Location: Somewhere in the Everfree Forest at night
1 day before the kidnapping of the Mane Six

With the primordial landscape that is drowning in Wild Magic, known as the Everfree Forest, being constantly patrolled by voracious predators of differing sizes and succumbing to harsh and unpredictable weather changes, many of the forest's smallest creatures had to evolve a certain edge of their own to survive. Such as the Cockatrice, born of a chicken and raised by a snake, this little fella evolved a way to focus Wild Magic into its eyes to combat even the biggest of foes.

However, this ability only works if its looking at its target.

So it's no wonder that this particular Cockatrice fell victim to a flying shard of crystalized blood, that pierced its throat and killed it instantly.

Once the deed was done, Shadow Wing lowered her left hand, diminishing the ethereal red glow around her hand. She then looked annoyed at her taller, comrade and said annoyedly-"Alright, got it."-her fellow sister nodded wordlessly and went over to the dead serpent-fowl, while Shadow Wing kept talking-"I still don't get why did you make me do that. I thought you loved animals, like Lady Fluttershy. I mean, your name is Beast Tamer, after all."

"Don' get me wrong gal, I still do."-Beast Tamer said, her accent indicating her Manehatten heritage-"This is just somethin' Toxic Touch asked abou'. And since I can't kill creatures for shit, I needed someone else to do the dirty deed."

"Which is where I come in, I get it."-Shadow Wing finished, while Beast Tamer got busy plucking out the eyeballs of the Cockatrice and placing them in a glass jar that had a rune etched into it. Shadow then turned to address her other named comrade-"So I guess I'll you Toxic Touch, why in Tartarus do you want a dead Cockatrice?"

The pony in question was clad in black like the rest of her sisters, with the exception of her pale green and slightly matted fur, however it was her eyes that were the most curious feature she had: her right one was golden yellow , while her left one didn't have a pupil, and her entire iris looked like a vortex of rainbow colors. When she spoke her voice as monotone as Shadow Wings':

"It's because of two things: one I wanted the eyes of a Petrification creature for a good while now. I really wanted the eye of a Stone Eye Cyclops, but since those are some tuff bastards, I settled for some Cockatrice eyes for the time being."-Toxic Touch paused as she took the jarred eyeballs and the serpent-fowl's body from Beast Tamer, and spoke once more-"The second reason is for its venom. Like its eyes, the venom of a Cockatrice can slowly turn anything organic into stone, but I'm hoping to synthesize it, so it could only paralyze the intended target."

"Yeah, still prefer you talking with shorter sentences and simpler words."-Beast Tamer said.

"Alright, if that's all, let's get back to the others, our two leaders are talking, and we're missing out."-Shadow Wing urged, as the three of them wordlessly went back the way they came.

A short, five minute walk later and the three Sisters of Shadow wound up in a campsite, several tents already erected and three distinctly decorated carriages surrounding the site, like a perimeter. In the center was a fire, a stick near it with a marshmallow at its tip. Surrounding the flame were the rest of the Sisters of Shadow, each of them listening to their two leaders, Midnight Blue and Midnight Star.

"Hey there gal pals!"-Whimsy Wisp announced as she roasted her marshmallow-"Looks like you girls bagged a big one. Are we gonna have roasted Cockatrice for dinner?"

"We already had dinner, you spastic clutz."-said one of the sisters, this one a very tall and very muscular Earth Pony - her physique very similar to Applejack's - who spoke with a very heavy British accent. Her visible coat was scarlet red and her eyes as green as emeralds-"You're the only one who wants to keep eating."

"Hey, I'm a pegasus, Red Fist."-Whimsy said, not noticing that her marshmallow was slowly turning black-"I can't help that my metabolism is way higher than other ponies'."

Red Fist simply shook her head at this, as Midnight blue addressed the arriving ponies-"You do realize that our plan involves NOT harming the Element Bearers in any way, do you Toxic Touch?"

"Yeah, I know."-the rainbow-eyed pony said as she and the other two sat down among the rest of their sisters-"But this is more of an insurance for the wilder ones, like Lady Rainbow Dash or Lady Applejack...actually maybe I should make a stronger dose for Princess Twilight, just in case."

Midnight Blue sighed in exasperation at this, knowing that once Toxic Touch starts cooking, there is no stopping her-"Could you AT LEAST hold off on using those poison darts of yours until I give you permission?"

"Yeah, yeah sure, whatever, now shush. Brain's working now..."-Toxic Touch said as she started jutting down notes in a black leather-bound book.

Afterwards Beast Tamer looked around and then asked Midnight Blue-"Hey, where's-"

"She's sleeping in one of the carriage's right now. She decided to skip the meeting."-Midnight Star answered, her voiced laced with annoyance and anger.

"Seriously?"-Shadow Wing asked with incredulity-"Those carriage's are for the Element Bearers, not that slouch. And doesn't she know that this meeting is important?"

"Yes Shadow Wing, you are correct,"-Midnight Blue said-"But we decided not to have another fight between us tonight, se we voted to leave her be for now."

"I still don't understand why the crap are we lettin' that wanker come with us."-Red Fist spoke up-"You lot know how she gets, so why-"

"Because our Mistress ordered ALL of us to get this done."-Midnight Blue quickly said-"Don't get me wrong Red Fist, I don't like having her with us, anymore than you do. But our Mistress's word is our law, and we will NOT undermine or question her orders."

Red Fist could only lower her head in defeat upon hearing this and grumbled-"I still don' like this..."

A moment of silence later, Midnight Blue spoke up once more-"Now then, let us review the plan one more time:

There are nine of us, so we will split up into three teams of three ponies each. Each team will have one of each pony race within it, in order to cover all of the bases."

"The objective of this plan,"-Midnight Star continued-"is to convince the Element Bearers to surrender themselves willingly. DO NOT use force on them, unless it is absolutely necessary."

Every sister nodded their heads, understanding the principle of this mission, and Midnight Blue continued-"Now then, let us first establish the teams.

"The names for each teams are: Alpha, Beta and Gamma."-Midnight Star continued-"Simple and to the point."

"Team Alpha will consist of me, Beast Tamer and Toxic Touch. We will be going after Princess Twilight and Lady Rainbow Dash."-Midnight Blue continued.

