Filly Fantasy VI - The Return of Magic

Chapters

Wherein There Be Dragons
In Which Trouble is a Constant Companion
Wherein be Donuts and Castles and Books, Oh My!
In Which Chairs Go Kweh!
Wherein Castles Sink
In Which Ponies Go to a Bar
Wherein Machines Get Busted
In Which A Decision is Made
In Which There's a Prison With No Walls
Wherein Spike and Stardust Salvage Sparkling Stones
In Which a Meme is Born
Wherein the Truth is Revealed (April Foals)
In Which Twilight Returns to Neighshe
Wherein We Jump the Trench
In Which Preparations Are Made
Wherein the Battle is Joined
In Which Chickens Fly
Wherein the Mountains are Crossed
In Which the Emperor is Revealed
Wherein They Enter the Town With the Funky Music
In Which Liberation Begins
Wherein Auditions Are Held (April Foals)
In Which It's a Night at the Opera Part 1
Wherein The Empire Strikes Back
Wherein It Gets a Little Chilly
In Which Ponies Bond
In Which Ponies Gain EXP
Wherein We Skip the Frying Pan
In Which The Consequences Are High
Wherein Dinner is Served
Wherein There's Gold In Them Thar Hills
In Which Peace Gets A Chance
Wherein The World Changes Part 1
In Which The World Changes Part 2
Wherein The World Changes Part 3
In Which the World Changes Part 4
Wherein The World Has Changed
In Which a Game is Set
Wherein Allies are Gathered
In Which Trixie and Sunset Join the Mile High Club
Wherein Castles Rise
In Which Swords Grow
Wherein The Mountains are Crossed... Again
In Which The Ancestors Are Roused
Wherein Past Grievances Are Rekindled
In Which Griffons Rule the Roost
Wherein There Are No Friendly Skies
In Which the Veldt is Plundered
Wherein A Score is Settled
Wherein There's a Little Soul Searching
In Which Reunions Are Best Served Chilled
Wherein Bets Pay Off
In Which Night Falls
Wherein The Fire Burns Deep
In Which There Has To Be A Better Way In
Wherein It's Crazy at the Top
In Which The Returners Get a Break
Wherein The Deep Depths Delight
In Which the Returners Reach the Endgame Part 1
Wherein the Returners Reach the Endgame Part 2
In Which the Returners Reach the Endgame Part 3
In Which the Returners Reach the Endgame Part 5
Wherein Credits Roll
In Which the Loop Closes (April Foals)
In Which History Repeats
Wherein We Start With the Longest Frickin Scenario
In Which It's a Night at the Opera Part 2
Wherein Espers Have a Home
In Which the Cutie Mark Crusaders Share the Hot Seat
In Which The Next Step Is Taken
Wherein the Returners Reach the Endgame Part 4

Wherein There Be Dragons

Rainbow Dash crawled down the ventilation shaft, contorting her body into odd angles to make it through. Fortunately, Rainbow was fit and lithe, managing to make it inside the mine undetected. Smirking, she brushed herself off and started forward slowly. She was on a mission now, and there were eyes and ears hidden in the dark. If she wasn’t careful, she’d get caught before she snagged her prize. Imperial Witch or not, losing to patrolling guards would be a massive ding to her reputation. She had years of practice at her trade, and wouldn’t be stopped by amateurs.

Rainbow Dash’s ears perked as she heard the clopping of hooves coming from a corner up ahead. Quickly, she took to the air and flew up to the highest part of the cavern, desperately searching for some outcropping of rock to hang on to. Finally finding a hoofhold, she clung to it while pressing herself against the wall as tightly as she could. Moments later, two Neighshe ponies walked around the bend and directly underneath her. The adventurer contemplated spitting on them to see if they’d notice her, when she heard their hushed voices. Eagerly, she leaned down just a little, cocking her ears around at a better angle to hear them.

“So how can we be out of rope?” the first one asked. “We work in a bucking mine for crying out loud! The witch fell down that hole, and we can’t see the bottom, so she’s gotta be dead, right? Nopony could survive that fall!”

The second pony raised an eyebrow. “Are you kidding me?! She’s a bucking evil enchantress! She could probably fall a thousand hooves and still be fine! We’ve gotta rush down to the lower levels before she can get away!”

“I still don’t see why we can’t just...” Rainbow Dash, having heard all she needed, waited for the two ponies to walk out of earshot and spread her wings. Gliding instead of flapping, she traveled down the path the two bickering guards had come from. It didn’t take long to find the spot they had spoken of: a large section of floor and wall had collapsed. In the center, surrounded by rocks and coal, was a large gap.

Stepping lightly, Rainbow Dash peered over the edge and down the hole. The surrounding torchlight illuminated only a few hooves, making it impossible to see the bottom. Rainbow Dash pawed at the ground, her eyes narrowing the longer she stood there. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she jumped into the pit.

A whoosh of displaced air sounded out as Rainbow Dash snapped her wings open. Keeping her eyes focused, she circled the pit in a gentle glide. Twice she came close to impacting the walls, but a swift kick from her foreleg brought her back to the center of the hole. Sooner than she had expected, Rainbow Dash’s hooves made contact with the rocky floor. She stumbled a few steps before flapping her wings to stop her momentum. Now stabilized, she touched down and let out a sigh of relief. “Perfect landing.”

Sensing that she was alone at the bottom of the pit, she used her teeth to pull a self-lighting torch from her pack and struck it against the nearest stone wall. Wincing at the sudden bright light, she inserted the stick end into a receptacle sewn into her pack, freeing her mouth once again. Once Rainbow Dash’s eyes adjusted, the torchlight revealed an enclosed chamber with no exit. There was no sign of the missing mare.

Rainbow Dash searched the area for a few moments before she found some odd grooves on the ground. “Huh. This looks like somepony was dragged.”

She blinked, before flying in a panicked sprint around the enclosed space, her mind racing. “They beat me to her?! That’s not possible! I’m Rainbow Dash, the fastest treasure hunter of all time! I’ll show them! Why, I’ll just have... to...”

She slowed down, her gaze lingering on the tracks she had inspected earlier. She traced the marks on the ground right up to a stone wall. “But... the marks go right through! Okay, there has to be some sort of passage here, right? I just have to find it! I wonder if it’s like the other one...”

Rainbow Dash continued her search, spotting a stone that looked out of place, the coloration a little off compared to its surroundings. Frowning, Rainbow Dash pressed a hoof against it. The stone sank into the wall.

Immediately, the wall next to her began to move, the sound of stone grinding against stone filling the area. Soon, an opening revealed itself. Grinning at her success, she shot through the entrance, only to pull up short as she was faced with an army of small dragons.

The dragons almost came to her height, only having to look up slightly to meet the mare’s eyes. They were all different colors, most having three shades of scales: one for their chest, one for their body, and one for the spikes running down their backs to the tips of their tails. Matching colored spine-like projections jutted from the sides of their heads where ears were normally located.

“Buck.” Her eyes narrowed, her wing unconsciously reaching for her dagger strapped to her side.

Before she could arm herself, one of the dragons walked forward. He stood a head shorter than herself, his body scales a royal purple, while his spikes were a dark green, with his chest a lighter shade of green.

Rainbow Dash swallowed, putting on a wide smile. She waved, saying in a hesitant voice, “Heh, heh. Nice... cave you have here. Sorry for intruding like this! I didn’t know that you guys lived here or I would have knocked.”

The dragon crossed his arms, eyeing the pegasus from hoof to head. “What are you doing here? You’re obviously looking for something, so spit it out. Are you after our treasure? Our gems?! Our eggs?!”

~ A fast-talking dragon who speaks the words of ponies,
and who can summon the power of earth though his magical flames… ~

Rainbow Dash pursed her lips, short bursts of air escaping her mouth. Unable to hold in her giggling, she instead furiously shook her head as she saw the dragon’s face start to turn red. “No, no, nothing like that! If I was, then I swear you wouldn’t even notice I had been here!” She blinked, slapping her hoof against her forehead. “Gee, because that’s going to make me sound better than a common thief.”

The dragon continued to stare at her, frowning. Without warning, he jabbed a claw on the tip of her nose, saying in a commanding tone, “What’s your name and why are you here in my den? This is Spike’s Domain and I’m not gonna let any pony like you steal our eggs or gems!”

Slow and deliberate, Rainbow Dash pushed Spike’s claw out of her face. “Look, pal. I just said I wasn’t here for your stuff. I’m the one, the only, Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier and best Treasure Hunter in the world!” She puffed out her chest and flared her wings, grinning down at the dragon. Seeing Spike’s gaze harden, she continued, “Well, I’m looking for a mare—”

Spike’s face grimaced as though he had bitten into something sour.

“Not like that! I’m looking for that witch that’s running around. I heard that she was being controlled by some mechanical dohickey thingamabober. I came to see if that was true and get her out of here. If she really is an Imperial murderer, then... then I don’t know,” she said, frowning and pawing at the ground. “I ain’t an assassin, but if she meant to kill all of those ponies, then I should do something, right?”

Spike remained silent, scrutinizing her and rubbing his chin. At last, he took a deep breath and let out a thin stream of smoke. “Follow me. I’ve got a few of my guys keeping an eye on her. Maybe you should look at her yourself.”

The dragon led her on through a series of winding tunnels of dense rock. As they navigated the complex cave-system, Rainbow Dash’s eyes roamed the area, seeing countless piles of the gems, gold, and other valuable pieces of jewelry and weaponry. She swallowed hard, forcing her hooves to keep moving forward and her eyes straight. There was easily enough wealth in the few caves alone she had seen to let an entire town live like kings for the rest of their lives.

Resisting temptation, Rainbow Dash followed Spike to a small, dull grey room with a few beds set against the walls. The first bed on the right quickly caught the pegasus’ attention. There lay a purple unicorn, her face relaxed and her breathing even. She had several bandages covering her legs and torso and was curled up like a little filly, clutching her tail to her chest. Rainbow Dash walked up to the resting unicorn slowly, jerking to a stop upon spotting something odd on the mare’s coat. A six-sided magenta star covered her flank, like a tattoo. Rainbow Dash quirked an eyebrow and reached forward, poking the marking with a hoof. The slight jostling stirred the mare’s body, causing her to moan and squirm.

.o.O.o.

Twilight Sparkle let out a wide yawn, her eyes shut tightly as she groped at them with a hoof. Both hooves shot to the sides of her head as her skull throbbed, her head pounding with every heartbeat. She let out a pained moan as her body reminded her of her sudden fall in the cave. After the acute pain faded into a dull throb that she could bear, she slowly opened her eyes. Two blurry splotches of blue and purple filled her vision. Twilight blinked, clearing away the bleariness. This time, she made out a purple reptilian creature and a cyan pegasus with a many-colored mane and tail staring at her.

She froze, her eyes widening while her pupils shrunk which darted from one figure to the other. Her breath came in short bursts. The scene held until the pegasus spoke in a flat voice, “So what’s your name? What are you doing here?”

Twilight flinched away, her ears flattening against her head and her body shivering. She managed to stutter out in a timid voice, “T-Twilight Sparkle...”

Her eyes kept flickering around, trying to keep eye contact with the new mare, but the suspicious glare being sent her way forced her to look away. She jerked when the pegasus stomped her hoof, narrowing her eyes as she repeated harshly, “And what are you doing here, huh? Gonna do some weird magic thing to kill everypony with?!”

“I-I don’t know,” Twilight whimpered, shrinking back in her bed. “I don’t know anything!” She did have one memory, the horrible murderous memory of carnage and death that gnawed at the base of her skull. “I don’t know why I’m here, or how I got here!”

“She can’t remember what happened?” the cyan mare asked, glancing to the small purple lizard-like thing next to her. “She has, um...”

“Amnesia,” the lizard finished.

“Gesundheit,” the pegasus said, before hardening her gaze and turning once more to Twilight. “Yeah, sure... So what do you want to do? What are you trying to do?”

Twilight swallowed, letting out a small whimper. “I... I don’t know what I want... W-what am I supposed to want?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” the pegasus drawled. “So you’re saying you don’t want to hurt anypony?”

Twilight’s eyes widened in horror at the thought of hurting anypony else. She fought back the awful memory again. “N-no, of course not! That’s horrible! S-stop asking me all of these questions! P-please.”

“Then you’re not here to kill everypony?!” the pegasus said, shoving her muzzle into Twilight’s. “Gonna use your magic to go an—”

“NO! Stop it! I won’t do it! You can’t make me!”

Twilight dissolved into tears as a faint memory resurfaced, a scene of fire. Ponies burned all around her, many pleading for their lives. Her body rocked back and forth as she fought the memory, trying to force it down, but it kept rising back up, the screams of the tortured echoing in her mind.

.o.O.o.

Rainbow Dash stood there in shock, watching the “Witch” of the Empire weeping like a young foal as she begged for something to stop, pleading with the voices in her head to cease. Twilight began to scream and fixed her gaze upon the pegasus, begging her again and again to make the bad memories go away. Next to her, Spike began wringing his claws together, his features downcast as he witnessed the pony on the bed reduced to a crying mess.

Rainbow Dash had seen enough. Having no better idea for comforting the hysterical pony, she quickly grabbed a glass of water that was set on a table next to the mare’s bed and splashed it in her face. It had the desired effect, bringing her back to her senses.

Reaching forward, Rainbow Dash clumsily pulled Twilight Sparkle into a tight hug, one foreleg hooked around her body, while the other went to her head, stroking her mane. She worked her mouth but no words came out. Shaking her head, she said the first things that came to mind. “H-hey, it’s okay. You’re fine now. You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to.”

“B-but they... I...” Twilight blubbered, before breaking down entirely, her body shaking from her sobs as she clutched at the bemused pegasus.

“It’s not your fault,” Rainbow Dash spoke softly, still stroking Twilight’s hair. It took time, but Twilight’s crying slowly died down. “You’re safe now. You’re safe.”

Rainbow Dash had no idea what she was doing, but her efforts managed to calm the unicorn, who was no longer shaking quite so violently. Hoping that one of the diminutive dragons could help her, she looked for them, only to see that she had been left alone in the room with Twilight Sparkle.

“Wha-what happens now?” the unicorn stammered. “There’s no place for me. I-I’m... I can’t go back and I can’t stay here!” She collapsed in tears again. “What do I do?”

Rainbow Dash sighed, gathering her thoughts. “Um, well, listen, I’ll tell you what I do, and then we’ll talk more about you.” She pushed Twilight to foreleg’s length, allowing her to see Rainbow Dash’s determined face. “I, Rainbow Dash, am the most awesome, coolest, and fastest treasure hunter in the world! I give a lot of the small treasures and knick-knacks I find to families that can’t support themselves because they’re not as awesome as I am. Of course, I keep plenty of ’em too. The most important thing I do is work to stop the Empire. There are all sorts of different ponies who are trying to do the same thing. Of course, I’m kind of the most important, because I’m fast, dangerous, and awesome! With me involved, the Empire never knows what hit ’em! You know, you might think about becoming a freedom fighter yourself.”

Twilight blinked, taking in all that Rainbow Dash had said. “I... I don’t know,” she finally responded, frowning as she stared at the blanket covering the bed.

Grimacing, Rainbow Dash hesitantly said, “Umm, okay, well... what do you like to do? You know, like a hobby or whatever?”

“Erm... H-hobby?” Twilight asked, looking up shyly from her bed. “What’s a hobby?”

The pegasus facehoofed. “Come on! And ponies say that I’m not very smart.” Taking a slow, deep breath, she turned back to the oblivious mare on the bed. “I’ll be right back, okay?” Noticing a scroll on a desk next to the bed, she shrugged, tossing it to the bed-ridden mare. “Here. You probably can’t read anyway but at least that has something to look at. I’ll be back in a flash, just as soon as I find out where shorty went.”

Leaving Twilight to her own devices, Rainbow Dash left the room to locate her wayward “host”. She had hardly left the room, however, when she spotted Spike exiting a side cave, carrying a cloth-wrapped bundle in his arms. “Hey, what’s that?”

The dragon ignored her, heading straight for the infirmary, when a white and lavender dragoness rushed forward, holding another bundle that was taller than she was. “Spike, you forgot this!”

Spike stopped, turning around to meet the other dragon halfway. “Oh right, I would have missed that! Thanks, Pearl.”

The light dragoness bobbed her head respectfully before running off again. Rainbow Dash could only assume that the dragon had other duties to perform, so she just shrugged and followed Spike once more, saying, “So your name is Spike? What’s with that huge bundle? What’s it for?”

“You’ll see,” he answered simply, walking into the room.

Rainbow Dash groaned, rolling her eyes. She followed him inside, reaching forward to tap him on the shoulder, when she noticed that the lavender unicorn was deeply engrossed in the scroll, her eyes wide as she moved her head back and forth along the lines. Quirking an eyebrow, Rainbow Dash said, “Do you think she can actually read that? It didn’t seem like she knew anything before.”

Rainbow Dash walked over and peeked around Twilight’s shoulder. Shaking her head, she walked back to Spike. “It’s... just a little foal’s nursery story. I only grabbed it because I wasn’t familiar with it and thought it might be rare or something. Thought I would give it away to the next—” She stopped, the sound of dry parchment rustling against hooves no longer audible. Rainbow Dash turned her head, noticing that Twilight had reached the end of the scroll.

The tears welling up within Twilight’s eyes came as a complete surprise to her.

“H-how is that a happy ending?” Twilight said, her lower lip quivering slightly. “Their parents were killed, then kidnapped by the monsters that attacked! So what if they managed to kill the monsters later, they’re still orphans!”

Rainbow Dash swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. She glanced around the room, as though looking for inspiration on what to say, when Spike beat her to it.

“Not all stories have a happy ending. But most do have a lesson to teach, and this one has a fairly important one: bad things happen, and when they do, we must keep moving forward, and only then look for what we can change.”

Twilight wiped her eyes as she stared at the story before her. She sighed, looked up at Spike and made to speak but another beat her to it.

“Can you just tell me what’s in that bag already? I’ve been waiting for like, forever!”

“It’s been two minutes!” Spike yelled up at Rainbow Dash. The pegasus snorted, her focus fixed on the sacks at Spike’s side. “Fine,” he sighed. “Since we need to be going soon, let’s move this along.”

The little dragon set the two bundles down on the ground and then carefully unwrapped the first one to reveal a long, beautifully woven calamine pink cape. Rainbow Dash licked her lips, silently calculating its worth in gil. Shaking her head, she swiftly recovered, asking in what she hoped to be a nonchalant voice, “So who and what is that for?”

“This is something we dragons have that I want to give you, Twilight Sparkle. It’s a cape that will help keep you warm.” He carefully draped the cloth over her and fastened it around her neck. “I’ve been told this thing dates back all the way before the War of the Magi. It’s really neat and will warm you when it’s cold and cool you down when it gets really hot.”

“F-for me?” Twilight asked, her eyes shimmering. “Th-this is for me?”

Spike nodded, hopping off the bed to unwrap the second, slimmer bundle as he answered, “Yep. Rainbow Crash here already h—”

“That’s Rainbow Dash! D-A-S-H!” the pegasus yelled, her wings and feathers bristling.

“Eh, I was close,” Spike said, ignoring Rainbow Dash as he continued explaining to Twilight. “Like I said, Dash is already set for the cold, but if you stayed outside in what you’re wearing, you’d freeze into a popsicle in hours! If there’s anything that everypony needs in Neighshe, it’s some type of clothing.”

“Then why don’t you have clothes?” Twilight asked, tilting her head to the side.

Rainbow Dash let out a hearty laugh, grabbing her sides and shaking her head. Through a fit of giggles, she managed to say, “S-sorry, it’s just that even I know a thing or two about dragons. The scales this fella has”—she waved a hoof in Spike’s direction—“help them live just about anywhere. And I hear they can eat just about anything.”

“Uh, yeah, what she said,” Spike responded. “We got a little bit of magic in us too. And there are stories that we were a lot bigger before the war. Nowadays, we don’t get much bigger than this.”

“I think I like you better this size,” Twilight Sparkle murmured. Her hooves flew to her mouth, but the words had already been spoken. “I didn’t mean that as an insult!”

Spike chuckled, waving a claw airily. “Nah, none taken.”

“Ugh, is there anything else?” Rainbow Dash said. She spread her wings out to their full span and beat the air. “I’m bored! I need to stretch these babies already! Caves cramp my style!”

Rolling his eyes, Spike reached down and unwrapped the second bundle. “Keep your pants… uh… bandanna on! You could be a little more patient, ya know.”

Rainbow Dash gasped upon seeing a metallic sheen peeking out from the cloth. Already, her mind worked to calculate the worth of the contents. “This,” Spike explained quietly, showing it with great care to Twilight, “is also for—”

“No!” Twilight screeched, her eyes wide as she backed up against the wall. “I don’t want to take up a weapon again! I won’t kill! You can’t make me! You can’t make me!”

“Whoa chill, chill!” Rainbow Dash rushed over to the terrified unicorn, placing herself between Twilight Sparkle and the shining longsword that Spike had revealed. “Nopony’s making you do anything! Don’t you know what swords are made for?”

“T-to kill, to take away lives,” Twilight answered softly, her voice trembling. “Just like me.”

The pegasus shook her head. “No, you’re wrong. That is what they do in the wrong hooves. A sword, a true sword, is created to protect, not to destroy. That it the first lesson that everypony is supposed to understand when learning how to fight.”

As Twilight continued to stare at the sword, edging away from it little by little, Spike cleared his throat. “You need to take this, even if you don’t use it. If you appear harmless, then others will think you’re easy pickings. It’s a lot better to look like you can fight rather than looking helpless. Even scaring off a single monster is better than nothing.”

Twilight regarded the sword, wrinkling her nose at it as though it were giving off a pungent smell. “So I... I don’t have to use it, just wear it?”

Spike nodded, giving her an encouraging smile. “Yep. And I hope you never have to use it. Still, it’s better to have it and not use it, rather than needing it and not having it."

“But try not to worry!” The dragon paused and turned to Rainbow Dash, who was pacing anxiously across the room. “She and I will protect you as much as we can. Hopefully, you’ll learn how to keep yourself safe. So come on, it’s time to get going, and we still need to disguise you guys so we can get out of Neighshe without any problems. Let’s see...”

Walking over to the nearby fireplace, he waved the two ponies over, only to find them struggling to attach the sword under Twilight’s new cape. Shaking his head, he picked up some coal, easily grinding it down to dust with his claws. Spike marched back over to the struggling unicorn and coated Twilight’s mane and tail black with the powder, ignoring her protests as he made sure her hair was completely covered. Then he adjusted the cape, making sure that it covered the symbol on her flank.

Once he was finished, Spike turned to get to work on Rainbow Dash, but found her already dusting herself with ash, turning her bright mane and tail grey. “Heh, you catch on quicker than I would have guessed,” Spike said.

Rainbow Dash smirked, tying her headband tight against her head. “Have you not heard of me? I’m Rainbow Dash! I’m the definition of quick! If you looked in a dictionary for the definition, all you’d see is a picture of yours truly!” she finished, puffing her chest out.

“Yeah yeah, let’s just get moving already. We’ll need a story to tell the guardponies if we’re stopped for questioning.”

“Already got one,” Rainbow Dash said. “We’re escorting you to Fillygaro Castle to talk about the possible opening of a trade route between the dragons and the Kingdom of Fillygaro. Simple.”

“Alright, but why Fillygaro?” Spike asked as he led the way through his caves, taking side passages to avoid attention.

“Because it’s the closest city around, and any trade route further out would have to go through them, so it wouldn’t be as believable.” Rainbow Dash ducked her head as they passed a low-hanging doorway, exiting the dragon caves and re-entering the mining complex. She glanced around at the discarded tools and gutted walls, deducing that the tunnels hadn’t been used in some time. “More importantly, I have friends there.”

They walked in silence, working their way through the caves. After an hour, Rainbow Dash turned her head to check on the unicorn following them. Twilight trailed behind, keeping her head down. She was as silent as the tunnels around them. Sighing, Rainbow Dash focused her attention on the path ahead, keeping a vigilant eye.

“EEK!”

Spike and Dash whipped around to see Twilight Sparkle, “Witch” of the Empire, scourge of freedom, killer of hundreds of soldiers in mere minutes, screaming her head off at a bat. A small, non-poisonous, non-blood-sucking bat that couldn’t have been three months old.

“Bat!” Twilight Sparkle screeched at the top of her lungs, leaping so high that her horn almost touched the ceiling.

Before Rainbow Dash could pull her dirk out, Twilight had already drawn her newly acquired sword, flailing it about wildly in the general vicinity of the ‘monstrous’ bat, shrieking all the while with her eyes screwed shut. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

While the unicorn frantically slashed the air, the small, innocent bat proceeded to fly away, unhurt. Once it was out of sight, Rainbow Dash sighed, facehoofing as she announced in a monotoned voice, “Twilight, you got it. No more bat. You can stop swinging now.”

Panting for breath, her eyes still wide, Twilight stood still and darted her head back and forth, making sure there were no more bats in the area. Groaning, she slumped to the ground, her body going completely limp and her limbs sprawling to both sides of her stomach. Rainbow Dash stepped up to her, shaking her head. She opened her mouth to speak but the echo of beating hooves stopped her. Within seconds, several guards rushed into the area, their weapons held at the ready as the leader’s voice boomed in the tunnel. “Is everypony alright?! We heard a scream and...”

The lead guard came to a stop as he saw the two ponies and dragon, staring at them for just a moment before he took his own weapon out and held it at the ready in his mouth. “Ith tha th with?! Freeth! Domph moof!”

Twilight froze up as she looked at the lead guard pointing a gleaming blade at her. Spike glanced to Rainbow Dash for just a second, hoping to catch a clue as to how she wanted the situation handled, but the pegasus had only one word to say.

“Horsefeathers..."

In Which Trouble is a Constant Companion

Rainbow Dash’s gaze traveled across the group of Neighshe guards surrounding Spike, Twilight Sparkle, and herself. Already, the odds were four to one with potentially more guards further down the tunnels. She set herself into a defensive stance, her hoof drifting to one of her knives and hesitated. The tight confines of the cave made fighting their way out a losing option. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she withdrew her hoof and said, “Can we help you? We’re already running behind, and arriving late will not help convince our client that it’s in Fillygaro’s best interest to open a trade route with the ponies and dragons of Neighshe. You see, I’m, um, escorting the… dragon ambassador here.”

The lead pony didn’t relax his posture, though he didn’t make any move to attack. Taking the opportunity, Spike strode forward, arms crossed and chin held high. “Now, if you would hurry up and put your weapons away so that we can speak normally, we can get finished here and move along. I don’t have all day you know, and I doubt you’re wandering these tunnels for your health.”

The lead pony narrowed his eyes, looking over the dragon half his size for several seconds. “We’ll hear you out, but make it good,” he said, returning his sword loosely in its sheath. “I’m the Marshal. We were searching the tunnels when we heard a scream, and thought it might have been a victim of the escaped witch tha—”

“Witch?! Wait, you mean that she’s really here?!” the dragon exclaimed, his eyes going wide. He turned to Rainbow Dash, thrusting a claw into her muzzle. “I will not go through these caves while some magic psycho could be lurking around any corner!”

Rainbow Dash put on a show of whipping her head in one direction to another and twirling her body around. “Oh come on! The witch is loose?! I so don’t get paid enough for this!” She halted her frantic movements, facing Twilight. “Oi! Newbie! Get on your hooves already! And uh... sorry for not believing you earlier.”

“Wha?” Twilight Sparkle said, blinking. She scrambled to her hooves, her eyes darting from side to side.

The Marshal grunted, gaining everypony’s attention. He opened his mouth, but Rainbow Dash beat him to the punch. “See, she was only just hired, and was going on about this witch who was bustin’ up guards all over the place. We thought she was crazy, but I guess it was true? Anyway, she’s been jumpy the whole time. Heck, you guys heard her! She nearly got her horn stuck in the ceiling she jumped so high. And from a little bat, can you believe it?!”

“So that’s what that scream was...” the Marshal said, his gaze falling on Twilight. His eyes narrowed as he walked towards her slowly. “So, she saw the ‘witch’, did she? So she can tell us what the witch looks like then?"

Rainbow Dash and Spike both paled, breath catching in their chests. They glanced to each other, preparing for the worst, when Twilight spoke up softly. “Sh-she, she’s the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” she said, falling back down to her rump, her forelegs shaking. “Sh-she, her face… her eyes were dead. It was like she had no soul, and she killed all the ponies that got in her way. She’s… a monster.”

She let out a shuddering breath as her eyes filled with tears. “She... sh-she poisoned the guards, used lightning on the dogs... She... She...” Clutching her head in her forelegs, she shook even worse. “S-stop it... Make it stop! I... Not again... not again!”

Twilight collapsed to the floor in a sobbing mess. Spike and Rainbow Dash pushed past the Marshal to stand next to her, though hesitated on what to do next. Finally, after pacing in place for several moments, Rainbow Dash firmed up her features. "I'm so sorry." She knelt down next to Twilight and said in as quiet a voice as she could, “Act dead. Trust me.”

Rainbow Dash brought a hoof down to the back of Twilight’s head. The mare seized up, her eyes bulging out and then rolling back. Twilight's body went limp, her mouth letting out a sigh of air. Tiny breaths from her nose where the only signs that she was alive. With the sobbing gone, the caverns were silent once again.

"Was that really necessary?" The Marshal said.

"It’s all I could think of to calm her down."

The Marshal sighed as Rainbow Dash tried to make Twilight comfortable, saying gently, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think she’d be so worked up over seeing the witch. Forgive me for being suspicious, but we need all the information that we can get.”

“It’s all my fault,” Rainbow Dash said softly, adjusting Twilight’s cape to hide the mark on her flank.

“How is it your fault?” the Marshal asked.

“I’m the one that convinced her to come here in the first place...” Rainbow Dash lied, her voice low. “She’s from the southern continent, a scholar. She doesn’t like fighting but got drafted into Blueblood’s army anyway. She didn’t know what to do. So I convinced her to run away with me so that we could go adventuring all over the world. She’d get to read a bunch of books and learn, just like she always wanted to.”

The Marshal shook his head, letting out a scoff. “What made you think that some skinny little slip of a pony like that would be cut out to be an adventurer?"

“Just because she’s peaceful doesn’t mean that she can’t protect herself!” Rainbow Dash protested, rising up and facing the Marshal. “I taught her enough that she could at least hold her own! How was I supposed to know that she’d nearly get fried by some crazy sorceress, huh?!” By now she was nose to nose with him, forcing the Marshal to back up.

One of the guards coughed in his hoof, gaining everyone’s attention. “Marshal, I uh, hate to interrupt, but we need to keep searching...”

“You’re right, but,” the Marshal said, looking to Rainbow Dash, struggling to heft the supposedly unconscious mare onto her back. “With the ambassador’s party left in such a state, I feel like we should offer to escort them to the city exit, as they are currently unable to defend themselves.”

“Uh... I don’t have any gems to pay you, Marshal,” Spike said, crossing his arms.

“That doesn’t matter, dragon,” the Marshal said firmly, his face setting. “It is a guard’s duty to guard, and I will not have you wandering these tunnels unguarded..”

The guard from before raised a hoof. “But sir, we’re supposed to be searching for the witch! And they’re not even citizens of—”

The Marshal held up a hoof, stopping further comments. “So you’re saying we shouldn’t do our duty? Consider your next words carefully, Private.”

The private quivered under the Marshal, visibly wilting under his glare. “N-no sir!” the private replied, saluting, and then remained silent.

“Wise choice,” the Marshal snarled, before turning back to Rainbow Dash. “Please allow us to escort you outside of Neighshe. If you would allow us to also carry your companion for you, we w—”

“No!” the pegasus snapped, backing away from the Marshal. When the Marshal raised an eyebrow, she continued more softly, “I mean uh... no, thank you, but... I have to do this... It’s my fault that... that this happened to her, and the last thing I want for her is to wake up on the back of some strange stallion, you know?”

“... Ah,” the Marshal said. “Umm... Well then, shall we get moving?”

“Right then,” Spike said, shifting his posture as he took a deep breath. “I was hoping not to have to do this, but it seems I’m left with no choice.”

The guards watched with wide eyes as umber flames erupted from the dragon’s maw, coalescing into a short lance that shimmered even in the dim cave as Spike grabbed the paw-grip of the spear. Spike fell to his knees for a moment, panting heavily, and shaking his head. “I forgot how much I hate that …”

The Marshal, jaw hanging open and blinking rapidly, asked, “But... you can... Wait a second! You can fight?”

As Spike regained his breath, Rainbow Dash quickly said, “Are you kidding? Look at that guy! He’s like, a third your size. I really doubt he’s gonna put up much of a fight. Plus, as I’ve been reminded countless times already, dragon nobles don’t like to get their scales dirty. It’s all for show.”

The Marshal rolled his eyes and put a hoof to his mouth and blew, creating a short, sharp whistle. The remaining guards turned to attention, saluting before they split up into two groups, placing Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle between them. Before the Marshal could walk away, Spike nimbly jumped up onto the stallion’s back, balancing himself expertly with his lance. The Marshal swiveled his head around and scowled at the dragon.

“Ambassador, remember?” Spike asked.

“But you’re not paying me!” the Marshal protested, and tensed up as if to prepare to buck Spike off, before finally settling down. “Fine,” he relented. After giving in to his diminutive mount, the Marshal led the way.

.o.O.o.

The journey to the tunnel exit was nerve-wracking for both parties. One feared an evil witch could be lurking around any corner, the other that the “Witch” herself would say something to give away their ruse. Both feared what lurked in the caves—whether monsters or betrayal. The random encounters with common cave vermin did nothing to ease the tension for either of the two groups, though some of the guards were enjoying the odd bits of gil and tiny gems they came across in the dim tunnels.

Eventually, the group reached a dead end, and the guards all visibly relaxed. A few turned around to watch the back while the others pushed forward a little more. As this forced Rainbow Dash against a wall, her wings flared. Spike slowly shifted his stance, ready to fight as Rainbow Dash spat, “What’s going on?! I thought you were helping us! I should have known we couldn’t trust you stallions.” Narrowing her eyes, she carefully laid Twilight down behind herself. She drew a dagger from underneath her wing, holding it in her mouth as she took an aggressive stance, the edge gleaming in the faint torchlight. “This is one mare you won’t be taking lightly!”

The Marshal blinked, saying slowly, “What are you talking about? I’d never harm a lady, even one such as yourself. We are helping you.”

Rainbow Dash froze for just a second, before she growled, “Oh yeah? How?”

Remembering that he had an armed and dangerous dragon on his back, the Marshal slowly pointed at the wall next to the pegasus, saying in a calm voice, “Secret exit. Just pull on that torch right there, down towards yourself.”

Rainbow Dash kept her guard up as she slowly moved over to the torch, her eyes never leaving the guards surrounding her. After a moment of hesitation, she deftly pulled the torch. It moved so fluidly that the pegasus nearly lost her balance, though she barely had time to recover before a hollow thud echoed through the tunnel.

“What was that?!” she exclaimed, her wings shooting out reflexively once more.

A couple of the guards chortled, before they were quickly silenced by their Marshal’s glare. “That was the counterweights keeping that stone wall closed. Even I’m not sure how they did it, but pulling and pushing those torches will move the bars inside the stone door, allowing it to open or stay closed. They’re almost never open now, especially with the Empire being more active nowadays.”

Before Rainbow Dash could speak, she was interrupted by a gust of wind that sent shivers through her body. As she fluffed her wing feathers out to better trap in the heat, she dared to turn around and saw that the wall had indeed moved far enough for them to pass through with ease. Looking outside for the first time in over a day, she blinked against the light and waited for her eyes to adjust. She saw that they were just to the south of town, outside the main city gates. She glanced back to the Marshal, who was still standing in the same spot, a patient look on his face.

Rainbow Dash blushed, blustering, “W-well, I mean, it’s not like—”

The Marshal chuckled slightly, interrupting, “It’s fine. In hindsight, I should have mentioned that we would be using a secret exit, so that you wouldn’t be surprised, I’ll take some small fault there. Just hurry, alright? It’s already mid-afternoon, and you’ll want plenty of time to get away from here if that sorceress is still around.”

“R-right. Umm... thanks,” the pegasus said, rubbing one foreleg with another. “You know, for the escort and all.”

“Don’t worry about it,” the Marshal replied, waving a hoof. “We just want you all to be safe. We need travelers like you to come back and buy our goods.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Good point.”

Spike jumped from his perch on the Marshal’s back as he saw Twilight twitch . Rainbow Dash also bolted for the unicorn, leaning down to check on her. "Act tired, okay?" she whispered. Louder, she said, “Yo, you alright there? Come on, we need to get going!”

Twilight Sparkle moaned, blinking her eyes open. The Marshal walked forward a couple steps before setting down a small blue bottle. “Here, drink this. It’s just a little potion, but it should help wake you up and get moving. It’s not much, but consider it an apology for freaking you out like that.”

Rainbow Dash almost couldn’t believe her group’s luck, looking back and forth from the potion to the Marshal. “Thanks, I owe ya one.” With Rainbow Dash's help, Twilight took the potion and drank it down greedily.

“Just be safe out there,” the Marshal said. “Good luck opening that trade route. We need every advantage we can get before the Empire comes calling again.”

“We’ll be careful,” Rainbow Dash replied.

Twilight staggered to her hooves, looking around in a daze.

“Let’s go,” Rainbow Dash said. She led the way as the trio passed through the secret exit and began walking away from the town of Neighshe. She kept up the pace until they were a fair distance from the town and the guards were out of sight.

“I hope that poor Marshal doesn’t spend too much more time on that Witch hunt,” she said at last, turning to Spike.

He shrugged. “Eh, I’ll make it up to him if I see him again. Let’s worry about ourselves first.”

Rainbow Dash nodded and addressed Twilight next. "Good job in there. I wasn’t sure you’d keep it together long enough for us to get out."

Twilight’s only response was a tiny nod.

With Neighshe behind them, Rainbow Dash lead Spike and Twilight through the cold hills.

.o.O.o.

Twilight Sparkle shivered and ducked her head against the howling winds and bitter cold of the frozen tundra; it was all so much more hostile outside of the protection of magitek armor. Very little vegetation grew anywhere, and what plants did survive in the wasteland were pale brown and too tough to eat. The few small hills scattered across the arctic plains restricted their line of sight. As another gust of wind blasted the small party, Twilight was grateful for the cape, as it blocked enough of the chill to keep her warm, allowing her to keep plodding along. It was still very cold out, but she didn’t feel like she was going to freeze to death.

They encountered several parties of monsters, but the beasts of the frozen wastes stood little chance against Rainbow Dash, Master of the Sky. She scouted ahead, checking for ambushes. However, as the evening wore on, when monsters were less likely to attack, she started practicing aerial tricks, more of her attention on warming up than on the land around them.

Raw speed was the only thing that saved Rainbow Dash’s life. A crossbow bolt missed hitting the pegasus by a feather. Berating herself, she corkscrewed skyward and out of range, all the while making herself a rapidly moving target. Rainbow Dash didn’t fly too high, as the bandits would abandon their attempts to bring her down and focus instead on Spike and Twilight. She had to keep their attention on her.

She banked, twisting herself into a barrel roll and angling her flight towards three earth ponies carrying crossbows. Rainbow Dash spotted three more running towards Spike and Twilight. All of them wore patched clothing over unkempt coats and manes. At each of their sides hung a scabbard.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed, focusing on the three assailants firing at her. She had to make this quick.

“Up here, boys!” Rainbow Dash called, diving towards the bandits and rolling to avoid another volley of bolts. She flared her wings just as she reached the ground and turned her steep dive into one of her favorite tricks. Instead of pulling up, she pantomimed trotting across the ground even though her wings were doing all the work, propelling her past the slack-jawed bandits. They apparently didn’t care for the show, because Rainbow Dash had to loop up and around in a tight spiral to avoid the next pair of shots. Still, her plan came together, keeping the bandits’ attention on her and away from Twilight and Spike.

.o.O.o.

Across the field, wielding his long pike and hissing in warning, Spike faced down a pair of burly earth ponies barreling headlong towards him and Twilight Sparkle. He jumped from his resting place on Twilight’s back, landing a short distance from the duo charging for them. The motley pair slowed to a halt, grinning mercilessly at their diminutive foe. “Stay back!” Spike yelled. “Unless you want some of this.” He spun his spear, twirling it in a complex pattern that ended with him in a ready stance.

One of the bandits, a brown mare, smirked at the display and said, “Oi, little lizzy-boy there, just give us your shiny stuff and we might take a shine to lettin’ you walk away, yeah?”

Spike laughed, a savage grin on his face. “You want our gems? Don’t you know? Dragons eat gems! We got nothing that you’d want, so don’t waste your time.”

“Wha?! Ya don’t even look like a dragon, lizzy-boy. We’re thinkin’ that you’re just a wee little liar. Yes lying, ain’t ya?” Even through her heavy accent, her voice slurred and her cheeks were a rosy pink. She swayed on her hooves, coming close to toppling over.

“I think somepony needs to lay off the hard cider,” Spike said.

“Eh, what if he ain’t lying?” the dirty grey stallion standing next to her asked. “Dragons be eating gems, truth, if me pappy recollected, right?”

“Yer old pony tales is for idjits and wee tykes. Just stories!” the mare retorted, turning away from Spike to yell at her compatriot.

That was all the opening Spike needed. Seizing the initiative, he took a step back and launched himself high into the air, using his lance as a pole to help him gain more height. By the time he hit the apex of his jump, the two bandits had turned back to look for him, but too late. Spike felt little resistance as the sharp point of his lance drove through the brown mare’s throat and out the other side. Crimson torrents of blood followed as Spike pulled his weapon free and jumped back into a ready stance. The mare fell, clutching feebly at her throat for a few seconds, and then went still.

“She’s lucky I got in a clean hit.” Spike said flatly. “I might not get so lucky with you.”

“Bastard! Monster! I’ll kill ya! I’ll gut ya! I’ll wear your skin for that!” the stallion roared, charging the small dragon.

Spike twisted his spear around, wielding it like a quarterstaff to fend off the stallion’s wild attacks, waiting for the right moment to strike back.

.o.O.o.

Twilight watched wide-eyed, rooted in place, as Spike and Rainbow Dash fought against the bandits. She had trouble breathing, her mind racing as she struggled with a single question. Why? Why are they fighting? Why are they forced to fight? Why are they doing this? Why—

“Ya look like a reasonable mare, doncha? Give me yer goods, and ya won’t get hurt!” a voice growled behind her.

Twilight yelped and jumped a foot in the air. Once back on her hooves, she spun around, shaking. “Wh-why?” Twilight stuttered.

The bandit raised an eyebrow before he snarled, “Cuz I told you so, ya daffy mare! C’mon, yeah? Hoofem over, before I be losin’ my temper!”

“B-but who’s forcing you to do this?! Why do you have to attack others? Who’s controlling you?” Twilight pleaded, leaning towards the stallion with an earnest expression. “We could help you! Just tell me who’s making you do this!”

The bandit laughed, his eyes glinting with malicious intent in the setting sun. “Makin’ me? Pshaw! Tis daft, innit? I does itcuz I wants ta, ain’t no other reason, mare. Now, hoof over your cape sharpish-like, or you’ll be meeting the pointy end of my blade.”

Twilight just stood there for a long moment with her jaw hanging loose. But... he’s not being forced? He... he’s choosing to…

“Right, time’s up, innit? Ya gets to die, mare. No hard feelings.” The stallion gave a mad shout and charged forward to strike Twilight down.

Breathing coming in short bursts, Twilight closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come. She felt a tingle traverse through her body from tail to horn. Seconds passed, but the expected death blow didn’t come. Slowly, Twilight peeked open her eyes and gasped. The bandit hovered in front of her, covered in a shimmering magenta aura.

“Lemme down, witch! Demon spawn of all what is rotten! Lemme kills ya so’s I can do the world a favor!” The bandit screamed, his mouth the only thing capable of movement. “Lemme down, now! Lemme—”

Twilight screeched as a knife suddenly appeared through the bandit’s throat, turning the stallion’s rant into a gurgling, wet death rattle. She quickly backed away, unconsciously dropping the dying pony to the ground where he swiftly expired.

“There, you’re down,” Rainbow Dash said to the corpse as she landed and used her mouth to pluck the knife free. As she wiped her blade clean on the dead bandit’s clothing, Twilight jerked to the side and heaved up what little she had managed to put in her stomach.

“Hey, you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” Rainbow Dash asked, moving over to the sick unicorn.

“Y-you... He...” Twilight struggled to get out, finally settling on a quivering nod. The acid taste of her bile made her want to throw up again.

Rainbow Dash offered her companion a swig of water from her canteen, which the unicorn used to wash her mouth out before drinking a second gulp. “Okay,” Rainbow Dash started. “Come on then, we should get going. We’ll need to set up camp soon. The sun’s already setting, and it’s going to get very cold, very quickly. We’ll get you some food when we stop.”

Twilight nodded again, her movement still shaky, and followed the pegasus away from the battle-scene. Twilight kept her head down, trying to avoid looking at the dead thieves as best as she could, but her eyes kept wandering back to their corpses, lingering on their unmoving forms.

Spike emerged from around a small hill, his lance now free of blood and gore. “You’re safe? Well, that’s something, at least. None of them had anything worth taking on them. Most of their weapons are dull or ready to fall apart. Still, at least something came out of this.”

“There was?” Twilight asked softly. “Wh-what’s the other good news?”

“Simple,” Spike replied, jumping up onto her back, sitting down to relax. “We were attacked by bandits that had nothing on them except weapons. What does that tell us?”

“They had a base of operations not far from here that they used to store all of their food, supplies, and valuables,” Rainbow Dash answered. “It means there may be something worth getting there. Even if there’s nothing useful, at least we’ll have shelter for the night. I just need to look for it. I’ll be back as soon as I find it!”

With a cocky grin, the pegasus took to the sky, a rainbow contrail the only sign that she had been standing next to Twilight. Twilight fidgeted in place, before looking behind her. While the bodies lay out of sight, in her mind’s eye she could still see the stallion that had attacked her, his laughter taunting her as though she was just a foal.

Quietly, she asked the dragon lazing on her back, “Um, Spike? Not that I thought you weren’t telling the truth before, but... after what just happened, I think I understand what you were trying to tell me. It doesn’t really matter to others if I want to fight or not, does it? They’re going to kill me either way.”

Twilight kept her head down as the pressure on her back shifted. “It’s a little more complicated than that, but yeah, for the most part,” Spike said with a sigh. “It could actually be worse. You see, if you don’t fight, you’re showing that you don’t think for yourself, that you’re not willing to defend yourself. You know what they’d do to you then?”

Twilight shook her head in silence, eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out where the dragon was going with his train of thought.

“They do whatever they want to do,” Spike answered softly, a hint of sorrow seeping into his voice. “I don’t want to scare you, but there are some things worse than death. You could be beaten, you could get… well… taken advantage of. Worse, if you aren’t killed, the Empire would find you for sure and force you to do all of the things you’re trying to get away from.”

The mare felt a chill run down her spine as she envisioned the crown being forced back onto her forehead, the chill of the metal around her horn as it sent instructions to her brain, forcing her to do its bidding.

“No! I refuse to let that happen again!” she suddenly shouted, her expression growing cold and firm.

“Wh-whoa,” Spike exclaimed, lurching dangerously on Twilight’s back as she shook. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you remember all that stuff. I just want you to learn that there’s no shame in defending yourself.”

“I’m just,” Twilight began to reply faintly, her breathing becoming shallow. “I’m just scared; scared out of my wits! I don’t know how to fight! What if I mess up? What if I die? What if I cause one of you to die?! What if—”

One resounding smack later, Twilight fell silent. A purple hoof raised up to her head, messaging a new lump courtesy of the pommel of Spike’s spear. He smirked down at her and said, “What if you actually calmed down so that you could talk rationally?” he teased. “Just think of what we could actually get accomplished!”

Spike weathered the baleful gaze the unicorn shot his way, the daggers from her eyes missing him by miles. “You see? No more panicking! You can concentrate rather well, if you just try.”

Rainbow Dash alighted on the ground next to Twilight, a light blush adorning her face. “Found the camp,” she said, panting lightly. “Just over the ridge. Would have been back sooner, but the wind wasn’t exactly being cooperative."

As the small group headed out for their new destination, Spike leaned down next to Twilight's ear, catching her attention. “Twilight? After we set up camp, I’d like to train you. How about it? Are you ready for your first lesson?”

“I, um, guess?”

“Great! Don’t expect me to go easy on you, my new student,” the dragon said with a malicious smile, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. Twilight felt a shiver go down her spine.

.o.O.o.

Twilight Sparkle fell to the ground with a thud, the rug beneath her quickly becoming saturated with sweat, her breathing limited to the shallow, rapid gasps of a stranded fish. She wasn’t sure if she was going to make it or not; every single cell in her body screamed at her, demanding relief from the heavy abuse that had been inflicted on her. “W-water...” she croaked, fighting the blackness that threatened the edges of her vision.

“You’re kidding... You’re kidding, right?” Rainbow Dash asked flatly, looking from Spike to Twilight and back. “I’ve seen foals with better endurance than that! You didn’t even last five minutes! I mean, come on! Show some backbone! Can’t you even fight more than twice? I mean, you’re not gonna last long if you can’t even do it twice, let alone five or ten times! Come on! Swing that sword again!”

“I can’t,” whimpered the drained unicorn. “It hurts just to talk.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, sitting down and crossing her forelegs. “Fine, but you’re gonna train twice as hard tomorrow night, got it?”

A relieved sigh was the only answer she received, as Twilight maneuvered to rest her head on her front legs, shifting slightly in hopes of getting a better position that would put less pressure on her aching muscles.

Twilight gazed at the fire pit, ignoring the surroundings of the outlaw hideout that they were occupying. She watched the flames dance merrily, allowing the optical illusions from them to start to lull her to sleep, when a single question popped into her head. “How did you make the fire?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Well, I mean,” the unicorn replied, her eyes squinting at the fire a little harder. “Dragons can breathe fire, but you started the fire before we got here.” She sat up abruptly, her eyes widening. “Wait a moment. Can you use magic as well?”

“Magic?” Rainbow Dash said, stifling a laugh. “Do you even know me? I’m too awesome for magic! Nah, I just did it the old fashioned way.”

Twilight blinked, staring at the pegasus as though just seeing her for the first time. “Well then, what’s the old fashioned way?”

“Well,” Spike answered, stretching a bit before resting against Twilight’s warm body. “To put it simply, she rubbed two sticks together. Friction causes heat, so when the sticks get hot enough, they start a fire. Simple, right?”

Twilight frowned. “But why does friction cause heat? If heat is the only thing that’s needed to make fire, then why aren’t volcanoes on fire? Why don’t deserts melt? Wouldn’t the cold here prevent the fire from ever starting? What keeps the fire burning? What ma—”

“Stop, stop, slow down!” Spike said, his eyes threatening to bug out as he tried to stop the flow of questions, finally clamping his claws over his spines to block her out.

When Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash, pleading with gleaming eyes that the pegasus would know the answers, her ears flattened against her skull as Rainbow Dash sputtered out, “I-I don’t know! Does it really matter to know how it works? Can’t you just be happy that we have a fire that keeps us warm? Who cares how it works so long as it does? You’re thinking about this too much! Just relax, okay? We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and we aren’t going to get far if you’re going to stay up all night asking stupid questions! Just... relax, okay? You probably won’t care in a day or two anyways.”

As Rainbow Dash wound down from her spiel and made herself comfortable near the fire, Twilight was left to her thoughts, frowning slightly as she curled up around the dragon resting against her stomach. She used her tail to cover herself and Spike, glad that her cape covered the rest of her body, preventing heat from escaping it.

She yawned, pondering idly, I wonder where I can find the answers to all of these questions... I don’t want to be stupid anymore! I hate how they keep treating me like a foal, just because I don’t remember anything.

It’s not fair! I’ll show them they can count on me! I have to pay them back for all they’ve done somehow...

Twilight sighed softly, yawned again, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Wherein be Donuts and Castles and Books, Oh My!

As harsh as journeying across the frozen wastelands had been, Rainbow began to wish she could return, if only to escape from the blistering heat of the desert. “Please tell me that isn’t another mirror-whatsit,” Rainbow Dash lamented, trying to keep from whimpering.

Spike chuckled. “I don’t think that’s a trick, Dash. I think we’ve finally made it to Fillygaro! C’mon! Let’s hurry up!”

Noting the weariness in her companion’s voice, Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “Why are you so tired? I thought you were an adventurer. Aren’t you used to this? I feel just fine!”

“Because it’s, like, a freakin’ million degrees out, Twilight!” Dash moaned, her body sagging in the air, despite her wings pumping to keep herself airborne. “Not all of us got freaking magic capes, or are cold-blooded! No, Twilight, some of us have these things called feathers, and they tend to trap in the heat whether we like it or not!”

“Cold-blooded? What does that mean?” Twilight asked eagerly.

“It means that I like the heat,” Spike said. “I can move faster to fight back or avoid danger. We eat gems in the mountains to help us stay extra warm, since the cold makes us slow and sleepy. We won’t go into a long sleep like other lizards if we run out, but we won’t be happy, believe me!”

Twilight walked along in silence for a moment, deep in thought, before she asked several more questions, much to the fatigued Rainbow Dash’s irritation. “So how are you going to eat if we don’t have any gems?”

“Well, because we eat everything,” Spike explained, adapting an older tone of voice to sound wiser. Twilight didn’t notice much of a difference. “We can survive anywhere, but we need gems if we want to grow both big and strong. Gems keep us warm inside, and let us breathe fire. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love gems more than anything else, but unless we go somewhere really cold again, I don’t need to have gems to survive.”

Twilight pondered that for a moment, before continuing her tirade of inquiries. “So what is it about gems that keep you warm? How do they let you use ‘flame attacks’? Does the type of gem you eat change what kind of flame you breathe? How big can you guys get if you don’t get sick or have an accident or whatever? Ho—”

“Oh, would you look at that?” Rainbow asked loudly, faking a disappointed tone. “We’re just about there! I guess there isn’t any time to answer all of your questions. Shucks,” she finished, giving a half-hearted swipe in the air with a hoof.

Twilight glared at Dash for a moment, huffing as she muttered quietly to herself. “Fine, I’ll just find somepony else to ask and get answers from!”

Having been denied further answers to her inquiries, Twilight turned her attention to the large structure ahead. It towered above them, many times their height. While there were no side-towers, it still had a powerful presence, the sheer size of the castle adding much to its intimidation. I wonder just how long it would take somepony to walk around this place! It’s huge! Even as fast as she is, I doubt that Rainbow Dash could fly around this place that quickly! Huh. I wonder why this looks so different from Vectorlot. I mean, why aren’t there any additional towers for more living space? How would a king or queen get any privacy if they don’t have their own tower?

She continued to plod along, lost in her thoughts, behind Spike. At the head of the group, Rainbow Dash landed with a flourish of her wings, settling them against her sides as she trotted up to the large castle’s gate. She was stopped, however, when a lone pony barred the way, holding a lance at the ready as he ordered, “Hey! Hold it right there! State your... oh! It’s you!”

The guard relaxed, leaning against the wall, which was covered in shade thanks to the exceptionally large structure. “How’s it going, Dash? Got any cool treasures lately? You can go on in! We can catch up later, alright?”

Rainbow Dash smirked, flicking her tail at the guard’s muzzle as she sauntered past, commenting, “You never give up, do you, Caramel? Yeah, maybe later. I’ve got business to take care of, so we’ll see. Don’t hold your breath though!”

Caramel just sighed dreamily, staring after her, oblivious to the dragon and purple mare that made their way into the castle as well. They were well out of earshot when he came out of his stupor with a muffled curse, closing the gate as he turned back to his duties, looking out across the desert as he sighed in boredom.

.o.O.o.

Twilight looked around in wonder, her eyes wide as she tried to take in all of the sights of the building, observing all of the arched doorways and stone columns. What are they there for? Why are the doors different from the houses in Neighshe? Where do those stairs lead? What—

“Twilight? Rainbow Dash went this way,” Spike instructed, disrupting Twilight’s thoughts. She nodded, following along in silence, still trying to figure out the answers to all of the questions swirling in her head. Every time she seemed close to an answer, she would be distracted by something else new, and then she would have five more questions take the place of the one she was currently trying to figure out. Finally, in a flash of inspiration, she took to staring at the back of Spike’s head so that she wouldn’t get distracted further.

Twilight noticed belatedly that Spike had stopped walking and nearly bumped into him, almost sending the small dragon sprawling on the grass in front of—wait, grass? I thought we were inside! Where are we?

Chiding herself, Twilight looked around, taking stock of her surroundings. The very first thing she noticed was the large orchard in front of her. Her eyes widened as she tried to count all of the apple trees in front of her, but to no avail. Just how many of them are there? There have to be hundreds…

Twilight’s gaze wandered along the orchard, taking in the wondrous sight of the large indoor farm. Rows upon rows of apple trees lined the pathways, each tree standing tall and strong. As she started to look closer, she noticed that small sections of the orchard were barren of trees, replaced with other produce plants. Trotting up to what appeared to be a carrot patch, Twilight bent down to observe it closer, asking aloud, “Why do they grow different plants right next to each other, Spike? Is that better for them to grow?”

Twilight waited a moment for Spike to respond, growing confused when she didn’t hear an answer or sigh of exasperation. Looking around, she noticed that he was gone, leaving her completely alone. “Spike? Where did you go? What... am I supposed to do now?”

.o.O.o.

Rainbow Dash rushed ahead of Spike and Twilight once she was out of Caramel’s sight, flying to the orchard in seconds. She slowed down for just a moment, before seeing the pony she was searching for. Diving down, Rainbow Dash smirked as the force of her passing knocked the Stetson off the mare’s head. She settling down on the ground. “Heyya AJ. Nothing new going on around here, I see.”

~ The young leader of Fillygaro Castle and Orchards.
An honest worker, keeper of the peace, and master of the kicking arts. ~

The mare huffed, picking up her Stetson and placing it back on her head. “Heyya to you too, Dash. What do you want; here to steal some apples? Here to ‘borrow’ one’a my trees again for yer naps, perhaps?”

Rainbow Dash bristled, retorting, “Hey, I won those apples fair and square in that race and you know it, Applejack!”

“Ya did not!” Applejack shot right back, thrusting her head forward against Rainbow’s. “You used yer wings! Cheater!”

“Well you never said that I couldn’t use them, so how is that cheating?!” Dash countered, pushing her forehead right back against Applejack’s as they started to shove each other back and forth.

“It was implied!”

“Yeah, well that’s not the same thing as actually saying it, now is it!?”

“Sure it is!”

“Is not!”

“Are too, ya cheater!”

“I’m not a cheater! I’m too awesome to have to cheat!” Rainbow Dash said, wings flaring out.

“Oh yeah? I’ll race ya right now! First one from here to the west side wins!” Applejack proclaimed, getting ready to race. “And no wings!” she added sharply.

Rainbow Dash feigned an air of innocence, folding her outstretched wings to her side, huffing, “Yeah, because that’s the only way you have a chance at all! Bring it, apple bucker!”

“Calm yer horses, apple thief!” Applejack exclaimed, glancing at her from the side. “On three!”

They both got into position, stretching their legs as they got ready to run. They both hunkered down to the ground, glancing at each other from the corners of their eyes, before they both shouted at the same time, “Three!”

.o.O.o.

Both mares lay on the ground several minutes later, panting for breath as they continued their conversation in a friendly rivalry. “T-the only reason you kept up with me was because I’ve been out in the desert all day long,” Rainbow Dash gasped, weakly wiping her forehead of sweat.

“And... th’ only reason ya kept up with me,” Applejack retorted, also regaining her breath, “was because I’ve been buckin’ trees all day!”

“Truce?” Rainbow Dash offered, holing out her hoof.

“Y-yeah, truce,” Applejack agreed, accepting the help to stand back up. Dash turned around, heading back towards the orchard entrance slowly, Applejack following behind.

They were content to walk in silence for just a moment, watching the other workers bucking trees, pulling weeds, and other such menial chores before Applejack asked, “So, Dash, what really brings ya out here? Ya only ever come over when there’s somethin’ big goin’ on. Didja finally find what ya’ve been searchin’ for?”

“Not exactly,” Dash replied slowly, still leading the way. “I found something... else.”

.o.O.o.

“I see,” Applejack frowned, trying to figure it out. She wasn’t one to believe in magic, but then again, she couldn’t sense that Rainbow Dash was lying. “That’s a mighty fine tale ya tell, Dash, but I don’t rightly know if that really happened.”

“It did too happen and I’ll prove it! That’s her right over there!” Rainbow pointed to the lavender unicorn off near the entrance, who was staring at an apple tree rather intently.

“You mean that young mare?” Applejack questioned, before trotting over slowly. After staring at her for a moment, unable to sense any malicious intent, she walked in front of Twilight and grabbed her hoof, shaking it vigorously. “Heyya, and welcome ta Fillygaro!”

Twilight, finding her hoof suddenly in the strong grasp of another mare, flinched back, ears flat against her skull as she stammered quickly, “W-who are you?!”

Applejack paused before smiling nervously, trying to laugh it away as she backed up a little. “Oh, sorry, how rude of me! I suppose I should introduce myself first, shouldn’t ah? I’m Applejack, owner of this here orchard and the Guild Master of Fillygaro!”

“So, are you surprised that I’m friends with somepony who rules an entire castle?” Rainbow Dash bragged, buffing a hoof on the fur covering her chest. “Yeah, sometimes I amaze even myself! Well, gotta go now, AJ! Time to catch some z’s!”

Rainbow Dash took off, forcing the remaining two mares to close their eyes and look away as powerful gusts of wind washed over them. Applejack looked back up at the retreating rainbow-hued contour trail, hollering, “Dash, you stay away from my trees, ya... Consarnit,” she grumbled, frowning, as Rainbow Dash was now too far away to hear her.

Turning back to the lavender mare, Applejack’s smile returned. “So, you’re an Imperial soldier, huh?”

When she saw Twilight grow nervous, glancing about guiltily, her ears splayed back, Applejack was quick to continue, “Don’t worry ‘bout that none, ya hear? We trade with all sorts ’a ponies, so y’all can relax as long as ya stay! It ain’t the Apple way ta turn our backs on guests anyways.”

Twilight frowned, asking slowly, “Why are you helping me? Is it because of my... abilities?”

Applejack snorted. “I’ll give ya several good reasons! First of all, like I already said, it ain’t the Apple way ta turn down somepony in need. Second, I don’t need a reason to help somepony else when it’s the right thing ta do. I guess yer... abilities,” she continued, saying it slowly, like it left a bad taste in her mouth, “would be a distant third.”

Applejack then turned away from the apple tree in front of Twilight. Making sure that Twilight was far enough away, she proceeded to lash her hind legs out towards the middle of the trunk, shaking most of the ripened fruit off the tree. Twilight looked at the few remaining apples on the tree curiously, wondering why they hadn’t fallen off as well. “What’s with you, anyway? Why do you kick the tree to make the apples fall instead of just letting them fall once they’re completely ripe? Wouldn’t that be a lot easier, not to mention better for the tree’s health?”

Applejack sighed, muttering to herself, “My technique must be gettin a mite rusty, unless I’m really that distracted.” Turning to Twilight, she answered, “‘Cause if we wait for them to be so ripe that they fall down on their own, then they rot before we can get them to their destination. ‘Sides, fallin’ on the ground bruises them. That’s why we line the buckets with blankets ‘n such. Not only that, but shakin’ the trees like that’s good for `em. Helps the sap flow better, and shakes off the dead limbs.”

“Alright, I guess that makes sense...” Twilight mused as she continued to watch Applejack kick the trees, shaking loose bushel after bushel of apples.

“Oh... But how do the trees grow inside?” Twilight questioned further. “Why do you grow other crops right next to each other? Wouldn’t that make it harder for them all to grow properly? What else do you grow here?”

Twilight paused, realizing that she had been rambling again, attempted and failed to fight the rising heat to her face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to annoy you.”

Applejack blinked, before starting to chuckle, causing Twilight’s blush to deepen further. “Good grief, you’re more curious than a filly on her first day `o school, ya know that? Not that there’s nuthin wrong with learnin’, don’t get me wrong! I just never had time for all of that fancy learnin’. Let me take ya to our library. I’m not the best at describing how things work; I just know they do, so I try not to worry about it. Not that I can’t try later, but it sounds like ya want to know more than just one or two questions, and I’ve got apples to buck. You understand, right Sugarcube?”

“Yeah, I understand!” Twilight agreed readily, not wanting to upset her host. “Thanks a lot,” Twilight continued, remembering her manners as she followed the farmer pony eagerly. “So there’s a lot of answers in the library?”

Applejack chuckled. “Yes, Twilight, there’s a whole heck of a lot ta learn from books. Like I said before, though, I just don’t have the time. Work’s more important. Now come on, daylight’s burnin’!”

“Alright! Thanks!” Twilight smiled happily, following Applejack out of the orchard.

.o.O.o.

Books. Yes, books, Twilight Sparkle decided, where the greatest things ever invented in the history of ponykind. She quickly lost track of how many hours she sat in the small library. While the room itself was fairly large, much of the space was taken up by large tables, chairs, and desks. Before Twilight showed up, the room had been immaculate, showing just how rarely the room was truly used. Twilight, however, sought to rectify that as swiftly as possible, delving into the books on the shelves. She read book after book as swiftly as she could, trying to expand her sadly small amount of knowledge.

As Twilight took a break to stretch her stiff muscles, her stomach gave a loud grumble in complaint of its emptiness, reminding her to find something to eat. She turned around, heading for the door, when she remembered that she had no idea how to get to the kitchens, or wherever it was these ponies ate their meals. She took but a single step towards the door when it swung open slowly, revealing an elderly mare, her mane wrapped up in a simple bun to keep it out of her face. Her green coat was faded and wrinkled, but her eyes reflected a great warmth, helping to put Twilight at ease. The large tray of food she was carrying certainly helped a great deal as well.

“Hello youngin’, I figured you’d still be here. Always rushing off to work, forgetting that your body needs food just as much as your mind. I brought you some apple fritters, baked apples, some apple juice to drink, and for dessert, some apple pie I made myself. Don’t you waste any of that either!”

“Y-yes ma’am,” Twilight nodded, eagerly levitating the tray away from the elderly pony, setting in front of herself before digging in with gusto.

“Well, at least you’re wise enough not to waste time,” the mare nodded sagely. “And just call me Granny Smith, or Granny. Don’t need any of them fancy titles or nothin’. Don’t do a pony any good,” she remarked, clucking her tongue.

“Alright, Granny Smith. Thank you again,” Twilight said quickly, before returning to eat her food while trying to read at the same time, careful not to get any crumbs on the pages.

Clucking her tongue again, Granny Smith pulled the book away from her, chiding, “No readin’ at the table, youngin! What’s so important that you can’t even leave the book for food?”

“Well... I was reading up on how Fillygaro was founded and how it was decided who would ‘rule’ the town. I’m a little disappointed that it hasn’t explained what happened to the previous rulers though. What happened to them? I’ve read the book at least twice trying to find the answer!” Twilight lamented, before taking a drink of the sweet liquid given to her by Granny Smith.

“Ah...” Granny Smith said slowly, gently resting a hoof on the table, her eyes growing misty. “Yes, what happened to them... That’s something we still don’t know, though we expect the worst.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, slowly setting the slice of pie back down onto her plate, curiosity overcoming her hunger for a moment.

Granny Smith remained quiet for a time, spacing out for just a second before blinking, refocusing as she answered. “Well, since you ask, it all started when my son and his wife left on a trip to the Empire, which was still small at the time...”

.o.O.o.

Applejack sat at the very same table where Twilight was currently seated, though she was little more than a young filly. She looked up when she heard the door open, revealing a large, red colt, wearing a brown Stetson hat, and carrying a stick with a bag attached to it. Applejack rushed up to him, pleading, “Let me go with ya! I can help ya find `em!”

“Nope,” he replied, shaking his head. “It’s more than you can handle.”

“But... But I’m a big filly now! I can help, I know it! I don’t wanna stay and be the-the maestro thingy! I wanna go with you!”

“Nope,” he repeated softly, hugging her tight. After a moment in thought, still holding the filly, he turned to the side, deftly pulling his hat from his head and placing it on hers in one movement. It was comically large on her, nearly falling down over her eyes, but the look of wonder on her face showed that it wasn’t the size of the gift that mattered, but the idea behind it.

“You want me to watch your hat while you’re gone an’ keep it safe?” she asked softly, swallowing hard as she tried to be brave.

“Eeyup,” he answered softly, opening his mouth to say more, before deciding against it, turning away sharply and beginning to run down the halls.

“Wait!” she called out after him, trying to keep up. She slowed down to a trot when she felt something wet on her foreleg. She stopped completely, noting the small, dark spots on the stone floor. “Were those... tears?” she wondered aloud, her voice starting to break.

~ Applejack’s older brother, who left his home and family
in search of their missing parents, suspecting foul play… ~

.o.O.o.

“... So we don’t know what happened to my son, his wife, or my grandson. We’ve heard from other travelers, assuring us that Big Macintosh is still alive, but we don’t know anything about my son...”

A groan caught Granny’s attention, snapping her out of her reverie, noticing that Twilight Sparkle was sagging against the table, breathing a little heavily. Chuckling, she asked, “Did you eat too much pie?”

“Never again,” Twilight moaned, though she had a slight smile on her face.

Granny Smith merely laughed, picking up the tray again, saying around it as she left, “Well, at least then maybe you’ll get some meat on your bones! Mares these days, skinny as saplings, the lot of `em...”

.o.O.o.

“Hey, bartender! Another donut!”

The bartender walked over and gave the baby dragon a weary look. “Haven’t you had enough?”

“Enough?” Spike replied indignantly. “I’ll say when I’ve had enough! Another donut! Extra sprinkles.”

The bartender sighed and rolled his eyes, but trotted away to get his unusual customer his order.

Spike leaned back on his stool and flicked the rest of the donut he was eating into the air. His forked tongue snaked out and wrapped around the sweet confection and pulled it to his jaws. A loud snap was heard, followed by Spike’s delighted moans as he chewed on the donut before finally swallowing it. “Ah. I should have come here ages ago. Maybe they’re not gems, but they sure do hit the spot!” Spike placed his claws behind his head and leaned back further, sighing in contentment.

Too late did Spike realize that he had tilted too far, his body and the stool he sat on falling backwards. With a yelp and a crash he collided with a table set behind him, sending the table and its occupants sprawling over the floor. Spike groaned and slowly picked himself back up, rubbing the back of his head.

“You little runt! Look what you did!”

Spike winced at the loud voice above him and looked up. A pair of stallions glared back down at him. “Uh, what?”

“Our food, you clutz!” one of the stallions exclaimed. He pointed a hoof at the wreckage around him and several uneaten donuts lying on the floor. Sprinkles and cream were no longer the only things covering the donuts, with many now caked in mud and dirt. “What do you have to say for yourself?!”

“Um, sorry?”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it!” the other stallion spoke up. “I hope you have the gil to pay for this!”

Spike looked over all the food that lay on the floor. At least a half-dozen donuts were now ruined for eating. “Uh, I don’t think I have that much on me...”

“Well, that’s too bad for you,” the first stallion stated threateningly.

“Yeah,” the second stallion followed up. “Looks like we may have to take it out of your scaly hide.”

“I’m sure we can buck a few gil out of him.”

Spike jumped to his feet and took a deep breath. With a great exhale, Spike let loose his built up fire and formed his spear.

Only for a small flicker of flame to escape his mouth and fizzle out. Oh, right. I forgot that eating anything but gems makes my fire act funny for a while. “Uh, heh, heh, heh,” he chuckled nervously. “Um, uh oh.”

The stallions advanced on him and Spike backed away. He figured he could make his way towards the exit and make a run for it. However, he hadn’t taken two steps before he bumped into something behind him, stopping his escape. The stallions grinned as they closed in, but a cough from behind Spike brought them up short. As one, the dragon and two ponies looked up and beheld the unamused muzzle of an orange earth pony.

“Corn Row and Plower,” Applejack drawled. “I might’a known you two would be lazin’ around here when you should be workin’. If you’ve got the energy for brawlin’ in my orchard, you’ve got energy to buck them apple trees. Though, if ya wanna start somethin’...."

Two throats gulped simultaneously. “N-n-n-o sir!” Corn Row stuttered. “I mean, ma’am. I mean—”

Plower quickly shoved a hoof in Corn Row’s mouth before he could say anymore. “We were just, um...”

“I don’t want to hear it!” Applejack snapped. “Git your flanks into those fields! If I don’t see at least five dozen bushels of apples from each of ya bucked by the time I come lookin’ for ya, then I’ll be introducin’ Bucky McGillycuddy and Kicks McGee to your hinders! Am I clear?!”

“R-right away, Miss Applejack! I-I was just heading over to take care of a few of them after eating my, um... wonderful donut... No complaints here! Goodbye, Miss Applejack!” With that, the two stallions ran out of the barroom as fast as their legs could take them.

Applejack watched them run off and shook her head. She looked down at the dragon staring up at her with wide eyes and asked, “You okay, partner?”

Spike didn’t answer. He continued to stare up at her with a slacked jawed expression. Applejack was about to ask him if he was alright again, when he threw up his arms and exclaimed, “That was awesome!”

“Beg yer pardon?”

“The way you took care of those jerks, just now. They ran off like a shot! You must be really strong!”

The farm pony smirked despite herself. “Aw, shucks. Weren’t nothin’.”

“No, really! How’d you get them to take off like that?”

“Well, I am the boss. Plus I could take those two at the same time with both of my front legs tied behind my back.” Applejack suddenly snapped a leg out, making a noise similar to a whiplash sound throughout the tavern. “`Course, it’s these babies here that’d be doin’ the fightin’.”

“Wow...” Spike said in awe.

“By the way, I don’t remember seein’ someone like you around here before. You with Twilight?”

“Oh, right! Yeah, my name’s Spike and I’m with Twilight and Dash.”

“Well, I think it’s best we get you back with Twi. She’s over at the library now. I can take you there as it’s on the way to the orchards.”

“Sure. Thanks!”

“Think nothin’ of it.” Applejack looked over Spike’s shoulder and grimaced at the damage left by his accident. “Hey, barkeep! Sorry about the mess. You can put that broken pile there on my tab!” Applejack spun around and headed for the exit. “C’mon. Let’s go before he makes a fuss. Bloke can’t stand takin’ gil from the boss.”

“Huh. That’s weird,” Spike commented, following along-side Applejack. “Pearl and the others don’t make a fuss about accepting gems from me…”

The two fell into silence with their own thoughts. With Applejack setting a brisk pace, Spike was forced to rush to keep up with the quadruped’s longer legs. They made their way through the halls of the castle, passing by guard and work ponies alike. After a few turns and dozens of doors, Applejack stopped beside a wooden door and pushed it open. She walked in, Spike following close behind, when she suddenly stopped, causing Spike to collide with her rear.

“Hey, what gives?” Spike asked in irritation. He stepped around her and gaped.

There, in the center of the room, stood Twilight, her sword drawn and facing off against something further in the room. The only thing Spike could see beyond that were several silver colored feathers drifting in the air...

In Which Chairs Go Kweh!

Left alone in the rapidly fading light, Twilight turned to read her books once more. The torches on the wall left enough light to read by, though they caused the shadows to jump about. When Twilight looked up, rolling her neck in hopes of releasing the tension, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye that had escaped her gaze before. In the far back corner of the library, situated nicely between two sets of bookshelves, was a large, fluffy, silver ball. She turned to look down another row and saw another one, though smaller, and decidedly less feathery. “Huh, those must be some sort of pillow chairs, maybe?”

Curiosity getting the better of her, she stood up, trotting to the smaller of the two chairs, before slowly setting herself down. Oh wow, this is soft! This seems better for sleeping than it does reading!

Looking to the side, Twilight observed the bigger, fluffier chair, an impish grin making an appearance over her muzzle as she made an impulse decision, deciding to assault the bigger, better floor pillow with a gigantic pounce. As she landed, however, she did not sink into the ”chair” as she expected, getting comforted by hundreds of soft, fluffy feathers. Instead, she was sent flying through the air, a loud, startled ”Kweh!” echoing in the small room.

Twilight landed heavily, the wind knocked out of her for a moment as she struggled to her hooves, when she saw the ”chair” scrambling upright. It towered over Twilight, her head only coming up to what seemed to be its torso. It had two long legs that seemed far too fragile to handle its body weight at first glance, the feet composed of three claws in the front, with one talon pointed backwards. It had large, wide wings, which were flapping madly. Its long, sinewy neck rose above her, though Twilight was unable to see its face that well.

She scrambled backwards a step as it started speaking, spooking her in the process. “Gah! What in Tartarus just... Hey! What’s the big idea?! Can’t a guy take a nap around here? What did I ever do to you?” it exclaimed as it stretched, the pitch identifying it as being masculine.

Twilight felt like time was slowing down as the large, silver bird stared at her, anger in its eyes. Choking back a whimper, she worked to regulate her breathing as she stammered, “I didn’t mean to. I mean, I did mean to jump, but I didn’t know that you weren’t a chair, because you looked like that one over there, so I—”

“Thought it would be okay to assault me?!” the large bird interrupted, voice growing more and more heated. “What kind of pony does that?!”

Twilight panicked when she saw the bird suddenly get bigger, drawing her sword in fright as she backed up. “I-I...”

“Hold it right there!”

Twilight nearly dropped her sword in shock, barely keeping her aura around it active as she stared at the two figures in the doorway, before melting in relief. “Spike!”

“Twilight! What’s going on?!” Spike yelled as he rushed over to the lavender unicorn, prepared to help defend her, when he remembered once more he couldn’t fight until his stomach had settled.

“You with the jerk, shrimp?” the large bird asked antagonistically, ignoring Applejack as she started to move towards him.

“Who are you calling a shrimp, bird-brain?” Spike shot back, refusing to back down from a fight.

“You, midget! What, are you deaf and stupid? I guess you would have to be, being a lowly lizard and all. Have any good sun-baths lately?”

Spike’s eyes narrowed, his eyes almost glowing in anger. Oh, it is on! “I don’t know, have you had a nice flight recently? Oh, that’s right! You can’t fly, can you fatty? Didn’t think so!” Spike taunted, sticking out his long, snake-like tongue while pulling down an eyelid with a claw.

The large bird froze just a moment before starting to rush the small, purple dragon, preparing to fight, when it was jerked off-balance, falling to the ground with a startled ”Kweh?!”

“When I say ta hold it, I mean it!” Applejack exclaimed, securing the other end of the rope to the large, stone table in the middle of the room, preventing her prey from moving far. “Now I wanna know what in tarnation is goin' on! I thought I had yer word that ya wouldn’t go and start nothin’ while you were a guest here, chocobo!”

“I didn’t start anything!” the silver chocobo shot back, jerking his head back and forth, trying to snap the rope. “But if you think I’m going to come quietly, you’ve got another thing coming! I didn’t come this far just to get caught!”

“Whoa Nelly!”

Applejack took a step backwards despite herself, the chocobo twisting and tearing at his restraint, trying to break free, whether it be by breaking the rope, cutting it free, or anything else he could think of.

“Hey, calm down, you’re gonna hurt yourself, idiot!” Spike yelled, watching in horror as the rope grew tighter and tighter around the chocobo’s neck, making it harder and harder to breathe.

“S-so what! I’d rather be dead than a slave! You’ll never take me alive!” the chocobo retorted, starting to cough.

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock, her body freezing up as the chocobo’s words registered in her mind. “S-slave?! W-what... how... why—”

“I don’t answer—” the chocobo rasped, straining against his ever-tightening restraint “—to Imperial scum! Y-you think... you can enslave me and my family with false promises? I’d... rather die... than help you.”

“What in tarnation... Slavery?” Applejack asked Spike, confused. “The Empire deals in slaves? Since when? There ain’t been any slavery fer, what, since that War of the Magi or whatever? Wait, Twi, what are ya—”

Twilight, ignoring Applejack’s protests, started undoing the lasso’s knot as quickly as her magic would allow, freeing the chocobo gasping for breath. “What do you mean, being a slave?” Twilight asked the chocobo, leaning in as close as she dared, her eyes wide open in fright and wonder. “The Empire is taking slaves? How did you escape? What were they going to make you do? When did they start? Where are they keeping them? Who ordered it? Why—”

“Twilight, calm down, you’re gonna scare him!” Spike chided Twilight, pushing against her chest in an attempt to move her back. He didn’t get very far before exhausting himself, but at least the chocobo had room to breathe. Spike turned around, marching up to the chocobo, still laying on the cool, stone floor as he gasped for breath.

Spike opened his mouth to start asking questions of his own, when the chocobo asked hoarsely, “W-why did you let me go? I’m not going to talk! You can try to torture me, but it won’t work! I’ll die before I become a slave!”

“Why do ya keep sayin’ that?” Applejack asked harshly, thrusting her face forward. “I don’t take kindly ta guests insultin’ my hospitality with nonsense like slavery! That ain’t even a good joke! So long as I’m in charge `round here, y’all do what I say! Now you tell me why you were gonna attack Twilight here, or I’ll throw ya in the dungeon to cool off! I had your word that y’all wouldn’t try to start trouble, so you’re gonna tell me why you were attackin’ poor Twilight here!”

“She started it,” he coughed, his breathing returning to normal. “She jumped on me! I was just defending myself!”

Twilight withered under the stern glare she was receiving from Applejack. “Twi? Is that true?”

Twilight wilted further, squeaking meekly, “Y-yes...”

“What?!” Applejack shouted, shocked. “Ya mean to tell me... What `n tarnation didja go and do that for?! I thought I wouldn’t have needed to tell ya not to go—”

“I-I didn’t mean to!” Twilight cried out, hiding under her forelegs. “I thought he was a chair, like that one over there! H-how was I supposed to know he was a... a—”

“Chocobo?” Spike offered helpfully, trying to guess what she wanted to say.

“Y-yeah! How was I supposed to know? I thought he was just a bigger, fluffier pillow, and I wanted to have some fun after studying for so long `cause my eyes were hurting and I thought it... I just wanted to jump on a fluffy pillow for awhile, that’s all! It sounded like fun,” she whimpered, curling up.

Twilight wrapped her tail around herself firmly as her ears flattened against her head. She fought a stray tear or two, praying that Spike wouldn’t be too disappointed in her foalish actions. Much to her surprise, Spike started laughing.

Turning to the silver bird, the dragon asked breathlessly, “Are you serious? You were going to attack her because she jumped on you? I thought chocobos were supposed to be tougher than that!”

“Yeah, cause you would be oh so happy to be woken up by somechoco attacking you, yeah!” the chocobo shot back, glaring at the small dragon in front of him.

“Well at least I wouldn’t recklessly attack them for making an honest mistake when they feel horrible about it. Unlike you, you heartless little—” Spike started to shout back, before Twilight silenced him with a hoof.

“I-it’s alright, Spike. It... It was my fault, okay? I should still apologize to him, even if he tried to attack me.” She stepped forward slowly, trying to swallow the lump in her throat as she stammered, “M-mister Chocobo? I’m... sorry that I kind of accidentally jumped on you. And woke you up. And kind of hurt you. And...”

“Alright, alright! I... uh...” The chocobo stared at the lavender unicorn in front of him, caught off-guard. “I... forgive you?”

“Oh thank you!” Twilight sighed in relief. “I really didn’t mean to hurt you, Mister... Umm, what’s your name, anyway?”

~ A fugitive of the Empire, this rough-around-the-feathers chocobo has
traveled the land with a pack on his back, forced on the run. ~

“My name is Stardust, from the Silverlight Clan,” he said proudly. He shifted to his left slightly as he offered his right talon to shake Twilight’s hoof.

Twilight’s eyes grew wide as she backed up involuntarily, her sight locked onto his large, dangerous, foreboding talons. “B-big talons...” she noted idly, trying to convince herself that he was being friendly, and not threatening her.

Spike started laughing again at Stardust’s indignant expression, as the chocobo tried to figure out how he had insulted the purple pony. “What? What did I do?”

“Don’t you worry none, Stardust,” Applejack interrupted, offering her hoof in place of Twilight. “Twi’s jus’ easily to startle, it seems,” she remarked as she shook the chocobo’s talons firmly. “Got a nice, firm grip, at least. Hoofshake tells a lot about a pony’s character. Might wanna watch that temper o’ yours, if ya don’t mind some advice.”

