped, then turned her head towards Sunset and yelled, "We've got her! Hit her with everything you've got!"

Sunset nodded, then spread her will out to the countless fires covering all of the islands in the domain. With less than a thought, she willed the flames to come to her and they did. More and more fire gathered around her, the flames eventually hiding her from view as she sat at the heart of their radiance. Those not holding Lily in place took in the scene with wide eyes and slacked jaws as their friend had seemingly turned into a small sun. The irony of such a thing was not lost on Sunset, a small smile spreading across her face as she let out a faint giggle. For years she had hated being called Little Sun, but now the nickname had become something of a prophesy. Perhaps it was time for her to own it, both literally and metaphorically. She pointed a finger in Lily's general direction and again willed the flames to gather, only now to the tip of her finger. There was no resistance from the element as it gathered there, its master finally coming back into view of her friends as a result. She forced the fire to compress, squeezing it down as tightly as she could with just her will. In the end, a small golden ball of fire no bigger than a golfball hovered at the tip of her finger.

"I guess Sunset's Little Sun is as good a name as any," she smiled.

She carefully aimed the Little Sun at Lily and with a roaring cry, fired. In an instant, all of the fire Sunset gathered was released as a massive beam of white hot flame. Lily screamed in agony as her whole world was consumed by searing heat and white light, her restraints completely destroyed by the attack. She barely felt it as she was blasted clean through countless islands. In a twist of fate, she stopped when she landed in her throne. Clutching her arm rest with one hand and reaching forward with the other, she screamed Sunset's name as what was left of her power faded away and she was consumed by the fire.

With nothing left and an exhausted sigh, Sunset once again returned to her human form, the world around her literally fading away by the second as she fell. She didn't fall for long, as Discord appeared and got them both out of there with a quick snap of his fingers. The second she was back on solid ground, she was met by cries of victory, but a simple barrier from Discord kept them from mobbing her.

"Thanks Discord," Sunset slurred, eyes heavy as she leaned against him for support. "As much as I want to get a few hugs and all that, I really want to get some sleep. So...if you'll....you'll....excuse...."

With that, she nodded off, Discord barely managing to catch her in time.

"You heard her folks," he chuckled, cradling her in his arms as she snored away. "Rest first, party later."

"I think a lot of us can agree to that," Lyra smiled tiredly, giving her ragged friends a passing glance.

A chorus of agreement came from the group.

A loud metallic bang made everyone still conscious jump and turn towards the source. A rusty girder laid on the ground where the noise came from, but that didn't hold their attention for very long as a loud series of groans echoed through the bridge.

"Well, that's not a good sign," Discord frowned. "Time to go!"

With a snap of his fingers, the group vanished and reappeared on the coast of the stream running under Canter Bridge a safe distance away. Not even a second later, the sound of metal rending broke the evening peace as the great structure collapsed in on itself. The girls watched with a mix of shock and relief, the structure holding no good memories for any of them and glad that its twisted legacy could finally come to an end. Both its, and that of the monster that called it home.

"It's finally over," Hearths Warming sighed, a peaceful smile spread across her face as she stared at the wreckage.

"Yeah," Discord sighed, his gaze drifting down to the girl he held in his arms with a proud smile gracing his lips. "It really is."

Author's Note

And that's one final boss TKO'ed! Now, the aftermath and Epilogue to wrap this wild ride off. Hope you all enjoyed reading this crazy adventure just as much as I did writing it. Till next time my friends, Ciou!- (Thud) zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Epilogue

Crystals surrounded her. Everywhere the young girl looked was the same clear crystal. She laid at the room's center, her slim teenage form motionless as she waited on her back. Her skin was a shimmering ivory, a perfect counter to the pitch black dress she wore, the garment's skirt coming down to just past the knees, the edges lightly frayed. Its sleeves looked to have been ripped off as only tattered remains held the top of the dress to her shoulders. Her hair was the same shade of black, short waves that came down to the girl's shoulders. Her most striking feature was her eyes, a pair of golden pupils surrounded by darkness as they stared blankly at the ceiling of her prison.

For days she had been like this, staring at the empty blue sky projected on the crystal ceiling like a massive television screen. A gnawing hunger ate at her, but there was nothing she could do to sate it. All she could do was stare at the sky. That and try to figure out how she ended up in this situation. That had been a fruitless task, for no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't bring the answers to herself.

A dull and empty sigh escaped her lips as she lamented that. Then, something caught her attention. At first, she thought it was some giant bug that decided to crawl across the display from outside her prison, but that was quickly disproven when it moved into view again. It was a massive rectangular devise with comparatively small antenna sticking out of one end. The image became shaky as the display suddenly changed perspective, briefly showing a massive pile of wreckage by a lake before showing a large purple face. The face seemed to belong to a young girl, her purple eyes hidden behind loose fitting glasses.

The girl in the crystal studied the giant as she seemingly did the same to her prison.

"Can you hear me?" the trapped girl asked, her voice weak and dry as it echoed off of the walls. "Who are you?"

The display turned dark as the giant put the girl's prison in her pocket.

"Hey! Don't do that! I don't like the dark! Please tell me you can hear me! Who are you!?"

A moment of silence, then the girl curled in on herself, tears rolling down her cheeks as she sniffled out one last question. One that would not receive an answer for a quite some time.

"Who am I?"

Author's Note

And we are done! This has been a wild ride and I want to thank everyone that followed up to this point. You guys are all awesome and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I also want to thank my detractors (as weird as that might sound) since its thanks to you that I can see my weaknesses and try to overcome them to become a better writer. Not gonna lie, I did not think this fic was going to be as massive as it turned out when I started it. 63 chapters!? Seriously?! That's not counting the pro and epilogues either. Hopefully the next stories in this universe won't be this massive. (I like to sleep T-T) Now that this is done, I can focus on Gold Vine's story and the sequel to Winter Aria (A fic that takes place in the same universe but at a radically different time). Hopefully, those will do as well as this did if not better. Till my next project, Ciao :twilightsmile:

Prologue

The bite of winter. The gentle rays of a half moon. The soft splashing of water. These were the few things one would expect if they went to the bridge over Canter Creek. Had they been present two weeks ago, they would've seen a broken girl standing on the guardrail just a breath away from taking her own life. If someone were to come now, they would be greeted with a similar scene. A teen girl stood on the guardrail, her red trench coat billowing in the wind as she looked out over the near-frozen water. Her dark pink hare hung loosely around her shoulders as she held herself steady with a hanging wire.

So this is what she saw that night, Pinkie thought, reaching for something in her coat pocket with her free hand. It's so peaceful here.

As she thought that, she pulled a small box out of her pocket and flicked it. A thin paper tube poked out of a hole in the top. She grabbed it with her teeth and pulled what at first glance looked like a cigarette until Pinkie pocketed the box and bit off the tip in her mouth. As she pulled the candy replica away from her teeth she let out a slow breath out of reflex just before spitting out the bit of paper wrapping in her mouth. For a moment, she let the bittersweet taste of green apples distract her from her troubles as she peeled away enough of the wrapper around her piece of candy to pull it out completely without letting go of her makeshift handhold. While she wasn't as willing to go back to old vices as Rarity was, Pinkie was willing to relive them in other ways.

I guess if I had to choose, this would be a nice thing to see before I died, she thought, placing her now naked candy cigarette in her mouth.

Yet again her mind drifted towards that night at Sugarcube Café. The destroyed look on Sunset's face as she dropped her journal and left. It was at that moment that she felt something wasn't right. That this wasn't the kind of thing the old Sunset would do. She should've said something. She should've done something. Why didn't she do something?

"I'm so spineless," she muttered lips pulled into a rueful smile as she stared down into the frozen abyss below. "If I wasn't such a coward, Flutters and I could've stopped her. She never would've had to pick a last anything."

Her smile slowly shifted into a grimace as anger took the place of her grief.

"Why did this have to happen!? Everything was going great for her! Why did they have to start this whole thing!? Why?.....Why!?........... WHY!?"

With a furious snarl, she threw her candy as far as she could.

"WHY DID EVERYTHING HAVE TO GO SO WRONG?!"

Feeling her grip on her emotions start to slip, she took a few deep breaths to regain some semblance of control of herself. It worked, mostly, as with a slightly shaking hand she pulled out her box of candy cigarettes to replace her previous one. As she did she glanced down at the water below her.

It would be so easy, she thought as she repeated the steps to get her fake vice out of its box. All it would take is just one step. One step and it would all be over. No more pain. No more heartache. I can see why she tried.

As she put the newly prepped piece of candy in her mouth she stared up at the half-moon above her, a look of resolve on her face.

"I'm going to make this right. I don't know how, but I'm going to fix this. Even if it takes me a million years, I'm gonna fix this."

She stared out over the water towards the shining city lights in the distance, a determined smile spread across her face.

"You hear me?!" she cried. "I, Pinkamena Diane Pie, swear that I'm gonna fix this or die trying! Cross my heart! Hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in my eye!"

A big smile spread across her face as for the first time in days she felt a weight fall off of her shoulders. Things were going to get better. They had to! No matter what it took Pinkie was going to make it happen. The happiness inside her continued to grow as the thought of a better tomorrow entered her head only to turn into frozen terror a second later. With a loud snap, the cable she was using as a handhold broke away from the bridge. Her heart felt like it was in a vice as her lack of balance tipped her towards the waters below her. Desperate, she tried to pitch herself back towards the bridge's main platform, but it was too late. Time seemed to slow as she fell off the railing to her doom, her fear stopping any screams from leaving her. Out of reflex she took a futile grasp at the railing, only to come just short. As she saw the key to her survival rise further out of reach, countless memories flew to the forefront of her mind. It was funny, they say that when you were going to die your whole life flashes in front of you. But these weren't just any memories to Pinkie. The sleep overs. The time they spent in the cafeteria. Having drinks at Sugarcube Café. They were the memories of Sunset before Anon-a-Miss. Before she took away Sunset's smile. When they were still friends. And now, she was about to experience what would've happened to her if someone hadn't stopped her. If she "had it her way" as she put it the day before.

In a matter of seconds, her thoughts disappeared as she made contact with the water below her. The pain was beyond imagination, as though she had been hit by a truck with frozen knives welded to its front. Then she began to sink and the knives turned into fangs as she felt the cold water tear into her. Shock kept her from resisting as she continued to sink, her head soon falling beneath the surface. The cold was agonizing, almost as much as the lack of air as she continued to sink. As death came for her and the world turned dark, a single thought flickered in her head like a dying ember.

S...un.....se....t.

Author's Note

And so we begin again. Now, before any of you try to hunt me down and beat me to death over what happened here, please wait until chapter two to give me hell on behalf of the pink party princess. There is a method to my madness, trust me. Things are going to be bad before they get better.

Ch.1 Welcome to Equestria

All was quite in the Castle of Friendship as Sunset strolled through its halls. The crystal walls gave the mare a sense of ease, the similarities to Canterlot Castle bringing back happy memories of her fillyhood. It also reminded her that she was in a world of magic for the first time in six years. She felt the castle's magic pulsing through the walls and coiling
gently around her horn. She felt welcome, but also guilty as the accepting energies also reminded her of what led to her exile in the first place.

She sighed as she thought about how stupid she was back then. What was she thinking? Demanding that her mom make her a Princess? Just how selfish could she get?! And when she was refused she tried to force a pair of wings onto herself. With forbidden magic no less!

Stupid, she thought, continuing to wander aimlessly. I was such a colossal moron back then. Me? An Alicorn? HA! The last thing Equestria needed was another megalomaniac trying to take it over.

Before her thoughts could get even more self-reprimanding, a call from a familiar voice down the hall caught her attention.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked slowly moving towards her.

"Yeah," she smiled, meeting her halfway. "Just wanted to get some air is all."

"Right," Twilight chuckled glancing back the way she came. "It got a little wild once they figured out how to walk, huh?"

Sunset nodded, a little giggle slipping past her lips at the memory of her friend's first steps. To say they were graceless was like saying Celestia was a little powerful. At least Lyra was the only one who tried to use her other new abilities, though it was pretty funny seeing her get her back legs tied up by her own tail. After an hour of stumbling around like town drunks, Sunset suggested they pretend that they were walking on all fours on their knuckles and the tips of their toes. That ended up being the trick they needed to get a basic grasp on walking like a pony. Now if she could get Lightning to quit reminding them that they were all naked, things would go a lot smoother.

"They're really good friends," Twilight smiled.

"Yeah," Sunset sighed, gaze becoming slightly distant. "They really are. I don't know where I'd be without them."

Twilight nodded, then slowly turned her gaze to the ground. As she did a frown formed on her muzzle.

"Sunset...I-"

Sunset put a hoof over Twilight's muzzle cutting off what she knew was coming eventually.

"Stop," she said, tone even and eyes sharp as she lowered her hoof to the ground. "You don't need to say anything. What happened wasn't your fault."

"But-"

"No Twilight," Sunset snapped, again interrupting the lavender Princess. "I'm not going to let you beat yourself up over this. What happened happened. You could't've done anything to stop it anymore than Principal Celestia could. Hell, The only reason things got resolved the way they did is because Derpy worked herself to the bone trying to find those little monsters."

"I-I know," she said, tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes as she stared at her. "B-But still! I could've done something. I should've done something! I should've gone through the portal the second I got your last message! I should've tried to talk some sense into those girls when you said they abandoned you! I should've been there for you! If I had then maybe you never would've....would've..."

By the time she ran out of words tears were falling down her face in thick streams, her sadness choking her. Slowly and gently Sunset approached her crying friend and wrapped her forelegs around her. Twilight flinched from the unexpected contact, sure that to some degree Sunset hated her for abandoning her. She expected Sunset to yell at her, to blame her for everything that happened to her in the other world. The hug was both a relief and agony for the Princess of Friendship as she was happy that her inaction didn't cost her a friend, but she was not willing to be so easily forgiven.

"Do you want to make it up to me?" Sunset asked as she gently stroked the Princess' back.

She nodded, sniffling.

"Then learn from this. Move forward and don't let what happened to me happen to anypony else."

She pulled back enough to lock eyes with Twilight a small smile gracing her muzzle as she stared at her friend.

"Do you think you can do that?"

Twilight nodded, then wiped her tears away.

"I-I'll try," she smiled.

"That's all I can ask," Sunset smiled. "Now C'mon. let's head back before my friends destroy your castle."

"Oh please," Twilight laughed, still wiping a few stray tears away. "I doubt they're that bad."

"Lyra still wants to know how to shoot lasers," Sunset deadpanned.

"Did you teach her?" Twilight asked with a raised brow.

"I'm still debating whether its safer to teach her or have her figure it out herself."

Twilight giggled at that as they made their way back to the throne room.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed down the hall towards them.

"What the hay?" Twilight muttered as they stopped.

A loud series of shouts could be heard coming from the throne room. Some of them were from Lightning Dust, while the other voice was not from Sunset's group. It was bone-chillingly familiar though.

"Sunset, " Twilight said, tone shaky. "Did you tell your friends about other world counterparts yet?"

"No," Sunset responded, equally stiff. "Did you tell yours about Anon-a-Miss?"

"No."

Both mares stared at each other for a moment, turned their heads back down the hall, then ran to the throne room doors. All the while a single thought ran through their minds.

CRAP! CRAP! CRAP! CRAP!

***

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY FOLLOWED US HERE!" Lightning snarled as Bonbon and Octavia held her back. "LET ME AT HER! I'LL TEAR HER WINGS OFF AND MAKE HER EAT 'EM!!!

"JUST TRY BITCH!" Rainbow roared, Applejack holding her back by her tail with her mouth.

Lightning let out a growl as she tried to force herself out of her friend's grip. There was no way in hell she was going to let these girls near Sunset. Unless Sunset told her to in the flesh, that wasn't ever going to change. Especially Rainbow. The things she said in the locker room still made her blood boil. If she still had fists they'd be clenched to the point of drawing blood as that oblivious idiot's voice echoed through her head. But she had hooves, and while they couldn't make fists they could still hit hard.

While the two Pegesi struggled against their bonds, the remaining ponies on Lightning's side of the room assumed the closest things to defensive stances their new bodies could manage.

"What has gotten into her?" Rarity asked, taking a step back from the struggling mares.

All sound came to a halt as a quiet voice sliced through the room.

"Are you serious?"

Cautiously, everypony present turned towards the voice's source as she slowly walked towards Rarity her eyes closed but ears pointed straight at the unnerved mare.

"Even after everything you heard yesterday, you still want to pretend you don't know what you did?"