"Team Beta will be myself, Shadow Wing and Whimsy Wisp and our targets will be Lady Applejack and Lady Pinkie Pie."-Midnight Star followed up.

"And lastly, team Gamma will be comprised of Red Fist, Mist Walker and Darkness. You three will be going after Lady Rarity and Lady Fluttershy."-Midnight Blue concluded, which only seemed to annoy Red Fist.

"You've got to be bloody kidding me here."-the afore mentioned Earth Pony declared-"I mean, I'm fine with Mist. Hell, she and I've been together even before joining up with you lot. But Darkness? Why the bloody hell are the two of us going to be stuck with that wanker?"

"Because as I said, we need one member of each race in each team."-Midnight Blue stated-"You're an Earth Pony Red, Mist is a unicorn, and Darkness is the only pegasus left of our coven."

"Yeah, okay, but does it have to be her?"-Red continued complaining-"Why can't it be Whimsy or Toxic?"

"Because I called dibs on Lady Applejack!"-Whimsy exclaimed excitedly, roasting another marshmallow.

"And Toxic is with me, since I have volunteered to keep an eye on her."-Midnight Blue said.

"AND because you might need my contingency plan, in case plan A flops, like a beached-up Piranhadon."-Toxic stated, with a bit of smugness in her voice.

Red was about to protest some more, until a small hand touched her shoulder, making her look towards her fellow sister.

"Red please, don't argue with our sisters."-Mist said in a soft voice. Her eyes were light gray in color and her horn and fur were ashen grey in color as well, even the few bits of her mane sticking out from under her hood was dark grey in color-"I know how much you hate Darkness. Believe me, I don't like her either, but if this is what we must do then we have to do it."

"Yeah, I get it Mist, but that sodded idiot can't do anything, other than annoy the piss out of everyone she interacts with."-Red stated.

"I know, I know. But even so, you're strong enough to subdue her if worse comes to worse."-Mist reassured.

"Mist Walker is correct."-Midnight Star reasoned-"While our Mistress told us to work together, should one of us do something that falls outside of our own code of conduct, we are given permission to use force if necessary. And with Darkness, that will most likely be the case."

Red Fist stood there for a moment, contemplating this decision, however she soon realized that there isn't much to think about. Their Mistress told them to work together, their two leaders thought out the plan, so now all she and everyone else can do is follow the path laid out before them.

"Ugh, fine. But I still wish to point out that I do not like this."-Red finally relented and sat back down, with Mist Walker putting an encouraging hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Alright, now are there any questions regarding the plan?"-Midnight Blue asked, and surprisingly, it was Shadow Wings who raised her hand-"Yes, what is it Shadow?"

"Midnight Blue, I simply wish to make an observation regarding Lady Pinkie Pie."-Shadow remained silent and after taking the silence as her que, she continued-"Not to speak ill of her, but given Lady Pinkie Pie's unpredictable nature, I think it's safe to say that she might not come with us, willing or not. So I propose that I alone capture Lady Pinkie Pie."

This got a few surprised looks from her friends, and Midnight Blue Spoke up after a moment of silence-"Please elaborate, sister."

"I'm not going to do something like hit her with knock-out gas or hit her in the back of the head or something like that."-Shadow explained-"I'll simply ambush her during her break at her workplace, grab her and then go through a portal back to our carriage."

"And how do you plan to capture her?"-Midnight Star asked curiously.

"I'm still not sure about that."-Shadow Wing admitted-"But I'll think of something."

"Very well. Thank you for telling us about this, sister."-Midnight Blue said, before addressing the rest of her sisters-"Any more questions? *only Whimsy Wisp raises her hand excitedly* Anymore questions that do not come from Whimsy Wisp?"-after another moment of silence, with Whimsy still shaking her hand Midnight Blue said-"Very well then. Tomorrow we will gather our supplies and tools and Shadow Wings will hide our campsite with her special runes. We will then split up and observe our targets, and find out exactly when to strike. We only have one chance with this sisters, so I urge you not to miss it. Good luck, and may the One who Slumbers guide us to glory."

"May the One who Slumbers guide us to glory."-all of the sisters chanted.

After that the Sisters of Shadow departed to sleep for tomorrow, with Whimsy grumbling under her breath about being ignored.

This only left the two Midnights who, from which Midnight Star spoke up first:

"Do you really think this will work sister?"

"I'm not sure."-Midnight Blue admitted-"Too many things can go wrong. The core of our plan hinges on the Element Bearers cooperating with us."

"Forgive me sister, but there is something I still do not understand."-Star said, drawing her twin's attention-"On the chance that the Bearers will agree and come with us, then why is there the need to actually kidnap them?"

"You already know, sister."-Blue said-"If they were to simply come with us, everypony from Ponyville to Canterlot wouldn't think much of it."

"And a kidnapping of six of the most famous and powerful mares in the world, would stir up a great reaction...especially from the princesses."-Star concluded.

"I know what you are getting at sister, and I do not like this either."-Blue said, her eyes on the camp fire, distant and lost-"When I dreamt of the many ways of meeting the Element Bearers, this was not one of those ways."

"Me too sister."-Star added-"I would've wanted to become friends with the Bearers, or maybe even more...but this...the fires of the Abyss take, but the Mistress' plan isn't anything good. This will only paint as just another group of thugs for the Bearers to defeat...and fighting them is something I wouldn't want to do."

"We have already come to an agreement on what to do, should that particular scenario occur, sister."-Blue said with sorrow-"I can only hope that nothing will go wrong, neither tomorrow or in the days to follow."

"Me too, sister."-Star added-"Our Mistress' goal is important to us...but what would be the point, if the our own dreams don't come true..."

Location: Carousel Boutique
While Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie are about to be kidnapped

Walking down one of the many streets of Ponyville is a vanilla colored pegasus girl with ocean-blue eyes and flowing, beautiful pink mane that covered part of her soft and kind face. Her long tail was of the same color. She was wearing a simple white sundress that reached halfway past her ankles, with a pink floral pattern at the bottom. She was also wearing white sandal-shoes meant for hooves. The dress itself might've been simple, but it was doing a good job keeping the girl's big E-cup breasts hidden away from prying eyes.