“I do not have a temper!” Stardust retorted quickly, eyes narrowing slightly.

Applejack just grinned even wider, raising an eyebrow, allowing the silence to eat away at the chocobo, until he finally caved. “Fine! Nochoco’s perfect, and I like me just the way I am! If someone else has a problem with me, then they can deal with it!"

“Y’all still need to stay calm as long as you’re in my castle, got it?” Applejack asked firmly, narrowing her eyes.

Barely managing to not roll his eyes, Stardust nodded, replying in a bored voice, “Yeah, I got it. No rough-housing, name-calling and all that other stuff that makes life fun, got it. I will do my very best to be both bored and boring so long as I’m here. Can I go now? I still need to write my depressing poem of the day to make sure I don’t have any happiness in my soul when I go to bed,” the chocobo mocked.

His eyes widened moments later, however, as he practically danced away from a half-hearted punch from Applejack. “Whoa! O-okay, I was just kidding, chill! Geez, and chocos tell me that I need to lighten up!”

Grumbling to himself, Stardust made his way back to the corner where he had been resting previously, and picked up a bag and set it on his back. He started to walk towards the door, but was stopped by Applejack’s hoof once more. “What, can’t a choco get some sleep around here?” he asked, rolling his eyes as he joked.

“I don’t think so, sugarcube!” Applejack said firmly, moving to sit in front of the door. “And I ain’t budging `til you explain what all of that slavery stuff was about.”

The chocobo looked away nervously from Applejack, only to face Twilight and Spike, both of whom also seem interested. “W-well... I-it’s nothing! I’m just being paranoid, that’s all! Certainly wouldn’t be the first time, heh heh.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Applejack insisted, pointing at a seat cushion. “You don’t get to make wild claims like that and just strut away! Now—” she said firmly, sitting on the cushion closest to the door “—tell us what you’re talkin’ about.”

Stardust glanced towards the exit, but a shake from Applejack’s head stopped him from making a move towards it. With a sigh, Stardust settled himself down on the floor and faced the occupants in the room. “Well, if I’m going to explain this, I’d better start at the beginning...”

.o.O.o.

“Potions! Antidotes! We have the best travel items gil can buy!”

“Oh, I’m so glad you came to town today. I was just about to leave for Jidhoof. I’ll take five of each, please!”

“Coming right up! Stardust! You heard the lady. Get to it!”

“Yes sir, Moonlight!” Stardust saluted with a wing. The young chocobo turned from the elderly black feathered merchant and rummaged through a pack at his side. He plucked out the required items and placed them down in front of the mare.

“Thank you, lad,” Moonlight said. “That will be one-thousand eight-hundred fifty gil, ma’am.”

The pony quirked an eyebrow. “That seems rather high. I can get potions at the local store for three hundred gil.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Moonlight replied. “But our supply is distilled from the purest spring water of Chickadee Forest. Not to mention that our antidotes come from the extraction of the rarest exorays in the deepest parts of the woods. I guarantee that our products are worth the extra price. Not unless you want to trust your life to the local stuff...”

“I...” the mare hesitated. “Well, when you put it that way...”

Behind Moonlight, Stardust watched the exchange carefully. Each time the Silverlight Clan came to Coltingen, Stardust quietly observed how Moonlight would haggle the price to get the best possible deal. It was an art form in of itself, and required a sharp mind to keep the customer from bantering in their favor.

“Sold!” Moonlight exclaimed. He pushed the requested items towards the mare and Stardust accepted the offered gil. The younger chocobo swept the gil up in his wing, and with practiced ease, dropped them into a chest. When the mare trotted off, Moonlight turned towards Stardust. “And that’s how it’s done.”

“Nice going, Moonlight!” Stardust held up a wing, which Moonlight gave a hearty slap to. “When do you think I’ll be ready to start selling?”

“You’ve got a few more years to go, but I think you’ll be more than ready when I finally hand over the reigns.”

“Really? But I know I’m ready now!”

“Patience, Stardust. That kind of eagerness doesn’t help. A customer will take advantage of that and swindling you out of every potion you have for mere chicken feed.”

“I’d never let that happen!”

“Not on my watch, you wo—” Moonlight cut himself off as a new pony stepped up to his item stand. “Welcome, traveler! What can I offer you today?”

“Actually, it’s not what you can offer me,” the brown coated stallion said. “It’s what I can offer you.”

Moonlight eyed the newcomer warily. “How so?”

“I come from the continent in the south. The new empire there is growing quickly and is in need of merchants such as yourself to keep the economy going. Towns are springing up from one side of the land to another. Some are even attracting some well-to-do’s from Jidhoof. I’ve come to offer you a place there.”

“Really...” Moonlight drawled.

“Here, look at this.” The stallion pulled out a piece of paper from his saddlebags and placed it on the counter. “These are my profit margins from just the last month.”

Moonlight eyed the pony briefly before looking down at the paper. His eyes widened before he had finished reading halfway down the page. “This... This is...”

“Impressive, isn’t it?” the stallion finished. “And I’m expecting to make double that next month.”

Moonlight stared at the paper a few seconds longer then shook his head. He pushed the paper back at the pony with a talon and said, “Yes... impressive. But I don’t understand why you are telling me this. Wouldn’t more merchants like myself be competition for you?”

The stallion laughed. “Oh, I’m not worried about that. I’m overwhelmed with orders as it is. In fact, the merchant guild in Albuck paid me just so that I could travel abroad and hire more merchants to handle the load.” The stallion placed his margins back in his bags, pulled out a new piece of paper and placed it down. “Here. This is the contract the guild has written up for new members. If you agree, you’ll be part of the guild and given the chance to make more than you ever dreamed of.”

“Which is usually the point where I wake up,” Moonlight stated.

The stallion blinked. “Beg pardon?”

He pushed the contract away with a talon. “This is all, how does the phrase go, ‘Too good to be true.’ I’m sorry my good pony, but you’ll have to rise even earlier than this bird to get the worm.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing out on.”

“Let me put it to you bluntly. I’m not signing any contract. The Silverlight Clan does not work under anyone but ourselves.”

The stallion stared at Moonlight as though the chocobo had egg on his face. “I see. Well, how about a first-hoof demonstration? You don’t even have to sign the contract if you don’t want to. Just go to Albuck and see for yourself. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.”

Moonlight flapped his wings irritably. “Pushy one, aren’t you? My answer is no and that’s final.”

The stallion grumbled something under his breath, picked up the contract, and trotted away. “You don’t know what you’re missing,” he said in parting.

Once the stallion was out of sight, Stardust rushed in front of Moonlight. “Why didn’t you agree? That was a ton of gil on that guy’s margins! We could make a fortune in no time!”

“Stardust, that eagerness of yours is acting up again,” Moonlight warned.

“But Moonlight! This is a chance we can’t afford to lose. We’re stuck here barely making any profit when ponies like him are living the high life!”

“We’re doing just fine the way we are—”

“C’mon, how dumb can you be? Have you seen our numbers? We risk our lives to make our potions and sell them just high enough to scratch out a living.”

“Stardust, that’s enough—”

“Let’s check it out, just for a little while. If it’s a bust, we can always come back.”

Moonlight shoved Stardust behind him and towards the back of the stall. “I’ve heard enough out of you. You’re hardly out of the egg and yet you talk as though you’re the cock of the block. I decide where we go, not you. Now get back there and take inventory. I don’t want to hear anymore of this, got it?”

Stardust hung his head and sulked towards their stock. “Fine. Whatever.” Under his breath, he muttered, “Don’t see how we can get by for much longer though.”

.o.O.o.

“It turned out I was right,” Stardust sighed. He fidgeted where he sat on the floor to find a better position and regarded his audience. “Sales weren’t very high for two weeks, no matter how Moonlight pitched them. Our clan traveled to every settlement between Coltingen and Jidhoof but customers were spending their gil on the imports from the southern continent. They were cheaper and more plentiful, no matter their quality.”

“That’s awful,” Twilight said quietly.

Spike raised up a claw. “So... when will you get to this slavery thing?”

“Geez, I’m getting to that,” Stardust responded with a huff. “So, one night, I managed to finally convince Moonlight to take a trip and check out this goose that was hatching all these golden eggs. Turns out that traveling merchant was right. There were plenty of opportunities on the south continent to make gil. The folks there were handing out gil wing over talon to get stuff moved from one place to another. So Moonlight sent word to the rest of the clan and they all sailed in soon after. We signed up with the local merchant guild and started peddling our wares. Things were going great... until one night...”

.o.O.o.

Stardust peeked from around an alleyway corner, checking for any guards or citizens. The streets of Albuck were usually deserted at night, but just one overlooked pony could ruin everything Stardust was planning. Nochoco was around, so he cautiously stepped out and into the city streets proper. When no alert was heard, he made his way down the street towards the city entrance. Luck was with him as the Imperial guardsponies were not patrolling the area, no doubt drinking themselves under the table at the local bar. The guards had been spending more and more time there, abusing their position and ignoring the duties they were given.

Not that I care, Stardust thought. It just makes it easier for me.

He turned his head to make sure the pack strapped to his back was secure, then dashed out into the countryside. Traveling by night was a risky venture, even for a chocobo, but Stardust was confident that he was fast enough to outrun any monsters lurking about. He wasn’t going too far anyway, at least not by chocobo standards. Vectorlot was a hop, skip, and a jump away for somechoco like himself.

Stardust raced through the night, heading north towards the capital. At night, the lights of Vectorlot shone so brightly that a compass wasn’t necessary. He just had to run towards the glow on the horizon. A half-hour later, the giant obelisk of the castle came into view, its sharp edges and metallic sheen standing out against the night sky. Stardust poured on the speed, the sight of his destination giving him a burst of energy.

Minutes later, Stardust stepped through the large metal gateway that lead into Vectorlot’s square. Despite himself, Stardust gawked. Even though he had been to Vectorlot with his clan before, he had never seen the city at night. Countless electrical lights glinting through house windows, attached to poles, or hanging over the streets on metal beams illuminated the soot covered streets. Hundreds of ponies, despite the late hour, walked the brick pathways. Many of the ponies wore work clothes covered in smudges and grime.

Stardust grimaced, remembering that above all else, Vectorlot was an industrial complex. The enormous factory that produced the magitek armor used by the army never closed. From what Stardust had heard from the locals that Moonlight dealt with, the factory was staffed all day and all night, churning out a new piece of equipment every hour of every day. Looking up at the sky, Stardust saw the large, dark cloud that never seemed to evaporate looming above like an oppressive shroud. The large smokestacks of the Magitek Factory constantly belching out smoke guaranteed that the cloud was here to stay. It was rumored that the sun hadn’t shone upon the city in over ten years.

Stardust shook his head to clear his thoughts. No time to lose, he thought. Time to show Moonlight I’m ready to work the counter. He strode into the throng of ponies, looking side to side for a good place to set up. A spot revealed itself next to a crate set next to brown brick house. It was close enough to the walkway but not too close that he wouldn’t be trampled should the traffic of ponies increase. A few strides took him over to the crate and he set his pack down onto it. With his beak, Stardust opened his pack and spread out a half-dozen potion bottles. Giving a satisfied nod, the chocobo turned towards the passing crowd.

“Step right up, ladies and gentlecolts! Are you tired from a hard days work? Need a pick-me-up for the trip home? Well, I have here the finest potions distilled from the tastiest spring water that you will ever find! I have limited supply so get them while you can!”

Most of the ponies ignored him, seemingly content to pretend he didn’t exist. Others glanced his way but didn’t change course as they continued on to their destinations. This continued for several minutes, Stardust maintaining his enthusiastic pitch to all ponies in range of his voice. Finally, a weary eyed colt broke from the pack and trotted up to him.

“I sure could use a drink after the day I had,” the colt said. “How much for a bottle?”

Stardust beamed and waved a wing over his wares. “For you good sir, three-hundred fifty gil. I promise that you will not be disappointed.”

“Three-hundred fifty? Hay, I pay only two-hundred at the Watering Hole. Forget it.”

“Hold on!” Stardust cried out before the colt could leave. “I know my prices are a little high, but that’s because my potions easily beat out whatever they sell there.”

“Feh, I doubt it.” Without another word, the colt walked off.

“Why that know-nothing mule!” Stardust fumed. “Whatever! Who needs him? There are plenty of others where he came from.”

“Is everything okay here, birdie?”

Stardust snarled and whirled on the speaker. “You want to start something you... big...?”

Two ponies, dressed in Imperial armor, stood before him. One was a tall yellow colt while the other was a shorter colt with a green coat. The short one smirked up at him. “You have permission to be selling stuff here?”

Stardust couldn’t suppress a gulp. “Um... permission?”

“Yeah,” the taller one said. “You need to get a license to sell anything. Unless you’re already part of a guild.”

A sigh of relief left Stardust’s beak. “Oh, then there’s no problem. I’m part of the Starlight Clan and we’ve signed up with the guild in Albuck.”

“Got any proof?” the short guard asked.

“Yeah, right... here...” Stardust trailed off as he searched through his pack but couldn’t find the card that identified him with the guild. He poked through his feathers, hoping that he had slipped it somewhere within their silvery confines. To his growing dread, nothing was found.

“What’s the holdup?” the tall guard said.

“Um... well... it seems that I’ve... misplaced it. I know I have it here, somewhere...”

“Hey, Snails,” the short guard spoke to his companion. “Do you know what we get to do when we find someone selling in the city without permission?”

“We get to arrest them, Snips?” Snails cheerfully suggested.

“Yup!”

“Wait! Wait!” Stardust held out his wings. “I really am part of the guild! Let’s talk this over!”

Snips and Snails glanced at each other and grins simultaneously appeared on their muzzles. Snips stepped forward and smirked up at the chocobo. “Well, how about this. You give us all the potions you brought here and we’ll forget we ever saw you.”

“But... this is my chance... to prove to Moonlight—”

Snails reached into his armor and pulled out a set of hookcuffs. “I wonder if we have a cell big enough for you. I guess we can just stuff you into one until you—”

“Okay! Okay! Here!” With a flick of his wing, Stardust slipped the potion bottles into his pack and presented the bag to the soldiers. “Just take them!”

Snails put away the hookcuffs and took the bag with his mouth. “Nife doing business wiff you.”

“Heh, heh, yeah,” Snails chuckled. With that, the two guards began walking away.

Stardust waited for the two to head towards the walkway before he turned and kicked at the house behind him. Keeping his voice down he cursed out, “Those no good, tick infested, four legged jerks! I should’ve pecked their eyes out!”

“You know, I almost feel sorry for them.”

Stardust turned his head a fraction at hearing Snip's voice. The soldiers were standing next to the walkway, waiting for a chance to slip into the crowd. Both had their backs turned to Stardust and didn’t appear to be aware that their voices were being overheard.

“How shoo?” Snails mumbled through the bag in his mouth.

“What, you didn’t hear? The higher ups are getting tired of paying the chocobos all this money running around. The guilds are charging us so much they could probably buy the whole city!”

“So, what’s haffening?”

“Tomorrow, some soldiers are going to go round them all up in each of the major towns. Then they’re going to force `em to work without having to pay them.”

“How shey going to do fat?”

“Hold some of their families hostage I guess...”

Stardust had heard enough. With a “Whark!” he charged at the two. Snips and Snails spun around just in time to be bowled over as Stardust rammed into them. However, the chocobo didn’t stay to continue the fight. He lowered his body then jumped up into the air. At the apex of his jump, he spread his wings out and glided over the heads of the startled Vectorlotians. He landed next to the city gate and charged through it before any guards could stop him.

Once out of the city, Stardust ran as hard as he could. He didn’t spare any energy for thought, only to move forward. Any monsters roaming the area saw only a silver streak zip by. Stardust’s breath rushed out in great heaves but he forced himself to continue on. Within minutes, the lights of Albuck came into view. However, the town quickly became irrelevant.

A procession of Imperial ponies and magitek armor led over two dozen chocobos away from the port town. The chocobos were chained together at the talons and were being prodded to move by sword point. Despite the gloom of the night, Stardust saw Moonlight within the middle of the pack. Moonlight had his head bowed, as though unwilling to face the circumstances he was suddenly in the middle of.

“Let him go!”

The ponies whipped their heads towards the voice, startled to see a chocobo charging at them. Stardust took advantage of their surprise, leapt into the air and came crashing down onto two ponies’ heads with his talons, slamming them into the ground. A pony rushed up to him with a sword drawn but Stardust kicked the Imperial away before he could take a single slash.

“Stardust!” Moonlight called out to him. “What are you doing?! Run!”

Stardust ignored him and pounced onto a magitek suit turning towards him. The pilot yelped in surprise and then shrieked as Stardust lifted him off his seat with his beak and tossed him to the ground. “You blasted Impies aren’t going to get away with this!”

“Wanna bet, you dumb chicken?”

Stardust whirled on the speaker, intent on pecking him to death for that comment, when he felt an impact from behind. The distraction from one guard allowed another to throw a metal ball at Stardust’s unprotected backside. The ball burst open and a net encased Stardust, trapping him in a nylon mesh. With a “Kweh!” Stardust toppled from the magitek armor and to the ground, where he was immediately surrounded by more troopers.

.o.O.o.

Twilight stared up at Stardust, waiting for the chocobo to continue. He had grown silent for over a minute with a downcast expression on his face. “And?” Twilight prodded.

Stardust didn’t answer and continued to stare at floor. Another few moments passed and Twilight wondered if he was going to continue. Finally, Stardust raised a wing and brushed it against his cheek, wiping a stray tear away. “It... it wasn’t pretty,” he said. “The Empire forced us to work for them, without pay and barely any food. They held some of my clan members in prison and said they’d keep them there if we didn’t do what they said. For months we carried their supplies, day in and day out.”

He grew silent again. Spike raised a claw and asked, “But you escaped, right? You’re here now and not back there? How’d you do it?”

“I... don’t want to talk about it.”

“Huh? How come?”

“I just don’t, okay?!”

Spike fall back from Stardust’s unexpected outburst. He cautiously got to his feet and held up his claws in placating manner. “Okay. Okay. I got ya.”

Stardust settled back down on the floor, his feathers slowly unruffling.

“Well, I can respect not wantin’ to unload a bunch of bad memories and all,” Applejack said. “But it sure would be nice if'n you explained what you’re doin’ here.”

“Fine,” Stardust replied, letting out a huff. “After getting away, I managed to get back to Coltingen to warn the other clans there to stay away from the south continent. I was thinking I could even convince a few to help get support in getting the Empire to let my clan go. But when I got there, all the clans had already left, probably to the south. I didn’t know what else to do until I heard that this castle was in the region, so I hopped aboard. Now, here I am.”

“What do you plan to do now?” Applejack asked.

“Um. I’m... not sure. I haven’t thought about it much.”

The group fell silent, absorbing the tale that Stardust had shared with them. Applejack rose from her cushion and stretch out her legs. “Well, I think that’s enough. I’m much obliged that you shared this with us, Stardust. Reckon it wasn’t easy.” She regarded Twilight and Spike and nodded. “You two should be headin’ for bed. It’s getting late and we all have a big day tomorrow. I’ll find Dash and she’ll show you where you can sleep. Till then!” With that, Applejack trotted out of the library.

Twilight and Spike rose soon after and bowed at Stardust. “Thank you for telling us your story, Stardust,” Twilight said after rising from her bow. “And I’m, um... sorry I jumped on you.”

Stardust grimaced, but shook his head and waved a wing at her. “It’s fine. No harm done in the long run, I guess.”

Twilight smiled. She turned and began heading for the door, Spike right behind her.

It was just as she was leaving the library that she suddenly stopped and said, “Wait. What did he mean by the castle being in the Coltingen region?”

Wherein Castles Sink

Rainbow Dash’s gaze traveled from one set of knives to another, her keen eyes checking over the bladed ends for any nicks or scratches. She reached down and picked up a knife by the handle with her mouth and stepped back from the merchant stand. Rainbow set herself into a stance and swung the knife to and fro, testing its balance. After a few seconds of this she nodded and placed the knife down in front of the pony attending the stand. “This feels good. How much?”

“Let’s see,” the merchant said and looked at the knife Rainbow had picked out. “That’s a mythril knife, so three-hundred gil.”

“That much? C’mon it’s just a knife. How could it be so expensive?”

“Didn’t you hear me? It’s mythril. That kinda metal doesn’t come cheap. If it’s too much for you, I just got some dirks in bulk from South Fillygaro that I can sell for one-hundred twenty-five gil each.”

With a flip of a primary feather, Rainbow pulled out her dagger. The merchant stepped back, watching Rainbow carefully, but the pegasus just inspected her weapon silently. The blade had several dents from all the fighting in Neighshe and the section where the blade and handle connected was loose. Rainbow figured she had one more good fight before it became unusable.

Sighing, Rainbow laid the dagger next to the mythril one. “How much can I get for this?”

The merchant eyed the weapon briefly before saying, “All I could give for that is seventy-five gil. All it’s good for is scrap.”

Rainbow beamed. “Hey, I’m friends with your boss? Do I get any deals for that?”

The merchant gave her a flat stare.

“I guess not...” Rainbow bent down and picked up a brown sack laying next to her. She placed it on the stand and undid the tie holding it closed. An assortment of crossbows, small knives, padded clothes and lumps of gold fell out of it. “What can I get for all of this? Found it at a bandit’s camp while coming here.”

“You stole it from them?”

“I didn’t steal anything!” Rainbow shouted. “It’s not stealing when all the bandits are dead and are just leaving their stuff all over the place.”

“... Right,” the merchant drawled. He took a few minutes to sort out the loot that Rainbow had “acquired”, categorizing the items into related piles. Once he was finished and looked over the quality of the goods, he regarded Rainbow. “The weapons and armor are in shoddy shape so I can only offer five-hundred gil at most. The gold pieces are raw but in good shape. Fifteen-hundred gil for all of those.”

With a shrug, Rainbow replied, “Sounds good to me. I’ll take it and the mythril thingie. I guess I’ll also get a pair of dirks. Oh, and a set of potions.”

While the merchant set about to complete Rainbow’s order, the pegasus casually leaned against his stand and asked, “So what’s been going on around here, lately? Anything worth knowing?”

“Why are you asking me?” the merchant responded. “You’re the one traveling the world.”

“Yeah, but you guys get visitors here all the time, right? Somepony’s got to have slipped something by ya.”

“Well, there’s that chocobo that came in not too long ago. Picked him up while in Coltingen.”

Rainbow Dash yawned. “Boring.”

The merchant stopped his work and glared at the pegasus. “Fine, then how about this? A couple of pals of mine from South Fillygaro stopped in the other day and said some travelers from way out east were talking about some unusual activity near Domare. Something about some Imperial troops setting up a camp near the castle.”

Rainbow’s ears perked up. She whirled and faced the other pony directly. “Really? When was this?”

“Don’t know. You’d have to find those travelers and ask them.”

Rainbow dipped her head, letting the information sink in. “I have to let Applejack know of this,” she said to herself.

“What was that?”

Rainbow looked up sharply and shook her head. “Nothing! Nothing! You all set?”

He nodded and pushed a bag towards her. “Thanks for your business. Come again.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Rainbow grabbed the bag with her teeth and rushed off in a flurry of feathers.

.o.O.o.

“Okay, everypony! Let’s have another round of pin-the-tail-on-the-pony!”

A cheer rose up from the gathering of ponies, quickly followed by said ponies forming a line in front of a dartboard with the head and legs of a pony attached to it. The first pony in line donned a blindfold, picked up a tail with a pin through it and twirled around. Once properly disoriented, he was pushed forward by his laughing fellows and stumbled towards the target. He felt around, thrusting the tail until it came in contact with a hard surface. Grinning, the pony stepped back and lifted the blindfold. The pin was in the exact center of the dartboard.

“Hey, that’s pretty good!” a pink mare exclaimed and bounced up to the player. “If we were playing darts, that is!”

~ A blackjack-playing, world-travelling, party-loving free spirit,
giving out parties to any pony in need. ~

The mare, dressed in a tacky brown trench coat with a high collar, furry frills and multiple pockets with cards and dice sticking out, giggled. The rest of the ponies joined in, filling the room with joyous laughter.

“Would you bozos all shut up! Some of us are trying to mope here!”

At once, the ponies stopped their jubilation. Their gaze traveled to the corner of the casino room, where the voice had come from. Sitting at a roulette table, nursing a glass of cider and glaring at the gathered ponies, was a female griffon. She swept back her red and yellow striped cape, revealing a dark red coat underneath, and finished her drink all in one gulp. She slammed the glass down onto the table, shattering it into dozens of pieces. Looking down, the griffon noticed some blood seeping out of a few cuts on her talon. She raised it to her beak and slowly licked the blood away, keeping one painted eye on her audience as she did so.

The ponies cringed and began finding other things to occupy themselves with. Preferably in a room without any griffons.

All except one.

“C’mon, Gilda! What’s got you so grumpy?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Gilda said. “Probably because I’m being sent on this stupid recon job to the middle of nowhere and have to spend my time with you, Pinkamena Diane Pie.”

“Hey! I prefer Pinkie Pie, if you don’t mind.” Pinkie Pie held up her nose in an indignant fashion. However, she was unable to hold it for long and erupted into a fit of giggles.

“Ugh. I need another drink.” Gilda made to get up but a pink hoof pushed her back down into her seat.

“Hold up there, Miss Grumpy-Pants.” Pinkie pressed a button under the roulette table and a hidden compartment opened to reveal a small refrigerator. Inside were more cider bottles, which Pinkie picked one up and placed in front of Gilda. “There! Now you can stay here with me without having to get up. Isn’t that great?!”

“Swell,” Gilda growled and took a long swig of the offered cider.

“Yeah! I had it installed so that if I have a great game going on, I won’t have to leave and lose my rhythm.” Pinkie Pie grabbed a bottle for herself guzzled down half the contents. “Aaaaahhhhh! That hits the spot. Now, you tell me what’s got your feathers in a bunch.”

“Forget it, you walking sugar pile. Beat it.”

“Ah, come on! Let the world’s greatest partier and gambler take a load off your shoulders. Then we can get back to the fun!”

Without warning, Gilda grabbed hold of Pinkie’s neck and brought the pony muzzle to beak. “Listen closely, horse meat. The only reason I haven't skinned you alive and roasted you over a fire is because you are the only one that can land this heap of junk.”

Pinkie Pie chuckled nervously and managed to gulp past the claw holding her throat. “Eh, heh, heh.” Then, she blinked and patted her hoof against Gilda’s back. “Wait. Why should that worry you? Don’t you have win—”

The next thing she knew, Pinkie was flying through the air and across the room. She landed on top of a billiard table being used by two ponies, sending all the balls still in play into a pocket. Pinkie’s eyes rolled in their sockets before coming into focus and onto the griffon snarling down at her.

“Don’t. Talk. About. My wings. Get it?”

“Got it.”

“Good.” Gilda whirled and stomped her way back to her seat.

Pinkie watched her go, a frown covering her features. She then brightened and hopped off the table, giving the table a buck before hopping away. The balls that had fallen into pockets popped out and somehow rearranged themselves back into their positions before Pinkie had fallen into them. The two players saluted in thanks and went back to their game.

“I know what will cheer you up!” Pinkie said when she caught back up with Gilda.

Gilda sighed. “Can’t you take a hint?”

“A song! Everypony loves a song!”

Gilda buried her head in her claws. “What did I ever do to deserve this?”

“Myyyyyyyyyy name is Pinkie Pie! And I am here to s—”

“Say shut up!” Gilda interrupted, screaming at the pink party pony. “You sang that freakin' song already when you picked us up!”

“Oh,” Pinkie replied calmly, rubbing her chin in thought. “You’re right, I guess I did... Um, give me a minute!” She rushed off and up a set of stairs, leaving Gilda at the table.

Now alone, Pinkie Pie pondered what would be the best way to get Gilda to stop being so grumpy. “There’s gotta be a way. No pony can resist the might of the pink! … ie Pie!”

.o.O.o.

Mid-afternoon came to the residence of Fillygaro Castle, the sun making its daily journey across the sky. The citizens were deep into their chores, busy making the castle prosper with all manner of apple products. Some would be peeling the apples while others pressed them into cider. Still others would take a bushel full and clean them for the South Fillygaro market. The whole system ran like clockwork with everpony being where they were supposed to be.

Twilight Sparkle, on the other hoof, was exactly where she wanted to be; her nose deep in a book. Before the sun had even peeked over the distant mountains, the unicorn had crept out of bed and slipped into the library before anypony could catch her. She had been there ever since, soaking up all the knowledge that she could from the rows and rows of books at her disposal. Twilight just couldn’t get enough of all the things she was learning, things she never would have thought of in her wildest dreams. It gave her such a wonderful feeling that she just... just had to sing about it!

~This day is going to be perfect

I’m going to read and learn about Fillygaro

Every book I’ll gather ‘round

Every scroll and tome not bound

Soon I will learn every fact there is to know~

.o.O.o.

Pinkie’s eyes suddenly blinked rapidly, before she coughed, followed by her ears twitching. Whoa, Pinkie Sense! That one’s... a song! Wow, how did my Pinkie Sense know I wanted to sing?

~This day was going to be perfect

The kind of day of which I’ve had since I was small

But Gilda will not eat cake

She refuses to celebrate

My great parties, does she not think she’ll have a ball?~

~~~

Twilight stood up and began to twirl, caught up in the moment.

~I can’t care more about the lore

I won’t confuse all of these clues

Facts, I shall know all there’s to say

Everything about this castle

Will not cause a single hassle

Learning all about this strange and won’drous place!

Yes I shall read this whole room

For I don’t want to assume

And make a complete foal of myself...~

~~~

~Make her smile before it’s too late

Find a way to make her say:

‘Sure, I would love to stay and play!’

I just gotta make her smile

Gonna do it Pinkie Style!

If I want Gilda to join in my party.

For I oh-so love to play

Party all the day away

Oh poor sad Gilda, I’ll make you smile soon!~

~~~

~Finally the moment has arrived.

My knowledge will not be deprived!~