Rarity backed up scared of the eerily calm and familiar bat pony walking towards her. This slowly changed as she closed in, a cold frown gracing her muzzle. "Then here. Let me make it simple. YOU ALMOST KILLED SUNSET!!!"

As Fluttershy shouted that her face contorted into a look of absolute hate. That combined with the piercing glare from her now open red eyes and pointed fangs put the fear of god into all who looked at her.

She saw the fear in Rarity's eyes. She saw it and did everything she could to make it grow. She didn't care that the light hurt. She only cared about the mare in front of her and making her feel the weight of her crimes. This was stopped by the one thing she never expected.

"You leave her alone!" cried a yellow Pegasus as she jumped between the two mares.

Fluttershy was ready to turn her hell gaze onto the newcomer, only for her rage to be replaced with shock. Standing before her was what could only be described as a more Pegasus-like version of herself. She stood with her wings out like a set of fluffy feather shields as her teal eyes locked with Fluttershy's red ones. It was a surreal experience for her to be stared down by herself, but what made her take a step back was just how pretty her equestrian counterpart was. The light bounced off of her coat and mane in such a brilliant way that she tried to endure the pain to look at her as long as she could. Then, there were her eyes. While they weren't that different from how her's were back home this version of her held a shine that her's lost weeks ago. Eventually, the pain became too much and Fluttershy had to close her eyes. At the same time her own wings burst open of their own will.

"W-Who are you?" she stammered in the general direction of her counterpart. "A-And why do you look like me?"

"Because she is you," Sunset said drawing everyone's attention towards her as she stepped into the room. "Well, a different version of you at least."

"Huh?" both Fluttershy's said in unison as they alternated between looking (or listening in one Fluttershy's case) at each other and Sunset.

"It's true," Twilight sighed as she stepped into the room. "On the other side of the portal there are alternate versions of you."

As she said that she pointed at her friends then moved her hoof towards their visitors.

"These are Sunset's friends from that world."

"Okay," Rainbow said still glaring at Lightning. "So is it normal to jump somepony when you meet them?"

"Well-" Twilight started only to get interrupted by Sunset.

"Your counterparts messed up. Big time."

Twilight's friend's first instinct was to ask Sunset to elaborate, but her flat glare killed the urge in all of them.

"I'll...tell you all later," Twilight sighed, then smiled as she added, "But now, I think we could all use..."

"A PARTY!!!" Pinkie exclaimed, showering everypony present with confetti and streamers as she pulled a small cannon from...somewhere. With a loud bang from the weapon, the room was flooded with a dense cloud of streamers and went through a drastic transformation. The ceiling and walls were decorated with looping green streamers and red ribbons that should've taken hours to arrange. The Cutie Map now held trays covered with various types of holiday themed snacks and drinks on top of a red and white table cloth. Five feet away from the map were ten large wooden barrels with the picture of an apple on the side and spigots on the front.

"Your Pinkie does that too, huh?" Sunset groaned, spitting out a mouthful of confetti.

"Yep," Twilight smiled as she walked further into the room.

"Well, When in Roam," she muttered to herself as she followed her friend, all the while echoing a single thought.

They aren't the same girls. They aren't the same girls

"Hey Sunset," Lightning called, standing by one of the barrels. "Could you help me work this thing? I don't know how to use my hooves yet!"

"Sure," she chuckled as she approached her friend. "But are you sure you want that? Equestrian cider is pretty strong."

"It's booze?" she asked, staring at the barrel with a bit more caution. "Second thought, I'll probably go have some punch or something."

Just as the light-green Pegasus was about to step away from the barrel, a harsh laugh caught her attention.

"What?" Rainbow grinned, pouring herself a mug of cider form a nearby barrel. "Can't handle a bit of cider? Lame."

"No," Lightning growled as she turned towards the cocky Pegasus. "I'm a minor, dumb ass."

Rainbow leveled a glare at Lightning as she set her mug down on the ground.

"Actually," Sunset cut in, breaking the tension before it could grow. "The legal drinking age in Equestria is sixteen."

"Huh?" Lighting gawked, turning away from Rainbow. "Really?"

"Yeah," Sunset smiled. "It's because Ponies reach full physical maturity by that point and don't visibly age beyond that until they turn eighty."

"You're kidding."

Sunset shook her head.

With that Lightning turned towards Rainbow, a cocky grin forming on her muzzle.

"First one down's the loser."

Rainbow's glare was instantly replaced with a cocky grin of her own.

"Deal!" she snickered as she poured her opponent a mug.

"I'll grab ya a straw since you can't grab anything yet."

"Thanks," she grumbled, tailing the much more balanced pony.

Sunset's smile faded as she watched the two ponies walk away.

Stop it Sunset. They aren't the same girls.

"Are you okay love?"

Sunset shook herself out of her thoughts as Vinyl and Octavia approached her, concern plain on their faces.

"Yeah," she sighed, forcing a smile. "Just trying to readapt to things again."

"I see," Octavia said, brow raised. "By that, do you mean your body or company?"

"Both I guess," she groaned. "They just remind me of them, you know? It's difficult to remember that they aren't them."

"Yeah, no kidding," Vinyl grumbled, staring at Applejack. "I almost jumped Applejack when I saw her. Leave it to Lightning to beat me to it. Flutters was a surprise though."

"Indeed," the dark gray mare cringed. "Remind me not to cross her here. Those eyes...I think I'll be seeing those in my nightmares for the next few days."

"Imagine how bad Rarity feels," Vinyl added, a shiver running down her spine. "I hope she's okay."

As she said that the small group turned towards the Unicorn in question. On the surface she seemed fine, talking amiably with Twilight and Derpy about something. But Sunset could see it in her posture that she was very shook up by her interaction with the Thestral. The stiffness of her movements, the slight tremble in her smile, all of it pointed to a pony trying to bounce back from an extremely tense situation. All in all, Rarity looked like a mouse that was just pulled away from a predator at the last possible second. And now she was trying to pretend nothing happened.

"I think she will be," Sunset said, a slight tremble present in her voice. "Just give her some time to catch her breath. That reminds me. Where is Fluttershy?"

Octavia sighed, then said, "Apparently, Pinkie's cannon was too loud for her to handle, the poor dear. So her double decided to take her someplace a bit quieter to recover."

"Oh, right," Sunset cringed. "Thestrals have super sharp senses. A loud pop for us is like a fog horn to them. I hope she's okay."

"Oh believe me," Vinyl grinned. "I think she'll be just fine."

***

All Fluttershy could hear was a ringing. It was all she knew. That and pain. A horrible ringing in her ears and searing pain in her eyes. She knew it would pass, but that didn't help with the fear. She was helpless with only her sense of touch and smell to guide her. Desperate to get some sort of relief she focused on those two senses. What she was able to glean from them just left her with more questions about her surroundings. Pine, pastries, alcohol, fruit, but one scent demanded her attention; the unmistakable smell of wildflowers. It steadily grew in intensity by the second as the staggered Thestral tried to make sense of everything. Eventually, the smell of wildflowers dominated her senses and when it did her fear started to weaken. It was at that point that she realized that she was laying on the ground and an eerily familiar voice was talking to her. She couldn't make out the words through the ringing, but she could tell that they held no malice. With what little nerve she could muster she tried to talk to the being.

"Can't hear....can't see....help."

More muffled words then Fluttershy felt someone take her foreleg and drape it over what felt like their shoulder. The sensation of hooves gripping what would normally be her arm was strange, but not unwelcome to her at this point. With unsteady steps she let whoever had her at their mercy take her away from the noise and light. The dimming light and sounds let her overloaded senses recover a bit quicker and she was finally able to open her eyes. Her surroundings were still blurry, but that was beginning to fade the farther they got from the throne room. Suddenly, something soft and yellow blocked her vision followed by a soft voice that she now could just hear over the ringing.

"Not yet, it's still too bright for you. Just a little bit longer."

"O...Okay," Fluttershy stuttered, closing her eyes.

Soon, the ringing stopped, but all that did was allow her to hear the two sets of hoofsteps from her and her guide echo off the walls. What made her experience more bearable was the smell of wildflowers that seemed to surround her now. As they walked, she took long, deep breaths of the sweet scent. It put her heart at ease, reminding her of her mother's garden back home in the spring.

"Here we are," the soft spoken guide said, stoping. "Can you stand?"

"Y-Yes," Fluttershy stammered as she gently tried to pull her foreleg free.

Her guide didn't resist as she freed herself.

"That's good. Just don't open your eyes yet."

She nodded and instead tried to see if she could hear anything that could give her a hint about her surroundings. All she could make out was that they were very far from the throne room and that her guide was very quiet. It wasn't clear to her if that was on purpose for her sake or normal for the pony, but she was grateful all the same. A soft click and the sound of a door opening in front of her caught her attention as well as the now familiar soft voice of her guide.

"There we go. Now, follow the sound of my voice."

Fluttershy followed her guide's orders and walked into what she presumed to be an empty room.

"Wait here."

With that, Fluttershy stayed put as a gentle breeze filled the room. Faintly, she heard the fluttering of wings as the light dimmed behind her eyelids. Once the room was dark enough, she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that she was in what looked like a guest room furnished with the bare necessities one would come to expect from such a room though much more ornate than what she was use to. The second thing she saw was that the room was made of what looked like some kind of crystal structure. She assumed that the whole castle was made of this material, and now that it wasn't trying to blind her she could admit that it was very pretty looking. That all paled in comparison to the yellow Pegasus she saw descending from the top of a nearby window. Even in the dim light, Fluttershy couldn't deny that her Equestrian counterpart was beautiful. Maybe it was because of her sharper senses, but she couldn't help but take note of the mare's delicate and gentle aura. In short, she was like an angle in pony form while the human in pony form felt like a monster.

"Are you okay?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, noting her counterpart's stunned demeanor.

"Y-Yes," she stammered, feeling her wings start to twitch on their own as she locked eyes with herself.

"Are you sure?" she asked as she landed.

"Y-Yes," Fluttershy repeated, now hiding her face behind her mane.

Recognizing the gesture, Equestrian Fluttershy backed off. Even with what happened in the throne room, she didn't want her counterpart to feel uncomfortable. She knew it was a mistake and wasn't willing to hold it against her, even if she was still a little mad at her.

"That's good," she sighed. "Um, it should get dark enough for you soon, so stay here until then. I'll bring you some food later. Unless you want something now of course."

"Just some water would be fine," Fluttershy smiled. "I'm not very hungry right now."

"Oh, okay," the Pegasus smiled. "I'll be back with your drink in a minute."

With that, she walked back towards the door. But just as she was about half way through, the bat pony said something that made her pause.

"I really like your perfume by the way. It's nice."

"Um, thank you," she said, giving her guest a confused smile. "But I'm not wearing perfume."

"Oh," Fluttershy subtly cringed. "Sorry."

"It's okay," the Pegasus smiled, then left the room.

The second the door closed, Fluttershy let out an irritated groan before she threw herself onto the bed in the far corner of the room.

What was all that about? What the heck is wrong with me? Seriously!

"Stupid nose," she pouted before burying her face into a pillow.

***

The room was cold and dark. Scraps of torn paper covered the floor along with a now empty bottle of wine. The room's soul occupant laid on her bed, white skin bare and exposed to the chill of the room. Trails of mascara tainted tears running down her cheeks and luxurious purple hair reduced to a rat's nest. To say Rarity had seen better nights would've been an understatement as in one fell swoop, her heart was shattered beyond the point of repair. Betrayal. That was the hammer that broke her. Her sister. Her friend. The hammer was swung with ruthless efficiency in regards to the people she held so close for so long that she didn't know if the pieces could ever mend. It was in this moment of weakness that something decided to sample its handy work.

A dark mass slithered like a twisted serpent from a dark corner of the room, silently orbiting over her like a vulture. It stared at her, hunger coursing through it. A hunger that shifted to anger as it was reminded of the prizes that slipped through its metaphorical fingers. The time it took to ripen Sunset Shimmer was an arduous process, but a worthwhile one none the less. The pain and guilt that sat in her heart was tantalizing all on its own, but with a liberal application of despair? It took all the shadow had to let her darkness grow. Once the final knife of betrayal was stabbed into her back, it was finally time to harvest. The wraith's mouth was watering as it worked its subtle magic on the broken girl's mind, guiding her towards her domain. Once she was on the bridge, it was just a matter of tugging on her subconscious to get her to jump. It was all going according to plan, only for everything to fall apart at the last second. In the span of a second, her meal was robbed from her by a magic coated bystander. Just the memories of the girl filled the wraith with rage. Her misaligned eyes. Her blond hair. Everything about her made her see red.

But that was nothing compared to her most resent loss. She still had no idea how it happened. The girl named Pinkie Pie fell. That was true, but for some reason she couldn't be harvested. She couldn't even find a body! The lack of a person to blame for her missing prey drove the wraith to near hysterics that day.

No matter. I will feed soon. I just need to be pAtIeNt, she thought, trailing a black tendril lovingly across Rarity's face.

The wait will only make the fruit taste all the sweeter. Be patient Lily. Be PaTiEnT.

With that, the specter slithered out of the room, eager to check the progress of other potential victims.

***

Cold.
Pain.
Can't breath.
Fall.
Sunset.
Sunset.
Sunset!

"SUNSET!" Pinkie exclaimed as she forced herself into a sitting position, gasping for air as water splashed around her.

After hacking and coughing the water out of her lungs she took slow, deep breaths to try and make sense of her surroundings. Though blurry eyes, she noticed that she was in a bathroom with shining purple walls and expensive silver furnishings. The tub she sat in looked to be made of polished silver with the fixtures looking like they came from period movies. Her mind struggled to make sense of her situation, but as it stood the best way she could get any answers was by first getting out of the tub. A task that was easier said than done, as for some reason her body didn't want to cooperate with her. At least, not completely. Something about it felt off to her, like she was moving in ways her body wasn't normally meant to. Eventually, she managed to pull herself out of the tub filling the room with a wet slap as her red trench coat hit the ground. Dizzy and confused, she staggered towards the sink on all fours until she was able to reach for its polished marble surface. It was then that she noticed the lack of fingers on her hand. Mind still struggling to process this, she was able to force herself to her feet and look at the mirror that hung over the sink. Instead of being greeted by a waterlogged teenager she saw a drenched pink pony with blue eyes dressed in an equally soaked trench coat.

"W-What?" was all Pinkie could manage before the world turned black and she knew no more.

Author's Note

Merry Christmass everypony!:pinkiehappy::ajsmug::yay::twilightsmile::rainbowdetermined2::raritystarry::scootangel::unsuresweetie::applecry::trollestia::derpytongue2:

Ch.20 A Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Hearths Warming

All was quiet in the Castle of Friendship. Five ponies slept sweet dreams oblivious to the force of nature that was due to come at the first rays of dawn. An Earth Pony mare slept with her head on a gently used piano's keys as evidence of her attempt to do the impossible. A Unicorn mare was using a spell book as a pillow in a manner similar to the castle's main resident on more then one occasion. Another Earth Pony mare was sprawled out on her back on a laboratory floor surrounded by countless unused candy wrappers of various colors. A DJ Unicorn was snoring like a lawnmower in her bedroom with the grace of an atom bomb, something she shared with a Pegasus mare a few rooms away. All was quiet. All was peaceful. Then the first rays of dawn passed the horizon and entered one particular window in the castle. The ray slowly trailed down a wall before striking the face of a purple baby dragon. He let out a groan as the light forced him out of Luna's domain and dragged himself into a sitting position. His half-awake mind slowly started to take note of everything around him as it rebooted. When his tired eyes landed on a nearby calendar, they shot open as a massive grin spread across his face.

Then, the peace everypony enjoyed was shattered as the dragon joyously declared, "IT'S HEARTHS WARMING!!!"

Twilight shot to her hooves as not even a second after her Assistant's happy cry, a whole cacophony of noise filled the castle. With faint bags under her eyes, she glowered at the sheepish baby dragon.

"Oops?" he shrugged.

***

"Well, that's one way to wake people up," Vinyl yawned as she stepped out of her room.

A few feet away, Lightning staggered out of her own room, hoof rubbing the top of her head as she hissed curses under her breath. Smiling, she walked over to her friend and gave her a playful shoulder nudge.

"You okay Lightning?"

"Been better," she sighed, "You?"

"Fell out of bed, but I'll live," she shrugged.

"Lucky," she chuckled, then flinched still rubbing her head. "I went the other way. Crystal ceilings hurt like a bitch!"