By all accounts this girl, Fluttershy, was a literal natural-beauty. Unlike other mare, she didn't need make up to add to her beauty, since her beauty came naturally, in spades. Because of this many stallions and mares alike would often stare longingly at her, sometimes their hunger a bit too evident. This was something Fluttershy never really wanted, since she was always very shy, and while she did come a long way since her adventures began with her friends, she still prefers to not be the center of attention if she could help it.

That is why, the shy little pegasus kept holding a firm grip over the front part of her dress as she kept walking and everyone that passed her by kept starring at her. Fluttershy was just about to break into a sprint to get to where she wants to go as quickly as possible...but she didn't need to, since she literally bumped into the front door of where she wanted to be.

'Oh, thank Celestia.'-Fluttershy thought with relief as she started knocking rapidly at the door of Carousel Boutique.

"Coming~"-a majestic voice sang as the door opened to reveal yet another beauty of Ponyville.

Standing in the open doorway is a unicorn mare, just a couple of inches taller then Fluttershy (mostly due to the deep blue high-heeled shoes meant for hooves), with alabaster fur and violet colored mane and tail designed and kept like curls of silk. The mare wore a white short-sleeved shirt, with its collar wide enough to expose her right shoulder, as well as one of the straps of her dark purple braw, which did its job of holding up the mare's DD breasts. From the waist down she wore a black knee-length skirt, with a small trio of diamonds at the bottom, accompanied by some purple wisp motifs. She also wore a string of white pearls around her slender neck and a dark purple bracelet with a sapphire on her right wrist.

"Welcome to Carousel-Oh my stars, Fluttershy!"-the unicorn mare said in shock, looking at the pegasus-"What happened to you darling?! Your forehead is injured."

Just now noticing this, Fluttershy felt her forehead and felt a slight stinging sensation at the center.

"Oh, don't worry about it Rarity."-Fluttershy said softly-"I must've scrapped it by accident when I bumped into your door...I-I'm sorry about doing that by the way, please don't be mad."

"Why in the world would I be mad at you for, Fluttershy?"-Rarity asked, her sapphire eyes concerned-"A door can be replaced if it's broken, but fixing anything of YOU that's broken would be difficult."

Before Fluttershy could say anything else, Rarity grabbed the shy mare's left wrist - causing her to blush intensely - and pulled her inside her shop/house and slammed the door shut.

"O-oh R-Rarity, what are you-EEP!"

"Come, come darling, we must fix this insult to your natural beauty at once!"-Rarity interrupted her friend, as she guided her into her kitchen and set her down by her table. Taking a seat herself in front of the angel-like pegasus, Rarity spoke once more-"Now hold very still darling. I wouldn't want to aggravate your injury any further."

She then gently cupped Fluttershy's cheeks - slightly squishing them - and gently pressed the tip of her now-glowing horn onto the pegasus' injury. The unicorn's horn glowed a bit brighter until the light-blue light dimmed entirely and Fluttershy's injury all, but disappeared.

Rarity then leaned away from Fluttershy, but slightly wobbled, forcing the pegasus girl to hold her steady and look at her with concern.

"Rarity, oh are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I am quite fine dear."-Rarity said, slowly standing up from her seat with Fluttershy's help-"I've learned this little trick from Twilight, but she was right in saying it's an advanced kind of spell. Even for such small injury, it still took a bit out of me."

As Fluttershy maintained her hold on her girlfriend's arms, making absolutely sure she wouldn't fall, she looked down on the ground in shame-"I am so sorry Rarity. If I hadn't scrapped my forehead than you wouldn't have to-"

"Hush now Fluttershy, there will be none of that here and now."-Rarity gently chided, as she released herself from her friends protective grasp and placed her right index finger over the shy girl's lips-"I'm not exactly on Death's bed or anything. That spell simply took the wind out of me, that's all. But such things are nothing a nice, hot cup of tea cannot fix. And as it just so happens, I already have it ready for our little get-together."

With that, Rarity went to collect the hot beverage and went to set her finest cups for herself and her guest. She also kept insisting for Fluttershy to sit where she is and allow her to set everything up, as host should.

Once everything was set, Rarity gently poured tea, first for Fluttershy, then for herself. The shy pegasus gently took hold of the cup before her and blowing on it, she took a sip, taking her time to enjoy the sweet taste of forest berries and honey.

"Mmm, it's delicious, just like always Rarity."-Fluttershy complimented as she took another sip, making sure to not drink too much, so as to burn her own tongue.

"Why thank you my dear."-Rarity said, as she took a sip of her own-"I always make sure to prepare your favorite kind of tea whenever you decide to come over."

"O-oh, y-you don't have to do that..."-Fluttershy said, looking at her lap as her face heated up.

"But off course I want to darling."-Rarity said with vehemence-"That's what friends do for one another. But more importantly, that's what a couple does for one another, and I will always do my best to have the best prepared for my favorite girlfriend."

Fluttershy looked further down on ground, feeling embarrassed by all the nice things Rarity is doing for her and saying to her.

"Now then, was there a particular reason you chose to come by today? Especially since Sweetie Bell isn't even here today."-Rarity asked, and waited patiently for the shy girl before her to speak up.

A moment of silence passed as bow Fluttershy's entire face glowed red and her hands were shaking. She quickly put her cup of tea on the table before it could spill and then slowly reached in between her soft boobs and pulled out a small black box. The vanilla pegasus glanced up from the box she was holding and saw Rarity's eyes shift from surprised to coy, only making her blush even more.

"I-I-I d-didn't h-have anywhere else to p-put it. This d-dress doesn't have any pockets..."-Fluttershy explained as best as she could.

"I know dear, I know."-Rarity reassured her with light tap on Fluttershy's soft thighs-"But you must understand that had somepony else have seen it, they could've gotten the wrong idea, understand my dear?"

"I-I know...th-that's why I hid it away when the clerk pony w-wasn't looking."-Fluttershy further explained, to which Rarity smiled softly.

'She's as innocent as ever.'-Rarity thought, before speaking up-"Anyway, what is in that little box Fluttershy?"

