A Friend In Need

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten

Chapter One

Twilight carefully read over the scroll once again. She licked her lips, making sure to commit every detail to memory. A single mistake could end up ruining the entire experiment, or worse, perform a different spell that what was originally intended. Her eyes pored over the page once again.

She took a deep breath, raising a hoof to her chest and moving it away. She gently set the scroll in the midst of the Elements, next to the hoof-held mirror. The Elements of Harmony themselves were arranged in a circle around the two objects.

Twilight steadied the magic in her horn. She cleared her mind, save for the ideas of another world. She focused her magic, and began the spell. This spell was based off of Starswirl the Bearded's spell to open portals to other dimensions, but with a major difference. Instead of being bound to a random shapeless portal, it would seek out the largest source of magic, and open a portal there. The Elements would help the portal appear in an appropriate setting, instead of being, say, in the ground. They would also stop the worlds from 'Twinning,' as had happened before.

A noise reached her ears. It was the Sun Summer Celebration, and a parade was going on. She tuned out the music; she had to focus at the task at hoof. Yes. The spell was reaching. If all went well, then the portal would connect to a world of-

BLAST! A deep bass blast reached down below. Electronic music followed. Twilight faltered. The magic broke free of her control, but started taking energy from her! Twilight gasped as she lost her strength. Her magic was being pulled from her body, reshaped and about to be reused!

The Elements glowed, giving strength to Twilight. She took back control of the magic, and tried to refocus her mind. She failed. The magic from the Elements had enhanced her senses, and now the music above was so loud; it took up too much of her thoughts. She released the spell in her confusion, and it darted towards the mirror. It came into contact, releasing a violent purple light. It struck the scroll, destroying it in the process.

Twilight rushed over to break the mirror, when it released a blast of fading-denim blue and angry pink. She was thrown onto her back, sliding across the ground. The door threw open, and the pink energy left, pulling the blue behind it. Celestia attempted to catch them in her magic, but they were too quick.

Twilight rolled left, getting to her hooves. She and Celestia quickly ran up the stairs, going to the top of the tower. They came to a hard stop, and watched the two energies flying away, too fast for even Rainbow Dash to follow.

Twilight gulped. "Consarn it," she swore.

Celestia gave a sigh. "Well, as least we have the scroll. We can find those pieces of magic using that."

Twilight slowly looked up at Celestia, before slowly looking forward again. "Oh, Celestia, curse it," she swore.

Chapter Two

Fluttershy gave a soft hum as she held the small piece of wood in place with her hooves. Fred the Flamingo carefully held the smooth half of the screw. Barry, the Bat, was slowly screwing it in. Fluttershy smiled. The repairs to the chicken coop were almost done.

Sitting to the side at a table were Sweetie Belle and Button Mash. They were drinking apple juice from little juice boxes, each talking about all the work they did to help. In all truth, they didn’t help much, but they were children.

Button Mash took another slurp of his apple juice. His eyes wondered towards the sky. “Hey, Sweetie Belle?”

“Huh?” Sweetie Belle asked as she tried to push the straw into the juice box.

“What do you think those are?” he asked, pointing.

Sweetie Belle looked up. “I’d say birds, but they keep stretching. It looks like they’re fighting.”

Button Mash squinted in an attempt to see the shapes better. “I don’t think the blue one is fighting back. Hey! Fluttershy! Two birds are fighting!” The shapes stopped, before diving towards the children. “Uh, oh.”

“I don’t think they liked you shouting. Run!” Sweetie Belle cried out. She and Button tried to escape, but the lights reached them. The pink threw the blue at Sweetie Belle as it dashed towards Button Mash. Both threw their heads back and opened their mouths to scream, causing the lights to land in their mouths.

Button Mash gagged as the light went into his throat. He coughed, sending it flying. He went over to Sweetie Belle, smacking her on the back. The pink light came charging back just as the blue light was sent flying, causing the lights to crash into each other and go flying.

Button Mash began running, and Sweetie Belle was right behind him.

Fluttershy stared in confusion, looking at where the children were running, and then at the bushes where the ‘birds’ landed. She looked back and forth, before turning to Fred the Flamingo. “Follow them and make sure that they’re all right.” Fred gave a salute, before starting to run and fly, moving to stay above the children.

Fluttershy gave a smile and a nod. She moved towards the bushes, all the other animals following her. She gave a small frown at the shadow starting to cover her, and turned around to see the large crowd of animals. She gave a small glare. “Shoo. You’re going to scare them. Shoo.” The animals gave an apologetic look, before going back to what they were before.

Fluttershy gave a small nod. She turned back towards the bushes. She took a step back as a violent flash of light erupted from them. She took a deep breath. She steps forward, moving aside the bushes. She moved her head back in surprise.

Before her was an odd creature, about the size of a child. It was a light blue, and glowing too. It had a square head, floating away from its body. Its eyes seemed to be closed, and a black tear came from the right eye. It had two little sky blue hollow triangles on its head, seeming to be ears. Its body was a rectangular prism, and its legs were nonexistent, but it had four cubes as hooves, a slightly lighter blue color than the triangles.

The creature looked at Fluttershy, seemingly drawn to her face. Then, it seemed to notice her mane. It stumbled back, twitching.

Fluttershy extended a hoof. “It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re safe. There’s no need to worry. Just calm down.” The creature, no, child, looked at her extended hoof. Fluttershy wondered for a moment if the child’s eyes were closed or if they were just slanted. It reached forward, its hoof shaking. It made contact, and Fluttershy could feel it somehow grip her hoof. “That’s it. My name is Fluttershy. What’s yours?”

It looked at her face for several moments, as if trying to decide. It spoke. “My name is Friend. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Oh, I’m not a missus yet. Would you like some hot chocolate? Angel should be done making it by now.”

Friend smiled. “I would like that.”

Chapter Three

Friend held the cup of hot chocolate, enjoying its warmth. He turned his head, looking at all the little houses that were inside the cottage. He took a deep breath, breathing in the scents. There were so many that he didn’t recognize.

Fluttershy watched as Friend looked around. A soft smile came across her face. She watched as Angle Bunny came into the room. “Oh, hello, Angel. Have you come to join us?” Friend gave a small wave from his sitting place.

Angel walked over to Friend, kicking one of his hind hooves. Friend flinched and Fluttershy gasped. “Angel! That is not how we treat guests.” Angel kicked Friend’s hoof again, complaining that Friend was in his seat. He gave another kick, gesturing towards Friend.

Fluttershy opened her mouth, about to scold Angel, when she noticed Friend was twitching and flashing pink. Angel kicked him again. “An- Angel, I think you should stop.” Angel gave a final, larger kick, and Friend became pink.

Friend gave an angry glare, and electronic music began playing. His right arm was suddenly replaced by four tiny spheres and a metal claw. “Where do you think you’re going, rabbit?” He reached for Angel, and Angel quickly dodged left. Friend glared, and his head became roughened; his eyes became roughened circles. He spat out saw blades, which Angel barely managed to dodge. Friend’s eyes became cog shaped, and he rolled backwards. He then rolled forward, becoming a giant cog himself. He rolled directly into Angel, as Fluttershy watched in frozen terror. After he hit Angel, the music stopped and he returned to his normal form, still pink.

Angel twitched on the ground, flashing pink. He glowed, and became pink, glowing the color. He stood and gave a salute to Friend. “Devil, reporting for duty, Second-In-Command.”

Friend gave a growl. “Call me Fiend. It’s my name, after all. Now, General Devil, we have work to do.”

Fluttershy gave a whimper, her hot chocolate sloshing around as she shivered. Angel, or rather, Devil looked at her, and Flutter shy saw that his ears had sharpened and his eyes had grown; they were black with a pink center. “Ah, Fluttershy! Can’t wait to see what you look like!” he said, head tilting slightly. He approached her, and Fluttershy gave a sob.

“P- Please sto- stop. You’re scaring me,” she whimpered. Devil paid no attention, but Fiend’s face softened. He twitched, flashing blue. Devil came closer to Fluttershy.