~~~

~Have to make this day just great

Because I want to celebrate

With all of my brand new friends!~

~~~

“Wow! I didn’t know you could sing.”

Twilight squeaked and whirled around. Rainbow Dash stood at the doorway, smiling at her. “Wh-wha... Wh-what did you hear?”

Rainbow trotted up to her, her smile growing. “Just the coolest song I’ve heard in awhile. Granted, it was kinda cheesy, but you’ve got some serious pipes there, Twi!”

The blush that developed on Twilight’s face threatened to become redder than the apples out in the orchard. “Th-th-thanks.”

“No problem. Hey, I was looking for Applejack. You’ve seen her?”

“Not since last night. Why?”

“I just got ahold of some juicy information and need to let her know about it.”

Twilight perked up her ears. “Oh? What?”

“Um... sorry.” Rainbow fidgeted and looked away. “That’s something between AJ and me.”

“Oh.”

“Hey, why the long face?” Rainbow asked. “You were happy a second ago and now you’re all mopey.”

Twilight sighed, walked over to a chair and sank down on it. “Sorry. I’ve had a lot on my mind. And...”

“And?” Rainbow prodded when Twilight didn’t continue.

Twilight didn’t answer and just looked at the wall with a blank expression. Just as Rainbow decided to leave her alone with her thoughts, Twilight said, “I just... don’t know.”

“Huh?”

The unicorn turned to face Rainbow, looking like she wanted to speak but unable to form the words. Finally, Twilight huffed. “This is stupid.”

“Hey, take it easy.” Rainbow sat down next to Twilight and patted her on the back. “You’ve been through a lot, what with the Empire using you and everything.”

“That’s just it!” Twilight shouted, startling Rainbow who hopped back a step. “The more and more I hear about the Empire, the more I feel as though I need to do something! Just last night, that poor bird told us all about how he was being used and everything. But, I just don’t know what I can do...”

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head, looking uncomfortable with having this conversation. “Um, well, I’m... not sure what to say. Maybe talking to Applejack will help ya. In fact, let’s go see her—”

“Attention!” came the call of a pony running by the library door. “Attention, everypony! An emissary of the Empire has come. Everypony to their stations and be on your best behavior!”

Rainbow looked to Twilight, who began shaking as her eyes widened.

“Uh, oh.”

.o.O.o.

Applejack stood tall in front of the main entrance to her royal hall as she watched the giant flying ship descend from the clouds. It was a technological marvel to see, with its huge helium balloon holding aloft a wooden ship while a half-dozen propellers the width of an apple tree were attached to the undercarriage and whirling to keep the entire structure afloat. Two more propellers, twice the size as the ones underneath, were attached to the back of the ship and giving the forward thrust necessary to move such a colossal vehicle through the air.

“The Party of One,” Applejack stated to herself. “The only airship in the world. If only it weren’t so... pink.”

The entire airship, from bow to stern and starboard to port, was colored a shade of pink. Applejack had the uneasy feeling of a cotton candy cloud about ready to smother her castle in sticky, sugary confectionery.

Only a hundred hoof-lengths separated the airship and the castle grounds before the propellers underneath the hull spun faster, stopping the ship’s decent. It hovered above without any further movement, before a pony peaked over the railing and waved down.

“Hey, Applejack!” Pinkie Pie shouted above the whine of the engines. “Sorry I can’t park this thing nearby! The sand doesn’t make for a very good landing spot!”

Applejack made to respond, but a pony in imperial armor shoved Pinkie Pie away and draped a ladder made of rope over the railing. “Out of the way, missie. Her emissary, Gilda!”

Gilda came into view and didn’t hesitate to climb down the ladder provided. In moments, she reached the bottom and hopped the rest of the way down. Two soldiers came down next to her and the trio made their way towards Applejack.

“So,” Applejack began as Gilda reached her. “What brings Gilda, humble servant of Emperor Blueblood, into our home?”

Gilda stood tall, a full head over Applejack, and said, “A—”

Cannon fire from above went off. Ponies everywhere ducked their heads or took cover, expecting a cannonball to impact any moment.

They blinked when confetti drifted down instead.

“Ha!” came Pinkie’s voice. “Don’t ever let it be said that Pinkie can’t give a good sendoff! I’d love to stay but I’ve got a party in Jidhoof to prepare for. I bid you all a fond farewell and may all your dice roll a natural twenty!”

Pinkie Pie’s laughter faded away as the airship lifted and was soon lost in the sea of clouds above.

With a growl, Gilda turned to her subordinates while holding out her talons. “Ahem! I have party favors on my claws!”

The two soldiers rushed forward and quickly wiped away all the confetti that had landed on their boss. Once they were finished, they stepped away, saluted and said as one, “Yes, Ma’am! All set, Ma’am!”

Gilda inspected her polished talons and nodded. “Idiots.” She faced Applejack again. “Now then, a mare of no importance recently escaped from us. We heard she found refuge here.”

Applejack tapped a hoof to her chin. “Hmm... this here wouldn't have anything ta do with this ‘witch’ everypony’s been whisperin’ about, I reckon?”

“Your reckoning would be right. Really, who would put stock into a stupid rumor like that?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Still, why’d you want this here mare? Must be a mite important if'n Blueblood is sendin’ someone like you.”

The griffon grimaced. “She... merely stole something of minor value. Is she here?”

“Well, that’s a tough one,” Applejack replied, making a show of thinking it over. “Ya see, I’ve got ponies coming in and out of here at all hours of the day. Some for working the fields, some for tradin’ and some just passin’ through. It’s hard to keep track of `em all.”

The sound of claws scraping against stone filled the courtyard. Ponies cleaning up the fallen confetti quickly stopped and covered their ears from the terrible sound. “Need I remind you that we have an agreement?” Gilda sneered. “The Empire won’t stand for any tricks from lowly farmers like you.”

Applejack’s eyes narrowed and she stood face-to-face with Gilda. “And what’s that suppose ta mean?”

Gilda didn’t back away as she looked down at the pony with a smirk. “Do I need to spell it out for you? I guess it’s true what they say about ponies who spend all day kicking trees and nothing else.” Gilda turned and strode towards the exit, her two soldiers following close behind. Just as she stepped through the metal door leading out, Gilda looked over her shoulder and said, “I truly hope nothing happens to your precious Fillygaro!” Her laughter carried throughout the courtyard and only stopped when the door closed behind her.

There was total silence following Gilda’s departure. Applejack swept her gaze over those present, all eyes upon her. “Get back to work, ya hear!” The ponies jerked into action and quickly got back to what they were doing before.

Sighing, Applejack headed back towards the main hall. Just as she reached to open the door, it burst open and Rainbow Dash came rushing out. The pegasus collided with the earth pony, sending both tumbling to the ground in a heap. A low groan came from them both before Applejack heaved Rainbow off of her. “Consarnit, Dash! Look before you come barreling out of doors, would ya?!”

“Owie,” Rainbow whined and picked herself up. “Sorry. But I saw that whole thing with the Impy. I say that gal’s missing a few primaries...”

“Yeah, well, you let me deal with that. Where’s Twilight?”

As if on cue, the unicorn stepped out of the doorway that Rainbow had burst out of. Twilight looked around warily before settling her gaze on the ponies in front of her.

Applejack pulled Rainbow close. “Take her to her room.”

“Huh? But I have stuff I need to talk to you about.”

“That can wait. Do me this favor, would ya?”

Rainbow opened her mouth to protest but a look from Applejack stopped her. “... Fine.”

“Thanks.” Applejack stepped away and regarded Twilight. “If y’all excuse me, but I need to go speak with my granny on some strategy. I tell ya, sometimes it’s a pain to run this here orchard.” With that, Applejack trotted past and disappeared into the main entryway.

Twilight watched the farmer go with a confused look. “What was that all about?”

“Not sure myself, but AJ knows what she’s doing.” Rainbow thought that last bit over. “Usually. Anyway, she wanted me to take you to your room, so just follow me, okay?” Rainbow motioned for Twilight to come forward with a hoof and trotted off. The unicorn trailed after her.

.o.O.o.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my new student.”

Twilight Sparkle blinked as she stepped into her room behind Rainbow Dash. Spike was already there, leaning on his spear and grinning at the mare. “Um, what?”

“I think it’s about time we got some more practice in, Twilight,” Spike explained. “We’re all rested up now so it’s the perfect time.”

“Good luck with that, Twi,” Rainbow said and headed for the door. Something clamped down on her tail, halting her movement. She turned back to see a faint magenta aura covering it.

“Don’t leave me here with him!” Twilight cried.

Rolling her eyes, Rainbow gave a quick tug on her tail, breaking the magical grasp. “Oh, don’t be such a foal. I’ve got to tell AJ about some things and you need this pretty badly. Spike, make sure she lasts longer than two sessions, alright?”

Spike saluted smartly. “You got it!”

“No! Please! Take me with you!” Twilight pleas went unheeded as Rainbow was already out of the room. Now alone save for the beast behind her, Twilight turned her head around, an expression of absolute terror adorning her muzzle.

Grinning, Spike slapped his claws together and rubbed them together.

Twilight bolted for the door.

A spear thrust before her, stopping Twilight in her tracks. Spike swiped the weapon upwards, towards her neck. Reacting on pure adrenaline and instinct, Twilight ripped her sword from its scabbard with her magic and barely managed to parry the strike before it could puncture her skin.

“Ha! Not bad!” Spike cheered and readied another attack.

“Wait! I’m not ready!” Twilight whimpered, backing away.

“Sometimes you’re not going to be given the chance to be ready, Twi. Now let’s see you deal with this!” Spike jabbed repeatedly, his spear becoming a blur of movement.

Twilight yelped as she dodged away from the attack, frantically swinging her sword to keep the tip of the spear away from her. She succeeded, though once Spike let up, Twilight slumped down to her rump and heaved for breath. “Please... slow... down...”

“Jeez, I’ve got my work cut out for me.” Leaning his spear against his shoulder, Spike began counting off with his claws. “Let’s see, we need to work on your reaction, speed, endurance, accuracy... pretty much everything, really.”

“You’re making me feel soooo much better,” Twilight groused.

“Hey, gotta start somewhere, right? So let’s get to it!” With that, he lifted his spear and renewed Twilight’s training.

.o.O.o.

“And that’s what I heard,” Rainbow Dash finished.

Applejack nodded and looked over a map of the world spread out over a table. She and Rainbow were in her private quarters, discussing Gilda’s visit and what that meant for the future. “These rumors worry me, Dashie. The Empire’s moving fast, faster than we can keep up. If they’re pushin’ into Domare territory then they must suspect somethin’.

“Then there’s that gal Twilight they are so interested in. There’s gotta be more about her if Blueblood’s willin’ to send Gilda after her.”

“Then I say we stop prancing around and do something!” Rainbow responded. “I mean, you’ve got me. What more could you possibly need?”

Applejack gave Rainbow an unamused expression. “We’re not ready yet. You know that. But now that we know they want Twilight and with that weird esper thing in Neighshe, maybe we finally have what we need to—”

Rainbow stuck a hoof in Applejack’s mouth, blocking off her speech. “Hold up, AJ. Do you smell that?”

Applejack blinked at the other mare, before raising her head and sniffing the air. Her eyes widened at the distinct smell of smoke. “What the...?!” The farmer bolted for the balcony and her face fell at the scene before her.

The apple orchard, over a hundred trees, was on fire.

Applejack whirled around and back into her room. She quickly ran to the side of her bed and lifted a hidden panel, revealing a red button. She pressed it and a warning siren began to sound throughout the entire castle. “Rainbow! Get Twilight and be prepared to leave on my signal!”

“You got it!” Rainbow saluted and flew out the window.

Wasting no time, Applejack rushed down to the lower levels, issuing instructions to her officers and workers to put out the fires and prepare the castle for emergency procedures. She burst outside, ready to shout out more orders, when a flurry of silver feathers caught her attention.

“It’s the Empire!” Stardust wailed as he ran in place in a panic. “They’ve come to get me! I knew I should have left sooner!”

Grimacing, Applejack reached up and wrapped her forelegs around Stardust’s neck. With a heave, she wrenched him down so that she could look him in the eye. “Hold up there, partner! You just settle down and get to helpin’ with those fires!”

“But... but...”

“No ‘buts’, you hear?! Now get—”

“Running around with chickens, are you Applejack? Fitting for a dirt pony like yourself.”

Applejack pushed Stardust behind her and faced off with the speaker. Gilda grinned and spread a claw to encompass the burning orchard in the distance. “Like my work? Quite easy with the right tools. Or should I say, magitek that is.”

“Why are you doing this?!” Applejack demanded.

“Drop the innocent act. I want the mare. Bring her to me. Now!”

“I’ll never give her up to the likes of you!”

Gilda didn’t seem upset by the refusal. “Then... welcome to my barbecue! The chicken behind you is looking mighty tasty and it would be a shame to let all that fire go to waste!”

“I am not a chicken!” Stardust advanced as though to attack, but Applejack blocked his path.

“Not now, sugarcube,” Applejack said up to the chocobo. “It ain’t the time for fancy-shmancy heroics.”

“So, farmer,” Gilda intoned darkly, stepping closer to the duo. “Changed your mind?”

Applejack looked away, a pained expression on her face as she looked out over the devastation of her pride and joy. “I guess I have no choice...”

Gilda grinned and reached forward.

Only to receive a powerful kick to the face.

“Or maybe I do! Go!” Applejack yelled as she came down from her suckerkick and shoved Stardust past the reeling Gilda. “Head for the entrance!” She turned and raised a hoof to strike again, but a force of wind suddenly picked her up and tossed her to the side.

Gilda lowered a claw glowing in a yellow light and staggered to her feet. She lazily wiped a trickle of blood from where Applejack’s blow landed with a talon and sucked on it. “Mmm, not bad, for a pony.” The griffon’s claw glowed again and she raised it up. “Now let’s see how you fare against... magic.”

Applejack did the last thing Gilda expected her to do. The pony turned and fled.

Gilda watched her go with a blank expression, before lowering her claw and smiling. “Ackk! Shameful that a owner should flee, leaving her employees behind! How utterly delightful!” She cackled and gave chase.

Applejack didn’t spare the time to look behind her and galloped as fast as she could through the halls of her castle. With a final burst of speed, she ran out the entrance and into the evening air of the desert. She sighed in relief when she saw that Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Spike and Stardust were already there. “Boy howdy, am I glad y’all made it out okay.”

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked, her eyes wide with fright at all the smoke rising into the sky. “Your castle’s on fire!”

“Don’t you worry! No one can defeat the people of Fillygaro!”

“Oh? Is that a fact?”

Applejack and the others looked up, seeing Gilda casually walk out of the castle and head towards them. The Imperial agent grinned as her eyes fell on Twilight. “There you are, my pretty. You’ve been a naughty girl, running off like that.”

Twilight cowered back, her mind reeling from images of the creature before her. “Who... who are you?”

“What? You don’t remember your dear master? Tsk, and after all the effort I put into brainwashing you, too.”

Rainbow Dash pulled out her knife and blasted forward towards Gilda. “You monster!”

Teeth clamped down onto Rainbow’s tail, causing the pegasus to crash into the sand. Applejack held her down and called out. “Okay! Dive now!”

“Dive what now?” Spike asked only to stumble as the ground beneath him began to shake.

“Run!” Applejack ordered. She yanked Rainbow’s tail one more time and galloped off. The others followed, rushing through the darkening daylight and away from the increasing tremors.

“Hey!” Gilda shouted. “You can’t get away from me!” She readied to chase after them but never made it a single step.

All at once, the sand under her claws began to shift. She shrieked and lost her balance, falling face first into the sand. Fearing she had been caught in a sand trap, she twisted and rolled until she felt firmer ground underneath. Once she made it back to her paws, Gilda looked up and her beak dropped.

Fillygaro sank into the desert before her very eyes. The castle had transformed itself while she was struggling, becoming more compact than before. The towers circling the main building had been pulled closer, windows were covered up, entire parapets had retreated into hidden compartments and, though she couldn’t see it, a metal dome had been extended over the orchard, protecting it from the sands that now poured over the sinking structure. In less than a minute, the castle was gone from sight, leaving behind a mile wide depression in the desert.

Gilda roared. She whipped her head across the vast expanse of the desert before she spotted her fleeing quarry in the distance. She brought a pair of talons to her beak and whistled. “Go! GET THEM!”

A pair of magitek armor burst from the sands behind her, piloted by the same ponies that had accompanied her here. With a whine of engines and a hiss of steam, the two giant machines charged off after their targets.

In Which Ponies Go to a Bar

“Run, everyone! We gotta head south! Run!”

Applejack led the escapees from Fillygaro through the desert night. There was no moon out, making visibility an issue, though that would play in their favor as Gilda would have the same problem. If she could get the group to the southern mountains, they would be able to lose any pursuers through the rocky terrain. More importantly, the cave located there would be perfect for crossing over to South Fillygaro to regroup.

A yelp and the sound of a body hitting the ground came from behind. Applejack skidded to a halt and turned around to see Twilight Sparkle picking herself up and shaking off some sand.

“Sorry, I tripped,” she said, hanging her head.

Rainbow Dash was at her side in an instant and pulled at her cape urgently. “Well, come on! No time for feeling sorry!”

“But I can hardly see!” Twilight cried out. “Can’t we shed some light or something?”

“That’ll give us away real quick-like,” Applejack said. “Just do your best.”

“I can help.”

All eyes turned to the speaker, who blushed under the scrutiny. Impressive, considering his face was covered in feathers.

“Um... I can see in the dark pretty well,” Stardust explained. “Just follow me and step where I step. Okay?”

Twilight studied the chocobo, remembering their less than dignified first meeting, and smiled up at him. “Thank you, Stardust.”

“Yeah, that’s all hunky-dorey,” Rainbow said, already rushing off. “Let’s go!”

“You heard her,” Applejack added and followed after the pegasus. “Move `em out!”

“Hi-ho, Twilight! Away!”

Twilight turned and glared at the passenger on her back. “Excuse me?”

“Heh, sorry,” Spike said sheepishly. “Kinda got caught up in the moment.”

The group ran once again, Twilight staying close behind Stardust and avoiding the obstacles that he pointed out. They made good progress, their mountainous destination growing larger by the minute—

A blinding light suddenly surrounded them, revealing their forms against the desert sand.

“There they are! Don’t lose them!”

The ground trembled as two monstrous equine shaped machines charged towards the fleeing ponies, their bright front lights making it impossible to hide. Steam hissed out of the leg joints each time the metal hooves struck the ground, alerting the escapees of their increasing speed.

Rainbow Dash hopped up into the air and chanced a look behind her. “They’re gaining on us! We’re not going to make it!”

Suddenly, Applejack came to a stop and reared up on her hind legs. “Then we fight `em! It’s our only way!”

Stardust and Twilight sped behind the farmer and cowered behind her. “B-b-but they’re so big!” Twilight shrieked.

“Don’t think about how big they are! Think about how hard they’ll fall! YEEEHAAAAW!” Applejack charged towards the oncoming lights that were only a few paces away and leaped. She twisted in midair and struck out with a powerful kick to the metal head of the magitek armor. A resounding clang was heard.

Applejack fell on her rump a second later and immediately began massaging her aching leg. The machine loomed over her, completely unharmed.

“Or maybe not.”

A chuckle came from the pilot. “Just what were you expecting to do? Buck us to the moon?” The light of the magitek swiveled to shine down on Applejack, revealing her helpless form. A massive metal leg rose up to flatten the earth pony into the ground.

Without warning, the light exploded into a shower of sparks before shorting out, coating the area in darkness. A glint of metal fell from the shattered light, landing at Applejack’s hooves. She blinked at the dirk laying at her side but gave it no further thought as she quickly rolled away from the descending leg of the magitek. The machine lifted its leg again and brought it down, but without the help of the light, the pilot’s aim was off and Applejack dodged away with ease.

With his attention on squishing Applejack, the pilot never saw the attack coming until it was too late. A dagger plunged itself into the space between his helmet and armor, burying it to the hilt in his neck. He slumped forwards, dead before he hit his console.

Rainbow Dash yanked her dagger free and peered over the edge of the cockpit, smiling smugly. “See, that’s how it’s done. Thanks for distracting him, though.”

Any reply Applejack would have made was lost as the magitek rocked from an impact, followed by an explosion. Rainbow lost her perch and fell to the ground in a heap, stunning her. The damaged magitek above her swayed unsteadily before toppling over. Rainbow only had time to stare up as the machine fell towards, unable to pull herself to safety.

An orange blur shot past her and braced itself. “YEAAAAGGGGHHHH!”

Rainbow started, unable to believe what she was seeing. “Applejack!” Rainbow cried out.

Applejack stood on her forelegs underneath the magitek, her hind legs holding up the ton of metal from falling any further. “Agh! Move already, Dash!”

The thief didn’t need to be told twice. Rainbow flared her wings and rushed forward, grabbing Applejack and flying away from the collapsing magitek, missing them by inches. Rainbow deposited her friend down a few hoof-lengths away and sighed in relief. “That was close.”

“Look out!”

Applejack’s warning came too late. A white laser from the second magitek armor impacted next to them, searing heat washing over them and tossing the two ponies into the air. The pair landed several hoof-lengths away, their coats smoking as they groaned in pain.

“You little gnats are dead!” the second pilot bellowed. He took aim with the tek laser port, setting the beam strength to the highest level possible, and fired—

—only for a lance to strike the nozzle of the port from below, shifting the laser off course. The blast shot past the downed duo and impacted against a distant cactus, completely obliterating it.

“Ha! Forgot about me, didn’t ya?” Spike taunted from underneath the ponified machine. He shifted his grip on his lance and jabbed it into an ankle joint of the magitek’s left foreleg.

The pilot lifted the leg, taking a startled Spike with it and gave it a flick.

“Whoa!” Spike lost his grip and was flung to the ground. He scrambled away from the follow-up stomp only to receive a kick to the belly, sending him tumbling away again.

“Enough of this!” the magitek pilot roared. “It’s all over!”

“Wait! Please! No more!”

The magitek stepped back as Twilight Sparkle ran to interpose between it and her downed friends. “Please! No more fighting! I beg you!”

The pilot grinned down at her from his perch. “Oh, don’t worry. Once they’re all dead and you're back with Gilda, the fighting will be over. You can count on that.”

Several yards away, Rainbow Dash managed to push herself to her hooves, but staggered and dropped to her knees. “Twilight, you idiot! It’s you they’re after! Run!”

“Too late!” With that, a panel on the magitek’s shoulder irised open, revealing a tek missile ready for launch.

“NO!”

Twilight chanted, the words coming to her from somewhere deep inside her. Her horn glowed a deep red, followed by a glyph bursting away from her body.

The world around her exploded.

.o.O.o.

Over a mile away, Gilda recoiled as a brilliant flash of red light erupted in the distance. The desert became briefly illuminated, as though the sun itself had risen, and just as quickly faded away. When Gilda turned back to the source of the light, all that could be seen was a mushroom cloud rising into the sky.

“Son of a seapony!”

.o.O.o.

Spike moaned as he rubbed at his eyes, his vision reduced to nothing but a red filter over anything he looked at. Slowly, he opened his eyelids, tears leaking out as his body tried to bring moisture back into his eyeballs. He wiped the tears away and finally managed to get a look around him.

The first thing to grab his attention was the smoking crater directly in front of him.

“Holy guacamole!” Spike ran up to the lip of the crater and looked down. A pile of mutilated and glowing molten metal lay at the bottom. “Wow, what caused this?”

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He saw Stardust rush to where Rainbow Dash and Applejack lay and placed down his pack. The chocobo rummaged around and brought out two flasks which he unstopped and offered to the battered ponies. The pair accepted them gratefully and gulped the contents down. Within seconds, Rainbow and Applejack were back on their hooves.

“Much obliged, partner,” Applejack said. She ran up Spike, Rainbow and Stardust following close behind. “What happened? Where’s Twilight?”

A groan from nearby answered her. A mound of sand shifted, revealing Twilight’s horn poking out. Spike rushed over and wiped away the sand, uncovering the rest of Twilight’s body. The unicorn groggily blinked her eyes before standing up and shaking away the sand clinging to her. “Oooh, I have such a headache...” The next thing she knew, her vision filled with rainbows and felt herself being held up by a pair of hooves.

“Twi! How’d you do that?! That was awesome!”

“Ease up there, Dash,” Applejack scolded the pegasus. “Give the gal some room.”

“Oh, sorry.” Rainbow put Twilight back down but didn’t lose her excited expression.

Twilight shook her head, clearing away the last of her grogginess, and regarded Rainbow with a confused look. “Um, what do you mean?”

Rainbow thrust a hoof at the crater. “That!”

Twilight stepped up to the edge of the blast zone and looked down at the bottom. She recoiled, the smell of scorched metal and intense heat assaulting her senses. “D... did I... do this?”

“You sure did! Once second we were all like, ‘Run!’ but then you glowed and blew up that Impy scum! Was that magic?”

“Magic?” Applejack said, narrowing her eyes. “That didn’t look like any magic I’ve ever seen a unicorn use before. What gives?” She gave a concerned look as Twilight began shaking. “Um, hon? You alright?”

The young mare didn’t respond. Her shaking became worse, to the point where she lost control of her legs and fell to her belly. Twilight’s breathing came in quick and shallow burst as though she had just completed a grueling race. Her irises were tiny pinpricks within her widened eyes, staring unblinkingly at the devastation.

“Hey, Twilight, what’s the matter?” Rainbow Dash asked and placed a hoof to Twilight’s back.

Twilight shrieked the instant Rainbow made contact. She scrambled away from the crater, putting as much distance as she could from it as quickly as possible. “I-I-I-I didn’t mean to! I just wanted him to stop! I d-didn’t want to... to kill him!” Tears fell from her eyes, followed by a wail of anguish. Twilight sank to the ground, crying her eyes out.

Rainbow and Spike were at her side in an instant, gathering Twilight up into a hug. “You had no choice, Twilight,” Spike spoke to her soothingly. “If you hadn’t, well, we’d all be dead.”

“The little guy’s right, Twi,” Rainbow added, stroking the bawling mare’s back. “I mean... it was him or us.”

Despite their comforting words, Twilight continued to cry. She shook her head as though unwilling to accept what she had done.

Applejack looked on awkwardly, unsure how to put her next words. “Um, I hate to butt in, but we really need to get goin’. Gilda might send more of those guys after us at any moment. We need to get south so we can lose her.”

“C’mon, Twi,” Rainbow Dash said, lifting the unicorn to her hooves. “We gotta go. If we don’t, more of those guys will show up and make you do even more terrible things.”

Twilight’s grief stricken face lifted up. She stared at Rainbow desperately, wishing what she said wasn’t true. Rainbow’s sad eyes told her otherwise. She sniffed a few time, but nodded and began shuffling along with the rest of the group, heading south.

.o.O.o.

“Get back to the castle and let everypony there know we’re okay. Got it?”

“Yes ma’am!” The guard stallion saluted and rushed off, leaving the mountain pass and into the sprawling desert.

Applejack watched him go until he was out of sight, then turned to the group surrounding her. “Alright, y’all. We need to get through this cave to get to South Fillygaro. Once there we can get supplied for the trip over the mountains. Let’s move `em out!” She turned, heading into an opening in the mountain. Rainbow Dash, Spike and Stardust followed, with Twilight plodding at the rear.

Inside the cave, torches had been set up at regular intervals on the rocky walls, providing plenty of light to see their surroundings. The path inside appeared to have been pony engineered, as rectangular cuts had been made into the walls and floor. The trail was smooth and well worn from countless ponies traveling between the castle and port town. Directly ahead, a small pond with sparkling water lay before them. A few turtles floated on the surface, occasionally diving down and resurfacing.

Applejack trotted up to the pond and took a long, slurpy drink. “Aaahh, that hits the spot. C’mon, y’all. Drink up! All that runnin’ around in the desert has got to have parched ya somethin’ fierce.”

The others eagerly did so. Stardust went further by filling up any empty bottles for later use. Once they had all drank their fill, Applejack led them further into the cave. After a few minutes of walking, she called out, “Dash? Twilight? Can I speak to you gals for a moment?” The two ponies quickened their pace to reach her, though Twilight had a noticeable lack of spring in her step. “I think it’s time we come clean with you, Twilight. You see, Dash and I are part of a group callin’ themselves the Returners.”

“I’m Applejack’s contact with the group,” Rainbow piped up.

“Yes. And we’d like you to meet with our mentor, Mayor Mare. She’ll be able to figure out how you can help us fight back against the Empire.”

“Yeah, Twi! That magic you did back there was radical!”

“Between you and that esper, I think we finally have a chance of winnin’ this war.”

“That’s the way to talk! What do you think, Twi? Twi?” Rainbow finally noticed that the unicorn was no longer following besides them. Rainbow twisted around, finding Twilight standing still several paces away and staring at the floor.

Applejack slowly trotted up to Twilight, her expression solemn. “I’m sorry, sugarcube. I forgot that this has all been thrust upon ya. I... I don’t want to force anything on ya.”

“I...” Twilight said, raising her distraught muzzle up to look Applejack in the eyes. “I just don’t know... what I should do.”

The farmer hung her head, letting the silence that followed linger for a minute. “Well, how about this? You come with us to our base, meet with Mayor Mare, hear her out and decide on your own. How’s that sound?”

Twilight continued to stare at Applejack, before closing her eyes and nodding slightly.

Applejack laid a hoof over Twillight’s shoulder. “Don’t you worry. Whatever it is you decide, I’ll back you up. We’ll all help you until then.”

“Thank you...” Twilight said quietly.

The group continued on, moving further into the cave. A few monsters got in their way, but Rainbow Dash and Spike were quick to bring them down. They had just climbed down a set of stairs when Stardust cocked his head and headed down a side-passage. His departure didn’t go unnoticed.

“Hey!” Applejack called out. “Don’t be wonderin’ on yer own.”

If he heard her, he didn’t acknowledge it. Stardust continued down the passage, occasionally sniffing the air.

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” When Stardust didn’t respond, Applejack let out a huff and galloped off to catch up to him. “Consarn it! We don’t have time for this.” It only took a few seconds to reach him and put herself directly in his path. “Okay, fella. What’s gotten into you that you had to go trailblazin’?”

Stardust stepped back, as though seeing the earth pony for the first time. “Oh, uh sorry. I just smelled something and wanted to check it out.”

“Partner, there ain’t nothin’ in this cave other than blearies, hornets and crawlies. All I can smell is their stink.”

“Well, I smell that.” He pointed a wing just over Applejack’s shoulder, towards a rock wall with green moss growing over it. “If my nose is correct, that moss can be used to make up some nice potions. At least that’s what Moonlight use to tell me.”

Applejack looked over the moss, its damp, tiny leaves glistening in the torch light. “That’s all fine and dandy, but what good is it to us? You sayin’ you can cook us up some potions?”

Stardust shuffled his talons nervously. “Um, maybe. I'm still learning. I was thinking more that I can get a good price for it in South Fillygaro. Brewers are always happy to pay for ingredients. Saves them the trouble of finding components themselves. Moonlight only just started getting around to teaching me how to do it...”

“Alright, alright, no harm done,” Applejack said. “Grab what you can but be quick about it. We’ve still got a bit of travel once we reach the other side of the mountain.”

“Thanks! You won’t regret this!” Applejack stepped away and allowed the chocobo to fill up some bags with the moss. A few minutes later, Stardust had scraped off enough of the plant to completely fill up his pack. “There!” Stardust declared when he finished. “Let’s go!”

With his new acquisition stowed away, the group continued their trek through the cave. A short time later, the cave exit came into view, prompting them to quicken their pace. Outside, the great expanse of the Fillygaro plains lay before them.

“Finally! All of these stupid caves are cramping my style!” Rainbow Dash complained and took off into the sky, performing a series of loop-de-loops for the ponies below her.

Applejack chuckled at Rainbow’s antics and began leading everyone towards the east. The sun had already risen, basking the earth in its radiant light. The going was smooth as Rainbow scouted for monsters, allowing for a brisk pace to be set. The sun had just reached its midway point in the sky when the first buildings of South Fillygaro came into view. Minutes later, the group stepped into the town proper.

Despite the advanced machinery of Fillygaro, South Fillygaro’s housing was constructed almost entirely out of wood, brick and shingled roofs. Even so, the houses were sturdy and stood upon a solid foundation of stone. Many of the houses were two stories tall, with some connected to each other via covered bridges. It gave the city a crowded look, compounded with the sight of dozens of ponies coming and going from one building to another.

“Welp, here we are,” Applejack announced, a proud tone to her voice. “Good ol’ South Fillygaro. Home of some of the finest ponies you’ll ever meet.” She regarded the others with a happy smile. “We’ll be able to get what we need here before headin’ on over to the base. RD, go ahead and do your thing and get us some supplies while I check on a few things. We’ll meet back here in an hour.”

“Hey, who died and made you leader?” Rainbow asked, coming up to Applejack and staring her down. “You’ve been bossin’ us around ever since we left the castle when I should totally be in charge!”

“What, you startin’ something now? Somepony’s got to take responsibility around here.”

“Yeah, and that should be me. The coolest and most awesomest pony to have ever lived! How about you go and get our stuff while I check out the local life.”

Applejack gave her an unamused look. “Hmph, duckin’ past your responsibilities again. What a surprise.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?!” Rainbow Dash demanded, pressing her nose right into Applejack’s.

The farmer pushed back. “That you don’t take anythin’ serious unless it involves shiny treasure.”

“I can too take things seriously! Just watch!” Rainbow launched into the air, heading towards the center of town.

“Heh, works every time,” Applejack said. She noticed Stardust walking away on his own and called after him. “Hey, fella! Where you off to?”

“Following the pegasus,” Stardust replied back. “If she’s headed for the shops, I can sell off my own stuff.” He turned around a bend and was lost from sight.

Applejack shrugged and turned to the remaining members of the party. “Well, we best be going. Follow me.”

“What are we going to do?” Twilight asked, she and Spike falling into step next to Applejack.

“To the bar. Dash mentioned some things are happenin’ way over in Domare and askin’ the folks there might clear up some things. Rumors like that flow like cider, especially in places that sell cider. Domare has been helpin’ our cause for a while now so anything that happens to them, Mayor Mare will want to know about.”

The three made their way through the busy streets, maneuvering past the throng of ponies going about their daily activities. A whistle sounded off in the distance at one point, causing Twilight to cower behind a barrel next to a house, her body shaking uncontrollably and her eyes darting back and forth for any signs of the whistle’s origins. When Applejack told her that it was probably just a boat docking at the pier further south, the unicorn smiled sheepishly and followed along with her head held low.

“You really need to get out more, Twilight,” Applejack teased shortly afterwards. “I’m thinkin’ this here little trip will do ya some good.”

“Sorry,” Twilight apologized for what felt like the thousandth time. “It’s frustrating for me to have to learn all these things over again.”

“Don’t worry, Twilight,” Spike said, patting the unicorn on the back. “Just like Applejack said, we’re all here for you.”

“Thanks,” Twilight responded, giving a warm smile.

“Alright, we’re here,” Applejack said, stopping in front of a wooden door with a sign above it that read, “The Galloping Horse.” Sounds of song and merriment could be heard coming from within the building. “Let’s head on in and see if we can learn a thing or two.” She pushed the door aside and stepped in.

Immediately, a barrage of sound and smells assailed the ponies’ and dragon’s senses. A din of constant conversation filled the room while the stench of sweat, smoke, and cider struck them, making Twilight and Spike tear up briefly.

“Ugh, and I thought our waste hole was stinky,” Spike complained, trying in vain to fan away the cigar and cigarette smoke drifting by him.

“Better keep them types of comments to yerself,” Applejack warned. “That’s the kinda talk that gets ponies all riled up. Or don’t you remember back at the castle?”

Spike smiled sheepishly and motioned the process of zipping his mouth shut.

They walked up to the bar and Applejack plunked down a few gil onto the counter. “Barkeep! A round for me and my two friends here.” The pony behind the counter quickly poured three mugs of cider and placed them down in front of them. Applejack didn’t waste any time and took a deep swig from the mug then slammed it back down on the counter, letting out a loud burp. “Ah! That’s the stuff!”

“Must you be so uncouth?”

Applejack blinked and turned her gaze to the source of the voice. A white unicorn with a curled, purple mane and leaning against the bar looked back at her with narrowed, unamused eyes.

Applejack gulped down the rest of her drink and wiped her mouth with a hoof. “What’s it to ya? It’s a bar. Perfect place to let loose!”

The unicorn sniffed, turned up her nose and levitated a glass filled with wine. She took a delicate sip before carefully placing the glass back down on the counter. “Just because one is within a bar doesn’t mean one can not show manners.”

~ She comes and goes like the wind, owing allegience to nopony.
She obsesses over fashion, though her reasons are her own... ~

Applejack made to respond, but was shoved out of the way by an eager pony. “Hey! You’re another unicorn!” Twilight squealed. “I’m one too!”

The mare stepped back, eyeing Twilight warily. “Indeed...”

Twilight moved closer, her eyes starry. “What type of spells can you cast? How did you learn those spell? How do you keep your horn so point—?”

A loud hiss came from below. Twilight glanced down to see a white cat standing underneath the white unicorn bare its teeth and take a swipe with its claws. Twilight yelped and hopped back, scrambling behind Applejack.

“Opalescence, be nice,” the unicorn said down to the cat. “The lady wasn’t being threatening, just... overly gregarious.” Opalescence growled one last time before laying down and curling up for a nap. “Sorry about her. She can get a bit overprotective.”

“Yeah, and sorry about her,” Applejack responded, nodding her head towards the cowering Twilight behind her. “She can be a little overly... well... overly, I guess.”

The unicorn took another sip from her drink and regarded the ponies before her. “Well, here I was going on about manners and I haven’t even introduced myself. My name is Miss Rarity. A pleasure.”

Applejack tipped her hat with a hoof. “Same here, I guess. I’m Applejack and this here’s Twilight Sparkle and Spike.”

Rarity smirked and held out a hoof. “Charmed, I’m sure.”

Twilight came out from her hiding spot, grinning sheepishly and gently shook the offered hoof. “Um, sorry about before...”

“No harm done, darling. And this handsome chap on your back must be Spike?”

Spike didn’t respond. He stared at Rarity, something he had been doing for the past few minutes. It took a small buck from Twilight for him to regain focus. “Oh, uh, yeah! I’m a... I’mma ah... ah...”

“What’s the matter, Spike?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing! Nothing’s wrong!” He rubbed the back of his head with a claw, a blush spreading over his face. “Yeah, I’m Spike.”

“Well, how do you do, Spike?” She batted her eyes at him and chuckled when Spike reddened even further. “So, what are you all here in town for? Sightseeing? Shopping?”

“A little of both, really,” Applejack answered. “Though we stopped by here to see if anypony knew anythin’ about what’s going on out east. Hear there’s trouble brewing near Domare.”

“Oh my, really?”

“Yep. You wouldn’t happen to know anythin’ about that, would you?”

“Heavens, no,” said Rarity. In a low tone, she muttered, “Though that does raise some possibilities...”

“You say somethin’?”

“Oh! Sorry. I was just thinking of my next project. I have a passion for fashion, you know.”

“Ah... not really, no.”

“Oh. Well, I’m afraid I don’t have much more to offer you, dear. I need to be going, but maybe we’ll run into each other somewhere down the road.” With a flick of magic, Rarity drained the rest of her wine and left a few gil on the counter. “Come, Opalescence. We need to go.” The unicorn trotted off, her cat briefly yawning and stretching herself before padding after her.

“Now there goes a character, right?” Applejack said once Rarity had left the bar. “Ya sure do meet some weird sorts in here.”

“So beautiful...” Spike breathed out.

“What was that?” both mares asked.

“Nothing!”

.o.O.o.

Within the commercial district of town, Rainbow Dash emerged from a storefront, her saddlebags sagging with supplies. Stardust exited a moment later, his pack noticeably lighter.

“Stupid Applejack,” Rainbow strained to say, shifting her bags to a more comfortable position. “Making me do all the busy work while I’m sure she’s living it up at the pub. Stupid Filthy Rich and his bargains. How the hay am I supposed to carry all this stuff and still fly?” She glanced up at Stardust, noticing how little he was carrying. “Hey, big guy. Mind helping me out here?”

“I have a name, you know,” Stardust grumbled.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. But could you help a pal out? All this stuff is cramping my style.”

“What do I look like to you? A walking caravan?”

“Hey, that’s a good idea! You carry this so I can keep my wings free. Then I can swoop down and cream all the monsters in sight!”

Stardust rolled his eyes and walked away. “Forget it. I’m going to stay here in town for a while. See if I can get a shop going.”

Rainbow suddenly rushed in front of him. “Wait. You’re leaving us?”

Stardust grimaced, an impatient tone to his voice. “Yeah. That was my plan all along. Why are you surprised?”

“I don’t know,” Rainbow said with a shrug. “You were kinda helpful after we took down those two metal jerks. I just thought you’d keep going with us.”

“Can’t. I’ve gotta keep looking for other clans, and I want to own my own shop one day. This place is perfect for both.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Not for that last part, it ain’t.”

“What do you mean?”

The pegasus pointed a hoof to the store they just exited from. “See that? That place is just one of many in this town. Filthy Rich owns them all, or at least all the good ones. He’s got this whole place under his hoof. The second you try opening a spot without a deal from him, he’ll price gouge you right out of town.”

Stardust’s lower beak fell, his eyes staring up at the sign that read, “Rich's Barnyard Bargains.” “You’re lying.”

“Wish I was, pal, but that’s just how it is here.”

With a shake of his head, Stardust marched away. “Then I’ll just have to be the chocobo that beats him.”

“You’re wasting your time,” Rainbow called after him.

Stardust whirled around, glaring at her. “And what do you expect me to do, huh?! Shopkeeping is my dream! Selling things is what I’ve grown up doing. I just can’t give it up just because some pony tells me it’s too hard!”

Rainbow waved her hooves in a placating manner. “Easy! Easy! Don’t get so bent out of shape.”

“I am not bent out of shape!”

“Right. Look buddy, I’m not saying you can’t follow your dreams and all, but this town probably isn’t the best place to start.”

“So what are you saying?”

“All I’m saying is just travel with us for a little while longer. Hay, we might even come across one of those clans of yours. And if we find a town on the way that isn’t completely owned by Filthy Rich, then you can go on your way. Whaddya say?”

Stardust stared at Rainbow Dash, his wings twitching periodically. Finally, he sighed and said, “Fine. I guess I’ll tag along for a bit longer.”

“Great!”

“Just one thing. What are you getting out of all this—OOF!”

Rainbow, now hovering above him, dusted off her hooves after dumping her saddlebags onto Stardust’s back. “You get to carry all our stuff!”

.o.O.o.

“Well, that was a bust.”

Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike exited the bar, full of cider but light on information. The farm pony checked the sun, doing some quick calculations in her head. “We still have a few minutes before we need to meet back up with Rainbow Dash. There’s one place we have time to go to before then. This way.”

Applejack led them through the streets of South Fillygaro once again, this time leading them near the edge of town. Here, the wooden buildings became fewer and fewer, with buildings made of steel becoming more frequent. Some were several stories tall, with steam coming out of chimneys instead of smoke. The ponies walking by wore smudged clothing with many carrying a satchel of tools on their backs rather than saddlebags.

“What is this place?” Twilight asked, her head turning back and forth in an effort to keep up with all the new sights passing by her.

“The industrial wedge of the town,” Applejack explained. “It’s pretty new compared to the rest of the city. All the latest breakthroughs in technology are produced here. A lot of the ponies that designed Fillygaro Castle moved here after the orchard was done. Engineers are silly folk and can’t stop tinkerin’ no matter what. There’s lots o’ space round these parts so they decided to build up a spot just for themselves.”

“Why are we here then?”

“There’s somepony I gotta meet. It’s a... personal thing.”

They fell silent then, Twilight and Spike content on following Applejack while they took in the sights. After a few more blocks, Applejack came up to a nondescript metal door and pressed a button next to it. A buzzer from inside sounded and a moment later, the door slid into the wall on its own. A middle-aged female donkey stood on the other side. “Oh, what a surprise! Hello, Applejack.”

“G’day, Matilda,” Applejack greeted back. “Yer husband home?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Cranky’s been gone for over a week now. You know how he can get when he’s got a new project on his mind.”

“That I do. I still need to thank him for fixin’ up that problem with the sprinkler system back at the castle. My engineers were scramblin’ like mad trying to fix it `til he came by.”

“Oh, where are my manners?” Matilda moved aside, extending a hoof in invitation. “Won’t you come in? I can get some tea ready for you and your friends.”

“I’m mighty sorry, Matilda, but we can’t stay. I was just hopin’ that... well...”

“About Big Macintosh, right?” At Applejack’s nod, Matilda continued, “Well, Cranky won’t say as much, but I’m sure with all the rumors flying around that you at least heard he’s taken on your brother as his apprentice. It’s not easy keeping things a secret around here when a big colt like him appears.”

Applejack couldn’t hold back the eagerness in her voice. “Do you know where he is then?”

“Last I heard, Cranky was taking his pupils up into Mt. Colt. Apparently, there’s some good minerals up there for one of their new inventions. If your brother’s anywhere, he’s there.”

“Aw, thank you kindly!” Applejack gushed out. She pranced in place, looking ready to run off right that moment. “I wish I could stay an’ chat, but I’ve got ta git goin’!”

“Don’t worry, missie. Give my love to Big Mac when you find him.”

Giving a tip of her hat, Applejack rushed off, forcing Twilight to chase after her before she was lost from sight.

Matilda watched them go, a wistful look to her face. “Ah, kids. I’m going to have to badger Cranky about having them again.”

.o.O.o.

“What kept ya?” Rainbow Dash asked impatiently at the entrance of South Fillygaro.

“Sorry,” Applejack said once she ran up to the pegasus, with Twilight and Spike behind her and huffing for breath. “Just a little bit of catchin’ up with some donkeys I know.”

“Whatever. Let’s get going, alright?”

“Sure thing! Next stop, Mt. Colt!” Applejack reared up, neighing to the sky and galloped off. Rainbow Dash smirked and followed skyward.

“Wait up!” Twilight called to them. "Why is everypony in such a hurry?" She and Stardust followed, leaving the city for the open plains and towards the distant mountains.

Wherein Machines Get Busted

Twilight Sparkle’s mouth hung open as she stared up at the imposing mountain before her. “We... have to climb... that?”

“Sure as sugar, we do,” Applejack confirmed, stretching out her legs and cracking her neck. “If I remember correctly, it’s a good hike up and over so we’ll take breaks when we get tired.”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “This is going to take all day, isn’t it?”

“Now don’t be that way, sugarcube. Just take it easy for once and enjoy the scenery.”

“Whatever. Let’s just get going.”

The party moved on, the plains of South Fillygaro gradually receding into more rocky terrain. The hoofing became trickier, making the ponies watch their steps to avoid rolling a hoof. Stardust had no such trouble, his talons adjusting to each step and his wings fluttered whenever he needed to maintain his balance. Rainbow, on the other hoof, simply flew over the ground, growing more and more bored waiting for the others to catch up with her.

An hour later, she had had enough. “You know, I could just fly over, get in contact with the Returners and they could meet us halfway.”

“Oh?” Spike replied. “Then you’re just going to let us deal with them on our own?”

Rainbow blinked and followed the claw that Spike pointed towards the path ahead of them. Two long-haired, brown mammoth-like creatures appeared around a rock outcropping. The pair were engaged in a test of strength, their large white tusks locked together as each tried to push the other away. The very mountain seemed to tremble as the two monsters snorted with effort and crashed each other into boulders.

“What are they doing?” Twilight asked, cringing each time one of the tuskers slammed into the other with the power of a magitek armor buck.

“I don’t rightly know,” Applejack answered. “Though I think it’s best we wait—Dash! Come back here!”

Rainbow had flown towards the struggling tuskers, hovering above them. “I’m not waiting for these two to knock themselves out!” Rainbow called back. She pulled out her knife and dove down, the point of her blade aimed for the back of the closet monster. The knife sank deep into the tusker’s hairy hide, causing the creature to rear up and roar in pain. It bucked viciously, forcing Rainbow to grasp onto the buried knife harder to keep from being dislodged.

Without warning, the second tusker opened its mouth, aiming for the pegasus. A blast of cold air escaped from its maw and struck Rainbow Dash head on. Caught completely unprepared, Rainbow lost her grip on the knife and sailed off the back of the struggling tusker, landing in a heap on the ground. Tiny ice crystals hung from her wings, mane and vest, testament to the power of the tusker’s blizzard breath. The injured tusker continued its rampage and charged at the downed and shivering pegasus.

“Aurabolt!”

A beam of white energy suddenly impacted the side of the tusker, picking it up and slamming it against the mountainside. It fell to its side, its hide smoking from a circular burn and remained still.

The second tusker turned towards the new threat, roaring at Applejack as she galloped towards it. It lowered its tusks, intent on goring its enemy, only for the pony to launch into the air and land on its back. Before it could react, Applejack reared and kicked it hard in the back of its head. The tusker gave a pained moan and collapsed to the ground.

Applejack quickly leaped off the tusker’s back and rushed up to Rainbow Dash. The thief was curled up in a tight ball and shivering uncontrollably. “C-c-cold-d-d-d.”

“Hang on there, Dash,” Applejack said. “We’ll get ya fixed up.” She turned towards the others and motioned for them to come closer. “Hey, Twi. Can you use that fancy magic of yours to warm her up?”

“I-I’m not sure,” Twilight replied. “I’ve never tried something like that.”

“Well, then I guess we better find some blankets or sumthin’ to cover her up.”

“Wait. Let me try this.” Twilight stepped next to Rainbow and closed her eyes. A gentle chant escaped her lips, followed by a string of pearl orbs floating out of her horn, looping around and flowing back into her forehead. Briefly, Rainbow’s form was covered in a pale green light, fading away as quickly as it came. Moments later, the pegasus’ convulsions ceased.

Rainbow Dash blinked her eyes and stood up on shaky legs. The bitter cold enveloping her body was gone and she felt relaxed and refreshed as though waking from a satisfying nap. “Whoa. What was that?”

“I... I think it’s called a cure spell,” Twilight answered, as though unsure herself.

“Really? Since when have you been able to do that?”

Twilight looked away and bit her lip. “I think I’ve always been able to do it. It just feels... natural to me.”

“Well, thanks anyways. I felt like a popsicle back there. OW!”

Applejack lowered her hoof from cuffing Rainbow upside the head. “Ya wouldn’t have been in that there state if ya’d just waited for us. You could have gotten killed trying to ride that buckin’ bronco.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow said and pulled her knife from the tusker’s carcase. She quirked an eyebrow at the injury in the beast’s side. “Hey, what happened to this thing? Did I do that?”

“Hardly. I had to use one of my secret techniques. It’s called Aurabolt and it uses my very own spirit as a weapon. No magic involved, just plain ol’ earth pony guts!

“Now let’s get a move on before any more of those critters show up. I don’t rightly want to spend all my time fighting when we still have a ways to go.”

No arguments were made over that. The group continued up the path, watching for monsters the entire time, and a few minutes later, they found a cave entrance behind a formation of rocks.

“Blah, more caves,” Rainbow Dash complained. “This is sooooooo not helping my sty—hey, birdie, watch it!”

Stardust rushed past her, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He entered the cave without a second look and beelined to a glittering green gem stuck in some loose dirt next to a rock wall. Beams of light trickled in from holes in the ceiling, with one such beam striking directly against the gem, creating a rainbow of light to shine pleasantly against the walls. When the others caught up to him, Stardust was furiously pecking away at the dirt around the gem, slowly uncovering more of it.

“Hey, birdbrain!” Rainbow Dash said, flying up next to the chocobo. “Stop running off like that! What are you, some kind of Repo Pony or something?”

“It’s... a... gem!” Stardust replied in between pecks. As though that explained everything, Stardust continued his work.

“Seriously, you’ve got to be a klepto or something. Now, I know how it is to find treasure and all, but rule number one is to check these things out before digging in like you’re doing. What if there are traps?”

However, the chocobo ignored her. Finally, the gem became exposed enough for Stardust to reach down and grab it in his beak. With a sharp tug, he wrenched it out of the ground and held it up proudly for all to see.

The next instant, the ground underneath him gave away. Stardust managed to give a surprised squawk, throwing his prize away in the process, before disappearing into the floor.

“Stardust!” Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash jumped into the exposed sinkhole after him.

“Rainbow!” Twilight cried out and made to follow but Applejack stopped her with an outstretched hoof.

“You’ll just fall in like them!” the farmer pointed out. “Let’s get some rope and we can pull ‘em out!”

Suddenly, several figures landed outside the cave entrance and more appeared from deeper in the cave. They were earth and pegasus stallions, dressed in red gis and their hooves covered in red wrappings. The ponies quickly circled around the mares and dragon, cutting off all escape.

“Heh, been a while since somepony fell for that trap,” one of the ponies said.

“Yeah, and look at what we got,” said another. “Should get a good stack of gil for two beauts like them.”

“Don’t forget the two below.”

“We’ll get to them later. We got plenty to keep us busy here.”

Applejack tensed, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. “I swear, you fellers should just turn around now and ferget you ever saw us.”

“You came into our home, lady,” a pegasus responded. “And the Iron Hoof collects from those that trespass.”

“We’ve had enough trouble already with those weirdos from South Fillygaro,” said an earth pony. He stepped forward and reached for Twilight. “You on the other hoof will be easy pickings.” He stopped short when a spear was thrust towards his head, forcing him to back away.

“That’s what you think,” Spike intoned darkly.

The pack of ponies eyed the surrounded trio warily, before a wordless cry signaled the attack.

.o.O.o.

Beneath the growing violence, another battle was taking place, though of a much less physical nature.

“You featherhead! This is why you check for traps!”

“Sorry...”

“You better be sorry! Rule number two is to never split up. Your friends could get in trouble while you wander off.”

“But you were going to fly away outside—”

“Rule number three: I’m awesome enough to break the rules!”

Stardust scratched his head with a wing. “I don’t get it. How does being awesome work like that?”

Rainbow Dash smirked and tapped him lightly on the chest. “Don’t worry. I’ll teach ya everything you need to know. Stick with me, bud, and you’ll go places.” She lost her grin when she looked up at the ceiling and the opening they had fallen through. “Speaking of going places, we need to get back up there.”

Stardust followed her gaze and grimaced. “That’s too high for me to jump.” He looked around and spotted a passage leading deeper into the mountain. “Why don’t we head down that way and meet up with the others on the other side?”

“Uh, yeah. No. You just sit tight and I’ll fly up there and get the others to help.”

Judging by the expression on Stardust’s face, this was not the answer he wanted. “You’re going to leave me here? Alone?!”

“Whoa, whoa there, fella!” Rainbow held up her hooves in a placating manner. “I’ll be gone for just a few seconds. Ten tops!”

“But what if monsters come and get me?!” His head whipped back and forth as if convinced that one was waiting just beyond the shadows.

“C’mon, nothing’s going to get you. Stop being such a foal.” However, Stardust continued to panic, his breathing becoming erratic and his gaze wide with fright. “... You’re really scared arencha?”

“I’m not scared!” Stardust yelled. “Just... cautious...”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “Alright, alright,” she said. “I’ll stick with ya. I promise I won’t leave your side.”

The chocobo stopped his fidgeting and regarded Rainbow with hope in his eyes. “Really?”

“Yeah. We’ll go down that way, okay? No need to get your feathers ruffled.” She gestured a hoof towards the passage. “After you. You’ve got that freaky good eyesight so you can lead the way. But don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”

Stardust remained silent for a time before slowly nodding and walked down the passageway, a more confident motion to his stride. Rainbow Dash followed after him, muttering how birds without flight were pathetic.

.o.O.o.

“And that makes ten!” Applejack declared as she placed the last of the martial arts ponies in a pile of groaning bodies. “Who says my brother got all the brains in the family?”

Off to the side, Spike willed his spear away with a puff of fire and dusted his claws. “That’s the second group of ponies that I’ve run into that have tried to rob me. What’s with you guys, anyway?”

“Now Spike, don’t let a few bad apples ruin the bushel for ya,” Applejack said. “Some ponies are the way they are and ain’t nothin’ going to change them.” She turned her gaze to the other pony in the cavern still conscious. “You okay over there, Twilight?”

The unicorn stood in a corner, her ears drooped as she swept her eyes over the ponies that had tried to subdue her. She closed her eyes and lowered her head as a soft sigh escaped past her lips. “I... I’m fine. I’m sorry I wasn’t much help.”

“Don’t say that Twilight,” Spike said. He came up to her and laid a claw on her back. “Your cure spell really helped keeping us going. You did great!”

Twilight managed a thin smile. “I suppose so.”

Applejack came up to her and offered her own hoof to Twilight’s backside. “You might still need some work on being a fighter, but you sure do know how to back us up. Especially since Stardust has all our healin’ stuff.” Her eyes widened in sudden realization. “Consarnit! I plum forgot all about him! And Dash!” Applejack rushed over to the hole in the floor that had claimed the pair and peered down. “Rainbow Dash! You okay down there? Dash? Stardust? Anypony?” The only answer she received was the returning echo of her voice.

“Anything?” Spike asked. He too looked down the hole but saw nothing but blackness. “Do we jump down?”

“Hold up. Twi, could you come over here for a sec?” Twilight trotted over, a curious expression on her muzzle. “Could you shine your horn down there? Maybe a little light will show them.”

The unicorn nodded and concentrated. Soon, a soft magenta glow surrounded her horn. Twilight bent down and held her head over the hole while Applejack and Spike looked down. Far below, a rocky floor could be seen but there was no sight of Stardust and Rainbow Dash.

“You don’t think they were captured, do you?” Spike asked.

Applejack shook her head. “Naw. Dash would never let that happen. I figure they found another way and are headin’ to the other side of the mountain. We better get goin’ too.”

“We’re not going to look for them?”

“Don’t you be worrying, now. My gut tells me they’re fine and we should get a move on.”

Twilight gave the farmer a quizzical look. “How can your intestines tell that?”

“... It’s just a figure of speech,” Applejack drawled.

A sudden shout from Spike startled the two ponies. They whirled around to face him, one ready to fight while the other readied to support. They blinked in unison as the young dragon held up the gem that had triggered the start of the ambush.

“Check this baby out!” Spike exclaimed. “I have to give it to those ponies. They have good tastes.”

Twilight came forward and inspected the gem that had Spike so excited. “I don’t get it. What’s so special about it? Is it valuable?”

“You bet it is! This is an peridot. I can use this to breathe air attacks instead of fire. And it’s delicious too!” He gazed at the gem lovingly for a moment longer before placing it away with a puff of fire. “I’ll save this guy for later.”

Applejack chuckled and headed towards the cavern leading deeper into the mountain. “Come on. If I know Dash, she’s already waiting for us on the other side.”

Twilight and Spike followed, the former puzzling over how one’s insides could know something so intangible and the mysterious properties of gems while the latter smirked at the unicorn’s cluelessness.

None of them saw the shadowy figures watching them from the cave entrance.

.o.O.o.

Stardust was quickly becoming Rainbow Dash’s new best friend... and the biggest pain in the flank she had ever met.

“I found another one!” Stardust cried and darted over to a cluster of rocks.

“Hold it, bud!” Rainbow warned her excitable friend. “It’s great and all that you want to find all this treasure, but remember what I told you.”

“Right, right,” Stardust replied. He backed off and let Rainbow Dash inspect his find: a few discarded gil lay in a pile behind the rocks. A quick glance revealed nothing suspicious so with a gesture of her hoof, Stardust quickly gathered them up.

“Jeez, and Applejack calls me impatient,” Rainbow muttered.

The two continued on, Stardust keeping his eyes peeled for anything shining while Rainbow Dash listened for anything that didn’t sound friendly. A few minutes later, a light from an opening in the mountain wall came into view.

“Oh, sweet!” Rainbow said. “A way out!” With a rush of displaced wind, Rainbow flew out the opening and drank in the sweet, open sky. “Ah, now that’s more like it.”

Stardust ran up besides her and breathed in the mountain air. He looked around, taking in the view offered from being so high up. Below them stretched a boxed-in valley with green plains and sparkling rivers. The setting sun cast the valley in a sheen of golden light. Even though he preferred the deep forests back home, Stardust had to admit that the sight was beautiful.

Movement from above caught his eye. He snapped his head up and spied something ducking behind a overhanging ledge. Rainbow took notice and followed his gaze. “What is it? Monsters?”

“I’m not sure,” Stardust replied. “It moved too quickly for me to get a good look.”

“I’ll check it out. Stay put.” Before the chocobo could protest, Rainbow Dash took off like an arrow. Seconds later she reached the ledge but spotted nothing out of the ordinary. A few quick laps around the area didn’t reveal anything either. She turned to head back down when something laying on the ground caught the few remaining rays of the sun. She flew over to it and picked it up with a hoof, revealing it to be a small gear. “Now where did you come from?”

Pocketing it for now, Rainbow dropped down to where Stardust was waiting for her. A look of relief passed over him briefly before firming up his features and giving Rainbow a flat stare. “What took ya?”

“Nice to see you too,” Rainbow shot back. She pulled out the gear and held it out before her. “This is all I found.”

Stardust stared at the gear for a moment. “What’s something like that doing here?”

“Good question, but let’s worry about that later. It’s getting dark and I want to be off this mountain before monsters start crawling all over this place.” She placed the gear in one of Stardust’s packs and headed for the cliff side. Peering down, there appeared to be no obvious hoofholds but she had a suspicion that it wouldn’t be a problem. “Can you make it down here?”

Stardust looked down himself and smirked. “No problem. In fact, I—”

A yelp of surprise burst past his beak as he slipped and tumbled down the mountain side. One bumpy and painful ride later, he landed in a heap on a ledge further down. Stardust groaned in pain and slowly began to twitch his appendages for anything broken.

“What’s with you and falling today?” came an amused voice above him.

“Bite me...”

“Sorry, but dirty silver feathers don’t look really tasty,” Rainbow chortled. She landed next to him and offered a hoof. “Need any help?”

“No,” Stardust said and attempted to lift himself back up. A sharp ache in his side stopped him and he fell back down. “Maybe...”

The pegasus smirked, braced herself beneath him and heaved. With her help, Stardust shakily made it to his talons, wobbling a bit before managing to straighten himself. “Thanks—OW!”

Rainbow looked up at him, a concerned look in her eyes. “What? What? Is something broken?”

Stardust didn’t answer. He lifted his left wing and reached under it with his head. He grasped hold of something and gave it a sharp tug, producing a comical pop. When he turned back, a golden bracer was held between his beak. He spit it onto the ground where the two looked at it in confusion.

“Must have gotten it stuck when I fell,” Stardust commented. “What is it?”

“Dunno,” Rainbow Dash replied and picked it up between her forehooves. The bracer was covered in dirt and grime, though Rainbow could tell there were some markings carved into it. She spit on a hoof and rubbed off as much filth as she could, revealing a carving of a pony holding up the world on its back. Coming to a quick decision, she slipped the bracer onto her right hoof. Immediately, a sense of strength coursed through her, like a jolt of lightning from a rain cloud. “Awww, yeah!” Rainbow cried and thrust the hoof wearing the bracer into the air.

“What? What is it?” Stardust asked, hopping up and down in excitement.

“This, my good pal, is a relic!” She suddenly shot into the air, performing an intricate series of loop-de-loops and mid-air tumbles. “This is so cool! I’ve only heard rumors of these things! Whoda thunk one was hiding away on this mountain all this time?!” She completed one final loop before landing back next to Stardust. “Thanks bud! I can’t wait to show this off to the others!”

“Um... you’re welcome? But, what’s a relic?”

“Oh, they’re these little doohickeys that were said to have been made during the war one thousand years ago. They’re supposed to grant totally radical powers when worn! I think this one makes me stronger. I guess we’ll find out soon enough!” Rainbow whirled, thrust her hoof in the air as though posing for an audience and said, “Now let’s find the others and get off this rock!

“Just don’t fall down again, okay? It’ll ruin the moment.”

Stardust slapped a wing to his face and groaned.

.o.O.o.

In a separate area of Mt. Colt, two mares and one dragon walked through the darkening tunnels of the mountain, the light from Twilight’s horn the only illumination available to them. Monsters were becoming more bold in their attacks with the oncoming night, making progress slow and dangerous. Yet, Applejack pressed them on, unwilling to find a place to stay for the night. The quicker they left the mountain, the safer they would be.

“C’mon, y'all,” Applejack said to bolster the others’ resolve. “Just a little longer now. I think we’re getting close to the end.”

“I hope so,” Spike grumbled. “We’ve been wandering around, like, forever!

“How you holding up, Twi?”

The unicorn didn’t immediately respond. Twilight continued to move forward, focusing on keeping her horn lit and placing one hoof in front of the other. Her breath came out in short, wheezing gasps. Her eyelids drooped occasionally, threatening to close completely, before she snapped them open again to stare at the path ahead.

“Twilight?”

“Huh? What?” Twilight asked, startled at hearing her name.

“I think we need to stop for a bit, Applejack,” Spike said. “I don’t think Twilight’s going to make it much farther.”

“No! No!” Twilight spoke up, straightening her posture and stepping with more energy. “I’m fine! I can keep going! I’m just... not used to all this *yawn* traveling.”

Applejack and Spike shared a look. Sighing, the farmer quickened her pace to catch up with Twilight. “Hon, I think it’s time for a re—”

“Look!” Twilight interrupted, pointing her hoof ahead of her. “Moonlight! Finally, a way out!”

Further ahead, silvery light could be seen spilling in from an opening. With a burst of speed, Twilight rushed ahead forcing Applejack and Spike to run to catch up. By the time they reached her, Twilight had stopped and was staring down at a small valley below them. The light seen from inside the mountain was not moonlight, but several spotlights shining down on what appeared to be a small camp. A tent was set up and surrounding it were several mechanical constructs in the shape of wolves, bears, and other animals, many of them seemingly incomplete from all the disconnected legs and heads strewn around them. Pieces of metal and parchment littered the ground giving the impression of a junkyard rather than a campsite.

“I don’t believe it,” Applejack said, barely above a whisper. She gave a loud neigh of delight and galloped down the slope leading to the camp yelling, “Big Mac!” over and over again. Once she reached the tent, she looked in expecting to find a red stallion but discovered that it was empty besides a few discarded cans of baked beans. By the time she pulled her head out of the tent flaps, Twilight and Spike had caught up to her. “He ain’t here...”

“Who, Applejack?” Twilight asked.

“My big brother. I thought for certain I’d find him here. Maybe he went off to find some food or sumthin’. Let’s wait awhile. He can’t be gone long. It’ll give you a chance to rest a bit, Twi.”

Twilight opened her mouth to argue that she wasn’t tired, only for a long, drawn out yawn to escape instead. “Ugh, maybe a quick nap wouldn’t hurt...”

“Right. I’ll take a look around for a bit and keep watch. You just take it easy, sugarcube.”

“Sure.” The unicorn entered the tent without any preamble, found a cot set on the ground and plopped down on it. She was asleep within seconds.

.o.O.o.

She awoke with a start. The sound of running machinery and yelling quickly brought her out of her drowsy state and she rushed out of the tent. Her jaw dropped at the scene that greeted her.

Applejack and Spike dodged, weaved and counterattacked against their assailants: two mechanical bears. The constructs were twice the height of a pony and both took advantage of their bulk to charge at Applejack and Spike in attempts to pin them down. Steam escaped from their metallic ears with each swipe of their razor sharp claws while their eyes, comprised of gleaming red gems, followed their prey’s every movement. Despite the size of the bears and the exposed network of complex gears whirring to move them, they moved deceptively fast, keeping Applejack and Spike from being able to form a strategy to effectively deal with them.

Twilight could only stare, rooted in place at such a sight. This type of situation was the last thing she expected to see and it left her mind empty of any way to deal with it. Her catatonic state finally ended at the sounds of laughter rising above the din of battle. She looked further up the hill that she had descended to reach the camp and spotted two yellow unicorns wearing striped blue and white vests and cackling with undisguised glee.

“Looks like our inventions are a success, right Flim?” the mustachioed one of the duo asked.

“That they are, Flam!” the other answered. “Looks like that donkey had a few good ideas after all.”

“Donkey?” Twilight repeated numbly.

Neither of them seemed to hear her, intent on watching their bears attack the invaders to their camp. Flam gave a loud cheer when the bear focused on Applejack managed to trip her up with a swipe of its claw, making the earth pony stumble and fall to the ground. The killer machine raised its paw and brought it down for a decisive blow.

“Applejack!” Twilight cried and rushed towards the battle, her horn aglow with magical power.

All at once, Applejack expertly flipped to her forehooves and kicked her hind legs up at the bear in a blur of movement. The speed and power of her hooves shattered the metallic paw in a shower of crumpled iron bits. With its balance disrupted from the failed attack, the bear continued to fall forwards and right into a final, powerful buck. With a shriek of torn metal, the head flew off the main body, arching through the air to land at the hooves of two very dumbstruck unicorns.

“Ha! Pummeled you but good!” Applejack crowed. Her good cheer ended when the headless mechanical bear suddenly lunged forward with its remaining paw, catching her completely off guard and slamming her into the ground. Applejack lay prone and unmoving, even as the damaged but still dangerous machine moved to deliver the final blow.

The sound of furiously beating wings filled the air, followed by a screech of metal striking against metal. The next moment, a cleanly severed paw fell to the ground, followed by a blue pegasus.

“By the sun, I’m awesome,” Rainbow Dash said through the dagger clenched in her teeth. “I leave you guys alone for just a little while and what do you do? You try to hog all the fun.” Behind her, she heard Stardust running up and tending to Applejack’s wounds, allowing Rainbow to concentrate on the amputated bear in front of her.

Without its limbs or head, the machine could only flail helplessly on the ground. Rainbow kept her distance regardless since one lucky roll could crush her under its weight. Just as she began to plan a avenue of attack, a stream of fire struck the remains of the bear, burning through the outside panels and melting its sensitive inner parts within seconds. The machine gave a few more twitches before finally remaining still.

Rainbow Dash looked over to the source of the blaze to see Twilight Sparkle’s horn dim as the unicorn herself let out a small sigh. “At least it wasn’t something living.” She turned to Rainbow and gave her a delighted smile. “Rainbow! I’m so glad you’re—”

A hurled dragon collided with Twilight, sending her and Spike into a heap of bodies in the middle of the campsite. Twilight and Spike groaned in pain and disorientation, with Spike slowly pointing a claw towards the other end of the camp. “I hate to... break up the... reunion, but there’s still one left!”

The other bear, seemingly unharmed with its fight with Spike, stomped towards the fallen pony and dragon.

“Kill them!” Flam roared from his position up the hill. “Make sure none of them get away!”

“Let’s hope it comes back in one piece, brother of mine,” Flim said. “The Empire won’t give us two slim gil if we don’t bring back a working prototype.”

“So that’s what you two dunderheads were up to.”

Flim and Flam jerked in surprise and slowly turned their heads to look behind them. A middle aged donkey stood before them with large backpack strapped to his back. He shook his head at the two, a frown of disappointment on his face. “I shoulda known you would sell me out. Should have kicked you to the curb the moment I saw you.”

“Cranky!” The twins exclaimed and held up their hooves. “We can explain!”

“I’m not interested in hearing your excuses. But, there is one thing I’d like you to do for me.”

“Anything! You just name it!”

Cranky Doodle Donkey lowered a black visor that had been perched on his head over his eyes. A compartment from his backpack opened and a steel rod with a light bulb attached at the end extended upwards. “Say cheese.” A flash brighter than the sun flared from the bulb, illuminating the entire valley as though it were daytime. Flim and Flam recoiled as though physically struck, screaming in pain as they held their hooves to their burning eyes. “Do it now, Big Mac!”

Within the camp, the remaining mechanical bear was busy trying to knock Rainbow Dash out of the sky with powerful swipes of its claws. The pegasus had quickly moved to engage it before it could attack her fallen companions and had settled into a game of keep away, waiting for her chance to strike back. Just a few more moves and...

A sound that could only be described as a drunken gigatoad trying to hit the high note of “Aria Di Mezzo Carattere” filled the area. Every being within a two mile radius cried out in anguish and covered their ears with whatever appendages were available to them. The robot bear itself wasn’t unaffected. It swayed from side to side as if intoxicated and its head twitched sporadically.

“Get down!”

Despite being half-deaf and feeling the insides of her head rattling like gil in a purse, Rainbow Dash heard the command and flattened herself to the ground. The moment she did, a stream of arrows shot out from across the valley and impacted the bear in multiple spots. The arrows slipped through openings all over the bear’s metal shell, hitting vital components and clogging up gears. The bear staggered as it tried to regain its balance, only for a second wave of arrows to strike it again. One of the darts dug deep within the construct, impacting against a large red gem located in the center of the beast and shattered it instantly. The mechanical ursa lurched one final time before collapsing to the ground.

Slowly, the group made their way to a standing position, groaning from the pains of battle—which now included headaches. It wasn’t until Applejack shook her head to clear it of any lingering grogginess that she noticed the new figure heading their way, a crossbow and speaker system strapped to his back.

“Big brother!”

That was the only warning before Applejack sprang forward and engulfed the large, red stallion in a hug. Her smile stretched from ear to ear and somehow grew larger when a hoof from the stallion reached around and returned the hug.

“Nice seeing ya again, AJ.”

The two remained that way for several moments and none present had the will to interrupt them. Finally, the two parted and looked over each other approvingly.

“You’ve gotten bigger, Big Macintosh.”

“Eeyup.”

Applejack inclined her head, showing off the Stetson adorning it.

Big Macintosh smirked. "Ya grew into it."

"I sure did."

A sniffle off to the side alerted them that they had an audience. Applejack turned and smirked as Rainbow Dash hastily rubbed at her eyes.

“I’m not crying! I’m not crying!”

Applejack fought hard to keep from laughing... for about two seconds.

Soon, everyone joined in, their pains and worries all washing away to enjoy the moment.

Their merriment came to an abrupt end from two angry voices.

“This isn’t the end, Big Mac!”

“We’ll be back!”

With that, Flim and Flam rushed off, stumbling over their hooves from being half-blind and in a hurry to get away.

Cranky briefly watched them go before shaking his head and heading towards the others. “Good for nothing slackers,” he grumbled. When he reached the group his eyes looked over Applejack and nodded his head. “Been a while since I’ve last seen you, lass. You’ve grown.”

“Shouldn’t we be after them?” Big Macintosh asked, tilting his head towards where Flim and Flam had run off to.

“Nah, let them go. They won’t be a problem for anypony anymore.”

“How so?” Rainbow Dash spoke up.

“Big Mac and I were looking for those jokers’ base. Now that we have we can destroy it and end their experiments. Speakin’ of which, we better get a move on.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh agreed.

“Can we help?” Applejack asked.

“Sure, kid,” Cranky said, placing down his pack and rummaging around until he pulled out a half-dozen metallic red cylinders. “Set these up over next to those generators then hide behind those rocks up there. Got it?”

“Yes sir!”

Within minutes, all the cylinders were in place and when the ponies, dragon, and chocobo were safe behind the boulders, Cranky attached a string connected to a plunger to each cylinder before hiding behind his own rock. With a cry of, “Fire in the hole!” he shoved the plunger down. A series of explosions rocked the camp, obliterating everything and sending shrapnel flying in every direction. The spotlights used to illuminate the area snuffed out, leaving the moon above the sole source of light. Once the rain of deadly projectiles stopped falling, everyone came out of the protective spots and gaped at the destruction. All that was left of the camp were a few pieces of twisted scrap metal and potholes with everything else having been blown to bits.

Spike whistled appreciatively. “Wow! What was that stuff you used?”

“Dynamite,” Cranky said as he started packing up his equipment. “Got a nice kick to it, don’t it?” He finished putting his things away and turned towards the group. “Gotta thank ya for helping with those two. I doubt we’ll be seeing those nincompoops anytime soon.

“If you’re headed to that Returners hideout, just follow the path over there and it’ll take you out of the mountain. Head north and you’ll be there in time for breakfast.”

Applejack tipped her hat to him. “Much obliged, Mr. Doodle.”

“Cranky’s fine.”

“Cranky then. Thanks for your help.” She looked up at Big Macintosh standing next to her, a longing in her eyes. “Big Mac. I’m so happy I could see you again and that you’re doin’ well. Didja find anything `bout our parents?”

Big Macintosh frowned and shook his head. “Nope.”

“Well, shoot. So, what are you gonna do now? It-it would be nice... if ya could... you know... come with us...”

The stallion blinked. “You... want me to come with you?”

“Yes!” Applejack reached up and grabbed Big Macintosh by the shoulders, staring him directly in the eyes. “Big Mac, we could really use your help. Fillygaro Orchard was just attacked by the Empire and... and I missed you...”

Big Macintosh gently lowered Applejack back to the ground and looked away. “Well, to be honest, I have been thinking of comin’ back, but...”

Cranky held up a hoof to forestall any further awkwardness. “Mac, you go on with them. There really isn’t anymore for me to teach you. Hay, the auto-crossbow and the noise blaster were your ideas to begin with. And you’ve been antsy these past few weeks which is very unlike you. There’s no sense in wasting time with an old fogey like me when you’ve got the know-how to make a difference.”

The stallion thought over Cranky’s words. Finally, he said all that he needed to say. “Eeyup.”

Cranky nodded and gave a small smile. “Now you kids get a move on. I’ve got to get back to Matilda before she gets all worried about me again.” With that, the donkey trudged up the path towards the nearest cave entrance.

“Wait!” Rainbow Dash called out to him. “Don’t you need help getting back?”

“Don’t worry, kiddo,” Cranky said. He tapped the pack strapped to his back. “I’ve got enough firepower stashed away here to blow a path straight to Fillygaro if I have to. Give those Impies a black eye for me, Mac!” A few steps more and he disappeared through the mountain entrance.

“Welp,” Applejack said at length. “I guess that’s that. C’mon y'all! Let’s say we get off this here mountain and get to that base!”

A chorus of eager agreements met that statement. Gathering their supplies, the ponies, dragon, and chocobo continued on with their journey.

.o.O.o.

“Okay, can we seriously stop to sleep yet?” Stardust asked, his head and wings drooping, his steps slow and heavy.

“But we’re only a few hours away! Besides, I’m not tired,” Twilight protested.

“Yeah, because you got to sleep for awhile, ‘member?” Applejack yawned, struggling to keep her eyes open. “Sides, not to pick on ya, but ya didn’t have to fight as long or hard as we did ‘cause of your magic.”

“All in favor of stopping to sleep?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Please!”

“Sure as sugar, Dashie.”

After a moment of silence, Twilight grinned, pointing out victoriously, “I guess we keep going then, since Big Mac and Spike didn’t say anything—”

*Snore*

Twilight stopped, looking at her back to see a sleeping reptile, somehow curled up. “... Traitor.”

“Great! Time to sleep,” Stardust moaned, collapsing on a nearby patch of grass, fluffing his feathers as he fell asleep.

“Mind taking watch, Big Mac?” Applejack pleaded.

“Nope.”

A tired smile found its way onto Applejack’s face as she hugged her brother goodnight with a simple, “Thanks.”

“Eeyup.”

The farm pony stepped away, offering a one last grateful smile, and trotted off to find a comfy spot to sleep. Big Macintosh watched her go until she had settled down, then turned to face the night and the creatures that lay within the darkness.

“Um, ah... mind if I... talk to you for a while?”

The stallion glanced down, seeing Twilight nervously paw at the ground while shooting him furtive glances.

“Nope.”

“Oh... good,” Twilight said, her face brightening. “I’m not that sleepy so I... wanted to ask you a few things.” She paused, as though waiting for a response. Several seconds passed. “So... those things you used back there. Are they your inventions?”

“Eeyup.”

“That’s nice! They really helped us out back there. Well, that noise machine really wasn’t very nice to listen to. Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to say it wasn’t helpful! It was!” She abruptly stopped herself and looked away. “…You’re not mad, are you?”

“Nope.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “Sorry. I just really thought those tools you have are really neat. Like that crossbow. I saw all those arrows stuck in that big bear thing when we were getting ready to blow the camp up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many fired before. Of course, I may have... but I may have forgotten it too...” She trailed off, frowning at remembering her faulty memory. A moment later she shook her head, banishing her gloomy thoughts. “Anyway, did that donkey teach you how to make those things?”

“Eeyup.”

“Have you made anything else?”

Big Macintosh didn’t answer, continuing his stoic gaze over the darkened fields. He stood stock still, with no hint of him readying an answer to Twilight’s question. The unicorn swallowed and lowered her head. “I’m annoying you, aren't I? Sorry... I... I’ll just get some rest.” She turned away from the stallion and headed towards where the others were laying.

“Wait.”

Twilight halted mid-step, glancing sidelong at Big Macintosh.

“Pardon me, miss. I’m not much for words. I was listening, swear I was.” He sighed and plucked a piece of grass from the ground and placed it between his teeth. The piece dangled from his mouth as he chewed on it absently. Despite the oddity, Twilight found that the action seemed to suit him. “If ya want, I’d like to ask you a few things, myself.”

“Really?” Twilight said. She sat back down besides him and gave him searching look. “You want to ask me stuff?”

“Sure do. You mind?”

“N-no! Please! Ask away!”

“Well, I was a might curious how you got those flames to shoot out like ya did. Never seen anythin’ like it. How’d you do it? Gasoline and a nozzle?”

Twilight giggled softly. “Oh, no. Nothing like that. It’s just magic.”

Big Macintosh scrunched up his features. “Don’t recall seein’ any unicorn do that type of magic.”

“Well, I’m not sure how to explain it. I can just... do it. Like this.” Twilight held out a hoof and quickly chanted a few words that Big Macintosh didn’t recognize. Her horn glowed red for a second before a small flicker of flame appeared on the tip of Twilight’s outstretched hoof. “See? No tools necessary.”

“By crickety...” Big Macintosh breathed out. He reached for the flame with a hoof but quickly drew it back when the heat became too much. “That’s some weird hocus-pocus right there. Huh. Wonder if’in I could pull somethin’ together to match it.”

“Maybe,” Twilight replied and extinguished the flame. “I’m sure you could figure something out.”

“Have to think about it for a time.” Big Macintosh smiled as the possibilities ran through his head. It would require further thinking but for now he resumed his vigil. “Thanks for showing me, Miss Twilight. You’re somethin’ special indeed.”

Twilight thanked her lucky stars that the darkness of the night hid the blush forming on her muzzle. “Th-thank you.”

The pair fell into a companionable silence, with only the night bugs and cries of distant animals interrupting the tranquil quiet. A few minutes passed before Big Macintosh checked on his companion and smirked to find Twilight soundly asleep next to him. He carefully readjusted her cape over her exposed body, accidentally pulling too much and revealing her flank. He made to fix the position but stopped at seeing a starburst pattern adorning Twilight’s rump. He raised an eyebrow at the sight, but shrugged and covered it up.

“Hafta ask about that later,” he reasoned. With a few more things to ponder, he continued his nightlong watch.

.o.O.o.

The sun rose into the eastern sky and its light shone down the group of determined travelers making their way through the valley beyond Mt. Colt. The night’s sleep had done them all good, and the beautiful scenery of rolling plains and sparkling rivers kept their spirits high. Monsters steered clear of a such a large party of adventurers and those that mustered the courage to attack them were quickly taken down thanks to Big Macintosh’s machinery.

Apparently, as long as they stood behind the stallion’s noise blaster, then their heads remained pleasantly unscrambled.

An hour past sunrise, the party finally came upon a lake with a grand waterfall pouring into it. Rainbow Dash trotted ahead and prepared her wings for takeoff. “You guys stay here for bit. I’ll be right back.” Before the others could ask what she was talking about, the pegasus flew straight for the waterfall and dove through the cascading water. Several minutes passed. Then, from out behind the waterfall, a pair of pegasi flew out and headed for them. The pair stopped just before Applejack and saluted.

“Applejack. We’re glad that you could make it. Welcome to the Returners’ hideout.”

In Which A Decision is Made

“Sorry about the mess,” said the Returner pegasus. “Please, watch your step.”

The inside of the Returners’ hideout buzzed with activity as the ponies from Fillygaro were led through the well-lit caves. Ponies of every race, shape and color moved from one place to another, many carrying crates on their backs or issuing instructions. Even a few chocobos passed by, hauling heavier equipment to other parts of the base. All of them wore brown vests and leather hats, the outfits unifying the two groups of species.

“As you can see, things are pretty busy around here,” the Returner continued. “We might not have done much yet but we’re getting ready to make our move soon.”

“Move?” Twilight asked.

“Against the Empire. War’s coming and we need to act soon so that we can fight back.”

“Oh.” Twilight looked away, her shoulders drooping.

Applejack trotted up and gave the unicorn a nuzzle. “Something the matter, Twi?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

Applejack didn’t look convinced but didn’t press the issue. They traveled on in silence for another minute until the Returner led them to a room larger than any other they had passed through. In the center of the spacious cavern was a rectangular wooden table, long enough for a dozen ponies to stand around it. The Returner led them past it, to a set of stairs leading to a wooden door.

“Mayor Mare is there, in her office,” The Returner said, nodding towards the door. “She’s expecting you.” He stepped aside, allowing the party to shuffle up the stairs and through the door.

On the other side was another cavern, though smaller than the last room. A desk and a few chairs were set up to allow guests with two bookshelves pressed up against the cave wall next to the desk. In front of the desk stood Rainbow Dash, talking with a tan earth pony with a grey mane and wearing red-rimmed glasses sitting on the other side.

“Mayor Mare!” Applejack called out. “We’re here!”

“Applejack!” Mayor Mare said back. “I’m so glad you made it here safely. Rainbow here was just telling me about how much trouble you had just getting here.”

“Yeah, we ran into some bad sorts but nothin’ me and the others here couldn’t handle.”

“Impressive, I must say.” Mayor Mare’s gaze traveled over the gathered group before resting on Twilight. “Is that...”

Twilight stepped back from the intense stare the older pony gave her. It felt as though Mayor Mare could look right through her and see her inner thoughts. “Um... hi.”

“Mayor, this here’s Twilight Sparkle,” Applejack said. “She’s the one that can talk to espers.”

“Among other things,” Mayor Mare muttered. She stepped around her desk and came to stand before the nervous unicorn. “Our sources were able to intercept an Imperial carrier pigeon. It said that this single pony was able to fry fifty of the Empire’s soldiers in three minutes.”

“That’s a lie!”

Mayor Mare fell back from Twilight’s sudden outburst. Twilight bared her teeth and her horn glowed red, before a claw and hoof settled on her withers.

“Easy, Twilight,” Spike said, patting her on the back. “It’s okay.”

“We know it wasn’t yer fault,” Applejack added, offering her own hoof. “You were under their control but it’s over now. We’re all friends here.” The magic gathered around Twilight’s horn remained steady, until, gradually, the glow faded, leaving Twilight to look away to hide the tears forming in her eyes. The farmer gave one final pat and turned back to a shaken Mayor Mare. “Mayor, she doesn’t remember much, and what she does, she doesn’t like. So please, give her some slack.”

Mayor Mare eyed Twilight cautiously, slowly regaining her composure, before firming her features and walking back towards the unicorn with a calculated look. “I apologize. It was not my intent to bring up unpleasant memories; only to point out to the others just what we’re dealing with.”

“I trust her, Mayor,” Applejack stated.

“So do I.” Rainbow Dash rounded Mayor Mare to stand next to Twilight, her stance firm. “She may not look like much but she’s got it where it counts.”

Mayor Mare’s eyes traveled from one pony to the next, meeting each of their gazes. She finally gave a nod of the head. “It seems you’ve managed to make some good friends in so short a time. That’s good. It will make helping us easier on you.”

Twilight’s head shot up, her eyes widening. “Wha-what?!”

“What? Why are you surprised? That’s why you came here, right?”

“I... I, um, well... I’m not sure.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean? You defected from the Empire, correct? What other choice is there but to join us?”

Twilight looked away with a heavy expression. “I... don’t want to fight.”

All the sound in the room vanished, save for the light breathing coming from everyone around her. The oppressive silence did nothing for Twilight’s frayed nerves. However, she forced through her next words. “Fighting... is the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t want to be a part of that. I don’t want to hurt anypony. I don’t want to kill anypony. Please, don’t force me to.”

Mayor Mare remained silent, letting Twilight’s words sink in. At last, she sighed and said, “It’s a shame you feel that way. Though, I suppose I can respect that. War is... well, it’s war. And we’re in for a doozy of one.

“Still, if there’s anything you can do to help us, anything at all, then I please ask that you do so. The sooner the Empire is stopped, the fewer others have to die.”

Mayor Mare turned and trotted back to her desk and to the pile of reports that awaited her. “Think it over. You all look as though you could use some rest. There will be a meeting later today so please take some time to relax. We’ll discuss things further then.”

“Much obliged, Mayor,” Applejack said, tilting her hat towards the Returner leader. “C’mon, y'all. Let’s get some grub and rest up.” She herded the group out the door, leaving Mayor Mare alone with her work.

Once all the ponies and chocobo were gone, Mayor Mare took off her glasses and sighed. “I hope you come to the right decision, Twilight Sparkle. You may be our only hope.”

o.O.o.

Fire burned everywhere. Houses. Trees.

Even ponies.

The air all around crackled and stung with flame and smoke. The streets were littered with debris and bodies, most of them slowly being burned away.

There was nowhere to run. There was nowhere to hide.

A pair of unicorns riding atop magitek armor stepped over the wreckage, searching for any stragglers trying to escape the blaze. One of them pivoted their machine towards their partner.

“Check down this block. Look for any citizens and order them to head to the detention camp. If any give you trouble, you have authorization to eliminate them. Move out.”

Without a word, the second unicorn piloted her magitek armor down the street the first one had indicated. Only a few steps had been taken when she heard the first unicorn say, “Just a soulless machine. A tool to be used until it is no longer needed. Nothing more.” The first unicorn paused while her machine lurched into action, lumbering down her own designated street. “Better her than me.”

o.O.o.

Twilight awoke with a start, nearly falling out of the bed in which she lay. Her coat was covered in sweat and her breathing came in short, harsh gasps. She whipped her head from side to side as though expecting monsters to step out of the shadows and attack her. When nothing like that happened for several seconds, Twilight managed to calm down. She took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out slowly.

“Oh please let that be a bad dream,” Twilight whispered within the darkness of her room. “Please, oh please...”

The unicorn remained still for a few more minutes, taking her time to relax and allow the memories from the dream to fade away. Giving one final sigh, Twilight climbed out of bed and levitated her cloak hanging from a nearby chair. She donned it and trotted for the door. Sleep wouldn’t be coming back for her so it was time to walk around and think of what to do next.

The moment Twilight stepped out of her room, a cascade of movement and noise reached her ears. Ponies and chocobos everywhere were walking past, talking in groups or checking equipment. If anything, the caves of the Returners’ hideout were busier than when she had fallen asleep.

“Hey! You’re up!”

No sooner had Twilight turned her head at the familiar voice than Rainbow Dash rushed up to her with a large grin on her muzzle.

“So sleepyhead, did you make up your mind and decide to hook up with us? Huh? Huh? Huh?”

Twilight pulled away from the eager pegasus with a sheepish smile. “Um, sorry. Not yet. I’m still thinking it over.”

“What’s there to think about?” Rainbow asked, her grin quickly reversing into a frown. “You don’t want there to be any more fighting and the best way is to join us so that we can stop it.”

“Yes, but... isn’t there another way? Do we have to fight? Can’t Mayor Mare talk to the Empire?”

Rainbow covered her muzzle with a hoof and groaned into it. “Twi, don’t you think Mayor would have tried that if it would work? Let me tell ya, it won’t work. The Empire is only interested in taking over the world.” Rainbow’s eyes narrowed and lost focus, as though reliving a memory that brought back only pain. “And they don’t care who they have to hurt to do it. Talking to them will only give them the chance to blast us with their freaky magic.” Her eyes suddenly widened and she waved her hooves frantically. “Not that you’re a freak! I like you! You’re cool!”

“... Thanks... I guess,” Twilight responded. She turned and began walking down the cavern. “There’s got to be another way, Rainbow. I... I’ve got to think about it some more.”

“Don’t think too hard!” Rainbow Dash called after her.

Alone once again, besides the constant traffic of Returners around her, Twilight tried to concentrate on the matter at hoof. There had to be a way for her to help without hurting anypony else, there just had to be. A whimper escaped Twilight’s mouth as nothing came to mind and there wasn’t much time left to think about it. Mayor Mare needed an answer: an answer she wasn’t sure she could give.

Rounding a corner, Twilight caught sight of Spike and Big Macintosh fussing over something over a wooden table. Curious, Twilight headed over to them. “What are you two up to?”

“Hey, Twilight!” Spike greeted excitedly. “Look what Big Mac made for me. Check it out!” He pointed a claw at a spear laying on the table where Big Macintosh was currently tightening a bolt on it with a wrench in his teeth. The spear was not the simple piece of carved bone like his last one, but a metal lance. The point was much larger with bladed ends on each side, forming a partisan. The shaft of the lance appeared much sturdier with grips sized to fit Spike’s claws. “This baby is going to really come in handy. I can’t wait to try it out!”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh said through his wrench.

Twilight watched Big Macintosh work. It was clear the red stallion loved to tinker with machines given the content expression on his face. A fine profession to get into for the benefit of ponykind.

If only he weren’t working on a weapon.

Twilight bit her lower lip before hesitantly saying, “Um... Big Macintosh? Are... are you going to join the Returners?”

“Eeyup.”

“Why?”

With one final tug, Big Macintosh finished tightening the bolt and pushed the finished spear over to Spike. The dragon eagerly grabbed it. “Thanks! I’m going to go practice with it right now!” With his new acquisition in claw, Spike ran off to find a training area.

“Just seemed like the right thing to do,” Big Macintosh said as he began putting away his tools. “I want to see them stopped just as much as these ponies do. Reckon I can put my talents to good use here.”