"W-well..."-Fluttershy began by inhaling and then speaking-"Remember that golden sapphire ring we saw at the jewelers a month ago? *Rarity nods* Well, I remembered how much you loved seeing it, and I remember you saying that you wanted it so badly, but you couldn't afford it then, and after that you kind of...forgot about it. So, I worked hard since then, and I've managed to put together enough bits to buy it just before we left on our last friendship mission. So, what I'm saying is..."-Fluttershy went silent as she slowly opened the tiny box to reveal a ring made of solid gold, with beautiful swirling patterns engraved on it, being topped by a beautiful sapphire gemstone in its center-"...I want to give this to you...a-as thank you...f-for everything..."

As Fluttershy tried to say what she wanted to say, she looked up and saw Rarity covering her mouth with her left and was on the verge of shedding tears. Fluttershy thought she might've done something or said something wrong, but when Rarity lowered her hand, she was smiling softly at her angelic girlfriend and spoke in a shaky tone:

"O-oh Fluttershy darling I...you really shouldn't have spent all of your hard-earned money on such a costly trinket. And really, you shouldn't have spent so much of your money on a gift for me."

"B-but I wanted to!"-Fluttershy hastily-and boldly-said-"L-like I said, I-I wanted to thank you for everything you have done for me up until now...even though you really shouldn't have..."

Upon hearing this, Rarity now looked confused-"Whatever do you mean by that darling?"

"W-well..."-Fluttershy began-"Y-you were always so kind to me, a-and you became even kinder to me when we became a c-couple. You always make my favorite tea, take me to so many wonderful dates, give me nice presents and you're always so gentle with me when we...*Fluttershy blushes intensely*...the point is that...somepony like you, sh-shouldn't even be with somepony like me..."

Now Rarity became even more confused and her eyes were even beginning to narrow upon hearing this-"Fluttershy, you had better start explaining yourself right now, before I jump to a conclusion I really do not wish to think about."

Fluttershy's head was lowered at this point, but she answered none-the less-"W-well i-it's just that...you and I are so different. I'm just plain, and bland, and awkward, and silent, and boring and I used to spend more time with animals than ponies...and I still kinda do. Not to mention I'm always so nervous around other ponies, sometimes even my own friends. While you are bold, and brave, and incredibly beautiful. You always speak your mind, you always know how to act around other ponies, common and rich alike and you're always brave enough to stand up for other ponies. Not to mention that you're always so beautiful and majestic...I always saw you as a beautiful princess who will always be out of my reach...I-I'm sorry for s-saying all of this, but i-it's how I've always felt about you...you're the princess and I'm just the peasant girl chasing after her and never reaching her..."

By this point Fluttershy was beginning to shed some tears, after pouring out what was in her own heart. Rarity's own gaze softened considerably, upon hearing Fluttershy's words. The white unicorn then cupped Fluttershy's cheeks again and lifted up her head so she'd look her in the eye:

"Tell me Fluttershy, where in the wide world of Equestria is all of this coming from darling? You know full well that I never thought of you the way those stuck-up nobles from Canterlot do. And no matter what happens I will never think of you as bland or boring. You are important to me Fluttershy. You are my favorite-"

"But I won't be forever!"-Fluttershy objected, pulling herself away from Rarity's grasp-"You keep saying that I'm your favorite, but I shouldn't be, because we won't be together forever. You're already a rising star in the Canterlot fashion business, and soon you'll be moving there too. I've loved you since the day I moved to Ponyville, and I once thought that we would spend the rest of our lives together, but we can't Rarity. We just can't..."-Fluttershy paused for a moment, doing her best to hold back her hiccup sobs and tears-"...when I moved here, Rainbow Dash was still supportive of me, but you...you were the first grounded pony to welcome me here. While Rainbow was busy working towards her dream, you were always there looking out for me, teaching me, standing up for me. I knew I fell in love with you right then and I always dreamt we'd be together forever. But now that we're all grown up and done saving the world, we have to focus on our own dreams...and I know there will never be a place for me in yours..."

Rarity was shocked when she heard all of this. All this time Fluttershy was worried that she was going to abandon her for the sake of her fashion carrier, and that's why she bought the ring, to give it as a sort of early goodbye present. But Rarity kept denying this notion inside her head, because this simply wasn't her nature. True she will get carried away by her work-who wouldn't-but she would never choose her work over her friends, especially her girlfriends. And that go's triple for Fluttershy. So with that in mind Rarity once again cupped Fluttershy's cheeks, this time slightly harder, so she couldn't get away and began:

"Now you listen to me carefully Fluttershy Flutter, because I will only say this once: I. WILL. NEVER. ABANDON. YOU. You are the most important pony in my whole life right now. I had always thought I'd end up with a handsome stallion as my soulmate, but when I discovered my true feelings towards you, it was like I finally became whole. So, I decided to be with you and the girls, and I have never looked back ever since. While I still love the rest of our friends and I still intend to go on dates with them and such, you on the other hand are the most important to me. Just like how Twilight is more attracted to Rainbow Dash and Applejack to Pinkie Pie, I feel the most comfortable around you, my dear.

You say that I am a princess you could never reach, well I have always thought of you as an elusive flower, whose natural beauty nopony could possibly match, and that includes me. No matter how many makeups and accessories I put on, or how many elaborate dresses I wear, your natural beauty would always outshine mine. That's why I wanted to become friends with you, because I always thought that the most beautiful girls in Equestria should stick together."

Now it was Fluttershy's turn to be shocked. She had always thought Rarity was out of her league - even now - but now she finds out that Rarity thought the same of her? This definitely threw her mind for a loop, but before she could voice her confusion, Rarity continued:

"And further more, if you are worried that if I move to Canterlot we will never see each other again, then don't be. I have already scouted a lovely little house for just the two of us in Canterlot. It's relatively cheap, it has a beautiful view of the valley, and it has a cute little garden just behind it. And I have spoken with Twilight, and she told me that she knows somepony, who can fashion me a special magical apparatus that can open up portals between here and Canterlot. And she told me that even non-unicorn beings can use it too, so that means that if you ever want to visit your animal friends, then you can do it in a jiffy."

Once more Fluttershy was shocked into silence by her ever-ambitious girlfriend. It would seem that Rarity has thought of everything while Fluttershy wasn't around, and if what she said about them living together is true, then...

