Fluttershy and the botfairy

"Good morning, Applejack!"

Princess Twilight Sparkle was spending her short vacation from royal duties at Sweet Apple Acres- now that the town had a new librarian, she didn't have her own place in Ponyville anymore.

She had just gotten up, yet as usual, she found Applejack and her family already hard at work. Today, they seemed to be pulling out beautiful saplings that were growing all over the property, or cutting them down with machetes when they had to. Twilight had noticed fairly quick that her sleep shedules and that of the farm ponies did not overlap, especially now that she had so much sleep to catch up on. So much sleep.

"Hey there, Twilight", the workhorse grunted as she was pulling on one especially persistent specimen.

"Is there something I could help you with?", Twilight asked, "And please, no more comments about me being a princess."

Applejack chuckled "Thanks, sugar cube. I won't say no to a few extra hooves and teeth. I'm warning you, though, your magix won't help you with these fellas."

There was a ripping sound, and Applejack landed on her back, the sapling and a whole lot of roots on her belly. "They're spell-proof."

"Spell-proof? We'll see about that..."

Twilight concentrated and pointed her horn towards a little tree just a few steps away. As her mind was reaching out to it, she suddenly felt something like a barrier, and her magic bounced off so hard it almost would have knocked her off her hooves. For some reason, a vision of Pinkie Pie eating cheese with blueberries on top was flashing inside her mind.

"Wow. It really IS spell-resistant."

"Of course it is", Applejack laughed, "would I lie to you?"

As Twilight debated whether she should actually go on using nothing but her teeth - ever since that strange nightmare involving a dentist, she was kinda paranoid in regard to her dental health - a yellow-coated pegasus appeared on the horizon, accompanied by a flock of little birds. She was heading straight for the farm. Applejack was shaking her head.

"Oh great, here comes Fluttershy. Every year it's the same. I really should have invested in some earplugs."

Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"Because very soon, she shall commence the nagging", the workhorse said.

"Fluttershy will be nagging at you? Are we talking about the same pegasus right now?"

"And how!" Applejack pointed at a pile of murdered saplings. "She doesn't like what we're doing here. You see, those are birdberries. Every summer, they are sprouting all over the place. And I mean all over the place...."

Pulling a little tree out of her stetson, she added: "Fluttershy thinks we should leave them alone..."

Applejack grunted as she unrooted yet another sapling. "As if this work wasn't hard enough as it is. There is just no reasoning with that mare..."

Twilight Sparkle was shaking her head.

"I'm surprised. I mean, you and Fluttershy, you are both earth-bound and nature-loving ponies, I'd expect you to have the right chemistry..."

Applejack sighed. "Well, that's where the trouble starts. I'm all about TAMING nature, she's all about 'preserving' it. Even the most annoying parts."

Fluttershy had arrived. Her avian escorte had setteled down in the branches of the apple trees.

"...Hello Applejack, oh, and hello, Prin..."

"TWILIGHT."

"...Uhm, hello... Twilight."

"Hello, Fluttershy."

"Howdy, Fluttershy", Applejack sighed, knowing all too well what would come next.

A little red bird was pulling Fluttershy's mane, so she would speed things up.

"... I, that is, my little friends and I, we really think... of course I know what your position on this issue is, but still I... There must be another way."

"No, Fluttershy", Applejack said, without even looking up from her work, "There isn't. I've already told you. Many times."

"...Oh, I see... but..."

Fluttershy gathered all her courage, hopped into the air and, with a few flaps of her wings, landed right between Applejack and her next victim.

"... You know... birdberries are very important trees, Applejack, and in all of Ponyville they won't grow nearly as good as over here, and if they are growing back every year, maybe there's a reason for it..."

Applejack groaned. "OF COURSE there is a reason for it. They want their land back. But I intend to keep it. So move out of the way, please, I need to be swinging that machete."

Fluttershy leaped out of the way, but only because she was startled so easily. "... Their land?"

"Yesh, Fluttershy", the workhorse said paitiently, her voice distorted by the machete between her teeth, "All of thish wash full of birdberriesh when my family firsht shettled here."

"... I see... but if that's the case, they really ARE supposed to grow here... Maybe you can compromise. Let a few of them grow on the orchard with the other trees, I'm sure they'll get along..."

Applejack spat out her weapon. "NO, Fluttershy, they most certainly won't. Birdberries are evil. They suck the earth dry and strangle almost every other plant. They're a magnet for mosquitos."