“Wait! Angel- I mean, General Devil! Stay still, and do not touch the female,” Friend called out.

Devil obeyed, his paws only a few inches away from Fluttershy’s tail. “Fiend, why is your voice different?” he asked. His eyes looked directly at Fluttershy’s, and Devil gave a wink.

“Wha- What do you mean?” Friend asked. His ears were rising above his head, aiming towards Devil.

“Usually, when our voices change, we carry a second voice, the voice of the King. You had it a few seconds ago, but I don’t hear it anymore.”

Friend stepped closer, a soft sound starting up. Devil spun around, pink carrots appearing in the air as the first three beats to a piece of music began. With a second soft noise, the triangles went into Devil. A spectrum of colors shone, and Angel landed on the ground.

The triangles went back onto Friend’s head. They tilted outwards, and Friend lowered his head. “I’m so sorry. Nothing I can do can make up for what I just did. I’ll leave.” Friend started to turn towards the door.

“W- Wait.” Friend stopped, looking back at Fluttershy. “You don’t have to leave. I forgive you,” Fluttershy said with a soft smile. She looked at Angel, who was staring at his own paws in confusion. He went over to Friend, demanding to know what happened to him.

Friend flinched, then tilted his head in confusion. “You speak a different sound? It sounds close enough for me understand. Oh, right. Um, I infected you with the Pink. I apologize, and I know that there isn’t anything I can do to make up for it, but-“

Angel made a sound of complaint, saying that Fluttershy said Friend was forgiven. Friend looked back and forth between the two.

“D- Does that mean I can stay?” he asked. Fluttershy nodded, and Angel agreed. Friend smiled, going up to Fluttershy and giving her a hug.

Chapter Four

Rarity gave a sigh. It seemed like today was another uneventful day. She hadn’t had a single customer in a week, but she couldn’t figure why business was so bad. Now, it wasn’t the bits she was missing, but the opportunity to work on a piece of art, a tapestry of fabric and silk! But it was about time to close up for the day.

She went towards the door, wishing for a customer. The door opened, and Fluttershy entered. “Oh! Speak of the Princess. I was just hoping a customer would arrive. Or did you just stop by to chat?” Rarity asked. A light blue foal walked in behind Fluttershy. Rarity squinted. Maybe she needed to get her eyes checked.

“Oh, um. No. I mean, yes. That is, I came to chat, and to get an outfit for Friend.” Fluttershy stepped aside, showing the foal more clearly. Rarity blinked. She must need glasses for casual observing.

“Friend? Is that their name? Hello, Friend. I am Rarity. Could you tell me what fashion of clothes you are looking for?” she asked. She turned and grabbed her glasses with her magic, bringing them to her face.

“I’m not sure. Perhaps something for comfort, but also easy to take off? I’m not sure. Maybe something warm?” the foal asked, looking around.

Rarity brought a hanky to herself, removing her glasses and rubbing them clean. She put them back on her nose, looking at the foal again. She gave a slight frown as she repeated the process of cleaning her glasses. She gave a small ‘ahem,’ drawing the attention of Fluttershy. With a toss of her head, Rarity indicated that they talk in the other room. Fluttershy gave a look of confusion, but followed.

Once in the other room, Rarity leaned towards Fluttershy. “What was that?” she questioned.

“What was what?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head slightly to the left.

“What is that creature that you have brought to my Boutique?”

“Oh! Well, he’s Friend.”

“And what is it?”

“Well, Friend sounds like a colt to me,” Fluttershy answered.

Rarity lowered her head and gave a long sigh. “What is it?” she asked, raising her head.

“Oh. Um, I don’t know.”

“Where did you find him?”

“By the edge of the Ever-“ Fluttershy began.

“The Everfree?! Oh, Fluttershy, you know that the creatures there take care of themselves.”

“No, they crashed by the Everfree. They’re not from there.”

“Alright. Where is he from?”

“Oh. Um, I’m not sure.”

“So, you found a pony like creature by the edge of the Everfree after it crashed. You take it here, but you don’t know what it is, you don’t know where it’s from, and you’re not even sure that it’s a colt.”

“Um. . .” Fluttershy began as she took a step back.

“And what’s more, its head looks like an acid gel cube, or whatever they are called.”

“Well. . .” Fluttershy said as she pulled part of her hair in front of her eyes.

Rarity gave another sigh. “Fluttershy. I understand where your heart was, but you need to start asking questions first.”

Fluttershy gave a small sigh. Before either could say another word, something hit the wall outside the room. Both mares glanced at each other, and the bang repeated. Fluttershy opened the door and exited the room, Rarity right behind her. Friend was slamming his head against the wall, flashing pink. In one of the moments of pink, he spoke.

“We’re more than just ‘things,’ you stupid creature.” Slam. Slam. “Did you think I would be stupid enough to not realize you wanted to leave the room to talk about us?” Slam! SLAM! “We’re not idiots!”

“Not again,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“N- Not again?! What is it doing? What is going to happen?” Rarity shouted.

“Don’t get touched by him!” Fluttershy said as she approached the flickering creature.

Rarity backed up, before realizing how close Fluttershy was. “What on Earth are you doing?” she hissed. “Get away from that thing!”

Fluttershy continued approaching Friend. “Hey, it’s okay. Rarity didn’t mean any of those rude things. She was just confused, and sometimes, when we get confused, we say things that may not be nice.” Friend stopped flickering, leaning against the wall. He shuddered. Suddenly, he twitched and became pink.

“That’s no reason to insult us!” His left arm become some form of claw, and Rarity sent an ice spell to freeze him.

He stopped, not frozen, but stunned. He flickered blue. “Quick, again,” he said. Rarity repeated the spell, and Friend seemed to relax. His torso fell to the ground, his head landing on it. He gave a sigh. “Better. Much better.”

Rarity approached the two. “What? Was? That?”

“It was the Pink. I’m sorry. He just gets so angry so fast,” Friend answered from his spot on the ground.

“The ‘Pink’? Fluttershy, what did you mean by ‘not again?’” Rarity asked, turning her head to look at Fluttershy.

“Well, he did this before at my cottage. Angel kept kicking him, and Friend got upset.”

“Do you what this ‘Pink’ is?”

“Um. . . No?” Fluttershy answered, hiding behind her hair.

Rarity gave a sigh. “Of course. Well, time for a little Q and A, hmm?” Rarity faced Friend. “First, where you from are, and he’s fallen asleep. Fantastic.”

“Well, anger does take a lot out of someone, and he’s so small. I’ll take him home, and I’ll come back first thing tomorrow. Is that okay?” Fluttershy asked, flying over to Friend and grabbing his torso.

“Absolutely not. Tomorrow, you are going to bring him to Twilight. She is a researcher; she will know what to ask, and how to get the most information from a question. Oh! I almost forgot.” Rarity turned her head, levitating a small cloak to them. “Here, take this. This should stop any townsfolk from panicking if they see him. And no charge,” she added as Fluttershy was about to ask.

“Oh, well, thank you. Um, could you lift his feet and give them to me?” Fluttershy asked.

Rarity arched an eyebrow. “Darling, look at his feet. They’re floating close to the body. I don’t think his ‘limb levitation’ ends just because he’s asleep.”

“Oh. Um, goodbye, then, Rarity. See you tomorrow. Um, see you soon.” She left, gently flapping out the door.

Rarity gave a sigh. Ponyville was a nice town, but it didn’t need Discord’s influence to be the Capital of Chaos.

Chapter Five

Editor’s note: For whatever reason, I kept typing ‘Bottom’ instead of ‘Button’.

Another note: This is a large chapter. I’m proud of me.

Chapter Five

Twilight gave a happy hum as she placed a book onto a shelf. And then her eye caught sight of her research notes for the mirror. She sighed, leaning her head against the crystal of the shelf.

“H- Hello? Twilight? Are you in here?” Fluttershy’s voice sounded. Twilight perked up. A distraction in the form of her friend. She then scolded herself for using that sentence, even if it was just in her mind.