Vinyl burst out laughing at that as they made their way towards the dinning room. What they saw made both mares freeze when Vinyl pushed the door open with her magic.

The table was loaded with all kinds of food and drinks for everypony in the castle and then some. Stacks of pancakes four feet hight topped with everything from maple syrup to cinnamon spread. Fresh baked cinnamon buns covered with snow white frosting the size of softballs dominated a serving tray in a two-foot tall pile. Two towers of waffles reined supreme over the royal feast as the morning sun shined across their maple covered brilliance. Bowls of spiced fruit mingled among the diabetic monuments full of every type of berry or tree-bound fruit one could imagine as well as a few alien to the Terrans. To call what they were seeing a feast would've been the ultimate understatement as they walked slack-jawed towards the table and took a seat.

"Spike is a god," Lightning gasped.

"Think he's single?" Vinyl stage whispered, not once taking her eyes away from the table's offerings.

"Seriously Vinyl?" a familiar cultured voice said from the other side of the table.

"What? I'm just asking," Vinyl demanded, shakily summoning a bun to a plate set in front of her.

"I'm with Vinyl on this one," another voice, Bonbon, said in Octavia's general area. "I mean, come on Octavia you've had his cooking!" A bit of cheek entered her tone as she added, "Don't tell me the thought never crossed your mind."

There was a long pause before the musician said, "I..may have entertained the notion."

"Well," Lyra said, a tower of waffles hiding her from the other mares. "Polygamy is a thing here."

Everypony besides Lyra paused at that, then collectively left their seats to give the mare a questioning look. She stopped eating, locked eyes with them each in turn, then exclaimed, "I was curious!" as her face turned bright red.

"I see," Octavia said, raising a brow. "Anything else you stumbled across in your studies."

"Not really," she said quickly, only to glower as she added. "Though I did find out that Unicorns shoot lasers when you spook them awake."

Lightning and Vinyl burst out laughing at that while Octavia and Bonbon blinked in confusion.

"What did you break?" Bonbon sighed.

"Nothing!" Lyra snapped. "The spell bounced off the walls and flew out the window."

"It didn't hit anyone, did it?" Octavia asked, concerned.

"Just a snowman I made yesterday," she pouted.

"Better then what happened to me," Bonbon grumbled.

"What happened?" Lightning asked through a small stream of chuckles as she returned to her seat.

Bonbon sighed, then said, "Let's just say I owe Twilight a few test tubes and beakers."

"I did hear some explosions this morning," Vinyl mused aloud as she returned to her seat.

Lyra leveled a glare at her now sheepish friend.

"And you asked if I broke something?"

"I panicked!" she exclaimed.

"Well," Octavia coughed, breaking the tension between the two mares. "Seems like this has been a very exciting morning for everyone."

"Why do you say that?" Lightning asked around a mouthful of spiced peaches.

"Well, I never knew I could clear a grand piano with one leap before this morning," she said bashfully.

Everyone paused, then Lightning said, "I would so pay money to see that!"

"Seconded!" Bonbon cheered.

"Aye!" Vinyl grinned as she put a hoof in the air.

"Looks like we all know what we're doing later," Lyra said, grinning like a fiend.

"Now wait just one minute!" Octavia demanded as the room filled with giggles.

At that moment, the dinning room doors opened to admit one lavender Alicorn and a sheepish young dragon.

"Happy Hearths Warming everypony," Twilight cheered, then gaped as she took in the feast before her.

"Whoa!" Spike exclaimed as he stared. "You guys work fast!"

"Huh?" the mares asked as one.

"Wait," Lightning gaped. "You didn't do this?"

"I'm a dragon," Spike stated flatly. "Not a djinni."

A deep chuckling filled the room, startling all but Twilight and Spike into looking around worriedly.

"What can I say?," the voice intoned, dripping with mirth. "Tis the season after all!"

Suddenly, a small serpentine creature with mismatched limbs popped out of a bowl of spiced cherries wearing a red and green bathrobe in front of Bonbon. She blinked at the strange creature, stared at the small cluster of cherries she served herself just moments ago, then gently pushed it a foreleg's distance away. Octavia's reaction was a lot less subdued as she grabbed a spoon and tried to crush the small Dreconequis, all the while screaming "Snake! Snake!" like a lunatic. Meanwhile, Discord was laughing like a loon as he casually dodged her attempts by ducking, diving, and even dividing around the implement.

"Oh honestly," he cackled, hovering just above a horizontal swing. "Is this anyway to thank a chef?"

Octavia paused as her mind registered that last bit of information.

"Y-You made all of this?" she stammered.

"Yep!" he cheered.

With that, he teleported to Twilights right, now in his normal size as he smiled at the small cluster of mares.

"Just a little thank you for my Hearths Warming gift this morning."

Everyone blinked at him in confusion as they tried to figure out what the fever-dream Chimera was talking about.

"Why, nopony has ever gone to the trouble of causing so much chaos so early in the morning for me in years!"

The Terrans continued to look confused while Twilight and Spike let out mortified groans. Smirking, Discord snapped his fingers and a cup of coffee appeared in front of each of them. Smiling appreciatively, she took her cup with her magic then took a small sip. All grogginess flew out of her all at once the second the sweet elixir of life hit her tongue. Twilight reared back a little, giving the beverage a few stunned blinks.

"I'll give you the recipe later," Discord winked, then pushed the two Equestrians towards the table. "Now eat up before everypony else gets here."

"A bit late for that, darling," a cultured voice tittered behind him.

Everyone turned to be greeted by Twilight's friends. Each of them gave a polite nod as they strolled past the Chaos God at the door to get to the feast he prepared.

"Whoa! Spike went all out this year!" Rainbow cheered, loading up a plate as she took a seat next to Lightning.

"Actually," the dragon chuckled. "Discord did all this."

All the newcomers turned towards the Equestrian in question, then with wide smiles thanked him. Discord clutched his chest and staggered back at that.

"Too much nice is not good for the heart!" he exclaimed. "Somepony please think ill of me, I beg of you!"

"I think you ruined cherries for me," Bonbon said flatly as Applejack took a seat to her left. "Does that help?"

"Immensely, thank you," he said with a relieved sigh.

Giggles filled the room as everyone found a place to sit. It was then that they noticed a few more empty place settings.

"Where are the Shys?" Octavia asked as she passed a plate of waffles to her right to Rarity.

"Probably too cold outside for them," Vinyl smirked, earning a snort from Pinkie as she hoofed over a bowl of spiced peaches.

"Really Vinyl?" Bonbon said flatly as she passed some apple spread to Applejack. "It's a little quick for things like that, don't you think?"

"Ask Applejack," the DJ snorted.

The candy maker looked at her neighbor only to be greeted by a hat-covered face. Bonbon's jaw hit the floor while a full fireworks display was going off at Discord's end of the table.

"Damn, girl moves fast," Lyra chuckled as Twilight grumbled irritably into her coffee mug.

"Merry Christmas, everyone" a soft voice giggled.

Before anyone could move, a pair of winged ponies silently glided to one side of the table from an open window next to Discord. Both shys shared cheeky smiles as they served themselves, ignoring the surprised stares from their table-mates.

"Hey Shy," Rainbow smirked, putting a hoof around her friend's shoulders in a one-legged hug. "Haven't seen you all week! Happy Hearths Warming!"

"Happy Hearths Warming," she smiled, a small giggle bubbling out of her as her marefriend put a wing over her back. "And yeah, I've had a busy week. Sorry about that."

"Hey, no prob," she chuckled, sliding her foreleg free and looking past her to address the other mare. "Happy Hearths Warming, uh, other Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy gulped down her mouthful of pancake then turned to face Rainbow, her thick sunglasses reflecting the nervous athlete's face back to her.

"Oh, Merry Christmas," she smiled. "And you can call me Flutterbat if it makes things easier for you."

"Oh, thanks," Rainbow smiled, then frowned as she asked, "What's Christmas?"

"It's their version of Hearths Warming," Twilight explained.

The other Equestrians in the room let out an understanding "Oh" at that and returned to their food. After a few minutes of light chitchat over breakfast, Flutterbat took note of everyone present and raised a question that made everyone pause.

"Where's Sunset and Derpy?"

Everyone stared at her in confusion, then collectively remembered that she wasn't present when Celestia made her grand entrence at the start of the week.

"Princess Celestia came and took them with her to Canterlot to spend some time with her family," Twilight explained.

"Oh, that's great!" she cheered.

"Yeah," Twilight smiled. "Though I don't think we'll need to wait too long for them. Princess Celestia sent me a letter last night that told me that they should be here at around eleven, so I don't think Sunset and Derpy are going to miss the gift exchange today."

"Yeah.... presents," the Thestral whispered, her face heating up as she suddenly became more interested in her food then the conversation.

Twilight gave her a worried frown, but that quickly turned into a small knowing smile as she saw the native Fluttershy react in a similar manner. She nudged Discord in the side to get his attention. When she succeeded, she gestured for him to lean down. When he complied, she whispered, "When its time to give gifts, take them someplace to get some privacy."

"Consider it done," he smirked.

***

Twelve jaws hit the throne room floor as a mountain of presents sat atop the Cutie Map. The Terrans of the group could only gawk at the tower while the Equestrians smirked as they leveled looks at Discord.

"What?" he shrugged. "It's only fair that their gifts come here too."

Lightning was the first to recover as she soared to the top of the pile and slowly spiraled around it as she searched for her prey. Octavia merely rolled her eyes as she casually made her way towards the monument of gifts. The rest of the herd soon followed suit, the Unicorns and Alicorn of the group taking the presents off of the more unstable upper portions of the structure before the land-bound ponies caused an avalanche. Only two mares kept their distance as their friends tore into their bounty.

What am I going to do?! Fluttershy thought, panicking as she stared at the pile. I can't let them see Fluttershy's gift! It's too...

She gulped, then turned towards her girlfriend for comfort, only to see her in just as much of a panic as she was. Both mares flinched as they felt a hand rest on their shoulders.

"No need to fret ladies," Discord smiled, two rectangular packages hovering above him. "Even I know certain things are better left private."

With a snap, the two mares found themselves in a familiar guest room on the farthest end of the castle, the windows still covered by thick curtains. Equestrian Fluttershy stared into the darkness, a faint smile gracing her muzzle as her now sharper eyes watched her marefriend take off her glasses. Red eyes met teal ones as both mares felt a soft warmth in the darkness, a darkness that neither feared while the other was near. Be it blinding sunlight or smothering darkness, they had each other and that was all they needed. Now no longer held back by their insecurities, they exchanged gifts. Both took note of the blush the other sported as they tore into the paper, the cute sight spurring them on with mischievous smiles. When they opened the wrapped boxes, they gasped in synch as they held up their gifts. The rustling of fabric filled the room as the two mares struggled to don their presents. A tense silence filled the room, both mares struggling to regain their previous senses of confidence. Then, they turned and gasped.

Equestrian Fluttershy was dressed in a golden-orange dress covered with teal butterflies in a seemingly random pattern in small clusters at the collar. A loose hood covered the Pegasus' head enough to hide the upper half of her head in shadow, but not enough to hide her slackened muzzle as she stared at her marefriend. Fluttershy's dress was a cross between navy-blue and dark-purple with a collection of red bats in place of butterflies at her throat. Like her girlfriend, her dress also had a hood that hid her face in the same manner. Both marveled at the beauty before them. For one, it was like looking at an angel at the first rays of dawn while the other saw a hunter in the shadows of dusk moonlight. It was the most beautiful thing they had ever scene as they rushed forward into a deep kiss. A kiss shared at twilight between an angel and a hunter in the room where it all began.

***

An hour after everyone finished going through the tower of presents, a familiar spike in magic made Discord snap a pair of sunglasses onto everyone's face. A second later, a bright flash filled the room as Princess Celestia teleported in, Derpy, Sunset, and Princess Luna at her sides.

"Sorry we're late," Sunset sighed, teetering slightly as she stepped away from her mother. "Had to take care of a few things before we could leave."

"Like what?" Bonbon asked, handing her a small bag of treats.

"Well..." Sunset chuckled as she accepted the bag.

***

Sunset quietly crept into the guest room, three small wrapped boxes held in her magic. The fillies slept like logs, thoroughly exhausted after a long day of training. She suppressed a giggle behind a hoof as she heard Sweetie Belle mutter something about candy-coated candy as she nibbled on her pillow. She placed the presents on the nightstands by their beds along with a note as she watched them sleep for a minute. A gentle smile crept across her face as she used her magic to tuck them all in properly. As she stepped through the door, a mumbled plea made her pause.

"Ah'm sorry...Sunset."

Sunset turned towards the sleeping filly and smiled.

"I forgive you, all of you."

With that, she stepped out of the room and gently closed the door, ready to move away from the ashes of her past and into her next great adventure.

***

"Let's say, things are gonna be a little crazy for a while," Sunset chuckled.

As she said that, Derpy pulled her in close with a wing and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Everyone in the room gasped at the display, then Vinyl and Octavia said what every Terran had been thinking.

"FINALLY!"

"Huh?" Sunset and Derpy said in unison.

"With all due respect love," Octavia grimaced. "We were afraid that we were going to have to do something drastic to get you to this point."

"Yeah," Vinyl laughed. "It was pretty obvious you two liked each other. Lightning and I were a step away from throwing the two of you into a room!"

"I would've supplied the music of course," Octavia said, faint mischievous smile gracing her muzzle.

The young couple blushed, but otherwise stayed put as their friends continued their good natured ribbing. It wasn't long before they joined in on the laughter as they mingled. Celestia watched from a distance as her daughter and her friends spent time together, laughed, and took playful jabs at each other over gifts. She wiped away a proud tear as she turned to her left to the grinning Chaos God that she had become rather close to lately.

"She's changed so much," she smiled. "Polaris would be so proud to see the mare she's become."

"Tell me about it," Discord chuckled. "She's not even mine and I'm proud of her."

"That won't be for long," Luna smirked. "Perhaps the two of you should take a page from her book and stop hiding your feelings."

"Luna!" Celestia snapped, cheeks lightly blushed.

"She has a point," he said, casually summoning a glass of eggnog and taking a sip. "I can't be the only one dropping hints, you know."

Celestia let out a sputtered squawk at that, mind torn between denying the truth and coming to terms with the fact that Discord was open to the idea of having a relationship with her. Meanwhile, Sunset was causing quite the stur among her group as she handed out their gifts.

"My word," Octavia said, eyes as wide as her mouth as she held the polished beauty of a cello in her hooves. "Sunset, it's....it's.... magnificent! Thank you ever so much!"

As she said that, she gently set the instrument aside and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Your welcome Octavia," she smiled.

"NO WAY!" Vinyl exclaimed, a sealed record held delicately in her hooves. "A SEALED 1966 BEETLES YESTERDAY AND TODAY RECORD!"

"You like it?" Sunset asked, a sheepish smile coloring her face.

Vinyl beamed at her then said, "Like it? Sunset, if you weren't taken, I'd marry you right now!"

"Yeesh Vinyl, calm down," Bonbon giggled as she opened her gift. "It's not like she gave you the holy grail or anything. Calm down."

"This goes for a hundred and twenty five-thousand dollars back home Bony," Vinyl said flatly. "She may as well as gave me the key to a gold mine."

"Musicians," she giggled, rolling her eyes as she pulled her gift out of the box. "Huh, she got me a blue hoodie."

"Kind of," Sunset smirked. "Put it on and I'll show you what I mean."

Shrugging, she humored her and slid on the article of clothing. Sunset's horn flashed as a small ball of fire formed above her friend, heating up the air around her like a small sun in the middle of summer. Just when the Earth Pony was about to sweat, the hoody started to glow. It slowly morphed from a warm winter hoody into a thin blue vest perfectly suited for the heat of summer. Bonbon gawked at her gift as Sunset canceled her spell, forcing it to return to its original form in response to the cold.

"It took some work," Sunset smiled, drawing Bonbon's attention. "But I was able to enchant it so that it will change to match the weather around the wearer as needed. I know how much you like having things that serve a purpose, so I thought you'd like a jacket for any occasion."

"Sunset," she smiled, falling to her haunches as she hugged herself and her friend's gift. "Thanks. I'll take good care of it."

"So what does my gift do?" Lightning asked, holding up a pair of brass aviator goggles.

"Well," Sunset smirked. "Try them on and find out."

Shrugging, she put on the goggles. Her jaw dropped.