-

Applejack didn't know, nor did she care to find out the details of the relationship between mosquitos and birdberry trees. As some of you may know, only female mosquitos are drinking blood, and only do so in order to produce eggs. Male mosquitosand single females are sucking plant juices, Equestrian birdberry being one of their favorites. Quod erat nosferatu.

-

"...And their berries are giving ponies hallucinations as intricate as they are entertaining. That's why I'm getting rid of these plants."

-

This of course raises the question how Applejack could possibly know that.

-

-"I think auntie Fluttershy is raising some very good points here, sis", Apple Bloom said. She had overheard the conversation while unloading a bunch of saplings onto the pile.

Earlier that day, she had asked her friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle if they wanted to help her, with the result that the two other foals were sitting in their tree house producing a cartoon documentary about the evils of child labour. Also, giant robots. It didn't really make this chore any more enjoyable.

"Nice try, Apple Bloom, but you're not getting out of it that easily."

"Awww, Applejack! I hate this work! It's the worst! Have you seen the roots of these things? And they always grow back!"

"And that's why we have to keep on cutting 'em down. Back to work, missus."

Apple Bloom turned around and cried out.

"I swear, that one wasn't even there a minute ago! It just popped out behind mah back! This is CREEPY!"

Applejack shrugged. "That's the birdberry to ya."

-

Fun fact: The birdberry tree (Sorbus Aucuparia Equestria) is the only plant known to match the little pony (Microequus Sapiens Fausti ) in cunning and preseverence.

-

Fluttershy wouldn't give up that easily. She pointed to the area where Big Macintosh was working. "...Oh, but what about that other place, the meadow behind the orchard? Why do you have to cut those down too? They can't 'strangle' anything over there..!"

-"Yeah, Applejack! Why do we have to cut those down too?", Apple Bloom said.

The workhorse face-hoofed. She really had to keep her little sister and that birdberry-hugger separated.

"The thing about birdberries is", Applejack slowly said, "They're called birdberries for a reason. Do I really have to go into details as to  how they spread their seeds all over the place?"

"Bird poo?", Apple Bloom proposed.

"Yes, Apple Bloom. Bird poo."

The little birds in the trees looked increasingly agitated.

"... Uhm... my little friends don't like how you are suggesting it was all their fault. Maybe you should apologize..."

Applejack was starting to lose her patience. "And maybe they should stop... you know... all over the place."

A short conflict situation ensued, during which the Apple family managed to chase the angry birds from their property. For now.

In her frenzy, Applejack had almost attacked Fluttershy with her broom, mistaking her for a big yellow bird. She was able to stop just before hitting her pegasus friend.

"... Applejack", the pegasus mare said, sounding more determined this time, "it can't go on like this. You need to learn to let nature run its course."

"Keep on lecturing me if you must, but I'll do what I have to do."

The pegasus was looking at Twilight, hoping for support. "... Twilight? Surely as a mare of science, and as a Prin... you must agree that it's important to preserve the ecosystem..."

Twilight was conflicted. Both of them were her friends, and in a way, both of them were right. Then the unicorn remembered to whom she owed her holiday home.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy, but this is still her property. If Applejack thinks the trees need to go, well... she's the farmer. I'm pretty sure she knows what she is doing."

"Right on", Applejack grunted happily, "there you have it. My land, my rules."

The three mares turned around when they heard a high-pitched scream. Apple Bloom had managed to pull a sapling out of the ground. She spread the horrid, tentacle-like roots so the older ponies could appreciate the length. The little filly was looking at her sister with a reproachful stare, then at the monster root, then at her sister again.

Applejack merely chuckled. "Yepp, that's a real cutie you have found there, 'lil sis. Keep up the good work."

-

It was evening. The Apple siblings had gathered on a hill, burning the collected birdberry trees. Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle were watching the fire as well. As Applejack had pointed out, it was for the best that Twilight got away from her books and administrative duties from time to time and do some work that was more down-to-earth.

"What do you know. We even finished an hour earlier than last year", Applejack said.

"You know what's the worst?", Apple Bloom said, trying to get her sister's attention again, "when you pull on one of them things and it turns out to be Pinkie Pie."

She pointed at a birdberry sapling that was still standing. It was swinging from side to side, as if to lure the foal.