"U-uhm, Rarity....? Wh-when you said you found a h-house for just the t-two of u-us, does that mean th-that..."-Fluttershy stuttered, but wasn't able to finish her question due to all the shock, adrenaline and the swirl of emotion going on inside of her. But then it all stopped when Rarity gently grasped her hands and spoke with a soft smile:

"No, not now...but if you want to...then I wouldn't mind at all..."

Fluttershy gasped in shock at hearing this, until tears started welling up in her eyes once more, but this time they were tears of joy, rather then sadness. She then smiled as she threw her arms around her surprised girlfriend. Rarity for her part was only surprised momentarily, but she quickly overcame it and hugged Fluttershy back.

"Uhm, Rarity?"-Fluttershy asked, Rarity separating from the hug, as the pegasus wiped away some of her tears-"C-could I still give you th-this ring...?"

Rarity smiled softly at the innocent question and simply nodded. With that Fluttershy took the ring from the box and inserted it on Rarity's left ring-finger. Once that was done, Rarity looked lovingly at her new accessory and said:

"You know darling, this almost certainly feels like a marriage proposal."-Rarity then directed her loving gaze onto the shy mare before her and intertwined both of her hands with Fluttershy's-"And if it truly were...I wouldn't object to it in the slightest."

Fluttershy smiled happily upon hearing this, since those were the very words she wanted to hear come out of both Rarity and the rest of her friends, but Rarity most of all. The two were now closing their eyes and slowly leaning towards each other, intending to-

"Oh, isn't that just sweet. Makes me wanna vomit all over the place. Bleargh!"

The loving couple was shocked at hearing a sardonic voice so close to them and when they looked to the entrance of the kitchen they saw a shocking site: three ponies clad completely in black, ninja-like outfits. The one in the middle was as tall as Applejack and looked physically as strong as her, her eyes emerald and with red fur. The one on the right was shorter, with grey fur and eyes and her entire demeanor was like Fluttershy's. The last one on the left had jet-black fur and dark purple eyes and the very aura around her radiated a stench certain dregs from the underbellies of society would emit.

"Wh-who are? H-how did you get in here? For that matter, what in Equestria are you doing in my house?!"-Rarity demanded, getting up from her seat and instinctively setting herself between the three strangers and her beloved.

"Please calm yourself Lady Rarity, we're not here to hurt you, or Lady Fluttershy."-the one in the middle said with a surprising softness to her voice, her accent indicating her Trottingham heritage.

"You just barge into my home without my permission, you hide your faces behind masks and you look suspicious overall."-Rarity said, feeling Fluttershy standing up behind her as well-"It is only natural for me to assume that you are burglars or something of the sort, when I first see you."

"I know, and I understand your reasoning Lady Rarity."-the tall one spoke once again-"But understand we do not wish to harm you, not unless you give us a reason to, and I strongly implore you not to. Please, allow us to introduce ourselves so as to show you at least a little bit of civility."-Rarity's glare seemed to have lessened slightly, though she still kept her guard up, while the tall pony continued-"My name is Red Fist, intimidating, yes I know, but I'm not, believe me. *gestures to the pony on the right* This is Mist Walker, she doesn't talk much, but she is as nice and gentle as Lady Fluttershy. *gestures to the pony on the left* And this is-"

"Oh for fuck's sake, why the hell are acting all buddy-buddy for?"-the pony on the left said with a voice laced with impatience, anger and arrogance-"Let's just beat them up, bag them and go. I don't wanna be around this shit-hole of a town any longer."

Rarity and Fluttershy were shocked at hearing this, the vanilla pegasus even squeeking in fright, but before the white unicorn could speak, it was the grey unicorn who addressed the rude pony.

"Uhm, Darkness? I'm sorry, but we're supposed to kidnap them, without hurting them. Those were our orders. The Midnight Twins-"

"Nopony asked for you useless opinion, idiot."-the rude pony, now named Darkness, shot back, making Mist Walker recoil in fright-"And I don't give a rat's ass what those two shitheads said. Let's just take these bitches and go already, before I-"

"Number one, nobody talks like that to Mist Walker and the Element Bearers, especially when I'm close by."-Red Fist said dangerously, making sure to emphasize her superior size and strength before Darkness-"Number two, I believe the Midnight Twins have the best interests of everypony in mind, including that of the Element Bearers, so you don't get to undermine their orders. And number three, the last time I checked, nopony was ever interested in your bloody opinion Darkness. And personally, I think I'd much rather take the opinion of the cute mail pony we saw earlier, then yours any day."

There was a moment of silence and just as Darkness was about to speak again, Red spoke up first-"So do everypony a favor and shut up if you don't want to say anything helpful."

Another moment of silence, before Darkness chuckled darkly and said sardonically-"Sure thing, boss."

Stepping away from the taller pony, Darkness stood back, while Red Fist looked back at the surprised Element duo. Rarity and Fluttershy were taken aback by how this 'Darkness' behaved, and were even more surprised that the other two masked ponies - whom they assumed were villains as well - actually stood up to defend them. However, Rarity's mind refocused on a bit of detail Mist Walker said:

"Excuse me, but your friend - Mist Walker, was it? - said that you three came here to kidnap us. Care to explain that?"-Rarity asked, now holding Fluttershy close to her.

Sighing upon hearing this Red was about to speak, when Mist Walker beat her to it-"I-I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to know about it like this. We..."

"Hey, it's alright Mist. They were going to find out eventually, might as well get it over with."-Red said, putting a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder. She then turned back to address the Element Bearers-"To clarify, yes, we are here to kidnap you two - b-but it's not what you think!"-Red paused for a moment to see if Rarity might say something, and after taking her silence as her que, she explained further-"Our Mistress has a plan set in motion, which will change the face of Equestria for the better. However, in order for this plan to work, we need the help of the most powerful ponies of this land. And I think you know, whom I'm talking about..."

Red stopped, intending to let all this sink in, and Rarity spoke up once more-"Alright, so you need the help of me and my friends. I can perfectly well understand that, in fact I would gladly go with you to help you right away...but if that really is true, then why must you kidnap us? If it is your way of asking for help, then I must say it is by far the strangest way of asking for help I have ever heard of."