“But... aren’t you afraid one of your inventions will... hurt somepony?” Twilight asked.

Big Macintosh paused in his cleanup and sighed. “Eeyup. I try not to think about it too much. But sometimes protectin’ what matters to us means having to hurt others. An’ right now, keepin’ Fillygaro safe is what matters to me.”

Twilight shook her head, huffing in frustration. “I don’t have anything like that. Even with Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Spike, I don’t think I could force myself to fight for their sake.”

The stallion shrugged and finished cleaning up his work area. “You’re a nice mare, Miss Sparkle. I suppose this type of place isn’t for you.” Big Macintosh shifted his tool case to his back and began walking away. “Iffin you decide not to join, I wouldn’t hold it against ya. Good luck, Miss Sparkle.”

She watched him go, frowning at not receiving the answer she sought. This whole situation was like nothing Twilight had ever experienced before. Perhaps remaining under the Empire’s control, where all her decisions were made for her, would have made an easier life.

Twilight ruthlessly banished that thought from her head. That was no way to think. Escaping from the Empire had opened a whole new world for her and she would face it, no matter what choices she needed to make. She just hoped she made the right one.

With nopony to talk to, Twilight headed back to her room. This walk was supposed to clear her mind and make it easier for her to come up with the right decision, but now she felt more conflicted than ever. Everyone around her was sure they were doing the right thing by fighting the Empire and even had good reasons for doing it. But herself? What would she be fighting for? Her mind heavy, she finally reached her room and pushed open the door.

And nearly ran headlong into Applejack.

“Oh! Sorry there, sugarcube!” Applejack said, stepping aside to let a bewildered Twilight enter. “I was coming to check up on ya but you weren’t around. I was just about to head out to look for ya. Good timin’ I guess.” She blinked at the downcast expression Twilight wore and asked, “You alright, hon?”

Twilight shook her head. It felt like she had been doing that a lot lately. “I don’t know what to do, Applejack. Everyone here wants to fight the Empire but I can’t bring myself to do it.”

“Uh, why don’t you get payback for controllin’ you the way they were? Seems a good enough reason to me.”

“But that’s just it!” Twilight exclaimed, making Applejack step back. “I barely remember any of that! It’s like it happened to a completely different pony and I’m just seeing it through their eyes. I know what they did was bad but I just don’t feel... anything about it.

“How can I fight when my heart isn’t into it?”

Applejack remained silent, trying to come up with the words that would help the unicorn through her dilemma. At last she said, “I don’t know, Twi. I’m not sure what I can say that can help you. And I don’t want to force you to make a choice you’d regret. That’d make me no better than the Empire.”

“I feel so helpless,” Twilight said, sinking to the floor and letting out a long breath. A moment later she felt a hoof on her back and she looked up to see Applejack smiling down at her.

“Twi, it’s okay to feel that way. I’ve felt the same tryin’ to keep Fillygaro runnin’ for as long as I have while also working to keep the Empire out. Just keep sayin’ to yerself that things will get better and one day they will. And don’t go thinkin’ that you’re alone. You’ve got me, Dashie and Spike ta help ya when you need it. Okay?”

Before Twilight could respond, a knock came at the door. A pony Returner opened it and poked his head in. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but Mayor Mare wanted to see the unicorn.”

Twilight sighed and heaved herself back to her hooves. She gave a grateful smile to Applejack and followed after the retreating Returner.

“Good luck, Twilight!” Applejack called to her. “Chin up!”

“Right,” Twilight muttered.

She remained quiet for the rest of the trip to Mayor Mare’s office. Once there, the Returner ushered her inside before leaving to attend to another duty. Mayor Mare was right where Twilight had last seen her, sitting at her desk and pouring over documents. “You wanted to see me?”

The earth pony looked up from her work and regarded Twilight for a few moments. Twilight fidgeted, growing uncomfortable with being stared at in such a way. “Yes, I wanted to show you something,” Mayor Mare said at last. She motioned for Twilight to come closer and pushed a brown and crinkled piece of parchment towards her. “Read that and tell me what you think of it.”

Twilight eyed Mayor Mare dubiously for a second, shrugged and looked over the parchment. It looked old, with ripped edges and smudged ink throughout the writing, obscuring some of the words. One side of the paper appeared to have been torn out of a book judging from the frayed edge. Twilight worried that just breathing on it would disintegrate it. Carefully, she leaned over the parchment and scanned through the words.

... periment was a succe... Master will be pleased with... can’t wait... show him. A few more te... will have... for the war. Our for... enemies’ best efforts. As long as the wielder... rd will be without... port more as I continue...

~... over... er~

Twilight looked up once she had finished. “It looks like some kind of research report. When is it from?”

“Well, we don’t have anypony that specializes in dating things like that,” Mayor Mare began, “but our best guess is sometime during the War of the Magi.”

Twilight cocked her head. “War... of the Magi?”

“Yes, a terrible war that happened a thousand years ago. Not much is known about it and what we do know comes from documents like that. Just about anything from that time has been lost or destroyed. I’m not even sure who wrote that paper.”

“Why did you show it to me?”

“I have a few more pieces like that which talk about espers. I was hoping that you might have some insight on them.”

“Really?!” Twilight squeed, her eyes sparkling in anticipation. “Can I see them?”

“No.”

The unicorn blinked and her ears laid back. “Um... why?”

“Because they are very sensitive and contain valuable information that can’t be shared with anypony that isn’t a Returner.”

“Oh. I see.” Twilight stepped away from the desk and closed her eyes.

“I’m sorry to do this to you, Twilight Sparkle, but I can’t risk these secrets getting into the Empire’s hooves. I showed you that one in good faith. To see the others, I’ll need you to swear allegiance to us.”

The unicorn scuffed her hoof against the ground and opened her eyes. A forlorn look crossed her features as she gazed at the sheet of paper from a time long gone by and the promise of more. Answers that she desperately wanted could be found in the files that Mayor Mare possessed, information that could shed light on why she had the powers that she did.

All she had to do was say—

“I... can’t.”

Twilight lowered her head, unwilling to see the Returner leader’s reaction. When she didn’t hear anything for a full minute, Twilight dared to glance up. Mayor Mare remained as Twilight last saw her, with her head resting on crossed forelegs. She just stared back at Twilight, her expression betraying nothing of what was going on in her mind.

Mayor Mare reached up and removed her glasses and sighed. “You’re sure about this?”

Twilight looked away again. She slowly nodded.

“I see. This is... disappointing. But I will respect your decision. I need to head to my meeting but once it’s over, we’ll see to getting you moved someplace safe. If you’ll excuse me.” Mayor Mare placed her glasses back on and gathered up some papers on her desk. She then headed for the door, not once looking Twilight’s way.

“Wait.”

Mayor Mare stopped. She tilted her head towards the unicorn and waited.

“There’s... something I could help you with. But once that’s done that’s it. I’m only offering because I’m curious myself.”

“What are you getting at?” Mayor Mare asked, some irritation creeping into her voice.

“The esper in Neighshe. I want to try to talk to it again. It may tell me something about myself. Once I’ve woken it up I’ll ask it to help you. Is that okay?”

Mayor Mare faced Twilight fully and gave a grateful smile. “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. That would help us tremendously.” She gestured towards the door with a hoof. “Why don’t you join us? I’d like to tell everyone the news.”

“Okay.”

Both ponies exited the office and into the main conference room. The room was already filled to capacity with ponies and chocobos talking excitedly with each other and milling about. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Spike and Big Macintosh all stood together on one side of the conference table, their expressions ranging from bored to expectant. Twilight caught sight of Stardust conversing with a few chocobos in the back though she couldn’t tell what they were talking about. Mayor Mare reached the end of the table and cleared her throat.

“Everyone? Can I have your attention? I’d like to get this meeting started.” The gathered Returners gradually quieted down and waited expectantly. “Good. Now, before I begin, let me thank our new members for joining our cause. We are all grateful for your help. I’d also like to thank Twilight Sparkle for agreeing to help us in some capacity. But!” Mayor Mare held up a hoof, interrupting the questions she could see some of her members were ready to ask. “We’ll get to that later. First, I’d like to present our latest findings in the Empire’s magitek power. Raindrops? If you please.”

Mayor Mare stepped aside to allow a yellow coated pegasus with a green mane to take her place. “Ahem. Thanks to the efforts of some of our undercover agents—”

“Which is just me!” Rainbow Dash yelled out.

“And if you’d be less picky about who we recruit, you wouldn’t be the only one!”

“Hey, this job is only for the best. And we all know—”

“Ladies!” Mayor Mare interrupted the bickering. “If you would be so kind as to stay on topic.”

“Sorry,” Raindrops muttered and forced herself to look away from Rainbow Dash. “Anyway, we’ve found that some of the greatest and brightest minds in the world are being forced by the Empire to study espers. And we all know that the Empire is very interested in getting the esper found in Neighshe. Given this, I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to believe that espers and magitek are somehow connected.”

“Indeed,” Mayor Mare said, reclaiming her spot at the table. “And from the artifacts and documents that we ourselves have been able to find, it’s looking more and more clear that the Empire is on the cusp of restarting the War of the Magi.”

Shocked looks and disbelieving conversations immediately broke out.

“This is insane!”

“You can’t be serious.”

“The war that nearly destroyed us all...”

“Would the Empire really go that far?”

Mayor Mare rapped her hoof smartly against the table. “Everyone! Everyone! Settle down. I know this is not easy to hear, but that’s what we need to deal with.

“Unfortunately, if this is all true and the Empire has access to espers to create their weapons, then that means the only way to stop them is to create our own magitek weapons. This means we need to find our own esper.” The Returner leader pointed at the pony that had remained silent besides her. “This is where Twilight Sparkle comes in. She has agreed to talk with the esper in Neighshe and try to convince it to help us. Once we have that esper on our side, we stand a chance of stopping this war before it can begin.”

“Alright, Twi!” Rainbow Dash cheered, thrusting a hoof into the air. “I knew you wouldn’t let us down!” Twilight sheepishly smiled back at the pegasus.

Applejack raised a hoof and spoke up, “Do ya think that’s a good idea to wake that thing up? Who knows what it will do when it does.”

“I understand, Applejack,” Mayor Mare said. “We’re dealing with forces that nopony has dealt with for hundreds of years. But I think with Twilight’s help, we’ll be able to get this to work. Now, I’d like to next speak abou—”

*CRASH*

All heads turned towards the noise of falling equipment coming from a tunnel connected to the conference room. Two Returners rushed out with weapons drawn while three others surrounded the entrance, ready to defend against any hostile threats that came through. Others in the room also prepared themselves, ushering anyone unfit for battle towards the back. Moments later, the two Returners came back carrying a pony on their backs.

“Ma’am!” one of them called out. “Urgent news! You need to hear this!”

Mayor Mare made her way through the crowd, coming before the pony that the others had brought in. The pony wore the standard Returner garb but what drew her attention were the deep gashes spread across the pony’s body, each dripping blood onto the floor. One eye was completely swollen over and his breath came in short gasps.

“Mayor...” the dying pony struggled to say. “Report... from South Fillygaro. The Empire... took it... Coming this way...” The pony coughed, spitting up blood, and took his last breath.

Mayor Mare dipped her head and gave a moment of silence for her fallen comrade. She looked to the two that had carried him and said, “See to it he receives a proper burial.” She turned to the rest of the Returners. “We’ve been found out! We haven’t a moment to lose! Everyone, gather what you can and destroy the rest. Head to Neighshe through the Lete River. Move!

“Rainbow Dash!”

In a blur of prismatic color, Rainbow Dash appeared before Mayor Mare and saluted smartly. “Yes, ma’am!”

“I need you to run interference. Go back to South Fillygaro and do what you can to slow the Empire down. Anything you can do so that we have more time to get away may make the difference. You up for it?”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Is a raincloud wet? I’m on it!” No sooner had the words left her mouth that Rainbow Dash streaked out of the cave, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake.

“Everyone else, to the rafts!”

o.O.o.

“Are you sure there’s no other way?” Twilight Sparkle asked, casting nervous glances at the rushing water crashing against the raft all around her. She stood in the very center of the wooden raft with Applejack and Big Macintosh piloting it with long sticks on either side. The flow of the river was very strong, pushing the raft at speeds Twilight would have prefered not to experience. High craggy cliffs, slowly cut over centuries by the same water that passed under her, boxed in the river leaving only a thin strip of sky visible. “Like... mountains? I handled the last mountain pretty well.”

“There are a few paths that lead through the mountains towards Neighshe,” Mayor Mare explained, standing next to Twilight. “But those paths have become unusable through plant overgrowth and landslides. Only chocobos can make it through now.”

“So that’s why you sent the chocobos that way and not with us?” Twilight looked further down the river. Ahead of her, four other rafts carrying Returners were navigating the rapids. None of them carried any chocobos.

“One reason, anyway. Mostly because chocobos don’t take well to rivers like these. At least, not the ones I’ve met.”

“I see.” Twilight cast a quick glance behind her and to the empty spot on her back where Spike normally sat. The dragon had decided to travel with Stardust and the other chocobos rather than brave the rapids. Something about how fire breathing dragons and water just didn’t mix. Even though she had only known Spike for a short time, she had grown accustomed to him riding her and already missed his presence.

“Don’t worry,” Mayor Mare said and patted Twilight’s back. “We’ve navigated these waters several times for just such an emergency. Really, the only thing we have to worry about are—”

“Monsters!”

The cry came from one of the rafts further down. A green octopus with a grey carapace attached to its back clung to the side, swiping its tentacles at any pony nearby. On the opposite end, a red crab-like creature clawed aboard and attacked with its pincers.

“We have to help them!” Twilight cried. Her horn glowed red and she reared up to fling her spell. She nearly choked on her building chant when Mayor Mare rushed in front of her.

“Easy there, Twilight Sparkle!” the earth pony said, waving her forehooves in a placating manner. “No need to get so worked up! My members are plenty capable of handling a few monsters on their own. See?”

Twilight followed Mayor Mare’s hoof pointing towards the growing scuffle. The Returner ponies were already bucking the crab over the side and back into the river. Another sliced off two tentacles from the flailing octopus with a sword before stabbing forward and impaling the monster in its soft flesh between its shell. The octopus gave one last shudder and collapsed on the raft. One shove from the pony later and the dead monster slid into the rushing waters.

“See? Nothing to get yourself worked over.”

“Incoming!”

The warning cry came from Applejack, a moment before she tackled Mayor Mare away from sharp claws descending from above. An ear piercing shriek followed as a blue reptilian creature with large leathery wings flew past. The pterodactyl-like creature dove into the water and came back out moments later carrying the carcass of the slain octopus. The monster rose into the air and flew off with its new meal.

“Landsakes, this here river is more crowded than a Apple family reunion,” Applejack stated.

“Just keep an eye out,” Mayor Mare said, running a hoof through her frazzled mane. “Just a little longer and we’ll be there.”

“Is that a turn comin’ up ahead?” Applejack pointed down the river where a fork in the flow was quickly approaching.

“Yes, we need to take the left river. You and Big Macintosh get ready—”

“By the sun, what is that?!”

A Returner on the first raft pointed towards the right fork in the river. A long, snake-like shadow swam against the current, heading straight for the rafts. The ponies gathered their weapons and prepared to strike. They didn’t have to wait long as the figure beneath the water burst out, towering above them by more than six ponies in height.

“OHHHH! This place is marvelous! The flow against my scales, the delicious cuisine and the fabulous weather! It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. I am soooooooo going to love it here!”

The ponies gave a collective blink and their jaws dropped at the sight of a purple sea serpent with exquisite orange hair and a fashionable mustache preening before them. The sea serpent continued to gush about how wonderful the river was and how much fun it was going to be to spruce the place up.

“Kill it!”

The sudden yell from one of the Returners shocked the ponies back into action. The Lete River’s unrelenting flow carried them closer allowing one Returner to throw a knife at the sea serpent’s head. The knife’s blade glittered in the sun, catching the sea serpent’s attention. His movement brought his head in-line with the whirling blade.

*SLICE*

“Nnnnnoooooooooo!”

Time seemed to slow down as everypony watched as half of the orange-haired mustache floated through the air. It drifted elegantly and forlornly, like a severed flag from a parapet. Then, time sped up again as the severed mustache touched the water and was washed away.

“Oh, you brute!” the sea serpent wailed. “Why would you do such a thing?! My beautiful mustache!” The sea serpent made to lunge at the raft that carried the pony that had ruined his perfectly coiffed hair but the raft had already passed by him and floated down the left fork. “Come back here and answer for what you’ve done!” The sea serpent lashed his tail, creating a wave that washed over the remaining Returners, soaking them completely. The sea serpent continued to flail and cry, bemoaning the horrid world that would cause such a disaster against fabulosity, and churned up the waters of the river to dangerous levels. Such was the force of his rampaging that the remaining rafts were pushed back and unable to drift by.

“We gotta calm that bucking bronco down!” Applejack yelled above the din of crashing water. “Or he’s going to flip us over and into the water! Big Mac, can you get a shot off?”

“EENOPE!” the red stallion blurted out. Big Macintosh was having trouble staying upright against the rocking raft, much less unhooking his auto crossbow and trying to shoot with it.

A wave knocked against the raft, sending Twilight barreling into Applejack. The earth pony grunted, heaved the two back towards the center, and kept a firm grip against the unicorn. “Twi! I’ve got an idea but you’ve got to trust me! Alright?”

“Okay!” Twilight answered back, clinging to Applejack desperately. “Just make this stop!”

“Fire your magic at his other whisker! Now!”

With a thought, Twilight charged up her horn and fired off a stream of flame towards the upset sea serpent. The fire struck true, searing off the other mustache and leaving only a burnt tuft of hair left.

“You did it again!” the sea serpent cried and wept at the injustice of it all.

“Now hold on there, partner!” Applejack shouted to him, gaining his attention. “I was jest helpin’ ya, ya hear? Now both sides are even so it don’t look so bad. It’ll even out when it grows back. Promise!” The sea serpent stared at her, too stunned to move. The river calmed down and the rafts floated by him and towards the left fork.

Suddenly, the sea serpent reached forward and grabbed Applejack up with a claw. “Oh, you think you’re so smart, huh? Well, what do you think of this?!” With a mighty throw, the sea serpent chucked the farm pony down the right fork where she washed away and out of sight within seconds.

“APPLEJACK!”

The sounds of Twilight Sparkle, Big Macintosh and Mayor Mare’s cries drowned out as their raft continued on in the other direction.

Now alone, the sea serpent huffed and fingered what remained of his mustache between two talons. “Oh, what a world. And this place came so highly recommended. I suppose I’ll try warmer waters next.” Wiping the tears from his eyes at the loss of such wondrous hair, the sea serpent dove under the water and swam away.

.o.O.o.

Spike walked in from the side of a black screen. He stops and faced towards the screen, waving happily.

“Hello, everypony out there! Are you enjoying the story? Yes? Good! Because now is the time to make a choice for our heroes. Twilight Sparkle, Big Macintosh and Mayor Mare continue their journey to Neighshe, but will they be able to arrive in time to convince the town to help them in their fight against the Empire? And what has become of Rainbow Dash, who was sent to infiltrate South Fillygaro? Not to mention Applejack, having been separated from the others and is now adrift on the Lete River.

“It’s up to you to decide! Make a choice and leave it in the comments below. I’ll tally up the votes and the scenario that gets the most at the end of two weeks will be the one that will be shown next! Hope to see you next time!”

“WAIT!”

Spike started as Stardust rushed in from the other side of the screen. He took a moment to catch his breath and faced the screen.

“Wait, what about us? We have a epic journey of our own! We gotta go through some treacherous mountains while the others go on a pleasure cruise!”

“I hardly think being attacked by a fruity sea serpent counts as a cruise...” Spike drawled.

“Doesn’t matter! The point is that we have our own scenario and it needs to be shown! So vote for us too! C’mon, everypony loves OC chocobos, right?”

“Fine,” Spike relented and faces the screen. “Us too, apparently. So make your choice and see you next time on Filly Fantasy VI! Bye!”

“Bye!”

In Which There's a Prison With No Walls

In a blur of multicolored motion, Rainbow Dash zipped behind a building and pressed herself against a wooden wall. The sound of approaching hoofsteps grew closer and sweat began to bead upon her forehead. In another burst of speed, the pegasus flew up and onto the roof. A lucky break presented itself for her in the form of a window with an overhang. She dove underneath it and held her breath. A second later, an Imperial soldier rounded the corner Rainbow Dash had just vacated.

“Drat. Lost her.” The soldier spat on the ground and turned away, heading back the way he came.

Rainbow Dash remained still for a full minute before allowing herself to let out a sigh. She flopped onto her back and stared blankly into the sky. “What’d I ever do to deserve this?”

It had started out so well. Keeping the Empire from crossing Mt. Colts and finding the Returners’ base had been foal’s play. A few blocked passages here, a little misdirection there and VIOLA! One perfect distraction completed, just as requested. The invading army had been so frustrated in trying to scale the mountain that they had turned back for South Fillygaro.

Rainbow Dash had harassed them the whole way back.

None of the Imperial pegasi could keep up with her in their attempts to bring her down. Eventually they gave up altogether and rushed back to the occupied town as fast as they could. Rainbow Dash eagerly followed them.

If Rainbow Dash could go back in time, she would definitely go to that moment and kick her own flank.

In the short time in which Rainbow and the others had left for the Returners’ hideout, South Fillygaro had become completely overrun. An entire legion of troops had been deployed to occupy the city and defend it from outside forces. That included cocky rainbow-colored pegasi. Flying magitek the likes of which Rainbow Dash had never seen before came out to greet her and had reached for her with metal claws. The top-shaped machines were relentless in chasing her and could turn faster than she could. It hadn’t taken long for them and a squad of pegasus ponies to overwhelm her, forcing her to take shelter in the streets below. Rainbow Dash swore that the deadly game of hide-and-seek that had resulted would be told to young fillies around the campfire to illustrate just how awesome she could be under pressure. It would be a tale for the ages and never forgotten or embellished.

“Now to get out of here so I can live to tell it.”

She crept out from the overhang to the edge of the roof as quietly as she could and scanned the street below. No soldiers were in sight. A simple hop later she was on street level and darting under the nearest cloth overhang. She peeked out and swept her gaze across the skies above. From one end of the horizon to the other, Imperial pagasi could be seen patrolling in circling loops. One of the flying contraptions with claws floated within their ranks, ready to hone in on any targets. Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and ducked back under the overhang. There was no way she was going to be able to escape by air.

“Gonna have to do this the hard way.”

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, counted to ten, and then darted from one hiding place to the next. For nearly an hour, Rainbow Dash moved as quickly as she could while staying out of sight of the soldiers patrolling the streets. Hardly any citizens were out and about and any that were caught where they were not supposed to be were immediately escorted away. Curiously enough, ponies with bags full of goods were often left alone. An inkling of an idea began to creep into Rainbow’s head.

A brief search later and she found what she was looking for. Across the street, a merchant emerged from a Rich's Barnyard Bargains store, her saddle bags loaded with provisions. The pony trotted off and Rainbow Dash trailed after her. After a few blocks, the pony stopped at a residential building and knocked twice, stopped, then knocked three more times. The door opened to reveal a mare and the two ponies conversed in voices too low for Rainbow to hear but she did see them exchange something between them. Finally, the merchant pony bowed, walked away and headed for another building.

Keeping to the shadows, Rainbow put on a burst of speed through an alley that put her ahead of the merchant. She waited at the entrance of the alley for the right moment.

“Pssst!”

The merchant jerked, staring with wide eyes at Rainbow Dash who beckoned for her to come closer. The merchant eyed her warily and began to edge away.

“No, don’t go!” Rainbow Dash called to her. “I’m on your side. Do you want the Empire to run all over this place or not?”

The merchant stopped, an unsure look upon her face. She took a moment to glance from side to side before slowly walking towards the alley entrance. Rainbow Dash stepped back to allow more room for the other pony but the merchant only entered about halfway into the alley. Her legs were tense as though ready to make a run for it at the slightest provocation.

“What do you want?” the merchant asked.

“I need your clothes,” Rainbow Dash said.

“My what?”

“Your clothes. Give them to me. I need to slip out of town and I saw that you merchant types are left alone by the Impies.”

“That’s because we’ve been ordered to make deliveries of rations to each home. We’re on a very strict schedule and I’m going to be late if I keep talking to you.”

“Then I’ll make this quick. I’m part of a resistance group that’s working on bringing these guys down. I just need to get out of here to meet up with them.”

The merchant shook her head and backed up. “You’re crazy. I’ve got a job to do.” She turned to walk away.

She gasped when Rainbow Dash suddenly jumped in front of her with a frown on her face. “Do you want to be their toadie for the rest of your life or what?”

For the second time in as many minutes, the merchant paused. Her features morphed from frustration to anger until they finally settled on tired resignation. “Better than conspiring with a thief.”

The last thing the merchant saw was a flash of anger followed by a blue hoof.

.o.O.o.

“Try to be nice to somepony and what do you get? Stupid smart alec. She better appreciate the bits I left her...”

Rainbow Dash grimaced and stopped her walk through the town to pull on the merchant garb near her flank. The material stretched a bit, allowing her some relief from the tight cloth on her extremities, and she continued on her way. It was the third time she had done so.

“She would have to be a size smaller than me,” Rainbow grumbled.

Even with the uncomfortable outfit over her normal one, the benefits far outweighed the negatives. Imperial soldiers gave her dirty looks but otherwise ignored her when she passed by them. She gave them pitiful looks, as though she expected them to beat her with the slightest provocation, and they in return smirked and allowed her on her way. That is, until she reached the city limits.

“None shall pass.”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “Wha? But I’ve got business outside of town!”

“Do you now?” the soldier drawled. “Then you should have thought of that before we came here.”

“And how was I supposed to know that?!”

One of the soldiers came up to her and pushed her back. “Watch it, girlie. We’re in charge here now. And if we don’t want you leaving, then too bad.” He pushed her again and it was all Rainbow Dash could do to not buck him in the teeth. “Now get lost.”

Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and let out a low growl at the group of Imperials and magitek blocking her way. With her speed, she wagered she could drop two soldiers before the others could even raise a hoof. Even the magitek armor standing idly by wouldn’t be able to keep up. She could then make a break for it to the grassy plains lying just beyond.

Her wings twitched and suddenly the desire to fight her way out left her. The merchant garb she had “borrowed” covered them up, robbing her of her best advantage. Not only that, but she realized that the open plains she wanted to run to were just that: open plains. She’d be spotted and attacked by those flying tops in no time.

Rainbow Dash gave one last withering glare to the soldiers, turned and trotted back the way she came.

“So close,” she muttered and kicked a stray stone with a hoof. “So darn close...”

“Yeah, close alright, kid. Close to being run through.”

Rainbow Dash looked up and searched around for the voice. Nopony was in sight. She shook her head and continued on.

“Over here, kid.”

This time, Rainbow caught a glimpse of a hoof sticking out of a darkened alley, motioning for her to come closer.

“You must think I was born yesterday if you think I’m gonna fall for that,” Rainbow Dash said to the mysterious voice.

“Oi...” The hoof retracted and a donkey’s head poked out from the darkness. “There, that better?”

“Cranky!”

“SSSSSHHHHH!” Cranky Doodle Donkey hissed. “Not so loud! Get over here, quick.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t hesitate, rushing into the alley with the donkey inventor. “Wow, am I glad to see a friendly face. It’s been crazy ever since I got here.”

“You’re telling me,” Cranky said. “No sooner did I get back than the Empire just waltzed in here and took over. The town got taken over without any fighting. It’s as if they knew just where to hit us.”

“Yeah, it’s weird.” Rainbow Dash looked out the alley and sighed. “And now I’m stuck here when I need to be somewhere else.”

“Where’s that?”

“Neighshe.”

Cranky opened his mouth to speak when he caught sight of a group of soldiers emerging from a street further down. He pulled Rainbow Dash further into the alley and waited for the Imperials to trot on past, only for the soldiers to stop a few hooves away in the middle of the street. “We can’t talk here. Follow me.”

“But I’ve got to find a way out of here,” Rainbow Dash protested even as she was being pulled by the tail by Cranky’s teeth.

Cranky mumbled something through the hair in his mouth but gave up halfway and instead reached into his saddlebag and lifted out a small metallic pellet. He reared up and threw it down the street where it detonated with a bang like a party favor upon landing. The soldiers immediately rushed over to investigate. Cranky took the opportunity to pull Rainbow with him in the direction the soldiers weren’t looking.

Once they were out of sight, Rainbow Dash yanked her tail free. “Look pops, I don’t have time to sit around. I need to get to Neighshe on the double!”

“Easy there, kid,” Cranky said gently. “I want you to get there as much as you do. But you can’t do anything when you’re dead. Let’s think things through a little and I’m sure we’ll get you out of here.”

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Fine. So where are we going? Your place?”

Cranky shook his head. “Can’t. Our district was one of the first that the Empire evacuated. Kicked us out with just the coat on our backs. They wanted all our inventions. Among other things.”

“Other things?”

“You’ll see.”

The pair traveled in silence, both to avoid attracting attention and that any conversation could wait until they were indoors. After several blocks, Cranky came up to a two story building with a sign above the door that read, “Rich's Barnyard Bargains”. He rapped on the door with a hoof and a moment later, a thin panel built into the door slid open. A pair of eyes peered through the opening.

“Password,” a voice on the other side of the door said.

“Courage,” Cranky answered back.

The panel slid shut, removing the eyes from view. A moment later a series of locks and chains were heard being undone. The door creaked open, revealing a young colt on the other side. “You may pass.”

“Thanks, kid.” Cranky nodded to the colt and stepped past him, continuing on to a set of stairs leading up. Rainbow Dash followed him and the moment she passed the door, the colt closed it and reset the locks.

“I feel like I’m going into some secure facility,” Rainbow commented.

“Better safe than sorry, right?” Cranky responded. “Never know what those Impies might try next.” He reached a door at the top of the stairs, pushed it open and went through. Immediately, a cacophony of yelling, crying and laughing burst from the room on the other side. When Rainbow Dash stepped into the room herself, she stopped cold, her jaw dropping wide.

The room was large—the size of a store room—with couches, chairs and toys scattered haphazardly about. However, what drew Rainbow’s attention were the two dozen pony kids of varying ages running around the room in a frenzy of movement and colors. Some were playing with the toys spread out throughout the room, some chased each other in a circle while others clustered around a female donkey at the back of the room.

“I’m back, Matilda!” Cranky said above the noise.

A few of the colts and fillies looked up at the new voice and waved. “Hiya, Unca Cranky!”

“Hey,” Cranky greeted back much less enthusiastically. He made his way over to Matilda, careful to avoid the more rambunctious colts and fillies in the room. “Brought an older one this time. Think we should keep her?”

“Oh Cranky, be nice,” Matilda gently scolded. She raised a hoof and motioned for Rainbow Dash to come closer. “Over here, dear!”

The pegasus shook herself out of her shocked state and hopped over the kids to the end of the room in a single jump. A series of “Ooh’s” and “Ah’s” trailed after her. “Soooo,” Rainbow Dash drawled and tilted her head back towards the packed room, “what’s with the tykes?”

Instantly, Cranky and Matilda lost their playful smiles. Their bodies sagged and they stared at the ponies around them. Matilda cleared her throat and said, “We’re looking after them. When the Empire invaded, they quickly rounded up as many of the stallions as they could and shipped them out on a boat. I’m not sure what has happened to them. But for some of these children, they lost their only parent. So when Cranky and I were forced from our home, we were able to find this unused house and decided to round up anypony needing a home.” Matilda sighed and looked over all the faces she was now responsible for. “I hope these children get to see their parents again...”

Rainbow Dash remained silent. The adventurer’s features were frozen in a deep frown, her gaze unfocused as though she were watching a scene far away from where she was. She blinked, her focus returned and said, “Don’t worry, Matilda. The Empire won’t be getting its way much longer. I’m going to see to that personally. But I need to get to Neighshe to make it happen. I can’t fly out and all the exits are guarded. Do any of you know any other way outta here?”

The room became quiet, as every colt and filly looked up to Rainbow Dash with a spark of hope in their eyes. The silence ended when Matilda spoke up. “I may know a way.” She gathered her thoughts even as Rainbow Dash waited expectantly. “Years ago, I worked for Filthy Rich as one of his servants. His house is old, maybe one of the first built when the town was founded. There are a series of tunnels under the house that I believe lead out of town a fair ways away. If you could sneak in and use those tunnels you should be able to get away without being seen.”

“All right!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed and struck a triumphant pose. “Just what I was hoping for! I’ll be out of here in a jiffy!” She turned and headed for the door, but a tug on her borrowed outfit stopped her short. Rainbow looked down to see a filly looking up at her with uncertainty.

“Um, ma’am?” the filly said. “Could... could I ask you a-a favor?”

Rainbow Dash smiled down and ruffled the filly’s mane playfully. “Sure kid. Just don’t call me ma’am; it makes me sound old. What’s up?”

“Um, well, you see there’s this, um, pony we want you to, um, look for.” The filly turned her head to the group that had gathered around. They all nodded their heads and gestured for her to continue. She swallowed and steeled herself. “We were... we were being picked on by some soldiers—”

“By picked on, you mean being completely degraded,” Cranky spit out.

Matilda laid a hoof over his back. “Shush, Doodle. Let her finish.”

“Um, yeah,” the filly continued. “We were told to... beat each other up, because the soldier said it would be fun to watch.” Tears began to well up in the filly’s eyes, along with many of her friends standing next to her. A few sniffles were heard. “We... we were told if we didn’t, we’d never see our daddies again... and...”

“Whoa there, kid,” Rainbow Dash said and patted the filly on her shoulders. “Look, you don’t have to tell me any of the bad stuff if it makes you feel sad. I swear I’ll make each of those bad guys pay. I swear it. Just... tell me who you want me to look for.”

The filly took a minute to calm down before talking again. “Well, we were trying to do what they wanted, but they got mad that we weren’t doing it right. That’s when an older mare appeared and she... she...”

Rainbow Dash awkwardly put her legs around the filly and held her close. “She didn’t hurt you, did she?”

“No!” the filly screamed, startling Rainbow half-to-death. “No, she saved us! She killed all the soldiers being mean to us! More soldiers came to stop her but she killed them too! It took a whole bunch of them to stop her. They took her away and now we don’t know what happened to her.” The filly faced Rainbow Dash fully and place her hooves against the pegasus’ chest. “Please! Please find her and help her!”

“Um... okay...” Rainbow Dash said at length. “What a... what does she look like?”

“It... it happened so fast,” a colt spoke up. “But I think she was white—”

“Nah, that was her cape!” another piped in. “She was blue!”

“And it was really cold when she showed up,” yet another said. “I think she’s made of ice!”

“Okay! Okay!” Rainbow Dash held her hooves in a time-out position. “I get the idea. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out. I have to go know but I promise that things will get better. Just hang in there and everything will be all right. Okay?”

“Okay,” a few of the kids murmured.

“Louder,” Rainbow Dash said firmly.

Unsure glaces passed between the fillies and colts but as one they said, “Okay.”

“Louder!”

“Okay!”

“LOUDER!”

There was a collective intake of breath and then: “OKAY!”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “You kids are alright, ya know?”

.o.O.o.

Finding Filthy Rich’s home was easy; it was the biggest house in the entire city. Finding a way inside was proving to be the difficult part.

“How the hay am I supposed to get past all those soldiers?” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself. “They must be using that place as their base of operations. Figures the one place I need to get into is the most heavily guarded...”

Rainbow ducked being a stack of crates as a detachment of soldiers passed by her. She peered over the crates once the coast was clear and narrowed her eyes at Filthy’s house across the street. Walking up to the door and claiming she was a merchant wasn’t going to get her anywhere this time. More than likely she would be arrested before she even made it halfway down the walkway. There had to be a way for her to slip by—

The front door of Filthy’s house burst open and a blue coated soldier clad in green armor came flying out. He landed with a clank on the walkway and staggered to his hooves where he swayed unsteadily. A second soldier, bereft of a helmet and revealing himself as a unicorn, stomped out of the door, glaring at the green clad soldier the entire time.

“Squaddie, this is your last chance!” the unicorn bellowed. “The next time you come around here drunk off your flank will see you peeling potatoes until the sun falls out of the sky! Now get yourself cleaned up and report back here before I really lose my patience!” The unicorn whirled and headed back indoors, slamming the door behind him.

Now alone, the chastised Imperial shook his head and let loose an embarrassed giggle. He turned and headed to the end of the walkway but stumbled and crashed into a soldier keeping watch. His comrade in arms shoved the drunk soldier away, almost toppling him over. The soldier gave another titering laugh and sauntered away in a drunken haze.

“It’s amazing how things seem to work out,” Rainbow Dash commented as she watched the soldier head further down the street. “It’s like fate or somethin’.”

Keeping to the shadows, Rainbow followed after the green armored soldier. Although, with the way the soldier was incapable of walking in a straight line for more than a few steps, she wondered why she even bothered trying to stay concealed. She could have trotted up next to him and he never would have noticed. Which, come to think of it, wasn’t a bad idea.

The soldier stopped at a drainage ditch and pushed his helmet off his head where it clattered on the pavement. Seconds later, his body convulsed, his cheeks puffed out and he vomited into the ditch. Rainbow grimaced at the scene but stepped up to him from behind and said, “Hey! Is that a flying monkey?”

The soldier raised his head and a “Huh?” was all he got out. A light thump on the head from Rainbow Dash’s hoof and the soldier collapsed to the ground. A second later a loud snore escaped from his mouth.

“Trust me, pal, I’m doing you a favor.” She dragged the soldier behind a large barrel and got to work removing the merchant clothes from herself and the armor from the soldier. A minute later and she emerged in her new disguise. The armor was a little big on her, but it worked in this case as it gave her wings some room to breathe underneath its bulk. “Why doesn’t anypony ever shop at the awesome shop like me? So lame.”

Rainbow Dash made her way back the way she came, making sure she kept her head high and her strut authoritative. The few locals that passed by kept their heads low and didn’t give her a second look while other soldiers ignored her completely. She soon reached Filthy Rich’s house and knocked on the door. A moment later, the door opened, revealing the unicorn soldier from before.

“'Bout time you got back,” he said and jerked his head towards the inside of the house. Rainbow walked past him and into the main foyer. She suppressed a gulp when she counted no less than a dozen Imperials milling around, some looking over paperwork while others were talking to each other. Rainbow moved to mingle with them when the unicorn grabbed her by the strap holding her helmet on and spun her around to look him straight in the eyes. “I want you to go upstairs and keep watch over the Riches. Think you can manage that?”

Rainbow Dash saluted smartly. “Yes sir!”

The unicorn seemed taken back by her enthusiasm. “You seem to have sobered up pretty quick, squaddie.”

“Nothing a little throwing up can’t take care of,” Rainbow Dash replied.

A confused blink met that statement. “Whatever,” he said with a shrug. “Just get up there and don’t let me catch you foolin’ around.” With that, he joined the soldiers in the lounge and promptly ignored her.

Rainbow Dash wasted no time in climbing the nearby stairs to the second floor. Once out of eyesight, she let loose a triumphant laugh. “Ha! I can’t believe how easy this is. At this rate, I’ll be out of here and heading to Nieghshe in no time!”

With a smirk on her face and a spring in her step, Rainbow Dash headed down the upstairs hallway and opened the first door she came to. Inside was a bedroom with the grandest bed she had ever seen, covered in what she could only assume were the most expensive sheets and covers available. A bookcase with hundreds of books on its shelves stood in the corner of the room opposite the bed. Framed paintings with labels identifying them as Jidhoof originals covered the walls, and a carpet that was so plush, Rainbow could have sworn it was made out of clouds. In the center of the room stood a polished wooden table. And sitting in a chair next to the table, with his head laying over it and facing away from her, was a beige-coated earth pony stallion wearing a black suit. The pony lay very still, to the point where Rainbow Dash wondered if he was dead, until a soft sigh seemed to passed through his very being.

The undercover pegasus walked up to the pony and nudged him with a hoof. “Hey. You okay?”

The pony turned his head to face her. Rainbow Dash gasped as she instantly recognized who he was. “Hey! You’re Filthy Rich!”

“That I am,” Filthy Rich said barely above a whisper. “Who are you? My new Imperial guard?”

Rainbow removed her helmet, allowing her multi-colored mane to spill free. “Not exactly. I’m a Returner. Heard of us?”

Filthy Rich blinked and bolted straight up in his chair. “R-R-R-Returner?!” He fell out of the chair and backed away frantically on the floor. “No! Please! Please, don’t kill me! I didn’t mean to do it! It was stupid and I regret ever helping them!”

“Whoa! Whoa, buddy! Calm down.” Rainbow Dash placed down her helmet and sat in front of him, not making any sudden moves. “What’re you getting all worked up about?”

“Y-you’re an assassin, here to get revenge for me betraying the town!”

“You did what?!” In a flash, Rainbow was before the cowering stallion and pinned him down with a hoof to the chest. “You better start talking or I’ll do worse than what you think I’m here for!”

Filthy Rich wet himself but paid his lack of control no mind. “I... I was contact b-b-by an Imperial. They said that if I... if I told them the best way to invade the town they’d make me r-rich. Well, richer anyway.”

“But you’re already stinking rich!”

“Um, no. I’m Filthy. Stinking was my grandfather.”

“I don’t care!” Rainbow Dash grabbed Filthy by his ten-thousand gil suit and brought him nose to nose. “Listen punk, and listen good. When this whole mess is over and the Empire’s out of here, you are going to pay back everything you owe to the ponies of this town, plus interest. Got it?” The rich pony nodded his head frantically. “But for now, I need to get out of here. There’s supposed to be some kinda hidden passage in this house that leads out of town. You tell me where it is and I leave here without breaking your kneecaps.”

“S-s-sure thing,” Filthy stuttered. Rainbow let go of him and watched as he ran up to the bookshelf. He tipped a book towards him and stepped back as the entire bookshelf swung open to reveal a passage with a set of stairs leading down. “This will take you to an underground storage that was made when this house was built. At the back you’ll find an exit which leads a good mile out of the city. You should be able to go unseen by then.” He held up a hoof when he saw Rainbow Dash ready to head down. “You should put your helmet back on. Some Imperials are already down there.”

Rainbow Dash nodded and slipped her helmet back on. “I’ll be back to make sure you don’t try to weasel your way out of helping the town.”

Filthy Rich sighed and hung his head. “Believe me, I want nothing more than to see the Empire out of here and for me to go back to a simple business pony. I owe it to the town and to my daughter. I should never have listened to them.”

Rainbow gave a snort and rushed down the passage. Torches were lit with regular intervals, allowing her to see clearly ahead of her. The musty smell of old wood filled her nostrils, causing her to sneeze as she made her way further down. At the end of the stairs was a long passage carved out of the bedrock that supported the town above. Several doors lined the side of the passage but a metal one at the very end was what caught Rainbow Dash’s attention. She stepped forward towards it.

“Unhoof me this instant, you monsters!”

Rainbow Dash started, stopping herself and turning her gaze towards one of the wooden doors in the passage.

“You will never get away with this!”

Rainbow trotted over to the door and found that it was slightly ajar. She slowly pushed it open, enough to squeeze her head through, and looked inside. Her eyes widened.

The room was plain with only a single table in the center as its sole furnishing. There were three ponies inside the room with two of them dressed in Imperial armor and standing on opposite ends of the table. The third pony was tied to the table. The pony was a mare, with a light blue coat and platinum mane, and she strained and pulled against the metal bindings holding her down. Her head thrashed from side to side and Rainbow Dash caught sight of a horn as she continued her desperate struggle to free herself.

“Lay still!” one of the soldiers ordered and slammed a hoof into the mare’s muzzle. The unicorn recoiled from the blow but whipped her head back and snapped her teeth at the soldier. “Still got some fight in ya, huh? Good, because you’ll be doing a lot more fighting for us very soon.”

~ Product of her own hubris, battle-hardened Magitek Knight with a flair for the dramatic... ~

“Go to Tartarus! The Great and Powerful Trixie is through with all of you!”

“Not once we get this on you.” The soldier picked up a ring of metal that had gone unnoticed on the table and held it before her. “I’m sure you know what this is.”

Trixie’s eyes went wide as she beheld the slave crown. “You wouldn’t.”

“Feh, your abilities are too important to just toss aside,” the soldier explained. He motioned for the second soldier to step around and position himself behind Trixie’s head. “Hold her down and don’t let go until I’m done.”

“It’ll never work!” Trixie yelled and thrashed even more violently than before. “I’m not some weak-willed wimp like Twilight Sparkle! You put that on Trixie and she’ll kill you all!”

The soldier not holding the slave crown struck Trixie across her face, then held her head between his forehooves and forced it down on the table. The repeated hits dazed the unicorn, making her struggling cease. The other soldier raised the slave crown and lowered it towards Trixie’s temple.

All at once, the door to the room burst open and a green blur rocketed for the soldier holding the slave crown. The Imperial had no time to react and was tackled to the floor, flipping the table still holding its occupant along with him. He recovered quickly and pushed back against the pony pinning him down, drawing a knife from a shoulder holster with his teeth. This gave the other soldier enough time to run around the table and make a grab for the invader—

—only to be tripped up by a pink glow surrounding his hind legs.

“You should have killed Trixie when you had the chance, cretins,” Trixie snarled, her horn aglow.

Rainbow Dash was unaware of anything going on behind her. Her focus was the soldier beneath her and the knife the two struggled to control between them. Her grip on it slowly slipped from her hooves, the tip pointed at her throat. The armor she wore didn’t help, the bulk making her movements awkward and the extra balance from her wings were gone. The soldier had better purchase upon the floor and used his advantage to push the knife inch by inch towards Rainbow’s neck. It would take something awesome to get her out of this predicament.

It so happened that Awesome was her middle name.

In one smooth motion, Rainbow Dash let go of the knife completely and slipped backwards. The armor that had fit so loosely slid off of her and fell with a clatter on the soldier below. Before he had time to register what had happened, Rainbow drew her own dagger and sank it into his exposed neck. The soldier gurgled up blood as he released his last breath and ceased to move a moment later.

The adventurer grinned and withdrew her weapon. She cleaned it off on the discarded green armor and turned to deal with the other enemy in the room. She blinked upon seeing the second soldier laying on the floor, pierced by a sword through the chest. A faint pink glow surrounded the handle before fading out completely.

Rainbow Dash directed her attention to the only other pony in the room still alive. The unicorn mare was still strapped to the flipped table, hanging from the cuffs and a fine sheen of sweat running down her forehead. Her breaths came in short gasps and from the tiredness in her eyes, she looked ready to pass out at any second.

“Are... you going to just... stand there? Or are you going to... get Trixie free?”

Rainbow eyed Trixie with a hooded stare. “Why should I?”

Trixie closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before answering, “Then why did you come here? Seems like a wasted effort if not.”

Rainbow Dash walked closer to the bound pony. “Before I do anything, I have something to ask you. Are you the one that saved a bunch of kids from some soldiers?”

Trixie opened her eyes and gave a tired stare. “Trixie did.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m through serving these sons of mules and watching them get away with anything they want.”

“Mules can’t have kids,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“You know what Trixie meant!”

“Wait, wait, Trixie? I think I’ve heard of you when I was gathering intel. You’re General Trixie?”

Trixie flipped her mane and gave a dazzling smile through a face full of bruises. “The same. Who are you?”

Placing a hoof to her chest, Rainbow Dash proudly said, “I’m Rainbow Dash, the most radical adventurer to have ever lived. I’m also a Returner and I’m here to mess up any plans the Empire has.”

“A Returner?” Trixie repeated, her eyes going wide.

“Yeah, so you can imagine I’m not too thrilled with saving ya and putting my neck on the line.”

“Then why did you?”

Rainbow Dash thrust her muzzle forward until her nose was touching Trixie’s. “Because some kids asked me to.” In a whirl of motion, Rainbow’s dagger sliced through the iron cuffs holding Trixie to the table. The unicorn landed on the floor with a pained grunt and lay there in an undignified heap. Rainbow Dash put away her dagger and glared down at the recovering general. “There, that’s as much help as you’re going to get from me.”

“Trixie didn’t need your help,” Trixie hissed as she tried to push herself up. “The Great and Powerful Trixie was about to… rescue herself with powers beyond your imagination.”

“Yeah, sure you...” Rainbow Dash trailed off as she caught sight of something that she hadn’t been expecting. Something that only one other pony she had met had. “Hey, you’ve got a marking on your flank just like Twilight.”

A gasp escaped Trixie and she covered up the wand and pixie dust marking with a hoof. “Don’t look!” Finding new reserves of strength, Trixie pushed herself to her hooves and rushed over to a white cape with shoulder guards attached to it hanging from a nail in the wall. She quickly draped the cape over her body and fastened it around her neck. “You didn’t see anything, understand?”

Rainbow Dash scratched her head and gave a quizzical look. “No, really, Twilight’s got one of those too. Does the Empire brand their unicorns or something?”

Her question went completely unnoticed. “Did you say... Twilight? As in, Twilight Sparkle?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Purple unicorn, went nuts when she found that esper thingy at Neighshe, and can blast the ever loving heck out of anything with that freaky fire of hers.”

Trixie went completely silent, her face going through a range of emotions that Rainbow Dash couldn’t identify fast enough. The quiet dragged on and on, to the point where Rainbow wondered if she had somehow fizzled Trixie’s brain and the unicorn was now mentally crippled. Rainbow scuffed at the ground, the awkward moment stretching beyond absurdity. She longed to leave the room and just leave the weird pony to her thoughts. In fact, that sounded like a good idea. Rainbow Dash turned and headed for the door. She hadn’t taken a single step when she heard Trixie finally speak.

“Take me with you.”

Rainbow Dash stumbled and nearly fell into a most unawesome heap. “What?” she asked and faced Trixie once again.

“You’re planning on escaping, right?” Trixie responded. “Trixie no longer has need of the Empire. They can all go straight to Tartarus where they came from. And you saw what they were going to do to Trixie.” She kicked the discarded slave crown where it clattered at Rainbow’s hooves. ”She will not let an insult like that go unpunished.”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. “You think I’m crazy? Taking an Imperial like you with me?”

“You’ll need Trixie to get out. There’s a door further down the passage that won’t open unless magic is cast on it. Fortunately for you,” Trixie paused and smirked as her horn lit up in a soft pink glow, “you are in the presence of the most magical unicorn in the world!”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Jeez, and Applejack says I’ve got an ego,” she muttered. To Trixie she said, “Forget it. Look, I only helped you out because some kids begged me to. Now that that’s done, we go our separate ways.” With that, she trotted towards the door.

“Neighshe will be under attack soon.”

Once again, the pegasus abruptly halted her movements. She glanced back at Trixie who was wearing the smuggest look Rainbow had ever seen from another pony. “You’re lying.”

“Not at all,” Trixie said. She stepped forward and locked eyes with Rainbow Dash. “This whole invasion of South Fillygaro was for one purpose only. To set up a base so that the Empire could invade Neighshe and get that esper. If you want to protect it, you’ll need Trixie’s advice. Your pitiful little band will stand no chance against the Empire’s army.”

Rainbow Dash swallowed, her mouth suddenly becoming dry. “How can I trust you?”

“Well, Trixie hasn’t killed you yet.”

“As if you had a chance!”

Trixie shrugged, pulled out the sword sticking in the soldier with her magic, cleaned it off and holstered it within a sheath beneath her cape. “It doesn’t matter what you think. Trixie’s leaving with or without you. You can tag along if you want.”

“Whoa, hold up!” Rainbow Dash positioned her hooves in a “T” formation. “If anypony’s doing the tagging along, it’s you! Got it?”

Trixie scoffed but didn’t follow up. She strode past Rainbow Dash and exited the room. A low growl came from the Returner and she zipped out and pushed her way past the general. Trixie sniffed and lifted her nose, continuing on her way. Moments later, they came upon the metal door at the end of the passage. Rainbow Dash grasped the handle on the door and gave it a pull.

It didn’t so much as budge.

Rainbow grimaced and pulled again, harder. She strained with all her might but nothing happened. With a gasp of frustration, she let go and backed away. “The heck is with this thing?”

“Having trouble?” Trixie asked lightly. She laughed and edged Rainbow Dash away with a hoof. “Watch and be amazed.” Trixie lowered her horn, pointing it directly at the door. Her pink hued magic surrounded the door and then a click was heard.

Trixie staggered and would have fallen had Rainbow Dash not reacted quickly and caught her. “Uh, hey, you okay?”

“Trixie... is just... fine,” Trixie gasped and pushed herself away. She nearly fell again but managed to catch herself. “Just a little winded, that’s all.” She closed her eyes and started to chant and soon two strings of white pearls flew out of her horn, looped around and back in. Her body became covered in a greenish glow. Once it faded away, Trixie stood up straighter and looked more alert than before. “There, that did the trick.”

“That... that’s just like... Twilight’s magic,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Hmph, you’ll find that Trixie’s magic is far superior to that overrated loser.” Without waiting for a reply, Trixie pulled on the door handle and the door creaked open without any fuss. Not looking back, the ex-general walked through and into the stone hallway beyond.

Rainbow Dash watched her go, a frown on her muzzle. With narrowed eyes she followed after Trixie, muttering how she managed to get herself into this situation.

.o.O.o.

Matilda and Filthy Rich were correct: the secret passage under the mansion led far out of South Fillygaro, well past the sentries guarding the town. As soon as Rainbow Dash emerged from a hole covered by a false rock, she wasted no time in taking to the skies. She twisted, looped and darted all around, reveling in the freedom denied her all day long.

Following on the ground, Trixie was no less relieved in being out the dark and dank passage that led her here. She was, however, growing annoyed with her reluctant companion’s antics. “If you are done messing around, we still have a ways to go to get to Neighshe, if Trixie is not mistaken!” she called up to the pegasus flying around.

“Chillax, I’m just stretching out,” Rainbow lazily replied. “It’s been a long day for me and I need a sec to unwind.”

“It hasn’t been a picnic for Trixie either,” Trixie said and began walking west.

“Well, it’s just a quick trip through a cave, then a blistering desert and a hike up some mountains.” Rainbow Dash glided down to the ground and fell into step with the unicorn. “Just routine for me.”

“Lovely,” Trixie muttered.

The two fell into silence, neither really knowing what to say to the other that wouldn’t start an argument. The sunny weather held steady, making the trek to the cave a pleasant journey, current company notwithstanding. The sun was just beginning to dip beyond the horizon when Rainbow shot up into the air and spotted the cave entrance that would take them to the Fillygaro desert. Minutes later, the two mares entered the cave, Trixie lighting up her horn to give some illumination through the dim corridors.

The two ponies had only been traveling for a few minutes when there came a faint rumbling through the rocky walls.

Rainbow Dash stopped and flared her wings, smacking Trixie in the muzzle.

“Ow! Watch it!” Trixie cried out and rubbed her sore snout.

“Did you feel that?” Rainbow Dash asked. She scanned the area but couldn’t detect anything strange.

“Yes, Trixie felt that! Do it again and I’ll freeze those feather dusters off of you!”

“No, dummy, I meant that shaking just now.”

Trixie huffed and brushed past. “Trixie doesn’t know what you’re talking about. Keep moving.”

Rainbow Dash gave one more confused look around, but shrugged and continued on.

Further on, they climbed down a set of stairs to a lower part of the cave. Just as Rainbow put her hoof down on the final step, another rumble shook the walls, causing water droplet to fall from the ceiling. “Stop! There it is again!”

Up ahead, Trixie turned to glare at Rainbow. “‘What is it again?”

“That shaking! Can’t you feel it?”

“Trixie thinks you have your head still in the clouds, pegasus. The ground shakes all the time. Now come on! You’re starting to really annoy Trixie.” Without waiting for her companion to retort, Trixie headed further down the tunnel.

Rainbow Dash let out a frustrated growl. She was sure she hadn’t felt anything like this before when she came through here with the others. Still, perhaps she was just being overly paranoid. Rainbow shook off the feeling and rushed to catch up.

Not much further on and the two came upon the small pond that signaled the end of the cave. The turtles continued to swim within its calm waters with not a care in the world. Rainbow Dash eagerly bent down and lapped up the water with her tongue, a satisfied, “Ahhhhh!” releasing from her after she had drank her fill.

“That’s disgusting.”

Rainbow turned to see Trixie grimacing at the sight of her drinking from cave water. “Are you going to complain about every little thing I do? We still have a ways to go, you know. And I bet your water in the Empire doesn’t taste as good as this.”

“Oh, contraire,” Trixie replied with a smirk. “Our water is processed through the most elaborate and sophisticated purification system in the world. Every single molecule of grime and dirt is taken out, leaving the most perfect drinking water behind. It’s how Trixie has remained so youthful and beautiful. Not like you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Only that you look like something the cat dragged in, what with that messy mane and muddy coat.”

“Oh, yeah! Better to live my life on the edge than be pampered like some sissy princess.”

Trixie bristled. “Sissy?! The Great and Powerful Trixie will have you know that Trixie went through the most painful training to get where she is today! Not that I’d expect an amateur like you to understand!”

“Uh, Trixie?”

“Trixie spent her life in the wilderness, all on her own before the Empire found her, so she’s way more on the edge than you ever were.”

“Trixie.”

“Furthermore, Trixie has led armies the likes of which—”

Rainbow Dash shoved a hoof in Trixie’s mouth, cutting off her rant. “What’s big, has a huge front wheel, all metal, covered in drills and painted blue?”

Trixie blinked, caught by surprise from the bizarre question. “Uh, that would be a tunnel armor.”

Rainbow pointed a hoof over Trixie’s shoulder. “Then watch out for that tunnel armor.”

The unicorn gasped and whirled around just in time to receive an arc of electricity to the chest. Trixie staggered back, her body convulsing uncontrollably from the currents running through her. She distantly heard a shout and felt herself pushed away, landing on the ground a few hooves from where she was. With effort, Trixie managed to cast a cure spell and clear her body of the sudden jolt. She scrambled to her hooves and took in the situation.

The tunnel armor rolled through a hole carved out of the cave wall using two massive rotating claws on its front. Rainbow Dash skidded around the drilling machine, her dagger drawn and striking it wherever she figured would do the most damage. A nozzle appeared from a hidden compartment on top of the machine and spewed a stream of fire. Rainbow squawked in surprise and flew away before the fire could roast her alive. The tunnel armor continued forward, releasing its fire and blocking the cave exit.

Rainbow Dash flicked her attention over to Trixie and noticed she was back up. “I can’t get close to it! That flamethrower won’t let me through!”

“Trixie will draw its attacks!” Trixie called out. She magicked her sword out and held it in front of her, tip pointing towards the ceiling. “When she does, hit its control box on its backside!”

“What do you mean, draw its attacks? There’s not enough room to do that!”

“That’s where you are wrong.” Levitating her sword higher up, she sent a trickle of magic through it. The blade gave off a starburst of light and all of a sudden, the fire from the tunnel armor veered off course like it was being sucked by a vacuum. The fire struck the sword, traveled down its length and flowed into Trixie’s horn. Instead of burning the unicorn appendage off, Trixie appeared to glow with power. “Attack now!”

Totally stupefied, Rainbow Dash could only stare at the spectacle before her.

“What are you waiting for?! Watch out!”

The adventurer jerked at Trixie’s frantic cry and dove out of the way on pure instinct. The rotating claw of the tunnel armor clamped down, missing her by inches.

“That’s it, you pile of scrap!” Rainbow Dash yelled and hopped on top of the machine. Another panel opened, this time revealing a fan that blew a blast of cold air. However, just like with the fire, it was directed at Trixie’s sword instead of freezing Rainbow Dash solid. Not wasting the opportunity, Rainbow clamped down on her dagger and sunk it into anything that looked important. Sparks and fire began to erupt out of the tunnel armor’s panels, shorting out systems and destroying key components. A small explosion ruptured the rest of the mechanics running the machine and suddenly the tunnel armor’s movements and attacks ceased.

Rainbow Dash flipped her dagger in the air and caught it with the tip of her wing. “Ha! Take that.” She jumped down and trotted over to Trixie who appeared no worse for wear. “What the hay was that with your sword? Is it some type of magic magnet or something?”

Trixie chuckled and placed her sword away. “Hardly. Trixie’s runic power comes from Trixie herself. The sword merely helps to act as a focus to draw in magic. She could have done it without the sword if she wanted to.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Not at all. In fact, absorbing all that power has only made the Great and Powerful Trixie stronger. Soon, Trixie will have no equal in the entire world!” She reared up on her hind legs and a let loose a wave of tiny ice crystals over her head. The crystals glittered in the light from the tunnel exit, giving the appearance of stars shining in the night.

“... Rrrrriiiiiight,” Rainbow Dash said, giving the unicorn a hooded stare. “C’mon, let's get going.”

“What? No sense for the dramatic? And after all Trixie did to save us from that thing?”

Rainbow shook her head and headed for the exit. “This is gonna be a long trip...”

.o.O.o.

“Got anything to say?” Stardust asked

“Not really, other than the most unbearable character has finally been revealed,” Spike answered. “Yay.”

“Ah, c’mon, Trixie doesn’t seem so bad. She saved Dash.”

“One good deed doesn’t make up for a lifetime of obnoxiousness. Anyway, time for our wonderful audience to vote again!”

“There’s us two on our way to Neighshe, Twilight on her way to Neighshe, and gasp, AJ on her way to Neighshe!”

“So take your pick and the crew will get on it!”

“Ta-ta!”

Wherein Spike and Stardust Salvage Sparkling Stones

The Trotscale Mountains formed a natural barrier between the lands of Fillygaro and Neighshe. No unicorn or earth ponies could climb it and no pegasi were strong enough to fly over it. Monsters prowled every square mile and the highest peaks were covered in snow all year long. The majority of the mountains had never been explored, though many assumed that there wasn’t much of anything up there to be interesting. Even the most adventurous of ponies didn’t dare to make the journey up and over the steep rocky cliffs, even for the glory of having said they had done it.

Chocobos saw it differently.

For them, the Trotscale Mountains were a shortcut. A difficult shortcut, but one worth the dangers of climbing over. The path from South Fillygaro to Neighshe, through caves, deserts and open plains took days to traverse. Chocobos on a deadline couldn’t afford to waste so much time lugging their wares through such varied landscapes. So, through the years, the chocobos had slowly worn a path through the mountains that cut the distance in half and improved their delivery time to a single day. It gave them an advantage over the pony traders forced to take the long way around and cement themselves as the go-to traders of the world.

However, the current group of chocobos scaling the mountains were not on a journey to sell their products, but to get to Neighshe to warn the town of the Empire’s growing influence on the continent. Unladen with supplies to peddle, the Returner chocobos made good time crossing over snow and ravines that would have normally slowed them down. Even still, Spike felt like they were moving at a snail’s pace.

“How much longer?” Spike asked. He sat on Stardust’s back and busied himself with fiddling with the chocobo’s feathers.

Stardust swatted him with the back of his wing. “Stop asking that! I don’t know! I’ve never been this way before.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to pass the time. It’s boring just riding like this.”

“Then hop off and walk the rest of the way.”

Spike peeked over Stardust’s back. The imprints of Stardust’s talons in the snow were deep enough that Spike would fit comfortably within them. At least as comfortably as a dragon could get with being neck high in freezing snow. “I think I’ll pass on that.”

“Then stop complaining. Jeez, and I thought that purple unicorn you hang out with was a wuss.”

“Hey! Keep Twilight out of this.”

A grey chocobo walking in front of them turned and glared at the duo. “Would you two shut up, already?” he said. “You’re going to attract monsters if you keep up that racket.”

“Sorry,” Spike and Stardust both answered as one.

The group continued, traveling higher and higher with the snow getting thicker and heavier with every mile. Visibility dropped as the winds picked up and blew snow everywhere, forcing the chocobos to stick close together. Rock formations became larger and more frequent, the towering spires of stone like frozen guardians overlooking a wasteland of ice. The blizzard conditions continued to worsen until the leader, a bright red chocobo named Razzledown, called for a stop.

“All right everychoco, let’s stop here until this blizzard settles down. We’ll camp next to one of those big boulders for now.” He pointed a wing towards the closest rock and led the others towards it. The flock of a dozen chocobos huddled up next to the boulder, picking the side protecting them against the wind. They all pressed together for warmth and settled down to wait out the worst the mountain threw at them.

Stardust and Spike were given the spot closest to the boulder, providing the best protection from the wind but also one of the coldest. Rocks weren’t known for their heat absorbing properties in the middle of a winter wonderland. Stardust grumbled over this as he made himself as comfortable as possible next to the boulder even as Spike draped one of his wings over to use as a makeshift blanket. They stayed like that for several minutes until Stardust noticed something peculiar about the large stone he was pressed up against.

“Hey,” Stardust commented and raised his head from the frosty ground. “This rock is a lot warmer than I thought it would be.” He poked at the boulder with his unoccupied wing and quirked an eyebrow when he felt some give. “Weird. Are we over a hot spring or something?” He kept poking the rock, as though doing so might reveal the answer.

He let out a surprised squawk when he got one.

The entire boulder shifted, raining clumps of snow onto the startled chocobo and his dragon rider, and appeared to grow bigger. Stardust and Spike gasped when two thick protrusions separated from the main body of the rock and stretched towards the sky. A low rumbling moan came from the rock, sounding somewhere between a sigh of relief and a yawn. The two protrusions dropped back down and through the haze of snow and wind, Stardust suddenly realized that they were arms. The creature stood up on legs as wide as tree trunks and turned around. Stardust gulped as a yeti covered in thick white hair looked down on him.

“Um... hi?” the chocobo squeaked.

By this point, all the other chocobos became aware that they were not alone.

“It’s the monster of the mountain!” screamed one.

“It’ll capture us all and make us into chicken wings!” cried out another.

“Everychoco run!” yelled a third.

The panicked chocobos scrambled to their talons and ran off in whatever direction they were currently facing. The only chocobo that didn’t move like his life depended on it was Stardust. He gulped loudly, his whole body shaking uncontrollably.

“Stardust,” Spike said urgently. He nudged Stardust in the rear, trying to get a response from him. “Stardust, we gotta move!” Spike poked harder as the yeti’s shadow fell over both of them, its height double that of a full grown chocobo.

The yeti reached out with a massive blue-skinned hand towards them. Spike gave up on Stardust and took a deep breath. Just as he readied himself to summon his spear, he felt Stardust lift a wing and dip his beak into the pouch located under the appendage. The hand was only inches away when Stardust came back up, holding a long bone in his beak. The yeti hesitated, staring at the offered piece of bone before it. Slowly, the huge snow beast reached forward and took the bone between its blue fingers. The yeti brought it close to its face, twisting it around and inspecting it with deep interest. After a few seconds of this, the yeti gave a pleased grunt and palmed the bone in its hand.

Stardust and Spike let out a relieved sigh, only to yelp when the yeti lifted a hand and stretched it towards them. They had no time to react as the hand came down—

—and patted Stardust gently on the head.

“Good... birdie...” the yeti rumbled. “Thank... you.” With that, the yeti turned and trudge through the snow and was soon lost within the falling snowflakes.

The chocobo and dragon stared at the space the yeti had left just moments before. Gradually, the other Returner chocobos returned and joined in with their own expressions of surprise.

“What did you give him?” one of them asked in a daze.

Stardust let out a shuddering breath and shrugged helplessly. “J-just a femur I picked up on the way here. It was the first thing I found in my bag to pull out.”

A collective silence followed. How long the chocobos would have stood around was left to debate as the distant cries of wolves reached their ears. Razzledown jerked to alertness and called out, “We better get a move on. No sense standing around here. Come on.”

There came no argument from the others. Soon, the chocobos resumed their trek through the mountains, now more wary of their surroundings.

.o.O.o.

“Hey! Everychoco! Over here! I found a cave!”

The Returner chocobo jumped up and down and waved his wings to gain the attention of the group. The snow and wind had picked up even more since their encounter with the yeti, making even loud noise and movement hard to hear and see. It took several more attempts to get his fellows to notice him, and one by one, the chocobos filed into the dark cave located in the side of the mountain.

The chocobos wasted no time pulling out twigs and dried grass to build a spot for a fire. Spike was more than happy to provide the spark to get it up to a roaring blaze. In less than a minute, the travelers huddled around the fire and sighed as all the snow trapped in their feathers slowly melted away.

“Looks like we’ll be staying here for a while,” Razzledown said. He looked down the tunnel that stretched beyond the light from the fire. “Let’s hope if anything lives here, they won’t notice us. Nochoco go wandering off now, ya hear?” He got affirmative nods from the others. “Good. Now, get some rest because we still have a ways to go. We’ll draw for first watch.”

Razzledown stood up and grabbed a few twigs set aside for the fire in a talon and held them up. Each chocobo took a twig and compared their stick’s size with the others. Stardust groaned when he realized he had the shortest one. “Don’t worry, kid,” Razzledown said to him. “We’ll rotate every hour so you won’t have to stay up long.”

With the watch order settled, the chocobos found a spot to lay down and were soon fast asleep. Stardust sighed. “This is not what I was expecting coming all the way up here. Stupid pegasus making me come with you guys when I could have stayed in South Fillygaro.”

“Aw, come on, it hasn’t been that bad,” Spike said from his perch on Stardust’s back. The little dragon hopped to the ground and patted one the chocobo’s legs. “I’m not feeling all that sleepy, so I’ll stay up with you. How’s that?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

“So, what do you think of all this, huh? The Empire and the Returners and stuff, I mean.”

Stardust shrugged. “I don’t know. Kinda over my head. It’d be nice if my clan could get freed and then we could go back to trading. I guess helping these Returner guys is the best way to do that.”

“Yeah, that’s gotta be rough,” Spike commented. He spotted a rock large enough for him to sit on a few steps away and took a seat. “I know I wouldn’t want that to happen to my family. With that esper in Neighshe though, it’s only a matter of time before the Empire tries to get it again. We’ve got to get back there and get prepare...”

Stardust looked over to Spike when the dragon trailed off. Spike was staring off into the tunnel leading further into the mountain. Stardust furrowed his brow and walked over to him. “Hey, what’s the matter?”

Spike didn’t answer. Instead, his nose twitched, followed by a dreamy expression to spread on his face.

Stardust poked him with a wing. “Hey, don’t be falling asleep on me now. You said you’d stay up.”

“Gemssssssssss...”

The chocobo snapped back his wing as though it had touched a hot poker. “Wha-what are you—hey!” Stardust cried out, Spike having bolted down the cave tunnel. He hesitated for only a second before running after him.

Spike ran as though he were possessed, a deduction Stardust would have agreed with if he weren’t concentrating on keeping up with the surprisingly fast little dragon. The light from the entrance faded, forcing Stardust to rely on his other senses to avoid crashing into stalagmites or walls. So focused was he on staying close to Spike that the sudden increase in brightness took him completely by surprise. Stardust shook his head and blinked rapidly to allow his eyes to adjust to the unexpected light. Slowly, he opened his eyes fully and took in his surroundings. Immediately, his eyes widened and drool dribbled down his beak.

They were in a large cavern, big enough to comfortably hold the entire population of South Fillygaro. The cave walls glowed with an eerie blue light, the source of the illumination. However, the light from the walls highlighted the source of Stardust’s attention: mountains and mountains of gems.

Gems of every color imaginable sparkled from one end of the cavern to the other. Every single inch of space on the floor was covered in rubies, emeralds, diamonds and many more types of gems. Their glittery surfaces matched Stardust’s own eyes as he beheld the most marvelous scene he had ever witnessed.

“It’s... beautiful...” he breathed out.

His legs moved on their own accord, bringing him closer to the colossal treasure of shiny things. Distantly, he noted that Spike was already having the time of his life, swimming through the gems as though they were a pool of water. Stardust ignored him and stepped up to the first gem in his path, a bright yellow topaz. He flicked it up into the air with a talon and caught it with an outstretched wing. Gazing into its depths, Stardust was delighted to see his own fractured reflections beaming back at him. He giggled happily and placed it in his pouch. Stardust took another step and came across a deep purple amethyst, greedily picked it up with his beak and added it next to the other gem. Another step brought him next to a blue sapphire and in it went into his bag. Soon, his pouches were bursting with jewels and he hadn’t even reached the first huge pile of gems yet.

A cry of delight brought his attention back to Spike. He looked up to see Spike standing on top of the largest mountain of gems in the cavern and holding up a gem the likes of which Stardust had never seen before. It was completely white and seem to glow with an inner light. Spike had the biggest smile on his face as he gazed lovingly at the gem.

“Spike!” Stardust called up to him. “That’s amazing! That one’s got to be worth a fortune!”

Spike ate the gem in one bite.

“Spike, you’re an idiot.”

Spike’s response was to give a satisfied belch.

“How dare you!”

The furious cry echoed throughout the cavern, rattling the mountain of gems under Spike’s feet. He gave a cry as the gems cascaded down in an avalanche of rainbow rocks. He landed with a plop at Stardust’s talons and oohed at all the gems with wings swirling around his head.

“You will pay for eating from my hoard!” the booming voice continued.

“That’s our cue to leave!” Stardust announced and picked up Spike and quickly placed him on his back. He whirled around—

—only to let out a horrified “Kweh!” as a figure jumped down from above and landed in front of him.

“Prepare to die!

"... why are you laughing?”

The new figure, a light blue male dragon twice the size of Spike, arched an eyebrow at the sight of Stardust and Spike rolling on the ground, rocked with uncontrollable laughter. “Hey! Don’t ignore me! I’m threatening you here!”

The squeaky, high pitched noise that was the dragon’s voice only made Stardust and Spike howl harder with mirth.

“Y-y-y-you’re the *gasp* big b-b-b-ad *snort* dragon of the *snortle* mountain?” Stardust managed to get out in between fits of laughter.

“Heh, heh, heh! I’ve got sisters that are bigger than you!” Spike added and slapped the ground with a claw. “Oh, my sides!”

The dragon stared at the two, his jaw slack and hanging. Slowly, his features contorted into a fierce look of rage, though his cheeks had a tinge of pink to them. “You... you jerks! You laugh at me, one of the Dragons of Destruction?! Fools! Taste the might of the Ice Dragon!” With that, the Ice Dragon took a deep breath and spewed frigid air at the duo.

The shock of cold heading towards them snapped Stardust and Spike out of their laughing fit. Stardust swiftly picked up Spike in his beak and dove out of the way of the incoming blizzard breath. The pile of gems directly behind them became encased in ice within seconds. Unwilling to know what a chococicle felt like, Stardust launched himself towards the Ice Dragon. The unexpected move caught the Ice Dragon completely by surprise, allowing Stardust to use the dragon’s head as a springboard and jump over him. The chocobo landed and took off down the tunnel leading towards the exit.

“Come back here!” the Ice Dragon bellowed and chased after them. However, his short and stout legs couldn’t keep up with Stardust’s much longer and faster strides, and he quickly fell behind.

Stardust raced through the cave, the sounds of the Ice Dragon falling away. However, he didn’t slow down for a moment. The cave was no longer safe and the Returners would need to be woken up so they could escape before they became a dragon’s frozen dinner.

“Oh, I don’t feel so good...” Spike moaned on Stardust’s back. “Don’t move so fast...”

Stardust ignored him and navigated the cave as best he could with the limited lighting. Soon, he saw the light from the opening before him. With renewed vigor, Stardust pushed himself harder, nearly throwing Spike off of him with the sudden burst of speed. He finally stopped when he was right in the middle of the sleeping Returners.

“Get up! Everychoco get up, now! Hurry!”

Two chocobos bolted awake while the others groggily yawned and blinked their eyes open. Of the two alert ones, one of them was Razzledown. He rushed up to Stardust and asked, “What’s going on? Is there a problem?”

A roar that rattled the entire cave woke up the rest of the group.

“You could say that,” Stardust said.

Razzledown turned away from him and addressed the others. “Grab what you can and clear out! Now!”

He didn’t have to say it twice. Each chocobo put on their sacks as quickly as possible and rushed for the entrance. They screeched to a halt when a tall, shadowy figure stepped in front of them, blocking the entrance.

The yeti gave a happy wave. In his other hand he held the bone that Stardust had given him earlier, though now it had been sharpened to a point, resembling a small dagger. Another roar came from the cave, closer than the last time. The yeti stepped aside and motioned for the chocobos to go past him. “Run...” he grumbled and pointed towards the north. “Top of mountain... there...”

“Th-thanks,” Razzledown stuttered. He darted past the yeti, followed closely by the rest of the Returners.

Stardust and Spike were the last to approach him. “Um... hey, big guy,” Stardust said.

“You’re... not going to fight on your own... are you?” Spike managed to say as he clutched his stomach.

“There you are!” the squeaky voice of the Ice Dragon cried out. His eyes filled with hate the moment he saw the two creatures responsible for humiliating him. “Die!”

All at once, the yeti picked up Stardust and Spike and hurled them out of the cave. He turned and charged the approaching Ice Dragon.

Outside, Stardust and Spike coughed and sputtered out all the snow they had swallowed when they landed. They rose to their feet just in time to witness the cave entrance freeze over completely by thick ice.

“Oh no...” Spike groaned and started towards the sealed up cave. “This is... all my fault.”

“You two!” the distant cry of Razzledown came to them from further up the mountain. “Come on, move!”

“Let’s go, Spike,” Stardust said gently. He bent down, picked up Spike in his beak and placed him on his back. “He wanted us to leave so that’s what we’ll do.” Stardust gave a final salute to the cave with a wing and rushed off to catch up with the Returners.

They reached the others within minutes. Razzledown looked the two over quickly for injuries then urged the group to continue on. “We scouted ahead and we’re actually closer to the top that I realized. Just over that next ridge and we can start climbing down.”

The very mountain shook from the roar of a very angry dragon.

“Did I say climb? I meant scramble!”

The flock of chocobos ”Warked!” in unison and took off, not daring to look behind them. They ran and jumped their way up the last ridge and at last came to the top of the peak. Below them, a long stretch of snow fields led to the valley connected to Neighshe.

“All right,” Razzledown said. “Going down should be easier but watch your step and—”

“Hurk!” Spike suddenly covered his mouth with his claws. His mouth bulged as though he meant to throw up, which was exactly what he did. A loud belch proceeded a stream of ice that Stardust barely ducked in time to avoid. The super cooled air traveled down the slope and instantly froze the snow into a smooth, glistening road of ice.

“... I guess that works too,” Razzledown finished. He turned to Spike and said, “Can you keep that up?”

Spike moaned and wiped his mouth with the back of a claw. “Ugh, I don’t know. My breath can change with gems but it doesn’t last long. I... I don’t know what I ate back there—ULP!” His mouth clamped shut and his cheeks bulged again in a desperate attempt to keep in his breath.

“Don’t waste it here!” Razzledown zipped behind Stardust and pushed the startled chocobo and his ice-breathing companion onto the sheet of ice. Stardust cried out in dismay as he slid down the ice head-first. Just as the two reached the end of the ice slide, Spike spewed out another ice cold breath, making the improvised path longer. “C’mon! Follow them!”

One by one, the chocobos jumped on the ice sheet and skidded down the mountain. Spike continued to suck in air and blow out more ice to keep the slide going. Luck was with them as there were no rocks to impede their way, allowing for a smooth ride all the way down.

That is, until they reached a cliff.

“Hold on!” Stardust yelled as they careened over the edge and into the open air. The chocobo spread his wings but that did little to slow their fall. Stardust squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the splat that would end his life.

The splat never came. But a splash did.

“Gah!” Stardust kicked his talons on instinct and managed to keep his head above the river he and Spike had fallen into. The strong stream carried them for a minute before it settled down and brought them to a river bank. Stardust trudged out of the river and shook himself, dislodging Spike who collapsed to the ground. Behind them, the rest of the Returners emerged from the river.

“I say, that was the most insane experience of my life, and I’ve been around,” Razzledown said, dripping water but with a huge grin on his face. He came up to Stardust and Spike and pat each on the head. “You two are going to get yourself killed one of these days, but by Roc it’ll be one heck of a ride.” He stepped away and took in his surroundings. “Well, I’ll be. It looks like we took the Lete River after all. We’re just a quick sprint to Neighshe!”

A rousing cheer came from the chocobos and they congratulated each other on a successful trip. A few minutes later and they headed off towards the the north and their ultimate destination.

Stardust and Spike stayed behind. They both looked up at the Trotscale Mountains they had just escaped from, their eyes searching for any signs of movement on the snowy peaks above.

“You think he’s okay?” Spike asked at length.

“Don’t know,” Stardust responded. “I hope so. He’s the kind of client I want to keep around. Trading a bone for my life? Sold.”

“Yeah...”

The two stared at the mountain one last time, before following after the Returners.

.o.O.o.

“Finally, we got our own part!” Spike cheered and thrust a claw into the air.

“Yeah, and we got in a character that most players hate to use!” Stardust added.

“How’s that for improv? Welp, we’re down to two scenarios now. Twilight and her party are still on their way down the Lete River while AJ has been captured by the Domarians. Who will you choose? Let us know!”

“Chocos for life!”

In Which a Meme is Born

“This is all your fault, you know.”

“Shaddap.”

“I came here to find work and make a killing, but noooooooo, you had to have delusions of grandeur. And now we’re stuck here with no weapons, no food, and no hope of escape.”

“Would you quit your whining, already?”

“Whining? Mare Do Well does not whine, you country bumpkin. I’m complaining.”

“Then stop complaining, darn you!” Applejack roared. “I didn’t ask you to follow me.”

Mare Do Well harrumphed and turned her nose up in the air. “You’re right. I should never have agreed to follow you.”

Applejack glared at the masked pony. If it weren’t for the silver bars separating their cells, the farmer had half a mind to buck Mare Do Well until the annoying unicorn’s coat was as purple as her cape. Unfortunately, that little fantasy would have to wait. The bars the two mares were trapped behind were made of mythril, and not even a firm Pummeling had an effect on them. Mare Do Well’s magic similarly slipped off the mystical metal as though the bars were a greased pig. They weren’t going anywhere unless their captors allowed it.

A pitiful mew came from a smaller cage further down the dungeon hall, gaining Mare Do Well’s attention. “I’m sorry Opal, but Mommy can’t help you. My magic doesn’t reach that far. We’ll just have to wait until these ruffians decide to come down here so that I can give them a good whats for!”

“Yeah, it’s been over an hour since they put us in here,” Applejack stated, looking up at the ceiling. “Just what in the name of oats and apples have they been doing all this time?”

.o.O.o.

Several floors above, a long wooden table with a plethora of food and drink was set up within the grand dining room of the castle. The room was large enough to hold a hundred ponies and still have room for more. Tapestries displaying battles of old and banners of the kingdom’s seal hung from the walls and ceilings. Set up against the walls of the room at regular intervals were gleaming suits of armor on pegs, showing off the history of warriors long gone.

King Domare, a large brown stallion with several battle scars littered over his body, held up a golden goblet and declared, “A toast! To our victorious soldiers!”

“Hurray!” came the answering cry.

“The Empire thought they had found easy pickings, but our strength and valor have proven that we are not to be trifled with!”

“Huzzah!”

“And let us not forget the brave soldiers who fell in the line of duty! May their souls rest in peace!”

“Hurrah!”

“To Domare!” His speech given, the king downed the contents of his goblet in one gulp. Around him, his faithful subjects did the same with their own cups, then slammed the cups down on the dining room table. Servants quickly refilled all the cups and passed them around to others in the crowd.

One servant spotted Shining Armor, who was mingling with his guards and congratulating them on the battle. The servant walked up to him and offered him a cup. “Sire, please have a drink, compliments of our king.”

Shining Armor eyed the offered drink dubiously. “I don’t know if I should. We’re technically still on alert.” He cast a quick glance around the room and smirked when he saw that everypony’s attention was elsewhere. “... Buuuut, maybe a little won’t hurt.” He reached forward with his pink magic to take hold of the cup—

—only for a light blue aura to surround it instead. The cup floated past a stunned Shining Armor where it came to rest in front of a pink pony mare with both a horn and wings. Before he could react, the newcomer drank the liquid with one graceful sip and then returned the cup back to the servant.

“Shiney, trying to slip one past while still on duty? Tsk. What would father say?”

Shining Armor sheepishly smiled and pawed at the floor. “We watered it down...” he weakly defended.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza sidled up to her husband and nuzzled him on the cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll save plenty for you once this war is over. Until then, my prince, better stay vigilant.”

“Heh, yes dear.”

“Daddy!”

A white blur shot from behind Cadence and wrapped itself around Shining Armor’s neck. “Did we win? Huh? Huh? Huh?”

“Easy there, son,” Shining Armor said to his young colt. The little unicorn pouted at the nickname, but Shining Armor smiled and rubbed his son’s maroon mane affectionately and placed him down on the floor. “Yes, we won. But there’s still more battles that I’ll have to deal with, so be a good boy and protect your mother. Okay?”

“Okay!” His son saluted, ran in front of Cadence and puffed out his chest. “No bad guys will get by me!”

Shining Armor smiled and gave a salute of his own. “I’ll hold you to that, soldier. Now, be brave while I have a chat with some new friends of ours.”

The young colt enthusiastically returned the salute. “Yes, sir!”

Cadence chuckled at the antics. She stepped up to her husband and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Do us proud.”

With his cheeks burning and his smile widening, Shining Armor nodded and trotted off for the exit. The sounds of merriment and laughter faded away as he made his way deeper and deeper into the castle.

.o.O.o.

“Forty-seven buckets of oats on the wall, forty-seven buckets of oats. Take one down, pass it around, you got forty-six buckets of oats on the wall. Forty-six buckets of oats on the wall—”

A door opened at the end of the hall, spilling in daylight into the dank dungeon and stopping Applejack’s song.

“Oh, thank the sun!” Mare Do Well cried out. She ran up to the bars of her cell, wrapped her hooves around them and shook them as violently as she could. “Let me out of this cell! Or at least put me someplace where I shan't hear this mockery of music assaulting my ears!”

Shining Armor, followed by two Domarian guards, stepped through the door and up to his two captives. His gaze drifted from one to the other until settling on Mare Do Well. “What’s with the outfit? You some special Empire spy?”

Mare Do Well snorted. “Hardly. If I was, do you really think this would keep me inconspicuous?”

“Good point. So let’s see who’s underneath the mask.” Mare Do Well gasped as a pink aura surrounded her cowl and lifted it above her head. Her white face became revealed, followed by a cascade of curly purple hair.

“How dare you!” Mare Do Well screamed. She gnashed her teeth and lit up her horn with a blue glow, but the feeling of a pointed edge against her throat dissuaded her from using her gathered magic. She glanced down and resisted the urge to gulp at the katana pressed against her coat.

“You have a pretty face, my lady,” Shining Armor stated calmly. “Please don’t give me a reason to mess it up.” He nodded when Mare Do Well’s magic around her horn disappeared, and he lowered his sword. “There, no harm done.”

The glare Mare Do Well sent Shining Armor’s way would have incinerated a lesser stallion. She opened her mouth to speak but somepony else beat her to it.

“Hey, I remember you,” Applejack said, her eyes widening at the sight of the white unicorn. “You’re that prissy mare I met back in South Fillygaro!” She gave a laugh and slapped the floor with a hoof. “Well don’t that beat all!”

“I fail to see what’s so funny about this,” the unicorn snapped.

Applejack let out a few more guffaws, wiped a stray tear from her eye and grinned at the mare. “I just never woulda guessed it would’ve been you all this time. Even your cat didn’t clue me in. Now don’t I feel a might silly. What was your name again?”

Mare Do Well looked pointedly away. “It hardly matters what my name is. Mare Do Well is all you need to know.”

“Actually, I would like to know,” Shining Armor spoke up. “And after you tell me your names, you can start telling me what you know about the Empire’s plans against us.” His katana levitated before him, the tip pointed towards the captive.

The unmasked unicorn mare snarled, baring her teeth. Shining Armor stared impassively back at her and tapped the bars with his weapon. “It’s Rarity.” She said her name as though it would cast a curse on the stallion in front of her.

“There, that wasn’t so hard.” Shining Armor faced the other captive. “And yours?”

“Applejack, owner of Fillygaro Orchards,” Applejack said. She tipped her hat, the one piece of clothing besides her horseshoes that she had managed to keep.

Shining Armor’s jaw dropped. “A-Applejack? The Applejack? The Empire’s ally?” He narrowed his eyes and pointed his katana at her. “You lie. What would somepony like that be doing fighting on the front lines? Or is the Empire that desperate?”

“Honest truth, partner. And I should let ya know, that my allegiance with the Empire is only a front. I’m one-hundred percent behind the Returners.

“As for being here...” Applejack looked away, cringing at her next words. “Well, that’s a long story. The long and short of it is that my orchard got attacked by my so-called allies and I had to flee. An accident sent me here when me and some others were on our way to Neighshe. The Empire wants an esper that was found there. So I’m on my way back to help ‘em out.”

“You’ll pardon me... if I find what you say hard to swallow,” Shining Armor replied once Applejack paused in her tale. “How can I believe you?”

Firming up her features, Applejack turned to face Shining Armor and stared him directly in the eyes. “The Returner leader is Mayor Mare. I’m sure you’ve heard the name. From what she told me, your king sent over one-hundred thousand gil to help us fund some of our early missions. I thank ya kindly for that, by the way.”

Shining Armor eyed Applejack for a time, measuring her words and the frank expression on her face. Finally, he sighed and placed his katana away. “This is too unreal. I need to speak to the king about this before I can do anything about letting you out.”

“And how long with that take, hmm?” Rarity asked, pointing her nose up into the air. “Waiting around in this dank dungeon is ruining my complexion, not to mention all the gil I’m losing out on from potential clients.”

“I can’t say. Just a little longer, my lady.” He turned to leave, but stopped mid-stride and turned back. “What were you doing with the army, by the way? You didn’t explain that.”

“Just tryin’ to sneak past and got caught up in all the fuss,” Applejack answered with a shrug. “We were just going to slip away and head south, but that no good feather duster Gilda was doing something sneaky...”

“... Yes?” Shining Armor prompted when Applejack remained silent for several seconds.

Her eyes were wide and wild as she said, “Did... did any of you find a small bottle where you found us?”

Shining Armor tilted his head, staring off into space. “I don’t remember seeing one, no.”

“Gilda was up to somethin’ when we fought her. Something about findin’ a drain. I... I think she meant to dump whatever she had in your water.”

Realization came swiftly. Shining Armor quickly turned on his guards and thrust a hoof towards the ceiling. “Get upstairs, quick!” He burst past them, charging down the hall and up the stairs as fast as he could go. His guards swiftly followed after him.

None of them noticed a blue aura lifting a set of keys off one of the guard’s sides as he raced away.

.o.O.o.

“My liege! Everyone! Stop drinking! Don’t...” Shining Armor’s voice trailed off as he entered the dining room. The sight that greeted him would forever be etched into his mind.

All around him, ponies lay on the floor or slouched against the table. Shining Armor ran up to the nearest stallion, propped him up and shook his shoulders. “Stay with me! Open your eyes!” The stallion in his forelegs didn’t respond, his head slumping against his chest the moment Shining Armor stopped jostling him. Breathing heavily, Shining placed the stallion down, next to a discarded, empty cup.

Behind him, the two guards entered the room and gaped at all their kinsmen laying prone everywhere they looked. Shining Armor stepped up to the two and bellowed, “Don’t just stand there! Check for survivors!” The guards nodded hurriedly and began inspecting each pony for signs of life.