"Nice try. I won't fall for it again. Although..." The foal put on a smug expression. "Maybe there IS one more weed to throw into the fire."

The fake birdberry tree sqeaked and retracted into the ground.

Watching the burning pile of trees, Fluttershy was shaking her head. "... So much needless killing... it's painful to watch."

Applejack sighed. "And still, you're watchin'! And commenting on it, too. Lighten up, will ya?"

Seeing her pegasus friend's shocked expression, she blushed and said: "Sorry. I guess that was a tad tasteless, given the situation. Still, no need to make a long face like that. It's all over now, and believe me, it's better this way. I'll make you an apple pie, what do you say about that? Just the way you like it?"

Almost against her will, the other mare smiled. "... That sounds lovely."

"There you go."

Suddenly, Applejack's ears went up. There was the sound of flapping wings and rustling leaves. It was faint, but still loud enough to point to a place not that far away. "Now what is going on over there..."

She turned around to her friends and siblings. "You're hearing it too, right?"

"Eee-yup", Big Macintosh said, which was surprisingly talkative for his standards.

"Well I...", Twilight said, but she was interrupted by Fluttershy, a complete novum all by itself.

-"...I don't hear anything! You must be mistaken! Poor Applejack, you have worked so hard all day, maybe you should lay down for a moment, I could massage your hooves if you like..."

"No, I'm pretty sure I heard something. Almost sounded like... Could it be?"

She rushed towards the rim of the Everfree Forest. With a few powerful strides, she dived into the undergrowth. Her friends and her little sister had trouble keeping up with her. Though it was made easier by the cutting the workhorse was leaving behind, they also had to be careful not to slip on the smurfs she had squashed.

Finally, the four fillies arrived in a beautiful clearing, with a single tree in its centre. It was an adult birdberry tree, larger than any tree on Sweet Apple Acres, and probably much older, too. Dozens of birds were feasting on its red fruit. The opposite of feasting was taking place as well.

Pollen was dancing in the golden rays of the summernight sun.

Applejack looked up the wooden giant. She let out a satisfied whistle.

"Would you look at this! El Giganto Birdberry. Grandmother of all things birdberry. Destroyer of worlds. We meet at last."

Still examining her find, and without turning around, the workhorse said: "Apple Bloom? Go fetch me mah chainsaw."

"NO!", Fluttershy cried. "...Please, Applejack! Don't hurt it! It's the original tree! Without it, there won't be any more birdberries!"

"No more birdberries? That sounds pretty sweet to me."

The eyes of the workhorse were glittering with the prospect of impending murder.

Fluttershy had fallen flat on her belly, reduced to begging for the life of her wooden friend. "...Please! Oh please! You can't end an entire species like this!"

"Watch me."

By then, Apple Bloom had arrived with the gear.

"...Oh no... now she is putting on that white mask with the holes..."

As they watched the workhorse getting ready, Twilight started having second thoughts as well. "Maybe you should be more careful... Think this through... we know very little about the inner workings of the Everfree Forest..."

It was no use. Right now, Applejack's universe revolved on nothing but the task ahead of her.

"Yee-HA!", Applejack sang as she was about to strike the trunc. "You're going DOWN!"

"NO!"

Too late. The next thing they knew, there was the sound of tortured wood.

Fluttershy was whining and covering her eyes and ears. The noise was incredible. The birds were fleeing in terror. The stank of the chainsaw fuel was burning in in the fillies' nostrils.

"There is no turnin' back nah!! Take THAT, you mean green mother'..!", Applejack hollered, her accent growing thicker with her excitement.

-"Yeah, Applejack! You show 'em!", Apple Bloom was cheering her sister on. Seeing her sibling in all her glory, with that buzzing saw and her bulging muscles, made the foal proud to be an Apple.

The air was filled with sawdust.

Soon, the tree came thundering to the ground.

-

Again, squashing several smurfs in the process, but quite frankly, they deserve everything that's coming to them.

-

"Yep, yep, yep", Applejack said. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

"A beautiful cut, sis", Apple Bloom commented.

The birds had returned to the clearing, and they gathered around the fallen trunk, lowering their heads and singing their saddest songs, as if it was a burial.

"... Now you've really done it, Applejack", Fluttershy said, "I hope you are proud of yourself."

Applejack contemplated her hoofywork and grinned. "I most certainly am."

The pegasus had joined the mourning birds, offering consolation.