“I’m in the Library,” Twilight said, directing her voice towards the door. Fluttershy entered, and Twilight decided to close the doors behind her. A quick reach with a ‘magic net’, Twilight’s favorite method of interacting with objects, and the door swung close. Or, it should have.

“Ow! Oops, sorry,” a colt’s voice sounded. Twilight estimated the foal might be close to his twenties. Unless it was a griffin, in that case, the child would be about eight years of age.

“Sorry about that. I didn’t realize that someone was behind Fluttershy.” Twilight walked towards the door as it swung back open. She bent down slightly to look at the creature better. “Hmm. Changing Crystal. Skill level of seven or ten, based on the size, glow, solidity, and complexity of your form. Welcome to my Library. What kind of book would you like?” she asked, straightening back up.

“A- a book? What’s that?” the Crystal asked, facial features arranging, head tilting, and ears moving as if to indicate confusion. Skill level was at least an eight, to imitate emotions though body movement and facial expression. Voice had a very melodious effect to it, indicating that this Changing Crystal imitated a voice using an extremely controlled song, so perhaps a skill level of eleven.

Twilight gave a small squeal of excitement. Another creature to teach reading to! She rushed to a bookshelf, second row from the floor, eighth column; searching for a thin book with a red cover and golden spine with black spirals; book name, ‘Learning the E Alphabet’. “Let’s begin with the basics.” She lifted the book from its place, turning to face the Crystal.

“Um, I don’t mean to be rude, but, um. Well, we actually came so you could ask him some questions about him, since I may not understand some of the answers he gives me,” Fluttershy explained.

“He?” Twilight asked.

“Well, he sounds like a colt.” Fluttershy turned and looked at the Crystal. “Y- You are, right?”

The Crystal looked away from the vase he was inspecting. “Huh? Oh, yes, we are.” Twilight noted that the Changing Crystal identifies as male, and refers to itself as ‘we’. Twilight then frowned. Why did the Crystal alter its voice to imitate surprise, instead of letting out a surprised music note? “Um, is something wrong?”

Twilight shook her head slightly, causing her mane to shift but not bend. “No, nothing’s wrong. So, what am I supposed to ask you?”

“Um, anything, I guess,” he answered, looking at the vase. Most probable reasoning for that behavior was he was trying to memorize the proportions and patterns so he could shift into it, should the need arise.

“Alright. Take a seat.” Twilight sat in one of the large purple chairs with a high back and plush cushions. “Let’s begin with the basics. What’s your name?”

“I’m Friend. Or Fiend, but not often,” Friend answered as he sat on a red cushion of about level six plush and level four soft. He moved his appendages experimentally, as if testing the softness. Fiend was likely a name he used to separate emotions, a common practice of Changing Crystals.

“Where are you from?”

“I’m from Paradise,” he answered, turning in a small circle. There were five places in Equestria with Paradise as a name; two were towns inhabited by creatures commonly recognized as sentient.

“Could you describe this Paradise?” Twilight asked, placing away the reading book.

“Well, the main color is blue. Most of the shapes that live there are Flowers, but sometimes, there’s a Cube.” Friend poked at the cushion. He stepped off and tapped the ground, then went back onto the pillow. Twilight noted the behavior. Most likely explanation: Fluttershy found this Crystal in a cave that hasn’t been recorded before, seeing as how recorded Changing Crystals’ natural forms were rough spheres. This Crystal was a youngling wanting to explore the outside world, and was quick to learn the basic form of a quadrilateral creature. Well, better to work off of fact than notion.

“Fluttershy, where did you find Friend?” she asked, looking at Fluttershy’s spot at one of the tables.

“Oh. He was by the edge of the Everfree. Button Mash said he was a bird. Well, there were two of them. Oh, dear, I’m messing up.”

“It’s okay. Just try from the start,” Twilight assured. Cube bounced on the cushion, and then his face became one of surprise. His bounced again. He then seemed to lower himself. Most likely explanation: He hadn’t intended to design knees into his shape, and thus was testing his invisible knees.

“Okay. Sweetie Belle and Button Mash were helping me repair the chicken coop, and then I let them take a break. Button Mash said there were birds fighting, and then I guess the birds flew into their mouths somehow. They spat them out and ran off, and the birds landed in a bush by the edge of the Everfree. I sent Fred to make sure they were alright, and he came back later to let me know that the children were okay.

“Anyways, I had gone to the bush, when a bright flash of light came from it. I found Friend inside. I gave him some hot chocolate, and then Angel came into the room. He complained about Friend being in his spot and kept kicking him. Then- well. Um, Friend, is it okay if I tell her?" Fluttershy asked, turning towards him.

He looked up in surprise, balancing on his left limbs. "Huh? Oh- oh. Yes, it's alright."

Fluttershy nodded. "Thank you. Um, so, he became pink, and attacked Angel. But when Angel was hit, he also became pink. I think it may be a parasitic infection, but I'm not sure yet. He calmed down, and turned Angel, or, err, Devil back. Then, because it was getting late, I decided that I should take him to Rarity's to get something to cover him up, since he looks- Well, he looks like a Gelatinous Cube.

"Rarity pulled me to the side to ask me about him, and it upset him that Rarity was questioning about him. He turned pink again, but I calmed him down," Fluttershy said. Friend got up and went back to inspecting the vase. "Rarity gave him that cloak he's wearing, and she said that we should come to you to ask questions about him, since I wouldn't know what to ask. And now, here we are." She turned her head to watch Friend as Twilight digested the information.

“What color is this?” Friend asked, pointing at the vase.

“Hmm? Oh, it’s grey. Well, I like to call it storm-cloud-grey on the account of that being the design,” Twilight answered, forming the next questions to ask in advance.

“Grey. Not a color I’ve seen before. It’s almost . . . dry? But it’s a light shade of dry?” Cube tapped the vase. Because of its weight, it didn’t wobble.

“Alright, Friend. If you would like to take a seat, we can continue with the questions.” Friend went back to the cushion, lowering his body to it. “Could you tell me more about Paradise? Say, lands by it, the ‘colors’ and ‘shapes’ of the area, and the weather.”

“Alright. Um, Paradise is home to the Flowers and Cubes, although, some go to the other island chains. Paradise has fields and the Tree” - Twilight noted the use of singular. Perhaps there is a larger importance? - “on the main island, and a volcano on either of its smaller ones. Both are active. Um, there’s Utopia. Pentagons and Hexagons form there, but it’s home to circles and hexagons as well. There are blue forests on those islands. Um, Circles and Triangles are formed in Perfection. Those islands are flat and rocky, with some risings here and there, like caves above the ground. Water flows through, and there are springs everywhere. And then, there are Stars and Pluses. They live up in the sky with the sun. They control the weather during the night.”

Twilight noted all the information. Friend seemed to get sidetracked when he started on one set of information, since he did not answer about the colors. She should be writing this down. She sat up with a start. “Oops,” she muttered. She forgot to get Spike. He never forgot the importance of writing a note. She cleared her throat. “Spike! To the Library, please!” She relaxed her back, already hearing the sounds of his running feet. What a great little brother.

Spike threw open the doors to the Library. “I’m here!” he shouted. Friend jumped up in surprise of the shout. He landed on one limb at an angle, but that limb was on the cushion, causing him to slide. He fell, hitting the ground.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Spike called out. He ran over to Friend, about to help him up. Then Twilight spotted the glint in his eye that told him he found the scene ‘hilarious’. Spike stopped, looked at Friend sprawled out on the ground, and started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Friend asked as he attempted to get up. One limb was still on the pillow, and thus the angle of the force caused the pillow to slide, causing Friend to lose his balance once more.

“You are! You keep slipping around! It’s hilarious!” He continued to laugh.

“Spike, that’s not nice. Say sorry,” Twilight told Spike. She noticed a worried look on Fluttershy’s face.

“But look at it!” Spike insisted. Friend now looked nervous. He flashed pink, glaring in that moment. Twilight was surprised. Changing colors for emotion? She was starting to doubt that this was a Changing Cube.