Even though the last part wasn't intended to be humorous, Red still chuckled slightly, before clearing her throat and speaking-"I'm afraid I can't say. In fact, I've already said too much. All you need to know is that what we're doing here is important for the future of this land. And before you ask, no, we are not intending to kill you in the name of some zealous doctrine or sacrifice you to some pagan god, or whatever. As Mist said earlier, our intensions are to kidnap you without harming you. In fact we would prefer that you come with us willingly. And even back at our home, our Mistress wouldn't even consider harming a hair from your bodies, Lady Rarity."

Red stopped to catch her breath, giving Rarity a moment to consider her words. The fashionista unicorn was at a loss right now. On the one hand she can understand coming to them for help, but on the other hand, asking for their help by kidnapping them? She knew that meant an instant 'no', but the gentleness and honesty radiating from Red Fist kept compelling her to agree to what she is asking of them.

"Uh-uhm, R-Rarity?..."-Fluttershy whispered into the unicorn's ear, who listened-"U-uhm, I'm not very sure, but...I think I believe what Ms. Red Fist is saying. Sh-she sounds very honest, and sounds like they really do want our help, even with the...you know...Ms. Mist Walker seems like a nice pony too. S-so, m-maybe we sh-should do as they say, a-at least for now..."

"Are you sure about this darling?"-Rarity whispered back-"I know you're a good judge of character, like Applejack is, but these are still kidnappers. Are you certain about this?"

"W-well...n-no...not really..."-Fluttershy admitted-"B-but, we should at least see what they want our help with, right?"

Rarity thought about it for a moment, and her generous side began kicking in as well. They should find out what these ponies are up to anyway, and if it's something bad, then they need to stop it.

"Very well, we will go with you."-Rarity told the Sisters of Shadow-"But, we will do so, only on the condition that you do not harm us. Understood?"

Hearing this, Red and Mist both smiled underneath their masks and the Earth Pony said-"O-off course Lady Rarity! We will make sure you are treated as respectable guests of honor."-she then pulls out of her pocket a small silver ring with a purple gem in its middle and said-"May I please put this on your horn, Lady Rarity? This is a Magic Suppression ring meant for unicorns, it's not what you think. This is merely part of the process..."

Rarity looked at the ring for a moment, before relenting with a sigh-"Fine, do it. But I'm warning you; just because you're touching my horn, doesn't mean you can start having any funny ideas."

"Y-yes, I understand Lady Rarity..."-Red said as she gently let the ring slide down Rarity's horn. Once that was done, she turns to address her comrades-"Come on, let's get the rest of our tools ready."

Red and Mist went out of the kitchen into the main hall, where they left a large sack that was filled with their 'tools'. However, Darkness stood in place and watched the two ninja ponies select the appropriate items and speaking excitedly, but quietly amongst themselves. As she observed them being focused on their own task, a sneer crossed her masked features, as she then directed her gaze at the two remaining Element Bearers.

With that same high level of smugness from before Darkness approached the two ponies, Rarity doing her best to reassure Fluttershy of their safety, while the pegasus girl kept saying that she was alright. Upon noticing the rude pony approach them, Fluttershy slightly back away, while Rarity leveled a challenging glare at her.

"Shouldn't you be with your friends?"-Rarity asked.

Darkness didn't answer at first, as her gaze fell on the golden sapphire ring on Rarity's hand. She smirked at this and spoke-"Nice ring ya got there."-upon hearing this Rarity became surprised, before she quickly put her right hand over her left, hiding the ring away from the sneering pony-"I'll bet it's worth a lot of bits, so hand it over."

"W-what is the meaning of this? No, I won't!"-Rarity said in shock, but her answer seemed to annoy Darkness for some reason.

"What the hell did you just say?"-Darkness said, getting uncomfortably close Rarity-"Did you just talk back to me, bitch? Nopony talks back to me, got it? Now give me that damn ring!"-Darkness now demanded as she harshly grabbed Rarity's left hand and tried to remove the ring, but Rarity off course fought back.

"Wh-what are you doing?! We had a deal you ruffian! We-"

"Do you really think I give a shit about what you and that meathead talked about?"-Darkness asked, interrupting Rarity-"I want your ring, which means you're gonna give it to me, no questions asked. Now give it to me!"

"Stop it! Let go of me!"-Rarity struggled and fought back, trying to cast magic, but then remembered the ring.

"Hey! Leave her alone you bully!"-Fluttershy cried out, grabbing Darkness' left arm to try and pry her away from Rarity.

"HANDS OFF!"-Darkness shouted, backhanding Fluttershy in the face, hard. After the pegasus hit the ground, Darkness took it a step further and pressed her left hoof down on the part of Fluttershy's face where she hit her-"Don't you DARE touch me again, you worthless, peasant bitch!"

"Fluttershy!"-Rarity cried out, still being held in Darkness' vice grip-"Why did you do that?! You didn't have to hurt her, you-"

"Shut up!"-Darkness ordered as she used her free hand to punch Rarity in the stomach-"I'll hurt you and your whore worse if you don't-"

But before Darkness could finish her sentence, someone grabbed her right shoulder and turned her around. That someone was Red Fist, who then proceeded to launch a hard punch into Darkness' face, forcing her back and away from the two injured girls.

"Lady Rarity! Lady Fluttershy! Are you two alright? Are you hurt very badly?"-Red franticly asked, with Mist arriving shortly after.

"N-no, we're fine...relatively speaking..."-Rarity whizzed as she nursed her injured stomach, while Fluttershy nursed her heavily bruised face.

"Mist! Healing spell! Now!"-Red ordered and Mist Walker wordlessly went to work, her horn glowing. Then Red Fist turned a raging glare upon the recovering Darkness-"What the HELL did you think you were doing?! We're here, to take them with us, not rob them and hurt them!"

"Ooohh you just punched me Big Red."-Darkness drawled as she got back on her two legs-"Pretty sure mommy dearest won't like tha-"

"Don't you dare change the subject!"-Red ordered-"You've already hurt Lady Rarity and Lady Fluttershy, do not give me more of a reason to hurt you by insulting our Mistress."

"Oh please, will you grow up already?"-Darkness drawled once again-"I didn't kill them. They're alive, so that's all that matters."

"You hurt them, you stupid wanker!"-Red shot back-"Don't you get? You hurt them, when you were ordered not to!"

"Like I said; they're alive. What's the harm in ruffing them up a little bit?"-Darkness said, uncaringly at first, but then with a bit of sadistic pleasure.-"Anyway, what you gonna do Big Red? You're gonna kill me, or something?"