"Oh, COME ON", the workhorse said, "It was just a bad weed! I'm sure your feathered friends will find new seeds to spread."

Twilight Sparkle was examining the stump. "Fascinating. I've been counting the growth rings, and I tell you, this tree is ancient."

"Too bad birdberry wood is useless for anything but making chopsticks."

-

Read: Utterly worthless. Remember that these words were pronounced by an earh pony of Equestrian nationality. Earth ponies form the Eastern Empires on the other hoof were know for their dexterous tongues. Also, Pinkie Pie, but she didn't like chopsticks either. She preferred saltsticks.

-

"That's not all... the growth patterns are really peculiar. I've never seen anything like it..."

"Well, how much do you know about tree guts?"

The young unicorn snorted. "For starters, I used to live inside a tree."

"Oh yeah. Good point."

Twilight  cast a spell that made a magic lense appear in front of her face, allowing her to take a closer look. "It's almost as if they were... glowing... Really strange."

The Princess shrieked and fell on her rump as a column of light errupted from the stump. It was gone almost as fast as it had appeared. As the fillies were looking at one another, startled, the birds took off and left the clearing. Then the ground started shaking.

Fluttershy jumped into the air, while Applejack grabbed her little sister and Twilight and took cover behind the fallen tree trunc. The little earthquake lasted hardly anly longer than the blast of light had.

"What was THAT?", Applejack protested when the ordeal was over.

"AJ, can you get me a sample of that wood? I can't harvest it with my magic. Something is seriously off about this tree."

"Good thing then that I got rid of it, I guess."

Twilight was shaking her head, but didn't bother to reply.

-

Now that the sun had disappeared behind the horizon, it was rapidly getting colder. The fillies didn't lose time to leave the forest and return to the farm. Big Macintosh was waiting for them with a lantern.

"BigMac! Hey, BigMac!", Apple Bloom greeted her brother, "You know what? Applejack cut down the biggest birdberry tree EVER! Did you hear it fall?!"

The big stallion nodded.

"Yep, it was a hard day's work alright", Applejack declared, "And there's more where that came from. We really ought to wash up and catch some sleep. You too, Twilight."

She glanced at her unicorn friend and chuckled. "My word, you can hardly even stand on your feet."

"I'm hurting... well, everywhere, in fact."

"Wait until tomorrow." Applejack poked Twilight with her nose.

Twilight rewarded her with a sheepish grin.

"Fluttershy? What about you? If you want to stay too, just say it."

The pegasus was shaking her head. "...If it's all the same to you, I'll just fly home. It's really not that far away."

Applejack shrugged. "Suit yourself. Now let's hit the shower."

-

Applejack was standing on a wide, open field. Suddenly, the ground started shaking. As giant cracks were appearing all over the place, the earth pony started running in hope to reach safe ground.

Then she noticed Fluttershy flying above her.

"H-hey! F-Fluttershy! C-can y-you give m-me a l-lift?"

"... I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you might be a little too heavy for me..."

"Y-you are still m-mad because of the tree, aren't you?"

"... You really should have listened to me."

"W-what is happening?"

"... I'm not sure... Sometimes, my chicken are afraid the sky might fall down. This is different, I think..."

The next crack was too large for Applejack to jump.

"... Maybe it's better if you don't look down..."

Applejack looked down.

-

Applejack woke up, barely holding back the scream rising inside her throat.

When she had calmed down to the point of looking around, her eyes met those of Apple Bloom, and she had to fight another scream.

The little filly was standing next to her bed, still wearing her night gown.

"Apple Bloom! What are you doing here?"

"I'm scared", the filly said. "Things are very strange right now."

"What kind of strange?"

They watched something like a very thin, oily tentacle slide into the room until it reached the window. The window exploded.

Applejack's eyes widened, her little sister merely nodded.

"That kind of strange."

-

Twilight and the Apple siblings had gathered down in the kitchen. They had brought Granny Smith with them, but the elderly mare was fast asleep on Big Macintosh's back, mirroring Spike who had curled up between Twilight's wings, mumbling something about how it was Owlowiscious' shift.

The entire building was shaken by strange noises. The white, oily substance Applejack had noticed in her room was spreading over the floor and every wall, like a complex network of vines. It would cause pictures and vases to fall to the ground, metal objects to rust at an alarming pace, potted plants to wither and fruit to turn into mush. So far, the ponies had been able to avoid being touched by it for too long, only suffering some minor burns.