He finally settled on pink, leaping up into the air and landing on his limbs evenly. “That’s it! Time for Fiend!” Before even Twilight could react, music began playing, and Friend’s, or rather, Fiend’s front limbs became clamps of some sort, grabbing the ground and turning it pink. He lifted it up, elongating the material, then let it drop. The floor rippled like water, hitting Spike directly. Twilight and Fluttershy were seated far enough away that only a few drops of pink landed by them.

“Spike!” Twilight called out.

“Stop! Don’t touch the pink!” Fluttershy warned. Twilight drew back her hoof. Fiend’s arms returned to normal and the music stopped, only to be replaced with a different rhythm.

Spike was gripping his chest, where a pink glow in the shape of a Love Spell Heart was on his chest, directly over the place of his own. The rhythm sounded out; 1. 2-3, 4. 1. 2-3. 4. Loop. With each beat, the pink spread. Twilight wracked her mind for a solution to this situation.

The pink glow covered Spike, and continued outwards. Fiend looked amused as it continued. Downwards and outwards, it grew, lifting Spike up. He kept growing to the beat, the end result being a pink version of Spike when he grew from Dragon Greed. The deepest shade of pink was by the heart, where it kept beating to the rhythm. He nodded his head to his heartbeat, and a giant scroll appeared by his left hand; by his right was a giant feather quill. The ground around him was spreading with pink, and it was slowly spreading up the furniture. Twilight and Fluttershy backed away to avoid the spread.

The giant Spike cleared his throat. Surprisingly, it was not much different than before, save for the addition of a growl-like sound accompanying it. “Paper, check. Quill, check. Twilight, check. Alright, Twilight, what do I need to write?” he said, his voice accompanied by the same voice-like growl.

“No, you laughing idiot! Turn them!” Fiend shouted.

“. . . Why?” Spike asked.

Fiend started tapping the ground in time to Spike’s rhythm. A low bass hum joined in. After a moment, Fiend stopped. “You’re old enough, Spiked Attack! Get them!”

Spike, or rather, Spiked scratched his head. “Well, it seems that dragons stay a baby longer, and then turn older faster at a certain point. Spike is still a baby, so he can’t infect anyone quickly. Just items.”

“Then throw an infected item at them! You are large enough! I’d do it myself, but my burden is too strong!”

“Yeah, I could feel that.”

“. . . Argh! I’ll turn them myself!” Fiend turned towards Fluttershy, who was trying to hide in her mane. Upon seeing her frightened state, he twitched, flashing blue. He stumbled back and forth, before settling on blue. “I’m so sorry!” he called out. Twilight noted that where he stepped was ‘de-pinked’. He went over to Spiked Attack. “May I turn you back?” he asked.

Spiked Attack shrugged. “I don’t see why not. He has enough of his mind to make me not want to move, so I’m kinda useless for conquest.”

Friend nodded. His ears floated into the air, a hum sounding out. With another hum, the triangle went into Spiked Attack, causing a spectrum of colors to radiate. The pink faded in a moment, and the ground and items were purged. Spike’s ‘Heart’ floated down, now a larger version of the Crystal Heart. As he touched the ground, the crystal faded, letting him gently slip to the ground.

Spike sat up, giving his left arm a flex. “That felt weird. . . But awesome at the same time! How’d you make me all strong like that? And who’s this ‘King’ I was thinking about?” he asked, getting to his feet.

Friend shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s hard for me to think after I get upset and he comes out.”

Twilight stared, trying to calculate how much magic it would take to allow an infectious virus to also cast a physical shell as a radial. No, but that would mean a self replicating energy. Or maybe a different form of magic? Or maybe, for this scenario, she could call magic simply another form of energy, so she could compare it to this energy. Twilight’s ears twitched. Was sad music playing? It was a sort of a three-beat, but it wasn’t consistent.

She looked towards Fluttershy, to ask if she heard the sound. When Fluttershy wasn’t where she expected her to be, Twilight glanced about, her mane swishing. Spike tugged her mane, pointing out the now open Library doors. Lifting Spike onto her back, Twilight exited the room. She followed the three-beat sound, until she came across Fluttershy and Friend.

Friend was sitting on the ground, body shaking to the rhythm; Fluttershy had her arm across the region that would be considered shoulders on Friend. With a start, Twilight realized Friend was crying.

She stepped closer to them. One of Friend’s ‘ears’ flicked. He turned his head to look at Twilight, rotating his head about one-hundred twenty degrees. His left eye was still the flat line from earlier, angled outwards. His right eye, however, had become large and round, close to that of an Earth-Pony Written Q, a pink circle in the ring. “I’m sorry,” he said. “He’s so strong. It’s hard to hold him back. I’m so sorry.” He shook again, causing the uneven music to play. He faced forward. “I can’t even cry right!”

He continued to cry. Twilight reached a hoof out, then drew it back, unsure on how to comfort Friend. “. . . Maybe Pinkie could come over?” she thought out loud.

Fluttershy looked up. “That’s a wonderful idea! But since Pinkie works today, we could go to Sugar Cube Corner, and get some sweets in the process.” She looked at Friend. “Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“Sweets?” he asked. He looked at Fluttershy in what appeared to be surprise, but the context of the situation made it more likely that the expression was that of interest. “As in, candies?”

Fluttershy smiled. “Yes, candies.”

Chapter Six

Pinkie sprinkled some chocolate-sprinkles on a cupcake with chocolate frosting and made of chocolate-chip chocolate cake. The doors were pushed open, and Fluttershy entered. She waved, and Pinkie excitedly waved back. Pinkie sniffed the air, as there was something out of place. She craned her neck around Fluttershy to see behind her, and let out a gasp. “Someone new! Oooh! Hiya, my name’s Pinkie! What’s yours?”

Friend stepped back. "H- Hi. I'm Friend. It’s nice to meet you, Pinkie."

"And it's nice to meet you too!" Pinkie exclaimed. She held out a hoof for Friend to shake. He looked at it, reaching forward and doing a soft hoof bump. Pinkie smiled, bouncing and clapping her hooves. After her moment of celebration, she settled back onto her hooves. "So, what can I get ya?" she asked.

"Oh, um, yes. I would like a vanilla cupcake with strawberry frosting. And Friend would like anything chocolate," Fluttershy said. Pinkie looked at Friend, then at the cupcake she had just finished making.

"Huh. What a coinkidonk." She grabbed the cupcake and leaned over the counter to offer it to Friend. "Hereya go! I call it, 'The Chocolatae Pile!" Friend looked surprised for a moment, and then took the cupcake. After a moment, he gave a soft smile, like Fluttershy when she realizes something is safe and friendly. He went to a seat and sat down, slowly eating his cupcake.

Pinkie hummed as she grabbed a cupcake for Fluttershy, and she thought about her new friend, Friend. He didn't have the scent of this universe, a scent that Pinkie had learned after watching Discord open so many rifts so many times. Pinkie popped back up with a cupcake, giving it to Fluttershy. Fluttershy gave four bits, and Pinkie pushed two back. "Half off today, silly," Pinkie giggled.

"Oh. Oops. Um, sorry," Fluttershy muttered, heading towards the table that Friend was sitting at. Pinkie just gave a giggle-snort at Fluttershy’s behavior. She then turned her focus back onto Friend. He seemed young, but young was different depending on the species. Griffins were young until eighteen, while ponies had to wait until thirty, or thirty-five for brain development to max out.

Friend finished with his cupcake. He gave a smile of content. His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed Pinkie staring at him.

“Oh, sorry! I’m just trying to place what world you might be from,” Pinkie said, waving a hoof in a motion of reassurance.

“Huh? My world? Oh, um, I don’t think my world has a name. It’s just been the islands for as long as we can remember. Maybe the Sun and Clouds know.” He looked down. “I miss home. I miss my kings.”