"Like it?" Sunset giggled. "They're enchanted to give the wearer twenty-twenty vision as well as zoom in and out on things if you focus hard enough. Plus, they're self-cleaning, unbreakable, scratch proof, and can transition into tinted lenses when outside."

Lightning moved the goggles to her forehead and leveled a smirk Sunset's way.

"Welp, guess Vinyl's not the only one with bling, cuz I'm not trading these things for anything. Thanks Sunset, you rock!"

Sunset giggled at that, only to turn in shock as a loud thud came from a few feet to her left. Lyra laid on the ground, legs twitching as a card sealed in hard plastic laid beside her half a foot away.

"Lyra? Are you okay?" Sunset asked, poking her with a forehoof.

The Unicorn suddenly came back to life and pulled Sunset into a tight hug.

"THANK YOU-THANK YOU-THANK YOU-THANK YOU-THANK YOU!!!"

"What the heck?" Lightning muttered, picking up the sealed card. "Black Lotus? Huh?"

"MINE!!!" Lyra cried, yanking the card out of her friend's hoof, holding it to her chest like the most precious of treasures.

"Easy girl," Lightning said, putting her hooves up in a placating manner. "It's just a card."

Bonbon cringed as she saw the Pandora's Box her friend unintentionally kicked open at that comment. Lyra's eyes widened in incredulity only to narrow a second later as she jumped in front of her friend.

"Just a card!? This is one of the rarest, most valuable, most iconic cards in the game! Just a cheap replica can set a person back hundreds of dollars. This is an Alpha version with Rush's autograph on it! If I sold this at full value, I could get enough money to buy Tavi's house and then some!"

"Sh-She's kidding, right?" Lightning asked, casting a cautious smile over Lyra's shoulder to Sunset.

"Nope," Sunset shrugged. "The shop owner nearly wet himself when I gave him the bag of bits to pay for it. Don't think he ever saw a million bits before."

"A MILLION!?" everyone exclaimed, Terran and Equestrian combined as they stared at the card.

Twilight quickly approached Lyra, examined the card in her hoof, then lit her horn. The plastic suddenly took on a crystalline sheen, small runes lining the edges like fine print.

"There," the Princess smirked. "Now it's completely protected and the Preservation Spell I placed on it should keep the print from suffering light and air damage."

Lyra stared at the sealed card, a smile growing wider on her face as she slowly shifted her attention back to the Alicorn before her. A happy squeal slipped past her lips as she pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you Twilight!"

"No problem Lyra," she chuckled, as the Unicorn pulled herself out of the embrace.

"Now that I think about it," Lightning mused staring at the card in her friend's grip. "Since its a card from another dimension, doesn't that double its value?"

"Probably," Rainbow shrugged, adding herself to the conversation. "I mean, if I had Wonder Bolt gear from another world, it would probably be worth like, a billion bits or something."

Lyra's eyes widened at that. She stared at her card for a moment, then let out a happy sigh as she once again fainted. Sunset chuckled then looked around for another member of her motley crew of crazies.

"Where's Fluttershy?" she asked, a large box held aloft in her magic as she scanned the room for the Thestral.

Before anyone could answer, both versions of the mare in question stepped through the doors leading into the throne room. Both of them were still wearing their gifts as they approached the mesmerized group of ponies, wings draped comfortingly over each others backs while they walked.

"Merry Christmas Sunset," Fluttershy smiled, her sunglasses all but hidden in the shadows of her hood.

"Um, Happy Hearths Warming," Equestrian Fluttershy offered behind a shy smile.

"Same to both of you," Sunset laughed. "Hope I got you guys the right thing."

As she said that, she lowered a present before the two mares. They both stared at it in confusion, then carefully worked their way around the wrapping. When they got to the box and opened it, they gaped in surprise. Two black leather bound journals greeted them, one bearing a pink bat with half a moon peaking out from behind a wing on the front and the other bearing a cluster of pink butterflies in the same place.

"Their enchanted to be like the journals Twilight and I use," Sunset smiled as the couple pulled their journals out of the box. "I put everything I had into making them as durable as possible so no matter what happens, you two will always be able to stay in touch with each other. I even added a spell that will teleport it to you no matter where you are so you'll never lose it."

Both mares beamed at that and hugged their journals to their chests as they pulled themselves closer together.

"Thank you Sunset," they beamed in unison.

"No problem," she smirked then walked over to Derpy and playfully nuzzled into her neck.

Bonbon smiled then placed a wrapped gift in front of the Unicorn.

"Don't think we forgot about you now," the candy maker chuckled as Sunset's eyes widened in shock.

"Probably not going to be as awesome as what you got us," Lyra giggled as she placed an envelope on top of Bonbon's offering. "But you deserve something for all the hell you went through."

"Amen to that," Vinyl chuckled, placing a gift of her own in front of the fiery Unicorn. "Let's end the year with a bang!"

"As crude as ever," Octavia said, smiling ruefully as she set a small box in front of Sunset. "But I couldn't agree more love."

"What they said," Lightning smiled as she added a present to the cluster in front of her friend. "Let's hope things look up in the future."

"Hold up now!" Discord smirked, four boxes hovering above him as he, Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and the rest of the Equestrians in the room joined the group.

Each of them held a wrapped gift for her and a smile as bright as the sun as they added their good will to the Terran herd's growing light.Sunset stared at the small pile of gifts in front of her, her hanging jaw turning into a smile as happy tears slid down her cheeks. Derpy nuzzled her cheek as she shared a smile with her girlfriend with the rest of her friends and family watching. Then with a the brightest smile she could remember wearing, Sunset tore into her gifts. All the while, her mind wandered to the previous day, and the greatest gift anypony could've ever given her.

***

Sunset laid in bed, body heavy with exhaustion as her magic reserves slowly refilled themselves. Her mother's Phoenix, Philomena, was wrapped in a faint orange glow as she tried to speed up the process with her own magic, but it didn't accelerate her recovery rate by much. Sunset stared at the ceiling with heavy eyes as she made sense of the events of a couple hours ago in her head. She wasn't stupid. She could tell that her knack for Pyromancy wasn't normal, but she thought it was a trait she picked up from her mother. Her transformation offered a more extreme possibility, especially when she stopped and thought about her past actions.

The door burst open as Derpy stumbled in, eyes wide with panic and panting as she scanned the room. The second she saw Sunset, she bolted to her bedside.

"Are you okay?" she asked, grabbing her girlfriend's hoof like a life line. "I heard you got in a fight this morning and-"

"It's okay," she rasped, too tired to do more than smile at her panicking Pegasus. "I'm too tough to go down easy Derpy. Just give me a few minutes to get my magic back and I'll be back on my hooves again."

"Th-That's good to hear," Derpy sighed, tears starting to fall as she locked eye with Sunset's. "When I heard you got in a fight I... I..."

Sobs took the place of words as the Pegasus hugged her Unicorn's foreleg.

"I just got you on your feet," she sniffled. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," Sunset whispered, gently wiping her girlfriend's tears away with her free hoof. "No matter what, I'm gonna make sure your stuck with me for as long as possible."

"You promise?" she sniffled.

She nodded, then said, "Cross my heart."

Derpy smiled, then pulled the fiery Unicorn into a gentle embrace. Sunset smiled, enjoying the soothing aroma of vanilla until she was carefully lowered back into the bed. It was then that she made a decision that added a bundle of nerves to her weariness.

"Though, there's something you should probably know," she said sheepishly.

"Is it bad?" she asked cautiously.

"No," Sunset sighed. "But it might make things a little difficult for a while."

"Th-Then what is it?" Derpy asked, not sure just how much more crazy she could take.

With a gulp, Sunset used a little of her diminished magic to pull the blanket off of her body and laid out on her side as she closed her eyes.

"On the ashes of my past, I stand alone. With the weight of my loved ones on my back, I move forward to a new dawn."

Sunset's body briefly flashed and again she was in her draconic form, only instead of forming a set of fiery wings a prismatic trail of fire flowed down her back to her tail. A sign of how little magic she had at her disposal as she laid nervous and helpless before Derpy. The Pegasus stared with wide eyes and hanging jaw as she took in Sunset's new body. She stared at her scales that shined like melted gold. She stared at her curved, razor-sharp horn. She stared at the flames that shimmered like an aurora across her back and tail. She stared at Sunset's face, now sporting a set of reptilian eyes and fangs that showed her apprehension.

"Beautiful."

Both mares blinked in surprise at Derpy's words, one at the compliment while the other over how they found the courage to say it.

"D-Do you mean that?" Sunset asked, blushing.

Derpy nodded, a matching blush coloring her cheeks.

"Y-You're not scared of me?"

She shook her head, not once looking away from the bed-bound mare.

A bright smile grew on Sunset's face, all fear melting off of her like frozen water in the sun.

"Thank you Derpy."

She smiled, then hugged her girlfriend, careful not to touch the flames covering her body. Sunset noticed and gave her a small giggle.

"Don't worry. They won't burn you unless I want them to."

"Good to know," Derpy smiled. "Don't think your mom would want her bed cremated."

"Probably not," she giggled. "But you know, this is going to make things a little rough in the future."

"How come?"

"Well, dragons are known for being kind of difficult to deal with. I might be a bit of a pain until I figure out how to work with this."

"Hey," Derpy frowned, placing a hoof on Sunset's cheek. "It's gonna take a lot more then some dragon hissy-fit to get rid of me. Like it or not Sunny, you're stuck with me."

Sunset giggled, then added,"Guess I better start liking it then," as she leaned into the offered hoof. "That reminds me."

With that, she turned towards Philomena and gave the bird a nod. The Phoenix let out a happy trill before spreading its wings and shooting out the window. A second later, she returned with a small lavender box in her talons.

"I was going to give you this tomorrow at the castle," she smiled. "But I think now is as good a time as any."

As she said that, Philomena placed the box in front of Derpy then returned to her perch. Curious, she opened the box and gasped. Sitting in it was a pair of light-orange half-heart pendants with thick silver chains. Giggling, Sunset levitated one of them out of the box and put it on.

"They're Couple's Pendants," Sunset explained as she helped Derpy put her's on. "New couples wear them for luck when their starting out. What do you think?"

Derpy stared dumbly at the pendent around her neck, then faced Sunset and said, "Wait a second. I'll be right back!"

With that, she staggered out of the room in a disjointed gallop, leaving a confused and slightly concerned Sunset in her wake. A minute later, Derpy returned now wearing a gray Couple's Pendant along with the one bearing Sunset's colors while its mate danged from the end of an open wing. Now it was Sunset's turn to stare as the Pegasus nimbly slid the necklace into place beside its orange twin.

"Guess we're twice as lucky, huh?" Derpy smiled.

Sunset examined the necklace with slightly trembling hooves as a flurry of happy flames burned inside her. Then before either of them could blink, Sunset pulled her girlfriend in close and kissed her. A shocked squeak slipped past Derpy's sealed lips, but that was quickly replaced by a happy hum as she leaned into it. Joy beyond description passed between the two mares as they shared their first kiss, igniting a flame that made Sunset's own look like mere party poppers in comparison. When their lips parted, they gasped for air like drowned ponies at sea with cheeks that burned like the sun.

"W-Wow," Derpy stammered, brain sparking as it tried to recalibrate. "Th-That was....Wow."

"Guess I've got a bit of my dad's greed," Sunset smiled, struggling against her urges to go for another kiss. "Wanna go again?"

Derpy nodded as she leaned in close to her bedridden girlfriend and closed her eyes.

***

Sunset's face burned when she remembered what happened next, earning an understanding chuckle from Derpy. With a small smile, she pulled her in closer with a wing as she went through her gifts.

While the party went into full swing, Discord stepped away from the crowd to a darker portion of the room. He watched as the ponies went about their busyness, laughing, smiling, and overall enjoying each other's company. A sight that warmed his heart as he reluctantly teleported away to where he was needed. It was time to tie up some loose ends.

"You really stepped in it, didn't you?" he sighed, turning to face a bedridden Unicorn.

Gold Vine's hospital room was silent as a tomb, the only deviation being the rhythmic beeps of a heart monitor by her bed. Her whole body was wrapped in bandages, most inscribed with healing runes to replace her charred flesh. It was as thorough a beating as could be and she knew it. Her titles and assets now belonged to the very same mare she tried to kill. She had nothing, not even the fur on her back as she stared blankly at the Dreconequis before her as he walked around her.

Discord let her stew a little longer, then continued.

"You had so much, and now you have nothing. Do you know how this all happened?"

She said nothing, her mind empty as her shattered pride drifted in fragments in what was left of her heart.

"Let me tell you. It wasn't because you tried to ruin Sunset's first date. Celestia wanted to snap you in half for that by the way. It wasn't because you tried to kill Derpy, though it was a factor."

A red-hot snarl made it past his lips as he leaned in close to the mare and said, "It was because you threatened to kill the mare I cared about. Their aren't a lot of buttons on me that a pony can press, but that one is one that will set the world on fire bitch! The second you hit that button, I made it my mission to destroy you in every possible way imaginable. For that, I gave you and your cronies cursed weapons designed to strip away their luck to get the worst possible outcome depending on what they chose to do and made you take all of the accumulated bad luck afterwards. Then, when you made your move, the curse would take away everything you hold oh so dear in your twisted black heart in one fell swoop. The battle, your survival, all of it was meant to lead up to this point all thanks to the bad luck your own actions have gathered.

Tears started to form at the edges of Gold Vine's empty eyes as she stared at her tormentor.

"You know," he said, a cruel smile gracing his lips as he locked eyes with the helpless mare before him. "I never said what I wanted out of our little deal you proposed, did I? I do believe you said I could have whatever I wanted, correct?"

He snapped his fingers and a muffled scream shot out of her muzzle as her body shifted on a fundamental level under her burned flesh. When her vision cleared of its agony centered haze, she stared at Discord. Her eyes widened as she saw her horn in his lion's paw.

"I want you to live the rest of your days as an Earth Pony. You will live for as long as I see fit with no assistance from your previous life. You will be unable to take your own life. You will not be able to harm others beyond what is needed for self defense. This is your personal Tartarus Gold Vine, and I'll be the most vicious Cerberus I can be to keep you there for as long as possible."

With that, he teleported away, leaving the broken mare more shattered then she ever thought possible as she stared blankly at the ceiling.

***

Sunset and her friends stood in front of the mirror portal, bags loaded with gifts as they stood at attention before Princess Celestia. The Princess of the Sun smiled as she locked eyes with the Terrans, pride shining in her eyes as she stared at her daughter and her special somepony.

"Before you return home, I have a few things I would like to give you."

As she said that, seven gold cards about the size and shape of credit cards appeared beside her held in place by her magic. With practiced ease, she distributed them to each of the Terrans one by one.

"These are Honorary Equestrian Passports," she explained as each pony took their card. "With them, you can use any mirror to travel between your world and ours whenever you want. They are also laced with enchantments that protect them from theft, destruction, and misplacement. Just in case something should happen in the future."

"Awesome!" Lyra squeaked as she stared at her passport.

Sunset smiled at the passport as she put it into her saddlebags next to Derpy's gift. Celestia stared down at her daughter with pained joy as she came to accept what was going to happen; her little girl was going to leave her again, but this time it wasn't going to be forever.

"Please come back again soon," the Solar Diarch said, tone a mix of hopeful and pleading.

"I will mom," Sunset smiled. "I promise."

"Cross your heart?" she asked.

"Cross my heart," Sunset nodded with a smile.

Celestia stared at her daughter, pride and pain filling her heart in equal parts. It soon became too much for her to bear as she pulled the mare into a hug, forelegs and wings wrapping her in warmth and love as she held her close.

"I love you. I will always love you my Little Sun."

"Me too, mom," she smiled, tears forming in the corners of her own eyes. "I love you too."

Reluctantly, they pulled apart and stepped back from each other, mother and daughter sharing one last smile before parting ways again. Sunset stared at Twilight's library one last time as she felt the magic of her home world swirl around her one last time like a friend giving her a smile before leaving.

"Wait a moment," Luna said, smiling gently as she approached the leaving party. "We have one last minute gift to give before we part ways."

As she said that, she turned towards Derpy.

"Lady Derpy, as a sign of gratitude for everything you have done for our niece, we wish to return to you what was so cruelly taken from you. May this be the start of many ways that we may repay our debt."

With that, Luna's horn began to glow as a series of spells filled the air between the two mares, then the same glow started to come from Derpy's false eye as the Princess' enchantment took form. A bright flash filled the room, dazzling all who looked at it. That fact came with a cosmic sense of humor with what the gray Pegasus declared minutes later.