As Darkness chuckled at her own mocking, Red turned to Mist-"Mist!"

"Got it!"-Mist simply said, standing up and using her magic to open a portal behind Darkness, who turned around with confusion.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like? We're sending you back to our carriage."-Red simply said, which only seemed to anger Darkness.

"What?! Ooooh no, you are not benching me, you giant halfwit! You're not the boss of-"

*PUNCH*

Red punched Darkness again, this time a little harder. Then the Earth Pony grabbed the psycho pegasus' outfit and lifted her to her eyelevel.

"You have no room for protests anymore. Just be glad I didn't use my full strength, otherwise you'd be picking up what's left of your jaw from the floor. You were given a simple order: follow my command and unsurprisingly you screwed that up too. So now you will go back to the carriage and wait for us, until we are finished tending to the two Ladies' injuries."

"Heh, and what makes you so sure I won't just up and take the carriage and leave you four useless shmucks behind, huh?"-Darkness asked smugly, to which Red simply answered.

"Because if you do, if the rest of my sisters don't find you first, then I will. And when I do, I'll turn your spine into a fucking boa scarf, and then your face into a bloody napkin."

Darkness remained silent for a moment, until she spoke again-"Why so defensive Big Red? You know those two and the rest of those whores will never be your friends, so why bother?"

Red remained silent for a moment, until she spoke again as she approached the portal-"Because I'm not a spoiled bitch, like you."-then Red Fist threw Darkness through the portal and the magic construct closed.

Once that was done, Red returned to the gathered ponies, with Mist looking at her with concern.

"Are you alright, Red?"

"Hmpf, no, no I'm not alright Mist."-Red said bitterly-"I let Darkness make a fool out of me...again. I turn my back on her and she goes and hurts the Element Bearers, right after I promised them that we wouldn't."

"Red..."

Mist wanted to comfort her friend, until in a surprising twist, Fluttershy got up from the ground and placed a reassuring hand on Red's back, surprising her.

"Don't worry about us Ms. Red. Rarity and I are okay now, thanks mostly to your friend here."-Fluttershy said, not ceasing in surprising the Earth Pony-"You couldn't have known that that pony would be so mean. You just trusted her, there's no shame in that."

"Trust?"-Red chuckled humorously and spoke-"Lady Fluttershy, none of my sisters trust that crazy wanker. In fact, I am quite certain that not even our Mistress trusts her. That's why she was put with me, so I could keep an eye on her, and I screwed that up!"

Fluttershy felt even more sorry for Red now, since the Earth Pony wouldn't stop blaming herself. She wanted to comfort her, but surprisingly, it was Rarity who beat her to it.

"You know, Fluttershy is right darling."-hearing the fashionista's voice surprised Red greatly now-"That ruffian simply deceived you. You couldn't have known that was the case. And even if you were suspicious, you couldn't have known for sure, until it was too late. Take from somepony who was deceived many times before darling, all you can do now is stand up and move forward."

This was an uncanny situation. Never did the Earth Pony ever think she'd be cheered up by one of the ponies she and her sisters look up to. This definitely made her heart jolt slightly. Then she recovered from her shock by chuckling in amusement.

"Heh. This is ridiculous."-Red said, putting her left hand on her forehead-"Here I am, trying to kidnap you two, and you just decide to reassure me, your kidnapper, when I'm feeling glum."

"Hmhmh, well I AM the element of kindness, and Rarity is the element of generosity, after all."-Fluttershy explained.

"Yes, but don't misunderstand dear."-Rarity said, seriously this time-"I still believe that you kidnapping us is wrong, and I still do not trust you. I do appreciate that you defended me and Fluttershy from the uncuth savage, but that doesn't mean I fully trust any of you."

Red nodded her head, understanding what the fashionista was saying, but she still appreciated their support none the less.

"U-uhm, excuse me everypony, but...should we get to tying them up or...?"-Mist wondered outloud, to which Rarity said.

"Yes, yes, I suppose you should, since you two are so stubborn about this."

"Alright then."-Red said, picking up some ropes that she dropped when she rushed back into the room-"I will take care of Lady Rarity and Mist, you will handle Lady Fluttershy."

And so, the two remaining Sisters of Shadow kept themselves busy tying up a calm Fluttershy and a reluctant Rarity. For five minutes everyone was silent, until Red spoke to Rarity, as she tied a line of rope under the fashionista's breasts.

"Lady Rarity, I still wish to thank you for what you and Lady Fluttershy said to me earlier. Believe me, you have no idea what this means to somepony like me."

"Hmm, yes I suppose so. Although, you could stand to watch where your hands are as you speak."-Rarity pointed out, as one of Red's hands brushed up against one of her breasts. After a quick 'sorry' from the ninja pony, Rarity asked-"Seeing as we're talking anyway, would you mind telling why do you keep calling us 'Lady', every time you speak our names? Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy being reffered to as a lady, but why do it anyway?"

"O-oh! Th-that's because we respect you, Lady Rarity."-Mist said, as she gently applied the Pegasus Clamps onto Fluttershy's wings.

"Yes."-Red continued-"We hold you and the rest of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony in the highest of regards. So it is only natural that we address you with respect as well."

"Is that why you told us about kidnapping us first?"-Fluttershy asked curiously and innocently, to which Mist nodded.

"Indeed. You may be our targets, but that is no reason for us to act like savages...like Darkness."-Red elaborated, almost spitting when she said Darkness' name.

AT this point, the two sisters were done tying up the two lovers. Rarity and Fluttershy were now completely secured and couldn't really move much, except for their legs from the knee down.

"Alright, now all that's left is to gag you two."-Red said, as she and Mist pulled out a white cloth each and were about to do just that, until-

"Please wait."-Fluttershy spoke up-"Uhm, if it's okay with you two, could you please not g-gag us yet? There's something I want to tell Rarity first...if that's okay with you..."

Red and Mist simply looked at each other in confusion and then the Earth Pony said-"Aaalllright Lady Fluttershy...I mean, it's not like you will never see each other again, but if you really wish so, then please, go ahead and speak."

"Yeah. Please take your time Lady Fluttershy."-Mist added, to which Flutterhsy blushed and then turned to face her lover.