Pinkie quickly got out another chocolate cupcake, frosting it and applying sprinkles. She zipped over to Friend, thought for a moment, and added a drizzle of hot fudge before placing it in front of him. “Cheer up, Friend! Twilight and us will be able to help you!”

Friend looked at Pinkie, at the Cupcake, then back to Pinkie. He gave a soft smile, causing Pinkie and Fluttershy to giggle. “Thank you,” he said softly.

Pinkie smiled, before zipping over to the register. She dropped four bits inside, two to finish paying for the first two cupcakes, and two for the third. She turned her head, looking around the shop. "Huh, there's hardly anypony here. Oh, well. Guess it's just not a busy day!"

Friend laughed. "You're funny, Misses Pinkie."

Pinkie waved her hoof in a disregarding manner. "Oh, I'm just a Miss."

Friend gave another laugh. "Yes, Miss Pinkie," he said, a larger smile on his face.

"Pshaw, you don't need to call me Miss Pinkie! You can just call me Pinkie, or Pinkie Pie, or Pinkamena Diana Pie, if you're the sort to do full names. Or you can even call me Pink Pony, my yak name. Or, if you want to say my name in Yakish, 'Yuak Yakik Yuk!' That, or it's 'Yak Yuk Yak.' Isn't that silly? I forgot my own name! Hey, What about you, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy looked up in surprise. "Er, what about me?" she asked. She had just a teensy bit of frosting on the front of her muzzle.

"Got a nickname?" Pinkie answered.

Fluttershy moved in surprise, as if she hadn't had much thought to it. "Oh, um . . . Flutters, I guess."

"Anything else?" Pinkie asked. Friend looked between the two, the curiosity on his face clear to Pinkie's eyes.

"Um, no, not really. Um, Gilda called me Dweeb once. I've been called a 'Suit Case'? Or maybe it was Basket Case. Um, Discord sometimes calls me Shutterfly, and occasionally he calls me 'Rainbow Crash'. I think that's it," Fluttershy ended.

"Noice . . . Well, except for Gilda's, and whoever called you a basket case.’Rainbow Crash' may or may not count, since that's one of Dashie's nicknames. Hey, how about you, Friend?"

He looked at Pinkie. "Oh, nicknames for me? Well, I've been called Big Cube, Cube, and Bluey. And sometimes, Conflicted. Or Cubic. Or. . ." He looked down. "Monster," he whispered. An oddly shaped pink tear fell from his right eye, staining the floor.

Pinkie tilted her head in confusion. "Monster? But you're such a nice guy. And your aura feels about as passive as Fluttershy's," she added.

Another pink tear fell to the ground. "Exactly why Fiend becomes so powerful. To corrupt someone so harmless makes them into a monster. Plus, I was infected by a Tainted Triangle, so it was even worse." Fluttershy pulled him close, hugging him.

Pinkie could see the moment of panic passing across his face, then see his attempts to stop his tears. They work, but his eye became pink until the drop faded back into him. Pinkie looked at the stains on the ground. Were it not for what Friend just did, she would have thought that they were harmless, but looking at it, the stain was expanding.

Friend rubbed a hind hoof against the floor, getting rid of the pink. After a few minutes, he nodded. "I'm okay," he said. Fluttershy nodded back, still holding him.

Pinkie rubbed her chin. She thought about how she had the cake from a party that was cancelled. She quietly put some of her bits into the register, although Friend noticed. "Hey, I have an idea!" Pinkie said, acting like she just came up with an idea. "I have some surplus cake! Who wants some?"

Fluttershy giggled. "Certainly, Pinkie."

Friend looked confused as he answered. "I would. But, what do you mean surplus? You just paid for it."

"Nah. Those were the bits for Fluttershy's and yours cupcakes," Pinkie lied. She got so many extra bits as tips from all the ponies in town despite her constant insistence against it that she didn't know what to do with them. So, she started paying for customer's food, but everypony felt bad that she was doing that, since she helped the town so much already. She honestly didn't have anything to do with the bits, unless she was experimenting with a recipe. So, she made fake sales on the food, paying the rest when nopony was looking.

Friend gave a look of concern. "Alright? I guess I would like some cake as well."

Pinkie beamed as she got the cake from the case. That was a close one.

Author's Note

Check out my pal, Fim Fiction. Here's the link: https://www.fimfiction.net/user/368902/FIM+Fiction

Chapter Seven

Rainbow Dash sweated as she worked on the device. Almost two months had been spent on the device, and now it was almost ready. She spat out the screwdriver she held in her mouth, and then, she very carefully lifted the power crystal and set it into the connecter. With a low hum, the machine started. Cold air came from the vents on the front.

“Welp, Twilight’s ‘Air Conditioner’ certainly helps keep things cool, but it sucks that it’s made of so many pieces,” Rainbow Dash complained as she enjoyed the machine’s air draft. She had just finished installing it in Sugar Cube Corner, to help keep things cool in the summer on days that called for high heat.

Rainbow stretched, popping her back and her wings. With a grunt, she went back to standing normally. “Well, I hope the twins enjoy this,” she muttered.

“Oh, they will. They are very sensitive to heat, and this will be a huge help,” Mrs. Cake said, gratefulness spread across her face.

“I hear a hum. Is it ready yet?” Mr. Cake’s voice sounded from another room.

“Yep. And if you ever need me to move it, I can do that. And with how much time I spent learning to construct this thing, I’d be able to get it moved and set up in less than a week. See ya, Cakes,” Rainbow Dash said. She opened the window and stepped out, falling for only a moment. She flapped her wings, keeping herself aloft. She went up and closed the window, giving another wave to the Cakes. Through the glass, she could see that the Twins were sitting in front of the machine, turning around and around as the cool wind cooled them down.

“Glad they’re happy. Dang, we ponies can get all kind of conditions. At least the Twins don’t mind staying out of the sun and heat.” Rainbow Dash turned and began flying. Some ponies were out and about, but not many, since Rainbow Dash got a few numbers mixed up with the last rainfall. Thus, the immense amount of sun and heat was necessary.

Rainbow Dash spotted Fluttershy down below, and it looked like a colt in a cloak was following her. He stayed close, turning his head to look at everything. He pointed at a tree, gesturing towards it, and Fluttershy giggled.

Rainbow Dash flew down, landing next to her friend. “Hey, Fluttershy. Did you and Eight-Directions adopt a kid, or did you manage to bring one of your knitting creations to life?”

Fluttershy looked flustered for a moment, and then confused. “Eight-Directions?” she asked.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Come on, it was on his cane at the Gala! The arrows pointing in eight directions, indicating chaos?”

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes in thought. “But, eight arrows seem more like a compass. North, North East, East, South East, South, South West, West, and North West. So it seems more like that would mean order.”

Rainbow Dash stopped and thought about that. “. . . Huh. Guess you’re right. You’re going to have to bring that up to Discord some time. I’m sure he’ll get a laugh out of it.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Oh, he probably will.”

“So, who’s the squirt?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking at the blue colt behind Fluttershy.

"Oh, this is Friend. I'm looking after him for a while. Say hi, Friend."

The colt peeked out from behind Fluttershy. "H- Hello, there, ma'am." Yeah, definitely Discord's and Fluttershy's. The oddness of its looks and voice and the shy personality just screamed 'their child.'

And why was he looking so intently at Rainbow Dash? "Uh, kid? You alright?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. You remind me of when a shape is formed."

Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy. "Say what now?"

"I- I'm not sure," she said with surprise. She faced Friend. "Friend, you said Shapes are take a certain shape depending on the island they're from. What happens when they form?"

"They release a spectrum of light and colors, becoming a Shape of random color. Their shape becomes a certain one depending on the island. Say, one of the triangles-"

"Wait, wait! So, you're not created by Discord?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"No, he isn't. Pinkie says he's from another world."

". . . Huh. Okay, so start with the shapes from the start. I get that they're formed, but where do they come from? Or, is it, like, how ponies are made?" Rainbow asked.