"My eye...I...I can see!"

A wide smile spread across her face as she turned to face her slightly dazzled girlfriend. Sunset shared her smile as she locked eyes with her, both eyes alined with her's.

"We could not give you back your lost eye," Luna smiled, drawing attention back to her. "So instead, we enchanted your prosthetic to function as one instead. Think it both a Hearts Warming and Christmas gift on our part."

"Thank you, Luna," Derpy smiled. "You're the best!"

"Tis nothing," the Lunar Princess smiled, eyes drawn to the ceiling as a small blush colored her cheeks.

Everyone chuckled at that as the Terrans turned to face the mirror. A small smile graced Sunset's lips as she stared at her reflection, the mare in front of her no longer the lonely retch just a step away from falling to pieces. She wasn't alone and stronger then ever before as she took a step forward into the portal.

See ya later Equestria! It's been fun, but now, I'm coming home!

Author's Note

And that's the end of the Equestria Arc. This has been one hell of a ride so far and it's only going to get even crazier as we move on to the story's main villian and how Sunset is going to deal with her. Unfortunately, I'm going to need to put this story on a small hiatus as I organize my thoughts for the next twenty or so chapters. In the meantime, I do intend to finish Winter Aria as well as add a few chapters to Tinker Toy while I work out what I'm going to do next. Think of this as a break between seasons. Well, till my next update, peace out everypony.:pinkiehappy:

Ch. 39 Scars

A dense silence filled the room, the beeping of a heart monitor and soft weeping the only exceptions. Six mares sat throughout the room in varying degrees of concern. The source of said concern was a pink mare sleeping soundly in a hospital bed at the room's heart. Should one take a look at the mare, they would see a pony with a teal blanket brought up to her chest with bandages wrapped around her head at the forehead with glowing runes scrawled across them. Her right foreleg rested at her side with an IV attached to it feeding a potion to her directly to improve her condition. Her left foreleg, however, fed nothing but anxiety and grief to everypony present. The limb was held up by an elevated sling connected to the bed. From hoof to shoulder, it was wrapped tightly in bandages that were covered with so many runes that it was impossible to determine the fabric's original color.

Flutterbat stared at the damaged limb for a second before her guilt made her look away. The pony sitting next to her, Sunset, placed a comforting hoof on her friend's shoulder. The Thestral continued to stare at the ground as the weight of her crimes continued to drag her down. Derpy helplessly watched the display from her girlfriend's right, an irate fire sparking to life in her gut. Something she and Sunset had in common was a hatred of being helpless. If there was something that could be done to fix something, no mater how small, then she would hop on it. It was that very same determination that allowed her to find a way to help Sunset and all of her friends in one way or another. While it was true that she had to accept that she couldn't fix everything, those times were always the most difficult for her. Those feelings doubled when she looked across the room at the ponies sitting on the opposite side of Pinkie's bed.

Marble was clutching Limestone, the youngest Pie trembling as she weeped into her sister's chest. The older Pie showed a rare moment of tenderness as she gently stroked her sister's back, softly whispering reassurances in the vein attempt to calm her. Maud's expression was impossible to read as she stared at her sleeping younger sister, a small trail of tears the only sign of her distress.

Derpy sighed as she stared up at the ceiling, frustration turning into bitter resolution as she accepted that there was nothing she could do to improve the current situation. As she let that aggravating truth settle, her mind drifted to what had happened just a couple hours ago.

***

A dull buzzing woke Derpy from one of the nicest dreams she'd had to date, forcing an angry groan out of her as she sat up in bed. A quick examination of her surroundings confirmed that she had somehow wondered into Sunset's room again. It also alerted her to the fact that there was, in fact, two things buzzing in the room. One was the phone in her pocket while the other was Sunset's magic journal. She yawned as she pulled out her device, answered the call, and brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" she mumbled.

"WE NEED TO GET TO THE PORTAL RIGHT NOW!!!" screamed a frantic Fluttershy.

Derpy reared back from her phone, all sleep effectively blown out of her with the mercy of an incoming freight train. She waited a second for the ringing in her ear to pass before she brought the phone back to it as she got out of bed.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"They found Pinkie," Fluttershy said, panicky gasps and a much softer tone the only other sounds on her end of the line.

"Really?" she asked, then sighed in relief as she added, "That's good. Where is she?"

"Ponyville Medical in Equestria," Fluttershy said, the start of tears contaminating her voice. "F-Fluttershy sent me a message a couple minutes ago saying that a pony that looked like her Pinkie Pie got admitted to the local hospital. Sh-She's in the ER! We need to hurry!"

Derpy's relief turned into dread at those words. She quickly ran to her room to put on something other than her PJs before she returned to Sunset's room. She ripped the covers off of her girlfriend and near violently shook her awake.

"Derpy?" she muttered blearily. "What's going on?"

"No time!" she exclaimed. "We need to get going! Throw something on and get to the car, now!"

Sunset took a second to register her girlfriend's demeanor before she drunkenly jumped out of her bed. As she did, the gray teen ran out the door telling her to grab her journal on the way out. While Sunset pulled on some proper clothes, Derpy grabbed her keys and made her way towards the garage. She brought the phone back to her ear as the garage door slid open.

"Fluttershy?" she asked.

"I-I-I'm still here," she stammered.

"I'll be at your place in a few minutes. Do you have Maud's number?"

"I-I have all of Pinkie's sister's numbers," Fluttershy gulped.

"Call them," Derpy demanded. "They need to know that Pinkie's been found and that something's happened."

"Of course," she sniffled. "I-I-I'll call them."

"Good," Derpy sighed. "See you soon."

"Y-Yeah," Fluttershy whimpered. "B-Bye."

The phone clicked as the call ended. At the same time, Derpy let her arm go limp at her side as she tried to get her frazzled mind to focus. She took a deep breath to steady herself then made her way towards her car and got herself behind the wheel. Her eyes were locked onto the door leading into the house as she waited for Sunset to come through. At the same time, she couldn't help letting a single optimistic thought enter her mind.

Thank god she's still alive.

***

That past thought left a bittersweet taste in her mouth as she looked at the pony in the bed. While she was still alive, it was clear that Pinkie was not in the best of situations. Granted, the damage could've been so much worse, but that didn't detract from how severe the pink mare's injuries were. It was that very fact that tore into Fluttershy every time she looked at her bedridden friend. Over and over again, memories of the night she found her ran through her head like a video trapped on loop. Each iteration telling her the same thing with cold certainty as she remembered what happened just short of an hour ago.

***

"How bad is she?" Maud asked, her tone displaying only the faintest trace of worry.

Princess Twilight sighed from her seat in the waiting room, her eyes locked onto the hospital floor as a frown marred her face.

"Not very good. She has a crack on the back of her skull and lost a lot of blood. The worst of it is her foreleg."

"W-Why is that?" Marble asked, clutching her oldest sister's side as best she could in her new body.

"Her leg..."

Twilight paused, then took a deep breath as she braced herself for the pain her words were about to deliver.

"Her leg has been torn apart."

Wide eyes and slacked jaws were aimed at the Princess.

"W-What do you mean?" Sunset managed to force out.

Twilight sighed then said, "Just that. I did what I could to save it when I found her, but there wasn't much left to save. It was like parts of her leg were ripped away. I...I could even see bones. It was the worst injury I've ever seen. I...I think it would be a miracle if she was ever able to use it again after this."

"Wh-What did this?" Flutterbat stammered, sadness and rage at war with themselves in her heart.

Before the Princess could respond, a familiar male voice growled, "She tried to use a natural portal, that's what happened!"

A second later, Discord slithered out from behind Twilight, a sour expression decorating his normally jovial face. The Pie Sisters let out startled yelps in the Chaos God's presence while Sunset and her party gave him confused frowns.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Sunset asked as he took a seat next to Twilight.

He gave her an incredulous look, then frowned at the Thestral in the room.

"You didn't tell them?" he asked.

Flutterbat blinked, then shook her head as shame settled in her gut. Discord let out an irate growl then crossed his arms as he gave his general audience is attention.

"To put it simply," he started. "Your world's Pinkie Pie is what's called a Gapwalker. They are creatures that are able to use a low level form of Dimension Magic that allows them to open portals. At high enough levels, they can even open portals between worlds. While it is a useful skill, it comes with a small weakness."

"Which is?" Derpy asked.

"They can't pass through naturally made portals. A Gapwalker is basically a walking portal. While they can pass through their own portals without any problems, if they try to use an already existing portal it will tear them apart. It's like trying to cram a black hole through another one; one of them is going to destroy the other."

Everypony in the room listened in resignation, the hows and whys of the situation giving them some level of understanding. For Flutterbat, however, a different reaction was taking place. A cold, heartbreaking realization as the events of a couple days ago came back to her.

She was the reason Pinkie forced herself to use the portal. She made her promise her.

This was all my fault...

***

That thought echoed through the Thestral's mind like a cold chant. Every time she looked at Pinkie, the guilt grew like a tumor. Her body trembled as self-loathing seeped into her very soul. She couldn't take it anymore. She was starting to feel sick as she forced herself to stand up. She ignored her friends as she practically ran out of the room into the dark and empty halls beyond. Her eyes quickly spotted a trashcan in the darkness just as her nausea started to get the better of her. She bolted to the bin and retched, tears running down her cheeks as the infernal chant echoed in her mind. After a moment, she staggered away from the desecrated bin and weeped.

This was all my fault... If I hadn't made her make that promise, she wouldn't be here right now... I...I hurt another friend. This is all my fault. This is all my fault! THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!!!

Her thoughts continued to spiral as she sat there, the dark feeling like it was attempting to smother her as she cried. She wished it could, that it could all just end. That she could help a friend without almost killing them, that things could go back to how they were a couple months ago.

"I wish I could just disappear," she sniffled, eyes shut tight as her pain continued to grow.

She was so lost in her pain that she failed to notice the presence of another being in the hall, even as they towered over her. She gasped as she felt soft feathers caress the top of her head, startling her into opening her eyes. What she saw tore away her grief and replaced it with awe. Standing before was a massive bird, its head just short of touching the ceiling as it stared down at her with sharp, yet kind, emerald eyes. Its feathers were a bright fiery shade of red with light orange markings that winded and curved like tribal patterns. A soft pink glow surrounded it while a small cluster of orange flames orbited its head like a crown.

Tears still dripping down her face, she marveled at the majestic creature standing before her. Her shock only grew when it spoke to her in a soft feminine voice.

"Hush now. It's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay."

"B-B-But," she stammered, throat tight as she tried to find her voice.

She was stopped by a wingtip gently placed on her lips as another lightly brushed her tears away. A gentle warmth filled her at the contact, like a mother comforting her child after a bad dream. A small smile spread across her muzzle as she stared into the bird's emerald eyes.

"Tell me, what is your name?" the bird asked.

"F-Fluttershy, but everyone calls me Flutterbat," she stammered, blushing slightly at the mention of her alias.

The bird sported a brief look of surprise, before a small chuckle escaped her beak.

"I see. So her friends follow her here as well," the bird smiled.

"Huh?" Flutterbat asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"It's nothing," she sighed, then added, "My name is Hearths Warming. Tell me Flutterbat, do you happen to know where Pinkie Pie's room is? My old friend brought me here and failed to give me proper directions."

The Thestral nodded and lead the way back towards the room. Soon, Flutterbat found herself opening the door to her friend's room for the massive bird. When everyone saw Hearths Warming, a wide variety of reactions filled the room. Maud stared at her with wide eyes and mouth, wonder plain on her face for all to see. Limestone rubbed her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision as she tried to make sense of what she was looking at while her youngest sister gave the massive raptor a nervous smile. Derpy blinked dumbly at the bird, partially desensitized to the magical elements of her life by this point that Hearths Warming brought out the most mild reaction out of her. Sunset, on the other hand, gave the most extreme reaction as she rose from her seat to bow before the creature.

"It is an honor to meet you, o' Sacred Mother of all Phoenixes."

Hearths Warming gave her a small chuckle and said, "Rise Daughter of the Sun and it is a pleasure to meet you as well."

Sunset did so, but stood in a much more formal manner as she smiled up at Hearths Warming. Derpy stared at her girlfriend with wide eyes. Never had she seen the mare act in such a formal manner, not even in the presence of other High Royals. For Sunset to present herself in such a way, Hearths Warming had to be an extremely important figure.

The ancient Phoenix stared down at the bed bound mare and let out a small sigh.

"So she really did try to use a natural portal," she tisked. "Such foolishness."

Delicately, she leaned down and traced her beak across the bandages covering Pinkie's damaged leg. The cloth wrappings stopped glowing and fell away from the limb, revealing the extent of the damages present. The sight made everyone gasp and whimper. While the length of the leg remained, whole chunks seemed to have been ripped away from it. Veins, bone, and muscle tissue could be seen with perfect clarity from large tears in the skin. Black dust drifted off the edges of the gaping wounds, but not a single drop of blood left the leg.

Hearths Warming examined the wound with a critical eye, then smiled as she turned her head towards the Pie siblings.

"You are her immediate family, correct?"

They nodded.

"Tell her when she wakes up that she is the luckiest girl in two worlds."

With that, she buried her face into her right wing. When she pulled her head free, a single gold and red feather was clutched in her beak. She lightly placed the feather onto Pinkie's injured leg, then stepped back. Instantly, the feather burst into golden flames. Just as everyone was about to try and put it out, they paused as they saw Pinkie's wounds start to close. Happy tears fell from the Pie sister's eyes as they slowly came to a glorious conclusion; their sister was going to be fine.

"Thank you," Maud sniffled, her monotone voice shaky as she threw her hooves around the Phoenix.

Hearths Warming smiled and draped a wing over the mare's back in a small embrace.

"Think nothing of it," she chuckled. "I'm just glad I could help."

Hearths Warming gave all the other ponies present a brief look over and said, "Her leg will recover, but there will still be some minor complications. The leg will have scars and she will need therapy to get the limb to regain full functionality."

"Th-That's fine," Limestone stammered, wiping happy tears away from her face as she smiled up at the Phoenix. "Knowing that she'll get through this is good enough. We can deal with the rest when it happens."

Marble nodded, tears running down her smiling face as she stared at her bed-bound sister.

Hearths Warming smiled at that before letting Maud let go of her. She turned and looked down at the injured pony before her with intrigue as she mulled over her options. Her kind were few in number and while she was looking for an apprentice, was this young woman truly worthy of taking her place? Would it be right to place that kind of responsibility on her shoulders?

It will be her decision, she thought. For now, recover young one.

***

Pinkie walked, solid stone walls surrounding her on all sides as she moved. For what felt like hours, she wandered through the stone labyrinth, her hooves echoing hollowly in the empty halls. Her eyes were blank as they stared at the ground. She failed to keep her promise. Worse still, she left herself at the mercy of the very same ponies she was trying to avoid. She knew the second she woke up that her life was over, that Princess Celestia's hate-filled face would greet her before she put her in a grave. The only regret she had was that she never had the chance to tell Sunset that she was sorry, that if she could, she'd undo everything that happened before she tried to kill herself.

She sighed as she stopped, fell to her haunches, and stared up into the empty black void above her.

"I wish I could tell her I'm sorry," she muttered.

No sooner had the words left her mouth did the black void make a sudden shift. A dark purple sky with thousands of stars took the void's place along with a shining full moon. At the same time, she felt a strange tingle in the back of her mind, similar to the one she felt when Tattle borrowed her senses when she was awake.

"W-What?" she stammered.

"A much prettier sight, would you not agree?" asked a strong female voice behind her.

Pinkie froze, then slowly looked over her shoulder.

Standing behind her was a dark blue Alicorn, her waving etherial mane and tail a similar shade with small sparkling star-like lights. A black chest plate with a crescent moon at its center decorated her upper barrel with a matching tiara resting on her head just behind her horn. Shining silver slippers covered her hooves, a clashing contrast to the harsh stone beneath them. Her cyan eyes scanned the heavens as a small satisfied smile graced her muzzle.

A sad smile formed on the pink mare's face as she shifted her gaze down to her hooves.

"Are you here to punish me?" she asked.

Luna stared down at her, a perplexed frown replacing her smile.

"Th-That's fine," Pinkie continued, her shoulders trembling as she felt the Alicorn's eyes bore into her back. "I-I would't blame you. I-I-I hurt Sunset, so it's only fair, right? J-Just.... can I make one request?"

Luna raised a brow at that, then said, "Very well. What is thine request?"