“The king!” Shining Armor gasped. “Keep searching!” He galloped to the end of the dining room, keeping his eyes forward and not on the piles of ponies around him. He burst through a door connecting to the grand hall and waded through even more Domarians collapsed on the floor. A sob broke through his mouth as he passed Comet Tail sprawled over the stairs; stairs the yellow unicorn had been standing on not hours before giving orders to his troops. With a mighty buck, Shining Armor kicked open the heavy iron doors leading to the king’s room and rushed in. At the foot of the throne lay King Domare.

“My leige!” Shining Armor cleared the distance in two strides and cradled Domare in his hooves. “Your Majesty, please say something!”

For several heart-pounding moments, the king remained motionless. Then, slowly and tiredly, Domare creaked open his eyes. Domare coughed and stared blankly ahead.

“You’re alive!” Shining Armor exclaimed. He propped the king up into a more comfortable position. “Sir, stay with me! I’ll get help!”

“Shining... I...” Domare struggled to get out. “I... don’t have... much time.”

“Don’t speak! Save your strength.”

“Cadence. Go to... her.”

An icy cold feeling gripped Shining Armor’s chest. “I will! Just hold on.”

A weak cough came from the king, followed by a long, drawn out breath. Domare closed his eyes and remained still.

“Sire! Sire!”

Shining Armor shook his king, trying to keep Domare awake and aware. Reaching forward with a trembling hoof, he pressed against Domare’s neck. No pulse could be felt, nor any intakes of air.

“Sir!”

Shining Armor didn’t respond to his guard’s cry. He continued to hold the king, staring at the still body in his hooves.

“Sir. Is... is he?”

Shining Armor nodded wordlessly. He gently set down Domare on the floor and gave a solemn salute to his fallen monarch. A moment of silence passed, their grieving cut short with the pressing matters at hand. Shining Armor turned and headed out of the room, his guard following behind. They both closed the doors, sealing up their king within.

Finally, Shining Armor spoke. “Did you find any survivors?”

The guard looked away, unable to look his captain in the eye. “None so far.”

The freezing feeling returned, with added urgency. “Keep searching. I must check on Cadence.”

“Of course, sir.”

The two stallions separated, one heading for the residential quarters while Shining Armor rushed to the east tower where his room was located. A journey that should have taken minutes only took seconds as Shining Armor charged through the halls and up to his bedroom door. He burst through and shouted, “Cadence!”

A pink form laying at the foot of his bed caught his attention. “No...” He was at his wife’s side in an instant. He cradled Cadence’s body, even more gently than he had with the king. “Cadence... you... you can’t... Don’t leave me!”

She didn’t respond. No hint of life remained in her. Tears welled within his eyes and he was no longer able to hold them back. The small droplets of water fell upon Cadence’s serene face. “This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening!”

Crying freely, Shining Armor lifted Cadence with his magic and placed her on the bed. He placed a tender kiss to his wife’s cheek and ran a hoof through her mane. “Wait for me, my darling. Just a little longer...” He gave her one last hug and kiss, then turned and headed for the door.

He had taken only a few steps when his pupils shrank to pin pricks and he bared his teeth. “WHY?!” he bellowed to the heavens. “Those sick bastards! I’ll never forgive them! I’ll kill them all!”

.o.O.o.

The castle was quiet. Too quiet. Death’s stink filled the air, causing Applejack’s hair on her coat to stand on end. Everywhere she looked, ponies lay where they fell. One pegasus pony must have fallen while flying, as she dangled over the outside castle way and threatened to fall over the side at any moment. Applejack hadn’t the heart to see the poor soul like that and had pulled her down with her lasso. She placed the Domarian next to her fellows, tipped her hat, and continued on her way.

“This... this is just awful,” Applejack said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I know, darling,” Rarity, once again dressed in her Mare Do Well disguise, responded next to her. “I know.”

Applejack couldn’t find the words to express how horrified she was. Would this have been the fate of Fillygaro, if her orchard didn’t have its failsafe submergent system? Would she be walking past dead friends and colleagues, ponies she had known since she was a filly, if she hadn’t decided to run when she did?

It was too much. Applejack stumbled and fell, the urge to vomit welling within her. Rarity gasped, stepped up to her and knelt down beside her. “Dear, are you alright? You didn’t drink any of the water, did you?”

A wail escaped from Applejack, her eyes shut tight and tears leaking to the ground. She lay there, consumed with grief and sorrow. How long she remained that way, she couldn’t say. Rarity didn’t press her to keep moving.

Finally, Applejack’s sobbing ended. She sniffled a few times and wiped the tears from her muzzle. She looked up at Rarity, a desperate need in her eyes. “We need to stop them.”

Rarity looked away, her gaze sweeping over the bodies surrounding them. The poison had gotten to everypony, young and old alike. She shuddered, shook her head and offered a hoof to Applejack. “I’m inclined to agree. I will not stand to allow this to happen again. Let’s go.”

Applejack took a few seconds more to compose herself, then accepted the hoof and pulled herself up. “Right. We can’t stay here. We gotta head south.”

“Come along—”

The sound of sniffling alerted them of another’s presence.

Applejack’s ears perked up and the makings of a smile began to form. “Hey! Who’s there? Don’t be afraid! We ain’t gonna hurt ya!”

From underneath a red carpet that had been pushed up against a stone wall, a small colt peeked out and stared at the two mares. His eyes were wide, with tears streaming down his face and leaking on the floor. He ducked back under the carpet upon seeing two ponies he didn’t recognize. “Who... who are you?”

Rarity made to step forward but an orange hoof held her back. “Let me handle this. Yer not exactly dressed to be approachable.” Rarity snorted but deferred to the other mare. Applejack gave a grateful smile and trotted towards the young pony. “My name’s Applejack. This here’s... Mare Do Well. What’s yer name?”

The colt looked up at her with uncertain eyes. He swallowed and said, “Um, Spot—no... I mean...”

~ A rambunctious colt with a curious ability to find the problem before anypony else does... ~

“My name’s Spotter.”

“Well, howdy Spotter. Why don’t you come out from under there? I promise I ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

Spotter didn’t move an inch from his semi-hiding place. “I... I don’t know you. You could be from the bad guys.”

Applejack sighed. She sat down on the ground, bringing her head level to Spotter’s. “I don’t blame ya for thinking that. Things have been pretty scary for us too. I’m a Returner and we’re doing what we can to make things better.”

“Returner?” Spotter blinked away his tears and inched a little closer. “My daddy talked about them.”

“Really? Then you know we’re the good guys, right?”

“I guess...”

“So... whatcha doin’ out here?”

“I... I... was looking for help for... for my momma...” Like a switch had been thrown, Spotter began to cry uncontrollably. Applejack gulped and crept forward. She managed to get close enough to place a hoof on the colt’s back. Without warning, Spotter shot out from under the carpet and latched onto Applejack as though he were drowning and she were the only lifeline.

Applejack hesitated for only a moment before wrapping her hooves around the distraught colt. She patted and rubbed his back as he unleashed a torrent of tears onto her chest. Just like Rarity had done for her, Applejack let Spotter get it all out of his system. There was no hurrying grief when it came to family, something the farm pony was sadly very familiar with.

A furious cry shattered the somber moment.

Spotter jerked in Applejack’s legs and looked towards the sound. “D-Daddy?”

Suddenly, a side door burst open and Shining Armor charged out into the courtyard. The vicious look of death that his father had in his eyes made Spotter shrink back in shock and fear. The Domare captain rushed past his son and the two mares as though they weren’t even there. Shining Armor galloped straight for the main castle entrance but two guards stepped in front of him, baring his path.

“Sir, please st—”

The guard’s words were cut off as Shining Armor knocked his fellows aside like they were rag dolls, flinging them to opposite ends of the yard. His speed hadn’t slowed in the slightest. He reached the heavy iron doors leading out, kicked them open with a mighty buck, and headed out into the fading daylight.

“Dad!”

Spotter quickly squirmed his way out of Applejack’s grasp and ran after his father’s retreating figure.

“No, Spotter!” Applejack called after him. “It’s too dangerous!”

“I don’t think he’s in the right mind to listen to us now,” Rarity said, coming up next to Applejack. “Much like his father, it appears.”

“If they won’t listen to reason, then they’ll listen to the bottom of my hooves!” With that, Applejack took off at full speed, leaving Rarity behind in a cloud of dust.

The costumed vigilante huffed. “Why is everypony so quick to run off like that?” Heaving a sigh, Rarity followed after her reluctant companion.

.o.O.o.

“Everypony get into formation. We’ll be heading out in a few minutes.”

Imperial soldiers lined up at their commander’s orders, swiftly forming an offensive line. The two dozen ponies were lightly equipped, with only leather armor and holstered swords at their sides. It was a far cry from the army that had marched to war earlier that day, but given the intel that they had been given, they weren’t expecting much resistance.

The commander looked them over and nodded in approval. Today would be a day to remember. In one final push, Domare would be theirs for the taking. Making it all the sweeter was that General Zecora and that lunatic Gilda were no longer around to take the glory. Zecora had been called back to the Imperial capital while Gilda had been relocated to South Fillygaro to start the assault on Neigshe. With both high ranking officers gone, he would be the one to march into Domare and bask in the victory.

“Preparations finished? Alright then! March!”

The regime of soldiers saluted and trotted forward.

They stopped in their tracks as a white figure crested a hill at full gallop. A katana hovered before him in a telekinetic grip, its razor sharp edge pointed directly at them.

“I am Shining Armor, captain of his Majesty Domare! Have at you!”

Shining Armor plowed into the shocked soldiers before they even had a chance to draw their weapons. Two were cut down in an instant. A third attempted to draw his sword but he never got it out of its sheath. Training and constant drilling finally took over and the rest of the regime bore down on the lone stallion.

“Surround him!” the commander cried out. “Don’t let him get aw—” His orders abruptly cut off from a sword in his throat.

“Officers should know better than to give away their identities!” Shining Armor stated and pulled his sword free. He let out a yelp of pain as one soldier swiped at him with a sword, drawing a thin cut against his side. Shining Armor turned to face his assailant but a flash of steel out of the corner of his eye forced him to raise his katana to block a strike meant for his neck. He rolled away from a thrust to his chest from another, hopped back to his hooves and crossed swords with three separate blades from above. A mighty shove from both his weapon and forehooves pushed his enemies back.

“Tell me who’s responsible for the poison and I’ll spare your lives!”

The response from the Imperials came from pointed ends.

.o.O.o.

Spotter's legs shook when he moved, his throat burned when he breathed, and he was so exhausted he could barely see straight. Still, he forced himself onward in spite of the pain. He couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop.

His father was out there. Dad needed him. Mother would cry if he came back hurt. Spotter didn’t want to see that happen. There had been too much crying already. Big colts weren’t supposed to cry, not if they wanted to become big and strong like his father.

Without warning, Spotter felt something clip a hind hoof and the world spun around him. A dizzying kaleidoscope of colors and images rushed past his eyes. How long it lasted, Spotter didn’t know. What he did know was that when it stopped, he could feel grass tickling his nose and dirt under his belly. He blinked wearily and moved to stand back up, but his body wouldn’t obey his commands and fell back down. With his adrenaline ebbing away, his body reminded him of how tired it was and that it needed rest.

“Can’t... stop...” Spotter gasped out. He tried lifting his head but even that proved too much for him. He sagged against the ground, completely spent. The colt sniffed, feeling completely helpless. If only he weren’t so useless, he could save Shining Armor and bring him back home. They’d be greeted by Mother and they’d be happy again and everything would go back to how it was and...

Something wrapped around his torso and pulled him up from the ground. Spotter could do little more than gasp as all the aches and pains of his body flared up from the sudden movement. Unable to turn his head to see what was happening, he looked down to see an orange leg holding him up. A moment later, a hoof ran gently through his mane and a soft voice cooed, “Whoa there, partner. Take it easy.”

It was the mare he met at the castle. The nice one that had talked to him when he had been too frightened by all the unmoving ponies all over the place. Without realizing it, he snuggled into her embrace, feeling the same comfort that his mom would give him when he felt sad like now. He felt his eyes grow heavy as all he wanted to do was fall asleep and hopefully wake up from this bad dream.

Then an image of Shining Armor rushing out of the castle flashed in his mind’s eye.

“My... my dad...” Spotter croaked out. He coughed weakly, his body still recovering from his mad flight to find his father. “Please... help... my dad.”

“Shhhh, it’s okay. I had planned to. You just rest and I’ll do the rest.” She paused and her body turned slightly. “You gonna help? I could really use it.”

“I suppose,” another voice spoke, this one also a mare. “Though I must say this whole venture has been a complete disaster.”

“I’ll make it up to ya. A whole lifetime supply of apples, just fer you.”

“Well, with such a generous offer like that, how could I refuse?”

“Then let’s do it.” Spotter felt himself lifted again and laid on a soft but firm surface. What felt like rope was tied around him, keeping him in place. “Hang on there, little guy. We’re takin’ off.”

He was moving again, but now with somepony else doing the work. Spotter would have cried if he had any more tears to give. Instead, he gripped the sides of the pony he was riding as best he could and thanked his lucky stars for the help.

.o.O.o.

The moment Applejack reached the top of a hill overlooking the Imperial camp, she knew she didn’t have much time. Shining Armor was below and fighting like a pony possessed. Bodies of soldiers littered the ground all around him and more were being added every second. However, she could see reinforcements from the camp heading his way and no amount of fancy swordplay would be able to keep him alive for much longer. Minding her new passenger, Applejack charged forward with Rarity right behind her.

“Yeehaw!” the farmer roared at the top of her lungs. The distraction worked as several Imperials stopped in their tracks and turned their heads towards the unexpected sound. The next moment, they were knocked aside like bowling pins. “You boys are in for a bruisin’!”

Rarity was not idle either. She gracefully slipped past any pony attempting to engage her, bucking all that passed by. Underneath her purple hat, her horn lit up and she levitated a half-dozen small needles from within her costume. Opalescence suddenly leapt from her concealment and scratched and bit at two soldiers trying to flank Rarity. With them distracted, the masked unicorn embedded her improvised weapons into their soft leg tissue. The Imperials screamed in pain and dropped to the ground, clutching their limbs.

“Good work, Opal,” she said to her pet and scratched Opalescence behind the ears, eliciting a content purr. Rarity retracted the needles and made ready for her next opponent.

“I think we need some space!” Applejack said above the din of battle. She reared up on her hind legs and cupped her hooves together near her chest. “Aurabolt!” A brilliant beam of white light erupted out of her hooves and slammed into a line of soldiers heading her way. The power of the attack was such that it blasted the stunned Imperials far away from the rest of the battlefield. The rest of the remaining soldiers saw this and collectively decided that this was too much for them. A cry of retreat was heard and all the Imperials immediately stopped their fighting and fled for the base.

Applejack stuck a hoof into the air. “Git along, little ponies! Ha ha!”

A strangled cry from her back reminded her of the reason she was here. “Ah, shoot! Sorry there, Spotter!”

“Spotter?!”

All at once, Shining Armor was at Applejack’s side and cradled his son in his hooves as best he could. “Son! You’re alive! I... I... thought you were... were dead...” He held his son tightly, crying into his little body.

“Not on my watch, he ain’t,” Applejack said with a grin.

“As much as I hate to break up such a touching scene,” Rarity spoke up and pointed a hoof towards the camp, “we’re going to be having company soon.”

Sure enough, the rumble and clang of heavy equipment being powered up was heard from the encampment. It would only be a few minutes before the Empire’s magitek armor would bear down on them with the force of a behemoth.

“Then we better not be here when they get ready,” Applejack stated. She craned her neck and bopped her hoof against Shining Armor’s head, gaining his attention. “Hey! Where to?”

Shining Armor blinked. He looked up from holding his son, still strapped to Applejack’s back, realization of the situation entering his eyes. “We... we can’t go back to Domare. There’s... nopony left there to... to defend it.” His eyes darted from one end of the landscape to another, searching for any means of escape. His gaze finally settled to the south. “The Everfree Forest. It’s our only chance.”

“Right. Let’s blow this locus field!”

“Hold on. Let me get Spotter off your bac—”

Applejack pushed Shining Armor away before he could begin to untie his son. “He’ll only slow us down if we untie him. Don’t worry, I won’t let any harm come to him. You have my word.”

The stallion swallowed the lump forming in his throat. “... Alright. I believe you.”

The mare gestured with a hoof towards the south. “Lead the way, partner.”

Shining Armor nodded. “Right. This way.” With that, he galloped off, closely followed by the last two ponies he would ever expect to help him.

.o.O.o.

The Everfree Forest had been deemed by many sentient species to be a cursed place; a spot on the world where ponies went in, but never came out. Given the low hanging tree branches with their withered leaves and the ghostly mist that blanketed every inch of space, Applejack was inclined to agree.

“This place gives me the creeps,” she commented in a low tone. She had a dreadful feeling that raising her voice would alert any monsters hiding in the rolling fog.

Next to her, Shining Armor grunted his agreement. “You wouldn’t be the first to say that. This forest is the last place anypony in their right mind would come to. I’m hoping the Imperials are just as superstitious as the rest.”

“Let’s hope when Rarity gets back, she’ll have good news on that.”

“Indeed.”

The two ponies were in a small clearing next to a sparkling lake, waiting for the masked mare to return after volunteering to check on their pursuers. If anypony was qualified to sneak on their enemies without getting caught, it was Rarity.

It had only been a few minutes since Rarity left but already the oppressive forest around them was making Applejack uneasy. It was like the woods themselves were silently watching them. Applejack wanted nothing more than to keep moving and get out of the forest as fast as she could.

Suddenly, she felt a presence next to her and jumped with a shriek that echoed throughout the Everfree.

“Sorry!” Shining Armor waved his hooves in a placating manner and gave an embarrassed smile. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Well, you did!” Applejack yelled back. Her heart beat so fast in her chest, she wondered if it would burst out. “What do you want?!”

“I... I just want to check on Spot.”

“Oh.”

Applejack looked away sheepishly, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Spotter was still tied to her back. She turned so that the drowsy colt was facing his father. Shining Armor stepped up and ran a hoof through Spotter’s mane.

“Hey buddy. How you feeling?”

Spotter responded by giving a great yawn. “I’m tired...”

“Here, let me get you off of there and get you a drink. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Using his magic, Shining Armor untied the lasso holding his son to Applejack’s back and levitated Spotter up and onto his own back. He hoofed over the lasso to Applejack, nodded and headed for the lake. The mare took a moment to gather up her lasso and followed after them. At the lake shore, Shining Armor carefully held Spotter as the little colt lapped up the water with his pink tongue. Soon, Spotter had drank his fill and fell back into his father’s hooves. In no time, Spotter was snoring softly into Shining Armor’s chest.

“Cute little fella, ain’t he?” Applejack said, sitting down next to them.

“Yes,” Shining Armor replied. “Though, that probably comes from his mother.”

An uncomfortable silence followed. Just as Applejack thought it would be best to leave, Shining Armor spoke up. “I want to thank you for taking care of him back there. It means so much to me.”

Applejack gave a tiny smile. “Shucks, weren’t nothin’. Just the right thing to do.”

“After the way I treated you back in the dungeons, I didn’t think you’d want anything to do with me.”

“Look, it’s water under the bridge. You were just doin’ your job. Ain’t no harm done. I can’t speak for Rarity, but we’re fightin’ a common enemy and I can’t be holdin’ no grudges.” Applejack looked away and over the expansive lake. “Besides, I know a thing or three about losin’ family...”

“You’ve... lost some of your own?” Shining Armor gulped and his ears folded back when Applejack frowned and closed her eyes. Thinking fast, he blurted out, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to! I completely understand.”

The farmer didn’t respond right away, leaving Shining Armor worried that he had offended her. Kicking himself mentally for bringing up such a touchy subject, his mind raced for a solution out of this mess before he dug himself deeper.

Applejack beat him to it. “Nah. I brought it up. It’s... It’s alright. It’s been... a while now and—”

“The coast is clear, darlings!”

“GAAAAHHHH!”

Rarity stepped back as Applejack launched into the air and landed in Shining Armor’s forelegs. Though neither of them could see it, Rarity smirked underneath her mask. “Oh. Am I interrupting something?”

“What’s it with you ponies and scarin’ the daylights out of me today?!” Applejack roared. She quickly noticed where she had ended up and hastily vacated Shining Armor’s grip, a heavy blush forming on her muzzle. “Pardon.”

“N-No harm done,” Shining Armor said, grateful that he had acted fast enough to catch the startled mare and keep her from squashing his son.

“Whadja find out?” Applejack asked, sidestepping any potential questions that she wasn’t in the mood to answer.

“Well, the Empire turned back well before we reached the forest so we’re free and clear,” Rarity stated. “Also, on my way back I came across some railroad tracks and thought that we could follow them out of the forest. How’s that sound?”

“Railroad tracks?” Shining Armor spoke up. He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. “They must be what’s left of Domare’s railway system years ago. I think I was told that it used to run all the way from the castle to the Veldt.”

“Could the Veldt lead us to Neighshe in some way?” Applejack wondered.

“Maybe. It’s worth a shot at any rate.”

“Then it’s settled. Lead the way, Rarity.”

A low growl emanated from Rarity’s throat. “Dear, grant me one favor and refer to me as Mare Do Well. I have an identity to protect, even way out in the middle of nowhere.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Fine. Fine. Move ‘em out... Mare Do Well.”

“Very good. Follow me, if you would.”

.o.O.o.

Finding the train tracks was surprisingly easy, considering it was the dead of night and every inch of the forest was covered in dense foliage and deep mist. Dim moonlight filtered through the treetops, giving just enough light to see by but only a few hooves ahead at any time. It was as if the Everfree were opening up itself to let the ponies past. Within minutes, Rarity located the tracks and the group followed the southern rail. Nopony had much to say, content to keep quiet lest they attract the attention of any wild beasts in the area.

Once or twice, Applejack could have sworn she felt vibrations through the tracks underneath her. She shook off the sensation as nonsense. The tracks were crumbling beyond use. No train would be able to run off of them.

After a mile of travel, they came across something rather peculiar.

An old, decrepit station building loomed before them. It was constructed of brick walls and wooden roofing, though the roof had long since collapsed from termites and rot. A concrete platform where passengers could get off and on a train was still intact, though it too showed the effects of the elements and neglect. Rust covered the entirety of the guard rails surrounding the platform, with several sharp edges jutting out from fractures in the casing. Overall, it looked just as gloomy and uninviting as the rest of the Everfree Forest.

“Can we go in there and check it out, Dad?” Spotter piped up, showing more energy than he had since leaving Domare. “It looks so neat!”

Shining Armor grimaced at the sight. “Spot, I really don’t think it’s safe to—”

“Oh wow, a train!” Spotter, gaining a surge of youthful energy, leapt off his father’s back and raced towards the other end of the station. The tiny unicorn was half-way around the building before Shining Armor regained his senses and chased after him.

“Spot! Come back! We don’t have time for this!”

The stallion rounded the corner and caught sight of Spotter ascending a ramp leading to a platform connected to a train car. Specifically, a caboose. Just like the building it sat next to, the caboose was in foul shape. It was colored a dirty brown, a shade Shining Armor doubted had been its original hue. Rust and grime seemed to make up its sole composition, looking as though it would fall apart at any moment.

Spotter ran into it without any hesitation.

“Spotter!” Shining Armor called out. “Come out of there right now!”

“This is so cool!” came Spotter’s muffled voice.

“Don’t make me come in there and get you!”

However, Shining Armor’s threat either didn’t reach his son or his son didn’t care. His chest tightened the longer Spotter was out of sight. Unable to bear the thought of something happening, Shining Armor quickly trotted up the rickety ramp and onto the platform. He noticed Applejack and Rarity following after him, but held up a hoof. “Stay here. I’ll get him.” He turned back to the caboose and disappeared inside.

That’s when a sound like an eerie fog horn reached their ears.

Applejack and Rarity’s eyes widened in horror as the caboose began to move, attached to cars unseen in the dark.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Applejack cursed to the sky. “C’mon!” She charged ahead at full speed and jumped for the speeding caboose. She nimbly landed onto the filthy floor of the car railing and quickly turned around. “Hurry up, Mare Do Well!”

Rarity huffed and pushed her legs to move with all her might to keep up with the caboose. She heaved herself into the air... only to realize too late that she wasn’t going to make it.

A golden lasso snaked through the air, looped around Rarity’s waist and yanked her forward. She cleared the rest of the way and landed with a thump next to Applejack, with Opalescence tumbling out to collapse into her own heap.

“Hoowe, that was a close one wasn’t it?” Applejack said to the laid-out unicorn.

“Eeeeewwwwww, this rust is going to leave a stain!”

“... Yer welcome.”

That was when Shining Armor burst through the entrance to the caboose, breaking off a hinge to the door where it hung haphazardly. Spotter clung to his back, his coat looking even whiter than normal. “We have to get off this train! NOW!” Not waiting for the two mares to act on his orders, he grunted and levitated them up into the air, then took a leap off the moving car.

They barely cleared the railing when an unknown force threw them back.

A collective groan came from the pony pile that resulted. “We’re too late...” Shining Armor moaned from the bottom of the pile.

“What in tarnation are you goin’ on about?” Applejack asked. Gingerly, she extracted herself from the tangle of limbs and helped the others to their hooves.

Shining Armor looked out at the terrain speeding by and swallowed. “This... is the Phantom Train.” A shudder passed through him that he wasn’t able to suppress. “It’s a train that ferries the dead on to the afterlife. I’m not sure how it came into being, but rumor has it that it was created by the restless spirits of a horrific train accident. Now it takes the dead to Tartarus so that ponies can leave the living world in peace.”

Utter silence descended upon them. Only the sound of the cars rolling against the rails reached their ears. Finally, Rarity managed to find her voice. “But... but we’re not dead!”

“She’s right!” Applejack added. “We can’t be goin’ to Tartarus! We got too much to do here!”

“I’m sorry,” Shining Armor said, lowering his head. “But I don’t think we’ll be able to get off unless the train lets us.”

“Then we need to find a way to convince it ta let us go!” Applejack turned and headed towards the broken caboose entrance. “It’s not doin’ us any good standin’ around, so hop to it!”

“My, my, my, somepony’s being bossy today,” Rarity quipped.

“I’ve got friends waitin’ for me. I’m not about to let them down.”

.o.O.o.

The Phantom Train quickly lived up to its creepy name and purpose. The very first passenger car the group came across left no doubt of that. Dozens of sentient races, not just ponies, sat side by side in the blood red seats set up at comfortable distances of each other. Ponies, griffons, chocobos and even cows all sat next to each other, patiently waiting for the end of the final line.

The one thing they all had in common, was that they were all transparent.

“I get the distinct feeling that we don’t belong here,” Rarity said, making her way towards the end of the car. The passengers gave the group curious glances as they walked by, but seemed content to leave them alone.

“I’ve got the same feeling,” Shining Armor responded. Occasionally, he glanced over the ponies sitting quietly in their seats, as though looking for somepony in particular, but just as quickly turned back to focus on the way ahead. “Let’s hope we can find a way to get off before we attract the wrong type of attention.”

The ponies remained silent after that, as though talking might provoke the spirits all around them. Only the clacking of the car’s wheels against the tracks reached their ears, the constant noise droning on and on. Even Spotter, who trotted close to Shining Armor, was staying quiet. Shining Armor hoped he remained that way for the remainder of their stay here. He loved his son dearly, but the little colt could really be a pain-in-the-flank when he got curious.

They reached the end of the passenger car and stepped out to the railing leading to the next. The Everfree Forest whizzed by on either side of them, though it was hard to tell if the train was really making any discernible distance. Every tree looked like the last and the ever present mist obscured any features they could use as a landmark. An unsettling thought passed through them, that they were already too late; that they were now in the afterlife and that the scenery was the same as the living world to help the spirits adjust to the transition.

Applejack shook her head to clear herself of such thoughts and entered the next passenger car. This one was much the same as the last, with rows of seats on either side of the car and many filled with passengers. She led the others down the spacious aisle, keeping her eyes open for anything that might take exception to them being there. As it turned out, she was half right.

Halfway through the car, a grey stallion wearing a well-tailored black suit and cap materialized in front of them. He took his cap off, bowed low and said in a hollow voice, “Well, well, well. This is a rare sight. Four ponies and none of them are dead or dying. May I ask how you all came to be here?”

“Ah, well...” Applejack began to answer, looking nervously over her shoulder at the others. “We ah, we made a mistake and got trapped here. You... wouldn’t happen to know how we can get off, wouldja?”

“What, trying to prolong the inevitable, are you? You do know all of you must make this journey someday.”

“Maybe, but we got too much to live for now. You gonna help us or not?”

“Hmm, I suppose I should. The other passengers might get jealous of you being here. I’m the Conductor, and I can’t have a ruined schedule. Follow me, if you would.” Without a second look, the Conductor turned and trotted towards the end of the car.

Applejack twisted her head to regard her companions. “Should we follow?”

Rarity shrugged. “He seems to want us gone as much as we do. I don’t see why not.”

“Same here,” Shining Armor seconded.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Spotter sheepishly said, crossing his hind legs.

Shining Armor facehooved. “Of all the times. Just... try and hold it, son. All good soldiers need to learn how to do it. Okay?”

His son grimaced briefly before firming up his features and gave a confident nod. “Okay!” He beamed when his father smiled down at him and ruffled his mane.

With everypony in agreement, the group followed after the Conductor. He led them through more cars, one of which was a fancy dining room while another had private cabins. These caught Rarity’s eye.

“How does one manage to get one of these rooms? Do the dead have a social class as well?”

The Conductor continued his steady trot, keeping his face forward as he spoke, “No. Anyone can use them. But most of the passengers are still getting used to being dead. They tend to stick together rather than seek solitude. Comfort in numbers if I were to guess.” He stopped at the next door, cleared his throat and gestured for the group to go through. “Go through here to reach the engine. You’ll have to ask the Phantom Train itself to let you leave.”

Applejack blinked. “Ask... the train?” she asked, staring wide eyed at the Conductor. “You serious?”

“Deathly so. The Phantom Train has a will of its own. It even takes on different forms depending on its surroundings. Last time it was a stagecoach and before that a large chariot. This train form has suited its purpose well since it can carry so many souls at the same time.”

“Well... that’s good, I guess,” Applejack said and headed forward. “I’ve got a thing or two to say—”

“Don’t take another step!”

Everypony looked up and gaped when a tan pegasus pony wearing a olive vest and white pith helmet dropped down and blocked Applejack’s path. The mare stood on her hind legs, swept back her grey mane and brandished a black whip in her hooves. “The treasure is mine! You can’t have it!”

Everypony blinked.

“... What treasure?” Applejack asked.

“You think I’m going to tell you, you ox?”

“Ox?!” Applejack screeched and set herself into a battle stance. “Just who the hay are you?”

“Ah ha! The ox bellows! You are in the presence of the greatest adventurer that has ever lived, Daring Do!”

The farmer looked back at her companions. “You ever heard of her?”

“No.”

“Not to my knowledge, darling.”

“Can’t... hold it... much.... longer...”

Applejack turned back to face Daring Do. “Nope.”

The adventurer stared, her jaw hanging open. “But... but surely you’ve heard about...” Daring Do shook her head, raised her whip and growled, “No matter. You’re not getting by me. Whatever is behind this door must be pretty good if you all want it so badly. It’s mine and nopony—”

Daring Do’s whip suddenly sprang to life, coiling around the pegasus like a snake. She cried out in alarm as her legs and wings were pinned to her sides, completely immobilizing her. Now helpless, her body lifted into the air and drifted over to one of the cabins, Daring Do screaming for help the entire way. The door to the cabin opened up and the pegasus was unceremoniously tossed into the room followed by the door slamming shut.

Mare Do Well sighed as the magic in her horn faded away. “I figured we were in a hurry, and her voice was starting to grate on me.”

“Thanks Rar—Mare Do Well,” Applejack said. “She was remindin’ me a little too much of a friend I know back home. I don’t think I could have handled two of ‘em.” She adjusted her hat and made for the door the adventurer had been blocking. “C’mon. We’re almost out of here.”

.o.O.o.

Applejack’s eyes spun in their sockets trying to look over all the gears, knobs, levers and buttons inside the Phantom Train’s engine. Not one square hoof of space was spared for some type of contraption or doohikey. Just where was a pony supposed to begin?

“Ah, y’all wouldn’t know what to do, wouldja?”

Shining Armor trotted up to the control panel and gave a critical inspection of every doodad he came across. Finally, he stepped back and announced his findings.

“I haven’t got a clue.”

A collective facehoof resulted.

“Well then, what?” Applejack asked, exasperation thick in her voice. “Do we just yell at it until it stops?”

“Hold on,” Shining Armor said. “I’ve got an idea.” He stepped aside, revealing Spotter whose entire body was shaking and had his cheeks puffed out as though he were about to explode. “Hey Spotter. I’ve got something to take your mind off of things.”

“What?” Spotter strained to get out.

“You see this engine here? I want you to explore it for me and tell me what you find.”

The colt suddenly stopped his fidgeting and looked up at his father with starry eyes. “Really?”

“Yep! Have at it.”

With a cry of delight, Spotter leapt forward and began running around, taking in every sight that he could. “Can I press some of these buttons?!”

“Go ahead. If any one of us has an idea of what to do, it’d be you.”

“Yay!”

Applejack came up to Shining Armor as his son started pushing buttons and pulling levers. “You think this is a good idea? We don’t know what will happen.”

“You want to stay here?”

“Heck no!”

“Me neither. Maybe hitting one of these things will get its attention. After all, my son has a knack for ‘spotting’ the right way to things.”

“And what in tarnation does that—?”

Everypony fell to the floor in a heap when the train gave a sudden jerk. The squealing of metal on metal pierced their ears, followed by the eerie sound of the train’s horn.

So, you are the ones that do not belong here, an otherworldly voice said. You are wasting my time with your foolishness. Now, you shall pay.

Before anypony could react, a side door opened revealing the landscape scrolling by. The train’s horn sounded again, but this time it carried the noises of wailing spirits being endlessly tortured. The ponies screamed in anguish and covered their ears, but the Phantom Train’s Evil Toot would not be denied.

You will know the pain and suffering of those that sought peace after death only to experience eternal torment.

The group staggered from one end of the engine room to the other, feeling their very selves being stripped away layer by layer. Applejack wandered too close to the open door and the next moment she tumbled and fell out of sight. The others were too pain ridden to even call out her name.

I will deliver you to the lowest pits of Tartarus. None of you will ever feel joy again. Now begone to your rooms until judgement is cast upon you.

The Phantom Train’s power picked up the trembling ponies and carried them to the entrance to the passenger car, where the Conductor was waiting for them.

Lock them away until I call... What? What is happen...ing? N-No! Stop!

Shining Armor, Mare Do Well, and Spotter wearily opened their eyes in time to see the buckle holding the train with the car disconnect. Then, to everypony’s complete surprise, the Phantom Train rocketed into the sky. A speck of orange against the brown metal and rust of the engine was seen bracing itself. A cry of absolute rage and madness carried through the air. The train flipped over and descended like a meteor to impact with a resounding crash against the rails, crumpling the Phantom Train into a useless pile of scrap.

The others were too stunned to do anything but stare with their mouths hanging open. The cars' remaining momentum carried them to the sight of the crash where it bumped against the smoldering remains of the engine. Shining Armor clambered to his hooves and looked out over the smoking wreckage.

“A-Applejack...”

He pulled back when the metal of the engine began to move. Before everypony’s eyes, the engine began to pull itself back together, the sound of steel bending and scraping against each other making them cringe. A minute later, the Phantom Train was completely back to normal as though nothing had happened to it.

That hurt.

The side door to the engine burst open, revealing a familiar figure.

“It was supposed to, ya dang hunk o’ metal!” Applejack yelled. She thrust a hoof towards the smokestack and continued, “And I’ll do it again iffin you don’t let us go!”

Very well. I don’t have time to waste on you anymore. But I must make one last stop before I do. The engine started up and soon the entire train was moving again.

“Whatever.” Applejack adjusted her hat and hopped off the engine and next to her companions. She noticed their wide-eyed stares and shuffled a hoof on the floor. “What? What’re y’all lookin’ at?”

Shining Armor spoke first. “You just—”

“You just suplexed a motherbucking train!”

“Spotter! Language!”

“How... how did you do that?” Mare Do Well asked.

Applejack looked away, a blush spreading across her muzzle. “Well, ah, I just felt so mad when that dumb train used... whatever that was against us. My head got all foggy and all I could think of was to teach that no good varmint a lesson. I’m fine now, though! Don’t worry!”

Spotter ran up to her and gave her a hug, much to Applejack’s surprise. After a moment he pulled back, looking up at her with adoration. “But really, that was awesome!”

“Thanks, little guy.” Applejack smiled down at him and patted his back. She stopped when a repugnant smell reached her nose, causing her to scrunch up her face. “Uh, Spotter, did you—”

Further conversation halted when the Phantom Train’s horn blew again. The ponies cringed, expecting another excruciating experience, but nothing mind-bending happened to them.

“Next stop is coming up,” the Conductor said who had stood by impassively the entire time. “Get ready for departure.”

“Land sakes!” Applejack exclaimed. “Finally we can get off this bugger.”

The ponies looked over the railing and saw a station, much like the one where they found the Phantom Train, come into view. With a screech of brakes and hydraulics, the train slowed until it came to a complete stop. The group didn’t waste any time and hopped off the passenger car and onto the station platform.

“Sweet earth, how I’ve missed you,” Shining Armor said and kissed the floor. He immediately spat out a glob of dust.

“Dad, stop, you’re embarrassing me...”

“Says the soldier who can’t hold his bladder.”

“DAAAAAAAD!”

“I don’t know about the rest of you,” Mare Do Well announced, speaking over Spotter's whining, “but I’d rather we leave this forest as soon as possible.”

Shining Armor nodded even as he wiped his mouth clean. “You’re right. Barren Falls should be just south of here. That’ll lead us to the Veldt and from there...”

Everypony eyed Shining Armor curiously when his directions trailed off.

“What’s the matter?” Applejack asked, prodding the stallion with a hoof. “You ferget or somethin’?”

“Cadence...”

“Huh, what—”

“Cadence!”

Without warning, Shining Armor shoved past Applejack, knocking the mare prone, and rushed towards the other end of the platform. A long line of transparent ponies were boarding the train but only one caught his eye; a pink alicorn stepping into the passenger car and out of view.

“CADENCE!”

That’s when the train’s horn blew and began to move.

“No! Stop! Cadence!”

Either by the sound of his voice or the will of fate, Mi Amore Cadenza cantered out of the car followed by a yellow unicorn. Her ethereal voice carried over the train’s wheels against the tracks. “Shining Armor, my beloved.”

“Cadence!” Shining Armor chased after her but the train was already past the platform.

Even still, Cadence’s words reached him. “I'm sorry, but our ponies need me to watch over them. I'll be waiting for you once you've made sure that the world is safe for our son to grow up in. I’ll protect our people while you protect the world!”

“Sir!” Comet Tail saluted. “I will do everything in my power to help her. I promise to keep her safe!”

“Adieu, Shining Armor. Adieu, Spotter!”

The Phantom Train disappeared into the mist of the forest, one last toot of its horn reaching everypony’s ears. Soon, even that faded away to nothing.

Shining Armor was left on the platform, staring out where he had last seen his wife. “Cadence...”

The sound of clopping hooves behind him was distantly heard. He continued to stare forward, until a small voice reached him.

“Daddy?”

Shining Armor looked down, Spotter looking back with teary eyes.

“Wha-What’s happened to Mom? Is... is she...”

Tears leaking out of his own eyes, Shining Armor reached down and gathered up his son into a tight hug. No more words were said. No more words were needed.

They stayed that way, crying into each other’s shoulders.

.o.O.o.

Spike and Stardust stared blankly at the screen.

“... Got anything to say?” Spike asked.

“My mind is too blown to say anything,” Stardust replied blankly.

“Yeah... Um, that’s it for now. Only two more to vote for. Twilight’s escapades in Neighshe, or the conclusion to Applejack, Shining Armor, Spotter, and the most beautiful unicorn to have ever lived adventures. So, uh, let us know in the comments, would ya?”

“I need to invent hard liquor for chocobos now. Got any pomegranate?”

“I don’t think any exists in this game.”

“... Crap.”

Wherein the Truth is Revealed (April Foals)

“F-Fire!” Twilight Sparkle cried out. A searing stream of flame launched from her horn and struck the nautiloid full on. The octopus-like creature let out a wail of pain before falling back into the water from whence it came. Twilight let out a shuddering breath while wiping her forehead of sweat.

“Duck, Miss Twilight!”

The unicorn squawked in alarm and flattened herself on the wooden raft. A pair of cross bolts whizzed past her head and impacted against the hide of an exocite coming up from behind her. It crumpled in a heap of chitinous skin.

Big Macintosh walked up to the monster and pushed it off the raft and back into the Lete River. He turned and smiled down at Twilight and offered her a hoof. “Sorry ‘bout that. You hurt?”

Twilight accepted the hoof and pulled herself up. “Y-yes. I’m fine. Thank you.” She cast a weary glance down the river and sighed. “I’ll be better once we get off this raft.”

“Just a little longer,” Mayor Mare assured her. She stood at the front of the raft, a wooden pole in her hooves and doing her best to steer the raft as it floated down the Lete. “In fact, if I remember correctly—Ah ha! There!” Mayor Mare pointed a hoof further ahead where the rocky cliffs that surrounded the river finally came to an end.

With Big Macintosh’s help, Mayor Mare managed to push the raft towards a grassy bank just past the cliffs. No sooner had the raft touched the riverbank than Twilight rushed forward and jumped onto the solid ground. The mare fondly caressed the dirt with her hooves and even gave the ground a quick kiss.

“And this is supposed to be the wicked witch that’s killed countless ponies,” Mayor Mare said, though a smirk and a glint in her eye gave away any hurtful intent. She scanned the area, taking note of the fading daylight, and nodded her head. “We’ll make camp here. Get rested up because we have a busy day ahead of us when we get to Neighshe.”

No complaints came from the others and soon a fire and tent were set up. After a quick dinner of rations, the ponies settled down and let sweet slumber wash over them.

.o.O.o.

The entrance to Neighshe loomed over the gathered Returners, the dull-grey stone archway seamlessly blending into the mountain from which they were cut. Beyond the archway was a town of simple wood and brick houses surrounded by metal heaters spewing steam into the cold air. Beyond even the town rose the mountains the contained hundreds of years worth of coal that would heat the mining town for generations to come.

As long as the town managed to live that long, that is.

Twilight Sparkle shuddered as a memory of passing under this same entrance and riding Magitek Armor flashed through her mind. It seemed like a lifetime ago when she was nothing more than a tool for destruction. Now she had returned, this time with the intention of waking up an esper and asking its help to stop this senseless fighting. She couldn’t let what happened here, Fillygaro or at the Returners’ base happen ever again.

“Let’s get a move on,” Mayor Mare said and trotted forward. “Everypony, be on your best behavior. I don’t want—”

“Halt!”

Three Neighshe guards walked up to the entrance, blocking the path of the Returners. “What business do you have here?”

Mayor Mare turned and held up a hoof at the Returners. “Stay put. I’ll take care of this.” She strode purposely up to the guards and gave them a bow. “I’m Mayor Mare and I would like to have a meeting with your elder.”

The guards looked at each other briefly, sharing a look, then faced the mare again. “No.”

Mayor Mare pinned her ears back and gave them an incredulous look. “No? But we—”

“We said no!” the guard yelled in her face. “No get out of here. If you don’t...” He and his companions pulled out swords from their scabbards and pointed them at the group.

Mayor Mare waved her hooves in a placating manner. “Alright! Alright! We’re going.” Grumbling under her breath, she turned and motioned with her head for Twi and Big Macintosh to follow her. They walked away from the town and its dangerous guardponies until the guards were lost in the billowing snow falling from the sky. Silently, she pointed back the way they came but over to a rock formation to the west of town. They made their way over to the mountain wall and began inspecting it.

“Um,” Twilight spoke up, biting her lower lip. “I think I know how to get in. You see...” She explained how Rainbow Dash crashed into the library, toppling countless books from the impact of her failed landing.

Wait a minute...

“Rainbow!”

Rainbow Dash let out a pained groan and gingerly picked herself up and out of the mountain of books that had fallen on her. “Sorry, Twilight. You know, you should really think about putting in a landing strip for me when I want to stop by. Think about all the work you’ll be saving by not having to keep putting things back!”

A low, dangerous growl escaped from Twilight Sparkle’s mouth. She deftly paused her game and stomped up to the disaster prone pegasus. “If you would just use the door like any normal pony, this wouldn’t keep happening!”

“Hey, I can’t be stopping for little things like doors and windows,” Rainbow Dash defended. “I’ve got placed to be and ponies to meet. Besides, I’ve seen you magic all this stuff back. It doesn’t take that long.”

“Ugh! That’s not an excuse.” Twilight punctuated her statement with a not-so-gentle hoof to Rainbow Dash’s chest. “You have got to stop crashing into things like my poor tree. What if you were to get hurt? What then?”

“Chillax,” Rainbow Dash replied, waving off Twilight’s concerns with a hoof. “So, are we on?”

“You’re kinda early,” Twilight said, looking up at the clock. “Your turn isn’t scheduled for another thirty minutes.”

The pegasus let out a loud huff. “Aw, c’mon. I’ve been waiting all day and you’ve got it all to yourself. Can’t we switch turns just this once?”

“That’s what you said yesterday.”

“Then just this twice!”

“Rainbow—”

“Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!”

Twilight threw up her hooves in exasperation. “Okay! Okay! I’ll save my game and get yours set up.” Shaking her head, Twilight stepped over to the Super Fillycon Entertainment System, picked up the controller with her magic and proceeded to walk her character on the screen out of town. One quick save later, she switched off the SFES, pulled out her vintage copy of Pony Fantasy VI and carefully placed it in its box.

Behind her, Rainbow Dash rubbed her fore hooves together while grinning from ear to ear. “Oh, I can’t wait! I’m finally going to get that sword and totally blow through Nightmare Moon’s castle and beat this game!”

Twilight hid a smirk from her friend as she placed in the game that Rainbow Dash had grown so fond of the past few weeks. The pegasus was really getting into the story just like she would a Daring Do novel. Twilight couldn’t blame her; it did have an exciting premise. A flick of the SFES on switch booted up the system and game, displaying a golden pendulum swinging back and forth across the screen in time with a metronome.

“All right!” Rainbow Dash snatched the controller from Twilight’s magic and sat down to load up her save file. “Now to beat up those hairless monkeys that attacked the village. They’re goin’ down!”

Soon, Rainbow Dash was battling her way through the world of My Little Chrono Triggers Are Magic.

.o.O.o.

“Hey, Stardust, isn’t that the name of some other fanfic? You know, the one with all of the time jumping and stuff?”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right! Say,” the chocobo continued, frowning thoughtfully. “Isn’t it because of that story that we even exist? Who was it that said something in the comments about how awesome a Final Fantasy VI crossover would be? Ponysomething Fancyslacks?”

“No, it was Ponydora Prancypants!” Spike corrected, giving the chocobo a head smack. “I swear, Magical Trevor is just too easily riled up. Anyway, enough about that, though! What’s going to happen to the real Twilight? How will they fare surviving the rest of the rapids, and then on to Neighshe? Will they be able to convince Neighshe to help them in their plight?”

“That’s what I want to know!” Stardust complained, digging out a potion to drink. “I’m so bored! It takes forever just to get one measly chapter written, and the only thing to do around here is lose to you in clic-clac-claw, and drink potions!”

“Then stop drinking them all! We’re going to need those!”

“Whatever. I’m sure we’ll be fine. I mean, Twilight can cast Cure now! What could possibly go wrong?” Stardust laughed.

Spike paled, gaping at Stardust. “You... you... you...”

“What? Are handsome? Brave? Suave?” Stardust prompted, smirking.

“Are an idiot!” Spike shouted, lance held at the ready as he looked around. “Don’t you know better than to go saying something like that?! Now something bad is going to happen, and I’m not going to wait around to find out!”

Stardust stared at the retreating dragon for just a moment before he followed in a strangled wark. “H-Hey, wait for me!”

Author's Note

Alright, we couldn’t resist. Can you blame us? At least we kept it short so you knew it was an April Foal’s Day chapter! Originally we were going to work with Pav Feira to make our chapters coincide, but then Magical Trevor dropped the ball on the organization, so we fell back to this. Hope you enjoyed it, short as it was! We’re already at work on Twi’s segment, so don’t worry! It’s going to be done here eventually, and we’ll do our best to make sure it’s worth the wait!

In Which Twilight Returns to Neighshe

It had only been less than a day since leaving the Returner Hideout and already Twilight Sparkle was sick of water.

Sitting on a raft and dealing with the occasional river monster didn’t equate to a good time in her mind. Slaying creepy critters didn’t even help keep her mind off of what had befallen Applejack, who had ended up who knows where when the sea serpent had thrown the farmer down a separate channel of the Lete. Twilight hadn’t known Applejack all that long, but she could see the farmer had a good heart and wanted to make things better for everypony around. The last thing Twilight wanted was to see her hurt or worse after coming this far. Friends were in short supply lately and it pained her to think of losing even one.

The unicorn felt the raft shift slightly. She looked up to see Big Macintosh walking over to her with a concerned look on his muzzle. He sat down next to her and said, “You’re lookin’ down, Miss Twilight. Got somethin’ on your mind?”

Twilight frowned and looked away. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s Applejack, isn’t it?”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she whipped her head around to stare up at the stallion. “How did you know?”

“I didn’t,” Big Macintosh said with a smirk. “I guessed. Though it looks like I got it right.”

“Oh... yeah.” She gave a small, nervous chuckle before lowering her head and went back to staring ahead of the raft.

“I’m worried ’bout her too,” Big Macintosh continued. “My sis always took on more than she could chew but managed ta find a way to get by. She’ll be back, mark my words.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Eeyup.”

The two lapsed in a companionable silence, both content to let the other act as a silent anchor to the turmoil of their thoughts. The minutes slipped by and Twilight was content to let it stay this way, secure in the knowledge that her newfound friends cared for her safety, and she for theirs.

I don’t know why, but even on this raft with just Big Macintosh and Mayor Mare, I don’t feel so alone right now, Twilight thought. Even if I’m the only pony that can control magic and talk to espers, it doesn’t feel so bad. It’s strange. Is this... what it’s like to have friends? I... I hope that when I’m done and this fighting is all over I can enjoy this feeling again and again.

The sound of Mayor Mare clearing her throat brought her out of her pleasant daydreaming. “We’re almost at the end,” she said. “Don’t let your guard down, though.”

Indeed, the river’s current gradually slowed down and the rocky cliffs surrounding them gave way to open plains. A wind from the north blew past them, carrying a chill that made Twilight shudder. It was a familiar cold, reminding her of why she was here. Not too far from here, somewhere nestled in the mountains looming in the distance, was Neighshe. Her goal was there, the esper that had started this whole thing. She felt her heartbeat quicken, though if it was from anticipation or dread, she couldn’t say.

The rafts carrying the Returners ahead of them steered towards an embankment and the ponies on them quickly set about to tie the rafts down. Soon, the raft carrying Twilight and her group joined the others, allowing her to finally set her hooves down on solid ground. She didn’t get much time to enjoy her relief from the water when Mayor Mare spoke up.

“Everypony, can I have your attention? It’ll be getting dark soon so I want some of you to scout ahead and look for a good spot to camp for the night. Tomorrow we’ll reach Neighshe so be prepared for colder weather.”

Two Returners readily volunteered to scout and galloped off. The rest busied themselves with securing their gear from the rafts and hitching up for the journey ahead. Once the Returners were satisfied that they had everything, the small troupe of a dozen ponies left the river, heading west towards the snow capped mountains.

.o.O.o.

The road leading to Neighshe spread out before the ponies in a never ending landscape of ice and snow. The Returners had thought ahead, bringing enough heavy clothing for the trip through the tundra-like conditions leading to Neighshe. However, even the insulated jackets couldn’t keep the biting cold winds from penetrating through to the ponies underneath. Many could already feel their limbs going numb or their noses freezing up. It wasn’t so bad that frostbite was a worry yet, but they were miserable enough to want to get to the town soon and warm up.

All except one.

“Arn’t you cold, Miss Twilight?”

Twilight blinked and looked up at the pony who had spoken. Big Macintosh traveled next to her through the snow-covered grounds leading to the mountains. “Don’tcha want one o’ them jackets the others brought? I could lend ya mine.”

She smiled up at him. “Oh, no. I’m very comfortable. This cape,” Twilight said, running a hoof through the pink cloth draped over her body, “protects me from hot and cold temperatures. Spike gave it to me when I first met him.”

“Oh.” He nodded and continued trudging through the ankle deep snow. “Mighty useful, that.”

“Yep! Spike even gave me this sword, but I’m not very good with it yet.” Twilight looked away with a frown. “I actually hope that I never have to use it. I don’t even want to think about hurting somepony else with it.”

Big Macintosh gave a grunt of agreement. The two ceased conversation and continued traveling through the harsh weather. A short time later, at the head of the pack, Mayor Mare’s voice could be heard.

“Hang in there! Just a little further and we’ll be in Neighshe. I hear their outdoor furnaces run all day long to keep the whole town warm.”

The thought of a literal warm reception seemed to cheer up the traveling Returners and their pace quickened. Minutes later, against the gloom of the mountains, small pinpricks of light could be seen flickering like stars. The sight was enough to urge the travelers into a steady gallop until at last they reached the stone entrance to Neighshe.

“Finally,” Mayor Mare sighed out. “The coal they mine here must be worth a pretty gil for anypony to live in a place like this.” She turned to her companions and gave them a stern look. “Now then, we need to see the elder so be on your best behavior. It’ll be tricky enough to convince them to help us as it is.” All of the gathered Returners gave a sharp nod and stood a little straighter. “Good, now let’s go.”

With that, Mayor Mare whirled and marched forward—

“Oof!”

—right into the chest of a large, armored earth pony.

The local guardspony looked down his muzzle at the mare rubbing her now sore nose. “Can I help you, ma’am?” he drawled.

Mayor Mare recovered quickly and cleared her throat. “Yes, yes. You can. We need to see the head of your town as soon as possible. Can that be arranged?”

The dispassionate guard opened his mouth to respond but a glance through the rest of the group before him brought him up short. His mouth dropped as he stared at the small unicorn mare within the traveler’s ranks. He raised an uncertain hoof at her and said, “Wait. Weren’t you here a while ago with that dragon ambassador?”

Twilight Sparkle blinked and pointed at herself. “Who, me? Dragon ambassador?”

“Yeah, you and that mouthy pegasus with the weird mane. You were supposed to open up a trade route to Fillygaro.”

Twilight gulped as she racked her brain as to what happened on that fateful day. So much had happened so quickly that she wasn’t sure just how she had gotten out of Neighshe in the first place. “Um... it’s... in development?”

“Oh, really?” the guard replied, his features hardening. “Where’s your dragon friend, then? Seems he should be here to—”

“That will be enough.”

The guard started and backed away to let another guardspony by, this one wearing a golden insignia on his armor. He strode purposefully towards the Returners, heading towards Twilight, but stopped when Big Macintosh stepped in his way, the large earth pony towering over the Neighshe Marshal. The Marshal stood his ground, unperturbed by the red stallion. “She,” he said, pointed a hoof at Twilight, “the witch, is coming with us.”

“Now hold on!” Mayor Mare spoke up, shoving herself between the two stallions facing off. “We didn’t come here to start a fight. We need to—”

“The moment you brought that... creature here,” the Marshal cut in, “is the moment you endangered us all! She killed some of us the last time she was here and now you have the gall to bring her back? She’ll be seeing the elder, but as a prisoner.”

Throughout the Marshal’s tirade, Twilight shrank back, wincing at every harsh point he made. She bowed her head, ears laid back, and eyes tightly shut. A choked sob escaped from her mouth as tears streaked down her cheeks.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. It seemed everywhere she went, Twilight caused trouble. Why did this have to keep happening? Why did everypony’s lives keep being disrupted whenever she came into contact with them? Why couldn’t she just be a regular unicorn and live in peace?

Her swirling thoughts were interrupted when she felt a hoof rest on her withers. She blinked her tears away and looked up, into the smiling face of Big Macintosh. He patted her back gently, but didn’t say a word. Twilight attempted a smile of her own, but it died before it could form completely. She settled for simply nodding and leaning into his hoof. Somehow, his quiet act was enough to quell her emotions enough for her to compose herself. She sniffled and wiped her tears away and turned her attention back to the two ponies still arguing.

“Don’t you get that we don’t want your stupid war?!” the Marshal was shouting. “Leave us out of it!”

“You can’t seriously think Blueblood would ignore this town,” Mayor Mare countered. “He wants that esper and he’ll send an entire army here to do it!”

The Marshal bared his teeth and scuffed his hoof against the ground. “Then we’ll give them that too. Nothing has gone right since we found that thing.”

Mayor Mare shook her head in exasperation. This encounter wasn’t going smoothly in the slightest and tensions were rising quickly. If something wasn’t done to lower everypony’s growing emotions, a fight was bound to break out. These ponies were supposed to be the Returners’ new allies, not their enemies!

“Now, you can come quietly and without a fuss,” the Marshal said, “or we can do this the hard way.” The guards behind him pulled out their weapons, readying them for battle.

Several Returners did the same while Big Macintosh stood protectively over Twilight. The Neighshe guards inched closer, waiting for an opportunity to take down anypony that tried to get by. A standoff ensued, with neither side looking ready to back down.

“Marshal!”

The Marshal flicked his ears at the voice and groaned. “Back to your house, Bill Neigh. Or I’ll have you arrested too.”

A brown-coated earth pony stallion ran through the entrance archway and stood in front of the Marshal, wheezing as he took in air. The Marshal sighed and motioned a hoof to one of his guards but the stallion took a deep breath, raised a hoof and said, “Wait! These ponies are with me!”

The Marshal narrowed his eyes. “Start explaining, Bill.”

Bill Neigh took a moment to regain more of his breath before continuing. “I’m one of them, Marshal. I’m a Returner. I can vouch for all of them. These ponies just want to make the world a safer place. I swear that they mean you no harm.”

The Marshal’s features only darkened further. “And when were you going to tell us this, Bill? When it was the right moment to betray us? Huh?”

“Never!” Bill Neigh exclaimed and frantically shook his head. “I’m as much a Neighshean as I ever was!”

“And what of that witch?! She’s responsible for all of this!”

In response, Bill Neigh reached into a saddlebag draped over his back and pulled out a metal headband. “She’s not at fault, sir. This is a slave crown. Twilight Sparkle wore this when she came here. It allowed the Empire to control her actions. She’s as much a victim as everypony else.” He placed the slave crown back and looked earnestly at the Marshal. “Please, sir. Give them a chance to explain themselves. I take full responsibility for their actions.”

The Neighshean Marshal scowled at the old stallion before tracing his eyes over the ponies who had come here. They all had wary expressions, but also a sense of pleading. The Returners didn’t want this fight any more than the guards did.

“I’m going to Tartarus for this,” the Marshal grumbled and turned to face his guards. “Put your weapons away. We will escort them to the elder.”

Mayor Mare and Bill Neigh both shared a sigh of relief. Mayor Mare motioned for her own ponies to sheath their weapons as well.

“You had better be right about them, Bill,” the Marshal said over his back. “Because if you aren’t, all you have done is send us to an early grave.” With those words spoken, he and the guards marched into Neighshe.

“C’mon,” Mayor Mare ordered the Returners. She trotted forward, stopping when she stood next to Bill Neigh. Without warning, she wrapped her legs around the old stallion and gave him a tight hug. “Thanks, you old fool.”

Bill Neigh’s cheeks reddened, standing out completely from his coat. “Ah, shucks. Nothing to it.” He felt Mayor Mare give him one last squeeze, before she trotted off after the guards.

The rest of the Returners quickly followed. Only one hesitated, falling back as she watched all the ponies walking together into the town. A small smile graced her muzzle.

“Ponies solving their differences and working together without violence,” Twilight Sparkle murmured to herself. “... I... I don’t know why, but I think this is how it should be. Maybe this will all work out for everypony.” She nodded to herself, then scampered after her fellow equines.

.o.O.o.

“Well everypony, that’s it,” Spike said, giving a somber wave of his claw. “This is the last of the scenarios before we get to the finale with AJ.”

Next to him, Stardust also gave a wave with a wing. “We hope you’ve enjoyed this little bit of fan involvement! We know we did!”

“Yep!” Spike seconded. “We go back to our regularly scheduled plot. Be sure to be around for it!”

Stardust’s waving stopped suddenly. He looked down at Spike and said, “Hey... did we ever get paid for these extra bits?”

“We sure did!” Spike reached down and pulled up a bag bursting with gems. “These babies will last me ‘til next month!”

“Maybe if they were all yours, but half of those are mine,” Stardust pointed out. “Gimmie!” He lunged for the bag but Spike quickly pulled it away and ran off into the never-ending blackness.

“No way!” Spike called back, sticking out his forked tongue. “Mine!”

“Come back here!” Stardust screeched and ran after the fleeing baby dragon. The two took off into the background, their squabbling voices slowly fading away.

Wherein We Jump the Trench

Barron Falls lived up to everything it was known for. The waterfall stretched from one end of the half-mile canyon to the other, dumping tons of water every second. The sound of cascading water was so loud that the ponies could barely hear anything above a shout. A thin mist drifted through the air, obscuring the mountainous surroundings but giving the area a sense of sereneness under the noonday sun. A bright rainbow arched over the falls and the river below, topping off a scene that an artist could spend years trying to recreate on canvas but not capture one-tenth the grandeur.

All this was lost on Applejack as she stared down the grassy cliff overlooking the canyon below. “We... hafta jump?” she said with a gulp.

Next to her, Shining Armor stared at the mare as though she were crazy. Honestly, he was half a mind on that verdict. “Uh... no. There’s a path we can take to the bottom, over there. See?” He pointed a hoof at a worn path in the grass leading down the cliff.

“Oh... I guess that works too.”

“Let’s get going. Once we get down to the bottom, it’s still a day’s trot to the Veldt.” Shining Armor glanced down to the side and placed a hoof over his son’s back. “Ready Spot?”

Spotter sniffed, his eyes puffy and his nose runny. He wiped a hoof across his muzzle and gave a curt nod. “Yeah. I guess so.”

Shining Armor patted him on his back. “You’ll do fine, because you’re my brave little soldier.” Looking over his shoulder, he said, “We should go single file. I’ll go first.”

“Just a minute, there.”

The voice came from Rarity, who stepped up to the stallion and jabbed a hoof into his chest. “I’m not going anywhere until we clear something up. I held back because we were in danger and needed to get away, but I’ll go no further with you until I get an apology.”

Shining Armor blinked, giving the costumed pony a quizzical stare. “Apologies for what?”

“For your treatment of me in the cell! You assaulted me and took off my mask. Those are things I cannot let slide.”

“That’s what you do when you’re at war, lady,” Shining said, ending with a snort. “I was doing my duty.”

“Well, you can take your duty and shove—”

The two unicorns were suddenly pushed apart, Applejack between them and forcing them away with her forehooves. “Now hold on there, you two. We can’t be fightin’ each other with the Empire on our tails.” Applejack turned to Rarity. “I know it weren’t fun back there, but you gotta let it drop. This ain’t no time to be worryin’ about that.”

“Don’t tell me what I shan’t worry about!” She stamped a hoof into the ground and huffed air through her nostrils. “My identity is the most important thing I have and this brute here caustically cast it aside!” She whirled around and began trotting away. “If this is the type of treatment I can expect, then goodbye.”

“Wait! Mare Do Well!” Applejack made to chase after her, but a tug on her tail kept her from moving. She looked behind her and saw a thin veil of pink surrounding it. Shining Armor galloped forward, past Applejack and placed himself in front of Rarity's path.

Rarity reared back, lighting up her horn and levitating her knife in front of her. “You better not think that I won’t cut you—”

“I’m sorry.”

Rarity cocked her head, though her knife remained at the ready. “I’m listening.”

The stallion sighed and looked down. “I’m a Domarian. Above all else, we are to uphold our honor and treat others with respect. Even with our enemies and especially mares. I went over the line. A lady like you should not have been treated that way.

“Understand that I did what I did for the safety of my kingdom. However, that doesn’t excuse my actions. Not completely. So, please accept my apology. I swear on my sword that I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”

The two ponies held their positions, the wind through the grass and the roar of the falls the only sounds in the area.

Rarity’s knife slashed through the air.

“Daddy!” Spotter cried. He rushed forward but Applejack grabbed hold of him before he got too far.

A bundle of blue hair fell to the ground. Rarity levitated it up even as she placed her weapon away. “Let this be a reminder. Do not cross me again.” She let go of the hair where it fluttered away in the breeze. She turned and marched back towards the cliff. “Oh, and I accept your apology, dear!”

Shining Armor’s eyes drifted up, catching sight of his forelock now cut just before it reached his horn. He gulped. “Joy.”

Spotter finally squirmed out of Applejack’s grasp and ran up to his father. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just enjoying the pleasant breeze.”

“Don’t be standing around, everypony!” Rarity called over her shoulder. “We have a deadline to meet!”

“C’mon,” Shining Armor said, prodding his son forward. “Let’s not keep the lady waiting. I want to keep the rest of my mane where it is.”

.o.O.o.

The trail leading down the cliff facing Barron Falls was narrower than the ponies anticipated. They were forced to walk single file and keep an eye on their footing. Progress was slow but steady, as no pony wanted to make a mistake that could send them over the edge. The path curved around the mountain, taking the travelers closer to the falls, until the path went behind the falls themselves. The crash of water was deafening, urging the ponies to move quickly through lest they spend the rest of the day with a headache.

That was when the piranhas attacked.

“Rrrrraaaaaagggghhhhh!”

Applejack snapped her head towards the shrill shrieks and gasped. “Incoming!”

The piranhas came flying out from the falling water, converging on them in a mass of fins and grey scales. Their gnashing mouths snapping at the ponies with razor sharp teeth strong enough to rip flesh from bone. Applejack, Shining Armor, and Rarity barely had time to ready themselves before they were hit with the first wave.

“Keep together!” Shining Armor yelled, even as he sliced through any piranha that got close to him with his sword. “Don’t let them separate us!”

“That might be easier said than done!” Applejack said. She braced her forehooves against the ground and kicked out in a blur of legs against the deadly fish. The piranha crumpled under her onslaught and fell off the cliff in droves. More launched themselves from the water to replace their fallen brethren, their frenzy too high to care about any danger.

Rarity wasn’t idle either, slashing with her knife in quick and precise movements. Her knife whirled through the air, and where it traveled, piranha died. Opalescence stood on her back and swiped at any fish that managed to get past her mistress’ blade.

Behind Shining Armor, Spotter crouched down to make himself as small as possible. He watched with wide eyes as his father cut down wave after wave of monsters, doing his best to stay out of the way. Since he was unoccupied with fighting for his life, Spotter was the only one to notice the large shadow descending from above.

“Watch out!”

His words came too late. A red piranha three times larger than the others burst out of the waterfall. It opened its jaws, wide enough to rip a pony in half, and lunged at Shining Armor. The stallion did the only thing he could; he levitated his sword before him. The piranha bit down.

The squeal of metal on bone filled the air. The piranha’s jaws gnashed at a frenzied pace against the sword lodged in its mouth, shearing flesh and teeth in all directions. Shining Armor roared as he pushed back with all his magical might to keep the predator away, but the momentum of the piranha’s flight proved too much. It crashed against the cliff, causing the entire area to shake and tremble. The rocky path couldn’t withstand the impact and began to crumble, bits of dirt and rocks falling into the waters below.

“Hang on!” Shining Armor cried out. He reached for Spotter, managing to wrap a hoof around his son’s neck—

—and then felt himself fall.

He heard the others give calls of distress but the cascading waters drowned out their voices, even as the falls themselves claimed him.

.o.O.o.

Her wings beat against the air, propelling her body higher. Up here, she could see the Veldt in all its glory, from the sprawling plains with its countless herds of animals, to the high mountains rising in the distance. A warm updraft hit her barrel, causing her to giggle. She spread her wings as far as they could go and let the current take her on a gentle glide. Nothing beat the freedom of flying, of rising high above the world and taking in all its splendor.

Well, maybe except baked goods. But really, what could top that?

She drifted for a few more miles, enjoying the pleasant breeze even as her eyes scanned for any stray clouds. The village was running dry on water again and they’d be so grateful to her for taking the initiative and gathering up some storm clouds to make things easier on them. They had been so happy last time she managed to bring them rain that they had hollered her name for hours. It made her feel giddy to bring that kind of joy to such nice zebras.

Unfortunately, today there were hardly any clouds in the sky. She had already flown farther than she ever had before and there were still no sign of any clouds. She lifted a hoof to her eyes to help block out the sun, but even the slightly better focus wasn’t helping her locate anything resembling a—

Something white moved below her, catching the pony’s attention. It was near a flowing river that spilled into the Veldt from the north. Perhaps the clouds were trying to trick her and were hiding on the ground? Clever, but not enough to fool her!

She brought her wings in closer to her body and started a descent. As she lost altitude, the white thing became clearer and clearer, until she made out that it wasn’t a cloud at all, but some type of animal. She sighed and her ears drooped. False alarm.

Moments before she opened her wings to rise back up into the air, the animal moved again. She was now close enough to see more details and her eyes widened at what she saw. It was a pony!

The mare giggled. A pony! Something that was just like her! This definitely needed to be looked into further.

She circled above the new pony, slowly working her way down. At last she touched the ground, folded in her wings, and approached her fellow equine. It was a colt, and a young looking one at that. The colt was laying on the ground next to the bank of the river, completely drenched and struggling to pull itself forward. She noticed a small bump protruding from his head and gasped.

He was hurt! Whenever somepony or somezebra got hit on the head, a big lump would form. She had to get him to the village right away!

She reached down and gently picked up the colt in her hooves. The younger pony didn’t even seem to notice that he was now being carried and just sputtered, “Daddy... Daddy...” over and over again.

Wasting no time, she spread her wings to their fullest extent and beat them as hard as she could. Soon, she was back in the air, carrying her new burden and flying east as fast as she could.

“Don’t worry, little guy,” she said. “I’ll get you better and then we can be the best of friends!”

.o.O.o.

A trio of antelope stood next to each other near a river, each silently lapping up mouthfuls of water with their tongues. Below them, the river flowed with a gentle current, not a ripple to be seen on its placid surface.

A hoof burst out of the river, sending a cascade of water over the bank.

The antelope yelped and hopped back. As one, they stared at the hoof with wide eyes, eyes that grew wider when the pony attached to the hoof heaved herself onto the bank.

“I’m really startin’ to hate water,” Applejack said with a groan. She coughed, hacking up a lungful of clear liquid onto the grass. “I miss my desert.”

With a mighty heave, Applejack raised her other forehoof and pulled out a second pony, this one wearing a soaking purple outfit. Rarity flopped onto the river bank, letting out a low moan that was echoed by the cat clinging to her back. Applejack wasn’t done as she grunted with effort and lifted a hind leg, revealing a unicorn stallion clutching her leg with his forehooves in a vice-like grip. A quick buck dislodged Shining Armor, sending him up and over to land next to Rarity. Finally, Applejack climbed out of the river herself and collapsed next to her companions.

“Dear me, what are these things?” one of the antelope said.

“They look like ponies,” another one replied.

“Oh crabapples. There goes the plains,” the last one stated.

“Shaddap...” Applejack said weakly. She turned over on the ground until she was able to glare up at the antelopes. “If y’all knew what we’ve been through, ya wouldn’t be so quick with the comments.”

The three antelopes looked at each other, shrugged, and bowed their heads. “Sorry, m’lady,” one said. “Pardon our behavior.”

Applejack sighed and waved a hoof. “Doncha worry about it. Say, ya wouldn’t have seen a little colt the color of that guy—” she nodded towards Shining Armor “—would ya?”

“Can’t say that I have,” the middle antelope answered. He scratched his chin and looked at his fellows. “Either one of you chaps know anything?”

“The only pony I know of is the one that lives with the zebras,” the third said. He lifted his head and tapped his chin with a hoof. “Come to think of it, I did see that pony flying off not too long ago. It looked like she was carrying something small and white. I dearest say it was the size of a colt. You might take a gander there.”

Applejack’s ears perked up. “Really? Wherein could I find ‘em?”

“They’re on the other end of the Veldt, way eastward. A good day and a half travel by my reckoning, lass.”

The earth pony sighed. “Figures.” She heaved herself up and walked over to where Shining Armor lay. She prodded him with a hoof until he groaned and creaked open his eyes. “Partner, you’re going to want to listen to this.”

.o.O.o.

Traveling through the Veldt wasn’t as arduous a journey as Applejack had feared. Their flasks were full from the river that had deposited them in these lands and food was plentiful. All one had to do was bend down and forage on the endless sea of grass until satisfied. While an apple would have been nice to spice things up, Applejack was content with what she had. The traveling was easy, as the plains were as open as her desert but nowhere near as hot. Even the local herds of animals were pleasant to them and readily offered directions whenever asked.

Shining Armor was the only one not enjoying the trip.

“We shouldn’t have left the river. He could still be back there, looking for us right now. What if he gets eaten by alligators or tries to find us and gets lost? What am I going to do?!”

Applejack lowered her head and bit her tongue. She sympathized with him. She really did. Reuniting with Big Macintosh had been one of the best moments of her life and being separated from him after only a short time was gnawing at her. Sure, he was a big stallion and could take care of himself, but that didn’t make the worrying any easier. Shining Armor had every right to fret, especially with how much younger Spotter was and the unpleasant business that had happened at Domare.

“We need to turn back. Right now! C’mon, we’re wasting time!”

“Sugarcube, settle down,” Applejack said. She slowed her pace until she was even with Shining Armor and placed a hoof over his withers. “We looked everywhere back there, from tip to top. Nothin’ turned up about where he is. The only thing we got goin’ is this here zebra place. If we go back now, we’ll lose all the time it takes to go back and then have to come back this way again.”

“I... I know. It’s just... I can’t help but think the worst. He’s all I got left...”

“Let me ask ya somethin’. What does yer heart tell ya?”

Shining Armor looked ahead, staring off into the distance. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “That he’s okay. I don’t know how, but... I think he’s doing okay.”

Applejack smiled. “Then keep thinking that. We’ll find him, sure enough.”

“Thanks, Applejack,” Shining Armor said, a small smile of his own forming.

The group continued on, a noticeable spring appearing in Shining Armor’s steps. Nothing appeared in their way to hinder their progress, even in the untamed wilderness they had been dropped into. Finally, after a day of travel, a series of bumps appeared on the horizon. As the ponies moved closer, the bumps revealed themselves to be grass huts, with equine forms moving between them. Coming even closer, more details became clearer, with the equines appearing with black and white stripes on their coats and various jewelry pierced in their ears and noses. It wasn’t long before Applejack, Shining Armor, and Rarity were walking up to the zebras, but stopped short when a pair of stallions with spears in their mouths barred their path.

“Uh, howdy!” Applejack greeted. She held out a hoof towards one of the zebras, but he didn’t make any move to shake it. Grimacing, she continued, “We, uh, are lookin’ for a little pony. White, about yea big, and has a little horn on his head. Ya seen ‘im?”

One of the zebra blinked, but otherwise didn’t move.

“Um... either of y’all understand what I’m sayin’?”

The other one blinked.

Applejack sighed and turned to her companions. “We ain’t gettin’ anywhere here. Either you two know how to speak—”

“Daddy!”

“S-Spotter?” Shining Armor said. He pushed past Applejack and charged forward. The two zebra guards crossed their spears and barked a warning.

They never stood a chance.

Both were knocked aside, flying in different directions like discarded dolls. Shining Armor never noticed, his attention completely on the colt running towards him. In two great bounds, Shining Armor stood in front of his son and scooped him up in his forelegs, hugging him to his chest.

“Spotter! I-I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Spotter grinned and wrapped his own legs around his father as best he could. The two stayed that way for some time, with even the zebras giving them their space. After a few minutes, Spotter looked up and his eyes bulged. Every pair of eyes in the village was looking at them. He squirmed.

“Um, Daddy. You’re embarrassing me in front of everyone.”

“Huh?” Shining Armor looked up himself. A crowd was gathered around them, with some of the zebras wiping their leaking eyes with a tissue. He smiled sheepishly, patted his son one last time on the back, and set him down before him. “What happened to you?”

Spotter grinned and began hopping up and down. “I got rescued! A pegasus found me and brought me here and took care of me. Let me go get her!” He shot off into the village, leaving Shining Armor behind.

“Wait! Don’t be taking off again so soon!”

“You have one excitable kid, you know that?” Rarity said as she trotted up to him.

Applejack came up to him next and slapped Shining Armor on the back. “Hey, at least he’s alright. Who ya reckon he wants us to see so badly?”

The ponies didn’t have to wait long. The zebras parted, revealing Spotter dragging a grey coated pegasus with blond hair towards them with his hoof. Once he got close enough, he said, “This is the one that found me!”

~ Covered in scorch marks, eyes oddly... odd.
A peculiar pegasus perpetually producing pandemonium... ~

“Hi!” she said with a smile. “I’m Derpy Hooves! Wow, more ponies. I never would have thought I’d meet so many!”

Shining Armor trotted over to her and bowed. “You have my eternal gratitude for saving my son. I’ll do whatever I can to repay you.”

“Oh, wow! Does that make you my servant now? I’ve never had one before.” She scratched her chin with a hoof and looked off into the distance. One of her eyes lazily drifted out of focus, earning a few stares from the group. “Ah! I know! You can help me with the village!”

“I think that’s reasonable,” Shining Armor said, keeping his focus on her good eye. “What do you do here?”

“I’m the weathermare! See?” She swept her hoof, indicating the entire village.

Now that she had brought their attention to it, Applejack, Rarity, and Shining Armor balked. They had been so distracted that they hadn’t taken the time to properly look over the village itself. And now that they did, they wondered how they had missed it in the first place. Several huts sported blast marks or were tilted at an odd angle as though having suffered through high winds. Puddles were strewn everywhere, with a stream of water running through the very center of the village. A group of zebras were working frantically to dig a trench to redirect the water away from the huts not already flooded. Finally, the gardens—spots where rainwater was needed the most—were dry and wilted.

“... I do see,” Rarity stated. “All too clearly.”

“C’mon!” Derpy said. “Let’s get to work while there’s still light.”

She made to fly off but a female zebra rushed up to her and said something in her native language. Derpy cocked her head, then nodded and turned back to the group. “She wants to know what you all are doing here.”

“Well, we were lookin’ for Spotter,” Applejack said. “And now that we found ‘im, we need a way to get to Neighshe. Pronto.”

Derpy nodded and translated for the zebra. The zebra’s eyes widened and gained a mischievous twinkle. A few more words were exchanged, Derpy occasionally trying to get a word in with things like, “You sure?” and “But what about...” and finally, “If you think that’s best...” With a noticeable drop in enthusiasm in her tone and her ears pinned back, Derpy faced the ponies and explained, “They know a way for you to get to where you want to go. It’s the Hydra’s Trench. It’s an underwater current that runs from this place all the way to Nikhay. You just need some special bubbles over your head to breathe so you can make it.”

“That’s great!” Applejack exclaimed. “Nikhay’s just a short hop to Neighshe. Where can we get these bubbles we need?”

“The zebras have them and will make some for you. On one condition.”

When Derpy didn’t continue, only looking down and pawing at the ground, Applejack asked, “And that would be, sugarcube?”

The pegasus sniffed while tears began to form in her eyes. “They... they want me to go with you.”

Applejack and the others blinked. “Come again?”

“They... they want me to get out in the world a-and experience more.” Derpy sniffed one last time before letting out a piercing wail. “But I don’t wanna leave! I like it here and have so many friends! It’s not fair! WAAAAAAHHHHHH!” A steady stream of tears gushed out of Derpy’s eyes. The zebra next to her was ready and raised up a small umbrella.

Applejack, Shining Armor and Rarity all looked at each other with confused expressions, while Spotter busied himself with consoling Derpy. An unspoken communication seemed to pass through them, culminating with all of them giving a shrug. Clearing her throat, Applejack stepped up to the still crying pegasus and said, “Well, uh, this is a might unexpected, but we really need to get to Neighshe. A lot of ponies’ lives depend on it. We’d... love ya to come along.”

Derpy’s crying began to settle down upon hearing Applejack’s words. “Really?”

“Really! And there’s nothin’ saying you can’t come back to visit, ya hear?”

“Visit?” Like a faucet being turned, Derpy’s flow of tears stopped and she gave a bright smile. “Oh! So it’s like a vacation! I could really use one of those. Yeah, and I can send ‘thinking of you’ cards while I’m gone!” She sprang into the air and hovered next to the female zebra. “I accept!”

The zebra wiped her brow and let out a relieved sigh.

Derpy zipped around and spread her arms wide. “I can’t wait! When can we leave?”

“Well, I would assume when the zebras have these bubbles ready for us, dear,” Rarity said. “In fact, why don’t you all work on that while I get us some supplies.”

Applejack nodded. “That’s a good idea. Thanks, Mare Do Well.”

“Not at all, darlings. I’ll be back in a jiff. Ta-ta!” With that, Rarity trotted away.

“Guess we’ll be stayin’ till y’all are ready.”

Derpy lept up and pumped a hoof into the air. “Great! I can show you all around while we wait. Let’s go!”

.o.O.o.

“Signed, Rarity.”

With one final stroke of a quill on paper, Rarity finished her letter. She used her magic to fold the letter into an envelope and levitated it over to a zebra waiting patiently for her to finish. He took the envelope and then accepted a small bag of gil. The zebra turned and gave a shrill whistle through his teeth. Within seconds, a hawk flew down and perched on a bird stand jutting out of the ground. The zebra expertly attached the envelop and sack to the hawk’s talons, gave it a hoofull of birdseed and then spoke a few words to it. With a screech, the hawk flapped its wings and took off towards the east.

“Thank you, good sir,” Rarity said as she watched the hawk fly away. She reached into her cloak and hoofed over another bag. “This should cover things.”

The zebra opened the bag and found it full of herbs and spices. He looked up and gave a nod.

“Excellent. Cheerio!”

.o.O.o.

“... And over there is the gathering hall and that’s the new outdoor square and way on the other end is the market...”

Applejack nodded mutely as Derpy Hooves pointed out each highlight of the village as they passed by them. Honestly, she couldn’t tell one landmark from the next since every hut looked exactly the same: sticks and grass. She was sure that if she were to look hard enough, Applejack could tell each house apart from the different wooden masks and cloth that decorated some of the homes, but for the life of her the zebra village was the same no matter where she looked. Applejack kept a lid on her opinions, hoping that what they needed would be ready soon and Rarity would get back in time to head out.

“And here we are!”

Applejack started from the sudden halt. She looked around and blinked. “Ah, where exactly?”

“Back at the beginning!” Derpy said. “We’re where we started. I showed you the whole village!”

“Swell. Uh, Derpy, any news on those bubbles or whatever that we need?”

“Hang on, lemme check.” The pegasus trotted away towards a group of zebras working over a large black cauldron. She was only a dozen hooves away when one of the zebras spotted her, gasped, and quickly blocked her path. A few words were exchanged, culminating with the zebra pointing back towards Applejack. Derpy gave a happy nod and walked back. “They say it should be ready soon. Wow, they have every shaman and potion master working on it. They must really want to help you out!”

Shining Armor, who had been following the tour with Spotter at his side, mumbled, “More like get rid of somepony.”

“You say something?”

“Nothing!”

“I’m baaaaaack!” came Rarity’s airy voice. She trotted up to her companions and flourished her cape. “How are things coming along here?”

“Just about done,” Applejack answered. “We should be on our way, lickety-split!”

Derpy scrunched up her nose and gagged. “Ew, why would you want to lick your spit?”

“... It’s an expression.”

Before the pegasus could contemplate that further, a shout came from behind them. All heads turned to the cauldron, which was now bubbling over with a pink liquid. Zebras on all sides dipped clay bottles into the mixture and stopped them up with corks. As one, they rushed over and gave each pony a bottle. The zebra that hoofed over Derpy’s bottle also gave her a strip of cloth with writing on it.

“Oh, instructions!” Derpy exclaimed after looking over the cloth. “They really thought of everything!” Her smile slowly reversed itself, becoming a deep frown. Derpy looked up at the zebras surrounding them, her lip quivering. “I-I guess... t-this is goodbye, then...”

One of the zebras nodded rapidly and pointed out towards the expanse of the Veldt.

“I understand. I... need to leave now. You’ve all been so nice to me. I d-d-don’t know w-w-what to say...” Derpy drooped her head, tears dripping from her face and falling to the ground into a growing puddle.

A hoof draped over her withers, causing her to look up. A zebra was next to her and gave her a reassuring smile. It gently guided Derpy towards the other ponies and repeated its fellow’s action by pointing outside the village.

“You... you’re right,” Derpy said. She sniffed, and for a moment, her eyes became completely focused. “This is no time for being a baby. I need to go and see the world.

“But I’ll be back someday! I promise!” With that, Derpy nodded one last time, whirled and marched out of the village, her head held high. The other ponies followed close behind and soon, the land of the zebras was far behind them.

Derpy didn’t look back, even when she could have sworn she heard a rousing cheer come from her old home.

.o.O.o.

“So, accordin’ to this here note the zebras gave you, we have to cross the whole Veldt to get to some mountains?” Applejack asked, her attention on the grey pegasus whirling around above her.

“That’s what it says!” Derpy said, twirling around and coming to a hover next to the earth pony. “It’s the best place to jump into the Hydra’s Trench.”

“How long you reckon it’d take for us to get there?”

Derpy tapped a hoof to her chin as she considered. “Well, I’ve flown from one end of the Veldt to the other in less than a day. Too bad the zebras couldn’t give you wings. But, I’d say two days at this rate.”

Applejack grunted and gave a nod. “I s’pose that’s the best we can expect. The whole war’s goin’ to be over by the time we get back.”

“War? What war?”

“Oh... yeah, Ah forgot that you’re in a kinda backwaters place. No offence.”

“Offence for what?”

The farmer shook her head and waved a hoof. “Forget it. I guess I’d better fill you in. Though, if I were you, I’d just forget about fighting with us and go on your world trip. No sense in getting you mixed up in all this.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Derpy asked in a low tone.

“Now don’t be takin’ this the wrong way sugarcube, but we’re going to be up against some nasty types. I just don’t want you in the way and getting hurt.”

“Hey!” Without warning, Derpy landed in front of Appeljack and thrust her muzzle into the earth pony’s face. “You make it sound like I can’t fight!”

The rest of the group stopped and watched the two ponies squaring off. An uneasy silence followed.

“Now... now I told you not to take it the wrong way,” Applejack said as sweat began to roll down her face. “It ain’t no picnic where we’re going.”

A contemptuous snort escaped from Derpy’s nostrils. “Oh yeah? The Veldt can be a bad place too. I’ve even come up with ways to stay safe. Watch!” She launched herself high into the air and began to scan the area. She spotted a pack of manticores stalking in the grass less than a mile away and flew in their direction. As she got nearer, her wandering eye came into proper alignment, sharpening her vision beyond any eagle. Every movement and every twitch of a whisker that the manticores made were captured and imprinted within her brain. She soared past them, circled around, and flew over the manticores again. Derpy banked sharply to the east then landed within the tall grass, disappearing from sight.

The stillness and tranquility of the Veldt returned. The only sound was the slight breeze through the grass. Rarity walked forward and peered out at the expanse of the massive plains. “Uh, do you know what that was all about, darling?”

Applejack shook her head. “Not a clue.”

“What now?”

The answer came when Shining Armor started trotting forward, Spotter riding on his back. “I say we keep going. She’ll catch up to us when she wants to. She can fly after all.”

“I concur. We’re on a timetable as it is.”

Applejack couldn’t argue that logic. Sighing, she fell into step with the others and continued on their way. The sun was setting and night on the plains grew chilly. They would need to start thinking of finding a spot to camp soon before—

“RRRRAAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRR!”

Something burst out of the brush and tackled Rarity to the ground. Within seconds, Applejack and Shining Armor rushed to her side and knocked the figure off the unicorn. The pony-sized creature hissed back, then scampered into the grass as quickly as it appeared. Rarity was helped to her hooves, her body trembling from the sudden attack.

“Form a circle!” Shining Armor barked out.

Doing as instructed, Applejack, Rarity, and Shining Armor put their backs to each other, placing Spotter between them, and waited for the creature to make another pass.

Uncontrollable giggling was not what they expected to hear.

A grey and yellow figure rose out of the grass on Applejack’s left. The pony had her hooves covering her mouth in an unsuccessful attempt to keep her laughter in. “Y-You should have seen your faces! I got you all!”

“Derpy Hooves!” Rarity screeched. She marched up to the pegasus, yanked on one of her ears with her magic, and dragged Derpy back to the others. “You nearly gave me a heart attack with that stunt! What were you thinking?”

“Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Hey!” Derpy swatted back at Rarity, but with nothing to hit other than her own ear, she was forced to endure the punishment. Derpy was spared her ear when Rarity dropped her between them all.

“Now, explain why you gave us all such a fright,” Rarity said.

With barely contained eagerness, Derpy bounced to her hooves and gave a grin that stretched ear to ear. “I just wanted to show you my neat talent! You see, I’ve been living here for so long that I’m able to figure out how all the different animals move. All I have to do is watch really close and I can match anything they can do! The zebras can’t explain it either. They just say that my mind can remember these things really easy!” She stopped and tapped a hoof to her chin, her brow creased. “They also said I can’t remember which day is, ‘don’t send hail and sleet over the village day’, but hey, you can’t win them all!”

The group blinked.

“So...” Applejack began, “You can copy a critter’s moves just by watchin’ ‘em?”

“That’s what I just said. It’s how I snuck up on you without you seeing me.”

“Right. Just making sure.” The earth pony looked up and frowned. “Well, glad we got that all cleared up, because we need to be findin’ someplace to spend the night. It’s almost sundown, now.”

“Oh!” Derpy raised a hoof as though trying to get a school teacher’s attention. “I saw some trees when I flew by, just over there.”

“Wonderful. Let’s head on over and get some sleep. I wanna be at the trench tomorrow, so hop to it!”

“Wouldn’t it be better to walk than hop?”

“... You’re as bad as Pinkie Pie, ya know that?”

.o.O.o.

The next day, the ponies awoke to the rising sun and continued on their way through the Veldt. Derpy led the way while occasionally taking to the air to keep an eye out for troublesome animals. The other eye... watched everything else.

It was approaching midday when the youngest member of the group clambered up onto his father’s head and scanned the horizon. His eyes lit up and he pointed a hoof over the grass. “Over there!” he exclaimed. “I see mountains!”

“That’s great, Spotter,” Shining Armor said. “But can you warn me next time you do that? You’ve got your hoof in my eye.”

“Oops. Sorry, dad.”

“Well land sakes!” Applejack cried out. “This ain’t been no vacation, but I’ve got to say that this place isn’t all that bad. Wouldn’t mind coming here again once the Empire’s taken care of.”

“Speak for yourself,” Rarity chimed in. “I for one can’t wait to get back to proper pony civilization. I’ve had about all I can stand of... nature.”

A collective laugh rose up through all the ponies, lifting their spirits and quickening their pace. Within hours, they had reached the base of the mountains. A quick flyby from Derpy found a path leading to a ledge overlooking the ocean. Minutes later, they stood over the precipice to the Hydra’s Trench.

More than one pony gulped.

“It’s... fast...” Shining Armor stated.

Below them, the water rushed by at a frightening pace. Further out, the waters were normal and calm, but the deep trench underneath the mountain caused the water to flow faster than any of them had ever seen before. Following the movement of the serpentine current, Shining Armor could see that it cut a road-like path through the very ocean itself. Ships, or even ponies, caught in the current would be swept away at a pace even pegasi would find impressive.

“We... have to jump in there?” Shining Armor asked.

Applejack took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “It’s the only way to get back to my friends.” Firming up her features, she reached into her saddlebags and pulled out the bottle the zebras had given her. “Sure hope this stuff works. Else this’ll be a very unpleasant dip. What do your instructions say there, Derpy?”

Derpy pulled out the slip of cloth and read the final line. “It just says to pour it over our heads and it will do the rest.”