"I don't know about ponies, but on Paradise, we have fields and a forest. The trees are made of three triangles, and the largest tree towers over all the others. This tree can shed some of its power, in the shape of smaller triangles. These hold great power, but when cared for, and treated like a small Shape, it will transform into a shape."

"Triangles, huh? Solid, or hollow, like the ones on your head?" Rainbow Dash asked. Were those ears? Why were they glowing?

Friend's head lowered, and, despite how different the face was from ponies, Rainbow Dash recognized the look of shame. Pink tears came from his larger eye. Fluttershy draped a comforting wing over his back, pulling him close. Rainbow stepped closer, lowering herself to look at him. "Hey, kid, what's wrong?"

"The Tree can be taken apart," he said sadly. "And my King found a way to corrupt them, spreading a virus that could affect anything. Being infected made the triangles more powerful, but any triangles were used for energy."

"Your king did that?! Why, that son of a Tartarus-" Rainbow began in anger.

"That's not everything. Hero was able to gain back two of the triangles. I was corrupted, and Hero fixed me . . . or so we thought. I was so pure, that my corruption left a break that could not be fixed. I was given the triangles, and then I turned on my friends. On my king, and on the only Immune. But I can't remove the triangles, save for healing others of the Pink Corruption. And my King has the third. Until we defeat him, there will be no more newborns. But I don't have the heart to fight." He cried heavily, his tears hitting the ground.

Rainbow Dash went up to him and hugged him, pulling him close. Where Friend's tears touched, the pink glowed red. "It's okay," she said. "Just let it all out."

The three of them stayed like that for some minutes, just sitting and feeling emotions.

Friend stopped crying. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Anytime," Fluttershy said.

Rainbow sniffed. "Why do we have to meet so many creatures with tragic back-story? Can't we have a normal month? Manehatten normal, even. Let someone else do this sappy stuff."

Fluttershy gave a soft laugh. "If not us, who else?"

Rainbow pulled away, standing back up. "Let's get you guys out of the sun," she said with a soft smile.

Chapter Eight

Discord stared intently as he examined the creature before him. "What a peculiar specimen. It shines with an inner light, yet it doesn't travel past the skin in certain light levels. The face is so plain, yet, so expressional. And the creature itself is so shy. What do you think of it, Shutterfly?" he asked, a second head appearing in the air to look at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow pointed at Fluttershy with a hoof. "Wrong female," she said simply as a dust-dragon flew overhead.

The second head merged into the first, as Discord continued examining Fluttershy. "But you said that you brought me a specimen called Friend," he said. "And is Fluttershy not my friend and yours, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow stopped hitting the dust-dragon to try and process what Discord said. ". . . We brought you a coal named Fiendish- What are you doing to my speaking pattern, Discord, Handsome Lord of Chaos? Hey!"

Discord gave a deep laugh. "Oh, lighten up, Rainbow Dash! Have some fun! It's delicious!"

"Um, Discord?" Fluttershy asked.

"Ee-Yuus?" Discord responded, bending close.

"Remember why we're here?"

Discord frowned. "That Twilight is a bad influence on you. But yes, I know why you're here!" He changed into a lion tamer's outfit. A bench appeared right-side-up out of the ceiling, which was above their heads. "Step right up!"

Friend looked at Discord, and at the stool. ". . . How?" He looked around at everything. "There's no rhythm. There is no rhythm."

"Well, Prince Zuku, the point of this chaos is to have fun, not order! Now, then, you have two triangles capable of creating new life on your head, and that's keeping you cured. But anger will bring you to Fiend. Rainbow Crash, stop trying to speak. That won't happen until you leave this dimension," Discord stated. Rainbow Dash was covered in sleeping dust-dragons, stuck floating in the middle of the room and attempting to complain. Discord continued; "You are too conflicted to choose a side, as both halves of you have full devotion to their king, such devotion that even your other half can feel it. Now leave."

"Discord, isn't there more you can tell us?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well, yes, but I can't tell you the entire campaign. Heck, I already told too much about this PC," Discord said as Rainbow's dust-dragons went into her nose; she blasted off as she began sneezing.

"Oh, Rainbow! Keep your mouth closed, and the sneezing will hurt less! And Discord, what did you mean?" Fluttershy demanded.

Discord became a round version of himself as he thought. "Well, the campaign is two sessions, unless you separated each session into days. And Twilight may decide to follow her alignment to a particular trouble-maker, instead of to her friends and the Elements and what they stand for. Well, perhaps she will be following Loyalty, but for what we can call the wrong cause. And that's all I can tell you. Are we still up for tea next week?"

Fluttershy gave a sigh, shaking her head. She smiled. "Oh, alright. I suppose the hints you gave us could be recognized at the event. And yes, we're still up for tea." Rainbow Dash drifted by her, her nose red from the heavy sneezing she had done. She tried to say something, but no sound was heard.

"How wonderful! Shall we?" Discord began rolling oddly, like someone rolling a cube. He stopped. "Oh, wait! Favorite numbers! I know yours are two, because we have tea for the both of us every two weeks. Rainbow's is lucky number six, for the colors in her mane and tail. Friend?"

"Err, I'm not sure. Four, six, and twelve, I guess," Friend answered.

"Perfect. Mine is eight. Or two-hundred eighty-nine. Now follow me!" Discord continued his odd rolling movements.

(Editor's Note: I'm aware my story may be confusing, but my friends like it.)

Chapter Nine

Editor's note: The entire chapter became corrupted, so I had to rewrite this.

Chapter 9

Apple Bloom watched as Fluttershy neared, a blue filly or colt behind her. When they got close enough, Apple Bloom opened her mouth to greet them.

"Howdy, y'all!" Applejack called out as she exited the house. She and Apple Bloom made their way towards Fluttershy and the smaller pony.

Apple Bloom neared the smaller pony. "Howdy! Mah name's- Wait, what?" she said, looking at the creature. It looked like a Changing Crystal, but it was shaped like a pony! But Twilight said that ponies were the only things they couldn’t imitate.

"Apple Bloom! Don't be rude!" Applejack scolded. She came closer to the others. When she saw the creature, she stopped. She looked back and forth between it and Fluttershy. She gave a laugh, throwing her head back. "Guess you and Discord finally did it! Ya finally tied the knot! This is a reason to celebrate! Come inside, and I'll get y'all some of our strongest cider!" She turned, heading back for the house.

Apple Bloom was confused. But there was no wedding. Wouldn't Fluttershy be the sort to have a wedding?

Fluttershy sighed. "Why does everyone think . . . ?" she mumbled. She looked up. "Um, no thank you," she said.

Applejack gave another laugh. "That's right! Ya hate the fermented stuff. How about I get yous some of our normal cider? Or I can make a new batch right now!"

"She ain't finished talking!" Apple Bloom called out.

Applejack stopped and turned around. "Sorry. Continue," she said.

Fluttershy nodded. "Thank you. Now, I would like you to meet Friend. Please try to avoid making him upset or angry," she began.

Applejack opened her mouth to speak.

"Applejack! Now who's being rude?" Apple Bloom scolded.

Applejack blushed. "Beg pardon," she apologized with a tip of her hat.

Fluttershy nodded. "Thank you. Friend here is from another universe, according to Pinkie. I'd explain, but you really don't understand multiversal theory." Applejack gave a simple nod. "Also, Discord and I are not married. If we did marry, I'd have invited everyone I knew, and Discord would have made it so anybody could attend." She turned to look at Friend. "Applejack and I need to work on plans for the animal sanctuary. You can play with Apple Bloom in the meanwhile." She looked up. "That is, if she's free to?" she asked.

Applejack nodded. As the two larger ponies walked back to the house to discuss plans, Apple Bloom turned her attention back to Friend.

"So . . ." Friend said.

"'So' what?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Why did you hold your hoof out?"

"That's how we greet others," Apple Bloom answered.

Friend smiled. "Let me show you how we greet others." He began to nod his head. Classical music began playing, with small amounts of Dub supporting it.

"Cool! How do I shake back?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Join in," Friend said simply.