Pinkie took a deep breath, then sported a mirthless smile as she said, "Could you tell Sunset I'm sorry?"

A pause, then Luna sighed as she said, "Very well. Do you have any other wishes you would like to get off your chest?"

"Yeah," Pinkie nodded. "Could you tell my sisters that I love them? I... don't think I've told them that enough back home and... it never really hit me just how much they mattered to me until I came to Equestria."

"It will be done," Luna nodded. "Is that all?"

"Yeah," she sniffled. "Do whatever you want. I... I'm kind of tired of running and hiding anyway. Just... make it quick, okay?"

"Very well," Luna said.

Pinkie closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain that was sure to come. Instead, she felt a pair of forelegs wrap around her in a soft and gentle hug from behind. Her eyes opened in shock as she struggled to make sense of what was happening, a part of her not able to do so even as a pair of wings was added to the embrace.

"You need no punishment," Luna smiled. "In fact, we think you have been punished far more than you truly deserve. Our son has told us of your guilt and your desire to make things right with our niece. In light of all of that, we choose to sentence you with forgiveness and our blessing should the need arise."

Pinkie stared forward blankly as she processed what was happening, then a smile spread across her muzzle as tears ran down her face. She felt a great weight slide off of her shoulders as she accepted her "punishment" with grace.

"Th-Thank you Princess," she sniffled.

"Simply Luna will do," Luna chuckled. "Now, we believe it is time you awakened. There are many in the waking world who wish to see you."

Pinkie nodded and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the feeling of Luna's foreleg's and wings faded away to be replaced with the feelings of a mattress and sheets. Sitting around her were ponyfied versions of her friends and family, some of which looking as though they had been crying for a while. They stared at her with wide eyes and slack jaws as she stared at them. A weak smile spread across her muzzle as happy tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.

"Hey everyone," she smiled, tone weak and dry. "Long time no see, huh?"

Author's Note

And now the subplots connect. Hope you all are looking forward to everything that happens in the coming chapters cuz believe me, this story is going to end with a pretty big bang if everything goes according to plan. See you all in the next chapter and keep safe out there. Ciou!:yay:

Ch. 48 Paper Moon

Author's Note

Game on.

Ch. 48 Paper Moon

Four Archwraiths stared at a oneway portal with slacked jaws and wide eyes as the fiery hared girl it displayed wandered clumsily through a massive scorched chamber. Lily was more than aware that Sunset was not a typical girl, but to see her display such a massive amount of power so easily was still rather jarring. However, her shock didn't last long as she compared the power displayed to what Hearths Warming had thrown at her in the past. While it was still impressive, the little fire show didn't hold a candle to the power her hated rival consistently brought to the table. A smile slowly grew on her face as she continued to watch her prey struggle.

"Interesting," she mused. "Perhaps this won't be quite as easy as I thought it would be."

"Mom?" the CMC asked in unison, turning to face the elder Archwraith.

"Listen well my children," she smiled. "In this world, there are people whole wield powers comparable to us. Though they are in much smaller numbers now than they used to be, they still exist. What you just saw was an example of one such person."

Oh! We knew that," Sweetie smiled. "But we've never seen Sunset do anything like that before."

"Really?" Lily asked, perplexed. "Do tell my dear. What kind of powers have Sunset displayed so far?"

"Not that many," Applebloom shrugged. "Normally, she needs our fake sisters to sing with her to do anything cool."

"Yeah!" Scootaloo chimed in, staring at her sisters. "Remember the time they made that giant magic Alicorn? That was epic!"

"I see," Lily hummed. "Interesting. All the same, this will be the most important lesson I can teach you my dears."

"What?" the three girls asked.

"Gather information, then break them from the inside out."

***

Lyra walked with purpose, one hand resting on the wall to her left as she watched out for any kind of potential threats. If any of her time spent playing RPGs and dungeon crawlers had taught her anything, it was that places like these were always loaded with traps or monsters. Her pony ears twitched as she walked, a part of her taking note of how weird they felt as she tried to pick up any noises that would tell her whether or not she was being stalked.

Stay calm Lyra, she thought, taking a deep breath to level out her nerves. This is what you've been training for. As the Element of Magic, you need to be strong for your friends. You've got this. Remember what Magic taught you.

"I can do this," she said, a confident frown decorating her face as she walked.

Slowly, her horn started to tingle as a new type of energy started to fill the halls. She paused, a cold chill shooting down her spine as the sickly feeling of the tainted energy washed over her like toxic waste. Shame filled her along with fear as she stayed like that, paralyzed as she stared into the dimly lit abyss down the hall. She audibly gulped as she forced her legs to move.

I-I have to do this, she thought, her gate stiff as she felt the tainted energy grow around her with each step. I-I'm the Element of Magic! I have to be brave! M-My friends-

She froze as she came to a sudden realization; her friends were in this dungeon too. She was sure that each of them were going through the same things. Strangely, that thought was comforting to her in a way. While she would've been much happier if they were all safe at home, the knowledge that she wasn't alone in this maze gave her a bit more strength to move forward with.

She knew that her friends would be okay. She could see the magic that surrounded them grow massively over the past week. In a lot of ways, she felt really sorry for anyone that got in Sunset's way, what with how the girl's magic had grown.

"I won't be the odd one out here," she huffed, her stride becoming more like a march as she made her way through the tainted hallway. "I'm not some helpless girl stuck sitting on the sidelines anymore."

As she said that, a glowing transparent card appeared in each of her hands, one white and the other pitch black.

"Come on Lily," she smiled. "Show me what you've got, cuz I'm not holding anything back."

***

Lily raised a brow as she watched Lyra through her portal, the girl's sudden shift in personality secondary in her list of concerns as she studied the girl's hands. While the one in her right hand repulsed her, the one in her left felt eerily similar to her own power in terms of structure.

"What can you three tell me about this one?" she asked, pointing at the card shark.

"That's Lyra," Applebloom said. "She's one of the biggest nerds in school, always goin' on about Magic the Gatherin' or what not. Why?"

"Has she ever shown any kind of power before now?" she asked, still staring at the girl on the other side of the portal.

"Nope!" Scootaloo frowned, shaking her head. "Maybe going through the portal gave her magic."

"That can happen?" Lily asked, staring wide eyed at her children.

"Yep!" Sweetie chirped. "That's how we got ours!"

Lily brought a hand to her chin in thought as she took this information in. If this so called portal could grant that kind of power, then there may be some benefits in visiting this "other world" after all.

"I see," she hummed, temporarily shelving the thought for later. "Let's see just what kind of powers this "Lyra" has, shall we?"

"Is she getting close to one of the seeds?" Sweetie asked as she looked into the portal.

"Yes," Lily purred. "And this one is far more powerful than the one Sunset destroyed."

"That's good," Applebloom said with a relieved sigh. "Cuz Ah really want ta' eat her. She smells really tasty."

"I know, right?" Scootaloo beamed, licking her lips as she stared through the portal. "She must've been through a lot to have so much negativity inside her."

Lily nodded and leaned back in her seat.

Now then, what kind of power do you house little Lyra?

***

Toxic energy coated the walls as Lyra walked, its slimy influence making her feel sick with each step. She knew she was closing in on something awful, but the light tingling of her magic in her hands gave her the courage needed to move forward. That and rage as she remembered that the creature here was the reason Sunset suffered for so long. Memories of the time she spent with the girl flashed to the front of her mind and how she was when she helped Derpy take her stuff out of her previous "home". The dead look in her eyes and empty view of the world brought her back to how she used to be after her Grandmother's death prior to meeting Bonbon. She could see the dark pit that Sunset had found herself in because she'd been there herself. For that reason, she found herself forming a kind of bond with the girl that only they could understand properly. It was the reason she told Sunset about the kind of person she was in the past and showed her how things were for her in the present.

Her grip on her magic cards tightened as she felt the taint in the air intensify. Where she felt fear before, anger and determination took its place as she rounded a corner. At the end of a long hallway stood a brightly lit room in the distance. Her stride quickened as she moved towards the light with purpose in every step in spite of the noxious energy that surrounded her.

When she crossed the threshold into the chamber, she was greeted by a sight that made her take a step back. The chamber was massive with a floor and ceiling covered with brightly glowing flowers. At its heart sat a being wearing thick black gothic armor in an equally elaborate black throne. Surrounding them were a dozen figures wearing a similar type armor, most of them holding a lither figure while the rest held the build of knights from the age of antiquity. All of them were armed, some with a short sword and buckler, a few with a pair of short swords, and two of them with a broad sword each. The seated figure stared at Lyra with its head propped up on its closed right fist on its armrest, its face hidden behind their helmet's faceplate.

Lyra glared defiantly at the figure as she retook her lost step, her horn tingling as she tapped into more of her magic in preparation to strike.

"Are you Lily?" she asked coldly.

For a long moment, the figure said nothing, the dark energy coming off of it the only thing telling Lyra that she wasn't talking to a statue.

In a cold feminine voice, the figure said, "No. A worthless fool such as you is not worthy of my mistress' time. I am Algantha, the mistress' prime seed and the one who shall end your worthless life."

Lyra blinked, then smiled as she said, "So you're a mini boss. Good. I was worried I wouldn't get a chance to test out my magic on anything before the final boss showed up."

"Are you mocking me, child?" Algantha asked, straightening her posture in her throne.

"Sort of," she shrugged. "Don't get me wrong. You look like a pretty cool mini boss, but I've seen a lot of cooler ones that totally sucked in the past. It's always the worst part in games, ya know?"

"You think this is a game?" the seed intoned, her hands griping the armrests of her throne tightly.

"Everything in life is when you think about it," Lyra chuckled. "The difference is, some of the games out there have higher stakes then others. If you get a job you want, you won that game. Get a failing grade on a test, you lost. Right here, right now? I'm playing a game that I can't afford to lose."

As she said that, she raised her hand and pointed her glowing white card at the seed with a determined frown on her lips.

"And I don't intend to."

"Fool," Algantha grumbled, then pointed at a lithe solder armed with a pair of blades. "End her."

The solder nodded, drew its blades, and charged at Lyra. The teen grinned and dropped the card she was pointing at Algantha.

"Come to my side."

https://youtu.be/VEC0gZvMVAI

In a flash, a figure appeared between Lyra and the incoming solder. The being was made entirely out white energy, its form identical to a white knight of legend complete with sword and a gleaming shield that held back the solder's blades. The knight let out a faint grunt as he pushed the soldier back with his shield and took a swipe at it with his own sword. The solder quickly brought its blades together to block the attack and was knocked back further for its trouble. Algantha let out a frustrated growl as she slammed her hand onto her armrest before she pointed at another solder, this one armed with a sword and buckler.

"Bring me her head!" she growled.

The soldier nodded, drew its weapon, and charged towards the teen. Lyra just grinned at the incoming attacker and threw her black card, again ordering something to her side. The card exploded in a black flash of light and was replaced by a shadowy equivalent of the knight she previously summoned. The black knight met the solder with its blade, the force of the swing sending the smaller opponent flying back fifty feet before it skidded to a stop in the flower covered dirt. Algantha took in the sight with shock, the expression safely hidden behind her face mask as she watched her servant stagger back to their feet.

"What kind of power is this?" she demanded, rising to her feet.

"Like it?" Lyra grinned. "Its called Summoning Magic. I create a world in my mind and I can pull creatures from that world into this one! Pretty useful, huh?"

"Indeed," Algantha nodded reluctantly. "But it will not do you any good. I've encountered others with similar abilities in the past and they all suffered the same weakness in the end."

"And that is?" Lyra frowned.

"Kill the head, the body will follow," she said coldly before bellowing, "END HER!"

With that, all of Algantha's servants drew their weapons and charged. Lyra glared at the incoming forces, called ten more cards into her hands, and threw them at her attackers.

"Come to my side everyone!" she cried. "Let's show her what we're made of!"

Multiple flashes filled the room as a swarm of glowing blue birds darted towards the incoming soldiers. At first, they ignored the incoming swarm, but that quickly changed when the bird's wings cut deep gashes into their armor. The dual-wielders of the group struck out at the birds while the ones armed with thicker armor forced their way past the assault to get towards their target. With her first two guardians distracted, Lyra called another card into her hand, this one a deep forest green as the first enemy closed in on her. With a flick of the wrist, the card flew towards the enemy and with a brief flash of light turned into a glowing green tiger with long blades coming out of its head and forelegs. The solder had just enough time to put its arms up to shield its face before the mighty beast pinned it to the ground and sank its footlong fangs into its neck. Another flick of the wrist saw three hulking red minotaurs spawning into the battlefield, each wielding heavy battle axes bearing the same colors as they charged to meet the rest of Algantha's advancing forces.

What came next was a battle of attrition as Algantha's forces clashed with Lyra's summons. The battles were far from one-sided though, as Lyra watched her guardians take just as much damage as they dealt to the seed's forces. For every soldier her birds cut, the soldier's put down a least one bird. The soldier her blade tiger took down quickly knocked the beast off and was currently trying to return the favor with surprising precision, while its allies matched her minotaurs just as evenly. The seed took in the sight with pride, knowing that it was only a matter of time before her solders broke past her enemy's defenses. While Lyra's power initially caught her off guard, it did little against the seed's prolonged experience. Out of all of her mistress' seeds, she was the oldest and most capable. Only one being was capable of getting past her and it was painfully aware that the young girls standing before her was not Hearths Warming. The girl reeked of inexperience, her skin tone not the only green thing about her as she watched her command her forces. While she was not certain of the full extent of this "world" the girl had crafted in her mind, it was very apparent that it was not inhabited by anything of any real threat to her.

She opened her mouth to voice those very same thoughts, only to pause as one of the girl's Minotaurs pinned its target under its hoof and brought its blade down onto its target's head. A proud smirk spread across Lyra's face as she stared at her opponent just seconds before three of her birds tore a solder to shreds. A growl made it past Algantha's faceplate as she added more of her power to her remaining forces. In a flash, several of Lyra's birds died and a few soldiers slipped through to aid their allies. Now a minotaur was added to the body count as a soldier plunged their blade into the monster's chest when it was distracted. Lyra called another card to her hand and threw it into the battlefield, adding a bright green centaur to the fight that crushed two more of Algantha's solders under its hooves. The seed seethed as she watched Lyra's knights finally end their opponent's lives before moving on to support their own forces. As she watched her servants fall one by one, the seed's rage continued to grow. How could this be happening? How could she be losing to a mere tactical novice? As her last soldier fell, her body trembled with fury as she stared at her grinning enemy.

"Don't look at me like that," she seethed, black energy wafting from her like a foul smoke. "Do you think that you can still win? Fool! I WILL SHOW YOU THE GAP BETWEEN US!"

As she said that, her armor cracked, then shattered as a massive burst of black vaporous energy swirled around her, hiding her from view as it raged. Black tendrils shot out of the storm and grabbed the bodies of the fallen solders before they pulled them into the raging tempest of power. A furious beastly roar echoed off of the walls as the cloud suddenly parted, revealing the horror that was Algantha to the world. The beast resembled an emaciated gargoyle, her ash gray frame gaunt and aged with ram like horns coming out of her head. Her wide, bat-like wings had small holes doted all throughout them like the tattered remains of a pirate's sails as they spread wide on her back in challenge along with a bony whip-like tail lashing out behind her. The monster stared at her with hate-filled glowing red eyes as it raised a hand.

"Foolish mortal," she seethed. "Did you think those soldiers were my servants? They were a part of me the whole time, mere fractions of myself that I can call upon at any time to regain my true power. Know my fury and know despair!"

As she said that, a sword made of the same dark energy from before formed in her raised hand. With one swing, a wave of dark energy passed through the room, each of Lyra's summons disintegrating on contact as it moved. Lyra's eyes widened as the wave approached her, only for a relieved smile to take its place as her two knights grabbed her and threw her over the attack. As she watched them die, a determined frown formed on her face. It was time to end this. She called a card into her hand and summoned a glowing red dragon, the creature gently placing her on its back as it rose higher into the air.

"Not bad!" Lyra called. "No seriously! I didn't see that one coming! Do you have any other tricks you feel like showing off?!"

"Damned fool!" Algantha snarled. "What need have I of petty tricks when my raw power is more than enough to end you!"

The seed spread her wings and flew towards her, shadow blade at the ready as she rapidly closed the gap. Lyra smiled as, much to Algantha's shock, she jumped off of her dragon towards the monster. The seed grinned as she prepared to swing her sword and put this battle to its end, only to pause as she saw how calm the girl seemed. A trickling of understanding filled her when she saw a black and white card glowing in the girl's hand. She swung, but just before the blade made contact, Lyra said something that made the seed raise a brow.