“Can’t make it any easier than that. But before that, let’s make sure we all stay together.” With that, Applejack uncoiled her rope and began looping it around each pony’s torso, including Opalescence. The cat didn’t look pleased with being tied up, but a few encouraging words from Rarity settled her down. Once she was satisfied with her knots, she took off her hat and dumped the contents of the bottle over her mane. The clear liquid felt oily at first, but as it dripped down her head, it began to solidify and expand away from her face. Soon, a perfect see-through dome surrounded her head to half-way down her neck. Applejack took a few breaths and nodded. When she spoke, her voice echoed within the bubble. “It seems to work fine.”

The others each applied the liquid to their own scalps, each one forming a bubble. All except one.

Rarity hesitated, holding her bottle before her in her telekinetic grip. “Do you think this will work over my mask?”

“I don’t know,” Derpy answered. “The directions just say to use it on your head.”

“Let’s not take chances, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “If you waste it, we’ll have to get more and that means going all the way back. We’ve seen your face already.”

Rarity sighed. “This whole trip has been such a bother.” Having said that, she reached up and pulled back her mask, her purple mane falling around her white face. She tipped the bottle over and poured. Like the others, a bubble formed, sealing the air within. Rarity did the same for Opalescence and warned her not to scratch at it. “Ready.”

“Alrighty, then!” Applejack reared up and gave a loud “Yeehaw!” that reverberated throughout the mountains. Gathering herself, she leapt off the cliff, the others jumping after her. They plunged down into the waters below and disappeared from sight.

.o.O.o.

“Huh. This ain’t so bad.”

The moment the ponies hit the water, the current of the Hydra’s Trench yanked them hard. However, the rope binding them together held and soon they were all propelled down the trench. Steep cliffs surrounded them on either side, but the flow kept them in the center. Once their bodies grew accustomed to the swift waters, Applejack let herself relax and let nature do all the work.

She craned her head back and was relieved to see her companions also easing themselves into the flow. The ocean was dark but clear, allowing her to see everything within a dozen hooflengths. Small crustaceans and plant matter sped by, a kaleidoscope of colors in every direction. It was beautiful really, an experience she never would have imagined she’d get to see. With nothing better to do, Applejack enjoyed the scenery, occasionally looking forward in case of obstructions.

How long the ponies traveled down the trench, Applejack didn’t know. It was hard to judge distance or time with no landmarks to go by. She just hoped that when they reached the end, it wouldn’t become dangerous. Would the trench just end and the current petter out? Would they even know if they had reached Nikhay or gone too far?

These worries were swiftly taken out of her hooves.

“Oooooohhhhhhhh, you again!”

Applejack snapped her head up and gasped. “Oh, horseapples...”

A long, serpentine form swam just above her. She instantly recognized the luminous purple scales, the coiffed head of hair—

—and the cut off mustache.

“Here I was thinking, that if I just head south to warmer waters, then I’d be in paradise!” the sea serpent wailed. He swiveled around until he could glare straight at Applejack. He pointed a claw at her and continued, “But, noooooooooo! You just had to come waltzing in and ruin my new home. Again!”

“Ah, now hold on there, partner!” Applejack raised her hooves in a placating manner, the only thing she could think of to do. “You jest calm down now and we can work this—”

“No! I know what type you are. The horrid type that doesn’t appreciate a splendid mustache. Well, I’ll show you!”

The sea serpent snarled and lunged forward. Applejack was helpless to stop him. He lashed his tail at her, knocking her senseless and sending her careening in the water. The force of the blow was so much that it sent her and the ponies attached to her high above the trench. No longer part of the current, the ponies drifted in the open waters, each desperately trying to peddle their way back to the crevasse. However, another current, traveling perpendicular to the trench, caught them. This one was less powerful but more than enough to sweep them up and carry them away into the darkness far beyond the Hydra’s Trench.

In Which Preparations Are Made

Twilight Sparkle wasn’t too big on simile. Mainly because she had only just learned what a simile was from the Fillygaro Castle library. However, given the chance, she would have described the atmosphere within the Neighshe elder’s room to be as cold as the Neighshe plains on a Winter’s night.

Furthermore, given the choice, she would have prefered the plains than this room. At least it wouldn’t have been as awkward.

“I understand the issues, Bill,” said the Neighshe elder, a stallion with a green coat and brown mane streaked with grey. “But what you’re saying is that we encourage further bloodshed.”

Bill Neigh wilted under the elder’s stern gaze. “I didn’t say it like that...”

“Close enough.”

Mayor Mare stepped up and laid a hoof gently over Bill’s back. “I’m afraid that’s unavoidable now. Emperor Blueblood has set his sights on the esper found here and will not stop until he gets it. If left unchecked, his increased use of magitek power will lead to global destruction.”

“It almost sounds like you have a vendetta against him,” the elder said with a shake of his head. “You’re going to get us all killed with an attitude like that.”

“I’m prepared. I’ve dedicated my life to making sure the War of the Magi never repeats itself.”

A gasp of air escaped from the Neighshe Marshal, standing at attention next to the elder. “You can’t be serious. I can’t believe it has gotten that far.”

“Just over a week ago, you had three magitek suits walk right down your street. How can it be any more obvious?”

The Marshal sputtered and looked away, a dark scowl on his face.

“The War of the Magi...” the elder muttered. “The war that set ponykind back a thousand years. Has it really come to this?”

A silence descended upon the room, the elder’s words hanging in the air. Twilight shuffled her hooves and looked at each face present. Everypony had their heads held low and with their eyes closed, as if each were imagining the war that had ravaged the world so long ago. She opened her mouth to speak, thought better of it, and quietly closed it. What could she say that would help the situation? She actually sided with the elder on this. Helping the Returners would drag Neighshe into the conflict and more ponies would die.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and a familiar voice calling out, “Finally! We made it!” Everypony looked up and saw a line of chocobos march into the room. On the back of a silver chocobo, a little purple dragon happily waved a claw.

“Spike!” Twilight rushed up and drew Spike into a great hug. “Oh Spike, I’m so glad to see you again.”

Spike returned the hug without a fuss. “Hey, it was nothing. How’s my little pupil?”

A red chocobo stepped past the reunited duo and bowed to the rest of the room. “It was a trek, but we made it,” Razzledown said.

“Great to see you all okay,” Mayor Mare replied. “And not a moment too soon. You can tell the ponies here why we need to mobilize as fast as possible.”

“You got chocobos involved in this too?” the elder asked, his brow furrowing.

“You bet your hooves, we’re involved. The Empire tricked several clans into going to the capital, only to be rounded up and used for slave labor. This chick here—” Razzledown wrapped a wing around Stardust and pulled him forward—”can tell you all about it.”

Stardust glared at the other chocobo, his feathers ruffling up. “I’m not a chick! I’m only a year away from getting my merchant license, for crying out loud.” He grumbled as he turned back towards the rest of the room’s occupants and cringed as several pairs of eyes looked back. “Um... yeah, what he said is true. I um... got caught but managed to escape. I’ve been kinda on the run since.”

The elder shook his head and quietly muttered, “Barbaric...”

“Don’t you see?” Mayor Mare said. “The Empire is more than willing to take whatever they want.”

“But... it won’t be that way with us. We’re ponies. Surely they won’t go to the same lengths with us.”

Razzledown let out a snort. “You keep telling yourself that until you’re stuck on the pointy end of a sword.”

The Neighshe Marshal growled and stomped up to the chocobo. “You mind that tongue of yours, birdie! Show some respect or you’re out of here.”

“Everyone, please!” Mayor Mare rushed between the two and pushed them away from each other. “We have enough problems as it is. We don’t need tempers to get any higher.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Trixie wouldn’t mind a good cockfight.”

All heads turned to the new voice, a light blue unicorn mare draped in a white cloak. She walked into the room as though she owned the place and moved to the center of those gathered. “Though you will have to schedule it later. You have bigger concerns now.”

“Trixie!”

That was the only warning before the roof exploded in a splinter of wood and plaster. A flash of wings and multicolored hair heralded the arrival of a blue pegasus as she crashed onto the floor, followed by a downpour of debris and snow. Rainbow Dash’s head popped up out of the powdery white pile and fixed a glare at the ex-Imperial. “I told you not to go in without me!”

“Hmph, not Trixie’s fault that you got held up by the guards,” said Trixie with a flip of her mane. “I do give you points for the entrance though.”

“Yeah? And who convinced the guards that I was some no-good thief, huh?!”

“Rainbow Dash!”

“What? What?” Rainbow Dash found herself being pulled out of the snow pile and placed in front of Mayor Mare. “Hey there! Made it!”

“Ugh, what am I going to do with you?” Mayor Mare said with a shake of her head. “But nevermind that. What happened in South Fillygaro? Who’s this?”

“Heh, mission accomplished, just like I promised,” Rainbow Dash answered with a quick salute. “As for her, she’s General Trixie and she—”

A shriek of pure terror drowned out Rainbow Dash’s voice. Stardust leapt back as though he had been touched by a red-hot poker and put as many ponies and chocobos as he could between himself and the new unicorn. He huddled into a corner and covered his head with his wings, his whole body shaking uncontrollably. “K-Keep her away!”

“The hay is his problem?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Sh-she’s T-Trixie the Terrible! She made me and all the other chocobo slaves burn Mareanda! Kill her!”

Weapons were drawn even before Stardust finished talking. Ponies and chocobos alike pointed their instrument of choice at Trixie and slowly advanced. Trixie, normally very appreciative of having everyone's attention, gulped at all the hostile glares directed her way.

“Whoa! Hold up! Time out!”

Rainbow Dash zipped to Trixie’s side and rapidly waved her forelegs in the air. “Take it easy! She’s on our side now!”

“Rainbow Dash, are you out of your mind?” Mayor Mare’s voice came from behind the pack of Returners ready to strike. “How could you bring an Imperial like her here?!”

“Like I said, she’s working for us. I know it’s totally crazy, but Trixie helped me get here. You gotta believe me!”

The line of Returners parted and Mayor Mare stepped through to walk up to Rainbow Dash. The Returner leader gave a hard stare at the pegasus, to the point where Rainbow Dash had to look away and began shuffling her hooves. “I believe you just fine, Rainbow Dash. It’s her I’m worried about.”

Rainbow Dash lifted her head and met Mayor Mare’s look with one of her own. “Then I take full responsibility for whatever she does.”

“You say that now, but what happens when—”

“You’re wasting valuable time,” Trixie said. She pointed a hoof back towards the door. “You have maybe a few hours before this whole place is overrun by Gilda’s forces. She plans on storming in and reducing this town to rubble to get that esper. Trixie suggests you stop arguing and get yourselves ready.”

“And how can I believe you?” Mayor Mare retorted. “What do you get by helping us?”

“Trixie gets the pleasure of seeing the Empire fail. I hate them far more than you can ever know. As for believing Trixie? Well, you can’t, but who else can you rely on? Her?”

Mayor Mare blinked and followed the hoof Trixie was pointing, towards the other unicorn in the room. Twilight Sparkle “eeped!” and tried to hide behind Spike’s minuscule form. The little dragon smacked a claw against his forehead.

“I don’t understand,” Mayor Mare said. “Twilight has been a big help to us and is going to wake up that esper so that it will fight for us.”

“Hmph. I suppose she never told you about her little ‘accident’. The reason why Gilda put a slave crown on her in the first place.”

“Simple. It was to make her easier to control.”

Trixie held a hoof to her mouth and let out a haughty laugh. “You’re only half right! You see—”

Just then, the outside door burst open and a Neighshe guard ran into the room. He gasped for breath, even as he struggled to say, “Th-the Empire! They’re c-c-coming!”

.o.O.o.

“Everything checks out, General Gilda.”

Gilda looked up from inspecting her claws, the razor sharp digits gleaming in the sun’s rays. She turned to regard the soldier giving her the news. “Awesome. Start the invasion. Don’t stop until that esper’s ours.”

“Understood,” the soldier said, saluting smartly. “What about the civilians?”

“What about ‘em?”

“Um... well... shouldn’t we avoid them?”

“Only if it means that we get that esper faster. Got it, bud?”

The soldier saluted again. “Yes, ma’am!” He ran off to relay the orders.

Left alone, Gilda’s gaze turned to the icy mountains rising in the distance. Soon, that esper would be hers and this wretched corner of the world would no longer be a concern. She cracked her knuckles and smiled.

.o.O.o.

Inside the Neighshe elder’s house, Twilight Sparkle made a mental note that this Trixie unicorn was not a very nice pony.

“Do you see now?” Trixie was saying. “Either you fight or you all die! Trixie can lead you all to victory if you just let her.”

“Over my dead body,” Mayor Mare retorted.

“Trixie can arrange that!”

A pair of blue hooves clamped down on Trixie’s mouth, silencing her from further threats. “Ah, geez, now you’ve got her all riled up,” Rainbow Dash said. She tightened her hold around Trixie when the unicorn began to struggle in her grip. “What she meant to say was that she would be grateful to offer her help. Right, Trix?”

Trixie’s struggling only grew more intense.

The elder stomped a hoof to the floor, drawing everypony’s attention. “If the Empire is bringing that many troops, then we really have no choice,” he said. He found Mayor Mare’s eyes and nodded. “You have our full support. Do what you have to do to protect my town and the esper.”

Mayor Mare gave a small smile. “Thank you. We’ll see to it that the Empire won’t have its way. Where’s the esper?”

“Still in the mines. Nopony’s willing to go even near that thing.”

“Nopony... except her.”

Twilight cringed, knowing exactly who Mayor Mare was referring to. She looked up and gulped as her fears were realized as Mayor Mare walked up to her and laid a hoof over her shoulder.

“You only have to do this one thing, Twilight,” Mayor Mare said. “Then you’re all done, just like we agreed. Okay?”

Twilight looked down with a frown. She remained silent for several moments, then lifted her head and sighed. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

She felt an impact on her back, followed by a claw patting her on the head.

“Don’t worry,” Spike said from his position atop of Twilight. “I’ll go with her. I know the mines pretty well. And I can even tell the other dragons while I’m there to help out. This mountain is our home too.”

Twilight smiled, reached up and nuzzled him. “Thanks Spike.”

“Glad we got that sorted out,” Mayor Mare said. “As for the rest of us, we’ve got to get this place as fortified as possible.” Her eyes fell on Trixie, who looked bored. “As for you, I hope we can count on your knowledge of the Empire to help us through this?”

“Ha! The Great and Powerful Trixie has more up her sleeve than just intel.” The entire room blinked as ice started creeping up Trixie’s horn, until a solid icicle lance three hooves long stood out from her forehead. She swung her magical weapon and cut through a grandfather clock as though it were paper mache. The lance dissipated into the air as the clock crashed against the floor. Trixie swept her head back and beamed. “I am also a Magitek Knight. Just you watch and be amazed!”

“Oh yeah,” Rainbow Dash said as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “I forgot to mention she can use magic like Twilight can.”

“And cause unwanted property damage,” Mayor Mare commented dryly.

Twilight’s eyes widened and her ears perked up. “I... I felt that...”

“Alright, everypony!” Mayor Mare announced. “Listen up. We have a lot of preparing to do. Elder, if you could get all the townsfolk together, we can start planning. Meet us in the center of town?”

“That sounds about right,” the elder replied.

“Good. Let’s head out!”

Slowly, ponies and chocobos alike herded out of the room. Just as it was Twilight’s turn, a light blue hoof blocked her path.

“Once this is over—” Trixie said to her fellow former Imperial “—you and I have some unfinished business.”

“What?” Twilight shied away from the look of contempt on the other unicorn’s face. “I-I’m sorry, but... I don’t remember you. The slave crown really messed me up.”

Trixie scowled and marched out the door. “That doesn't change anything.”

“But I hope we can still be friends!” Twilight called after her. However, Trixie moved on as though she hadn’t heard her.

“That lady’s bad news,” Spike stated. “Forget about her. We got to get to the mines.”

“Y-yeah...” Sighing, Twilight exited the house.

Behind her, the elder looked over his ruined clock. He shook his head and made to follow the others when a gleam caught his eye. He reached down into the remains of the clock face and pulled out a clear bottle filled with green liquid.

“Oh! Silly me. That’s where I left it!”

.o.O.o.

The mines were as cold and uninviting as Twilight remembered them. She kept casting glances above her and over her back, looking for any signs of movement. Her ears were perked forward, listening for anything that could be a threat.

“Geez, Twilight, relax,” Spike said. He held a torch in one claw, alight with green flame that cast an eerie glow on the cave walls. “I’m right here with ya. And there’s nothing in this mine that can hurt you.”

“But plenty that can scare me...”

Spike sighed and patted the unicorn on her head. “Twilight, think about all the stuff you had to face just to get here. Can you really say that a few rats and bats are scarier than giant machines?”

“I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight said and hung her head. “You must think that I’m an awful student—Ow! Hey!”

Spike removed a pointy claw from where he had poked Twilight in the rear. “I don’t want to hear any of that kind of talk. And what I just did is about the worse you can get from anything in these caves. Got it?”

“Yes. I’ve got it.”

“Great! Now take a left here and we’ll be almost there.”

Twilight did as she was told and stopped. Before her was a dead end of nothing but cave wall. “Um, now what?”

“Just watch.” Spike hopped off from Twilight’s back and ran up to the wall of rock. He reached up and pressed on a stone whose coloring was a lighter shade than the ones around it. A rumbling could be heard, followed by the wall moving aside like a sliding panel. A rush of hot air swept past, contrasting sharply with the cool air of the cave and causing goosebumps to form all over Twilight’s body. Once the wall finished opening up completely, a new tunnel was revealed. Spike turned and waved his claw. “Come on! I can’t wait for you to meet everybody!”

Twilight peered down the tunnel, lined on both sides by torches lit by different colored flames. “Is this... safe?”

“Of course it is. Now come on!” Spike ran down, a wide smile on his face. Twilight followed at a slower pace, trotting just fast enough to keep Spike in sight.

The tunnel continued on for only a few hooves, then abruptly opened up into a huge cavern. Twilight gasped and her eyes shown at all the treasure laid before her. Everywhere she looked, gold, gems, exotic weapons, and jewelry were piled up, some almost reaching the ceiling. Surrounding all the valuables were dozens of dragons, most Spike’s size. Where they differed was in the color, with some sporting ruby red scales while others were emerald green. Upon seeing Twilight, they all began to cover up as much treasure as their small bodies could allow and hissed up at her.

“Now don’t be like that,” Spike said to the horde. “Don’t you all remember Twilight? We helped her out when she was being chased.”

“Spike!”

A white and purple dragoness ran up and threw her tiny arms around Spike’s neck. “Where have you been? It’s been so long since you left.”

“Heh, sorry Pearl,” Spike said and returned the hug. “Things kinda got crazy.”

“What’s going on? Are you here to stay?”

“Well, not really.” Spike released his hold and twiddled his claws. “I’ve actually got a favor to ask all of you. And I don’t have much time to explain. Basically, the ponies above need our help.”

.o.O.o.

Even as Spike gave his plea to his fellow dragons, the Neighshean elder was doing the same to the townsfolk.

“We are joining the Returners in their cause against Blueblood’s Empire,” the elder’s voice carried over the gathered ponies in the center of the mining town. “His army is on its way now to take the esper found in the mines. I wish I could say that we could avoid fighting, but sadly I cannot. The Empire has already invaded once and they are coming to finish the job.”

“Then just give them the stupid thing!” somepony in the crowd shouted. “Nothing’s gone right since that monster was found!”

“I’m afraid even that won’t be enough,” the elder said and heaved a deep sigh. “Blueblood won’t be satisfied with just the esper. He’ll be back to conquer us, just like he’s conquered South Fillygaro.”

“Not to mention what they did to Domare.” The elder moved aside, allowing Trixie to take his place. She stood up on her hind legs and swept back her cape in a dramatic fashion. “I am former General Trixie, now the Great and Powerful Trixie! Domare was taken over and they didn’t even have an esper! The Empire doesn’t care about you, only what they can take from you. Trixie knows this personally and she’s here to make sure that doesn’t happen with you. Trixie will be giving out orders that will keep this town safe and add her own glorious magic to the battle!”

Big Macintosh, standing off to the side of the platform Trixie stood upon with his fellow Returners, leaned over and nudged Rainbow Dash in the side. “Somethin’ tells me that there lady should have gotten into showbiz than the army.”

“Tell me about it,” Rainbow Dash said with a roll of her eyes.

“So, my associates and I have come up with a strategy to fight back,” Trixie continued as she postured and pranced around the platform with every statement. “This will be the moment of truth for all of you! Show Trixie what you’re made of and destroy—”

A tan hoof thrust itself into Trixie’s mouth, abruptly silencing the pontifying pony. “I think they get the idea, general,” Mayor Mare said through gritted teeth. “Why don’t we start hoofing out instructions.”

Trixie shoved Mayor Mare’s hoof away and her horn flashed. “That’s the Great and Po—!” Another hoof wrapped around her mouth and dragged her to the end of the platform.

“Give the great and powerful stuff a rest, will ya?” Rainbow Dash said and dumped Trixie next to the others. Trixie began to rise but fell down again with a whoosh of air when the pegasus sat on her back, pinning her down. Rainbow Dash motioned for Mayor Mare to continue while grinding her elbow into Trixie’s forehead.

Mayor Mare nodded and turned to the crowd, ignoring Trixie’s sputtered cries to be let go. “Now then, we can’t face the Empire head on. I don’t want to see any pony or any chocobo hurt unnecessarily. So, this is what we have in mind.”

.o.O.o.

“We’re here, ma’am.”

Gilda looked down at the pony piloting a magitek armor, one of a dozen, from her perch on the giant machine’s back. “We should have been here an hour ago,” she growled.

The soldier cringed in his seat and pushed the accelerator pedal a little harder. “Sorry, ma’am. But the cold and snow have been harder on the magitek than we thought they would be.”

“Spare me the excuses. Just get me that esper.”

“Right, ma’am!”

Gilda grunted and flexed her claws, scraping them against the metal of the magitek armor. A piercing screech filled the air, the soldiers around her flattening their ears against their helmets but not daring to slow down.

“Be prepared, my little ponies. Gilda is coming to collect.”

The walker stomped forward and took its first step into the town of Neighshe.

Wherein the Battle is Joined

The magitek armor stepped down with an earth shaking stomp.

It toppled over when its metallic hoof fell into a sinkhole hidden by the snow.

Gilda gave a surprised squawk as she was thrown from her perch and landed in an undignified heap in the snow below. She lifted herself up and was about to chew out the pilot for being so clumsy when the sound of metal screeching against metal reached her ears. The pilots following right behind the lead mech couldn’t react fast enough and crashed into the disabled walker. The entire Imperial force, over five hundred strong, came to a sudden stop.

“You idiots!” Gilda roared. She rushed up to the jumble of flailing mechanical limbs and slapped her forehead with a claw. “Tell me you morons can get out of this mess.”

“Ma’am!” a soldier called to her from the base of the first magitek armor. “A ditch was dug here. This was no accident.”

“I don’t care!” Gilda turned and pointed at the magitek armor pilots that had managed to stop before colliding with the others. “Go around and step lightly. Looks like these lame miners think they can stop us with a few weak traps. Get in there and make them wish they were never born!”

The pilots saluted and maneuvered their mechs around the pile up, heading down the main street of Neighshe. The magitek armor filed in one after the other, as the roadways of the mining town were too narrow for the mechs to walk side-by-side. The pilots took each step carefully, placing their metallic hooves down where the ground looked the most stable. The pacing was slow but they made steady progress, reaching the center of town within minutes. Nopony had yet to come out to face them, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by the pilots who swept their gaze over the streets in search of any hostiles.

“Now!”

The sudden cry was followed by a series of explosions. A line of heating furnaces placed on the side of the street burst into flaming clouds of shrapnel, raining coal and bits of sharp metal. The blasts did little to the sturdy magitek armor, but the pilots were forced to dive under their consoles to avoid being pelted by falling debris. Confused by the sudden turn of events, they were unprepared for an attack from above. Returner pegasi with swords and knives clenched firmly in their teeth flew down from the rooftops and dove straight for the ponies operating the terror vehicles. Two pilots died within seconds of the assault. The others quickly reached for their side weapons stashed in the magitek armors’ cockpits and met the Returners steel for steel.

“Hurry up!” Raindrops yelled. She bucked a pilot squarely in the head, sending the Imperial tumbling down his mech. “Before reinforce—”

The shrill cry of an eagle ready to descend reached her ears. Raindrops looked up and grimaced. A flock of griffons and pegasi descended from above, claws and other sharp weapons ready to rend soft pony flesh.

Raindrops gripped her dagger tightly in her mouth, spread her wings wide, and sprang up to meet them.

.o.O.o.

“Units six through ten are encountering heavy resistance,” an Imperial said over the comlink of his console. “One, two, and three are still working their way out of the ditch. That leaves us to secure the mines. Move out!” The pilot flipped the comlink off and marched his magitek armor forwards. Behind him, a second mech followed, the pilot sweeping his gaze for any potential threats.

The soldiers made their way through the allies on the outskirts of Neighshe, hoping the fighting in the center of town would let them slip through unimpeded. With luck, they would enter the mines, find the esper, and leave without anypony being the wiser.

That hope ended when a light-blue unicorn stepped boldly in their path.

The lead pilot gasped and pointed a trembling hoof towards the lone pony. “Y-You’re General Trixie! The traitor!”

Trixie smirked and flipped her mane. “That’s the Great and Powerful Trixie. Remember it.”

“Torch her, quick!” the rear pilot called.

The pilot in front didn’t need to be told twice. A quick tap of a button opened the front panel of his magitek armor, revealing a sparkling lightning rod, seconds away from letting loose its terrible payload of electricity.

Trixie was quicker.

A red glyph burst around Trixie’s horn, who then fired multiple balls of ice right for the open port of the mech. The ice balls shattered against the crackling rod, bending it from the shear force of the impacts. A moment later, the Elec Beam released its built up power.

The entire front end of the magitek armor exploded.

The mech staggered and crashed into a building surrounding the alley, where it slid down and landed in a heap on the pavement. A giant hole of smoking and twisted metal was all that was left of the beam port. The soldier piloting the magitek armor coughed and stumbled out of the ruined machine and slowly began limping towards his comrade.

“The Fire Beam!” the injured pony shouted. “Hit her with that!”

The second mech was already opening its weapons port before the order was finished. A red hot beam shot out, aimed directly for the unicorn standing nonchalantly before them. A grin spread across Trixie’s muzzle as she lifted her sword into the air, its steel surface gleaming with a light of its own. To the Imperials’ horror, the beam curved off course and struck the sword instead of the pony, Trixie’s blade absorbing the energy as though it were a drain at the bottom of a sink. Red tendrils of magic arced off the sword to strike Trixie’s horn, her eyes glowing pure white.

“Oh ye of little talent,” Trixie said, her voice taking on a distorted echo. “Let Trixie show you how it’s done!”

Her horn bursting with light, Trixie reared up and spread her hooves to the sky. Before the soldiers knew what was happening, a cascade of ice rained down on them and stuck to their bodies. Within seconds both they and their magitek armor were frozen solid by the magical ice storm.

Trixie’s horn dimmed and the mare fell back to all four hooves. She regarded the new sculptures of ice decorating the alley and scoffed. “Pathetic. They’re really letting the training slip if they can’t put up more of a fight than that. This will be easier than Trixie thought.” With that, Trixie turned away from her hoofwork and galloped towards the center of town.

.o.O.o.

The clang of steel, hooves beating against armor, and wings flapping filled Rainbow Dash’s ears from all directions. She flitted from point to point, striking out at enemy griffons and pegasi with hooves and her dagger whenever she got an open shot, then darting away before any retaliation could be had. Blood dripped down her dagger and more would be added before the day was done. Rainbow Dash could see hordes of Imperials still waiting in reserve before Neighshe’s gates. She wasn’t much for strategy, but Rainbow Dash knew that the invading army only had to wear out the defenders before pushing in to finish them off. Even having taken out the first line of magitek armor, the Empire was still a formidable force.

“C’mon, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said through gritted teeth. She banked low to zip under an Imperial pegasus, twisted, and kicked out. She caught the pony in the stomach, doubling him over. He coughed and held his stomach even as he plummeted out of the air. Rainbow Dash turned away, quickly darting past two griffons attempting to closepin her. The griffons recovered quickly and gave chase, nipping and clawing at the adventurer’s coronets. “We could really use that esper’s help right about now.”

She climbed higher, her powerful wings putting more distance between her and the griffons chasing her. A bright flash of red and green light caught her attention on a snowy cliff to her side. Rainbow Dash chanced a quick peek to see a pair of tiny dragons spitting fire at a group of soldiers making their way up the slopes. She snapped her gaze back and flipped backwards in the air. The sudden change in direction caught the griffons off guard, allowing Rainbow Dash to zip by them. A flick of her dagger later and a thin red line appeared on the back of one of the griffons. A cry of rage and pain echoed behind her.

Rainbow Dash smirked around her weapon, the intoxicating feel of battle coursing through her. No pony or griffon was going to be matching her in the sky!

She continued her decent, seeking a new target to hit and run, when her sights fell upon a large griffon barking orders on top of a disabled magitek armor.

“Gilda.”

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings harder and adjusted her course.

.o.O.o.

“Argh!”

Raindrops landed on the pavement in an awkward heap. Her cry of pain loosened her grip on her sword, sending it clattering on the street next to her. She let out a groan and twisted her head towards her weapon. Her side burned, her vision swam but Raindrops clenched her teeth and reached a hoof out to her blade.

A sharp set of talons slammed down on her, pinning her hoof to the ground. Raindrops gasped as new sensations of pain rocked her body. She heard the griffon above her give a roar and knew that her time had come. She closed her eyes and waited.

Two heavy thunks were heard, followed by a piercing screech of pain. The pressure keeping Raindrops down lessened. With a grunt of effort, Raindrops pushed the griffon off of her, snatched her sword in her teeth, twirled, and buried it into her flailing assailant’s neck. The griffon gurgled once and then lay still.

Raindrops stepped back and took stock of the dead Imperial. Two crossbolts were lodged in the griffon’s side, just below the wing. The pegasus looked up and saw a large red stallion give her a nod from a rooftop across from her. She nodded back, recognizing the newest member of their band before he turned and headed off.

Heaving a deep sigh, Raindrops reached down to retrieve her sword only to let out a squeak of pain at the burning in her side. She gritted her teeth, pushing through the pain and trying to keep her eyes off of whatever wound was causing such agony. There was a war to fight and there weren’t enough ponies on her side to replace her if she quit now. She tried picking up her sword again, only to fall to her knees as the pain continued to worsen.

She heard steps of something running up to her. Her body tensed, ready to spring into action regardless of if her body would respond. Whatever it was stopped short of her and then the rustling of feathers and a soft thud was heard.

“Hold still. I’ve got a potion here to help.”

The voice sounded familiar. There had been so many new members signing up with the Returners that it was hard to keep track of all the bodies coming in. She managed to crane her neck and caught a flash of silver feathers just before an orange beak holding a potion bottle entered her view.

“This will probably sting...”

He was right.

Raindrops let out a gasp as the healing liquid was poured over her wound. It felt like fire was being spread over her. Tears ran unbidden down her face but she did not move. Something wrapped around her, covering over the wound and keeping the potion from running down her coat.

“There. That’s about all I can do for ya.”

Slowly and carefully, Raindrops rose to a standing position. She noticed a white bandaged wrapped around her, taking note that it appeared to be a proper medical dress. Her side still burned, but it was an ache she could deal with. She looked up at the chocobo standing next to her and said, “Thanks. I owe ya. Sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.”

“It’s Stardust. That bossy boss of yours has got me going around helping out where I can.”

“Thanks. We need all the help we can get.” Raindrops gave a flap of her wings and smiled as they responded to her commands. “I need to get back up there. Who knows how things are going without me.”

Stardust rolled his eyes. “That rainbow one is doing all sorts of crazy things. It’s a wonder I haven’t had to pour a hundred potions down her throat by now.”

“Well, can’t let her steal all the glory!” Raindrops lightly bobbed her hoof on Stardust’s chest and bent down to pick up her sword in her mouth. “Y’r take care of y’rself!” She then took off and back into the melee. Behind her, Stardust waved a wing then quickly packed up his supplies and headed off to find his next patient.

.o.O.o.

“What is taking so long?!”

“Sorry, ma’am!” the Imperial said even as he cringed back from Gilda’s furious face. “But we’re encountering more resistance than we thought. Reports are coming in that all the mine entrances that we’ve tried going into have been booby trapped. Snow, rocks, and wood keep falling and blocking the entrances.”

Gilda slapped a claw against her forehead. “Then blow it out of the way! That’s why we got magitek here.”

The soldier looked down at the three magitek armor they were standing on that were just now being lifted out of the ditch. “That might still be a while...”

A second claw met the first. “You lameos are killing me here.”

“Hey Gilda! Think fast!”

Gilda snapped her head up just in time to see a blue hoof fill up her vision. The next moment, pain blossomed all over her face. The griffoness tumbled end over end and only stopped when she landed in a heap on the snow covered ground. Shouts and orders were heard above but all Gilda could do was hold her head and groan. However, one voice cut through the fogginess of her brain.

“Get up here and face me, ya pussycat! Or are those sissy wings of yours not up to it?”

Gilda’s eyes snapped open. Her pain forgotten, Gilda raised her head and fixed the pegasus with the multicolored mane with a glare that made her troops back up. “What did you say?”

The hovering pegasus crossed her forelegs and smirked. “I said, you couldn’t fly your way through wet tissue paper!”

The Imperials, holding their weapons ready to strike on command, turned their attention to their eerily quiet and calm leader. Gilda snorted and waved them off. “Excuse me. I need to deal with this one personally.” The soldiers gulped and backed off, putting as much distance between themselves and the general as they could.

Gilda made a show of inspecting her claws as she said, “I only have one thing to say to you, Returner.”

“Oh?” the pegasus said, quirking an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

The griffon lifted her talons to the sky, each covered by a red, pulsating light. “DIE!”

.o.O.o.

Twilight Sparkle yelped and flinched as the cave was rocked by an unseen force. A distant and muffled explosion reached her ears seconds later. She gulped and continued her trek down the mine shaft.

“Sounds like it’s getting pretty intense up there,” Spike said, his grip around Twilight’s neck tightening. “I hope everyone’s okay.”

“Me too, Spike,” Twilight replied, a deep frown marring her muzzle. “This is just awful.”

“You’ll find that esper and it’ll make things alright again. I just know it.”

“I hope so.”

The two lapsed into silence, the only sounds Twilight’s hooves on the ground and the occasional rumblings of faroff explosions. They traveled deeper in the tunnels, Twilight stopping every few minutes to raise her horn and close her eyes. Once she started moving again, she would choose a passage seemingly at random.

After a few more times of this, Spike asked, “Do you know where you’re going?”

“I think so,” Twilight said. “I... I can feeling something almost guiding me. I don’t know if it’s the esper, but it’s the only thing I have to go on.” She fell silent again, concentrating on feeling the force that seemed to pull on her horn. A minute later her eyes widened and her pace quickened to a run. “I think we’re getting close. Just a little more...”

She turned a bend and came upon an entranceway that was bordered up with two-by-fours. The work on covering up the entrance appeared to be haphazard, with beams that were only partially hammered in and piles of discarded nails littering the ground. A simple application of levitation from Twilight cleared the mess and ripped off the wooden beams with ease. With the entrance now free of obstruction, Twilight firmed up her features and walked in.

The chamber beyond was like all the other rooms of the mine. Dank and dark walls marked with pickaxe strikes circled the room and buckets of collected coal lay strewn across the rocky floor. However, it was the glowing ice set at the back of the chamber that drew Twilight's and Spike’s attention.

“There it is,” Spike said, his gaze locked onto the frozen esper. “This... this is my first time seeing it. Whoa.”

Twilight said nothing. She stood where she was, staring at the ancient creature before her.

“Twilight?” Spike gently shook the unicorn beneath him. “Hey. You alright?”

“I...,” Twilight said barely above a whisper. “I can feel it. I can feel its mind.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let it out slowly, reopened her eyes, and began to walk forward. “Only one way to find out.”

The short distance to the esper was crossed in silence. As they drew closer, Twilight and Spike began to make out tiny details of the esper through the transparent ice. What appeared to be feathers were spread all over the esper’s body, each seemingly as sharp as daggers and colored a dull green and brown. Large wings could be seen, tucked tightly against the esper’s body as though they were being used to protect the trapped creature. Twilight couldn’t make out a head, though she had a good approximation as to where it was located and set her gaze towards the top of the ice block.

One thing that was hard to miss were the waves of magical pressure that spread from the esper every few seconds.

Twilight stopped a few hooves away and tried to swallow through her suddenly dry mouth. “Um, hello?” she called out.

No response came, though the constant pulses of magic continued.

“H-H-Hello. My... my name’s Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. I... hope you can hear me. I need your help. I have friends... friends who are in trouble. If you can hear me, please help them.”

The esper remained as it was.

Spike stroked his chin, observing the frozen creature with narrowed eyes. “You know, this thing might be sleeping. Maybe you have to wake it up first.”

“How?” Twilight asked.

The dragon’s answer came when he flicked her horn with a claw.

“Oh,” Twilight said, a blush coloring her cheeks. “Right.”

Twilight concentrated and the familiar feeling of power welled within herself. When she felt ready, Twilight thrust her head forward, letting loose a stream of fire from her horn. Her aim was true and the magical flame struck against the block of ice that was her target. Twilight willed her fire spell to hold for a full minute, then pulled back and fell on her haunches. Spike yelped and grabbed hold of the unicorn’s neck to keep himself from being thrown off. Once the two had recovered their bearings, they looked up and took stock of Twilight’s efforts.

A small round indent of melted ice, no more than an inch deep, could be seen on the ice.

“Well, that was a bust,” Spike said with a sigh.

He nearly lost his seat a second time when Twilight jerked without warning.

“Whoa! Twi, what’s the matter?”

“What am I?” Twilight muttered under her breath. She sat up fully and took a step forward. “I... I don’t know. I don’t know who I am.”

“Uh, Twilight, who are you talking to?”

Twilight ignored him. Her focus remained fixed on the esper. “Then tell me who I am!” she yelled.

“Twilight, what’s going—”

A blue light pulsed from the esper, flinging Spike off of Twilight’s back and across the room. Spike groaned and pushed himself to his feet on wobbly arms. He shook his head and gazed up. Twilight’s back was facing him, her cape flapping wildly in an unnatural wind.

She took another step forward.

“Please! Tell me!”

“Twi,” Spike mumbled. He reached out to her even though he was far away. “Twilight, don’t go near it.”

“What... What’s this feeling? What are you doing?”

“Twilight! Get away from it!” Forcing past his dizziness, Spike ran forward, summoning his spear with a breath of fire.

Another blue light pulsed from the esper, filling the entire cave. Spike shielded his eyes with an arm to block out the light but a scream from Twilight made him wrench it away. There, in the center of the cave, Twilight hovered above the ground. Blue lightning streaked their way from the frozen esper and arched over the unicorn’s body. Her open eyes were a solid white. Her body arched and spasmed in the throes of intense pain. Twilight opened her mouth as if to scream only for light to spill out.

“Twilight!”

Spike leapt up and made a grasp for Twilight’s struggling form. A blue bolt lanced out and struck him in the chest, sending him back to the ground. He coughed and held his smoking chest, his other claw still gripped around his spear. Light filled the cavern, though this time it took on a reddish glow. Intense heat beat down on Spike from above. He looked up and his eyes widened.

Twilight’s body still hovered in place, but everything else had changed. Her violet coat was now a blazing orange and her mane and tail flowed of red and yellow fire. The cloak that had protected her from the elements was gone, bunt to a cinder. In its place were two large wings, spread out and covered in glorious flaming feathers. Twilight’s eyes were now closed and her head was tilted back, her earlier agony gone to be replaced with a serene expression.

Then her eyes snapped open, revealing red pupils shrunk back in terror.

The last thing Spike remembered was the screech of a pony tortured beyond the brink of despair and the sound of falling rocks.

.o.O.o.

Two wind blades sliced through the space Rainbow Dash had occupied only moments before, cleaving the air with a buzzsaw like sound. Rainbow corkscrewed past another set of blades, a few hairs on her mane drifting away from the close shave. She then spread her wings wide to come to a complete stop to avoid a small tornado that threatened to suck her up.

It was all rather unfair, in Rainbow Dash’s humble opinion.

“Darn you!” she cried out as she launched herself up in the air to avoid a flurry of snowflakes directed her way by the unnatural winds. “Quit with the freaky magic already and fight me fair and square!”

“I’m doing well enough right here, ya loser,” Gilda said with a smirk. The griffon hadn’t moved from her spot since their fight began, other than to swipe her claws to direct where her magic went. “It’s your fault for picking a fight you can’t win.”

“We’ll see about that!” Rainbow Dash twisted and descended down, aiming straight for Gilda. Rainbow pushed her body through the winds buffeting her, forcing herself to remain on target despite the strain on her wings. She flipped her dagger in her mouth, ready to use it for when an opening presented itself.

The opportunity arrived when the winds suddenly died out, leaving her with an open shot.

“Eat this!” Rainbow Dash flung her dagger, the unexpected move causing Gilda’s eyes to widen in surprise.

The surprised look didn’t last. Gilda swiftly lifted a claw and the dagger stopped a mere inch in front of her. Gilda rotated the weapon in the air lazily on a small current of wind, smirking at the shocked look upon Rainbow Dash’s muzzle. “You just don’t get it, do you? Magic is the new power in this world and if you don’t have it, well, you’re just a moron waiting to be run over.” She twirled the dagger, making its bladed end point at Rainbow Dash. “Let’s see if this will help sink it in for ya.” With that, Gilda sent the dagger sailing towards the pegasus faster than it had been thrown.

It covered half the distance when a pink aura surrounded it and stopped it in midair.

Gilda’s eyes narrowed and looked to see a familiar unicorn stride onto the battlefield, her horn alight with the same pink as that held the dagger. “Trixie.”

“Gilda,” Trixie responded. She tossed her head, sending the dagger back into Rainbow Dash’s grasp. Behind Trixie, Big Macintosh was busy keeping any Imperials from interfering with his auto-crossbow by firing a few rounds whenever somepony thought to make a move. This allowed Trixie to walk up to her fellow general unchallenged. “Trixie is surprised that Blueblood would let a buffoon such as you in charge. What, did Trixie’s absence leave such a hole that he was desperate enough to fill it with the likes of you?”

“Better than the utter failure you turned out to be,” Gilda shot back, her beak morphing into a sneer. “And now you’re with the enemy. Heh, guess that means I don’t have to feel bad about killing you. Not that I would have before.”

Trixie unsheathed her sword with her magic and held it at the ready. “You’re welcomed to try. And the feeling’s mutual.”

No more words were said. Gilda swiped her claws, creating a set of wind blades that streaked towards Trixie. Trixie hopped out of the way and sent an icicle spear back. Gilda slashed again, her wind sending the icicle off course to cash against the ground. She didn’t have time to follow up as Trixie charged in, sword held out to pierce her heart. The griffon stood fast and met Trixie’s charge, grabbing the blade with her talons before it could reach her chest. Gilda strained her arms, even as blood dribbled down the sword, and pushed back. Trixie grunted to keep her sword in control as Gilda’s strength proved enough to counter her levitation.

“Yah!”

A blue hoof collided with Gilda’s head, making her lose her grip on the sword and sending her tumbling in the snow.

“Forget about me?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Big mistake.”

“One I’ll be correcting now,” Gilda said. She jumped to her hind legs and raised her claws. Soon, a powerful wind developed around the entire battlefield, whipping the manes and tails of all the combatants nearby. The winds swirled around, creating a vortex of spinning magic with Gilda at the center. “Let’s see you fly through this.” Gilda thrust her claws forward and the summoned tornado was sent on a path of destruction towards Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, boy.” Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and flapped as hard as she could to get out of the way, but the oncoming twister was too close. With a cry of despair, Rainbow Dash was sent spinning backwards and sucked towards the tornado.

A flash of light came from Trixie’s sword and the turbulent winds died down. Rainbow Dash managed to regain her bearings and flew away from the magical twister. She looked back to see the tornado rip apart, the winds being redirected towards Trixie’s blade.

“Oh, yeah,” Rainbow Dash said. “Forgot she could do that.”

“Attack her now!” Trixie called out.

“Got it!” Rainbow Dash banked hard and zeroed in on the befuddled Gilda. With her dagger ready, she dove down to finish the griffon off.

Somewhere behind her, the mountain exploded.

Rocks and boulders rained down, crushing houses and scattering friend and foe alike. Debris fell everywhere, dusting the pristine white snow that coated Neighshe in a thick layer of blasted coal. Once all the rocks had fallen, a profound silence came to be. For a moment, ponies, chocobos, griffons, and dragons stopped fighting. They all gazed up at the large, dark hole that had been blown out of the side of the mountain, each wondering what could have caused such a thing to happen.

They didn’t have to wonder long.

From within the hole, a glowing red light rocketed out. It flew around with no apparent flight plan while letting off a scream that caused many to cover their ears. It veered downwards, skimming over the homes of Neighshe and leaving behind a trail of fire. The heat was so intense that the roofs and metal sidings melted before they could catch aflame and forced those closest to take cover or be burned to death. Those brave enough to follow the screeching light caught sight of a pony with both wings and a horn covered in flames. She appeared to be writhing in agony, with no sense of what was happening. The flaming creature then shot straight up into the sky and was lost within the clouds.

Gilda was first to recover. She shook her head and whistled through her claws. “Get to the hole! That’s where the esper is.” Further taking advantage of the lull in the action, Gilda balled up her claws and planted a fist in Rainbow Dash’s belly. The pegasus let out a whoosh of air and fell to the ground, clutching her stomach. With Rainbow Dash down, Gilda made a break for the three magitek armour that had finally been pulled from the ditch.

Rainbow Dash gasped for breath and tried getting back to her hooves. At that point, a green glow surrounded her body and all her fatigue and pains drained away. She blinked and saw Trixie standing next to her. “Uh, thanks.” Rainbow Dash spread her wings and faced the direction that Gilda had run off to. “That no good, featherless dodo!”

Trixie stepped in front of Rainbow Dash before the pegasus could take off. “Forget her. You need to get back up there and keep the Empire away from the esper.”

“Who cares about that? What about that weird flamy thing?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Twilight Sparkle.”

“That… that was Twilight?”

Trixie reached forward and forced Rainbow Dash’s head to face the mountain with the gaping hole. “Focus. We’ll deal with her later. Are you going to let the Empire win now after all of this?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged off Trixie’s grip and gave her a cross look. “Alright, alright. But don’t think I’m abandoning Twi!” With that, she took off to join her fellow Returners in the air.

Trixie didn’t remain idle, either. She ran off towards the town, muttering about finding the big red stallion again.

.o.O.o.

The Imperials got to the hole first.

With speed and precision of a well disciplined unit, pegasus ponies flew down the blown out mountainside while a unit of griffons stayed behind to set up a protective barrier. Returner pegasi rushed in, but a beam of intense heat shot past them and forced them to pull up short. Below, the remaining magitek armor angled their weapon ports upwards and fired on the Neighshe defenders.

Hundreds of hooves below the mountain, the Imperials quickly found the frozen esper. The blue glow that had surrounded it was gone, making it appear lifeless. The Imperials got to work wrapping ropes around the esper and securing the lines to themselves. It took a dozen pegasi to generate the wing power necessary to lift the dead weight of the ice off the ground and several underneath it to keep it steady. Slowly but surely, the Imperials soldiers moved the esper through the hole left by the being covered in fire.

None of them noticed a small figure crawl its way out from underneath some fallen rocks and gingerly make its way out of the cavern.

.o.O.o.

“Can’t you get us closer?”

“Nope.”

“What do you mean, no? Use that thingy that shoots all the arrows!”

“I ran out of ‘em.”

“Don’t you have anything else to use?”

“The Noise Blaster is busted, so nope.”

“Great. Just great,” Trixie said. She slashed at a unicorn Imperial with her sword, but was countered by his own levitating sword. The soldier stepped past her guard and managed to land a blow to Trixie’s chest with his forehoof, forcing her back. Trixie retaliated with a shower of small icicles, but the soldier was quicker and twirled his sword, creating a whirling barrier that knocked away the small projectiles. Rather than press his attack, he retreated back and regrouped with his fellow comrades. There, a line of ponies held their position in front of the magitek armor that were still firing on enemy pegasi. “They’re forming up.”

“What’s that mean?” Big Macintosh asked. Deprived of his ammunition, the stallion had been forced to rely on standard weaponry such as the sword he had clutched in his mouth at the handle. Despite the handicap, Big Macintosh’s great size allowed him to hold his own against any Imperials that challenged him.

“It means that they are getting ready to leave. They’re just stalling us now.”

Indeed, most of the forces at Gilda’s command had left the town and had formed a defensive ring around the general’s magitek armor. Over a hundred soldiers had remained in reserve on the snowy plains and were now fighting at full strength to keep the Returners and their Neighsheen allies away.

“Does that Returner leader of yours have any more tricks?” Trixie said. She sized up the remaining ponies on her side against that of the Empire’s and didn’t like the numbers that came up. “Because we could use a few more.”

“Don’t know.”

“Wonderful.”

“Look out, below!”

Trixie and Big Macintosh both flinched as Rainbow Dash crashed in the space between them. The pegasus had seen better days, as her clothes were ripped in several places and was sporting numerals black and blue welts across her body. She struggled to get up and looked expectantly to Trixie. “A little help…”

With a roll of her eyes, Trixie cast a healing spell over Rainbow Dash’s form. Rainbow Dash gave a large sigh of relief. “Thanks again. That spell is really something.”

“What happened to the esper?” Trixie asked.

Rainbow Dash growled and hung her head. “Can’t talk now. I’ve got to stop them.” She spread her wings and made to take off.

Big Macintosh clamped down on her tail with his teeth, bringing her to a halt.

“Mish Dash,” he said through clenched teeth. “Stap. You’re gonna get killed.”

“Leggo! They’re gonna get away with the esper!”

Trixie added her magic to Big Macintosh’s strength and yanked Rainbow Dash down by the ear. “What do you mean? What happened to it?”

“Look!” Rainbow Dash cried, pointing a hoof into the air.

The other two ponies did so. Their jaws dropped.

Up above, the trapped esper dangled from dozens of ropes tied around it. A flock of pegasi and griffons surrounded the frozen creature, either carrying or defending it from the remaining Returners trying to stop them. Cover fire from the magitek armors further separated the Returners from the esper they had come here to protect.

“See?” Rainbow Dash said. “They’re getting away with it!”

Before Trixie or Big Macintosh could respond, one of the magitek armor turned away from the battle above and fired a beam into Neighshe itself. The hot stream of magic burned through the wooden homes of the town like tissue paper and started several fires. More fire beams followed the first and soon half the town became engulfed in flame. Returner ponies broke off from the fighting to swoop down and gather water in buckets in an effort to staunch the raging inferno. With fewer fighters to deal with, the Imperial soldiers finished carrying the esper to an awaiting flatbed and got to work securing it for travel.

Rainbow Dash roared at the top of her lungs. She broke away from Trixie and Big Macintosh’s grasp in a flurry of movement and charged for the Imperial army.

Mayor Mare stepped into her path, bringing Rainbow Dash to a screeching halt.

“It’s over, Dash,” Mayor Mare said. She looked over her shoulder to the retreating army, sighed, and shook her head. “I’ve given orders for all Returners to return to Neighshe and help with the fires. That includes you too.”

“Forget it.” Rainbow Dash hopped over her leader and continued on her way.

“You’re only going to get killed, Rainbow,” Mayor Mare called to her. “You’ll never be able to help your partner if you’re dead.”

Rainbow Dash stopped in her tracks. Slowly, she turned her head to face Mayor Mare, her eyes narrowed in anger but were now filling with tears. “How could you say that?”

“If I didn’t, I’ll regret it forever, because it’s the only thing I could think of to stop you.”

“I can do this! Just give me a chance. I’ll get the esper—”

Mayor Mare stepped up to her and placed a hoof to Rainbow Dash’s lips. “It’s too late. We lost today. But we’re still alive, which means we can fight another time.

“Believe me, Rainbow, I hate this too. The Empire will pay for this, mark my words. Just… not today.” Mayor Mare looped her leg around Rainbow Dash’s neck and brought the younger pony in for a hug. The pegasus sniffed, her welled up tears falling to the snow covered ground to form a small puddle that would freeze later. After a few moments, Mayor Mare released her hold and said, “Now, go help with the fires. It’ll take your mind off of things for a while.”

Rainbow Dash viciously wiped her hoof against her face, clearing away her remaining tears, and looked towards the south. The Empire’s army could still be seen against the dull grey of the mountain sides, slowly making their way back to South Fillygaro. Somewhere in their ranks the esper lay, taken to be used to power the Empire’s growing magical force.

With a grunt, Rainbow Dash rose up into the air towards the smoldering buildings of Neighshe.

.o.O.o.

“Status report, ma’am.”

Mayor Mare looked up with a tired expression, catching sight of Raindrops saluting to her. Her right-hoof mare appeared just as battle weary as she felt and Mayor Mare winced at the sight of the bloody bandage wrapped around the pegasus’ torso. Placing down a wooden board meant to repair a damaged home, Mayor Mare indicated for Raindrops to continue.

“Twenty-five are confirmed dead. More than double that are wounded. I haven’t heard of anypony from Neighshe having been killed.

“All the fires have been contained. The dragons from the mines have been helping us put out some of the more stubborn ones. They seem to be fireproof so they can get into the hotter spots without much trouble.

“We’ve cleared out all of the Imperial soldiers’ bodies. Some of the magitek armor that was left behind still works and Big Macintosh says that he may be able to fix up the ones that are broken.

“That’s all I have.”

Mayor Mare rubbed a hoof over her eyes, blinking away the sleep that threatened to overtake her. “Any word on Twilight Sparkle?”

“Last I heard, she was spotted heading west. Orders, ma’am?”

The Returner leader sighed. “Keep helping with the reconstruction. And get some rest yourself.”

“Got it.” With that, Raindrops left Mayor Mare to her work.

She wasn’t alone for long.

“Trixie wants to know what you plan on doing next.”

Mayor Mare’s glare would have felled any other pony. Trixie appeared oblivious to it. The former Imperial marched up to Mayor Mare and fixed her with an expectant look. “Unless you want to wallow in this burned out pit, Trixie urges that we take action while we can.”

“And what do you suggest?” Mayor Mare asked. She swept her hoof, taking in the entirety of Neighshe. “If you hadn’t noticed, my ponies are tired and injured, the town needs fixing, and the Empire probably has that esper halfway to Vectorlot by now. We are not in any shape to do anything right now.”

“Getting the esper back would be a waste of time, Trixie assures you,” she replied. “What Trixie proposes is that we find Twilight Sparkle. After her little tantrum, the Empire will no doubt want that power back on their side, as meager as it is.”

Mayor Mare remained silent for a time. Finally, she nodded and said, “That’s actually a good idea. But let me make myself perfectly clear. I want Twilight back because she’s a nice pony and doesn’t deserve what’s been done to her. She’s a friend, got that?”

“If you knew half of what Trixie knows, you wouldn’t be saying that,” Trixie said and scoffed. “But, whatever. I’ll be off—”

“Wait!”

The pair of ponies blinked and turned to see Spike limping his way over to them, his spear being used as a crutch. “I’m… going with you.”

Trixie let out a huff and approached the little dragon. “You can barely walk and you want to come? You should stay here and not get in the way.”

“I’m coming. She’s my pupil. I won’t let her down again.”

“Hold it!”

Rainbow Dash swooped down from above and landed in the center of the group.

Trixie facehoofed. “Let me guess, you want to come too?”

“Eeyup.”

“Ah!” Trixie whirled around, spotting Big Macintosh and Stardust standing beside her. “Don’t do that!”

“I hear you want to go west,” Big Macintosh said, ignoring Trixie’s glare. “I might know a way.”

“And west means my homeland,” Stardust added. “I want to check in on my remaining clan members.”

“Whoa. Hold it, time out!”

All eyes turned to Rainbow Dash, who blushed at all the sudden attention. “Um, what are you all talking about?”

“Finding Twilight, Rainbow,” Mayor Mare said. “Why, what are you here for?”

“Oh. Well of course I’m coming too. No way am I leaving Twilight hanging. But I came over here because of this!” Rainbow Dash reached into her pouch and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. “This just came by carrier pigeon. It’s from Applejack!”

Author's Note

Special thanks to Obselescence for going through this part.

In Which Chickens Fly

The gentle crash of waves against a sandy beach was the first thing Applejack heard upon waking up.

“I should keep count of all the times I woke up next to water,” Applejack muttered, spitting out sand and sea water. “Gotta be a record by now.”

Applejack lifted herself up and felt every muscle in her body give protest to the action. A loud groan gave voice to her pain. She moved each of her limbs gingerly and was relieved to feel that everything was in place and moving properly. Satisfied that all her physical parts were in order, Applejack’s next order of business was to pat her head.

She let out the world’s most grateful sigh at the feel of her hat on her head. “Thank the powers that be.”

Satisfied that things were in order, Applejack moved on to check to see if anypony else was alive. The lasso she had tied to herself was still intact. Her luck held out as she followed its length to find Shining Armor, Spotter, Rarity, and Derpy Hooves lying on the sand in various states of consciousness. Shining Armor and Derpy lay prone, coughing up heapfulls of water from their mouths. Rarity fussed with her Mare Do Well outfit, shaking it with her magic to get as much sand and water out of it as possible.

Spotter was busy making a sandcastle with Opalescence as his supervisor.

“Y’all okay?” Applejack said. “Nothin’ broken, is there?”

“There will be something broken if I ever see that vile snake ever again,” Rarity said. With one final snap of fabric, she laid out her costume on a boulder and let it drip dry. “Specifically every spine on his hide for getting my ensemble so filthy.”

Shining Armor rose to his hooves and shook himself like a dog. Droplets of water and bits of sand flew off of him in every direction, some coming close to landing on Rarity’s outfit. For his continued survival, it was fortunate that nothing did. “I’m fine,” he said once he’d stopped. He reached down and helped Derpy to her hooves, a concerned look on his face upon seeing her eyes swirling in their sockets. “Uh… you okay, Miss Hooves?”

Derpy shook her head, creating a rattling sound, and pumped a hoof into the air. “Let’s do that again!”

Shining Armor nodded. “She’s fine.”

A chuckle escaped Applejack’s mouth. “Good to hear. If y’all will excuse me, there’s somethin’ I need to do.” Without another word, she turned and walked towards a tree growing at the edge of the beach. She stopped in front of it and inspected it, giving the tree a long look of appraisal. The others watching on the beach could only stare in confusion as Applejack faced away from the tree, pulled back her hind legs, and kicked.

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why can’t anything go right?! Why can’t I ever get a break? I’ll never get back to the others at this rate. Aaaarrrggghh!”

Applejack let loose her fury upon the hapless tree, bucking it with greater and more powerful strikes with every scream. Her horseshoe-covered hooves gored out huge chunks of bark and wood from the tree, spraying the pieces all over the ground. With one final thunderous kick, Applejack struck the tree dead center. The tree creaked, wood splintered, and with a loud cascade of rustling leaves and branches, the tree toppled over and crashed to the ground.

Her fury spent, Applejack huffed and wheezed where she stood. Sweat trickled down her coat to pool on the ground below. Finally, she let out one shuddering sigh and trotted back to the beach. “Sorry, y’all,” she said, her voice devoid of its usual pep. “I… I’m sorry.” She flopped down on the sand without any grace and remained there.

Shining Armor and Rarity looked upon the distraught mare. They opened their mouths, but no words came from them. Derpy gave a quizzical look and scratching her head. One pony found the will to move and slowly walked up to Applejack’s form.

“Why are you sorry, Miss Applejack?” Spotter asked. He laid down next her and peaked under her hat to find her eyes. “Why are you so mad?”

Applejack looked away from the colt and wiped away the wetness building in her eyes. “Nothin’, bucko. Just forget what you saw.”

“But I don’t get it. You’ve been so strong. You got us all the way here and we’re all okay.”

“Yeah, I guess there’s that. But I’ve got friends that need me and I’m letting them down.”

“Oh. Well… is there anything I can do?”

A small smile appeared on Applejack’s muzzle. She reached up and ruffled Spotter’s mane. “Naw. You just keep being you. Alright?”

Spotter giggled and batted away Applejack’s hoof. “Okay. I think I can do that. I am me.” He gave one more smile up at the mare and scampered off to his abandoned sand castle.

Applejack watched him go, her smile growing as she watched him redouble his efforts to build his castle to even greater heights. With a grunt, she stood up and shook off the sand clinging to her coat. “Alright. I think I’m okay. Just had to get that out.”

“Perfectly understandable,” Rarity said, her own smile gracing her features. “It has been rather hectic for us, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah. Anyway…” She swept her gaze around and took in her surroundings. “Guess we ought to figure out where the hay we are.”

Derpy shot a hoof into the air and waved it around. “Oh! Oh!”

“Yes, Derpy?”

“I can fly around and check. If this place is anything like the Veldt, then it’ll be easy as peasy.”

“And if this place isn’t like the Veldt?”

“Then I guess we’re goners. Be back in a bit!” With that, she took off.

A second later she crashed headfirst into the sand. “Oops,” came her muffled voice. “I forgot to untie myself from your rope.”

Applejack sighed, undid the rope around Derpy, and watched as the pegasus once again flew off. “I’m beginning to wonder if bringing her along was the right idea.”

“Now, let’s not be so hasty,” Rarity said. She was laid out on a light blue blanket she produced from her bags and was currently laying back and absorbing the sun’s rays. “I’m sure she will surprise you when you least expect it.”

“Yeah, and I’m hoping it ain’t when we have a whole army of Imperials on our tails.”

Conversation lapsed after that, with each pony content to rest after their ordeals. It was some minutes later that Derpy returned and chose her landing spot on top of Spotter’s sand castle.

“Hey! I was just about to build the moat!” Spotter yelled.

“Sorry,” Derpy said and stepped off of the now flattened castle. “But I found something! There’s a bunch of mountains that way and I heard lots of weird noises coming from them.” She pointed towards the horizon where the very tips of mountain tops could be seen.

“What kind of noises?” Shining Armor asked.

“Not sure. I’ve never heard anything like it before.”

Shining Armor looked towards Applejack and shrugged. “I guess it’s a start. It could mean a town or something.”

“I guess,” Applejack said. “Alright, then. We’ll head that way but we gotta be extra careful until we know where we are. No tellin’ what’s out there.”

The group all agreed and got their gear together to start traveling. Soon, the ponies were on their way with Derpy leading them. The going was easy and the weather was bright and sunny, making the journey a pleasant one. The mountains drew closer, and if the group listened carefully, they could just make out some sounds being carried by the wind. The noises were too faint to make out, but all agreed that they didn’t seem natural.

It was hours later, with night slowly setting in, that they finally reached their destination. Now that they were closer, the noises became more identifiable. Machinery and voices echoed through the mountain passes to reach their ears. Applejack brought the group to a stop and frowned.

“I don’t like this,” she said. “There aren’t too many places that have machines that sound like that. I think it best if we head another way.”

Rarity stepped forward and gave Applejack a dazzling smile. “Darling, we can’t just walk away after coming this far. Here, let me check it out. It’s what I’m good at.” With a flick of her horn, Rarity’s donned her Mare Do Well costume. Even as close as she was to the others, her outfit neatly blended her in with the growing dark of the night. With hardly a sound, she ran off and was out of sight within moments.

Minutes passed. The sounds just over the rocky mountains continued. Every now and then, a pegasus could be seen flying in the distance, silhouetted against the night sky. The wait grew longer.

“Let me go take a look,” Derpy said and spread her wings wide.

“No!” Applejack pivoted and tackled Derpy to the ground and pinned her down. “No. Stay here. Mare Do Well is the expert here.”

“But I know how to sneak around.” Derpy tried lifting herself up but Applejack’s greater strength and weight kept her from moving. “I studied how mice move and hardly anypony notices them.”

“Derpy, I’m sure that you’re good at plenty of stuff, but you’re not going to do this. Just stay put—”

“Am I interrupting something?”

Like a phantom, Rarity suddenly appeared, giving Derpy and Spotter a fright. A hint of teasing entered her voice as she said, “I could always come back later.”

“Nothin’ happening here,” Applejack said. She climbed off of Derpy and helped the pegasus to her hooves. Satisfied that there was no harm done, she turned to Rarity. “Whadja find?”

Rarity lifted her hood and, even in the darkness, the others could see her worried expression. “Applejack’s right. We need to leave. Now.”

Applejack didn’t waste her breath asking what she saw. She nodded, turned away from the mountains, and gestured for all of them to start moving. Nopony said a word until they had traveled a mile in the direction they had come from.

“What did ya see?” Applejack asked, keeping her voice low.

“The Empire,” Rarity said. “They have some type of base there. I couldn’t get too close with all the guards. Whatever it is they are guarding, they are taking every precaution to keep it safe.”

“Gotcha. We don’t wanna be there, then. Let’s find a spot to sleep and then we’ll figure out what to do in the morning.”

The ponies continued on into the night, away from the mysterious base until they found a grove of trees to hide in. Rarity set up her tent and even allowed everypony in without having to wipe their hooves. Shining Armor volunteered to remain on watch despite a stubborn protest from Applejack. He simply said she needed the rest more than he did and it was a knight’s job anyway. She relented, but only on the stipulation that she got watch next time. With that settled, it wasn’t long before the group was sound asleep in this unknown land.

.o.O.o.

The air was crisp and cool on this cloudless autumn night, enveloping the countryside in a quiet tranquility. Shining Armor pulled his hood a little closer to his body, trying to keep as much warmth in as he could. This coming winter looked to be a particularly cold one if this type of weather continued. The castle’s food supply would have to be managed carefully this year, that was for sure.

Shining Armor cleared his head of such thoughts. That would be dealt with later. Right now he had a job to do. With precise steps, he paced the eastern wall of Domare castle, his gaze sweeping over the battlefronts on each pass. Minute after minute he continued this routine, not once missing a step or losing focus on keeping watch.

The sound of hooves on stone reached his ears, completely at odds with the silence of the night. In one fluid motion, he whirled around and brandished a spear at the invader intruding on his territory.

“Yikes! Watch where you’re pointing that thing.”

“Cadence?”

Shining Armor lit his horn, bathing the area with a soft pink light. Standing before him was none other than the king’s daughter, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. He wasted no time dropping to his knees and bowed his head as low as it could. “Forgive me, princess. I didn’t know it was you.”

Laughter like bell chimes filled the air. “No, no. I should apologize. I didn’t mean to startle you like that.”

“Nonsense. I should have been more alert. What can I do for you, princess?” Shining Armor said, still keeping his head low to the floor.

“Hey, stop that,” Cadence said and lifted Shining Armor chin. “I get enough grovelling all day. Come on, get up.”

Shining Armor raised himself back to his hooves, but kept his head averted. “I’m sorry, prin—”

“And stop apologizing! I get enough of that too.”

“Yes, princess.”

Cadence smiled. She trotted over to the battlement and looked out over the countryside. “Nice night, isn’t it? I wanted to have a nice stroll before going to bed. Must be an easy night for you, huh?”

Shining Armor shook his head. “A knight never thinks any time of the day is easy. We have to be vigilant all the time. Especially with all the rumors going around of Vectorlot messing with those machine things.”

“I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about,” Cadence said, waving his concerns aside. “From what my father tells me, anything they build falls apart the next day.”

“Maybe, but I still don’t like it.”

A light giggle escaped Cadence’s lips. “You only say that because the engine Fillygaro sent here blew up in your face.”

“T-t-that wasn't my fault!” Shining Armor cried out. He would have continued explaining how there looked to be a part out of alignment and that he couldn't have known that it was the switch to set the engine into overdrive, but Cadence’s airy laughter cut him off.

“Oh, Shinie,” Cadence said once she had her chuckling under control, “It’s okay if you’re hopeless with machines. You’re still my knight in shining armor.” Without warning, she reached forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for the company. Good night.” She sauntered off, throwing a wink over her shoulder, and walked out of sight.

How long he stood there, Shining Armor didn’t know. The only thing going through his head for the rest of the night was that he was never washing his cheek again.

.o.O.o.

The morning came with the cry of a distant rooster. Gradually, the ponies began to wake and shake off their drowsiness and stepped out into the growing daylight. Taking in a deep breath, Applejack exhaled slowly. Today would be a better day, she told herself. So help her, she’d find a way to help her friends.

An odd sound to her side caught her attention. Several hooves away, sitting upright in a rigid stance, was Shining Armor. His posture would indicate that he was alert and ready were it not for his closed eyes and slight winney whenever he breathed in and out. Applejack smirked, trotted up to the stallion, and tapped him on the nose.

Shining Armor snapped awake. “Huh? Wha? Who?”

“A knight’s duty, huh?” Applejack said with a chuckle. “Is sleepin’ on the job part of yer training?”

Shining Armor forced back a yawn but couldn’t stop the blush to his cheeks. “Sorry. Guess I was tired too.”

“I reckon. But nothing happened so I’ll let you off the hook this time.” Applejack smirked and sat down next to him. “Have any nice dreams?”

“Yeah, actually.”

He didn’t follow up, just sat and stared off into the distance. Moments passed into minutes and Applejack had the distinct feeling that trying to regain his attention would not be appreciated. So the two sat there and enjoyed the heat of the sun and the wind rustling through the trees.

However, another pony didn’t have the same level of restraint. “Daddy!” Spotter came running out of the tent and tackled Shining Armor to the ground. “Did you watch us all night?”

“Pretty much,” Shining Armor said with a laugh to the colt laying on his stomach. “Nothing got by me!”

“Except for me. I got ya!”

“You sure did.” Shining Armor lifted his son into the air and balanced him on the tips of his hooves. “You’re going to make a great soldier!”

“Yay!”

Applejack smiled and let father and son to their play. She walked over to the tent where Rarity and Derpy were seen emerging and blinking away their sleep. “How are ya? Sleep okay?”

“Decent,” Rarity said. She politely covered a yawn with a hoof before speaking again. “So what’s the plan?”

“Got any ideas? I’m plum running low on ‘em right now.”

“Well, I was thinking, and I say we go back to the coast and follow it east. Towns tend to be built on the shoreline.”

“Sounds good. Maybe we can even find a ship to take us to Neighshe. Let’s get some breakfast in us and head on out.”

.o.O.o.

Like the day before, the going was good and the ponies traveled a decent pace without having to rest. None of them knew just where they were going to but they figured there was no sense in being late. Unlike the base from yesterday, there were virtually no ponies. Applejack couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing. She pondered this while pushing through a thick clump of bushes, not paying attention to her surroundings. Even the deep pit behind the bushes escaped her attention.

Until she fell into it, that is.

“Applejack!” the others cried out as the farmpony suddenly vanished. They rushed to the edge of a steep drop-off hidden by the bushes. Twelve hooves down, at the bottom of the pit, was Applejack, struggling to her hooves.

“I’m alright!” she called back to them. “Just took a little tumble, is all. If I throw my rope up there, can y’all pull me up?”

“Sure thing!” Shining Armor said and prepared to catch the rope in his telekinesis.

That moment never came. The ground beneath the ponies shifted and rumbled. Shining Armor yelped when he lost his footing and fell into the pit alongside Applejack. Rarity kept her footing and yanked Spotter away from the edge with her magic. The ground beneath her gave way and a small avalanche carried both screaming ponies tumbling into the pit. Only Derpy Hooves managed to keep from falling in with a little wing action.

Seconds later, the ground stopped shaking. “Hey, you guys okay?” Derpy asked. “Want me to pull you out?”

“That would be lovely, dearieEEEEEEEEEEE!” Rarity’s shrill scream came from seeing the earth beside her crumble away and a rooster’s head pop out. The creature clucked once and pulled the rest of its body from the soil. A cross between a dragon and a rooster stood before them, with the rooster as the head and the rest as a scaly green, six legged lizard. It clucked again then lunged with its beak. Rarity unsheathed her knife and grazed the chickenlip’s neck with a shallow cut. It reeled back with a hiss. “Stay away!”

All around the pit, chunks of dirt burst out and pelted the ponies, a flock of chickenlips sprouting from the holes. They crawled forward on their six legs, clucking and crowing more and more as they drew closer. The ponies huddled with their backs to each other and faced off against the approaching monsters. One rushed in and lashed out with its beak, but a single slice from Shining Armor’s sword severed its head clean off. The body slumped to the ground in a bloody mess and gave a few convulsions before remaining still. The remaining chickenlips attacked all at once, crawling over their dead and snapping at their prey.

“We need to cut a path through them if we want to get out of here!” Shining Armor said.

“I hear ya!” Applejack called back. “Just give me a moment to setup.” She took a deep breath, raised herself to her hind legs, and cupped her forehooves together at her hip. “Aurabolt!” Applejack thrust her hooves forward and a beam of pure white energy shot forward and slammed into a chickenlip bearing down on her. The squawking monster flew backwards and crashed into its brethren. “Okay, move!”

Applejack led the charge through the small gap that her attack had made, the others close behind her. She kicked away any chickenlip that tried to get in her path and was soon at the base of the pit. Just as she was reaching for her lasso, the earth around them began shaking apart, and she tumbled to the ground. The intense earthquake continued, and none of the ponies managed to regain their footing. “They’re burrowing through the ground. Darn roosters are making it impossible to get up with all this loose soil!”

The rumbling stopped, only for chickenlips to appear from their holes and close in on their prone forms.

One chickenlip erupted from the earth in a shower of dirt and rocks and speared its beak towards Spotter’s head. The colt screamed in terror and shoved against the ground with all his might, but the soil bunched up against his hooves, giving little traction.

That’s when a form descended from above and snatched away the chickenlip before it could strike. The monster was hurled completely out of the pit and landed on the harder soil with a thud. The airborne attacker came in again, this time picking up two chickenlips and flinging them high into the air. They flailed and scrambled as though it would stop their fall into the cold, unforgiving soil. It didn’t. More and more of the creatures were picked off in a similar manner, until the rest squawked in fear and burrowed themselves deep within the earth.

With the chickenlips gone and the pit no longer shaking all over the place, Applejack finally managed to stand up. What greeted her was a smiling pegasus hovering in the air.

“You guys alright?” Derpy Hooves asked. “Those things were really nasty.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Applejack said. “How about y’all?”

“I’m okay,” Shining Armor responded back. He checked over his son and nodded when he couldn’t find any wounds.

“Same here,” Rarity said. She brushed off as much dirt as she could from her costume and snorted. “Though it looks like I’ll need to replace this soon. I’ve gone through more action than normal lately.”

“What did you do, Miss Hooves?” Spotter spoke up, his eyes wide in wonder.

“Oh, uh, nothing special,” Derpy said. She smiled sheepishly and placed her hooves behind her back in a nervous manner. “Just ah, something I once saw a pterodon do. Those things can dive bomb a leafer from way up high!”

“Impressive, sweetie,” Rarity said and reached up to pat Derpy on the shoulder. “And quick thinking too, I must say. Right, Applejack?”

Applejack rolled her eyes even as a smile crept on her face. “Yes, it was a might impressive bit of ranglin’ there. I guess I was a little quick to judge you.”

“Uh oh, I was being judged?” Derpy said, her ears flattening against her head. “I’m not guilty, am I?”

“Naw. If anything, I’m the one that’s guilty. I, uh… wasn’t sure bringing you along was a good idea. Sorry.”

“Oh.” Derpy’s face lit up with a smile and patted Applejack on the head. “It’s a good thing you did bring me along. Otherwise you’d all be dead!”

Applejack blinked. “Uh… good point. You can stop patting me now.”

“Whoops!” Derpy snatched her hoof away but her happy grin still remained.

A white hoof poked into Applejack’s side, gaining her attention. “It’s nice that we cleared that all up,” Rarity said, “but I think we should be on our way before those things come back.” A set of nods from Shining Armor and Spotter reinforced that sentiment.

Applejack nodded herself and slipped off her lasso. “Good thinkin’. Derpy, could you take one end of this and tie it off to something?”

“You got it!” Derpy saluted and took off.

A few seconds later, Derpy came back and grinned sheepishly. “I, uh, probably should take my end with me, shouldn’t I?”

.o.O.o.

Once the group was safely out of the chickenlip pit, they wasted no time putting as much distance between them and the pit as they could. Extra care was taken to watch out for any more monsters or their dens, a job Derpy was happy to take on. Her experience with animals and her ability to fly ahead to check for dangers made her the perfect choice. No more monsters held them up, allowing the ponies to travel without hassle.

It was on their third day since washing up on shore that they reached a town.

Looking down from a hill, the town looked unassuming. Thatched roofed cottages made up the majority of the buildings while gardens and fields of hay dotted the landscape. A forest grew on the north side and disappeared into the distance towards some mountains. The town wasn’t very big, with perhaps four-hundred ponies living there at most. The ponies themselves were seen walking through the streets or working the fields.

However, the thing that caught everypony’s eyes were the suits of magitek armor stationed at each of the town’s entrances. Looking closer, ponies wearing Imperial armor and a few griffon’s patrolling the skies were seen as well. The town was occupied though this was definitely not South Fillygaro.

Shining Armor peered down at the town, his gaze scanning over every detail of troop movements and positions. “I can’t tell how long the Empire’s been there,” he said to the group. “All I know is that it’s been a while. They move as though they are familiar with the place. We gonna go down there?”

“We gotta,” Applejack replied. “We’re runnin’ low on the supplies the zebras gave us. If we don’t stock up, we’ll have to live off the land and we haven’t found much since then.”

“But if we get found out and captured, we’ll be living on what they give us.”

“Yeah…”

“Tut, tut, you two.”

Shining Armor and Applejack blinked and looked up to see Rarity striding forward, an easy look of confidence on her face. “You two worry too much. Really, if we just go down there and don’t draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves, we’ll just come across as ordinary travelers. The first part of being inconspicuous is to not act inconspicuous. Here, follow my lead.” With that she trotted down the hill at a brisk pace and headed towards the town.

Shining Armor looked to Applejack and shrugged. “After you, my lady.”

The short walk to the town became one of the tensest moments Shining Armor and Applejack could remember having. They were heading towards an unfamiliar place across a wide open terrain, plainly visible to any Imperial soldiers that may be in the area. Within moments, a screech from one of the griffons alerted the soldiers of their approach. There was no hiding their presence now and a contingent of soldiers were waiting for them.

“Papers, please,” the lead soldier, a unicorn, said.

Rarity cocked her head to the side and looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. “Papers? I don’t know what you mean.”

“All citizens of the Empire are required to present their papers when asked.”

“Oh. Well, I’m afraid we don’t have any. This is the first I’ve heard of it. You see, we just came from a settlement that was attacked by monsters. We fled here for safety. How do we sign up for papers?”

The soldier grumbled something unsavory under his breath, then lit up his horn and levitated a stack of papers towards Rarity. “Fill these out and give them to the main office. It’s the large stone building down the street. Don’t leave until you’ve turned them in.”

“Wonderful! Thank you so much.” Rarity took hold of the offered papers with her own levitation and graced the soldier with a brilliant smile. “Out of curiosity, what town is this?”

“Trotzen.”

Applejack’s eyes went wide and Shining Armor nearly swallowed his tongue.

Rarity on the other hoof simply nodded, cantered past the soldier and into town. The others followed after her, keeping their heads low and looking the part of weary, worried travelers. Given the past few days, they didn’t have to fake it.

Once Applejack felt they had walked out of range of the Imperials, she ran up to Rarity and hissed, “What are you doing? Don’t you know where we are? We’re on the Empire’s continent!”

“I know that,” Rarity replied. “And a wonderful opportunity has been presented to us.”

“How do ya figure?”

“With these,” Rarity said as she lifted up the set of papers, “we can move around freely. All we have to do is come up with some phony names and none here will be the wiser.”

A frown marred Applejack’s muzzle and her eyes narrowed. “I don’t know. Doesn’t feel right to lie like this.”

“Would you rather tell them exactly who you are?”

“Point taken.”

Rarity stopped at a bench set up next to a pedestal used for showing off a statue. The statue was a pile of rubble, with a pony’s head laying off to the side and the hooves the only things still attached to the pedestal. From the looks of the grass growing wild and unchecked next to the display, nopony had been around to clean up for some time. Rarity sat down on the bench and pulled out a quill from her bag. “Here, let me get these filled out. You all busy yourselves with getting the things we need. Sound good?”

Applejack let out a sigh, but nodded. “Sure. I’ll get the supplies we need.” She turned to Shining Armor and Spotter. “You fellers want to help?”

“Yep!” Spotter chimed in.

“I guess that settles that,” Shining Armor said with a chuckle.

“I’ll stay with Rarity and keep her company,” Derpy offered and sat down next to the unicorn on the bench.

“Then we’re off,” Applejack said. She headed towards the most crowded looking part of town, Shining Armor and Spotter trailing close by. Behind her, Rarity put quill to parchment and began writing.

.o.O.o.

The market area of Trotzen did not fill Applejack with much confidence. No stalls filled with vegetables or fruits could be seen and very few of the buildings had any form of markings to identify as stores. Only a few ponies walked by and all of them watched Applejack, Shining Armor, and Spotter with suspicious eyes. Any time Applejack called out to one of them, they would immediately turn away and head into the nearest building.

“Not very hospitable, are they?” Applejack stated.

“These ponies probably don’t have much of a choice with the Empire here and all,” Shining Armor said.

“I guess not.” Applejack swiveled her head around and caught sight of a sign that had a loaf of bread hanging above an opened door. “Let’s try there.” The two older ponies headed for the door, Spotter trailing dutifully behind.

Movement out of the corner of the young colt’s eye made him stop. There, running towards the woods, was a tan colored stallion holding a brown sack in his mouth. The stallion stopped at the corner of a house, looked around briefly, then continued his sprint to the forest. Spotter was just about to turn away and forget what he saw, when the sack being carried gave off a faint green glow. The stallion seemed to notice this as well and quickened his pace. Three more strides and he entered the woods and was lost from sight.

Spotter ran towards the forest without a second thought.

He had nearly reached the treeline when the stallion burst out of the trees further down and ran off in a panic.

“Hey, kid!”

Spotter yelped in surprise and whirled around to see a soldier run towards him. A second later, a griffon touched down from above and joined his comrade. The two Imperials quickly surrounded the frightened colt, blocking any means of escape. “Kid, what are you doing out here?” the pony asked. “You helping that thief?”

“T-Thief?” Spotter stuttered. “I… I don’t…”

“I lost sight of him when he went in the trees,” the griffon said. “He could still be in there.”

“Oh, no.” Spotter pointed a hoof towards where the stallion had run off. “I saw him. He went that way.”

“You sure,” the pony said, glaring down at the colt from underneath his helmet. “You’re not pulling our legs, are ya?”

“No, no! Honest!”

“C’mon,” the griffon said and motioned with his claw for the pony to follow him. “If it’s true I can spot him out easily enough.” With that, the griffon leapt into the air and quickly gained altitude.

“Wait up!” the pony called after the griffon and ran after him, leaving Spotter alone once again.

The colt remained where he was, his breath coming out in short bursts and his entire body shaking. It was a whole minute before he dared uncurl himself from the ground. He stood up but the wobbling in his knees threatened to topple him over at any moment. Spotter focused on recalling what had happened, but the events had come and gone so fast that he was having trouble remembering anything. However, one thing did stand out in his mind.

The stallion wasn’t carrying the sack when he left the forest.

Spotter looked towards the woods. The stallion hadn’t been in there long before he ran out, so he couldn’t have made it in all that far. Curiosity overcoming his fear, he slowly picked his way through the brush covering the forest floor. He hadn’t walked more than a few hoof lengths in when he caught sight of a faint green glow coming from a patch of tall grass. Spotter reached forward and parted the grass, revealing the sack laying on the ground, the strange green light seeping out of it.

“Wow.” That pretty much summed up Spotter’s thoughts on the matter.

He bent down and picked up the sack with his mouth. A quick yank and a pull undid the tie keeping the sack closed, giving Spotter room to reach his hoof in and pull out the glowing thing inside.

What he held was nothing he had ever seen before. It was some type of clear crystal, colored green on the outside but holding a pulsing red core in its center. The core didn’t appear to be made of crystal, only a solid red sphere, like a marble. Spotter couldn’t decide if it was the most awesome thing he had ever seen, or the weirdest. “I gotta show you to dad. He’ll know what this is.”

You… good… soul...

“Whaaa?!” Spotter jerked and released the crystal from his hoof. However, the crystal did not drop to the ground as he expected, but hovered in front of him. A low thrumming began to emanate from the crystal, growing louder by the second. Just as Spotter thought that it would be a good idea to run, the crystal flew forwards and collided with his chest. Spotter let out a strangled gasp even as the crystal plunged into his body like a stone falling into a river. It was over in seconds.

The colt fell to his knees, his pupils constricted and his breath coming in short bursts. Several moments passed as Spotter fought back the urge to flop to the ground and pass out. His vision blurred, causing him to shut his eyes tight and let the dizzy spell pass. Slowly, Spotter managed to get to his hooves even with a slight wobble coming from his knees.

“Wha… what happened?” He looked around but there was no sign of the strange crystal. He gingerly placed a hoof to his chest and poked it a few times. He felt nothing and his coat was as pristine as it was before. A sudden urge to see his dad overcame him and he whirled around to run as far away from this place as possible. The only thing left that showed that he had been there was the discarded empty sack.

.o.O.o.

Shining Armor was in a state of panic.

Not that a passerby would be able to tell. The stallion walked from one end of the small market plaza to the other, inspecting every bush, cart, and tree for any sign of his son. Shining Armor’s expression was one of serene calm, bordering on boredom. He wanted nothing more than to run around and shout out his son’s name as loud as he could, but the ever present Imperials walking the streets and flying above reminded him that doing so would draw unwanted attention. It would also sabotage Rarity’s plan to hide their identities and place them at the top of the Empire’s wanted list should they learn of who they were. So, with discipline born from years of servitude to Domare, he reigned in his emotions and carefully searched as inconspicuously as he could.

“Daddy!”

“Son!”

All of which was thrown to the wind as Spotter came running from behind a house, saw his father, and made a beeline for him as fast as he could. Shining Armor did the same and scooped up Spotter in his hooves and cradled him to his chest.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Shining Armor said, stroking a hoof up and down Spotter’s back.

“Sorry,” Spotter replied. “I… I didn’t mean to. I just saw a funny looking guy and-and—”

“How many times have I told you not to wander off?” Shining Armor interrupted. He held Spotter before him and made sure that he made eye contact. “This isn’t a game, Spot. You can’t be doing this. Applejack, Rarity, and Derpy could be put in danger if you get caught. You want that to happen?”

Spotter quickly shook his head, his eyes widening at the realization. “No!”

“Then promise me you stay by my side. Soldiers need to do what they’re told, right? I’m telling you that we need to stick together. Okay?”

“Yeah. Okay.”

“Good. Now, it’s a good thing we are in a hurry or I’d think of tanning… your hide…”

Spotter had grown uneasy in his father’s grip at the threat of a spanking, but blinked as Shining Armor stared at his rump. “Dad?” When no response game, he followed his father’s gaze and gasped at what he saw.

.o.O.o.

Applejack was all smiles as she left the general store. She had managed to purchase everything she wanted, and at a fair price considering that the town was currently occupied. Not only that, but the shopkeeper had been willing to send a carrier pigeon under the cover of darkness for Neighshe that very night. The sun be willing, her message would arrive in a few days and hopefully reach her friends. It would do a lot to ease her mind to let them know that she was okay.

Even with her good fortune, she had to admit that finances were tight. Monsters weren’t made of gil and she’d have to budget things carefully in order to keep everypony fed. Applejack wondered if Rarity would have any ideas in making some money, seeing how the unicorn made her living seeking odd jobs from others. It would have to be looked into, and soon.

“Now where did those two get off to?” Applejack said allowed. Shining Armor must have slipped away when she was dealing with the shopkeeper since the stallion hadn’t been next to her when she finished her business. Didn’t he know that they needed to keep a low profile? Wandering off like that was sure to cause trouble.

It was as she reached the main market plaza that she caught sight of Shining Armor and Spotter sitting together out in the open. Applejack headed over to them and said, “There y’all are. Watcha thinkin’ leaving me behind?” She received no response. “Hey! I’m talkin’ to you.”

After several silent seconds, Shining Armor turned to look up at Applejack. He made no attempt to hide the worry etched on his face. “A-Applejack. What is this?”

“What is what?”

Shining Armor looked down at Spotter, who looked like he had seen his mother’s ghost. The colt’s white coat was paler than usual and his pupils were mere pinpricks within the whites of his eyes. Gently, Shining Armor said, “Show her, Spotter.”

The colt started a little at being addressed. He glanced up and gulped at the looks of attention he was getting. Slowly, he stood up and turned his body so that Applejack got a clear view of his behind.

There, adorning his flank like a tattoo, was an image of an eye overlaid with a magnifying glass.

Wherein the Mountains are Crossed

Dear Everypony,

I hope this letter reaches you and that you are all okay. I wish I could be there with you but bad luck has sent me way off track. I have to keep this short so I’ll get right into it.

I’ve ended up on the Empire’s continent. I can’t say where because this could get caught by an Imperial and then my goose will really be cooked. Let me assure you that I’m fine and that I’ve met some new friends that have helped me every step of the way. They are good ponies and I hope to one day introduce you to them.

I need to end this, so let me tell you all that I miss you and I’ll do whatever it takes to stay alive. You can count on that.

Your Friend,
Applejack

Rainbow Dash finished reading the letter and smiled widely at the traveling ponies. “Did you all hear that? AJ’s okay and she’s totally going to kick the Empire’s butt!”

“Yes, Rainbow Dash, you said that the last time you read the letter to us,” Spike said. The dragon sat upon Stardust’s back, a bag in one claw and a half-eaten gem in the other. “And the time before that, and the time before that too.” He stuffed the gem into his mouth, reached into the bag, and pulled out another jewel. Tiny crumbs of crushed gem spewed from his mouth as he said, “We get it, you’re happy she’s okay. I’m happy she’s okay.”

“Hey, watch it!” Stardust hollered. He flexed his wings, sending bits of gem scattering to the ground. “You want to start walking, dragon boy?”

“Heh, sorry.”

Rainbow Dash was suddenly beside Spike, flapping her wings at a steady beat to keep pace with the chocobo. She thrust the letter in his face, nearly knocking him over. “You totally don’t get it. Applejack’s gonna crush the Empire into a little ball and buck it so hard it’ll kiss the moon!”

A derisive scoff from behind Rainbow Dash caught the pegasus’ attention. She whirled around and glared at the offending pony. “What? You don’t think she can do it?”

“Trixie doesn’t know this Applejack personally, but it’ll take more than one pony to make the Empire roll over and die,” the former general said. Trixie looked up at Rainbow Dash with a half-lidded stare. “If your friend is smart, she’ll lay low and stay out of trouble. Emperor Blueblood doesn’t like ponies that break his rules.”

“Hah! You just wait. I bet she’ll have this whole thing taken care of before—”

“Quiet. We’re here.”

The soft spoken but firm command came from the last member of the group, Big Macintosh. Everyone grew silent, waiting for the stallion to say something else. Big Macintosh merely looked out at the horizon, a solemn expression on his muzzle. Before him was an expanse of sand and rock as far as the eye could see. The great desert of Fillygaro lay at his hooves.

A small smile spread across Big Macintosh’s face. “I’m home.”

The stallion stood tall, gazing out at his homeland. He remained that way for a moment, his eyes tracing over every detail they could find. “If I take one more step, I’ll be home for the first time in ten years.”

Big Macintosh lifted a forehoof, let it linger in the air, then brought it down on the sandy ground. The sand parted around his hoof, cradling it as though it were welcoming him back. He took another step. And another. Then another, until he was walking at a steady pace.

The others watched him trot away, each remaining silent. Once Big Macintosh walked over a dozen hooves away, Rainbow Dash said in a hushed voice, “He might be happy, but I just know I’m going to get sand in every feather of my wings again.” She gave a huff, folded her wings tightly to her body, and followed after the stallion.

.o.O.o.