Apple Bloom hesitated, before beat boxing a simple pattern to join with Friend's music. She could feel the music joining together. Suddenly, Friend became clearer. She realized that she was seeing important things about him. It felt like when she channeled her chi during Kung Fu. She could see sorrow, joy, and a king. Then, it repeated, but in a different aura. Apple Bloom stopped her rhythm, and Friend followed her example. "What? Was? That?" she asked.

"First, we greeted each other, and then we got to know each other. You're very brave and strong. You have a deep connection to your friends. There was more, but we're not of the same energy, so I couldn't see it clearly."

Apple Bloom smiled. "Com'n! I want ya ta meet the fellow Crusaders!" She reached down to grab Friend by the leg and ran, stumbling when it turned out she wasn't holding on to anything. She turned back to look at Friend. He waved a hoof though the space of where a leg would normally be. Apple Bloom gave a bit of a sheepish smile. “Whoops.”

(Editor's Note: I don't know how to write a transition, so here we go!)

Sweetie Belle was lying on her back, her hind legs propped against one of the walls of the tree house. She sighed in annoyance. "Where is she?" she complained.

Scootaloo gave an annoyed grunt as she worked on her drawing of Rainbow Dash. "If you ask that one more time, I'm going to force you to look for her yourself," she complained.

Sweetie Belle rolled onto her left side so she could better see Scootaloo. "Oh, so when I'm late, you're annoyed, but it's okay for Apple Bloom to be late?" she asked.

"You were ten minutes late! She's only been late for six minutes!"

Sweetie Belle gave a huff. She moved so she was back to having her hind legs propped against the wall. She sighed in annoyance. "Where is she?" she complained. A crayon hit her in the face. "Ow! What the hay?" she exclaimed.

"I warned you!" Scootaloo claimed.

Before they could begin to be in a fight, the door opened. "Howdy, girls! I brought somepony for y'all ta meet!" Apple Bloom said.

"Cool! What's her name?" Scootaloo asked.

"H- Hello. I'm Friend,” the colt said. Sweetie Belle blinked. Whoops.

“Sup. I’m Scootaloo,” Scootaloo said as she pinned her picture to the wall.

With a grunt, Sweetie Belle rolled onto her side. She stood up. “Hello. I’m Sweetie Belle,” she said with a slight bow. Friend bowed back.

“Friend here is from another world,” Apple Bloom began.

“Sweet!” Scootaloo interrupted. “Do you have any special powers?”

Friend seemed to think for a moment. “Well, I’m super strong . . .” he said.

“Awesome! Can you show us?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Oh! Um, sure.” Friend turned and exited the tree house, the others following him.

They wondered around, Friend searching the ground. He picked up a large rock, and after testing its weight, set it down and continued searching.

After a while, Scootaloo let out a large groan. “You’re boring,” she stated to Friend.

“W- What?” Friend said, flinching back.

Sweetie Belle was about to defend Friend when Apple Bloom did so instead. “Scootaloo! Be nice! We’re searching fowa somethin’ heavy, so be patient.”

Scootaloo turned towards Sweetie Belle. “How about you?” she asked.

“Huh? What about me?”

“Is he boring you?” Scootaloo asked, pointing at Friend.

Sweetie Belle bit her lip. Normally, she’d have defended Friend, but the moment to do that had passed her by. And she didn’t want to hurt Friend’s feelings, but she didn’t want to lie either. And if she tried to avoid the question, Scootaloo would keep pestering her. “A little bit,” she answered, lowering her ears. Friend frowned, which made Apple Bloom look worried.

Scootaloo jabbed her hoof towards Friend. “Hah! See? Boring! I win!” Scootaloo shouted, being too caught up in the fact that she was right to remember that she was insulting someone in the process.

Friend began twitching, before suddenly becoming pink. "That's it!" he roared. "I try to be friends with you, then you ask me to entertain you, and then you become impatient! Then you make fun of me!" Scootaloo turned and ran, screaming. "You're not going anywhere!" Friend shouted. He polymorphed into a giant mechanical cog, rolling after Scootaloo. He ran her over.

Apple Bloom turned and began running towards the farm. With a growl, the giant cog turned and went after her. He ran her over as well. Friend reverted back into his normal form, but still pink.

Scootaloo stood up. She had become pink as well, and her eyes had become black, a bit of the black going down the left side of her face. Her mane and tail seemed to have straightened into sharper points, and her body had thinned slightly. Apple Bloom got up, also pink. She had become slightly larger, and she seemed to have bulked up. She saluted. "Bloom reporting for duty, Fiend!"

Scootaloo walked over to them. "Sorry for being a jerk," she apologized with a scruff of her hoof across the ground.

Friend, or rather, Fiend, softly smiled. "Thank you, Scooter," he whispered.

The three of them turned and made their way to Sweetie Belle. "Would you like to join?" Fiend asked.

". . . Join what?" Sweetie Belle replied.

"Me, your friends, the King," Fiend answered.

Sweetie Belle fainted.

She awoke to a sensation of strength and power. She opened her eyes to see that she was in the tree house. Friend was standing by her. She raised herself to her hooves.

He noticed that she was up. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I turned you without consent. I’m sorry I turned you at all. The others are outside. I’ve asked them to not infect anything.” He looked down, shuffling one of his hooves. “I’m so sorry, Sweetie Belle.”

“Huh? Don’t be sorry, Fiend. And besides, my name isn’t Sweetie Belle.”

“Sorry, Sour Belle. I need to ask you something. I asked the others this, but they said no. May I turn you back?” Friend asked, his ears lifting.

Sour Belle turned and ran, hiding behind the podium. “No way, Fiend! You need guards! And ones who trust you in your Passive state. Also, never bring Devil Bunny into existence ever again. He thought he knew better than you just because you were passive!”

“But what about your other friends? What about your sister? Her aura is a purifier; she’ll never be able to join the army. Aren’t they important enough to turn back?”

Sour Belle gave a grunt of complaint. “I’ll show you what’s important to me right now!” She walked out from her hiding place and went up to Friend. She jabbed him in the chest. “You are, Boss! You were taken from your own world, into ours. We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and we help others. And I’ll be darned if you think that the same doesn’t apply to you.”

Friend opened his mouth, as if trying to find something to say against it. He sighed. Then a smile came across his face. “Thank you. I accept your service, and thank you for it.”

The door banged open as the other Crusaders entered, causing Friend to jump. They joined in a group hug, and after a moment, Friend returned the embrace.

“. . . So, who wants to go have some fun?” Scooter asked, the smile on her face indicating that she had a plan.

Chapter Ten

Twilight walked through Ponyville with a Royal Guard on either side of her. In front of her was a modified version of the ‘Track Owner’ Spell, the ashes of the dimension spell held within. Through several hours of hard work, she was able to glean information about the pieces of magic that came from the mirror, as well as being able to track their location. One of the energies was extremely violent, while the other was harmless; unfortunately, this was all she could learn about the properties of the energy.

However she had learned much more, location wise. By using a modified ‘Map Search’ and ‘Location’ Spell, she was able to narrow the search down to Ponyville, and by using the ‘Track Owner’ Spell, she would be able find exactly where it was in town.

As she walked, she heard the familiar sound of Scootaloo’s scooter and wagon. The sound of the wheels made it sound like they someone else with them; perhaps Pipsqueak or Featherweight were riding with them. She turned her head to follow the noise out of habit, while still paying attention to the ‘Track Owner’ Spell. Scootaloo and the other Crusaders went by on a different street, and Twilight could see them through the intersection. Her eyes widened as she realized that they had become ‘Pinked’ like Spike had before. Replaying the scene in her mind made Twilight aware that Friend was riding with them. And as a final confirmation, the ‘Track Owner’ Spell was pointing towards them.

She stopped walking, trying to calculate the best course of action. As she thought, she was distracted by a loud crunching noise. She looked up, and saw a cloud above and to the front of her. Rainbow Dash gazed from the edge, eating from a box of popcorn. After a few moments, Rainbow Dash stopped eating. “Go back to thinking about whatever you just were. You face was hilarious,” Rainbow Dash stated. She sat up. “Hey, Twi, the Crusaders are doing something weird. They’ve painted themselves pink or something. Oh, I think Friend’s with them. Yeah, that’s Friend alright. Look, they’re coming this way. And fast.”