"We are one."

A blinding black and white light filled the room, forcing the seed to shield her eyes with her free hand. A sharp pain ran through her left wing, forcing an agonized scream out of her as she fell back to the ground. Cursing, she dragged herself to her knees and examined the damaged appendage. There was not appendage. She stared in shock as where her lift wing should've been, there was only empty air and black blood. The sound of someone landing on the ground behind her made her turn to face the source of the sound with a savage growl only to freeze as she took her in in finer detail. Instead of her usual mint complexion the entire left half of her body was pitch black, her left arm sporting a clawed gauntlet that seemed to suck all of the light out of the air around it. Her right side was pure white with a gleaming gold and silver sword gripped tightly in her right hand that shined like a star. A pair of feathery wings flapped gently from her back, their colors matching the side they were positioned on as they too took or gave light to the room.

Algantha growled, staggering to her feet as she stared her enemy down. Lyra smiled gently as she pointed her blade at the seed, her silent challenge registering to her enraged enemy as she did the same.

"Do you think this changes anything?" Algantha snarled. "Fool. All this means is that there are less things to keep me from taking your head!"

The two stared each other down for a few seconds before they charged. A thunderous boom filled the room as their blades met, before Lyra's tore clean through Algantha's like wet paper. Shock appeared on the seed's face before the shining blade ripped into her, countless deep gashes marring her body in the blink of an eye. She fell to her knees, black blood trickling from her many wounds as she stared up at her opponent. It was then that she saw her downfall as her power was devoured by the gauntlet on the girl's left hand. As Lyra pointed her left hand at her, the seed lowered her head in resignation as she waited for her fate.

Lyra stared coldly down at the seed and with a sigh she said, "Checkmate."

A blast of dark magic exploded out of her palm and consumed the seed, her body rabidly deteriorating as the destructive magic washed over her like a wave. When the energy passed, the only evidence that Algantha ever existed was a crater in the ground under Lyra's palm. Lyra gave the battlefield a slow look over before letting a deep sigh pass her lips and she returned to normal.

"Looks like I won," she chuckled bitterly. "Thanks for the warm up, Algantha. I'll remember you when this is all over."

With that, she banished her dragon and made her way towards the chamber's exit, a dead silence settling into the air as she took her leave.

Ch. 63 Closing the Gaps

For the first time in months, Sunset and her friends felt that everything in the world had gone back to normal. No longer did they feel the pressure of some unknown horror plotting to end them at a moment's notice. Instead, they had to deal with the unfortunate aspects of their new normal now that magic was part of their lives. That included a new headache that they were likely going to have to contend with from time to time; magic exhaustion. For a whole week, all twelve of them took time off from school to recover from the "Lily Incident" as they had come to call it. While this would've been a major red flag for most schools, a collection of letters hand delivered to Principle Celestia by the Lord of Chaos himself quickly quashed any thoughts of unlawful truancy.

As such, when they all regained their strength, the normally quaint game night at Derpy's house that Sunday turned into a long overdue victory party. Food and drink was provided by Applejack, Bonbon, and Pinkie Pie while everyone else brought whatever games they thought the group would enjoy. As such, after hours of fighting games and karaoke (of varying level of skill), the twelve girls and one boy sat down for a mostly quiet game of Uno.

"Man, these last few weeks have been insane!" Vinyl chuckled, laying a card down on the pile.

"Indeed," Octavia nodded, doing the same. "Hopefully we won't have to be dragged into anything quite as intense any time soon."

"Doubt it," Rainbow snorted, playing a card. "Were probably going to get jumped by Cthulhu or something in a month."

"Didn't know you had a tentacle fetish Dash," Lightning smirked over her hand of cards.

"Shut up!" Rainbow snapped, slamming a card down on the pile.

Everyone busted up at that.

"If that's your thing, I could probably summon something for you later," Lyra chuckled, wiping a tear out of her eyes.

"Do it, and I swear to god I'll take one of you're most expensive cards and ram it up your ass," Rainbow growled.

"So that's your kink," Tattle smirked, not taking his eyes off of his cards. "Sounds quite painful, but to each their own, right dear?"

Pinkie nodded, rearranging the cards in her hand every now and then like a poker set.

"Looks like you girls really changed since I was gone," she said with a smirk over her cards.

"Speaking of changes," Sunset cut in, seeing the look of murder steadily growing in Rainbow's eyes. "How did your family react when they found out you were married?"

"Yeah, Ah bet they were pretty shocked," Applejack nodded adding a card to the pile.

Pinkie and Tattle chuckled as they exchanged looks.

"Do you want to tell them about it?" she asked, leaning into him.

"They're your family. You do it," he smirked.

Pinkie giggled, nodded, then gave the group her full attention.

"Okay, so it went like this-"

***

Pinkie groaned happily as she stretched herself out, happy to be in her bed again for the first time in years. Granted, her whole body still ached from last night's battle, but it was a vast improvement over the feeling of having most of her bones rearranged by Lily. A bit of weight at her right brought a small smile to her face as she turned towards it. Laying next to her, dressed in his usual casual wear was her darling husband. His eyes were closed with a charming smile spread across his hansom face, but Pinkie knew he wasn't sleeping. She rolled over and put her arm around him, their faces just inches away as they enjoyed the moment.

"Did you sleep well?" Tattle asked, slowly opening his eyes.

"Do you really need to ask?" Pinkie smirked.

"Nope," he chuckled, pecking her on the nose.

They laid like that, enjoying each other's company peacefully for the first time in years. They felt like a million tons had been taken off of their shoulders. No training. No great battle looming over their heads. Just the two of them and untold time beyond together. They wished that the moment could last forever, but like most wishes, it fell on deft ears.

"BIG SIS!" Marble cried, the bedroom door flying open as the youngest Pie sibling barged in with happy tears in her eyes.

Marble froze when she saw that Pinkie wasn't the only one in the bed, confusion replacing her look of joy. Limestone let out an exasperated sigh as she let herself in, only to don a similar expression when she saw her sister's guest. Pinkie giggled at their reaction as she sat up in bed, the covers falling away enough to show the thin red tank top she was wearing complete with a lacy pair of matching panties.

"Sup?" she smiled.

Marble's face turned bright red as she started to piece things together while her oldest sister sputtered incoherently. Tattle rolled his eyes as he got himself out of bed, popping a crick in his neck as he stood up and stretched. The fact that the boy was fully clothed at least eased some of the other Pie's concerns about the situation, but still left them with more questions than they knew what to do with. Eventually, Limestone found enough of her tongue to get the biggest one out.

"Pinkie, who the hell is this?" she sputtered, pointing at a mildly amused Tattle.

Before she could answer, Tattle jerked his head to the side just in time to avoid a knife that flew through the open door way and embedded itself in a wall. While the other Pie's gawked at that, Pinkie and Tattle traded flat looks with raised brows.

"Really Maud?" Pinkie sighed, getting out of bed. "Can't a girl share a bed with her hubby without someone trying to kill him?"

"Hubby?!" Marble and Limestone gaped.

A few seconds later, Maud let herself into the room, butterfly knife flipping open and closed in her hand with casual ease.

"He's lucky I didn't get the glock," she said flatly, faintly glaring at the boy.

"Dear, are all mornings this fun for you around here?" Tattle asked, smiling in spite of the faintly venomous glare Maud was giving him.

"Nah," Pinkie giggled, walking to his side and planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

Poor Marble looked like she was about to overheat, the pure love she sensed from the two of them putting her family talent into overdrive. Noticing, the loving couple parted to put less of a strain on the poor girl. Maud seemed to like this as well, though it was for a completely different set of reasons. Limestone didn't know where she stood on the whole matter, her own sense telling her that Pinkie wasn't lying, a fact that was heavily reinforced by the rings the two teens were wearing.

"B-B-But you two are too young to get married!" Limestone sputtered. "Your only sixteen for christ's sake!"

"Technically, I'm fifty six," Pinkie smirked, putting on a pair of jeans that were laying on the floor.

"True," Tattle nodded, trailing a finger over his shirt and jeans.

Again, Limestone's sense told her that they were telling the truth and it only made her short circuit even more. While she stood there trying not to have a mental breakdown, Maud let herself into the room. She quickly closed the gap between herself and Tattle, only to pause as his simple t-shirt and jeans turned into a fine navy blue suit in front of her. She blinked in shock for a second at that, then tightened her grip on her weapon as his eyes drifted towards her.

"I take it you're Maud Pie," he said, easy smile spreading across his face as he put a hand out to her to shake. "Midnight Tantabus, but most call me Tattle for short."

Seeing an opening, Maud took his hand in her own and squeezed as hard as she could. One of the things Maud was proud of was her strength. It was one of the things she honed back on her family's quarry before she moved to Canterlot City to go to collage. A simple handshake from her could equate to sticking a person's hand into a hydraulic press if her past victim's testimonies could be believed. Imagine her shock when not only was Tattle not affected by her grip, but managed to match it well enough to not hurt her back. They stared each other down for a moment, neither backing down as they tried to gain proverbial ground over the other. Eventually, they both agreed to a stalemate as their hands parted.

Maud sighed, then folded her knife up before she pocketed it and walked away.

"Break her heart and I'll break your spine," she said flatly as she left the room.

"I'll hold you to that," he chuckled before she turned out of sight. His smile grew as he turned towards Pinkie and said, "I think she likes me."

***

Roaring laughter filled the room, Lightning, Rainbow, Vinyl, and Lyra the loudest contributors as they struggled to not fall out of their chairs.

"Sh-She actually told you that?" Rainbow gasped, wiping a happy tear out of her eyes.

"Yep," Tattle shrugged, taking a sip of soda from a plastic cup. "I felt like I was meeting Pinkie's mother rather than her sister to be honest."

"She's just being over protective," Pinkie smiled. "Now when Marble brings someone over, then we'll see a show."

"How bad are we talking?" Bonbon asked, adding a card to the pile.

"She wasn't kidding about that glock," Pinkie said simply, adding a card to the pile.

Everyone cringed at that.

"Speaking of relationships," Vinyl smirked, her shades hiding the look she was giving her prey as she turned her head towards Fluttershy. "How are things going between you and Butterfly?"

Fluttershy's whole head turned beet red as she hid behind her cards, using them as a shield against all of the eyes locking onto her.

"Uh, um, w-we're good," she stammered, sifting through her cards.

"Just good?" Vinyl egged, a positively evil smile spreading across her lips. "I guess you didn't try any of the things we talked about earlier, huh?"

Fluttershy fidgeted, a part of her wanting to Pony-up so she could hide behind her wings as what she did a couple of days ago jumped to the front of her mind.

***

Equestrian Fluttershy stumbled into her double's room, worry heavy in her features as she looked around. When Discord told her what her marefriend had been through recently, she demanded that he send her to her immediately. A request that he granted with nothing more than a knowing smile and snap of his talion. The room was dark as she staggered about, her unfamiliarity with her new body not helping in the slightest as she tried to navigate. A dull click behind her made her spin as light filled the room. What she saw made her jaw drop.

Her double laid on her side dressed in thin black negligé, her bat-like wings folded on her back. Her lips were pulled into a deceptively sweet smile with a bit of fang peeking out, her red eyes glinting with a hint of mischief. Equestrian Fluttershy stammered, face gradually heating up as her eyes took in her marefriend's form.

Fluttershy giggled than gave her a coy look as she said, "A while ago, you gave me a massage as a pony. I think it's only fair that I return the favor."

Equestrian Fluttershy gave a nervous nod, a part of her admitting to being more than a little curious about that kind of thing.

"And maybe, we could do more," Fluttershy demurred, a small blush forming on her cheeks as she added, "If you want."

***

"It was....nice," Fluttershy said simply, adding a card to the pile and trying as hard as she could to be as small as humanly possible.

Vinyl's smile became more tender as she reached over and patted Fluttershy on the shoulder.

"Hey, I'm just giving ya a hard time. If you don't want to talk, that's fine."

Fluttershy peeked out from behind her cards and nodded, her face still red, but her features a lot less tense then they were a moment ago.

"So, how are Sweetie, Applebloom, and Scootaloo doing?" Lyra asked, munching on a cupcake.

Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity collectively sighed, each of them looking like they had just walked a mile.

"Applebloom's been a royal pain in the neck. Ever since she woke up, she's been running through the orchard every night like a wild animal!"

"That's nothing," Rainbow groaned. "Scootaloo's been sneaking into my room every night."

"You live in a two story house, right?" Sunset asked, raising a brow.

"Yep," Rainbow sighed.

"And isn't your room on the second floor?" Sunset questioned further.

"Yep," she answered flatly.

"So how is she-"

"She flew!" Rainbow cried, putting her arms up exasperatedly.

"Sweetie's been a completely different kind of demon," Rarity grumbled. "One minute she ignores me then the next I can't get her off of me!"

"At least the Princesses are help'n us get that under control," Applejack groaned, adding a card to the pile.

"How so?" Derpy asked.

"Well," Rarity frowned. "It turns out there are some side-effects one must suffer thorough when you reverse a Wraith transformation."

"Such as?" Tattle and Pinkie asked, leaning forward.

The three girls sighed as they told their tale.

***

Princesses Luna and Twilight stood on their side of the portal. Both were nervous, worried about the state of the three girls that were saved from a fate worse than death. The fact that the three girls were being brought over at such a late hour did little to settle their nerves. They both held their breaths as ripples formed across the portal's surface and six ponies fell through. Three of them were the dazed counterparts of Twilight's friends while three fillies much more familiar with their bodies staggered to their hooves.

"Ah think Ah'm gonna be sick!" Applejack groaned, brining a hoof to her mouth.

"Sunset and the others go through that every time to get here?" Rainbow groaned, rubbing her head. "To hell with that!"

"Agreed," Rarity groaned, trying and failing to stand up.

Twilight went to their side to try and help in anyway she could, chiefly by teaching them how their new bodies worked. It was then that she noticed their Cutie Marks, something each of them did as well once the world stopped spinning. On Applejack's flank was an apple wrapped in silver chains. Rainbow sported a pair of clouds with a prismatic tornado coming out of the bottom. Rarity's mark was the most unusual, being a diamond set in the middle of a purple magic circle. She didn't get to dwell on that for long before a small hoof brushing against her rear left leg pulled her attention away.

Sitting next to her was a white Cheshire filly, her normally green eyes a bright red and slitted as she looked up at her. The small curve of her horn and the fangs poking out of her muzzle added to the wild look her slightly messy pink and purple mane and tail gave her. Next to her sat a faded yellow Lycan filly with pale red curls for a mane and tail with a bright orange Thestral filly sitting on the opposite side of the Cheshire. Both of them had the red slitted eyes and fangs shared by all Night Tribe Ponies, but the look of wonder they gave Twilight put her slightly on edge.

"So sparkly," Sweetie gushed, a wide smile spreading across her muzzle.

"Yeah," Applebloom nodded. "Don't know why Ah never noticed until now."

"No kidding," Scootaloo blinked, hooves covering her eyes. "It kind of hurts."

"Not too surprising," Luna smirked. "Such sharp senses take time to adapt to."

The fillies looked at her and their eyes widened. As if in a trance, they slowly moved towards her, eyes wide with wonder. They stopped about a foot away from her, a strong new instinct telling them that to move any closer without permission was not a wise decision. Luna took the sign of respect with a small chuckle and moved towards them. They felt no fear, only awe as the Princess of the Night approached them. One by one, she placed a hoof on their backs and nodded to them in greeting with a soft smile.

"We welcome thee, Children of the Night and Star Eaters."

The older ponies watched with slack jaws as the three fillies bowed to her, looks of peace gracing their faces as they did so. After a momentary pause, they got up and returned to their sisters and sister-figure, their eyes and ears shooting all around the dark room as if taking the world in for the first time. Luna smiled as she came closer to the group, already anticipating some questions from the foreign ponies.

"Night Ponies are more primal than their diurnal counterparts," she said, gaining the older ponies' attention. "Cheshire's are clever and curious, but also moody at the best of times. We suggest patience while your sister gets use to her new natures, Lady Rarity."

Rarity nodded, a weary smile spreading across her muzzle as she pulled her sister to her side.

"For lady Applejack, we suggest that you give her a way to vent her energy. Lycan foals are notoriously restless and need ways to burn it off."

Applejack chuckled, rubbing the top of the filly's head as various ideas ran through her head.