"Twilight, have you any idea what's going on here?"

"I'm sorry. This is unlike anything I've ever seen or read about. What concerns me even more is that it seems to be draining my magic powers... We better get out of here fast."

Apple Bloom protested as Applejack forced her to put on her coat, but there was no room for negotiation. Besides, it really was cold outside at this time of the night.

"Oh no", the orange mare said when they were standing in front of the house, "That's what I was afraid of..."

The thin tentacles, or whatever they were, had already spread all over the farm. Like cracks in a world that was about to break apart...

"They are climbing up the apple trees! Why, you..."

Applejack grabbed a shovel and started hitting the tentacle closest to her with much gusto. She was able to flatten it, but that didn't seem to keep it from creeping further, and it soon popped back into shape. The blade of the shovel, however, had turned into something about as solid as wet cardboard.

When the blight reached the trees, it was slowly destroying the fruit and the leaves, but left the trunc itself unharmed.

"Whatever it is", Twilight Sparkle said, "It doesn't seem to affect wood."

"Good thing my grandpa hardly used any metal nails when he build our house", Applejack said. "But if we don't hurry, there still won't be much left of our farm."

They jumped when something landed next to them with a thud. Big Macintosh raised his lantern, and Fluttershy stepped into their midst.

"... I had a nightmare", Fluttershy said in stead of a greeting, "I was dreaming you were in trouble."

"You were dreaming right, sugar cube", Applejack said.

-

Twilight headed straight into town to commandeer the library, while the Apples proceeded to attack the blight with everything they could think of.

Water only made it wet, and if anything, even more slippery. Fire didn't seem to have any effect. Because it resembled slugs in its texture, Apple Bloom proposed to use salt on it, which caused it to turn yellow for a few seconds. Pepper only made it sneeze, which wasn't pretty, and sugar sent it into a frenzy. It couldn't be cut, and it couldn't be squashed. It couldn't even be insulted without making you feel stupid.

The Apples were later joined by Rainbow Dash, who offered the options of frying the creep with lightning and spitting on it. To no avail.

Over the course of the day, more and more curious inhabitants of Ponyville joined the efforts, their propositions growing increasingly outlandish. The magic of the unicorn ponies was no help at all. As Twilight had observed earlier, the vines were magical parasites that drained the energy out of every spell used either on them or in their proximity.

When the plague reached the town itself, the fire department and the police were moving out.

The mayor was addressing the population with a megaphone.

"Citizens of Ponyville! Do not panic! Public services and engaged citizens are working relentlessly to deal with this crisis! We have our best scientist on the job!"

-

They also had their only scientist on the job, which just happened to be in town because of her vacation from Canterlot duties.

-

After a while, even experts from Canterlot and newsreporters started to arrive to report on Princess' Twilight's newest misshap.

-"I am standing here in front of Ponyville city hall, as the little town is struck once again by a magical disaster that could bring doom over our entire country, just as it was paid a visit by Princess Twilight Sparkle herself... Let's hear what this young protester has to say. I understand you and your group have come all the way from  San Pranceisco to be here today."

-"That's right! This town is a disgrace to all of Equestria! Have you seen the statistics? Their rates of magical disasters is about 3% higher than the national average! What are they DOING? Over in San Pranceisco we do anything in our power to find safe alternatives to magic and waking eldritch horrors from their tombs, but what's the use if we'll all be doomed anyway because of towns like this one? And don't even get me started on Princess Sparkle..."

-

Applejack raised an eyebrow when she saw Rarity approaching with two rolls of fabric.

"Now what good is that supposed to do? You think you can win them over with fancy dresses?"

"It wouldn't be the first time I won over a ruffian with the art of the dress, my dear", the unicorn lady said.

She gingerly touched the substance with one sample of fabric, then with the other. Almost instantly, the rolls changed colors.

"I KNEW it! Orange and cyan pokadots! That's so last year! Brrrr... this one is even growing frills."

"What in tarnation was that supposed to achieve?"

Rarity sighed. "I just needed to know how this... disaster was going to affect my buisness."

"Your boutique is in the middle of town. Your stuff should be safe. We'll find a way to end this crud in no time."

Rarity smiled, sadly.

"Applejack, darling... Have a look around."

Applejack raised her head. Since they hadn't made any progress in fighting the tentacles, the Apples and their allies had been fighting in retreat without even noticing it. They had already reached mainstreet.