Faint shouts of “Move!” could be heard coming from the direction of the Crusaders.

Twilight turned. Scootaloo had lost control of her Scooter, and was now heading straight for them. Twilight quickly stepped to the side to avoid getting rammed. The ‘Track Owner’ Spell flashed brightly as they passed, and Twilight flinched.

“Ma’am, your spell activated. Now that we know our targets, how do you want us to carry out the mission?” one of the guards asked.

Rainbow Dash leapt from her cloud and landed in front of them. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Targets? Twilight, what’s going on?”

Twilight looked back and forth between the guards and Rainbow Dash. She gulped. She racked her mind for what to do. She sighed as she chose Celestia over her friends. She turned to the guards. “You are to apprehend all four of them. But do not harm them in the process, or after you’ve captured them. Restrain them if necessary.”

“What?! Twilight, what are you going on about?” Rainbow Dash shouted.

Before Twilight could give an answer, Fluttershy and Applejack rushed onto the scene. “We heard shoutin’! Have any of you seen the Crusaders? We found some monster tracks by the tree house, and none of them were at the farm!” Applejack explained.

“They just passed by! They were covered in pink paint or something,” Rainbow stated.

“P- Pink? Oh, dear,” Fluttershy muttered.

“And now Twilight has told these two to capture them!”

“W- Wait! Was Friend pink?” Fluttershy asked.

“No, just the Crusaders. But how is that important?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

“Then they should have been cured by him,” she said.

“Infected?! Cured?! What in Tartarus are you all going on about? And for Royal Guards, you two sure ain’t good at your job if yous are distracted by us talkin’!” Applejack shouted, glaring at them.

The two guards looked about in surprise, before running of in the direction of the Crusaders; Rainbow Dash and Applejack followed close behind.

Twilight turned towards Fluttershy. “Now, I know how you probably feel about what I’m about to say, but Friend is to be taken into the custody of the Royal Guards and brought to Canterlot. There, we will examine him and try to repower a spell using him.”

“Huh. Actually, I expected that you would want to capture him,” Fluttershy said. “But that’s not the important thing. What is important is that Friend was not Pink, but the Crusaders were.”

“Actually, the more important thing is that we follow them,” Twilight said, starting to trot in the direction of the spell.

In the distance, the sound of the Royal Guards using their magic could be heard, along with shouts from Applejack. Twilight became concerned, and quickened her pace. When they arrived at the scene, they found several upturned carts. The Royal Guards were unconscious, Applejack was stuck under a pile of broken wood, and Rainbow Dash was tied up to a cart. Twilight quickly lifted the wood off of Applejack while Fluttershy undid the knots on Rainbow Dash.

“That darn thing needs ta be stopped!” Applejack said fiercely. “My sister was under its spell, and she attacked the guards with magic! Who knows what it’s gonna make her do next?”

“I don’t know. . .” Rainbow Dash murmured. “They did say they we’re trying to protect Friend, and he is definitely worth protecting once you get to know him. . .”

“What?! Y’all do realize that Scootaloo was under its spell too, don’ ya?” Applejack shouted.

“No, I mean he has life-makers on his head! They’re from his world, and they kinda provide all the new life. Plus, he’s been through a lot, and-”

“Wait, wait! His ears can create life as well as remove the Pink from others?” Twilight interrupted.

“Say what? What in hootanany are you goin’ on about?” Applejack asked.

“Girls! None of those are important right now! What’s important is that we need to find them and help them, not let them be captured. And Twilight, I kinda already know in advance that you will try to capture them anyway,” Fluttershy stated. Twilight opened her mouth, then closed it. Fluttershy nodded. “Now that that’s established, when we find them, we need to ask questions; try to get some answers.”

Twilight teleported in the direction that the ‘Track Owner’ Spell was pointing. After five teleports, she found the Crusaders and Friend. She quickly held them in a total ‘Firm Grasp’ Spell, also called the ‘grab the entire thing at once’ spell.

“What the? Twilight, don’t do this!” Sweetie Belle called out. Twilight focused the spell to keep their mouths from moving.

Apple Bloom slowly bared her teeth. Slowly, she managed to speak a message. “Friend got all of his information from you.”

Twilight tilted her head as she allowed everyone to speak again. “‘All of his information’? When did I give him information?”

“During the spell you did at Canterlot! His world is still developing, but your magic let him speak our words! It let him know about hot chocolate and furniture and smells and candy and cushions and a bunch of other stuff!” Sweetie Belle said.

“And did he learn anything from you?” Twilight asked.

This time, Scootaloo spoke. “Well, kinda. But we learned more from him. Whenever the Pink is spread, along with it comes the want to serve his king, as well as a bit of the past infecteds' knowledge. Like a chain process!”

“And what of curing this infection?” Twilight asked.

“I- I don’t know. So far, just the pieces of the tree. Some have been immune, like you. But that’s because of the aura around you. I think it’s the Elements that do it?” Friend said.

Twilight sorted the information in her mind. She gave a sigh. Her next question would allow her to know how much of this information would actually be beneficial. “Friend. . . How much do you really know about the infection and your world, and how sure are you of what you know?”

“N- Not much. My King created the virus. I think. I was only infected days ago, right before you cast your spell and brought us to your world. I know that the tree provides life. I know that these triangles can cure the virus. I know that the third is infected and can spread the virus. I know that I am loyal to my kings.”

Twilight gave another sigh. “Tell me, did you even know the word ‘king’ before you came to this world?”

“N- No. We spoke the image of a crown to say king. Plus, we speak in music, colors, and images.”

Twilight dragged a hoof down her face. “So most of the information you have given us could potentially be wrong?”

Friend’s head flinched back, seemingly causing the Crusaders to become upset with Twilight, as they immediately glared at her. “M- Maybe? I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m not very helpful at all, am I?”

“Don’t say that! You just haven’t had the right chance!” Sweetie Belle reassured.

Twilight's ears picked up the sound of a bush moving. Turning, she saw Fluttershy climb out of a bush. "What the-? How long have you been there?"

"Well, right after you teleported, I heard Discord snap his fingers. Then, I was in the bush. And then, I just waited. But Twilight, You can't capture Friend. We have to help him."

Twilight groaned. "Fluttershy, the Princess- I- We have to-" Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to find words. She sighed. "I don't know. He's infecting others when he gets upset, but I'm the one that pulled him from his world. He is just a colt, but we may need him for a spell that Celestia and I have been working on. But when I look at the choices, I see only these two options: Princess or friends? Those who I have been on so many adventure with, or my mentor who helped teach me all my life? I want to say my friends, but my duty to Celestia. . ."

Fluttershy inhaled, bringing her hoof to her chest. She exhaled as she moved her hoof away. Twilight followed her example. Fluttershy nodded. "Twilight," she said. "I want you to imagine something for me. I want you to imagine that, with whatever choice you chose, you had the full support of the other."

Twilight obeyed, imagining. After a few moments, she firmly nodded her head. She set the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Friend on the ground.

Friend smiled, his face expressing happiness. He quickly moved towards Twilight, only to trip over something in the dirt. As Fluttershy came over to see if he was alright, he felt around on the ground. He found a rope. He held it up. "I think this is connected to something."

Twilight took the rope in her magic, slowly pulling it until is was taut. Seeing it lead into a tree, she gave it a strong pull. From the tree fell Princess Celestia, tied up in the rope. "What the-?! Princess Celestia?!" She quickly unbound Celestia, slinging the rope to the side.

Celestia took a three deep breathes. ". . . Thank you. Discord came into my room and offered me a cupcake, and then I was in the tree. I didn't even has a chance to ask him why he was offering me a cupcake. But I see why he brought me here." She got to her hooves. "Friend, I know a spell that can send you back to your world."