"As for Lady Rainbow Dash, we suggest that thee learn to guard thyself from fangs."

"Huh?!" Rainbow blinked.

"Thestrals are fierce and highly territorial. When pushed, it is rather common for them to bite first and talk second. While this is true for all Night Ponies, it is especially true for Thestrals. They are also spiteful tricksters if they feel slighted, so it is best that you be on your guard."

"Great," Rainbow groaned, a reluctant smile coming onto her muzzle as she looked down at the filly in question.

"It will take time," Luna intoned. "But should you feel lost, we believe that you have one among you that can provide guidance should things grow too wild for you."

"Fluttershy, right?" Rainbow asked.

She nodded.

"So long as this is all that's wrong with them," Applejack sighed, pulling her sister closer to her side.

"Agreed," Rarity sighed. "I was afraid they suffered some kind of damage from their time with that monster."

"A wise concern," Luna nodded. "Which is why we suggest that they stay here for examination. Best safe than sorry of course."

The three older ponies froze, then reluctantly nodded in agreement. As much as they hated to part with their family again, they knew that it was impossible for their young charges to get the kind of help at home that they likely needed. It stung, but they knew that it was for the best.

"Do whatever you can for them, your majesty," Rarity said, doing the closest thing she could to a bow.

Rainbow and Applejack imitated her as best they could, only for a blue glow to surround them and gently force them back into a full stand.

"Such formalities are not necessary. We are simply a little sister doing what she can for other little sisters in need."

A wicked smile spread across her muzzle as she added, "Which reminds us."

The lunar Princess' horn glowed and in a flash, a sleeping Princess Celestia hovered next to her, blanket still wrapped around her as she snored. Luna's smile grew as she canceled her spell, letting the Princess of the Sun drop to the ground with a startled squawk. Celestia staggered to her hooves, blanket clinging to her horn like a towel on a hanging hook as she tried to get her bearings.

"W- Luna? What's going on?" Celestia stammered, stifling a yawn.

"Oh nothing sister, we just finally found a reason to drag thee out of bed for a change," Luna snipped.

Celestia blinked dumbly for a few seconds, then leveled a flat glare at the lunar Princess. Luna ignored the heat of her sister's gaze and stuck her tongue out at her.

"Point. Taken," Celestia said stiffly, rolling her eyes.

***

Sunset and Derpy nearly fell out of their seats at that, they were laughing so hard. The rest of the group gave them confused looks as they waited for them to regather their wits. When they finally managed it, they let out small chuckles as they shared knowing grins.

"Care to share with the rest of the class?" Rarity asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah, I feel like we missed something," Rainbow added.

"Well," Sunset chuckled. "You know Derpy and I went to Equestria a couple days ago, right?"

Everyone nodded.

"I believe it was to get Derpy a new eye, correct?" Octavia asked, taking note of her friend's new prosthetic.

"Yeah," Sunset smiled, pulling her girlfriend closer to her side. "Figured that she should have one meant to have magic running through it this time."

"That wasn't the only thing that happened when we got there though," Derpy smiled.

"No kidding," Sunset sighed.

***

Princess Celestia stared at the portal with anxiety plain in her features. To find out that her daughter had almost died yet again had been a hard pill to swallow in and of itself, but to hear that her marefriend had been injured as well nearly pushed her over the edge. The knowledge that they were in one piece managed to pull her back from such a dangerous place as well as the fact that they were coming to visit. Granted, she wished it was for more casual reasons, but the Solar Princess would take what she could get.

I should make more time to visit her, she thought, her nerves steadily growing as she waited.

She nearly jumped for joy when the portal rippled and two figures staggered out of it. What she saw made her eyes widen and jaw drop in wonder. While Derpy looked no different than she did the last time she came to Equestria, sans the black eyepatch, Sunset was a completely different story. Her orange coat had been replaced by a set of orange scales that had a red shine when the light hit them at the right angle. Her horn was bright red with a slight curve and sharp point. Her eyes held their normal light blue glow, but now were slitted like a reptile's. Her mane and tail remained the same as they use to be, but that didn't hold Celestia's attention for long. What did were the bright red scaled wings hugging her sides.

The two ponies stared back at the stunned Princess for a long moment, both of them only just noticing the sudden changes to Sunset's form a couple seconds after Celestia did. The stare and silence gradually ate at Sunset, making her feel a bit insecure as she waited for her mother to snap out of it.

"M-Mom? Are you okay?" she asked, taking a cautious step towards the Alicorn.

A wide smile slowly spread across Celestia's face, happy tears running down her face as she lightly closed the distance between them. She fell to her haunches and pulled her into a gentle hug, shocking Sunset further as Celestia nuzzled her cheek.

"You did it. You finally did it," she sniffled. "Maker, I wish Polaris and I could've been there together to see it."

"Huh?" Sunset blinked.

Celestia shook her head, raised her head, and with an excited smile and glow of her horn, summoned three ponies to the room.

"Raven, send a letter to the Dragon Lands. Tell Dragon Lord Scorch that the time has finally come."

Raven nodded, her own horn glowing as she teleported back to the castle.

"Crow, get the guard ready to march! A grand parade is more than called for!"

"Yes ma'am!" Crow saluted, before she shot out the nearest window at speeds that would impress even Rainbow Dash.

"Quail, tell the staff to decorate the whole castle. Flame motifs are an absolute must, but keep gems to an absolute minimum. The last thing we need are the guests eating the decorations."

"Of course your Majesty," Quail said with a relaxed smile and bow.

In a flash, Celestia sent the Earth Pony back to the castle to tend to her new set of tasks before giving her daughter her full attention again.

"Come now Sunset," she smiled, rising to her full hight again. "There is so much to do and so little time to do it!"

"Wha- What's going on?" Sunset stammered, dizzy from the breakneck pace this visit had taken.

"Well, first you need to meet your father's side of the family, then there's your coronation."

"My what?!" she squawked.

"Which reminds me," Celestia giggled, her horn glowing one more time.

A second later, Princess Luna appeared, floating in her sister's magic grip still wrapped in a navy blue blanket clutching a black sheep plushy. Celestia's smile turned more mischievous as she canceled her spell and let her sister plop onto the ground. Luna let out a startled yelp on contact before she staggered to her hooves.

"No time for sleep dear sister!" Celestia cheered, pulling her still groggy sibling to her side. "We have a party to set up!"

"We will murder you slowly," Luna said flatly, pure malice filling her eyes as she stared up at her cheery sister.

"Later," Celestia giggled. "But first, a party!"

Luna gave Sunset a passing glance, then sighed as she reluctantly nodded.

"Tis an appropriate occasion."

Celestia cheered at that, while Sunset and Derpy desperately tried to make heads or tails of what was going on. A battle that they were quickly losing by the second as the two Alicorns floated them down the hall to fates unknown. Sunset sighed and went limp in their grip, an apologetic smile gracing her muzzle as she stared at her equally confused girlfriend.

So long as Derpy gets a new eye out of this, I really don't care what happens next.

***

Everyone gave the couple wide looks.

"That answers one question, but leaves so many more behind," Octavia gawked.

"Right," Sunset sighed. "Turns out my dad was Dragon Lord Scorch's older brother and he abdicated the throne to him after becoming Overlord of the Dragon Lands."

"Sounds like a big deal," Vinyl smiled.

"It is," Sunset nodded. "Overlord is the Dragon equivalent to being a High Royal. Only three Dragons have ever earned the title and it is the only one that overshadows the Dragon Lord's."

"Now that's pretty epic," Lyra gushed.

"It is, but it has a major drawback," Sunset frowned.

"Which is?" Tattle asked, a hint of worry coloring his features.

"If an Overlord tries to have a child, the child inherits all of their power and a near fatal amount of their life force. After that, the first Overlord's spirit works as a kind of guide and protector until the child earns the right to wield their power properly."

"A condition that you have met, I take it," Rarity said somberly.

Sunset nodded, the shadows of her bangs hiding all but her small frown as she slumped in her seat. Derpy pulled her closer to her side. Sensing the atmosphere darkening, Pinkie quickly thought of ways to brighten the mood a bit.

"Uh, anyone need any other snacks? I have a whole pocket dimension full of things you all might like!"

Greatful for the distraction, Sunset smiled and made her request. Everyone followed suit, Octavia giving Vinyl a playful smack upside the head when she asked for a beer. Pinkie giggled at that and summoned a gap that dropped a bottle of root beer in front of the DJ, much to her chagrin. All other requests were met with little resistance, Pinkie summoning a bottle of beer for herself and Tattle with a cheeky grin.

"What? We're old enough," Pinkie shrugged, clinking her bottle with Tattle's and taking a swig. "I don't think the laws changed all that much since I was gone."

Everyone groaned at that, both parties already agreeing silently that it was pointless trying to argue against the girl's logic.

"Hey Pinks, you got any black licorice?" Lightning asked.

Everyone gave her confused looks, Pinkie especially as she hesitantly called a gap to Lightning's side.

"Only because Tattle likes it," she frowned, raising a brow as she added, "I didn't think you were the type to eat that kind of stuff."

A small blush formed on her cheeks as a packet of said piece of candy fell out of the portal and landed on the table in front of her.

"They're not that bad," she muttered, grabbing the package.

"Is that really all there is to it?" Octavia asked, her lips pulling into a faint knowing smile.

Lightning gulped, eyes darting around the room as she tried to find an escape from the conversation.

***

I can't do this, Lightning thought, her feet moving stiffly as she made her way towards the local library.

"Yes, you can," Shard emphasized. "You fought a poison spitting Wyvern, so this should be a piece of cake!"

"B-But-" Lightning stammered, but Shard quickly cut her off.

"No! None of that!"

Lightning groaned, her steps feeling more like a hike towards a guillotine than a place of study. Soon, she found herself standing before the library's front doors. Nerves kept her firmly rooted in place, her palms sweating as she processed what she was about to do.

"This is so gonna go wrong," she sighed.

"Only if you keep thinking like that," Shard said flatly. "Just go in there and talk to him. It's not that hard."

"We'll see about that," Lightning grumbled, then let herself in to the building.

Cool air conditioning and the smell of books greeted her the second she crossed the threshold. Tall shelves loaded with books of every size and color surrounded her as thoroughly as the heavy silence that dominated the building. Audibly gulping, she walked past the Librarian's front desk towards the isles in the farthest corner of the building. Lightning dragged her feet, doing everything she could to drag this out as much as possible. It was only thanks to this that she was aware of the type of books that lined these particular shelves. Each of them showed some kind of strange dark force in one form or another, some covers showing some strange creature made of living shadow or a demonic entity of some sort. Before she could get too distracted by her surroundings, she found the source of her nervousness sitting at a table in the darkest corner of the section.

It was a boy roughly the same age as her, his form lithe yet not emaciated or weak by any stretch of the imagination. His skin was a medium grey that went well with his short arctic blue hair that was cut in a manner similar to a bowl cut. His clothes was black and torn, but done so in an obviously intentional way. His azure eyes were locked onto the book he was reading, a small relaxed smile coloring his face.

Lightning gulped as she stared at the boy, her heart pounding in her chest as her face heated up. There was no way she could do this! What if he didn't like her? What if he thought she was annoying? There was no way she could go through with this.

A small zap on her butt made her let out a startled yelp.

The boy flinched, his smile turning into an irritated frown as he turned his gaze towards Lightning Dust.

"Can I help you?" he asked, tone holding a hint of culture in its youthful undertone.

"Uh...um...yeah...I uh," Lightning floundered, struggling to find something to say. "I'm Lightning Dust."

"Stygian," he frowned, giving the sporty girl a once over before adding, "If you're looking for my brothers, Magnus and Rock Fist are probably at the gym down the street."

"Oh, uh thanks, but I'm not looking for them," Lightning chuckled nervously.

He raised a brow at that and said, "Then you must be looking for my big sister. Meadow should be at the gardening supply shop up the road. You might be able to catch up to her if you run now."

"What?" Lightning blinked, then chuckled as she added, "No offense to her, but that's not my kind of thing. Me and gardening go about as well together as a cat in the ocean."

"I see," he intoned, shifting his attention back to his book. "You don't strike me as the literary type, so unless you require that kind of help, I would like to get back to my reading."

"Right," Lightning chuckled, preparing to make her leave.

Another zap in her butt made her freeze, a faint squeak her only sign of distress as she turned back towards Stygian. The boy noticed, sighed, then placed a bookmark in his book before he snapped it shut and placed it on the table.

"Is there something else?" he asked, a faint trace of anger coloring his tone.

"Y-Yeah," she stammered, her eyes darting around her for something to talk about.

Her eyes landed on Stygian's book and an internal relieved sigh washed through her.

"What were you reading?"

"Huh?" he asked, his irritation making way for shock to take its place.

"Well, uh, I've seen you in here a few times and I always kind've wondered, y'know?" she chuckled, hoping it didn't sound as nervous as she felt.

His expression became unreadable as he stared at her, his azure eyes sending butterflies scattering through her stomach. Slowly, he turned his gaze down towards his book and sighed.

"You probably wouldn't like it," he frowned. "It's about a man that tried to be a hero, but instead he almost destroys the world as the power he gained turned him into a monster. His friends try to help him, but it never ends well for them."

"How come?" she asked, taking a seat across from him.

Again, a look of surprise flashed across his face before it was again hidden behind an unreadable mask as he continued.

"I don't like to spoil endings, but I can tell you that it has no happy ending. Just a cold and merciless resolution."

"Oh," Lightning frowned.

"I like stories like that," Stygian smiled. "It's nice to read a story that shows the ugly side of the world instead of a sugary lie. Happy endings don't always happen in real life and it's refreshing to see that truth applied to literature as well from time to time."

As he said that, he fished a pack of candy from his pocket and pulled out a long thin, black strip of candy out of it.

"What's that?" Lightning asked.

"Black licorice," he said simply as he stuck the tube in his mouth.

"Can I have one?" she asked.

"Uh, sure," he blinked, handing her a tube.

Lightning took a bite out of the tough candy and was immediately met with a flavor she'd never tasted before. It was strong and bitter, but not so much so that she couldn't enjoy it. While strange, she could see herself having a few every now and then.

"Not bad," she smiled, taking the tube into her mouth and shifting it to the corner of her mouth like a cigarette.

"Really?" Stygian blinked. "Not a lot of people like them, so the candy store down the street sells them for nearly nothing. You're the first person I've met that actually likes them, well besides me that is."

"Really?" she said, raising a brow. "Weird."

"Indeed," he nodded.

The two sat in silence, one trying to think of a way to continue the conversation while the other was not used to conversing for more than a few seconds to begin with. Eventually, Lightning found a way to regain momentum.

"So, what do you do when you're not reading?"

"Well, I go on hiking trips with my siblings on the weekends," he said, tone becoming a bit more bashful as his eyes drifted towards his book.

"Really?" she asked, eyes lighting up. "Think I could come along some time?"

"I...suppose," he blinked, a nervous crack filling his tone. "I would need to ask my siblings first."

"Right," Lightning chuckled, a little embarrassed by how eager she sounded earlier.

"In the mean time," Stygian added, clearing his throat as his face shifted into another unreadable expression. "I wouldn't be against it if you wanted to spend time with me again. I tend to stay here until closing after school through out the week."

"Really?" she squeaked, then cleared her throat and quickly assumed a disinterested facade as she said, "Sounds good to me. If you're okay with me being around you when you're reading and stuff, of course."

"Of course," he nodded, a faint smile peeking past his mask.

***

"I'll tell you later," Lightning mumbled, her face turning a bright red as she added a card to the pile.

"Fair enough," Octavia shrugged, though the knowing smile never left her lips as she shifted her full attention towards her cards.

"Indeed," Tattle chuckled. "Besides, a more pressing matter is afoot. Mainly for my dear cousin."

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked, body tensing.

His smile grew more wicked as he said, "Now that I know that I have a cousin, I have seventeen years worth of pranks that are long over due. Best brace yourself Sunset, for I don't intend to hold anything back."

"Bring it," Sunset smirked.

The two stared each other down for several long seconds, before they both broke out into roaring laughter. A laughter that spread through the whole group. For the first time in months, Sunset felt that all was right with the world. Surrounded by her friends and supported by her family, she felt their was no gap she couldn't cross in both worlds. No matter how dark, deep, or large.

Sequel

The following link will take you to Vol.3 of this series: The First Star of Twilight. Hope you enjoy! :)

https://www.fimfiction.net/story/486826/the-first-star-of-twilight