"Oh no... No..."

Ponies were packing their things and leaving their houses.

"This is a nightmare..."

Applejack turned to Fluttershy, who was standing close by.

"You! Shouldn't you be trying to communicate with that stuff, or something?"

Fluttershy winced.

"... I'm sorry... It's not a lifeform. If anything, it's the opposite of a lifeform."

"And what does that make it? A deathform?"

Applejack gulped. She didn't like the sound of that.

"AJ! Hey, AJ!"

She looked up. Rainbow Dash was hovering above them.

"Twilight says she wants to meet us at the library! I think she found something!"

Applejack closed her eyes for a moment to savour this.

A solution.

Maybe, just maybe, she thought, we can still fix this.

-

The mane six and Spike had gathered at the library.

Twilight brought out chalk and a blackboard to illustrate her report as she was talking to her friends.

"Two words: Fairy magic."

She knocked two times at the board with her chalk after adding a primitive drawing of a tree with a magic aura around it.

"What do fairies have to do with broccoli?", Spike asked.

Twilight punished him quickly and discretely. Then she was looking at Applejack.

"Remember the old birdberry tree? It would seem that it was planted by fairies. I believe when you cut it down, you released an evil spirit."

"Come again?"

"It says in this book I discovered that the faen used to trap the most dangerous of their immortal ennemies inside trees. They had a preference for birdberry trees, aparently."

"You don't say", Applejack mumbled.

"And you really think that's what we're dealing with here?", Rarity asked.

"The things going on in Ponyville right now are matching the description in the book. When a prison tree is destroyed, there is what they call a "doom spill". I examined the sample we have collected earlier. The tree was definitely a fairy prison. That also explains the strange growth rings. The evil was trying to fight its way out, year after year, and the tree was fighting back..."

"So what do we do now?", Rainbow Dash wanted to know.

"I think at this point there is only one thing we CAN do. We need to find the faen who planted the tree and ask them how to trap the evil once again."

"...But how do we find them?", Fluttershy wondered.

"This might come as a shock to you, but I've done some reading on fairies after our encounter with the changelings."

It didn't come as a shock to anyone.

"Aparently, there is only one major fairy nation in the general Ponyville area, a lose coaltion of several tribes, or 'hives' as they call themselves. They are almost extinct, the last of them are living in a valley deep inside the Everfree Forest, way up north. Nopony knows the exact location of their nests, but there are ways to find them. For instance, they are known to gather lots of treasure. That's where Rarity's treasure-hunting skills will come in hoofy."

The white unicorn nodded, trying not to look too excited at the mention of 'treasure'.

Twilight turned to her little dragon assistant.

"Spike, I want you to come on this mission as well."

"Sure thing. For some things, you just need a man." He proudly stuck out his little chest, hoping that Rarity was looking.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Not exactly. I really hope it doesn't come to this, but we might need you to do the talking."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Since when is diplomacy his strong point?"

"Since when is anything his strong point?", Rainbow Dash whispered.

-

She still hadn't gotten over the fact that Twilight had chosen Spike to replace her as the element of loyalty during their battle with Discord.

-

Spike was pouting.

"The faen might not want to talk to us. Even to a pony princess", Twilight explained, "Remember Queen Chrysalis and her brood? Yeah. I'm afraid they're pretty representative. Fairy creatures don't like ponies."

"I'm not sure how I'm feeling about you guys either", Spike mumbled, earning a gentle tail smack by his master.

"...Why not?", Fluttershy asked.

"If I was to make a wild guess, it might have something to do with the fact that we destroyed their habitats to make room for our towns and farm land. Most of  Equestria was crawling with faen creatures when our ancestors came here. We almost hunted them into extinction."

Twilight petted Spike on the head. "They like dragons, though. If they are hostile, Spike might be our way out."

The unicorn turned around again. "We'll need Rainbow Dash for scouting, Fluttershy to survive inside the Everfree Forest, Applejack as a strong argument should negotiations get more agressive, and Pinkie Pie... we'll need Pinkie Pie. Somehow, we always do." She unrolled a checklist with their needs for the expedition. "And I'll go along too, you know, for giggles."

"Hey, not fair!", Pinkie cried, "You already get to do the organizing and thinking and all the big magic stuff. I want to do the giggles!"

"If you must."

"Neado."

-

End of Act 1

Act 2: The expedition

Act 3: The offspring