Traversing the grand desert of Fillygaro wasn’t the slog that Rainbow Dash feared it would be. While she didn’t have a special cloak to shield her from the elements like Twilight did, she did have Spike and Trixie. Spike blew a cool wind over the group with his new frost breath every few minutes, creating a pleasant cone of chill air around them. Trixie, with her ice magic, kept any scorpions and sand rays from attacking them by blasting the annoying monsters before they could pose a threat. It wasn’t long before Fillygaro Orchard came into view.

“It’s as beautiful as I remember,” Big Macintosh said. The smile hadn’t left his muzzle since he had set hoof in the desert.

“Hey, Big Mac,” Rainbow Dash called from behind him. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why in the world would you build your farm way out here?”

“Don’t mind at all, Miss Dash. There’s a large underground lake that runs under the orchard. Used to be an oasis before my granny and grandad found it and settle there. Best growin’ land in the world.”

“Uh huh. And the whole building going under the ground thing? Who came up with that?”

“My pappy. He was diggin’ a hole for a new tree and dug so far he went right through the ground. Lost his shovel but found some sort o' cave. Huge one, too. Big enough to fit all of South Fillygaro in. Thought he would have to move the orchard but somehow got the idea to put the orchard in it. Ol’ Cranky Doodle and him came up with the systems to lower it into the cave whenever there was a sandstorm a blowin’.”

“Wow, that’s awesome,” Spike said, his eyes wide in amazement. “I didn’t know ponies could do things like that.”

“Just takes a little bit o’ grease and grit.”

“As fascinating as this all is,” Trixie said, cutting off any further discussion, “need Trixie remind you that we are not here for visiting? We have an out-of-control, flaming pony to find.”

Rainbow Dash’s hoof poked Trixie in the back of her head, none too gently. “Hey, lay off, would ya? Nopony’s more worried about her than me. She might have a lot of power in that little body of hers, but she’s still a newbie. She’s probably hurt or in trouble and it’s all I can think about. But that don’t mean I’m going to get snippy with everyone. Got it?”

“Are you lecturing me?”

“Somepony’s got to keep you in line.”

The others watched on, waiting for Trixie to make a response. Stardust began edging away and found that Big Macintosh made a good barrier between himself and the scary ex-Imperial. Rainbow Dash and Trixie locked gazes, neither of them backing down from their silent battle of wills.

Trixie humphed, lifted her nose in the air, and walked away, ending the standoff. “Trixie is here to get the job done, not waste her time with sentiment.” Without looking back, Trixie headed for the orchard.

“I really wish she hadn’t come,” Stardust said, peeking up from behind Big Macintosh. “She’s going to do something nasty, I just know it.”

“You let me worry about her,” Rainbow Dash replied, landing on the ground. “I brought her here, so she’s kinda my responsibility. I know she’s a pain but she helped out a lot when the Empire attacked.”

“I still don’t trust her. You don’t know what she did to us chocobos.”

Rainbow Dash sighed and trotted forward. “Just… carry our stuff, all right?”

The chocobo’s feathers ruffled up and he opened his beak to call after her, but the soft touch of a claw on his neck stopped him. Stardust looked back, seeing Spike giving him an apologetic look and a shake of his head. Slowly, Stardust’s feathers settled back in place. Giving a grunt, he followed after the ponies into Fillygaro Orchard.

.o.O.o.

The moment Big Macintosh stepped through the entrance way, ponies everywhere stopped what they were doing and surrounded the stallion.

“Big Mac, you’re back!”

“By the sun, where’ve you been?”

“What’s with all the gear? It looks like you’re ready for war.”

“Dude, who’re the chicks?”

Trixie zapped the last speaker.

Big Macintosh, sporting a wide grin, held up a hoof, bringing any further questions to a halt. “It’s good to see y’all. The place looks great. I wish I was here fer visitin’, but we need to get to the other side of the mountains. Ya mind?”

“You want us to move the orchard?” One of the guards, Caramel, approached the group. “Is that all? Sure thing! I’ll tell the engineers right now!” He rushed off, pushing ponies out of his way in his eagerness.

“Move… this building?” Trixie asked.

Rainbow Dash gave a knowing smirk. “Yeah, wait until you see it! It’s awesome!”

“Thanks, y’all,” Big Macintosh said. He stepped forward and ponies moved aside to let him pass. “If ya don’t mind, I have somepony to see. Visit y’all later.” He headed for a large iron door that led out to the main plaza, opened it, stepped out into the sunny grounds, and turned a left, removing him from sight.

The remaining Returners glanced around, confused looks on their faces. “Well, now what?” Trixie said to the others. Most of the crowd had already left, leaving only a few guards in the entrance way.

One of the guards came up to the group and bowed. “If you all would follow me, we need to get you to a secure place while the orchard is moved.” Without another word, he turned and headed off towards the same door Big Macintosh had left through.

“Will somepony please tell Trixie what the hay is going on?!”

.o.O.o.

“Land sakes! Call me a worm in a rotten apple. Big Macintosh!”

On this day, ponies swore that Granny Smith moved faster than a cactrot on a cider binge. The old Apple matron shot across the plaza in the blink of an eye and gathered Big Macintosh up in a mighty hug. “By all that’s good and proper, yer back!”

Big Macintosh eyes misted up as he returned the hug. “Sorry I was gone so long.”

“Hush you. Yer back. That’s enough for this old biddy.”

The stallion nodded, a small smile on his muzzle. He held Granny Smith close, letting the minutes wash by.

“I reckon you have some stories ta tell,” Granny Smith said some time later. “I want to hear ‘em. You have time?”

“Eeyup.”

“You don’t want to go around reminiscin’?”

“Nope.”

“Good.”

.o.O.o.

Beneath the apple orchard, separated by over one hundred hooves of dirt, steel, and iron, was a large room. Inside this room, ponies wearing overalls covered in smudges of grease and grime attended to gears and motors five times their size. Pegasi hovered high above the floor, inspecting rotors and gears for any misalignment or rust. Unicorns pooled their levitation magic to hoist up heavy equipment to earth ponies located on walkways, who positioned the equipment where it needed to go using precise hoof movements. More earth ponies manned a series of control panels and levers, waiting for the command to flip their switch.

The cacophony of noises from drills, hammers, and wrenches nearly drowned out Caramel as he lead Rainbow Dash, Trixie, Spike, and Stardust through the warehouse sized room. “This here is the heart of Fillygaro Orchard. You wanted to know how we were going to move this place? Well, here it is.”

“Amazing…” Spike said, his mouth hanging open in awe.

Rainbow Dash let out a slow whistle, mirroring Spike’s appraisal. “I’ll say. I’d rather fly than go underground, but this is still pretty cool.”

“Most pegasi can’t make the flight over the mountain range,” Caramel explained. “So it’s a lot easier to go under it.”

“How exactly does it work? Applejack never really got around to telling me.”

“Well, as much as we all love Miss Applejack, she wasn’t all that interested in how the systems here worked. She more-or-less left that up to us so she could concentrate on the orchard. Basically, there’s a series of tunnels under the desert that we use to move the whole building. We built rails through those tunnels that carry the orchard all the way to the other side.”

“Must have taken a long time to dig out all those caves, huh?” Spike said.

“Actually, we lucked out there too,” Caramel replied. “There already were a whole mess of caves to work with. We think the underground river that runs through here carved most of it out. All we had to do was build the rails and off we go!”

“Aren't you afraid of monster attacks?” Trixie, who had remained uncharacteristically silent up until now, asked.

Caramel waved off her concern with a hoof. “Naw. There’s nothing down there big enough to worry about.”

At that moment, a high-pitched alarm echoed through the chamber and red lights attached to the walls began to flash.

“Oh, shoot,” Caramel said. “We’re taking off and I didn’t get you to your rooms. Um… ah… well…. oh! See those seats over there?” He pointed to a row of metal pods built into the wall. “Get into one of those and use the straps to hold you down. Hurry!” He rushed towards one of the empty pods and began fastening the straps around himself.

Rainbow Dash, Trixie, and Spike followed Caramel’s example, each entering a pod. They began strapping themselves in when a cough caught their attention. Stardust stood in front of a pod and gave it a sour look. “It’s too small.”

The entire room suddenly lurched, knocking Stardust off his talons. The room jerked again and the chocobo was sent careening across the floor. Stardust flailed his wings and talons, screaming for help, but there was nothing for him to grab onto. His momentum sent him towards an engine with dozens of whirring gears and pistons. Stardust gave a strangled cry as the moving machinery filled his vision.

A soft pink glow surrounded his talons. Stardust came to a sudden stop, his beak inches away from getting crushed between a set of gears grinding against each other. The next moment he was pulled back, towards the pods holding the ponies. His body slammed into the empty pod, sending a cloud of silver feathers into the air. The safety straps of the pod whipped around Stardust, each glowing pink, and tied down the chocobo.

“Ack! Can’t breathe!”

A female grunt of effort was heard above the clanking of machinery, and the straps lightened their hold. Stardust gasped in air and managed to settle down in his seat. He slowly lifted his head towards the source of the pink glow. “T-Thanks…”

“Stupid... bird,” Trixie said. Sweat dripped down her forehead and her breaths came in large, deep gulps. The glow around her horn disappeared.

“Uh, sorry about that,” came Caramel’s voice. “Our, uh, stuff isn't really made with chocobos in mind.”

Stardust wiggled within his seat, half of his body in the pod and the other hanging out. The straps were the only things keeping him from falling out. “No duh! How long will this take?”

“Um, about two hours.”

Stardust sighed. “Great.”

.o.O.o.

Two long and very uncomfortable hours later, Fillygaro Orchard rose up from the sands of a desert a hundred miles away. Rock, sand, and scorpions cascaded down the walls and protective dome of the orchard, pooling within specially made ducts that carried the desert material back where it came from. Once Fillygaro completely surfaced, the dome covering the orchard split open, revealing the rows of apple trees within. Shutters and windows were next, opening the building to fresh air. Soon, the denizens of Fillygaro emerged from their quarters and began checking equipment and the trees for any signs of damage.

The main door to the plaza opened and Big Macintosh walked out, Granny Smith at his side. “Such a shame ya hafta go, Big Mac. It ain’t fair yer gone for ten years and I get to see ya for only a few hours.”

Big Macintosh smiled and gave Granny Smith a gentle nuzzle. “Eeyup.”

“Too bad Applejack ain’t here. Weda had a might fine family reunion.” She stepped back, giving Big Macintosh one last look over. “I hope those trinkets yer poppa had lyin’ around help out. You give them Impie brutes a good what for, ya hear?”

“Eeyup.”

“Good. Looks like yer friends are ready.”

Emerging from the other side of the plaza, Rainbow Dash, Trixie, Spike, and Stardust walked up to them, Caramel leading the way. Every few steps, Stardust would wince and shake out a talon or wing.

“Y’all enjoy the trip?” Granny Smith asked the group.

“No.”

Spike poked Stardust in the side, causing the chocobo to seize up and double over. “It was fine. A little bumpy, though.”

“Ah. A few more times and ya get used to it. Though it’ll be a week before we head back, so stop by iffin ya need somethin’!”

Rainbow Dash smirked, raising a hoof in salute. “You got it, Granny! It depends on how things go, I guess. We’ll be heading for Coltingen first and see if we can get any clues there.”

Big Macintosh leaned down and gave Granny Smith a final, gentle hug. “Sorry. But I have to go now.”

Granny Smith sighed and returned the gesture. “Don’t be a stranger now, ya hear?”

“Eeyup.” The stallion let go, gave her an encouraging smile, and walked towards his companions. Together, they all waved their goodbyes and headed for the exit.

The elderly Apple matron watched them go, once again left behind in her orchard.

.o.O.o.

The walk to Coltingen was a much needed one after being cooped up in the bowels of Fillygaro’s engine room. The ponies and chocobo traveled quickly, eager to continue their search for Twilight Sparkle and loosen up their muscles.

“Okay guys, this place we’re going to is kinda important to me,” Rainbow Dash said. She flew just ahead of the group, keeping low so that she could stare them all in the eye. “So I want you all on your best behavior. No fighting, no looting, no lollygagging, no loitering, no illegal parking, no—”

“Fire!” Spike cried out.

“Definitely not that either.”

“No, fire! There’s a building on fire!”

“Wha?!” Rainbow Dash whirled around and her eyes widened. Coltingen was a mile away from them, but a column of smoke could easily be seen. Following the smoke down to its source, fire tore at a building near the edge of town. “Ohmygosh!” Rainbow Dash took off towards the blaze, leaving a spectral trail behind her.

She reached the building in less than a minute and spotted ponies in a water brigade trying to douse the fire. The efforts were for naught, as most of the home had already been consumed. The best they could hope for was that the flames did not reach any other houses. Rainbow Dash whipped her head around, searching for anything she could do to help, when she spotted Big Macintosh entering the town and run up to the well the citizens were drawing water from.

The stallion dropped his saddle and pulled out a long, rubber hose. Big Macintosh quickly attached one end with a motor and dropped it in the well. Big Macintosh looked up and motioned for Rainbow Dash to come down. She zipped next to him and he said, “Miss Dash, I need you to carry this end above the fire. Make sure you hang onto it.”

“Got it!” She picked up the offered hose in her mouth and flew up above the fire, flapping her wings to clear the air around her of smoke. Seconds later, water rushed out of the hose and sprayed over the fiery wreckage. Rainbow Dash circled around, making sure the water poured over every inch of the house. After a few minutes, the fire began to recede. The ponies on the ground cheered and redoubled their efforts to put out the rest. Soon, the remaining flames were stamped out.

Rainbow Dash wiped her forehead, her leg coming back covered in sweat and soot. “Phew! Gwad that’s opher wiff.” She flew back to Big Macintosh, who was putting away his tools, and gave back the hose. “Nice thinking, big guy. Thanks.”

“Eeyup.”

“I’m going to ask what happened. There’s a bar two streets from here that way. You and the others meet me there in an hour, okay?”

“Eeyup.”

“Great.” The pegasus nodded her thanks and turned towards the smoldering building. She picked out a pale yellow earth pony mare that stood nearby, watching the others work and not doing anything else. “Hey. Junebug, right? What happened here?”

The pony started, blinking with wide eyes at the newcomer. “Rainbow Dash? You're back?”

"Yeah, long story. What happened? A stove go bad or something?”

“No. Nothing like that…” Junebug trailed off, her gaze going blank as though she were looking at something else.

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash yelled in the mare’s ear.

“Oh! Sorry.” Junebug shook her head and swallowed through a dry mouth. “No, it was… I don’t know what it was. It was glowing. And hot. It… it landed right in front of that house, then took off again.”

“Seriously?! Which way did it go?”

Junebug pointed out of town, towards the horizon. “S-South… I think. It happened so fast.”

“Alright! Thanks a lot!” Rainbow Dash patted Junebug on the back, earning a squeak of surprise. “You don’t know how helpful you’ve been.”

“You… you’re welcome.”

Rainbow Dash smiled and nodded her thanks again, then leapt into the sky. She headed towards the back end of Coltingen, missing the pony arriving on the scene and watching her fly off into the distance.

.o.O.o.

It was little more than a shack.

The small house was surrounded by trees and located on the very edge of Coltingen. A single dirt trail led to the house, barely perceivable by all the foliage growing over it. The house itself was comprised of rotting logs stacked haphazardly over each other, forming a rickety structure that leaned to the side. Only a sturdy oak kept the house from toppling over completely. A single cracked glass window and wooden door were the only openings to the inside.

Rainbow Dash landed before the shack and pushed the door open. She winced from the squeal that came from the rusty hinges that rotated for the first time in hours. Looking inside revealed only slightly better conditions. The interior of the house consisted of a single room. There was no furniture other than a wooden stool that was on its side, discarded to one end of the room. The majority of the space was taken up by a garden, planted where floorboards had been ripped out and tossed aside. The green herbs that grew within this garden looked well kept, a stark contrast to the house surrounding it. Rainbow Dash walked past the garden and lifted up a trap door built into the floor, its hinges hardly making a noise. A set of wooden stairs lay underneath. She stepped down them and into a candle lit cellar.

The room was smaller than the upstairs but was considerably more crowded. Candles lined the walls, giving the room a soft, flickering light. Flowers of every color and species lay within jars all across the dirt floor. In the center of the room, a single bed sat. A stallion stood in front of the bed, his back turned to her. The stallion tilted his head and pushed up a tall, green tophat, revealing a muzzle covered in wrinkles and a shock of gray mane. The brown earth pony held a long grass stalk in his mouth that he chewed on every few seconds, causing a thin strip of beard attached to his chin to bob.

“Well, I’ll be. Izzat you, Rainbow Dash?”

“Hey, Mr. Greenhooves,” Rainbow Dash replied.

Greenhooves smiled and walked up to her, his green eyes tracing over her face. “I say you’ve grown since last I saw ya. Been a few years, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, something like that.” Rainbow Dash’s gaze settled past Greenhooves and on the pony laying on the bed.

“Oh, beg yer pardon,” Greenhooves said and moved aside. “Go right ahead. I’m sure she’s just as excited to see you again, heh heh heh.”

Rainbow Dash gave a barely perceptible nod and walked forward. In a few short strides she stood over the bed and its occupant.

She was a pegasus. She lay on her back with her hooves folded over her barrel. Her coat was a brilliant shade of sunlight and her mane and tail were streaked with orange and yellow. Her eyes were closed, giving the mare a peaceful look even as a hint of a frown could be seen. She didn’t react in the slightest to Rainbow Dash’s approach.

“Hey, Spitfire,” Rainbow Dash said. She sat down and removed her bandana from her forehead. Her rainbow mane, now free of its confines, cascaded down her head in an unkempt mass. “It’s been a while, huh? Sorry. I’ve… I’ve been so busy. You wouldn’t believe the stories I’ve got to tell you. Heh, I hardly believe some of it, myself.” She fell silent, watching Spitfire for any sign of movement. There came none. Not even the gentle rising and falling of her chest to indicate breathing could be seen. Spitfire lay as still as a statue.

Rainbow Dash sighed. She reached up and placed her hoof over Spitfire’s, careful not to jostle them. “I haven’t given up. I’m still looking. I swear, I’ll find a way to bring you back.”

“Bring back from what?”

In a flash of movement too fast to be seen, Rainbow Dash unsheathed her dagger and whirled around, her wings flared and her body tense. Her guard lessened a fraction upon seeing Trixie standing at the bottom of the stairs.

“Wandering off into the woods for a rendezvous, are we?” Trixie asked, seemingly unperturbed by Rainbow Dash’s aggressive stance. “Didn’t realize you were the romantic type.”

“Shut up, Trixie.” Rainbow Dash put away her dagger and wrapped her bandana back around her head. “Just forget what you saw here, got it?”

Trixie placed a hoof to her chin and let out a low hum. “No, Trixie is too curious to do that. Why don’t you tell her? It will save Trixie the hassle of asking you later.”

“Gah! Why did you follow me? Shouldn’t you be helping the others?”

“They had the situation well under control when Trixie left them. Now, are you going to talk or what?”

Before either could continue, Greenhooves raised a hoof. “Ah, pardon me. Imma go check on my herbs. You girls play nice now, ya hear?” With that, he brushed past Trixie and climbed the stairs. The sound of the trap door closing followed soon after.

Trixie hadn’t moved her gaze from Rainbow Dash’s the whole time. “Well?”

Rainbow Dash ground her teeth together and turned to face Spitfire. “Why should I tell you anything? This doesn’t concern you. I’m still not even sure I can trust you.”

“Even after all Trixie did for your Returner friends in Neighshe?” Rainbow Dash didn’t respond. “Then how about this? Trixie isn’t sure she can trust any of you. How is she to know that you won’t throw her into a dungeon the moment you have the upper hoof against the Empire? Trixie isn’t blind; she knows nopony likes her.”

The sound of hooves against the soft ground notified Rainbow Dash that Trixie had moved closer. She tensed, ready to draw her blade, until she felt a hoof lay gently on her back. “So,” Trixie said, barely above a whisper. “Give me a reason to trust you.”

Rainbow Dash twisted her head, her gaze coming into contact with Trixie’s. She searched the unicorn’s eyes, finding a cool but honest look. “Fine. But this stays between you and me, got it? I need a reason to trust you, too.”

“I swear I won’t tell.”

“Alright, then.” The pegasus took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “You see, Spitfire is… my partner.”

.o.O.o.

“Hey, Rainbow, what are we after again?”

“Hold your horses, Fire. I’m trying to figure out where we are.”

Spitfire rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me we’re lost. Again.”

“Alright.”

“Alright… what?”

“I won’t tell ya.”

Spitfire’s hoof met her face. She let out a unladylike groan and looked down at the mountain the two pegasi hovered over. This mountain, with its jagged rocks and steep cliffs, looked like all the other mountains in the range the two had flown over all day. The sun was low in the sky, and Spitfire estimated that they had an hour’s worth of light left. “Dash, just admit that you got some bogus information and let’s call it a day. My wings are killing me and I could really go for a potion right about now.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Rainbow Dash said. She flew in front of Spitfire, holding her hooves up in a pleading manner. “Just a little longer. We can’t go back empty hoofed. We’ve come so far!”

“Dash—”

“How are we going to call ourselves the greatest treasure hunters that ever lived if we don’t find anything, huh? What if Daring Do got ahead of us? We’d be laughed at!”

Spitfire sighed and shook her head. “Okay, okay. We’ll look a little longer.”

“Yes!” Rainbow Dash cheered, raising a hoof to the air. “You won’t regret this. Now c’mon. I think I know where we need to go.” Rainbow Dash turned and descended towards the mountain below, Spitfire right behind her.

The two reached the mountain and Rainbow Dash dove down into a deep, tight crevasse. Spitfire followed and noticed that the walls were so close her wingtips nearly brushed against them. The fading light didn’t help as the shadows obscured outcroppings of rock that whizzed past Spitfire’s head. Rainbow Dash, even with her bright coloring, could barely be seen. “Dash! This is crazy! We should head back.”

“Just a little further!” Rainbow Dash called up ahead. “I think we’re almost there!”

“Dash, I’m heading back! This is—”

The boulder appeared before her, instantly filling her vision.

The sickening sound of flesh meeting rock was the last thing Spitfire remembered.

.o.O.o.

“I… didn’t realize she wasn’t following me anymore for a whole minute. When I went back to check up on her… she… she didn’t look good…”

.o.O.o.

Rainbow Dash paced back and forth in front of the doctor’s office. The rug underneath her hooves threatened to wear away, but that didn’t stop her. The minutes on the old grandfather clock nearby ticked by and Rainbow Dash continued her left and right march.

The doctor’s door opened. Rainbow Dash was in front of it in an instant, startling the nurse poking her head out. “Is she alright?” Rainbow Dash blurted out.

The nurse closed her eyes and sighed. “She’ll live. She’s awake if you want to see her.” The nurse stepped aside and Rainbow Dash wasted no time slipping by.

Inside, Spitfire lay on a bed with bandages wrapped around her head, chest, and forehooves. An elderly pony stood next to her, shining a small light into her eyes. He looked up when Rainbow Dash walked to the other side of the bed. “She’s responding to treatment, so that’s good. That was a nasty hit she took to the head, though. Keep an eye on her for me and let me know if she seems faint or something.” He put away his instruments, nodded at Rainbow Dash, and left the room.

Rainbow Dash didn’t acknowledge that he had left. Her focus remained on Spitfire the entire time. Slowly, she reached forward and put a hoof over Spitfire’s own. Spitfire looked up at her and smiled. “He said I’ll have to stay in bed for a while. No flying or anything like that.”

“That’s… that’s good…” Rainbow Dash said, her voice low and jittery. “Spitfire. I’m… I’m so… so sorry for this. You were right. We should have gone back.”

Spitfire blinked. “Spitfire? That doctor called me that. Is… is that my name?”

It was Rainbow Dash’s turn to blink. “What?”

“And… who are you? Do I know you?”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw hung open. She stared at Spitfire, looking for any signs of mischief. “Y-You’re kidding. Right?” She reached forward and grasped Spitfire’s shoulders. “You’re joking with me, right?”

Moisture began to build in Spitfire’s eyes. She looked away, wiping at her face. “I’m sorry. I… I don’t remember.”

“Doc!”

.o.O.o.

“She forgot everything that had happened since I met her. Our time together, our adventures, everything. I… I thought that if I brought her here, where she grew up, it would help jog her memory or something. It didn’t.”

.o.O.o.

A hoof impacted Rainbow Dash’s face, sending her sprawling on the ground.

“Get out of here!” the stallion roared at the fallen pegasus. “It’s your fault she’s this way.”

Rainbow Dash grimaced as she slowly picked herself back up. She touched a hoof to her mouth and came away with blood. She looked up, past the furious stallion, to Spitfire standing behind him. Spitfire frowned, her eyes sad, and looked away.

“Spitfire,” Rainbow Dash said. She reached forward, towards Spitfire, but the stallion pushed her away.

“I said git! I knew you were going to be bad for her, but I never expected this.”

“Tell him. Tell him, Spitfire. Please…”

Spitfire turned her head, meeting Rainbow Dash’s gaze. “I’m sorry I don’t remember you. You should leave. It’s… it’s for the best, for everypony.”

.o.O.o.

“Trixie takes it you did.”

Rainbow Dash sniffed, running a forehoof across her face. “Yeah. Stupidest decision I ever made. I searched a whole year for something to make her remember me. That’s when... I heard Coltingen came under some type of Imperial attack. I came back as fast as I could, but it was already too late. Spitfire… she… she didn’t make it. I heard later that her memory came back and the last word she said was… my name.

“I… failed her.”

She ended her speech, the room falling into an uncomfortable silence. The only sounds came from Rainbow Dash’s sniffling. Moments later, Trixie stood up and walked towards the bed. She peered down at Spitfire’s calm, prone body, an unreadable expression on her muzzle. “Trixie doesn’t… I mean, I don’t often say this, but I’m sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing this with me. Is she dead?”

Behind her, Rainbow Dash wiped her nose across her foreleg and shook her head. “Naw. That guy you saw has got these weird herbs that are keeping her in… ah… what did he call it again?”

“Suspended animation.”

“Yeah, that’s it—whoa!” Rainbow Dash squeaked and whirled around to come muzzle to muzzle with Greenhooves.

The stallion gave a hearty chuckle at seeing Rainbow Dash’s wide eyed stare. “Sorry to scare you like that. It got mighty quiet down here so I thought to check up on ya. You done visiting?”

Rainbow Dash looked back at Spitfire, her gaze lingering on the comatose mare. With a sigh, she nodded and headed back up the cellar stairs. “Yeah. We need to get going. Thanks again for all you’ve done, Mr. Greenhooves.”

“Don’t mention it! You take care now, ya hear?”

“You betcha! C’mon Trix, let’s go see the others.” Not waiting for a response, Rainbow Dash ran up the steps and out of sight.

Trixie didn’t immediately follow. She gave one last look at Rainbow Dash’s partner, a thoughtful expression on her muzzle, before running after her companion.

.o.O.o.

When Rainbow Dash and Trixie reached Clinking Cups, Coltingen’s oldest bar, Big Macintosh, Spike, and Stardust were waiting for them. A round of drinks were already ordered for them and Rainbow Dash guzzled hers down heartily.

“Jeez, Rainbow Dash,” Spike commented while nursing a mug of mead. “You sure don’t waste time.”

Rainbow Dash slammed down her empty mug and gave a loud belch. “Gahh, that hits the spot.” She wiped her mouth with a hoof and finally addressed the others around her. “Now, let’s get to it. That fire was caused by Twilight. A pony I know saw a glowing figure just before it started, so that’s gotta be her. Junebug said she headed south, so that’s where we’re headed as soon as we’re done here.”

“Hmm, south means Jidhoof,” Trixie murmured. “If Trixie has heard correctly, that place is much larger than this town. She is sure there will be more eyewitnesses there.”

“Yep! So finish up, and let’s get going before—”

“Before somepony else takes the bounty, eh, Rainbow Dash?”

As one, the group turned to the new speaker. At the bar, slouching in her chair so much that she threatened to fall out of it, sat Daring Do. She grabbed a mug sitting on the bar next to her and headed towards them, a self-satisfied smirk on her muzzle. “That’s how it goes with you, right? You rush off, all guts and no plan. You make it so easy for me, ya know?”

“Go away, Daring Doofus,” Rainbow Dash said, a growl emanating from the back of her throat. “This ain’t none of your business.”

“Oh contraire! When rumors of a glowing pony are around and the Empire is offering a bounty large enough to fill Fillygaro Desert with gil, it is so my business.”

“Uh, what are you talking about?”

“You haven’t heard? Ha! You need to stop hanging around with that resistance or whatever it’s called. Seems some higher-ups in the Empire are looking for a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle. They put up enough gil to put me on easy street for a long time.”

The group shared an uneasy glance with each other, all of them considering the adventurer’s words. Spike reacted first, hopping up on the table and marching up to Daring Do so he could look her in the eyes. “Now you listen to me. I don’t care who you think you are, but you leave Twilight alone. She’s our friend and doesn’t need greedy jerks like you ruining her life. If you so much as touch a hair on her head, you’ll regret it.”

Daring Do blinked, quirking an eyebrow at the little dragon in front of her. She regarded Spike’s serious face, his green eyes hard with resolve.

She fell over laughing.

“Wha… what’s, heh heh heh, that? I-Is he, ha, your pet or something?” Daring Do said in between guffaws.

“I’m nopony’s pet!”

“Shrimpy bodyguard?”

“No!”

Daring Do finally managed to get her laughter under control and stood back up. She wiped her eyes clean of tears and smirked at the group. “Well, whatever you are, you stand no chance against the greatest adventurer that has ever lived! I’m going to get to this Twilight Sparkle first. You guys can fight over the scraps.”

“Oh, yeah?!” Rainbow Dash yelled, flapping up and over the table to stand hoof to hoof against Daring Do. “Well, you can forget it because we’re going to get to her first. There’s no way I’m gonna let you of all ponies beat me.”

“Seems we have a race then. Heh, just like old times. Too bad you don’t have your partner with ya or this might actually be close.” Daring Do quickly ducked away from a blue hoof that rocketed towards her head. “Ha! Still too slow. See ya, Rainbow Crash!” With that, she sped out the door and was gone.

“Curse that Daring Do,” Rainbow Dash seethed. She stomped back to the table and slammed her hooves down. “Get your things together, guys. We’re leaving!”

“Who was that?” Stardust asked as he began packing away their provisions. “A rival?”

“No way! Just a loudmouth with a few lucky finds. She’s nothing but a pain in my flank. C’mon, we gotta get going.”

“We’re gonna stop by the Chickadee Forest first, though, right?”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “Whoa, what? When did we agree to that?”

“When we made plans at Neighshe. It’s why I came.”

A groan escaped from Rainbow Dash’s mouth. “Dude, I’m sorry but we don’t have time. The Empire’s on Twilight’s tail so we don’t have time to waste.”

“But… but…” Stardust looked to each face around the table but found nopony willing to look him in the eye.

“We… are kinda in a hurry, Stardust,” Spike said. The dragon rubbed his arms, his eyes downcast. “We can check out your home later. We gotta find Twi first.”

Now it was Stardust’s turn to slam the table. “C’mon! I’ve been following you darn ponies from one end of this continent to the next, carrying your stuff the whole time. It’s my turn to get what I want!”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed. She marched over to the chocobo and yanked on his neck feathers, pulling him down to eye level. Stardust’s eyes widened, but he didn’t pull away from Rainbow Dash’s grip. “Now listen to me, bud. I get that you want to check up on your family, I really do. But things have changed and we can’t waste a second. So get our things together an—”

“Ahem.”

The deep, male voice immediately gained everyone’s attention. All heads turned to Big Macintosh, whose frown and narrowed eyes made them all take a step back. “Yer not being fair, Miss Dash. You went to see somepony important to you. It stands to reason Stardust is allowed to do the same.”

“How did you—”

“I could tell. That’s all I’ll say about that. But Stardust has been a good sport about things and deserves his chance. I know we need to get to Miss Sparkle so I suggest Stardust check on his home while we go on ahead.”

“Go… on ahead?” Rainbow Dash repeated. “But, our stuff…”

“I’ll carry it. In fact, we’ll all share the load. Then, once Stardust is done with his business, he can catch up to us. Right? You chocobos are mighty fast, ain’tcha?”

Stardust rapidly nodded his head. He pushed Rainbow Dash away and said, “Y-Yeah. There isn’t a monster that can outrun a chocobo. Everychoco knows that.”

“Then it’s decided,” Big Macintosh responded, nodding his head. “We’ll head south. Meet up with us as quick as ya can, alright?”

“You got it!” Stardust raised a wing to his head, giving the stallion a confident salute. “I’ll be so quick you won’t even know I’m gone.”

“Good. Now, let’s get going. We’ve got a lot of travelin’ ahead of us.”

.o.O.o.

Big Macintosh’s estimate of a lot of travelin’ turned out to be two days of constant walking. The weather had become overcast, but no rain had yet to fall. The group pushed themselves to move on in case showers did fall, fearing muddy trails to slog through. With the addition of Stardust’s load, it made the situation that much more urgent.

“Ugh, how does that birdbrain manage all this stuff?” Rainbow Dash moaned, her back ladened with bags filled with potions.

“Chocobos have higher endurance and weight tolerances than your average pony,” Trixie replied. Her own cargo consisted of herbs and water, lighter than Rainbow’s but still a strain to her back. Only the sporadic use of her levitational magic to lighten the load allowed her to keep up with the others. “Why do you think the Empire wanted them? They’re good beasts of burden.”

“Speaking of the Empire,” Spike said as he adjusted the pack holding their gil. “What did you do that made Stardust afraid of you? He said you forced him and the others to burn a place called Mareanda.”

Trixie didn’t answer. She kept up the pace, looking straight ahead.

“Hey, I said—”

“Trixie was following orders. That is all.”

“Hey! That can’t be all. The way Stardust was talking, you’d think—”

The unicorn’s horn flared pink. A moment later, Spike’s lips snapped shut, keeping all but a few surprised muffles from escaping.

Nopony else pressed Trixie for answers for the remainder of the trip.

On the evening of the second day, the lights of Jidhoof shown in the distance. The group reached the paved, stone walkway leading into the city by the time night had set in. Even with the fading light, nopony had trouble finding their way. Every corner had a light post that illuminated the clean streets and well kept houses around them. The citizens, dressed in clothes ranging from fine tailored suits to extravagant dresses, walked by with their heads held high. Many did not bother to even glance in their direction, content to ignore them and go about their way.

“Oi, I hate coming here,” Rainbow Dash said, walking towards a building with an inn sign hanging above its door. The text was written in elaborate calligraphy, so stylized that it was hard to tell if it read inn or win. “Nothing but annoying and uppity ponies everywhere.”

Beside her, Trixie took in the rows of shops with an assortment of paints, brushes, and easels displayed in their windows. “If Trixie has heard correctly, this is supposed to be an art town, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Boring as day-old hay, too.”

They reached the inn and stepped inside. Soon, the group was enjoying a pleasant meal of tofu and rice, with flan for dessert. Tired from their long days of travel, they retired to bed early to refresh and start their search anew for Twilight in the morning.

Watching through a cafe window across the street, Daring Do smirked.

.o.O.o.

The resounding crash of a door being kicked in awoke Rainbow Dash with a start. She sat up, blinked her eyes against the light spilling into her room, and rolled in time to avoid a club from bashing her head in. She twisted herself in midair and landed on her hooves, all in an instant. Her assailant came at her again, but Rainbow Dash was ready. She launched herself forward, catching her attacker in the head with a hoof. She winced as her hoof came into contact with a metal helmet, creating a loud clang. Rainbow Dash’s opponent stepped back in a daze, allowing her to rush by and into the hallway.

She was greeted by Imperial soldiers on all sides.

“Nab her!” one of them shouted.

Acting swiftly, Rainbow Dash leaped into the air and hovered just above the Imperial’s grabby hooves. Two pegasus soldiers rose up after her.

“Ha! You think you guys can match me in the sky?” With that, Rainbow Dash sped off, rocketing past the pegasi and down the hall. Ahead of her, a door burst open and a unicorn soldier walked out carrying a struggling Spike in his magical grip.

He never saw it coming. Rainbow Dash swooped down, lashing out with a hind leg to the unicorn’s skull. The impact sent the unicorn tumbling down the hall and sending Spike sailing into the air.

Rainbow Dash twirled, held out her forehooves, and caught Spike on his descent. “Gotcha!”

“Whoa,” Spike said, his eyes whirling in their sockets. He shook his head, and noticed his savior. “Thanks, Dash.”

“Don’t thank me just yet. We got a bunch of party crashers to still deal with.” She pointed of hoof down the hallway. The contingent of Imperials had regrouped and charged at them, their weapons at the ready.

“Oh, yeah?” Spike smiled, his needle sharp teeth gleaming in the candlelight. “Point me at them.”

“Why?”

“Just watch.”

With no time to lose, Rainbow Dash twisted Spike in her grip and grimaced at all the soldiers ready to dog pile her. Spike smirked, took a deep breath, and let loose a stream of frigid air. The confined space of the hallway provided a perfect funnel for the air to travel, engulfing all the soldiers in its path.

In seconds, it was over. Spike ceased his breath attack and beheld the results. He squirmed out of Rainbow Dash’s hold and walked up to the first pony in the line of Imperials and patted him on the side. “Not bad, huh?”

Rainbow Dash nodded dumbly. The entire contingent of soldiers stood before her, each frozen solid in their final moments. The ice encasing them even surrounded the walls, ceiling, and floor of the hallway, creating a miniature ice cavern with its own display of sculptures. “Very… cool.”

Banging nearby drew their attention. One of the doors suddenly burst open in a shower of broken wood and ice, an unconscious soldier flying out of it. The Imperial impacted against the slick floor, skidding across until he stopped at Spike’s feet. Big Macintosh peeked out, ready for more mayhem, but blinked at the winter wonderland just outside his door. Further down, another door was violently ripped open, this time by a pink glow of magic. Trixie stepped into the hallway, quirked an eyebrow at the scene, and levitated a soldier out of her room.

“It appears you won’t be needing the Great and Powerful Trixie’s magical talent after all,” she commented as she walked towards the others, bringing the Imperial with her. “Pity.”

“Whaddaya got there?” Rainbow Dash asked, pointing towards the captured Imperial.

Trixie brought her catch forward and deposited him in front of the others. This one was awake. He shivered at the sight of his comrades and at the cold stares coming from the Returners. “This fool thought he was mighty enough to overcome Trixie. He’s lucky she didn’t end his pathetic life. So, as compensation, she expects him to tell us what is going on.”

The Imperial looked left and right, a wild look entering his eyes as he found no means of escape. He yelped as Trixie poked him with a hoof and blurted out, “Please! Don’t kill me! I’ll talk.”

“Then talk,” Rainbow Dash said, crossing her hooves in front of her. “How’d you guys know we were here?”

“W-W-We got a tip,” the soldier stammered. “Some pegasus with weird clothes. She said you were Returners looking for the glowing pony.”

“Daring Do.” Rainbow Dash nearly spat the name. “Do you know where she headed?”

“I-I’m not sure. It looked like she headed north when she left. There’s supposed to be a town deep in the mountains there called Chozo. That’s all I know!”

“Then good night,” Trixie whispered into his ear. The next moment, she slammed her hoof into the back of his neck, knocking him out. The soldier slumped down, his slow breathing showing within the cold confines of the hallway. “We better head out. There aren’t enough ponies here for a full deployment, so more must be around somewhere. These guys will thaw out soon and Trixie doesn’t want to be around when they do.”

“Yeah, I’m with ya on that,” Rainbow Dash said. “And Daring Do still has a lead on us. We gotta move, so get going.”

Rainbow Dash, Spike, and Big Macintosh each nodded and headed back to their room. Once they were out of sight, Trixie turned to the soldier she had struck and levitated a folded-up piece of paper from out of her mane. Quietly, she slipped it under his armor plating. Her task done, she turned and headed for her own room.

Author's Note

Big thanks to Pav Feira for helping us with some tricky spots in this part.

In Which the Emperor is Revealed

In a small, dilapidated park within the Empire controlled town of Trotzen, a white unicorn put the finishing touches on a glossy sheet of paper. “There!” Rarity exclaimed, her quill writing the final word on the identity form with a flourish. “All done.”

“Neat!” Derpy Hooves said as she bounced on the edges of her hooves. “Whadja do?”

Using her magic, Rarity held up a sheet of official-looking Imperial documents. “These, my good mare, are going to help us slip through the Empire. Now, I need you to remember this. Your name will now be Highwind.”

Derpy scrunched her face and tilted her head. “What happened to my old name? Did it get lost?”

Rarity heaved a deep sigh. “No Derpy, it’s still there. However, while we are in Empire lands, we need to use different names to protect ourselves. Think of it as… as… um… Ah! Think of it as a mask. When I don my cape and mask, I become Mare Do Well. So, while we’re here, you will be donning the identity of Highwind, a mild-mannered delivery mare. How’s that sound?”

Derpy looked away, her face scrunched up in thoughtfulness. Her hooves tapped the ground in place and her wings occasionally twitched. Finally, she looked at Rarity and gave a nod. “Sounds good. Just one thing, though.”

“And what’s that?”

“I don’t have a mask.”

With a smirk, Rarity lifted up a strip of dark blue cloth with two holes cut into it. Rarity levitated it over Derpy’s face, lining up the two holes with Derpy’s eyes, and tied it up behind her head. “There. How’s that, Derpy?”

The pegasus blinked. “Who?”

“... I mean, how’s that, Highwind?”

“It’s great!”

“Lovely!” Rarity said, clapping her forehooves together. “Now we just need to find the others and we’ll be all set.”

As if her voice had summoned them, Applejack, Shining Armor, and Spotter stepped out from behind a building and walked towards Rarity and Derpy. The trio all had frowns and downcast eyes. Rarity felt a pit forming within her stomach and forced herself to ask, “What happened?”

The new arrivals all shifted their glances to each other, their gazes lingering on Spotter. “We’re… we’re not sure,” Applejack said. “Something appeared on Spotter’s flank and I’m plum stumped on what it is.”

“Appeared?”

“Yeah. Maybe you know somethin’?”

Rarity made to speak but quickly shut her mouth. A cursory glance around revealed ponies and griffons giving the group curious looks. “Show me later. We’re a bit… exposed here.” She reached down and handed out the documents she had finished. “Take these and memorize your new names.”

“I’m Highwind!” Derpy chirped.

“Yes, dear.” Rarity pointed a hoof at Shining Armor. “Now, you will go by Excalibur.”

Shining Armor's eyebrows raised. “Hmm. Nice. I like it.”

“Wonderful! Spotter, you will be Excalipur.”

Spotter gagged. “That’s stupid. It sounds like a pet’s name.”

“But it’s so cute!” Rarity replied, patting his head. She gave him a wide-eyed, pouting look. “Do it for me, please?”

The colt looked away and up at his father, but Shining Armor merely shrugged. Finding no help there, Spotter sighed and nodded his head. “Fine.”

“Excellent! I’m sure you’ll grow to love it.”

The young colt didn’t look convinced. “Yeah, whatever.”

Rarity turned to Applejack next. “And you will be known as Gilgamesh.”

“Huh,” Applejack responded, scratching her head just below her hat. “That’s… okay I guess. Where’d ya come up with something like that?”

“Read it in an epic once. And last but not least, I’ll be Graedus.

“Do look over your sheets and try to remember as much as possible. Once we’re done, I need to give these to the officials to get them approved.”

The group followed Rarity’s advice and took their time reading about their new identities. Once they were done and Rarity had answered any questions to their satisfaction, they handed back the documents. Taking the lead, Rarity led them over to the stone building acting as the Empire’s headquarters for Trotzen. Inside, the drowsy and bored looking clerk took the papers and barely gave them a cursory once-over before stamping a seal of approval on them. Minutes later, the group walked away from Trotzen, now official citizens of the Empire.

.o.O.o.

“So you say you found a green crystal with a red core and it suddenly disappeared while you were holding it?” Rarity asked, walking beside Spotter. “And that it… spoke to you?”

Spotter nodded hesitantly. “I think that’s what it did.”

“And when you found the others that’s when… that appeared?” She pointed to the new mark on Spotter’s flank, standing out prominently against his white coat.

“Yeah. Do you know what it means?”

Rarity fell silent, tilting her head from side to side and forming a far away look. “Nope. Haven’t the foggiest.”

“You don’t feel sick or anything, do you Spot?” Shining Armor said, walking on Spotter’s other side.

“Nah, I feel pretty good,” Spotter replied. “I feel like I could run all day and not get tired!”

Shining Armor ruffled his son’s mane affectionately. “How’s that any different than you normally act?”

“Hey!”

“Still,” Shining Armor said, his voice growing serious. “We really need to figure out what this means. Have any ideas? Anypony?”

Silence was his only answer. Derpy, flying nearby, scrunched up her features and rubbed her chin. At last she shrugged and shook her head. Marching ahead, Applejack mirrored Derpy’s actions.

“I wish Twilight were here,” she said, looking into the distance. “She might know.”

“Then what do we do?” Shining Armor persisted. “Come on, there has to be something!”

“I know, I know. Well, we know that whatever it was Spotter got his hooves on came from the Empire. The best I can come up with is to go to Vectorlot and see if we can find anything there.”

“Vectorlot?” Rarity said, quirking an eyebrow. “Isn’t that like walking into the belly of the beast?”

“Maybe, but do you have any ideas?”

Rarity sighed. “No. Not really.” She felt a rush of wind and then a hoof around her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Graedus!” Derpy said, wrapping her hooves around Rarity from above and pulling her close. “With our new identities, there’s no way we’ll get caught!”

“Yes, there is that.” Rarity gently extracted herself from Derpy’s grip and gave the grabby pegasus a smile. “But a little more decorum will be needed from you to make it work.”

“What does me having corn have to do with anything?”

Up ahead, Applejack stopped and held up a hoof. “Wait. Do y’all see that?” She pointed a hoof towards the horizon. Peeking above a set of low hills, a dark cloud hovered in place. The cloud didn't move, even though a moderate wind blew past. “Think it means anything? A storm?”

Rarity walked up next to her, frowning. “No, that’s not a storm. That is smog. We’re getting close to Vectorlot.”

“You been there before?”

“Yes, once. And once was enough. It took forever to get the soot out of my coat.” She sighed, a note of resignation entering her voice. “This is going to ruin my complexion.”

Applejack gave a hearty pat to Rarity’s back. “I’ll make it up to ya. I swear.”

“You have no idea how much you owe me.”

The group continued on, heading towards the cloud in the distance. As they pressed on, the cloud grew larger and larger until it seemed to completely cover the sky. Hazy sunlight filtered through, giving a dirty glint to everything it touched. The open plains the ponies traveled on began to thin out, slowly giving way to dirt and rocks. Soon, they reached a wide passage between two hills. A metal gate set within the passage barred their path, Imperial soldiers and magitek armor stationed around it. A line of ponies stood waiting to be let through, hoofing over their papers one by one.

“Oh, Excalipur, I just had a thought,” Rarity said as they walked nearer to the checkpoint. “We should cover up that mark. No sense drawing attention to ourselves.” She levitated a purple scarf from her saddlebag and quickly tied it around his flank and rear.

Spotter gave the scarf a distasteful glare. “Ew, now it looks like I have a diaper on. I grew out of those!”

“Shush!” Applejack called over her shoulder. “No more talkin’ till we get through.”

For the next hour, the group waited in line for their turn. The line was only five ponies long, but the officials diligently went over each paper given to them. Some ponies went through without a fuss, while others were taken to the side to be asked additional questions. Applejack did her best not to look worried, forcing herself to relax and stare ahead as she moved closer to the front. At last her turn came and she hoofed over her document when asked by the official. The pony carefully read through her sheet, humming and hawing as he went.

Minutes later, the official looked up with narrowed eyes and said, “It says here you lived in the western region, growing beets.”

“Uh, yeah.” To Applejack’s credit, only three beads of sweat ran down her head.

“You wouldn’t happen to know if the crop there has gone bad, would you? We haven’t received a shipment in months.”

She swallowed, feeling her mouth going dry. “Oh, yeah, sorry about that. Bad weather did a number on our fields. It’s why I’m here, lookin’ for some work.”

“You’re not the only one,” the official grumbled. He thrust the paper into Applejack’s face, causing her to whinny in surprise. “Looks good. Move along.”

“Ah, heh heh heh.” Applejack smiled brightly, took the paper in her teeth, and walked towards the gate. “Thank ya, kindly.” The official missed Applejack wiping her forehead as she moved away.

The process repeated for the others, each receiving approval to move on. Derpy came in last, a large grin over her muzzle. “Such a nice guy! That was easy!”

Applejack grinned herself, nodding in approval. “I got to hand it to ya, Graedus, that worked better than I could have imagined.”

“Oh, stop,” Rarity said, her cheeks reddening. “It was nothing, really.”

They wasted no time in leaving, putting the checkpoint behind them. Other ponies now joined them, forming into small groups of their own. The rocky path through the hills soon became a paved road and the clip-clop of pony hooves echoed through the passage. Finally, the hills receded and the path opened to reveal a vast valley. The moment the group looked down into the valley, they gave a collective gasp.

Vectorlot lay before them. The city stretched from one end of the valley to the other. Buildings of every size took up most of the space, all of them seeming to be made of a dull grey metal. Walkways of brick snaked around the buildings, creating a maze of paths that a pony could get lost in forever. On the far east of the valley, an enormous stretch of factories lay, each belching smoke into the air from tall smokestacks. The smoke rose into the air, adding to the ever present cloud of smog above the city.

In the very center, rising above all other buildings by dozens of stories, lay a massive iron zigorat. By Applejack’s estimate, Fillygaro could easily fit inside it with room to spare. Roving spotlights dotted the structure, casting light into the sky and highlighting small flying machines that circled the city like bees over a hive.

Next to Applejack, Shining Armor glared at the city through narrowed eyes. “Somewhere down there are the ones responsible for poisoning Domare.” A low growl emanated from his clenched teeth. “If I ever get my hooves on them…”

“I hear ya, sugarcube,” Applejack said, laying a hoof on his shoulder. “I hear ya…”

.o.O.o.

Ponies packed the roads leading into Vectorlot. No matter how the group bunched itself together, traffic smothered them on all sides. Carts, wagons, and even magitek armor crowded the well worn streets. Applejack frowned at all the moving bodies, especially the few times chocobos passed them, their beaks restrained and being forced by Imperials to pull heavy equipment. She shook her head, memories of Stardust and his descriptions of the treatment of his clan coming back to her.

There was nothing to do about that now, as a more pressing matter needed to be dealt with. “Okay, Graedus, any idea who we can talk to about, uh, Excalipur’s condition?” Applejack asked.

“Well,” Rarity began, tapping her chin, “... not really. I wasn’t here long last time. I didn’t find much work here, not unless I wanted to work in a filthy factory.”

“Well gosh darnit. Guess we’ll have to ask around without giving ourselves away.”

For the rest of the day, the group traveled through the city, looking for someplace or someone that might help them. From the affluent to the poor parts of town, they asked vague questions to those that looked trustworthy. The responses they got back failed to produce any leads. By the end of their search, the only thing they had gained were frustrated spirits and sore hooves.

“Can we rest?” Derpy asked, the shadows from the lowering sun sinking under her eyelids. “I’m soooooo tired.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” Rarity said, wincing each time her sore hooves touched the concrete. “We’ll just have to try again tomorrow.”

“I hear ya,” Applejack replied. “Next inn we find will be our last stop.”

“Good,” Shining Armor said. He motioned his head towards his back where Spotter lay, sound asleep. “I got to get this little guy to bed.”

It wasn’t long before they found an inn that appeared well kept within the middle class section of Vectorlot. As Applejack checked them in she asked the mare behind the counter if she knew of any strange reactions that a foal might have to magic.

The response she got left her mouth ajar.

“Oh! Did your son get enhancements, too?” the pink unicorn asked.

Once she shut her mouth, Applejack said, “Uh, he’s not my son. Whaddya mean, enhancements?”

“Hold on. I’ll show you.” The mare turned, calling out, “Dinky! Would you come down here for a moment?”

Seconds later, a pale purple unicorn filly came running down a set of stairs, blinking at all the new arrivals. “What is it, Amethyst?”

Amethyst waved her hoof towards the inn’s new arrivals. “Could you show these nice ponies the trick Uncle gave you?”

“Oh. Sure!” Dinky shut her eyes tightly, grunting with exertion. To the surprise of all but Amethyst, Dinky’s horn cast out a string of white pearls that looped back into her horn. The next moment, the group was covered in a soft green light.

“Whoa.” Applejack blinked once the glow receded from her coat. “I feel… refreshed. Just like one of Twilight’s spells.”

Dinky opened her eyes, a bright smile on her muzzle. “Yeah! It’s a cure spell. My uncle gave it to me. And look! This appeared when he did it.” She twisted her rear, showing her flank to the group. Displaying prominently against her coat were three small green starbursts.

“That’s… that’s just like Spotter’s,” Shining Armor said. He lifted his son off his back and nudged him back awake.

Spotter yawned, rubbing at his eyes. “Uh, wha?”

“Hey, bud. Would you show these two that mark of yours?”

“Huh? Uh, sure.” With a flourish, he took off the cloth covering his flank. “Glad that’s off.”

“Oh, cool!” Dinky ran up to the colt, her smile growing into a large grin. “You got a cutie mark. Just like me!”

“Cutie mark?” everypony in the room echoed.

“Yeah, that’s what my uncle calls them.”

“She’s talking about Doctor Whooves, our uncle,” Amethyst said, walking next to Dinky. “He’s in charge of magic research for the Empire. He’s the one that gave my sis here such a wonderful gift!”

“Yeah, I heal guests when they stay here. They love it!” The excited filly pranced in front of Spotter, her face bursting with glee. “What magic can you use?”

“Oh… Um, ah….”

“Can we meet this Doctor Whooves?” Shining Armor said. Beside him, Spotter gave a sigh of relief for the save.

Amethyst frowned, tapping her chin. “I’m not sure. He’s awfully busy. We don’t see him much these days. Oh! Maybe you’ll see him in tomorrow’s announcement.”

“Announcement?”

“Yeah, it’s short notice, but the emperor himself is going to make some sort of speech in front of the palace. Everypony’s welcome to join.”

The group looked to each other. As one, they nodded.

“We’ll be there then,” Shining Armor said. “Thank you for all of your help.”

Amethyst beamed a smile. “Oh, don’t mention it! I’ll get your rooms ready right now and we’ll go together.”

.o.O.o.

The next day, Amethyst and Dinky treated their new guest to a scrumptious breakfast, then led them to the meeting place. Even at this early hour, the plaza in front of the palace was filled with ponies, all waiting for the emperor to make his appearance. Vendors and hustlers walked through the crowds, hawking their wares to anypony with more gil than common sense.

With time to spare, Applejack brushed up against Amethyst, gaining her attention. “So, you’ve lived here for a while, I take it?”

“Oh yes,” Amethyst replied with a smile. “Most of my life, actually. There are plenty of opportunities here for just about anypony. It’s a little crowded, sure, and the smog is a bit of a downer, but the military goes to great lengths to keep the cloud from getting any lower.”

“I see. Do you… ever leave the city? Like, go to the other towns on the continent?”

“Hmm, not really,” Amethyst said, shaking her head. “The inn keeps me really busy and Dinky has school to go to all year round. I suppose I’m due for a vacation, but everything I need is here, so I don’t see the point. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, just wondering how much you know about the goings on outside the city, is all.”

“Oh, I know plenty! The paper comes every day telling us all about how the Empire is working with other countries to help them adopt all the technology we are making. And they’re keeping us safe from those Returner terrorists. Can you believe that there’s a group like that just going around, trying to kill everyone just because they can’t get with the times? Jeez, it makes me sick.”

Applejack bit her lip hard, nearly drawing blood. She worked her mouth, trying to find the words to respond, but nothing came to mind. Her dilemma came to an end when the speaker systems surrounding the plaza switched on, gaining the crowd’s attention.

“Citizens of Vectorlot! Welcome one and all on this glorious morning to witness your liege, Emperor Blueblood!”

The crowd enthusiastically stomped their hooves, the reverberations being felt throughout the city. Cheers and whistles rang through the air and some mares fainted from the excitement.

“Now, please direct your attention to our sovereign, the stallion who protects and loves us all, Emperor Blueblood!”

If anything, the noise from the attendees grew louder. From a balcony on the highest point of the palace stepped out a lone figure. Even for those far in the back of the crowd, the stallion was an imposing figure. He stood taller than anypony around him, wearing a blue and purple robe with a raised cowl that flowed behind him like a cape. His long, blond mane was perfectly groomed and gleamed in the morning light. Laying atop his head was a golden crown, molded to cover his large horn, covered in sparkling jewels, and topped with a silver cross. Blueblood swept his foreleg back, flaring out his robes and exposing a pristine coat of white.

Amethyst levitated up an ornate fan and rapidly began fanning herself.

Applejack rolled her eyes.

“My wonderful and loyal subjects,” Blueblood began, his voice booming over the populace through the speaker system. “I come before you today with great news. Our forces have liberated Domare, saving that beleaguered country from the tyrannical hold of the Returners. As I speak, we are in the process of rebuilding their country, making it stronger to those that would undermine its glorious history with rebellion and strife.”

Applejack had to bite her tongue, struggling to keep from charging the palace. She glanced to her side, finding Shining Armor standing ramrod straight. His posture looked so stony that birds could have mistaken him for a statue. His eyes, however, remained animated. They bore nothing but hate and contempt for the speaker, silently cursing him and his Empire. Applejack reached over and gently took hold of his forehoof, giving what little support she could. Shining Armor did not return the gesture, but he didn’t pull away either.

“Furthermore,” Blueblood continued, “I just received word that a weapon that the Returners hid away within the noble town of Neighshe has been recovered. They will not be able to prey upon the ponies there any longer.”

A dark pit formed within Applejack’s stomach. “No… they couldn’t have…”

“Soon, my little ponies, the world will be free for all who live upon it. It will be safe for ponies and griffons alike. No more fear of each other, no more strife. I only ask that you continue to support our loved ones fighting in distant lands, for they are the true heroes in all of this. Soon, the need for fighting will be over and the world will know peace once again.”

The crowd cheered again, the loudest yet. Pegasi and griffons flew up and threw confetti, flags, and banners into the air, the multicolored paraphernalia falling amongst the populace who raced to get the best ones. Upon his balcony, Blueblood gave one last flourish of his robe, granting a final glimpse of his magnificence, before turning and heading back into the palace.

None of this registered with Applejack. She stood, her mouth open and her eyes watery. “That… that can’t be true. It just can’t.”

.o.O.o.

Applejack didn’t realize she was back in the inn until Derpy offered her a cup of juice. “Here. It looks like you could use it,” Derpy said, frowning at Applejack’s disheveled appearance.

Looking up, Applejack blinked away the tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. She accepted the cup from Derpy, mumbling a distracted thanks.

“Um, you going to be okay?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Oh.” Unsure of what else to do, Derpy swallowed and walked back to the others, leaving Applejack to her thoughts.

“How is she?” Rarity asked as Derpy sat down next to them at a table.

“I’m not sure.”

“Oh.”

The group lapsed into silence, the only sounds coming from Amethyst and Dinky cleaning up around the inn. At last, Shining Armor, who had been silent since the emperor’s speech, said, “Well, we can’t just sit around here. We need to do something.”

“And what do you propose?” Rarity responded, nursing a glass of wine. “Bust into the palace, killing anyone in our way, find the emperor, and lop off his head?”

“I’d like to.”

“Hmph. Typical bullheadedness.”

“Oh, you could do it, Ra-uh, Graedus!” Spotter said, spitting crumbs from a half-finished cookie. “You’re all sneaky and stuff.”

Rarity shook her head. “It’s a nice compliment, but even I wouldn’t dare try my luck. It’s a suicide mission, either way.”

They fell silent again, each pondering on the situation. The sound of horseshoed hooves on the wooden floor drew their attention as Applejack sat down with them. “Hey.”

Rarity reached over, placing a hoof over one of Applejack’s. “Are you going to be okay?”

“It’s the not knowing that’s killing me. I wish I had never fallen off that stupid raft.” She gulped down the drink Derpy had offered and when next she spoke, her voice sounded less troubled. “What are y’all talkin’ about?”

“Our next course of action. Any ideas?”

Applejack tapped the table with a hoof, mirroring the frustrated looks the others wore.

“Um, the ponies here in the city all seem happy,” Derpy said, her face scrunched up in thought. “Well, maybe not the chocobos. But… that town we were in before all had ponies who were… sad, I guess. Does… does that mean anything to you?”

The tapping stopped. Applejack stared at Derpy as though she were seeing her for the first time. “That’s… that’s the most brilliant thing anypony’s said all day long.”

“Yay! Uh, what did I just say?”

“Yes, Miss Applejack,” Shining Armor said. “What do the other towns have to do with anything?”

Applejack motioned for them to move closer, bringing them into a small huddle. “Okay, this may sound crazy, but this is what we’re gonna do.

“We’re gonna recruit us some new Returners.”

Wherein They Enter the Town With the Funky Music

To an outside observer, the Chickadee Forest appeared no different to any other forest in the world. Thick trees grew close together, their intertwined branches and leaves creating a thick canopy that covered up most of the sky. Thin beams of sunlight still managed to filter through, highlighting dense foliage that even the stoutest of ponies would have trouble trotting through. A few streams of water snaked across the forest floor, almost completely hidden by plantlife. One false step could lead a pony slipping against a slick rock and breaking a leg all in the space of a second.

Stardust stepped through it all without breaking stride. His long, strong legs carried him over the most compact plant life while his sharp talons dug into the ground, giving him unparalleled balance. He trudged on, following an unseen path that he had memorized by heart. No animals or monsters disturbed Stardust, though nothing could catch him if they did. With one last hop over a fallen tree, he finally reached his destination.

A wide, open clearing lay before him. Here the trees spread out from each other, allowing the sun’s rays to reach down to the green grass and colorful flowers that dotted the area. Built between the trees stood wooden huts with straw roofing; huts large enough to easily house a family of chocobos. Many of the homes showed signs of disrepair and neglect as the forest around them slowly took back its land. Strewn around the buildings lay discarded pots, cloth bags, and burned out fire pits. From all appearances, nochoco had lived here for years.

“Kweh!” Stardust called out.

Only the wind rustling the straw roofs answered him back.

Stardust let out a sigh. “Should have known.”

He walked further into the clearing, making a beeline for a hut set close to the center. Stardust pushed aside the cloth covering the entrance, dislodging dozens of leaves and twigs that fell to the ground. Glancing around, Stardust saw that the inside had fared no better than the outside. Dust, dirt, and fallen straw covered everything from old rags, to fallen crockery, and disheveled straw bedding. Stardust carefully picked his way through the hut, pushing aside rotten gysahl greens and other trash. He sighed again.

Of course nochoco would be here. The Empire still had them, using them for slave labor. Nochoco would ever run through these woods again until the Empire lay broken and defeated. And the prospect of that happening was looking more and more bleak.

With a shake of his head, Stardust turned and headed for the exit. Just as he lifted a wing to push the cloth covering away, he spied a piece of parchment stitched to the cloth. He moved closer, peering at the writing covering the parchment. His eyes widened as he reached the bottom where, in neat clawwriting, a signature stood out in large black letters.

“Moonlight.”

Carefully, Stardust undid the threads holding the parchment to the cloth and took down his old mentor’s note. He read through it again, memorizing everything written down. If his beak could form a smile, it would be stretching from ear to ear. “Moonlight, you’re a genius.”

Stardust nodded, placed the parchment in his bag, and stepped out of the hut. Seconds later, he sprinted out of the clearing and through the woods, his talons carrying him south.

.o.O.o.

Dark skies and heavy rain greeted the questing ponies by the time they reached Chozo. Nestled deep within mountains that reached to the clouds, the town itself lived up to the expectations the ponies had of a poor settlement. Rickety wooden buildings towered above them, some using the mountain cliffs as a support. There appeared to be no rhyme or reason as to where buildings were placed, with some settlements seemingly built on top of each other or extending out of one another like a fifth leg. Few lights illuminated the dingy and trash strewn streets, making watching one’s step a tough chore.

A pony stumbled out an alleyway, lifted up a flask to his mouth, took a long draw, and belched loudly. He turned and caught sight of the new arrivals and lifted his flask in greeting. “Great equines, here!”

He promptly lost his balance, fell over into a trash bin, and began to snore.

“Charming,” Trixie drawled.

“So, anyone know where to go?” Spike said, looking around at all the streets and alleyways that led to parts unknown.

Rainbow Dash looked up at all the buildings ahead and frowned. “I don’t think I’ll be able to spot much if I fly up there. All this rain is making it hard to see. Let’s just ask around and see if anypony has seen anything weird.”

Another belch escaped from the drunk and dozing pony.

“Besides the obvious.”

They chose a direction at random, walking single file with Rainbow Dash in the lead. They picked their way carefully through the grungy streets until they heard the sound of uproarious laughter and badly keyed piano music. Up ahead, a small cabin wedged between two larger buildings came into view. Peeking through the windows revealed a large room full of ponies drinking, dancing, fighting, whoring, and all other manners of partying hard.

Trixie pulled away as though the sight offended her eyes. “We are seriously not going in there.”

“Hey, we gotta start somewhere,” Rainbow Dash said, shrugging. “Besides, I could really go for a drink right about now.”

“You’re more likely to get a knife in your back if you go in there.”

“Trixie, look who you’re talking to,” Rainbow Dash responded, her hooves pointing at her chest. “I’m a world class adventurer! I can handle a few rowdy ponies.”

The window next to them exploded outward, a pony’s body having been expelled violently to land on the pavement.

Trixie gave Rainbow Dash a pointed look. “A barrel of laughs they are, Trixie’s sure.”

“Bah. Just watch.” With that, Rainbow Dash strode up to the door leading inside, pushed it open, and walked in as though she owned the place.

As though a switch had been thrown, all activity in the crowded room stopped with all eyes taking stock of the newcomer. Without breaking stride, Rainbow Dash headed for the bar, stepping past ponies and gently pushing aside those that stood in her way. She didn’t make eye contact with anypony until she reached the bar and gave a shrill whistle.

The barkeep, a pink earth pony mare with perpetual sleepy eyes walked up to her. “What’ll it be, sista?”

“Got any good cider around here?”

The room erupted into howls of laughter.

The barkeep herself snickered. “Cider? You want cider you better catch the next Fillygaro shuttle.” She reached down under the bar and pulled out an unmarked bottle. She popped the top off and began filling up a shot glass. “In here, we pour rum.” She finished pouring, some droplets of the liquid landing on the counter, causing it to sizzle and smoke.

Rainbow Dash eyed the glass dubiously, pushing it away and instead directing her focus to the barkeep. “Yeah, uh, you wouldn’t happen to know if there’s been any, uh, weird… sightings around here, have ya?”

The barkeep raised an eyebrow. “Weird… sightings? Suuuuurrrrrrrre. Plenty of `em.” She pounded a hoof to the counter, gaining everypony’s attention. “Hey! Anypony here seen some weird sightings?”

All at once, every pony in the room began talking. It was impossible for Rainbow Dash to pick out any full sentences, but a few snippets such as, “up in the sky, they were,” and, “full of lights,” to, “I tawt I taw a putty tat!” reached her ears. Growling, Rainbow Dash stomped her way back to the exit, muttering vulgarities along the way. The moment she closed the door, the sound of jovial activity began anew.

Trixie, Big Macintosh, and Spike stood where she had left them. “Before you ask: shut up.”

Nopony said a word as they walked away from the pub. They soon came upon an open plaza, surrounded on all sides by more buildings and alleyways. Spike groaned, slapping a claw to his forehead. “We’re never going to find Twi at this rate. What if we split up?”

“In this place?” Trixie said, grimacing at the surroundings. “Not likely.”

“No, Spike has a point,” Rainbow Dash responded. “Daring Do is way ahead of us so we can’t be wasting anymore time. We’ll go in pairs.” She grabbed the nearest pony next to her and began dragging him along. “C’mon, big guy.”

“Um, `yup?” was all Big Macintosh could say before he and Rainbow Dash trotted out of sight.

The remaining pair blinked. “That was random,” Spike commented.

“Trixie gets stuck with the lizard,” the unicorn said. “Swell.”

Spike whirled around and stuck a claw on the tip of Trixie’s nose. “Hey, let’s just focus on finding Twilight and lay off the names. Got it?”

Eyes narrowing, Trixie lit up her horn, her levitation enveloping Spike and depositing him several hooves away. “Ground rules. You don’t get any closer than that to Trixie, and Trixie won’t freeze you into a popsicle. Got it?”

The pair held their glare, silently daring the other to make the first move. Finally, as one, they faced away from each other and headed down a street opposite the one Rainbow Dash and Big Macintosh had taken. Neither looked at each other, content to ignore the other as they began their search.

.o.O.o.

“Okay, this town isn’t that big, so there can’t be that many places for Twilight to hide,” Rainbow Dash said, trotting next to Big Macintosh through a narrow alleyway. The close proximity of the buildings helped keep the rain off their backs. “So, if I were a crazy, flaming pony with wings, where would I go?”

Big Macintosh shrugged.

“You’re a big help…”

He opened his mouth to respond, but his gaze fell on a discarded piece of metal half-covered by trash. Big Macintosh walked up to it and pushed the trash away to reveal a thick, circular disk. It appeared to be some type of gear, possibly from a washing machine or a clock. He picked it up in his hoof, spit on it, and rubbed it clean with a rag from his pack. After inspecting it, the stallion nodded and placed it in his saddlebag.

Rainbow Dash grimaced at the sight. “That’s like the fifth piece of junk you picked up. What’s with ya?”

“Ya never know when somethin’ like that is what ya need to finish a new invention,” Big Macintosh replied. “As for Miss Sparkle, I’m thinkin’ she’s higher up. Otherwise ponies would be talkin’ if she were down on the streets.”

“Well, I guess you’re right. Once we get out in the open, I’m gonna fly up a bit and check some of the taller buildings.”

The duo exited the alley shortly afterward. True to her word, Rainbow Dash took off the moment she had the room, soaring high into the air in a matter of seconds. She scanned the horizon, squinting against the rain pouring down her bangs even as she search for any sign of the wayward Twilight Sparkle. There, near the top of the largest building in town, the faint glow of candlelight could be seen flickering through a window. Just as she readied herself to fly closer, a blaring sound from below drew her attention. Rainbow Dash gasped at the scene below her and dove down as fast as she could.

At street level, Big Macintosh found himself surrounded on all sides by ponies wearing ragged clothing and cloth masks. One minute he was waiting for Rainbow Dash to fly back down and the next ponies suddenly appeared from the shadows. He had doubts that these ponies were just here to give him a cheerful Chozo greeting.

“Hoof over the bag, buddy,” one of the thugs said through a dagger in his mouth. “You don’t want this to get messy.”

Big Macintosh merely shook his head. In one fluid movement, he reached into his saddlebag and produced his Noise Blaster, pointing it at the speaker. One button press later, half of the thugs screamed and held their heads in their hooves at the ear splitting cacophony assaulting them. The other half charged, blunt and sharp implements ready to take down the stallion, when a figure from above slammed into them, hooves first.

“It may not seem like it—” Rainbow Dash said as she bucked one thug in the face “—but I’m doing you guys a favor.” A flick of her wing flipped out her dagger, catching the handle by her teeth as it whirled by. “Yeah, I’m awesome.”

The casual display of knifeplay brought the remaining thugs up short. They looked to each other, gulped, turned tail, and ran off. The thugs still under the influence of the Noise Blaster staggered and stumbled after their comrades. Once all of them were gone, Rainbow Dash re-holstered her dagger, and headed towards Big Macintosh. There, the two gave each other a hearty hoofbump and headed off to find Trixie and Spike.

.o.O.o.

Despite suffering from the worst headache he had ever experienced, Fine Crime still managed to find his way to his employer’s rendezvous point. Waiting under a flickering lamp post, Daring Do tapped her hoof against the soggy soil impatiently. “Let me guess. You didn’t stop them.”

Fine Crime shook his head, both answering Daring Do and clearing his ears of the constant ringing they had developed. “Nah, boss. Stupid git done got us with dis racket maker. Almost blew my eardrums out, it did.”

Daring Do facehoofed. “Look, you’re gonna have to try again. I still haven’t found this mare the Empire’s after and I can’t have Rainbow Dunce and her cronies on my tail.”

“You kiddin’?” Fine Crime spat out a wad of tobacco. A quick dip of a hoof in a tin can attached to his hip resupplied his mouth. “I ain’t riskin’ my skin again for the dough you’s is given out,” he said though the wad between his teeth.

“I’ll pay you double. With the reward I’ll get that won’t be a problem.”

The thug rubbed the stubble on his chin, muttering to himself over the new deal. “Seems fair. You’s on.”

“Great.” Daring Do tipped her hat to Fine Crime and took off into the sky.

Left behind, Fine Crime gave a crooked smile. “Seems I’mma wastin’ time with dat gal. Looks like me and da boys have a better target.”

.o.O.o.

In another part of town, Spike carefully counted on his claws. “Okay… so from what we’ve been told, it is now… six o’clock, ten minutes, and fifty seconds on the dot?”

Walking next to him, Trixie nodded. “Seems so. Not that Trixie particularly cares. Finding Twilight Sparkle before this Daring Do does is more important.”

“Well, can’t argue with that.” The two walked on in silence for a few minutes, occasionally glancing around at their surroundings for any clues or ponies looking to score an easy mark. Finally, Spike looked up at Trixie with a curious glance. “Hey. I’ve been meaning to ask you. What’s your problem with Twilight, anyway?”

The ex-general lifted a hoof, swiping rain out of her mane. “None of your business.”

“It is my business. I’m her friend and the one that helped teach her how to fend for herself. So I’ve got a responsibility for her safety. I don’t see why you’d want to hurt a nice mare like her.”

Trixie snorted, a crooked grin forming on her muzzle. “Nice mare? Her? You’ve known her for what? A few days? Two weeks at most? Trixie has been stuck with Sparkle for her entire life. There was a time before she conveniently lost her memory to that slave crown, you know.”

Stepping ahead, Spike stood in Trixie’s path and crossed his arms, putting up a stubborn front. “Yeah, well now she’s different. She’s not the pony you used to know. Twilight’s nice and good and willing to help others. Not like you.”

Trixie regarded the little dragon before her like a bug that had crossed her path. “Trixie is the way she is because it’s the only way she’s found to stay alive. We’ll see just how long being nice and good will get Sparkle before she gets herself killed.”

The two starred off once again. They matched glares, sharing a mutual animosity that built with each passing second. Trixie quietly began to chant, while Spike slowly took a deep breath—

“There you guys are!”

As one, Trixie and Spike whirled around to face the descending Rainbow Dash, large, fake smiles on their faces.

Rainbow Dash landed next to them. A second later, Big Macintosh trotted into view as well. “Didja guys find anything useful?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Uh, not really,” Spike said, shrugging. “Just a bunch of numbers and some weirdo saying that this place is dangerous. Like we didn’t know that already…”

“Well, don’t sweat it. Me and Big Mac think we know where Twilight is.”

“Really?” Spike grasped one of Rainbow Dash’s legs, his eyes wide with hope. “Where?”

“Hey, easy on the merchandise there, bucko.” Rainbow Dash pride Spike off of herself, rubbing the spot to regain circulation. “We think she’s in one of the higher towers. We gotta head there now.”

“Couldn’t you fly up there and get to her faster?”

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “And leave you guys behind? Not a chance. We’re in this together, so let’s get hopping!”

“Lead the way!” Spike said, pumping a claw into the air.

The group didn’t waste time, galloping off towards the highest tower in town. Along the way, two members of the party made it a point not to look at each other.

.o.O.o.

Finding an entrance to the tower was easy.

Finding a way up to the top proved otherwise.

“Who builds their homes like this?!” Rainbow Dash roared, stamping a hoof and glaring at the blank wall at the end of a hallway.

“Ponies with no talent for construction would be Trixie’s guess,” Trixie replied. She huffed loudly and turned to head back the way they came.

“Seriously, stairs that go nowhere, fire escapes that end in a drop off, and now long hallways with no exits! And where the hay are you going?!”

Rainbow Dash’s last outburst was directed at Big Macintosh, who headed down a path they had already taken. “I found a good workbench back a ways. It’ll only be a minute to finish somethin’. Y’all go on, I’ll catch up.”

“Gah. Fine.” Without waiting for a response, Rainbow Dash took off down a new path, Trixie and Spike rushing to catch up. "We're this close to getting Twilight back, and now everypony's got other priorities."

"Uh, we're still here," Spike said.

A loud crash from above interrupted any response Rainbow Dash would have given.

"What are you foals doing?!"

Rainbow Dash gasped. "That's Daring Do's voice." She rushed forward, whipping her head from side to side. "C'mon, we gotta find a way up there!"

The crashing and hollering grew louder, spurring the group to find a set of stairs faster. Finally, Spike noticed a string hanging from a metal loop attached to the ceiling. His eyes narrowed and he pulled on it. A squeal of rusted metal and the creak of wood later revealed a trap door. "Hey, guys! I found a way up!"

Rainbow Dash and Trixie ran to his side in an instant, all of them scrambling up the stairs of the trap door. On the next floor, a standoff was in progress. Daring Do, sporting cuts and scuffs all over her body, stood on one end of the room, her whip dangling in her mouth. On the other side stood a dozen ponies dressed in matching brown vests. All of them held a knife in their mouths, some dripping blood.

Daring Do noticed the newcomers with widened eyes and groaned. “Ah, ponyfeathers. You idiots! Now Rainbow Dash has caught up. You should have taken my offer!”

“Feh,” Fine Crime said. “We’s jest kill her too. Nottin’ to it.”

“Fat chance!” Rainbow Dash blasted forward, aiming to collided into them like a wrecking ball.

The thugs scattered, spreading out and making it difficult for Rainbow Dash to strike them all at once. She darted in, swiping at the closest thug with her dagger, but two others closed in on the side, forcing her to fly up. However, the low ceiling of the room prevented Rainbow Dash from getting the height she needed. The thugs reached up and threw her down to the floor, beating Rainbow Dash with their hooves before moving in for the kill.

Their attack came to an abrupt halt as two streams of ice slammed into them. The thugs collided with the opposite wall and collapsed to the floor, their bodies shivering violently against the cold.

“The hay was dat?!” Fine Crime cried, he and his gang backing away from the advancing unicorn and dragon.

Trixie chanted and sent a healing spell over Rainbow Dash’s battered body before directing her attention back to the thugs. “The greatest feats of magic your puny minds have ever seen!”

From her end of the room, Rainbow Dash got back to her hooves with a groan. She quickly forgot her pains when she noticed a pony missing from the room. “Where’s Daring Do?”

For a moment, all thoughts of fighting became derailed as the ponies blinked and looked for the missing adventurer. An open window with rain pouring in clued them in on her whereabouts.

“Shoot, she’s afta da target!” Fine Crime yelled and ran towards the window. He reared back as Spike and Trixie jumped in his path. “You’s goin’ down!”

“Take care of them while I go after Daring!” Rainbow Dash said, sailing over everypony’s head and out the window.

“What are we, your lackeys?” Spike called after her, but didn’t get to press the issue. The thugs gave a cry and charged.

.o.O.o.

The rain pelted her the moment she sped out the window. Rainbow Dash blinked away the water even as she scanned for Daring Do. She never saw the attack coming from above.

Daring Do lashed out with her whip, entangling Rainbow Dash around the neck in the span of a heartbeat. Not wasting the opportunity, Daring Do snapped the whip again and sent Rainbow Dash colliding into the side of the building. She pulled and whipped again, sending the other pegasus crashing a second time. Thoroughly stunned, Rainbow Dash could do nothing as Daring Do flapped her wings as hard as she could, rising higher into the air. Rainbow Dash, dangling like a worm on a hook, careened off of the building with ever flap of Daring Do’s wings, brutalizing her further.

At last Daring Do reached the top of the tower where a single wooden shack lay. Grinning in triumph, Daring Do looked down and saluted at her rival’s battered form. “This is where you fall down, Rainbow Crash!” With that, she let go of the whip, watching as Rainbow Dash’s limp body plummeted to the darkened streets below.

.o.O.o.

Spike whirled his spear in a blur of motion, deflecting three thrown knives from penetrating his scales. “These guys don’t know when to quit!” He quickly sucked in air and let loose a stream of fire, forcing the thugs engaging with him to back off.

“Careful with the flames, you moron!” Trixie yelled. She paired a knife thrust aimed at her throat with her sword, twirled past the thug’s defenses, and brought a foreleg down hard on his exposed neck. The thug’s eyes rolled up into his head and collapsed to the floor. “You want to set this whole place on fire?”

“Excuse me, miss high-and-mighty!” Spike thrust forward, slipping his spear underneath a thug’s barrel and expertly swiping his opponent’s legs out from under him. The thug didn’t have time to cry out as his life was snuffed out by a spear lodged in his throat a second later. Spike withdrew his weapon and readied for the next one.

“Surround em!” Fine Crime ordered his remaining lackeys. “Don’t letem use their freaky tricks!”

The thugs obeyed, quickly spreading around the duo and closing in on them fast. Trixie figured she could take out three before she was overwhelmed with Spike thinking the same. That still left four ponies with a clear shot to slit their throats.

That was when, from below, the roar of an engine was heard, stopping each pony in their tracks. Everypony blinked and looked down, as though looking at the floor would allow them to see what was going on underneath them. The noise grew louder, now mixed with the sound of wood being sawed through. The whole building shook, forcing everypony to widen their stance or risk falling over. Just as they thought things couldn’t get stranger, one of the thugs yelped and jumped back from a spinning metal disk that had thrust up through the floor. The ponies watched in rapt attention as the disk continued to cut through the wooden planks until it reached the end of the room. The disk stopped spinning and disappeared to whence it came.

A pregnant silence followed as all noise ceased. Finally, Fine Crime shook his head and pointed at Trixie and Spike. “Stop gawkin’ and g—”

He got cut off as an impact shook the whole room. A second impact followed and then a third. “Da hay is going owhaoooooooo~!” One final thud caused the side of the room Fine Crime stood on to tilt back. He and his goons gave a startled cry as they found themselves in free fall, their half of the room falling outward into the rain filled sky. In seconds they were gone, their screams fading away until an echoing crash was heard.

The ponies and dragon stared slack jawed until a red hoof grabbed hold of the cut away floor from below. There came a grunt of effort and a stallion wearing a metal mask pulled himself up. In his mouth, he wielded a rectangular device with a razor sharp circular saw attached to it through a steel pipe. The stallion revved the device, causing the saw to spin and create the horrible noise that had been heard before.

It was too much for the remaining thugs. They dropped their weapons and scrambled to escape down the trap door, their tails tucked between their legs.

The stallion chuckled and set down his machine. He lifted the welding mask, revealing Big Macintosh’s smiling muzzle. “Howdy.”

Trixie and Spike kept staring. A few seconds passed before Trixie looked down at the device sitting next to Big Macintosh. “What’s that?”

“My new invention.”

“New invention,” Trixie drawled.

“Eeyup.”

Spike cautiously stepped forward, looking over the new machine with a critical eye. “This… this is awesome! What is it?”

“I call it a chainsaw. Should help when having to cut down old apple trees.”

“Among other things,” Trixie said, rolling her eyes.

Big Macintosh surveyed the room, noticing a missing member. “Where’s Miss Dash?”

The question ripped Spike’s attention away from the chainsaw. “Oh, shoot! She went after Daring Do. C’mon, let’s get up to the top and help her.” No further encouragement was needed and the group began searching for a way to go higher.

.o.O.o.

So, this is it.

Rainbow Dash struggled to open her eyes. She wished she hadn’t. The ground was getting bigger.

I always thought I’d go out fightin’ the Empire. Jeeze, why’d it have to be Daring Do?

She grimaced as she opened her wings. They weren’t responding right. Probably broken.

There was so much more to do. Twilight… Spitfire, I’m… I’m sorry.

She closed her eyes. No need to see the end coming. She could pretend she was flying. Just for a little while long—

The impact came.

... huh. That didn’t hurt that bad. Maybe death is not as bad as I thought. Wonder if I’m going to have to ride that freaky train I heard about—

“Hey! Rainbow Dash, stay with me!”

I… know that voice. What the hay is he doing here?

Rainbow Dash managed to crack open an eye. Silver feathers and a golden beak filled her vision. “Star… dust?”

.o.O.o.

Stardust gently, carefully, placed Rainbow Dash down from his back to the wooden balcony he perched on. “You better thank the Roost that I got here when I did. Following your guys’ trail all day wasn’t easy.”

Even with how careful Stardust managed to move Rainbow Dash, she still moaned when her tender body touched the hard floor. “Ohhhhh. What… how?”

“Chocobos have a good sense of smell. Between that and my speed, I got here as fast as I could.” He stopped and pointed a wing over at a building adjacent to the tower they were in. “You’re also lucky I can jump. I had to jump from the building over there to catch you.”

“Oh,” was all Rainbow Dash said.

Stardust placed down his bag and began rummaging around in it, finally pulling out a clear bottle with a deep red liquid inside it. “Figures that I’d have to heal your candy rump when I found you. Now don’t move. This is brand new stuff and I don’t want to waste it.” He uncorked the bottle and began pouring the red liquid over Rainbow Dash’s body. He paid special attention to her wings, positioning them so that the dislocated bones would mend properly once the potion set in. Rainbow Dash grimaced but remained quiet and still as Stardust did his work. The chocobo at last tilted Rainbow Dash’s chin up, dumping the last of the potion down her mouth and throat. “There, that should do it.”

The injured pegasus gave a confused look. “How… how long will I be ou—yeowza!” Rainbow Dash abruptly bolted to her hooves, her eyes as wide as they could go and her teeth clenched tightly. Her body shook as though she was about to explode, but suddenly stopped, going ramrod straight. Rainbow Dash let out a cough, her body finally coming under her control and staggered for a few steps. “Smooth,” she croaked.

Stardust watched intently, noticing that Rainbow Dash appeared woozy, but fine. “How do you feel?”

Rainbow Dash raised her head, blinking away her grogginess. “Well… pretty good, actually.” She gave a tentative flap of her wings, finding them to respond normally. “A little sore, but good to go.” She looked up, giving Stardust a questioning gaze. “What was that?”

“Something my mentor came up with,” Stardust said, some smugness entering his voice. “Found it at home and managed to brew it on the way here. First time doing that without supervision! I’m thinking of calling it an X-Potion. Waddaya think?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “I think if you sold that to Filthy Rich, you’d be set for life.” Her laughter died down, looking away from Stardust and rubbing her forelegs together. “Look, Stardust. I’m… I said some things a while ago. I had a lot on my mind and wasn’t thinking. You’re just as much a part of this team as anyone else and I should have listened to ya more. I’m sorry. Can ya forgive me?”

The chocobo regarded the pegasus before him, quirking an eyebrow. He snorted and held out a talon. “Sure. You’re my only customers after all.”

Rainbow Dash smirked and bumped her hoof against the offered talon. “Don’t worry. You’re going to get plenty of chances to make it big.” She flapped her wings again, raising herself into the sky. “Now, we still have a job to do. Find the others and meet me at the top. I’ve got a score to settle.” With that, she blasted off.

Stardust watched her receding form go, letting out another snort. He quickly gathered his things and followed after her.

.o.O.o.

Daring Do touched down next to the shack at the top of the tower and let out a relieved sigh. She took off her pith helmet and wiped the sweat from her brow, grinning from ear to ear. “Finally, time to get my prize.” She stepped forward and grabbed hold of the rickety door that led inside.

Only, no matter how hard she pulled on the handle, the door would not budge. “The hay is this? C’mon, you piece of junk. Open up!”

A stream of cold air impacted the door from behind, whizzing just past her ear. She shivered at the near miss and the now frozen sheet of ice encasing the entrance. Daring Do turned, taking stock of the two ponies and dragon climbing up from a roof hatch. Trixie’s horn shone in readiness, while Big Macintosh and Spike brandished their respective weapons.

“Heh, ah, hi there,” Daring Do said to them, a sheepish smile on her muzzle. “You guys, uh, wouldn’t happen to mind splitting the reward, would you?”

“The only thing that’s going to be split is your lip, Daring Doofus.”

“Wha—” was all she managed to say as a blue hoof impacted her face. Daring Do’s body flew past the edge of the tower, managing to catch herself in the air before she fell. “You!” she cried, rubbing her face. “You’re supposed to be dead!”

Rainbow Dash shrugged in midair, smirking at the adventurer. “Am I now?”

“That’s it! I wasn’t going to use this, but you’ve given me no choice.” Daring Do reached into her tunic and pulled out a round metal ball. She twisted it in her hoof, making something within the sphere click.

“Watch out!” Big Macintosh called out, edging away from the pegasus. “That’s a bomb. It could blow us clear off the building.”

Daring Do reared her hoof with the bomb back and chuckled darkly. “Heh, the big guy’s got it right. Now die!” She took aim and threw it with all her might at the group.

The bomb arced in the air, flying straight for the ponies. Rainbow Dash made to rush forward to intercept when a wind, unnatural and strong, pushed her back. The bomb stopped in midair, hovering in place for a second, then was flung back where it came from. Both the bomb and Daring Do became caught in the strange force of wind, blowing them away from the tower at mach speed. The last thing the group heard was Daring Do’s frantic cries before the bomb detonated.

The explosion happened far enough away that the building merely rocked slightly, rather than crumble completely. Even from this distance though, the ponies could feel the heat radiating from the blast and shielded their faces. Seconds later it was over.

Slowly, the group peaked past their hooves and out into the darkness. There was no sign of Daring Do.

“What the hay happened?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What caused that?”

“That would be me.”

The deep, rumbling voice came from above. All heads turned to see a dark shape descend from above and land on top of the shack. It looked like a pterodon, only much larger. A drake shaped body and head, covered in grey scales, perched atop the shack using razor sharp claws to dig in and gain purchase. Giant grey wings stretched from one end of the tower to the other. The dragon folded its wings together and peered down on the party with a curious gaze. “I thought I smelt my brother, but it appears I was mistaken.”

Below him, the ponies and dragon huddled together, their weapons shaking in their grasps. “A-A-And… who are you?” Rainbow Dash managed to say.

“I am the Storm Dragon. One of eight that resides in this world, waiting for the time when our maker returns. I rule this portion of the world in the mountains above.”

Trixie’s ears perked up. She stepped forward, trying to stare the Storm Dragon in the eyes, but averted her gaze each time. “Trixie has h-heard of you. You rule over the griffons, correct?”

An angry hiss escaped the Storm Dragon’s jaws, causing Trixie to dart back with the others. “You have her putrid stench all over you. Tell me, pony, do you know of the one named Gilda?”

Trixie quickly nodded, smiling proudly. “Why yes! Trixie worked with her in the Empire. She’s a general, just like I was.”

The dragon’s tail whipped in the night, creating a sound similar to a thunderclap. “I could care less about her title, pony! Be thankful that I have a use for you or else I’d eat you whole.”

“I’d like to see you try!” Rainbow Dash cried and leapt forward, dagger shining in her mouth. She barely made it off the ground when a powerful wind slammed her back down to the roof.

“Spare me the heroics,” the Storm Dragon rumbled. “It’s a waste of my time.” His attention turned to Spike, grinning in a way that showed off dozens of needle sharp teeth. “You, on the other claw, have my attention. I feel my brother’s power within you, yet you are definitely not him. Explain why the Ice Dragon gave you his sacred gem.”

Spike suddenly found himself the center of attention. He twiddled his claws and gave a weak laugh. “Ah, heh, would you, uh, be mad if I said that I accidentally ate it?”

The reaction from the Storm Dragon came as a complete surprise. He lifted his head and roared in laughter, his great guffaws creating hurricane winds throughout Chozo. Thankfully, his laughter ended before any buildings could topple over. “Ah, I haven’t been so amused in a millennia. I will have to remember this moment.

“But, to think that a whelp like you could absorb my brother’s power and not die hideously. Very interesting.”

If anything, Spike fidgeted even more than before. “Um, what do you mean by that?”

“Our powers are too great for simple dragons like yourself to use. The gem you ate creates a link between you and the Ice Dragon, whereby you should have become a snowball. Yet, here you are and using the Ice Dragon’s power as your own. I’ve never seen anything like it.” The Storm Dragon pulled in his wings and wrapped himself within them. A pale grey glow leaked out from the dragon’s body, then he snapped his wings open. The gale force winds created by the motion nearly knocked the group off the roof. They managed to catch themselves in time to see streaks of grey power flowing with the winds converge in front of the Storm Dragon. The whirling power continued to grow and spin until a bright flash of light forced them to cover their eyes. When they managed to regain their sight, they saw a pulsing grey gem hovering in the air. The Storm Dragon gestured with a wing, sending the gem floating in front of Spike. “Eat it.”

Spike tore his gaze away from the delectable gem and back to the Storm Dragon. “Huh? Wha?”

The larger dragon growled in warning. “I said eat it. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Spike gulped and looked to the others. Rainbow Dash was mouthing ‘no way’, Big Macintosh frowned, while Trixie simply looked on in interest. Gulping again, Spike reached for the gem, grasped it in his claws, and inspected it critically.

He then shrugged and shoved it in his mouth. One gulp later and the gem was in his belly.

“Ah, I can feel the connection already,” the Storm Dragon said. “Let’s see if you can survive this.”

Spike patted his stomach, a satisfied grin on his face. “What can I say? I’m a remarkable—blah!” His mouth burst open and a strong wind escaped, ruffling the wings of the Storm Dragon.

The Storm Dragon’s forked tongue flicked out, tasting the power of the younger drake. “Fascinating. Something about you manages to wield our power. You have potential the likes of which I have never seen. If you manage to find my brethren, ask them for their gems. Well, if they decide not to eat you, that is,” he finished with a chuckle. He turned away from Spike and his complaining about his tummy and back to the ponies. “As for you, I have a task for you to complete. Find Gilda and kill her.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Uh, isn’t she one of your subjects?”

“I have forbidden my griffons from leaving the mountain. Yet Gilda not only disobeyed me, but managed to convince many others to go with her!” The Storm Dragon hissed, a look of hatred in his eyes. “I cursed her, making it so she could never fly again. But that was not enough for her to return. I am unable to leave this area, so it falls upon you to finish what I started.”

“Yeah, and what do we get out of it?” Rainbow Dash said, the gears of bargaining whirling in her mind.

“You get to leave my presence alive.”

“DEAL!” Big Macintosh and Trixie yelled. Rainbow Dash facehoofed.

“So it is done.” With that, the Storm Dragon spread his wings and rose into the sky. Soon, his form disappeared within the rain clouds above.

The group looked to each other, uncertainty covering their features. “Well, that happened,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Is he gone?”

Everpony turned to see Stardust peeking his head out of the opening leading to the roof. He cast worried eyes where the Storm Dragon had flown off to, as though expecting the dragon to swoop down again.

“I think so,” Rainbow Dash said to him. She helped Stardust up on the roof and patted him on the back. “Don’t worry. With the potions you make, we could've taken him.”

“Yeah. Right.”

“Anyway, let’s go. Twilight’s waiting for us.”

.o.O.o.

Removing the ice encasing the door to the shack proved to be a simple matter. Trixie merely willed it away and the frost dissolved into the air. The door itself opened of its own accord.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” a withered voice came from inside. “Please, come in. Your friend is here.”