"Uh-uhm, R-Rarity? Uhm, u-unless s-something bad happens - Celestia forbid - th-then I...I just want to tell you...that I-"

Fluttershy couldn't finish as Rarity collided her lips with the vanilla pony's. She was surprised by this action at first, but then Fluttershy melted into the kiss, reciprocating the action. After separating from the kiss, Rarity spoke up:

"I know dear, I know. And I swear, once we get out of this mess, the two of us will have our wedding and be the first of our herd to wed."-Fluttershy smiled happily upon hearing this and so did Rarity, but a moment later, the unicorn turned to face their captors with a determined look and said-"Alright, I believe we both now said what we needed to say. So go ahead and gag us then."

Nodding in reply, the two ninja ponies went behind the two mares and tied the two cloths over their mouths. After mumbling a few times to test the effectiveness of their restraints, Fluttershy and Rarity were thankful their captors allowed them to talk one last time.

"Alright, It's time to go. Mist?"-Red said, as she placed her hands on Rarity's shoulders, while Mist did the same in Fluttershy's case.

"On it."-Mist said as she once again opened a portal and the two captors gently guided their captives through it.

After passing through the magical threshold, the two pairs ended up somewhere outside of Ponyville, standing before a distinctly decorated carriage that's being pulled by a Terror Bird. Next to the carriage stood a grumpy Darkness, who looked like she was in a tussle recently, with her right arm bearing a slash mark that was bleeding. Once she saw the pairs, she smugly smirked underneath her mask and addressed them:

"Well, look who decided to finally show up. Hey there Curls. How's your tummy doing?"-Darkness asked mockingly, addressing Rarity.

"Hmpf!"-Rarity huffed underneath her gag as she turned her head up and away from Darkness, who got angry because of that.

However, the pegasus kept her mouth shut and instead addressed Mist as she passed her by-"Hey, worthless! My arms wounded. Heal it."

As Mist helped Fluttershy into the carriage, she turned to glare at Darkness-"Are you kidding? After what you just did and after you, obviously, tried to run away? Heal it yourself. You've got healing lotions, like the rest of us."

Once again Darkness became enraged that someone was 'talking back' to her and refusing to do her biding. She went to take a swing at Mist, until Red cleared her throat behind her. When the psycho pegasus looked towards the Earth Pony, Red loudly cracked her knuckles, telling Darkness what is about to happen.

Growling in dissatisfaction, Darkness went to get inside the carriage, until Red grabbed her left shoulder and harshly pulled her back, as she gently helped Lady Rarity into the carriage.

"Oh, so the scum get special treatment, but I don't? Hello! I'm the injured one here! I'm the one that's supposed to be pampered, not those two scum of the world!"-Darkness complained, as Red simply turned to her and said.

"What was it you told me earlier? Oh yeah: grow up already. And in case it's not obvious enough, you'll be sitting in the back of the carriage for the rest of the trip."

"What?!"-Darkness asked, shocked-"You can't-"

"Darkness, thanks to you, this day became too long and too exhausting for me, so do yourself a favor: don't piss me off and just do it."-Red ordered, this time with a dangerous edge in her voice.

Darkness growled at this, like and animal, and as she walked over to her designated seat, she said-"You'll regret this. Nopony humiliates me and gets away with it. NOPONY!"

Red simply shook her head at this, since for Darkness, not giving her candy when she demands it is considered 'humiliation'. Once that was done, Red Fist went to sit at the drivers seat, when Mist spoke up.

"Are you sure you want to drive Red?"

"Look, no offence mist, but I'm better at this, and I don't trust Darkness to not intentionally crash this thing. You just sit with our Ladies and report back to the boss ladies, alright?"

Though hesitant at first, Mist Walker relented and took a seat inside the carriage. Once the vehicle began to move along, she dared a glance at the two other ponies with her. Fluttershy was as nervous as ever, while Rarity made sure to keep an eye on Mist, in case of any 'funny ideas'.

"Please try to relax you two."-Mist said-"Trust me, you and the rest of the Element Bearers will be much more comfortable once we arrive at our destination."

"Hmpf! Mmmppff'll bmmpplmmffv mmppt whmmmpphhnnn mmppff sssmmmppff mmmpppffftt."-Rarity said, her voice muffled by her gag.

Not fully understanding what her fellow unicorn was talking about, Mist produced a small blue flame in her left palm and spoke into it:

"M-Mist Walker s-speaking. I-I mean, th-this is T-Team Gamma. W-we have K-Kindess a-and Generosity a-and we're going to wh-where we need to go...o-over..."-the timid unicorn stuttered as she ended the transmission, then looked up to the two lovers-"S-so, the others say that y-your friends are with them so...you'll see them soon, I-I promise..."

Given their earlier discussion, Rarity didn't doubt the ninja pony's words this time, but right now she was focusing her gaze on a nervous looking Fluttershy. The poor thing looked more nervous than usual, but not because they were being kidnapped - not completely - but because she is tied up. Fluttershy always had a distinct fear towards bondage, since it was always portrayed in a negative light, which is why Rarity never brought it up (even though she'd sometimes fantasize about Fluttershy perfectly fitting the role of a tied up damsel in distress).

So naturally she knew that now, more than ever she'd have to comfort Fluttershy. And that's what she did, by moving closer to her lover and pressing her body up to hers. Realizing what the gesture means, Fluttershy simply placed her head onto Rarity's left shoulder, feeling safe being so close to the pony she loved.

As this was happening, Rarity made a vow in her mind-'Don't worry Fluttershy. I swear, with Celestia as my witness, I will protect you and keep you safe from whatever dangers come our way. After all...a princess will always protect her flower.'

End of prologue

Author's Note

Alright, so as you all may have just read, this, along with the previous chapters were meant to be a sort of prologue for the story.

Next time, the main six will be together again, and some happenings in Ponyville will also be revealed.

In any case, I hope that those of you who read this story at least enjoy it to some extent, because I know that this isn't to everyone's taste. Please comment as well, although please be respectful when you do so. I also hope this chapter wasn't too cheesy or corny. I was trying to wright this one to be as romantic as I could manage...sorry.

Anyway, that's all for now, and hopefully I'll be able to make the next update soon. See you guys later and remember: be safe.