No more encouragement was needed. Rainbow Dash and Spike rushed in first, followed by Big Macintosh, Trixie, and Stardust. The inside was a single room with a single bed and chair. Laying on the bed, her coat and mane still exhibiting its flaming appearance, lay Twilight Sparkle. Sitting in a wooden chair next to the bed, a gnarled hand gently stroking Twilight’s blazing mane, was a creature none of them had ever seen before.

The creature raised its other hand, beckoning them to come forward. “Close the door behind you, please. It is rather drafty in here as it is. We don’t need her to catch cold on top of everything else.”

Stardust looked to the Rainbow Dash, who nodded, and quietly closed the door behind him.

“Good. I had to place a spell over it to make sure nobody got here before you did.”

Cautiously, Rainbow Dash stepped up to the creature, her eyes drawn to its features. It appeared to be male, the long white beard that reached to the floor his most prominent characteristic. His head was bald and wrinkled, though his eyes shown with energy and ancient knowledge. He wore a long green robe that covered the rest of his body save for his wrinkled hands that continued to stroke Twilight with care and affection. “Who are you?” Rainbow Dash said at length.

“You may call me Ramuh. The esper, Ramuh.”

Rainbow Dash backed away with wide eyes, her wing wrapping around her dagger. “Esper?!”

Unlike the pony, Ramuh remained calm. “Yes. Does my presence alarm you?”

“Wha? I… Ah… don’t know…”

“Rest assured, I mean you, or the young lady here, no harm.”

Silence filled the room. Nopony moved or spoke as they came to grips with this new information. Soon, a claw laid over Twilight’s back, matching the motions of Ramuh’s hand. “Is… Twilight going to be okay?” Spike said.

Ramuh met the eyes of the tiny dragon, gave a small smile through his thick beard, and nodded. “She is undamaged. However, there is much turmoil within herself. It’s as if her very existence strikes fear into her own heart.” As though to illustrate his point, Twilight moaned and kicked in her sleep before growing still again.

Spike reached down and grasped one her hooves in his claws, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “What can we do to help her?”

“I believe that once she is able to cope with this aspect of herself, she will be fine.”

“Is… is Twilight… an esper? Like you?”

Ramuh sat back, stroking his beard in thought. “No, she’s actually quite different. It’s puzzling, to be sure.”

It was at this point that one of the ponies could no longer keep her silence. “This is all very fascinating, but Trixie would like to know what you are doing here.”

Ramuh turned his focus to the speaker, his eyes seeming to pierce through to her very core. Trixie shivered, despite herself. “I feel one of my people’s power within you, though not fully. I see Blueblood is still keeping to his incorrect methods.”

Trixie glared back, stamping her hoof. “What does that mean?”

“It means that ponies and espers are still unable to coexist with each other. We espers can take on a variety of forms to try to integrate with your society, but often that isn’t enough.”

“And, uh, this form you have?” Rainbow Dash said, waving a hoof to indicate Ramuh’s body. “What’s it called? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Ramuh chuckled and stood to his full height. He towered over all of them, beating Big Macintosh by a full head. “I, my dear little ponies, am what is called a human. They are a mythological race, so it’s not surprising that you haven’t heard of them. I felt the form suited me, so I took it.”

“Uh, okay. Whatever floats your boat.”

The old esper chuckled again and reclaimed his seat. “Now, where was I? Oh, yes… the War of the Magi.” Ramuh’s eyes grew distant, as though he were seeing a different set of events playing out before him. “A tragedy, that was. Espers fought ponies infused with our power and each other, nearly causing the ruin of the world. Once the war was over, we created a new world, one where ponies seeking our power could never find us. We lived there, in peace, for a millennium.”

The group could feel the metaphorical horseshoe about to drop. “But…?” Rainbow Dash prompted.

Ramuh sighed, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. “But… it was not to last. We weren’t as hidden as we thought. Somehow, Blueblood’s forces found us and invaded. In a desperate move, we managed to erect a doorway to throw them out. However, I and others of my kind were captured and taken to his Magitek Research Facility. Even as we speak, they are being drained of their powers. I managed to escape and fled here.” He paused, his face falling into a deep frown. “It was as I was recovering here that I sensed Twilight. I could tell she was in grave danger and managed to guide her here with my magic.”

Twilight twitched on the bed, her mane and tail blazing with power and a cry of distress emanating from her throat. Spike quickly wrapped his claws around her and struggled to hold her down. Big Macintosh rushed over and helped, pressing down on Twilight’s withers and wincing as her mane licked his coat with white hot embers. At last, her fit passed and she settled down once again.

“You have no idea the effort it takes to keep her from igniting that bed,” Ramuh said, sweat running down his forehead.

Spike looked down, helplessness etched on his face. “We have to do something! She can’t stay like this.”

“I’ve done all I can for her. But there may be another who could do more.” Ramuh stood back up and held out his left hand. With a flash of white light a staff with an emerald jewel on top appeared. He tapped it on the floor and said, “There are others like me still trapped in Blueblood’s facility. My instinct tells me that one of them can help her. Free them if you wish to save your friend.”

Trixie gave an affirmative grunt and nodded. “Yes, that makes sense. Remove the Empire’s means to power itself and it will be crippled.”

“One last thing,” Ramuh said. “While Blueblood has gained great strength from draining espers, he has yet to realize the true way to transfer our powers. Only when we turn into magicite can this be done.”

The group looked to each other, confused expressions passing between them. Rainbow Dash raised a hoof. “Uh, what is magicite?”

“That’s what’s left of us when we die.” Before anypony could comment, Ramuh raised his staff. A blinding light filled the room, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. When the light passed and they were able to see, three glowing green crystals with red cores floated before Ramuh. “These are my comrades whom I escaped with. Unfortunately, they did not have the strength left to keep going and have passed on.” He pointed his staff to each one in sequence, saying, “Seraphim, Fenrir, and Cait Sith. They will bond with the one they deem worthy of their powers. And now I will join them. Good luck.”

“Wait!” Rainbow Dash cried.

Too late, as Ramuh raised his staff, creating a lighting bolt that covered his form. His body shrank within a ball of electricity, then exploded outwards, forcing the group to shrink away. When they turned back, a fourth piece of magicite floated with the others.

Nobody moved, just stared at the spot where once stood a creature they were just beginning to understand. Cautiously, Rainbow Dash stepped forward and reached out to touch the magicite that had once been a living being. “Old man. Are… are you really gone?”

There came no answer.

“Fool,” Trixie scoffed. “Giving his life like that.” She sighed and reached up to take the magicite nearest her. “We don’t even know how to use these.”

“We’ll… figure it out as we go,” Rainbow Dash said. “Like we always do.” She shifted her gaze to Stardust, who had remained quiet since entering the shack. “Could you hang on to them for us? I… don’t think I can handle carrying around one of these things yet.”

Stardust blinked, swallowing a lump in his throat. “Um, sure. You… trust me with those?”

“I think it’s safe to say I trust you with my life by now.”

The chocobo nodded, eyeing the crystals with a look of anticipation.

Rainbow Dash turned to the dragon of the group next. “Oh, and Spike? Don’t eat `em.”

“Like I would do something like that!” Spike yelled. His indignant frown quickly morphed into a smile as he saw Rainbow Dash laugh.

“Just messing with ya.” Her attention moved from Spike to the fiery mare still laying on the bed. “I wish we could figure out what to do with Twilight, though. We can’t just leave—”

Without warning, the flames composing Twilight’s mane and tail went out, as though a torch had been snuffed. Her coat receded from white hot to its natural lavender. Soon, all that remained of Twilight’s alternate form were a few patches of soot covering her body.

Twilight Sparkle cracked an eye open. “Wait. I’m… coming with… you…”

In Which Liberation Begins

Applejack looked back at the line of ponies following her lead. Many of them carried heavier saddlebags than normal, a consequence of all the supplies the group had purchased for their journey. “Y’all doing okay back there?” A series of affirmatives called back to her. “Okay. Just checkin’!”

She nodded and faced forward again, keeping a steady pace even as she dragged a small wooden wagon loaded with provisions. Between all the supplies in the wagon and the extra that the adult ponies carried, Applejack figured they had plenty to reach their destination. The city of Mareanda was the farthest settlement from Vectorlot so they needed to be sure they had enough to reach it by hoof. So far, traveling through the countryside of the Empire had been a pleasant experience. Given all that Applejack and the others had been through just to get to this point, it was a welcome change of pace.

The sound of hooves trotting up to her gained her attention. Shining Armor caught up to her and matched Applejack’s speed. “So, still think heading all the way out here will help our chances?”

“I do,” Applejack said, nodding. “You saw what it was like in Albuck. That town’s just too crowded with soldiers to go askin’ the townsfolk to fight against the Empire. We’d probably be ratted out in a day.”

“And Mareanda will be different?”

“Accordin’ to what Rarity found out, it should. It’s far enough that the Empire doesn’t send many troops there so we should be able to find ponies willin’ to join us.”

Shining Armor let out a small sigh. “Let’s hope so. We’re not going to get anywhere with just the four of us.”

Applejack gave an affirmative grunt. The pair continued on in silence for several miles, each occupied with their own thoughts. Behind them, Rarity and Derpy could be heard discussing the merits of wearing capes versus not wearing them, with Spotter chiming in every now and then. With just a little imagination, Applejack could pretend they were all on a road trip, off to meet a far off relative. It was a pleasant daydream to lose herself in, forgetting that they were on a journey to topple an army bent on global domination. If only Big Macintosh were here then it would complete the fantasy.

She interrupted her thoughts, her eyes widening in remembrance. “Oh, I meant to ask you. What was with ya in wanting to leave Albuck so quickly?”

The stallion blinked and shook his head, his mind snapping back to reality. “Huh, what? What did you say?”

“I said, you were in an awful big hurry to get out of Albuck. What was up with that?”

“Oh… yeah.” Shining Armor looked away, hiding the color rising in his cheeks.

.o.O.o.

Shining Armor let out a long sigh as he stepped into the bar closest to the Albuck port. After the day he had, loading and unloading cargo, he desperately needed to take a load off himself. The gil he earned would go a long way to replenishing the supplies they would need to cross the continent, but the stallion could only do so much before he needed a break.

Upon entering the bar, loud music and raucous laughter greeted his ears. A quick glance around the main room revealed that it was packed with ponies in Imperial armor either drinking, playing cards, or just being loud and obnoxious. Shining Armor kept his head low as he made his way to the counter, doing his best not to bump into any of the other patrons. Applejack, Rarity, Derpy, and himself learned quickly that if they went about their business and didn’t raise a fuss, the local garrison left them alone. The soldiers stationed here had better things to do than waste their time on drifters with hardly any gil to their name. He made it to the barkeep without incident and ordered a hard cider. A minute later his drink arrived and Shining Armor wasted no time in downing half the contents of the mug in one swig.

“My, my. That’s an impressive amount in just one gulp.”

Shining Armor nearly spewed his drink at the sultry female voice coming from right behind his ear. With a massive force of will, he swallowed the cider and coughed at the burning sensation it left in his throat.

“Well, good to see I can still get a reaction like that.”

Once he had his breathing under control, Shining Armor turned his head. A light apple green unicorn mare with a raspberry, orange, and amber streaked mane stood next to him, her half-lidded blue eyes roving over his form. “Um, can I help you… miss?” Shining Armor said, edging away to gain a little space.

The mare batted her eyes, her smile widening as she leaned forward and purred out, “Funny, I was going to ask you the same question.”

Shining Armor gulped, sweat beginning to run down his forehead. “Uh, come again?”

“Oh, don’t play coy. Sailors like yourself are terrible at it.” She pressed closer, her muzzle filling Shining Armor’s vision. “Now, let’s skip the foreplay and get straight to the action. It’s not often I get to hang out with a guy who’s not a sold—”

“I’m widowed,” he blurted and ran for the exit, leaving a blinking and perplexed barmaid behind.

.o.O.o.

“Nothing. Just forget about it.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Okaaaaaay.” She shrugged and fell silent again.

They continued on, welcoming the peace and quiet after all the work and running around that resulted in Albuck. The tranquil scene shattered when yelling could be heard further ahead. The group looked to each other, their expressions turning grim, and charged forward. Cresting a small hill revealed a caravan of Imperial soldiers surrounding magitek equipment on long flatbed trailers. Pulling the trailers, being yelled and whipped at to move faster, were a dozen chocobos. The large birds strained against their harnesses, visibly struggling to keep moving to avoid a lash from the numerous unicorn guards trotting beside them.

Applejack motioned for the others to stay low, watching the spectacle with a deep frown. “I’m getting a might tired of seeing these Impies push others around.”

“I agree, Applejack,” Rarity said, keeping her voice low. “But what would you have us do? It’s not like we can just go down there and free—”

“That’s exactly what we’re gonna do!”

Rarity blinked. “Beg your pardon?”

Applejack turned, meeting the eye of each pony. “This is our chance to start hittin’ the Empire where it hurts. If we can free those chocobos, then they can’t move their stuff as fast. And iffen we can free more, think how much that’ll slow them down.”

“Death by a thousand cuts?” Rarity said, smirking.

“Right. So let’s get down there and start bucking them down like a dead apple tree.” Applejack faced the convoy again, her muscles tensed to spring into action.

A white hoof pressed down on her back, keeping her immobile. “Hold on there,” Shining Armor said. “If we’re going to do this, we need to be smart. Charging in only works when there’s an advantage. We don’t know what they have for weapons.”

Applejack huffed. “Then whaddya suggest?”

Her answer came from the most unlikely source. “Oh! Oh! I know!” Derpy spoke up, raising her hoof in the air. “I’ve seen trap-door spiders hide in these nests and when an insect comes around, SNAP! They spring out and grab them!”

“Oooh, an ambush,” Rarity said, nodding her head. “Marvelous, dear.”

“We gotta get ahead of them,” Derpy continued. “Then we’ll hide ourselves like those spiders and SNAP them up when they go by.”

“Sounds good,” Applejack said, a wide grin on her muzzle. “Let’s hide our stuff and do this.”

.o.O.o.

Sergeant Oversight sighed as he looked up at the sun. The celestial body was nearing its highest point in the sky and they weren’t even at the halfway point to Vectorlot yet. “This is pathetic.” He lengthened his stride, coming alongside a pair of chocobos pulling a covered trolley. “C’mon, I know you guys can pick up the pace.” He received a dismissive grunt in return. “Hey, think of it this way. The sooner we get there, the sooner you can rest and eat.” Oversight motioned his head towards one of the guards carrying a whip. “Or we can do it the hard way. So what do you want, the gysahl or the stick?” Neither chocobo responded, though Oversight noticed that their long legs began to move faster. “Good boys.”

Satisfied that his point had been made, Sergeant Oversight trotted over to another set of chocobos and gave the same ultimatum as the others. He worked his way through the ranks, egging on with a soft voice while carrying the proverbial stick. Soon, the caravan as a whole moved through the plains at an acceptable rate. Oversight smirked at his ingenuity. The schedule would be kept and nochoco would be hurt.

That was when a flatbed near the center of the caravan fell into the ground.

“Oh, ponyfeathers!” Oversight exclaimed, running over to the stuck flatbed. The rest of the Imperials joined him, circling around the disabled carrier and murmuring to each other on what to do. “We must have passed over a chickenlip den. Pegasi! Get up in the air and watch for any ground movement.” Two pegasi saluted and took to the sky. Sergeant Oversight turned to the rest of his troops. “The rest of us will need to strap ourselves to this thing and pull it—”

A meaty thwack, followed by a pony body crashing to the ground interrupted him. Oversight whirled around in shock, only for a pair of orange, horseshoe clad hooves to fill his vision. They connected solidly under his chin and he knew no more.

.o.O.o.

Applejack twisted around the moment the pony she bucked in the muzzle went down, her attention now on the nearby group of soldiers packed together with stunned faces. She didn’t give them the time to react. In seconds she charged into them, her hind legs blurring as she pummeled her way through.

Through the corner of her eye, she could see the others doing their part. Shining Armor slashed through any soldier unfortunate enough to be in his path. Rarity, decked out in her Mare Do Well costume, spun a threaded needle through the air, tying up any Imperials taken out of the fight. A thud of a pony impacting against the ground alerted Applejack that Derpy had finished the second pegasus.

In less than a minute, the dozen soldiers making up the caravan were laid out upon the plain. Applejack and Shining Armor quickly rounded up each Imperial into tight groups, allowing Rarity to finish tying them up unimpeded. None of the soldiers had been killed, but many would be sporting bruises and cuts for days.

“Well, I gotta say that worked out a heck of a lot better than I thought it would,” Applejack said. She pushed a struggling soldier next to his comrades, giving him a wrap to the head with a hoof. “Simmer down, feller. You don lost so sit still.”

“You’re mad!” the Imperial roared. Any further words he meant to say were cut off as Rarity gagged him with a strip of cloth.

“Hardly. Just very determined.” With the soldiers dealt with, Applejack turned her attention to the shocked and wide eyed faces of the chocobos still strapped in their harnesses. “Now to get these guys loose.”

One of the chocobos, his feathers colored a light blue, started frantically shaking his head. He strained his beak against his harness, but the straps around it kept it tightly shut.

Rarity walked up to him, cocking her head. “Um, so you don’t want us to free you?”

The chocobo sighed and shook his head. Using a talon, he began scratching a message into the dirt.

“Don’t… take… off… booby… trapped…” Rarity read aloud. “Oh. Oh dear.”

Applejack snorted and stomped a hoof. “Dangnabbit! We make this ambush work and now we can’t even get ya loose.”

“We can’t stay long,” Shining Armor said, scanning the horizon. “These guys will go missing soon and then we’ll have a lot more Imperials to deal with.” His eyes caught movement from where they left their supplies. He groaned as Spotter galloped up to him, the little colt’s eyes wide in excitement. “Spot—Excalipur, you were supposed to stay with our stuff.”

Spotter gaged upon hearing his pseudonym and replied, “But you took care of them all and I was bored. What’s taking so long?”

Shining Armor pointed at the bound chocobos. “We’re trying to figure out how to get them free without setting off some sort of trap. But we’re running low on time. Hey, where are you going?”

Spotter had stopped listening, walking closer to a pair of chocobos watching nearby. Unseen by anypony else, his small horn emitted little pearl motes of power, followed by his eyes turning completely white. He stood still as his eyes traced over the bindings keeping the chocobos strapped to the trolley they were pulling. Finally, he lifted a hoof and pointed at a spot just below the nearest chocobo’s wing. “There.”

Everypony looked to where Spotter pointed. A metal chain wrapped around the body of the chocobo with a single metallic loop securing the chain to the trolley. “Take that off,” he said, indicating the loop.

Shining Armor pulled Spotter away and pushed him in the direction he had come from. “Um, son, we really shouldn’t be messing with that. Who knows what will happen.”

“I know what will happen,” Spotter said, pushing back against his dad. “That’s the weak spot. Take that off and they’ll be free.”

“And how do you know that?”

“I… I’m… not sure. It just looks funny.” Spotter looked up, his eyes no longer white, and gave Shining Armor the most sincere expression he could. “Trust me, please!”

Shining Armor sighed. He turned to the others, who looked just as confused as he did. He shook his head. “We can’t risk it. We’ll have to think of something else…” He trailed off as a pure white chocobo attached to the stuck flatbed whistled and stomped her talons. Shining Armor pointed at himself and the chocobo rapidly nodded her head. He walked up to her and asked, “You… want me to try it?” She nodded again. “You’re sure? I don’t know what’s going to happen.” The chocobo rolled her eyes and nodded vigorously. “All right.”

Swallowing, Shining Armor levitated his sword and took aim for the metal loop Spotter had pointed out. He slowed his breathing, focusing all his attention on his target, and slashed. There came a high pitched ring and the loop split in half.

Seconds later, the entire series of chains and straps surrounding the chocobo fell away, pooling in a cluttered heap on the ground. The chocobo immediately spread her wings and gave a long sigh of relief. “Oh! I haven’t been able to do this in days.”

“Huh,” Derpy said, cocking her head to the side. “It worked.”

The rest of the chocobos blinked, staring at the pile of bondage gear that recently held one of their own, then loudly began beating their talons or jumping up and down.

“I think they want to be set free too,” the female chocobo said with a chuckle.

Shining Armor nodded and trotted up to the next bound chocobo. “Alright, hold your horses… or… feathers… whatever.” He struck the same loop with his sword and gave a satisfied smirk as that released the harness as well.

As Shining Armor worked on freeing the rest of the chocobos, Rarity and Applejack trotted up to Spotter, giving the colt unsure looks. “Um, Excalipur?” Rarity said. “Just… how did you know how to do that?”

Spotter gave the answer that made the most sense to him. He shrugged. “Idunno.”

Applejack rubbed her chin, her gaze settling on Spotter’s flank where his new mark was covered by his traveling cloak. “I reckon it’s something to do with that cutie whatsits ya got. That little filly said she got weird powers when she got one.”

“Yes, quite so,” Rarity murmured. “But how did he get his?”

“I wish I knew.”

Any further discussion was interrupted as Shining Armor finished his work and all the free chocobos gave a whoop of delight. The next few minutes saw hugs being given and many thank yous passed around. Once the merriment died down, Applejack gave a sharp whistle, drawing everychoco’s attention to her. “Y’all are very welcome. It was our pleasure to help. But we need to leave before these fellers here,” she pointed at the tied up soldiers, “start to go missin’. Let’s all make some tracks before we discuss anything.”

Everyone quickly agreed. Pausing for a minute for Rarity to blindfold the soldiers, they took off, heading west. Ten miles passed before anyone dared to raise their voice. “Alright, we ain’t exactly in the clear, but we should be okay for now,” Applejack said to the group at large.

A male yellow chocobo stepped up and walked beside her. “Not that we aren’t grateful, but why’d you stick your necks out for us?”

“Well, this might take some explainin’, but have ya ever heard of the Returners?”

The chocobo nodded, his eyebrows raised. “The Empire talks about them from time to time. They say they’re some kind of terrorist group.”

“A load of horse apples that is,” Applejack said with a snort. “We’re fightin’ to stop the Empire from taking over the world and doin’ what they please.”

“I can imagine,” the chocobo replied, unconsciously fluffing his wings. “I’m Willowgale by the way.”

“Nice to meet ya. I’m…” Applejack hesitated. “Aw, ponyfeathers, I’m Applejack. We go by different names here in the Empire, but I need to be honest with ya. We could really use your help and lyin’ isn’t going to make you trust us none.”

“Our help?” Willowgale said, giving Applejack an incredulous stare. “Just what are you going to do? You can’t seriously think to take on the Empire all by yourselves.”

“There’s more of us than you realize, sugarcube. And I can’t just sit by like a lump on a log and not do somethin’. Even if all I can do is tweak their nose, at least it’s something.”

Willowgale made a disgusted noise in the back of this throat and stomped his talons. “I mean no offense but I wish you blasted ponies would just keep this war to yourselves and leave us out of it.”

Applejack sighed and looked away. “I wish there wasn’t a war to begin with, but we don’t always get what we want.” She shook her head, lifting up and revealing a bright smile. “But I can’t let that git me down. I’ve got friends counting on me. So, think you got what it takes to help us? You wouldn’t be the only chocobos in the Returners. This one feller, uh, Stardust I think his name was, he’s doin’ what he can to help.”

Willowgale didn’t respond, continuing his walk in silence. After a minute, he sighed and said, “I don’t recognize that name. And I really don’t want to get involved. I just want to go back to tilling my fields.”

“If that’s your choice, I’m not gonna force ya,” Applejack replied. She glanced back at the others bringing up the rear, giving them an encouraging smile. Spotter and Derpy gave a hearty wave back to her before she returned her attention back to Willowgale. “You’re welcome to come with us to Mareanda or just run off right now. It’s up to you.”

“What are you going to do in Mareanda?”

“Well, we hear that the forces there are lighter than in other towns. I’m hopin’ to get a few others to help us, maybe stir up some trouble.”

The chocobo groaned, shaking his head. “You’re something else, you know that?” Before Applejack could respond, he continued, “At the pace we’re going, it’ll be a few days before we reach Mareanda. Let me… talk to the others. I’ll give you an answer then.”

Applejack tipped her hat to him. “Much obliged. Take all the time ya need.” She watched as Willowgale grunted and headed back to the other chocobos. A small smile graced her muzzle and stayed there for the rest of the day.

.o.O.o.

Later that night, when all the ponies and chocobos settled in for a much needed rest, Shining Armor found Spotter staring intently at two pieces of cloth.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon!”

“Spot… what are you doing?”

Spotter gave his father a cross look. “Great. Now I’ve got two names I hate.”

Shining Armor chuckled and ruffled his son’s mane. “It builds character. So, what are you doing?”

Spotter turned back to the two pieces of cloth. “I’m trying to do that thing I did with the chocobos today. Rarity’s helping me. She said she’s hidden something under one of these clothes things and I need to figure out which one without touching them.”

“I see,” Shining Armor said, frowning. He sat down next to Spotter, quietly watching his son concentrate. Minutes passed, with nothing but Spotter’s frustrated grunts filling the silent night. “I'm going to be blunt here, Spotter,” Shining Armor said at last. “I’m really nervous about these changes you’re going through. We don’t know how you got them or what they mean. So… do me a favor. If you feel anything strange, anything at all, just tell me. Alright?”

“Yes, Dad,” Spotter huffed. “Don’t worry, alright? Nothing bad is going to happen to me.”

Shining Armor wrapped a foreleg around Spotter and pulled him close. “I’m your dad. It’s my job to worry about you.”

Spotter groaned but didn’t pull away. He continued staring at the pieces of cloth with Shining Armor watching over him. The two stayed that way until both grew too tired and fell asleep.

.o.O.o.

A curious sight came to the group of travelers as they spotted Mareanda in the distance. One particular unicorn mare literally trotted on the tips of her hooves and beamed the most glorious smile to have ever graced pony lips.

It was seriously starting to creep Applejack out. “What in the hay has got you all worked up, Rarity?”

The equine in question giggled like a school filly and sighed dreamily. “We are about to step hoof in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.” Rarity thrust a hoof in the air, as though she were pointing out the obvious. “The glamor.” She swept her hoof across the sky. “The sophistication.” The hoof met ground again, allowing Rarity to pose, nose tilted up and chest thrust forward. “The most spectacular designs to have ever graced this world!”

Applejack blinked. “I… uh, didn’t know you were into that kinda stuff.”

“Just because I earn my living through unscrupulous means,” Rarity said, giving Applejack an annoyed look, “does not mean I can’t appreciate the more artistic flair that ponies can aspire to. Mareanda is known for being the jewel of the west, and not some hollow mockery like Jidhoof.” She tittered again, nearly bouncing in her excitement. “And I’ll finally be able to see it!”

Derpy landed next to Rarity, her expression just as eager as Rarity’s. “Rarity has been telling me all about it since we left. This is going to be awesome!”

“Well… that’s good… I guess,” Applejack replied. She smiled, an extra spring in her step. “Ya know, you’ve got me looking forward to this too.”

While Rarity and Derpy continued to gush about Mareanda, the light sound of steps came from behind and soon Willowgale walked beside her. “Excuse me, Applejack. Can I speak to you?”

“Sure can, big fella,” Applejack said, tuning out Rarity and Derpy. “You guys come to a decision yet?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, yes.” Willowgale paused, swallowing through a dry throat. “I’ve talked it over with everychoco and… we’re kinda divided. We’re grateful for you freeing us, and we’d like to help, but… a lot of us don’t want to get caught again. You saw what they did.”

Sighing, Applejack nodded. “Yep. And if you get caught again you can expect more of that. So, that mean you’re leavin’?”

“I’m not sure. There aren’t a lot of places for us to go. Not unless we can get on a ship.”

“Not likely,” Applejack said, a note of exasperation in her voice. “We were at Albuck not too long ago and the Empire has that place more secure than a sandray’s den.”

Willowgale drooped his head, giving a moan of frustration.

“Look, if ya need more time, there are plenty of forests you can hide in. Once we’re done with our business in Mareanda, you can decide then.”

“... Thank you,” Willowgale replied. “Sorry to be such a pain.”

“Naw, you’re good. Bein’ on the good side ain’t easy.”

“I’ll let the others know. Farewell till then.” With that, Willowgale swiveled around and headed back to the band of chocobos behind him. Moments later, everypony heard the stomp of their talons as they headed further south.

With Willowgale gone, Rarity’s voice once again rang loud and clear. Beside her, Derpy nodded along with each point she made. “Oh, I am so going to wander through the Elysian Gardens, change my coiffure at the Mane Attraction, experience BY THE SUN!”

The whole party screeched to a halt, Rarity’s outburst shocking them to an abrupt stop. Shining Armor and Applejack raced to her side in an instant, Shining Armor’s sword at the ready. “What?! What is it?” he said, scanning the horizon for threats.

Rarity slowly raised a shaking hoof, pointing at the town.

The others followed her hoof and gasped at the sight. Mareanda lay before them, but the beautiful buildings and magnificent greenery that Rarity gushed about were not to be found. Several buildings were nothing more than burnt husks, their support beams sticking out like blackened ribs. More homes and structures further down the pock marked streets could be seen, many having suffered the same fate. Rows of flower gardens and trees had been trampled over, leaving nothing more than mud filled patches on the ground.

Tears began to build in Rarity’s eyes as she looked over the devastation. “How… ? Why would… This is…”

A grey wing wrapped around Rarity’s shoulder, pulling her close to Derpy’s side. “I’m sorry, Rarity.”

“So it’s true, then,” came Shining Armor’s voice, low and monotone. “The Empire burned the city.” He turned away, closing his eyes and sighing. “Such a waste.”

Minutes passed, the ponies remaining still and quiet save for Rarity’s sniffling. The moment stretched on, nopony willing to move.

“Um, excuse me, but what are you all doing standing around?”

Five pairs of eyes lifted to see a magenta earth pony mare with a two toned pink mane and tail looking at them with a curious expression. “Are one of you hurt? Do you need help?”

Rarity roughly rubbed her hoof across her eyes, wiping away the streaks of tears that had run down her cheeks. “No. No, I’m alright. Sorry, I just got a little emotional there.”

“Oh, then pardon me for interrupting,” the mare said, dipping her head down. She raised it back up and gave a gentle smile. “I don’t mean to pry, but are you travelers?”

Applejack stepped forward, offering her own smile. “Yeah. We came here to get a little country air. The heart of the Empire is a little stuffy for my tastes.”

The mare’s smile grew wider. “Ah, I know exactly what you mean. It might be a little boring out in these parts but nothing can compare to the natural land around us.” She giggled, a sound like a bell that seemed to lift the gloom surrounding them. “Oh, but where are my manners? I’m Cheerilee. What are your names?”

“I’m Gilgamesh,” Applejack said, tipping her hat. She pointed to the others in turn, introducing each pony by their pseudonyms. “As you can see, we’re new around here. You wouldn’t have any lodgings available, would ya?”

Cheerilee tapped her chin with a hoof and gave a thoughtful grunt. “Well, there isn’t much I’m afraid. The inn got torn down due to fire damage and since we get so few visitors here there hasn’t been much need to build another one. But follow me and I’ll see what I can find.”

“Much obliged.”

The group readied their gear and followed Cheerilee into the city proper. It didn’t take long to see that the damage seen from the outer limits of Mareanda continued the further they went. If anything, the wreckage became worse, with several rows of houses burned to cinders and the streets littered with debris. The ponies were forced to clear a path several times, throwing stone and wooden beams aside. They encountered few ponies. Those they did see gave them a single glance and went on their way. A noticeable detail in this Empire-controlled town quickly became apparent.

“There aren’t many soldiers here,” Shining Armor noted. Only two had been spotted so far and neither had seemed interested in the newcomers. “The other towns we’ve been to were crawling with them.”

“There’s not much need for that here,” Cheerilee said. Her upbeat attitude up to now drained away, leaving a heavy frown on her muzzle. “When the Empire came, they took most of our stallions. Now’s there’s mostly mares, foals, and the elderly.”

Rarity gave a unladylike snort, her eyes narrowing the longer Cheerilee spoke. “What a terrible fate. If I ever find the ones responsible, they will wish they had never been born.”

“Well, I don’t care so much about who’s responsible,” Cheerilee replied. Her gaze grew long, as though she were looking at a scene only she could see. “I worry more about the young ones that were taken. I’ve been sending out carrier pigeons to keep in touch with as many as I can, but… well, I haven’t been receiving as many letters back lately. The last letter I got was from these two little rascals named Snips and Snails and that was months ago.” She heaved a heavy sigh. “I hope they are okay.”

Conversation ended there, nopony sure how to respond. Cheerilee continued leading them, heading for a two story building that only had moderate flame damage. She walked up to the door and unlocked it, ushering the others in. “This is my home. I live alone so there’s plenty of room for all of you.”

“Um…” Applejack bit her lower lip, giving Cheerilee an unsure look. “Ya sure about that? We’re mighty obliged, don’t get me wrong, but we only just met.”

“It’s fine,” Cheerilee said, smiling wide once again. “I have a good feeling about all of you. I think I can trust you.”

Rarity trotted up, smiled, and hoofed over a sack of gil. “Thank you, dear. It’s nice to see that you can be so generous even after everything that has happened. It makes me glad I came here even though it wasn’t what I was expecting.”

Cheerilee eyed the bag of bits in confusion. “What’s this for?”

“That should cover our stay until we find a place of our own. Don’t let it be said that we can’t express our generosity as well.” Cheerilee began to speak but Rarity’s hoof quickly covered her mouth. “Don’t argue. Just accept it.”

“Well… okay then. Thank you.” She smirked and gestured towards the door. “Make yourselves at home.”

Before long, the group found themselves lounging in Cheerilee’s modestly furnished living room. The house had a cozy, welcoming feel to it, setting the travelers quickly at ease. Several bird cages filled with pigeons hung from the ceiling. Cheerilee offered them rations of oats and water and engaged in idle chat as they ate. She talked about how the city had managed to get by with the occupation, with the citizens focusing on tearing down unstable buildings and replanting gardens. The Imperials stationed here were often of the sort that had displeased their superiors. Mareanda was not the place to be if a soldier had aspirations of promotion. As such, the soldiers were often bored and frustrated. This led to a lot of misbehavior and questionable activities, the most popular being dog fighting. The citizens learned quickly to let the soldiers have their fun as it kept the Imperials busy and left them alone. It made for an uneasy living arrangement, one that kept Mareandarites on edge.

“Wow,” Derpy said once Cheerilee wound down her story. “That really stinks.”

“It’s not ideal, but I can’t sit around and mope,” Cheerilee replied, taking a sip of water. “There are too many ponies that need help here and I’d be doing them a great disservice if I stopped doing anything.” She offered a brave smile, a look of contentment and satisfaction.

Applejack shared a glance with Rarity and Shining Armor, a quiet exchange passing between them. Applejack cleared her throat, gaining Cheerilee’s attention. “That’s wonderful that you feel that way. How would you like to do even more?”

Cheerilee cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“We’re Returners.”

Recognition flashed through Cheerilee’s eyes. And a hint of fear. “I’ve heard of you. The Empire calls you terrorists.”

“Yeah, we know,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes. “We’re doing what we can to stop the Empire from having its way. It’s been tough, but like ya said, we can’t just lay down and take it.

“So, whaddya say to joining us?”

Cheerilee shrank in her seat, away from the expectant stares of everypony in the room. “You… you expect me to fight? But… but I can’t do anything like that!”

“No, no! Nothing like that!” Applejack quickly responded, waving her legs in a placating manner. “I wouldn’t want you to get hurt, I swear.”

“What Applejack, that’s her real name, is trying to say,” Rarity interceded, “is that you have a wonderful gift to connect to other ponies. It would help us immensely if you could let us borrow that talent.”

“What do you mean by that?” Cheerilee said.

Rarity pointed at the cages surrounding them. “Your birds. They can get the message across that we are looking for anypony willing to help our cause. This battle can’t be won by a few ponies alone. If you ever want to see Mareanda restored to its former glory, then the more help we get the quicker that will come about.”

Cheerilee blinked and looked away, letting what Applejack and Rarity said sink in. Some time passed before Cheerilee turned back to the group. “I’m uh, not sure about this. It’s all so sudden.”

“Take all the time that you need,” Applejack said. “I know that this isn’t what ya expected when you met us. Heck, even the chocobos that we saved on the way here aren’t sure they want to help and they have more reason than anyone.”

“You saved chocobos? As in, fought off Imperial soldiers?”

“Sure did!” Derpy exclaimed, raising into the air and spreading her legs wide. The pigeons around her began to chitter and tweet, filling the room with nervous chirping. Derpy grinned sheepishly. “Oops. Sorry to scare you, little guys.”

Cheerilee took a moment to calm her birds, giving them extra bird seed and water. Once they all settled down she sighed and hung her head. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll be caught? The Empire won’t let something like that slide.”

“It’s a risk I’ll gladly take,” Applejack said. “For the sake of my orchard and my family, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe.”

“I see.” Cheerilee sat down and bit her lower lip, her ears folded back. “I… need some time to think about this. Do you mind?”

“Nope. By all means, sleep on it. If ya decide not to help, we’ll leave and you won’t have to worry about us no more.”

Cheerilee nodded and rose from her seat. “Then why don’t you all get some sleep yourselves? This room may be a little crowded, but you’re welcome to stay.”

A long, loud yawn from Spotter prompted a round of giggles. It didn’t take long for the yawn to become infectious and spread through to the others. Saying their goodnights, the group spread out on the floor and quickly dozed off.

Hours later, after everpony was sound asleep, a window connected to Cheerilee’s bedroom opened. Moments later, a white pigeon flew out, heading east, a small message cylinder attached to its talon.

Wherein Auditions Are Held (April Foals)

“Hurry, they’re not going to stay distracted for long!” Rainbow Dash shouted in the aftermath of Big Mac’s Noiseblaster, directing the party to a side-street of Jidhoof.

“Say cheese!” Big Mac exclaimed, mashing a button on his saddle. A side compartment popped out, revealing a light bulb and a rectangle for only a moment before it flashed brightly, blinding the few imperial soldiers that had only been staggered from the Noiseblaster.

“We can’t keep this up forever!” Trixie noted, huffing as she cast another Cure spell on Twilight. “Twilurch over here keeps tripping!”

“Oh yeah?” Spike shouted, glaring daggers at the blue unicorn. “Let’s see you deal with the crap she’s in and still run full tilt!”

“Guys, cut the bickering or they’ll be able to follow us!” Stardust interrupted, keeping pace easily.

Twilight’s eyes flickered white for a second, and in that second a hoof snagged the corner of a cobble-stone. Trixie’s levitation caught her in before any damage could be done, but the sweat on Trixie’s brow belied the fact that they couldn’t keep their current pace without changing something.

Thinking quickly, Stardust flipped one of his bags with his beak, forcing it to land on Trixie, while another landed on Big Mac. Freed of most of his extra weight, Stardust grabbed Twilight’s tail and yanked as hard as he could, spinning the mare in mid-air to land on his back, causing his legs to buckle.

“St-Stardust? What—”

“We chocobos might be geared for endurance,” Stardust grunted, ignoring Twilight as he shifted his posture to account for the change in gravity and weight. “But if there’s anything else we’re good at, it’s short sprints! Hang onto your ponyfeathers!”

Stardust took several agonizingly slow steps. Spike opened his mouth to suggest setting Twilight back down, when suddenly, there was… nothing.

“Bwa?”

All that was left was a faint silver sheen in the direction that Stardust had seemingly dashed, a few stray feathers floating on the wind. Spike blinked again, rubbing his eyes with his claws before spotting Stardust off in the distance.

“Come on, slowpokes, we gotta bust this joint!” Dash said, grabbing Spike in her forelegs as she flew by, chasing after Stardust.

“Speak for yourself, lead feathers!” Trixie countered as she ran alongside Rainbow. “Eat my dust!”

“So the Great and Cowardly Trixie has had a lot of practice running away, has she?” Dash shot back, glaring at the unicorn keeping pace. “Why does that not surprise me?”

“Oh yeah? Well you—”

Both blue mares jerked away from each other as a larger red blur shot between them, panting, “Less gabbin more runnin!”

The mares blinked before looking at each other, speechless as they kept running.

“Ha! Get served,” Spike gwaffed, his body shaking in Rainbow’s hooves.

“Oh shut it, stub-legs!” both mares snapped.

Said reptile reasoned it was in his better interests to remain quiet.

.o.O.o.

“Sorry,” Stardust panted, sagging on his legs as he followed the rest of the party. “I said that they were short sprints…”

“Hey, you still got the rest of them to snap to it and get us a decent lead on the imps, ‘Dust,” Spike said, hugging the back of the chocobo’s neck. “Don’t be so rough on yourself. Not everyone can be good at fighting, and if you weren’t here, not only would Twi have fallen behind, but so would I, most likely. You might see it as only being good at running away, but the rest of us see it differently!”

“Yeah,” Dash interrupted. “We need you for strategic advancements! They just uh, don’t tend to be, you know-”

“In a direction most ponies construe as being forward?” Twilight suggested, shaking her head sharply as her eyes started to glaze over.

“Yeah, that,” Rainbow Dash agreed, looking over her shoulder. Her eyes widened. “Oh come on! Guys, we’ve gotta pick up the pace or something, ‘cause they’re gaining on us again!”

“Th’ only place nearby is the Opera, but nopony-”

“Perfect!” Trixie cut off Big Mac, herding the others towards it. “Back door, go go go!”

Rainbow Dash growled quietly, but led the way regardless, taking out a stray vulture that had ventured too close for comfort.

Puffs of dust flared up as Rainbow Dash landed with her wings wide, throwing open the door as quickly as her hooves would allow. Seconds later Trixie charged past, leading the way with a glowing horn, followed closely by Stardust. Twilight stumbled on a loose rock, pitching forward, but even as Rainbow Dash started to zip forward to cushion the fall, Big Mac was already there to lend a shoulder, keeping her level long enough to get inside before he turned to buck the door closed.

“Hey! Watch it!” Dash exclaimed, clutching her tail, stroking it a few times before glaring at the red stallion. “You almost slammed that door on my tail, jerk!”

Rainbow fumed as Big Mac completely ignored her, sitting next to Twilight to check for any sprained hooves. “Hmph. Typical stallion,” Rainbow grumbled, stroking her tail one last time before releasing it.

She looked to her fellow mare, knowing she was their best bet for a quick plan. “So Trix, got a plan for when the soldiers show up? I doubt they’re not just gonna ignore the performer’s entran—”

“Ah! It is the bona fortuna that you have arrived, eh, Bimba?”

Dash’s left eye twitched as she turned to face the stallion that had suddenly entered the room, grinning. “Watch who you’re calling a bimbo!”

“Eh?” the stallion asked, tilting his head. “Ah, scusi, scusi. I should have introduce myself first. I am Morhay, master of ze Monsterous Opera! But you can just be calling it ze Opera, eh, Bimba?”

“Our apologies for being late,” Spike interrupted, forestalling Dash’s outburst. “We ran into, uh... transportation problems. How long do we have before the curtain rises?”

“Ah, straight to the point, eh, Ragazzo?” the stallion laughed heartily. “You have almost the hour. Like to cut things close, Ragazzo?”

“Ah, si,” Spike said hesitantly. “Grazie for your understanding?”

Morhay nodded, eyes closed as he waved a hoof magnanimously. “Is no problem so long as you are having a good performance. Good luck, eh, Ragazzo? And to you of course, Bimba.”

As the stallion left, the party turned as one to Spike, trying to figure out what the actual hay just happened. Spike remained silent for just a second before jumping to the floor. “Whelp, you heard the stallion! We’ve only got one hour to, somehow, memorize and then perform a play. In front of hundreds of ponies. All while trying to fool the Empire long enough to think of an escape plan. Have I got all that right, Stardust?”

“Yup,” the chocobo nodded, dipping his head into a crate. “Found the scripts! Looks like we’re performing… Oh, wow, that’s awkward…”

“B-but I don’t know how to perform!” Twilight stuttered, her eyes growing wider.

“Oh my gosh! We get to put on the next segment of Time Trigger?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, grabbing one of the scripts. She shot into the air, as much as the ceiling would allow anyway, squealing as she performed corkscrews. “Eeeee! Dibs on being Chron!”

“Dibs on who what?”

“You actually follow this story?” Trixie asked incredulously.

“Are you kidding? It’s an epic adventure through time to kick flank and take names! They become heroes in multiple time periods! How is that not epic?!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac nodded, receiving his script for R-0B-Y, the futuristic robot fighting to protect equinnity and machinery together.

“Here, you get to be Black Snooty, the evil alicorn sorceress who joined because she’s actually a good guy! Kind of. It’s complicated!” Rainbow Dash defended, trying to pierce Trixie’s skepticism. “I can’t just explain a couple dozen segment’s worth of plays in just a few minutes!”

“Sure you can,” Spike interrupted. “There’s this alien that landed on Equis millions of years ago, and burrowed its way to the core of the planet to feed off its energy before leaving it totally barren to find another planet and do the same thing over and over. Because of magic and time travelling, the party is composed of warriors from each time era, and they’ve banded together to kill the big bad monster.”

“... Okay.” Trixie said, nodding. “Sounds legit.”

“What?!” Dash exploded. “It is way more complicated than-”

“We don’t have time, Dash,” Spike growled, holding her muzzle closed. “We just need enough to get through this without blowing it all to pieces, so we kinda need to work on memorizing lines more, wouldn’t you say?”

.o.O.o.

“We’re gonna take you down, Soval!” Rainbow Dash said, allowing her costume to flutter in the stage breeze.

“It is our destiny to end you once and for all,” Big Mac continued in a monotone voice behind his metal costume.

“You think it’s our fate for us to die?” Trixie laughed, using her magic to move her fake wings. “History may change, and the world may be in ruins someday—”

“But that is not this day!” Twilight finished, adjusting a pair of goggles as she pulled Big Mac’s Flamethrower from her saddlebags.

“Aurora might have stayed behind in body, but her spirit lives through us!” ‘Chron’ said, clutching her right hoof to her chest. “And for her sake, and the rest of the world, we will finish you!”

“Wait! I’m right here!”

The north wall behind the actors blew apart in a shower of concrete and splintered wood. The actors screamed and flung themselves to the side, desperate to get away from harm.

Pinkie Pie strode into the hole confidently, her grin stretching from ear to ear. “We’re gonna party whether you wanna party with us or not! The reinforcements have arrived!”

Twilight Sparkle nearly choked, quickly raising a hoof to her mouth to discreetly cover a strained cough. “Ugh, Pinkie! What’s the big idea?!”

She didn’t receive a vocal answer. Instead, what she got were several party favors and a party cannon to go off in her face.

“Surprise!” came the voices of many ponies.

Slowly, her eyes narrowed, Twilight wiped away the confetti and cake batter soaking her muzzle, ignoring the now-ruined tea she had choked upon. “What’s this all about?”

“Oh silly,” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing over and placing a party hat on top of Twilight’s head. “It’s a surprise party!”

“A surprise party for what? It’s not my birthday.”

“I know! Surprising, isn’t it?” Pinkie hopped away, giggling all the way back to her guests. “Okay, everypony! Let’s PARRRRRRTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!” Soon, all the ponies Pinkie had gathered began dancing to an upbeat tune, laughing and socializing as though it were going out of style.

Twilight sighed. She stared forlornly at her gaming console and where her character was paused mid line. “I’m not going to get anywhere with this party going on.” She lamented the lost progress in her mind, but forced herself to switch off her console to head for the heart of the party. She had some choice words for Pinkie Pie.

Minutes later, a form dressed in a skintight black suit crept up to the console. It looked left and right, making sure nopony saw as it carefully began to unplug the cords. The figure only needed a few seconds and then it bounded away, the console clutched tightly to its chest. It rose into the air and out the window, heading for its home in the clouds.

“Great work, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said to herself, snickering. “Now I can play all I want while Twilight’s distracted. Now that I’ve got the New Game + unlocked, I’m gonna beat Chrono Triggers for real this time! Speed run playthrough activate!”

Author's Note

A little April Fool's for you!

In Which It's a Night at the Opera Part 1

Rainbow Dash gave a sigh of relief when she no longer felt the pelting of raindrops against her back. “About time,” she grumbled as she flew through the air. Tilting her body and banking around, she headed back to the eclectic group traveling behind her. Not being as awesome as she was (along with not being able to fly) her friends lagged two miles back. The moment she caught sight of them, she descended and circled around the waterlogged group, urging them to hustle. “Just a little further, guys! The rain stops not too far from here and then we can take a break.”

A chorus of frustrated mumbling replied back. Getting as far away from Chozo had been priority one, as the prospect of staying the night in that town of scum and villainy did not seem very wise. That accomplished, the next step was to find a dry spot to wait out the constant rain that seemed to hang over the area. However, very few forests or rocky outcroppings could be found that weren’t overrun with monsters or flooded out. So, the group trudged their way through the countryside, hoping to clear the stormclouds altogether. The result had been a full day of traveling through muddy fields and chilly winds, made all the more difficult with Twilight Sparkle needing to be carried the whole way.

Rainbow Dash touched down and quietly trotted up to where Twilight was hanging off the back of Big Macintosh. The mare slept soundly, her breathing slow and steady. Rainbow Dash reached up and carefully adjusted the tarp covering Twilight, making sure she stayed protected from the rain. “How she doing?” she asked.

“She’s fine,” Big Macintosh responded. “Been sleepin’ like a foal all day.”

“That’s good. With all she’s been through she needs all the rest she can get.”

“I’ll say,” came a tired voice on the other side of Big Macintosh. Rainbow Dash hopped and caught of glimpse of Spike trudging along. From the brief look Rainbow Dash got, the little dragon appeared ready to fall in as deep a sleep as Twilight. The bags under his eyes were dark and heavy, and his gait wasn’t as steady as it had been when starting out. Perched precariously over his shoulder lay Big Macintosh’s bags, weighing down on him more and more as he moved along.

Not once though did he leave Twilight’s side.

“Hang in there, little guy,” Rainbow Dash said. “We’re going to make it.”

A derisive snort came from behind. Rainbow Dash craned her head back to see Trixie plodding along like the rest, her magic keeping her cloak hovering above her head. Little good it did as the rain soaked through it, plastering her hair all over her face.

“You too, Trixie.” Rainbow Dash slowed until she matched speed with the unicorn. A smirk played across her muzzle as she said, “I’m sure a tough general like yourself has dealt with worse.”

“Naturally,” Trixie replied. “That doesn’t mean Trixie has to like it. Why don’t you make yourself useful and clear away these rainclouds, hm?”

Rainbow Dash cringed, looking away. “Well, as, um, awesome as I am, these, uh, clouds are…”

Trixie raised an eyebrow as Rainbow Dash trailed off and didn’t continue. “Are what?”

“They’re too high.”

“They’re what?”

“They’re too high, okay!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, flaring out her limbs and wings. “Most pegasi are lucky to get a hundred hooves in the air. I can do three times that on my worst day, but I can’t get to these stupid things. Believe me, if I could I would.”

Trixie shook her head, causing her mane to wave about in a sloppy mess. “No need to get so worked up about it. At least you can still fly. Most unicorns Trixie has met barely make use of the horn on their head.” She scoffed, flipping her head back and releasing a cascade of water droplets. “Of course, Trixie is obviously exceptional in this regard.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

“It does make Trixie wonder sometimes,” Trixie said, her eyes gaining a faraway look. “What must have happened during the War of the Magi that left us so… weak. If it wasn’t for our machines, we’d be at the mercy of every monster out there.”

Rainbow Dash hummed thoughtfully, nodding her head at every point Trixie made. “It’s why I like treasure hunting so much.” She lifted her leg that bore the armlet from Mt. Colts, inspecting it intently. “So many mysteries to solve. It’s never boring.”

“I’m sure the profits are good, too.”

“Naturally!”

Conversation lapsed after that, everyone concentrating on moving forward. A short time later, the group no longer felt the pitter-patter of raindrops. The sky gradually cleared, with blue sky and sunlight greeting their weary bodies. They wasted no time in finding a dry spot to camp and soon relaxed around a warm and comforting fire. It didn’t take long for them to drift off into sleep, though Big Macintosh offered to take the first watch.

Hours later, when the sky had darkened to its nightly hue and the stars twinkled above, Stardust yawned, stretched out his legs and wings, and sat up. He blinked several times, slowly awakening from his slumber. He looked around, noticing Big Macintosh sitting on the other end of the campsite and working on yet another contraption. His back faced Stardust, with all of his attention being directed towards his work. Quietly, Stardust reached over and grabbed his bags, placing them before him. He undid the ties on one of the bags and drew back the tarp, revealing the contents within.

Four green crystals with red cores lay inside.

“Magicite, huh?” Stardust said under his breath. He stared at them, gaze passing over each one. They all looked the same, making it impossible to determine which one had been the old man. A shudder ran through his body, Stardust remembering that these were essentially the dead remains of living beings.

He closed the bag and readied to tie it up, but hesitated just before he could work the string. The seconds dragged on, Stardust remaining motionless as he stared at the bag in his wings. Finally, he once again parted the opening, tentatively reached in with a wing, and pulled out one of the magicite. It didn’t react to his touch, didn’t glow or give any sign that it was anything more than a shiny, see-through rock. Stardust shrugged and lowered it to place it back in the bag.

“Whatcha doin’?”

Stardust squawked, swung around, and chucked the magicite at the voice. His eyes widened as the magicite struck Big Macintosh square in the face. The next instant a blinding white light flashed from the impact, forcing Stardust to look away.

It was all over in an instant. Stardust cracked his eyes open, blinking them a few times to regain focus. As his vision cleared, he started to make out finer details, such as the large red blot in front of him. He rubbed his eyes with his wings, blinked a few more times, and managed to get his first true look in over a minute.

Big Macintosh stood where Stardust had last seen him. Not a hair was out of place, nor was there any sign that he had been affected by the blinding light only seconds ago. His head was cocked to the side, as though he were still waiting for his question to be answered.

The pregnant pause between the pony and the chocobo ended by a tired yawn. “What’s going on?” Spike said, slowly walking up to them while wiping the sleep from his eyes. “What’s all the shouting for? We under attack?”

“Uh… no. No!” Stardust picked himself off the ground, dusted himself off, and quickly tied up the bag holding the magicite. “Nope. Just stretching out and now it’s time to get back to bed. Nighty-night!” He whirled, heading for the opposite end of the camp.

“What’s that on your butt, Big Mac?”

Stardust stopped mid-stride. He craned his neck to look back and saw Spike pointing a claw at Big Macintosh’s flank. He blinked. “An apple?”

Spike got closer, squinting his eyes at the new symbol adorning Big Macintosh's flank. “Wait… there’s more to it.” He pointed a claw at the image, a green apple sliced in half, showing its inside core. “Are those… gears?” He tapped the spots on the apple where seeds would normally be found. Instead, four gray gears stood out against the rest of the marking.

“Well, I’ll be,” Big Macintosh said.

Spike stepped away, scratching his head. “How’d you get it?” He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Stardust was not so discreetly tiptoeing away. “Stardust? What happened?”

The chocobo cringed and stopped again. “Wha-what makes you think I did anything?”

“Do I really have to say?”

Stardust sighed, hanging his head. “Fine. I was looking at the rock things we got. Big Mac startled me and I… accidentally threw one at him. … Sorry.”

“Rock things?” Spike gasped, his eyes widening. “You don’t mean the magicite?!” He whirled on Big Macintosh, his face contorted with worry. “Big Mac, are you okay?”

Big Macintosh calmly nodded, patting Spike on the shoulder. “I’m fine. It’s okay. It was my decision.”

The little dragon blinked. “Decision?”

“Eeyup. The esper, Fenrir, asked me if I wanted his power when he touched me. He said I was worthy. I remembered what Ramuh said and thought it was a good idea.” He turned his head, inspecting the new mark on his flank. “Looks like it worked.”

“Holy guacamole.” Spike stared at the marking, his brow scrunching up in thought. “I’ve… seen something like this before. Where was it though?”

While Spike pondered and muttered, Stardust cautiously stepped forward. “So, uh, we good? I’m not in trouble, am I?”

Big Macintosh gave a friendly smile, shaking his head. “Naw. Was bound to happen at some point. Least we know how it works.”

“Do you… feel any different?”

“Hmm, not much different…” Big Macintosh shut his eyes tightly. A few seconds passed before he opened his eyes and shook his head. “Nope.”

Beside them, Spike suddenly pumped a claw into the air. “I got it!” He rushed over to where Twilight lay, still sleeping soundly. Spike carefully lifted the blanket she was using for cover, revealing her rump and the bright purple starburst that lay there. “See? Just like Twi’s!”

Big Macintosh’s cheeks turned redder than normal and he looked away. As such, he missed seeing the three tiny white stars that had been added to Twilight’s mark since last he saw it. “L-let’s get ta bed. We’ll ask about it in the mornin’. Spike, you’re next on lookout duty.”

“Sure! I’m not tired.”

With that, Big Macintosh and Stardust went to their separate sleeping places. Soon, their snores were added to the others around them while Spike sat and guarded his faithful pupil throughout the rest of the night.

.o.O.o.

The morning sun came, rousing the party to a new day. Breakfast, consisting of oats and some light grazing, was eaten quickly. Soon, the party felt ready to travel again. Twilight Sparkle even felt well enough to walk on her own, insisting that she needed the exercise after spending so much time in a bed. She managed to keep pace with the others, even engaging in some small talk every now and again. Spike stayed at her side, ready to help whenever Twilight needed it.

An hour after they started, Big Macintosh brought up his bonding with the esper.

Rainbow Dash was the first to express her thoughts. “So awesome! So like, you just touch one of those magiwhatzits and it asks to join up with you?”

“Eeyup.”

“Darn. I think I touched each one and none of them wanted me. What’s up with that?!”

Big Macintosh shrugged.

Rainbow Dash flew up alongside the stallion, poking a hoof at his new marking. “And so this appeared?”

Big Macintosh nodded.

“Have you tried casting any magic yet? I so want to see an earth pony do that!”

“Uh… nope.”

“Aww…”

“Oh yeah,” Spike said, looking up at Twilight. “You have one of those, Twi. What are they called?”

Twilight grimaced, turning away with a frown. “I’m sorry. I don’t know.”

A derisive laugh rang out from behind. “Still using your amnesia as an excuse, Sparkle?”

“Can it, you!” Spike yelled back, shaking his fist at Trixie. “Now’s not a good time to get me angry.”

Trixie harumphed and flipped her mane. “The Great and Powerful Trixie was only going to answer what Sparkle can not. Witness Trixie’s superior intellect in action!” She spread her hooves wide, casting a stream of ice particles in the air. The sun reflected off the ice, creating a sparkling aura above her head.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, very impressive, Trixie. Now are ya gonna get on with it or do we need to buy tickets?”

“No need,” Trixie said, once again walking at her normal pace. “Trixie shall tell you at no extra charge. What the red one over there has is called a cutie mark.”

“Cutie mark?” everyone echoed.

“Yes. It’s a name Doctor Whooves came up with. Don’t ask Trixie why he came up with such a cutesy name. He’s rather weird that way.”

“Okay, cool,” Rainbow Dash said, her voice rising in eagerness. “So whatzit mean?”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, what does it mean?”

“I mean, what does this cutie mark do?” Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof at Twilight. “Twilight’s got one.” She flipped Trixie’s cape up, briefly displaying the unicorn’s cutie mark and gaining a shout of indignant surprise. “You’ve got one.” Rainbow Dash finished by slapping Big Macintosh on the flank with a wing, causing the stallion to nearly choke on the slip of grass he was chewing on. “And now he’s got one. But they’re all different. Do they give different powers or something?”

“Uh… um… well…” Trixie visibly swallowed, staring blankly ahead.

A bark of laughter erupted from Spike, the little dragon slapping his knee. “Ha! You don’t know, do ya? All that talk and you’re just as clueless. No offence, Twi,” he quickly added, giving a reassuring pat to her back.

Twilight gave a small smile. “None taken, Spike.”

“Hey! I know plenty!” Trixie shouted back. “If it weren’t for me your precious Twilight Sparkle would still be laying on that bed with that creepy old man!”

“You’ve barely lifted a hoof this entire time!”

“Well, let me make up for that by lifting you all the way back to Jidhoof.” Trixie’s horn lit a brilliant pink and a second later the same magical aura appeared around Spike’s body.

Trixie’s attempt at dragon tossing came to an abrupt halt as Rainbow Dash sailed past and struck the glowing horn with a sharp snap of her hoof. Trixie’s horn twanged, causing the unicorn to yelp and grab her vibrating appendage between her hooves. Rainbow Dash touched down, making sure to place herself between Trixie and Spike. “Alright, alright, that’s enough! Jeez, you guys have been sniping back and forth the whole trip. We got enough problems with the Empire, we don’t need to fight against ourselves.”

“He started it!” “She started it!”

Rainbow Dash facehoofed from Trixie and Spike’s dual cries. “Oi, you two are going to drive me insane.” She turned towards Trixie and gently laid a hoof on her shoulder. “Look, Trixie, it’s no big deal if you don’t know. We’ll find out as we go, just like we always do.” She padded Trixie a few times then faced Spike, repeating her calming gesture and placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Spike, don’t let her get to ya. She rags on everyone. Just stay with Twilight and ignore her. Okay?”

Spike crossed his arms and huffed, twin puffs of smoke drifting lazily from his nostrils. “Yeah, whatever. Just so long as she doesn’t hurt Twilight.” With one final glare directed towards Trixie, he turned and marched away, pulling Twilight along with him. Twilight looked back, her eyes downcast and her mouth set in a frown, before turning away and focusing on keeping up with Spike.

“C’mon,” Rainbow Dash said, beckoning the others to follow. “We got a ways to go yet. If ya don’t got any ideas on how to cross over to the Empire, now’s the time to think of ‘em.”

The whole party began to move again, though much more quietly than before. Trixie smoothed out her cape and put on a neutral expression, but couldn’t repress the slight narrowing of her eyes. The others kept their distance. The rest of the trip to Jidhoof continued in a long, awkward silence.

.o.O.o.

“Okay, how are we going to do this?”

The question hung over the group like a dark cloud. The lights of Jidhoof could be seen in the distance, contrasting sharply against the dark of night. Only a few miles separated them from the opulent streets and high society ponies, but the threat of a deployment of Imperial soldiers waiting for them the moment they stepped into town held them back. None of them could claim to be inconspicuous, what with a chocobo, a baby dragon, a large red stallion, an ex-general, a unicorn being searched for by all the nearby Imperial soldiers, and a rainbow maned pegasus. Yet, Jidhoof was the closest civilization for over a hundred miles and the nearest point to the Empire’s continent.

“Not hearing much chatter,” Rainbow Dash said, her voice struggling to hold back her impatience.

Trixie let out a huff of air. “Look, why don’t we just go in. Your Daring Do friend is gone and the soldiers would have left the town to go looking for us. If there are any left, there shouldn’t be enough to worry about.”

“Maybe.” Rainbow Dash pursed her lips together, letting out a thoughtful hum. “Pony feathers, this whole fugitive thing is a pain in the butt.”

“Ya know, I’m gonna side with Trixie on this one,” Spike said, crossing his arms. “We took care of those Imperials pretty well and they even surprised us. If they want another beating, then they have it coming.” A cough to his left caught his attention. “What is it, Twilight? You feeling okay?”

Twilight swallowed, her hoof pawing at the ground. “Yes, I’m feeling okay. It’s just… I don’t want us getting into a fight unless we can’t avoid it. I don’t want others getting hurt. That’s why I didn't want to become a Returner in the first place.”

“Don’t worry. If things go bad, I can always ice ‘em or blow ‘em away. These new breath powers are really good at stopping ponies without hurting them.” Slowly, Twilight nodded, though her frown remained in place.

“Well, sounds like that’s the plan then,” Rainbow Dash said. She turned and started heading for the town. “Simple, but that’s the way I like it.”

Trixie quickened her pace, quickly catching up with her. “Actually, running into any Imperials may help us. They had to get here somehow. They may have a ship we could use to get to Vectorlot.”

“Hmm, maybe. We’ll see, but I’d rather get there without getting captured. I have a rep to maintain.”

The final trek to Jidhoof went by quickly. As they got closer, the buildings became clearer, with one building in particular standing out amongst the rest. It stood upon a hill overlooking the entire town, a mansion so large it looked as though the whole population of Jidhoof could easily live inside it. The enormous house hadn’t been as noticeable the first time they arrived, but from this direction it was impossible to miss. Made of wood and brick, three stories tall, with stain glassed windows dotting every spare inch, it was the most impressive site any of them had seen since leaving Fillygaro.

Also impossible to miss was the large gathering of ponies milling around the front entrance. Even from this distance the sound of enthusiastic conversations could be heard. Stardust could just make out the occasional word or phrase about a play or some type of sing along. “Huh, wonder what’s going on over there.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged, leading them closer to the gaggle of ponies. Getting nearer revealed that all the ponies wore well-tailored suits and exquisite dresses. All the mares wore jewelry that sparkled in the light pouring from the mansion. Some were so ladened with jewelry that it was a wonder how they managed to stay standing. A line of pony-driven carriages stood waiting nearby, though no ponies appeared to be hooked up to them.

“Oh, it’s opera night,” Rainbow Dash said. Her tone made clear that she didn’t share the enthusiasm that the crowd did.

Twilight ears drooped, a look of worry crossing her features. She tentatively raised a hoof, speaking in a soft whisper, “Um, I know this will sound stupid, but what’s an opera?”

“It’s just some dumb party where ponies get up on a stage and try to act out a story. All these fancy-schmancy ponies do when they get there is gossip and try to look important. It’s a waste of time and money.”

A blue hoof tapped Rainbow Dash on the back, gaining the pegasus’ attention. “Don’t look now, but we have company,” Trixie whispered in her ear. “Just ahead of us.”

Slowly, Rainbow Dash swiveled her eyes, quickly catching sight of a group of Imperials walking through the crowds. The posh ponies gave the soldiers dirty looks, but stepped aside without a fuss. In less than a minute, Rainbow Dash was sure they would be spotted. “Well, that didn’t take long.” She extended a wing, reaching for her knife.

“Wait! Stop.”

Rainbow Dash yelped as her wing forcibly folded against her body by a magenta glow.

“Oops, sorry,” Twilight Sparkle said, sheepishly cutting off her magic.

Rainbow Dash growled and thrust her nose into Twilight’s face. “What’s the big idea?”

Realizing all attention was on her, Twilight gulped and gave a nervous laugh. “Um, d-do we have to fight them? Couldn’t we… find some other way?”

“Like what, Sparkle?” Trixie hissed.

“Umm…. um….”

“There you are! I thought I’d never get this show on the road.”

All eyes turned to see an earth pony dressed in a stylish grey and white jacket and wearing a pair of purple tinted glasses heading their way. His hooves and coat shown with immaculate care and his main and tail had enough gel in them to drown an anguiform. He stepped up to Big Macintosh and, without any hesitation, grabbed the larger stallion by the hoof and began dragging him towards the carriages. “Come along now, we’re late as it is.”

The new stallion stopped short as a rainbow maned pegasus landed in front of him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who are you and what are you doing?”

“What do you mean, what am I doing?” he asked back, a hoof to his chest in exasperation. “What are you all doing standing around when we should have all left twenty minutes ago?” He sighed, shaking his head. “Is this the type of work Fancy Pants hires these days? No wonder he doesn’t show his muzzle in public lately.”

“Look buddy, you have five seconds to tell me what the hay is going on.” Rainbow Dash’s wing twitched, her vision flicking back to the approaching Imperials.

“Such sass! I can’t believe I, Hoity Toity, have to put up with such nonsense. You’re lucky I’m in such a hurry or I’d dock your pay fifty percent!” Hoity Toity thrust a hoof towards the carriages, some being filled up by the well dressed ponies. “Now hook up and get a move on! We’ll be lucky to make curtain call.”

Rainbow Dash blinked and let out an “oooohhhh” of realization. “You want us… to pull the carriages.”

Hoity Toity threw up his hooves above his head. “Yes! Why else would you be here?”

“Well, actually—”

“We’ll do it!”

With a flash of magic, Twilight lifted her friends with levitation, rushed them over to the carriages despite their protests, and quickly strapped them to the harnesses. Twilight cut her magic the moment she had the last strap in place. Grinning widely, she saluted to Hoity Toity. “All set, sir!”

“My, my, that was an impressive display,” Hoity Toity mused. “You could all learn some worth ethic from this pretty filly. Carry on, then!” Turning sharply, he entered the carriage at the front of the line, the one Trixie had been attached to.

The moment he closed the door Twilight slumped to the ground, her face and mane matted with sweat. “Ohhhhh. Too much… too soon.”

“You gonna be okay, Twi?” Spike asked, his head peeking around a carriage ahead of her. Unlike the others, he had not been attached to a carriage, instead riding upon Stardust’s back.

Twilight took several deep breaths, slowly pushing herself back up. “Yeah.” She waved a hoof, indicating that they should get going. “Let’s go. Those soldiers won’t bother us if they think we’re the help, right?”

“Uh, maybe?” Rainbow Dash said from further behind. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Imperials giving the group odd looks, but otherwise didn’t come closer. “Right, going is a good idea.” She frowned at Twilight’s struggle to move the carriage more than a few inches. Firming up her features, Rainbow Dash lifted the hoof with the armlet and slipped it off. One expert toss sent it landing right in front of Twilight. “Put that on. It should help.”

Twilight’s eyes widened upon seeing the relic. “But… but Rainbow, this is—”

“Just wear it, alright? You can give it back to me later.”

The tears welling up within her eyes couldn’t stop a grateful smile from forming on Twilight’s muzzle. “Thank you.” She bent down and carefully slipped the armlet on her leg. Within seconds, she could feel a new surge of strength building within her muscles. Giving a grunt, Twilight pulled with all her might. The carriage started moving much more easily than before. Twilight quickly fell into a steady pace, feeling more alive than she had the past few days. Her smile remained throughout the night.

At the head of the line, Trixie muttered several unpleasant obscenities at being hitched up like a beast of burden. “The indignities I must suffer.” However, she pushed forward, pulling her carriage behind her. “Still, we’ll be traveling near the coast so maybe we’ll see a boat on the way.” Soon, she managed to pick up speed and proceeded down the paved walkway leading out of the city. The others followed, Stardust, Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Dash filling in the center, while Big Macintosh brought up the rear.

Behind them, the Imperials conversed with each other, one slipping out a crumpled note from his armor. They read it over, nodded, and headed towards their headquarters in the city.

A report needed to be sent out immediately.

.o.O.o.

“Okay girls, now that we’re here, you need to be on your best behavior so that you represent Thamaresa as best as you can. Okay?”

“Yes’m!” said an earth pony filly with a yellow coat, red mane and tail.

“Yep!” piped another filly, this one a white unicorn with a pink and grey mane and tail.

“Got it!” came the last filly, a orange coated pegasus with a purple mane and tail.

“Good. We don’t want your sister’s gift to go to waste. She was so generous in her last letter that we were able to take this little vacation in the first place.

“Now, let me check the map to make sure we get to where we need to go.” The speaker, a pale yellow pegasus with a long flowing pink mane and tail, reached under her wing and pulled out a sheet of paper. She studied the sheet, making quiet, thoughtful sounds as she did so. “I think we need to get to a big mansion. Somepony named Fancy Pants owns it. That’s where our carriage will be. So let’s go, girls.” Her ears swiveled, waiting for an affirmative response. “Girls?”

There was silence. A bad sign.

She looked up from her map, noticing quickly that none of the fillies she had arrived with were beside her. “Oh dear.”

Folding her map and placing it into a saddlebag, the pegasus flapped her wings, gaining height just above the buildings of Jidhoof. She swiveled around, looking for the tell tail signs of three rambunctious fillies set loose on an unsuspecting town. Nothing stood out to her against the darkness of the night. Absently, she began chewing on her front hooves even as she began to dart around in hopes of catching a glimpse of a red mane, a white horn, or the distinctive buzzing of small wings.

“M-maybe they already found the mansion? Oh, I hope so.” With a destination in mind, the pegasus easily spotted the largest building in the town as it towered over all others. She sped towards it as fast as she could. Halfway there, she caught site of a line of carriages heading south and diverted her path to intercept them. She flew next to the first carriage, hovering along side it, and rapped on the door.

From inside, a voice dripping with high society self importance called out, “Now what?” The door opened, revealing a stern faced Hoity Toity. He immediately caught site of the pegasus flying beside the moving carriage. “My lady, what are you doing?”

~ A shy pegasus, pure of heart, with a peculiar empathy for monsters... ~

“Oh, um, I’m terribly sorry to bother you. You see, my name’s Fluttershy and I’m looking for three little fillies that wandered off. You see, we have tickets—” Fluttershy managed to reach into her saddlebag and pulled out four slips of paper “—to the opera tonight.”

“And you’re wondering if I’ve seen them, is that right?”

“Oh, I know it’s probably not very likely they’ll be—”

“Fluttershy!”

“Look!”

“We found the carriages!”

Three little heads popped out from underneath Hoity Toity’s barrel, smiling as wide as their mouths allowed them to.

“I’ve seen them,” Hoity Toity drawled. “They were making such a racket, insisting that we stop so that they could get on that I found it quicker to indulge them. Seems you and these three rapscallions were meant to be here.” He stepped back, ushering Fluttershy to follow with a hoof. “Come along now, my dear. No need to be flapping about when you can be relaxing in luxury here. Move aside now, girls.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Fluttershy cried and glided in the open door. She took a seat next to Hoity Toity, with the fillies filling up the opposite side of the carriage. “You don’t know how relieved I am. This will truly be the best night ever.”

Outside, heaving and grunting with effort, Trixie proclaimed this to be the most offensive waste of her talents in all her life.

.o.O.o.

The journey to the opera house only took an hour. The clear night and the bright moon decorated the sky and landscape with a soothing silvery glow. Waves from the ocean gently lapped against the coastline, creating a pleasant background noise. No monsters assaulted the carriages on their journey. It was the perfect night for an opera.

The same couldn’t be said for the ponies, plus one chocobo, pulling the upper class to their perfect opera night. Big Macintosh, Stardust, and even Rainbow Dash managed well enough, even with half a dozen ponies in each carriage. Twilight and Trixie however heaved and panted with every step. By the time they made it to the carriage lane leading up to the opera house, the pair were ready to fall over and die just so that the pain would stop.

Trixie gasped as she finally brought the carriage to a stop and promptly fell to her stomach. She didn’t notice nor care when valets dressed in crisp uniforms began opening the doors, allowing the passengers to exit and head for the main entrance. All Trixie and Twilight could manage was to tilt their heads to get a glimpse of the building they had worked so hard to reach.

The opera house loomed before them, a massive behemoth twice the size of the mansion they started from. Polished oak siding gleamed in the moonlight. Glass windows taller than three full grown stallions and lined with silver and gold trimming lined the front facade. The steps leading to the entrance were constructed of lustrous marble. Four gigantic pillars stood at the top of the stairs, two on each side of the entrance, holding up on overhang containing a bronze etching of ponies acting out a war scene. The entrance itself had not been spared any expense either. Doors the size of swimming pools barred entry into the inner sanctum, requiring two earth ponies per door to open them. Crafted from a rare species of red wood, their surfaces littered with carvings of ponies, griffons, chocobos, and dragons, they were the final touch to a structure more impressive than the grand castle of Domare.

Rainbow Dash hocked and spit into the packed dirt. “Stupid, boring opera.”

Trixie, having managed to unhitch herself from her carriage, wearily walked up to her. “What’s that about?” she asked, her voice coming out as a harsh wheeze.

“Spitfire loved coming to this place. She used to drag me here whenever we didn’t have a job. I said it was a waste of money and she’d say I needed to be more ‘cultured’.” She made a disgusted noise, shaking her head. “She wouldn’t even let me sleep through it.”

“Trixie has more bad news for you, then. She didn’t spot a single boat on the way here. So now we’re stuck way out here and with no way to get to the Empire.”

“Great,” Rainbow Dash said, kicking the carefully groomed pathway. Dimly, she was aware of the others coming up to crowd around her. “Now what?”

“Oh, um, is everything okay?”

All eyes turned to stare at the newcomer, the pegasus that had gotten a ride mid trip, who quickly did her best to hide behind her mane. “Oh, ah, I-I can see you are all busy. I’ll go now.”

“What is it?” Rainbow Dash called out before Fluttershy had taken a single step.

“Um, well, it’s… nothing really.” Fluttershy visibly swallowed, taking small steps backwards towards the opera. “You probably wouldn’t care about the airship anyway.” She turned away, making a run for the entrance.

Rainbow Dash shrugged, saying over her shoulder, “Yeah, we wouldn’t care about that—What?!”

One second, Rainbow Dash stood beside the carriages. The next, she touched down in front of Fluttershy, causing the other mare to squeak in fright. “Did you say airship?!”

Fluttershy curled up into a tight ball of quivering pony. She covered her face with her hooves and, barely above a whisper, said, “M-m-m-maybe-e-e…”

“Wait, the only pony I know that has an airship is Pinkie Pie. Do you mean her?”

“Um… um… yes…”

“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash leapt high into the air, spreading her legs wide. “You all hear that? We got ourselves a ticket to the Empire!” The others each gave excited agreements, whooping and kicking their forelegs with abandon.

Fluttershy peeked out from under her hooves, grimacing. “Oh, um, Pinkie isn’t here.”

No one heard her over their celebrations.

“She… she had to go find some actors.”

“Trixie will do all the talking,” Trixie was saying with a confident smirk. “She has had dealings with that pony before.”

“You see, they had gone missing and…”

“Is this the same Pinkie Pie that visited Fillygaro?” Twilight asked, a wide smile gracing her features. “I’ve wanted to fly on that airship ever since!”

“And… and I’m not sure when she’ll be back.”

“Eureka! The night shall be saved!”

All conversation ceased, everyone turning to the new, loud voice. A light blue earth pony mare dressed in a white and black striped suit and wearing wide rimmed, rose tinted glasses ran up to them. Without any hesitation, she rushed behind Big Macintosh, Twilight Sparkle, and Trixie and began pushing them towards the opera house. “Come! Come! Ve must go!”

The suddenness caught everyone by surprise so much, that the new pony managed to push the three stunned ponies all the way to the marble stairs. Finally, Rainbow Dash blasted forward, wrapping a hoof around the newcomers neck. “Whoa, hold on! What are you doing?!”

“Dah!” the pony cried out, releasing her captives. “Let go! Let go now! The show ez about to start!”

“Not until you tell me what the hay is going on!”

“Fine! I shall tell all.”

Rainbow Dash let go of the pushy pony, standing between her and her friends. “All right, sister. Spill it.”

The pony huffed and adjusted her glasses. “I am Photo Finish. I’m ze impresario for ze opera house. Tonight’s performance was going to be brilliant but zat can’t happen without my actors! They have gone missing and so I need others to fill zier places. These three,” she pointed at Big Macintosh, Twilight, and Trixie, “look just like them. They are perfect replacements!”

Twilight blinked, looking between her companions. “Us?”

“Yes! It is uncanny, no? Now, hurry up! We must get you ready so that you can make—” she stopped, striking a dramatic pose “—da magics!”

A tap to her shoulder brought Photo Finish’s attention back to Rainbow Dash. “Uh, hate to ruin your magics, but we’ve gotta hitch a ride with Pinkie Pie.”

“Pinkie Pie? Nun! She is gone. I sent her to find my missing actors but she has not returned.”

“That’s what I was trying to say…” came a weak voice. It was ignored.

“Buuuuuut, if you come with me, I will ask Pinkie Pie to help you. Ya?”

Rainbow Dash groaned, hanging her head. “Why do things have to be such a pain?” She turned to the prospective actors and shrugged. “Well, wanna help? Sounds like we’ll be waiting either way.”

“B-but Rainbow, I’ve never been in a play before,” Twilight said, her eyes wide with terror. “I don’t know the first thing—”

“Trixie will do it!” Trixie exclaimed, pushing Twilight aside. She puffed out her chest and put on an alluring smile. “It has always been Trixie’s dream to perform. She will wow the audience with her great and powerful presence!”

“Yush!” Photo Finish mirrored Trixie’s own enthusiasm. “That’s the attitude ve need! I will make you a star to shine all across ze world!”

“Eeyup,” said Big Macintosh.

“We go!” With that, Photo Finish pushed her new actors towards the opera house doors. Rainbow Dash, Stardust, and Spike raced after her.

Unnoticed by all, Fluttershy sighed and followed after them at a much more demur pace.

Once she had passed through the entrance, three little fillies hopped out of a bush nearby. All three of them had wide eyes and slack jaws.

“Did you see…”

“... what those three had…”

“... on their flanks?”

The three fillies looked to each other, huge grins forming on their faces. “Cutie marks!”

“We have to ask them where they got them,” the pegasus filly said, hopping up and down in her excitement.

“You’re totally right!” the unicorn squeaked.

The earth pony reached under the bush they had been hiding in, pulling out a saddlebag. She opened it, brought out a rolled up scroll, and unfurled it on the ground where the others could see. “Yeah, and accordin’ to this, they should have special talents. I wonder what they could be?”

“Let’s not stand around and wonder,” the pegasus said. Her tiny wings buzzed, like a hummingbird. “We’ve got to get their attention somehow.”

The unicorn stepped forward, sporting a confident expression. “Leave that to me. I know exactly what to do.” She brought the other two into a huddle, whispering her plan.

“Great idea!”

“Brilliant!”

“I know. Now, let’s go in there and bring down the house!”

Author's Note

All mane six accounted for!

Wherein The Empire Strikes Back

Applejack slowly, ever so slowly, edged her head around the corner of a building. Her eyes, barely creeping past the wall, still managed to track a pair of Imperials lounging in front of a convenience store. They spoke to each other in bored tones, lamenting their posts and how nothing interesting ever happened in Mareanda. Their helmets lay next to them, revealing themselves as unicorns. Each of their horns were alight as they occasionally levitated a cigarette to their mouths, took a drag, then lowered them to continue their conversation.

“What do you see, Appleja—?”

Derpy Hooves’ mouth became intimately acquainted with the bottom of Applejack’s hoof.

“SHHHH!”

Applejack snapped her attention back to the soldiers. She sighed softly in relief. Neither noticed them. Their cover remained intact.

Pushing Derpy further back in the alleyway they stood in, Applejack gave the pegasus a stern look. “Now lookie, hon. If this here ambush is going to work, ya can’t be yappin’ your mouth off. Got it?”

Smiling around the hoof still shoved in her mouth, Derpy nodded. “Goff ef!”

Applejack sighed, removing her hoof. “Look, once we start this, there ain’t any going back. We have to work fast and take out as many of these guys as we can. So, let me hear ya repeat your part again.”

Derpy nodded again, her mouth now a thin line. “I go up to them, distract them any way I can, and then you come up from behind and tie them up.” She blinked, cocking her head. “Did I get it right?”

“Yep! Good job, Derpy.” Now sporting a smile, Applejack adjust her hat, making sure it fit snugly against her head. “Then we’ll need to get to the next set. Cheerilee’s mapped them out to the best of her knowledge, so we hafta be quick.” Applejack peeked around the corner, confirming that the soldiers were still in place. “Okay, ya ready?”

Derpy snapped a hoof up in salute. “Ready and waiting.”

“Well then, let’s do this. Good luck.”

Clearing her throat, Derpy trotted out of the alley and headed straight for the soldiers. The two Imperials immediately saw the pegasus heading their way, but, besides raising an eyebrow, didn’t react. They continued smoking their cigarettes and giving bored looks.

“Hi!” Derpy said, stopping in front of them and waving a hoof. “Nice day, isn’t it?”

The two soldiers glanced at each other, then back at Derpy. “I suppose,” one of them answered.

The other let out a long stream of smoke, watching it as it slowly dissipated into the air. “What do you want, miss?”

“Oh, sorry. You guys are unicorns, right?”

On reflex, the pair looked up at the horns protruding from their foreheads. “Yeah, what about it?” the first one said.

“Well…” Derpy extended a wing, holding it out for the soldiers to see. “I’m having a little trouble here. There’s a feather out of place and it’s really bugging me. I can’t seem to reach it though and was wondering if one of you guys could pluck it out for me. With your horns, I mean.” She paused, scrunching up her face, and gasped. “I mean, not with your horns! I mean that sparkling stuff that comes out of them. It’s a… it’s…”

“Magic?” the second guard finished.

“Yeah! That’s it!” She twisted, fanning the affected wing before them. “So, could you?”

The soldiers looked at each other again. The first one shrugged, gesturing a hoof towards Derpy. The second one sighed, dropping his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. He walked forward and inspected the wing. “Which feather was it?”

An impact and a cry of pain from behind interrupted further scrutiny. The second guard whirled around just in time to receive a pair of hind hooves to the face. He collapsed to the ground, out cold.

Applejack quickly began tying up the two unconscious soldiers up. Once done, she pulled their bodies into the alley and covered them up with a black tarp. Giving a nod of satisfaction, she returned to where Derpy still stood. “Good work, hon. That went a lot better than I thought. Your little fib there with your wing was perfect. C’mon, we gotta get movin’.” She turned, heading for the next mark on her map.

“Um, Applejack?”

Applejack stopped at hearing Derpy’s distressed call. She galloped back. “What? Are ya hurt?”

“Um, kinda. You see, I wasn’t lying about the feather…” Derpy lifted her wing, pointing out a feather that was bent at an odd angle. “You took out those guys before they could help. Could you pull it out for me?”

Applejack facehoofed.

.o.O.o.

“Okay, darling. Time to get this show started.”

Spotter nodded, taking his position next to a raised brick well. Rarity, sans her Mare Do Well costume, trotted onto a wide boulevard littered with blasted out pockmarks and magitek armor hoofprints. Within seconds, she found a patrol of soldiers marching down from the opposite end of the street. She smirked.

“Sirs! Sirs!” she cried, galloping up to them. The Imperials came to a halt, Rarity running up to the pony in the front. “Sir, you have got to help me! My son, my poor son!”

“Whoa there, ma’am,” the lead Imperial said, raising a placating hoof. “What’s the problem?”

“My son fell down a well and I can’t reach him.” Rarity grabbed the Imperial by his drab uniform, tears running down her face. “You have to save him! Please!”

“Okay, okay!” The soldier pried Rarity off of him, taking a moment to smooth down his rumpled uniform. “Where is this well?”

Rarity ran off, calling over her shoulder, “Over here! Quickly!”

The Imperials chased after her, catching up to her once she stopped at a stone well. Their ears caught the distant sounds of distress coming from the well.

“He’s down there!” Rarity cried. “Please, do something!”

“All right, lady. Hold your horses,” the lead soldier said. “Sergeant, see if your horn can light up the well. I want a pegasus on either end ready to lower a rope and bucket. Hop to it!”

The ponies took their positions. The unicorn leaned over the side with two pegasi hovering next to him. The rest stood nearby, ready to act if necessary. The unicorn bent down and lit up his horn.

He received a sword pommel to the muzzle for his trouble.

The unicorn fell back with a cry of pain, clutching a broken nose. Shining Armor burst out of the well, knocking the two pegasus ponies aside and cleaved through the rest of the Imperials. Thoroughly taken off guard, the remaining soldiers stood dumbfounded even after Shining Armor stopped just past the last one. With calm and poise, Shining Armor clopped his forehooves together, once.

With synchronized timing, the Imperials fell to the ground, unconscious.

“And that was with my sword sheathed,” Shining Armor said.

“Show-off,” Rarity grumbled as she began tying up the soldiers with cloth. She smacked one of the disoriented pegasus in the head, sending him into dreamland. Opalescence pushed a loose well brick on the other.

Spotter bounded from behind the well, looking over his father’s work. “Awesome! I’ve only seen you do that to training dummies.

“Hey, did I do good with my noises, huh? Huh? Huh?”

“Yes bud, you did great,” Shining Armor said. He began dragging the bound ponies over to a discarded apple cart. Once all the Imperials were together, he tipped the cart over them, hiding them from sight.

“We better get going,” Rarity called, heading away from the scene. “There are plenty more where that came from and not much time to do it.”

“You heard the lady,” Shining Armor said, following after her. “We’ve still got chores to do.”

Spotter ran to catch up, a wide smile on his face. “I never thought chores could be this much fun!”

.o.O.o.

“We’re doing good, Derpy. A little more and we’ll be done.”

From Derpy’s perspective, she could see a noticeable spring in Applejack’s trot each time they brought down an Imperial. Who knew that smacking around ponies wearing tin cans for armor could produce such a reaction? It made her wonder what she’d do if they took down a magitek armor next. Dance, perhaps?

As they headed to their next destination, doors and windows creaked open, revealing the curious faces of Mareanda’s citizens. The citizens watched the two mares trot down the street, not a single Imperial soldier in sight. Blinking, some started leaving their homes and wander the city. Many hadn’t casually strode through the streets since the Imperial occupation. Gradually, more and more ponies began to roam about, lending Mareanda a sense of livelihood not seen in years.

Derpy smiled and waved at a couple fillies frolicking around a dilapidated flower bed, receiving a giggle and wave in return. She turned back to Applejack who now sported a undeniable grin on her muzzle. “What’s got you so happy?”

The earth pony blushed, looking away. “Ah, it’s nothin’.”

“Nothing?” Derpy flapped her wings and hovered in front of Applejack, flying backwards. Despite not being able to see where she was going, Derpy did not bump her rump into anything. “C’mon, tell me.”

“Well… it’s just… it makes me feel good to see these ponies get their town back. I’ve been under the hoof of the Empire and it ain’t pleasant. Being free to do what ya want is the best feeling in the world.”

“Oh. That’s nice, I guess. I’ve always been free to do what I want. The zebras would let me leave their village all the time! I don’t think they ever tried to force me to stay.”

Applejack nodded, nudging Derpy aside so she could see ahead more clearly. “That’s great, sugarcube. I’m hoping the ponies here will get to do that too. Once we finish rounding up the rest of the soldiers here we can tell ‘em to start rebuilding their city.”

They left a side street, heading towards their final destination; a single brick building near the center of town. It didn’t display the careful attention to detail that other buildings around it did, nor did it have any visible scorch marks. It likely had been built right after the city had been taken. If Shining Armor and Rarity had done their job, the last of the Imperials in Mareanda would be in there.

“Okay Derpy,” Applejack said, moving behind a large piece of roofing that had fallen off a building behind them. “Once we get the signal, we charge in. Hopefully we can take them by surprise before they know what hit them.”

Derpy landed next to her, poking her head over their makeshift cover. “Um, sure. But I think that last part might have failed already.”

“Why?”

“Because that zebra over there is waving at us.”

Applejack blinked and looked in the direction Derpy indicated. All color drained from Applejack’s face. “Oh, horseapples…”

.o.O.o.

“There’s their headquarters,” Shining Armor said, taking in the sight of the brick building ahead. He unsheathed his sword, holding it at the ready with his magic. “I’ll give the signal, then we—”

“Hold up,” Rarity interrupted. She nudged forward from their concealment behind a wooden fence that had once bordered a small pond. The water had long since drained out due to a large gouge dug out by a magitek armor’s hoof, giving the group ample room to hide in. “Something’s not right.”

“What is it?”

Rarity raised a hoof. “Her.”

Following the hoof, Shining Armor caught sight of an equine. He quickly noticed the black and white stripes covering the equine’s coat and a mohawk for a mane. “What’s a zebra doing here?”

“You don’t know? That’s Zecora, one of the Empire’s top generals. Applejack and I saw her just before they invaded your castle.”

“I see.” He stood up, revealing himself completely.

“What are you doing?” Rarity hissed.

Shining Armor didn’t answer, instead striding forward towards Zecora. “Spotter,” he called back, “stay with her. Don’t come out until I say so.”

Spotter looked up from his spot next to Rarity. “Huh, wha?”

“You heard me.” With that, he galloped off.

“That idiot,” Rarity said. She began rummaging through her saddlebag, pulling out her Mare Do Well costume.

“What are you going to do?” Spotter asked, his wide eyes tracking his retreating father.

“Not sure yet, darling. But I need to be ready, just in case.”

.o.O.o.

Applejack and Derpy left their cover and made their way towards the waiting zebra. Derpy smiled and took to the air, flying fowards—

—and fell flat on her face. She sat up, her pupils rolling comically, and shook her head. Once her eyes had realigned (mostly) she glared back at the hoof holder her tail down. “Hey! What’s the big idea?!”

“She ain’t one of your zebra friends, hon,” Applejack said, lifting her hoof off Derpy’s tail. “That there’s Zecora, a general. She ain’t going to be like the rest. We have to deal with this carefully.”

“Zecora!” came a roar from the other end of the plaza.

Applejack facehoofed. “Or we could just charge right in.”

Zecora turned and faced the newcomer. Shining Armor stopped a dozen hooves away from her, his muzzle twisted in a snarl. “You’re the one responsible for my kingdom. You led the attack on Domare. You poisoned everypony! You killed my wife!”

The zebra closed her eyes and lowered her head. “What you say is true. Except I did not pour that brew. It was Gilda who poisoned your folk, and for that it makes me want to choke.” She raised herself back up, meeting Shining Armor’s piercing gaze with her own. “I am sorry for your loss, but I am still under orders from my boss. Come quietly back to Vectorlot for prosecution and cease this deadly revolution.”

“You think I’m going to lay down and let you win?” Shining Armor shifted his levitating sword, pointing the tip at Zecora’s chest. “No. I’m going to avenge my people by getting rid of you. Then I’ll deal with Gilda and your emperor. Prepare yourself!”

Zecora sighed. She reached to her side, grabbed the pommel of her sword with her teeth, and pulled. Out came a transparent blade with stylized sun symbols hewn into it. She held it forth, speaking past the handle, “Let us begin, but be warned as this is a fight you cannot win.”

“Feh, is that thing made out of glass? You don’t stand a chance.” Shouting a battle cry, Shining Armor lunged.

In one swift motion, Zecora turned aside the thrust to her heart with the flat of her blade, twisted, and bucked Shining Armor in the side of his head. Both stallion and his sword fell to the ground with a thud. Groaning, he made to push himself up but the feel of something sharp against his neck stopped him.

Zecora stood over him, her sword held under his jaw. “It is not glass that this weapon is made. Sharpened crystal forms my blade.”

Pivoting sharply, Zecora dodged out of the way of two orange hooves crashing down where she had once stood. Applejack swiveled, her tail lashing out at such high speed that it created a blade of air that sped towards the zebra. Zecora flattened herself to the ground, letting the air blade pass over her. Seconds later, a few strands of black and grey hair drifted down past her eyes. Brushing the errant strands away, Zecora faced her new opponent.

Applejack stood between her and Shining Armor. The stallion managed to get back on his hooves, but trying to pick up his sword with his magic caused him to wince. “Step… aside, Applejack. She’s my foe.”

“Sugarcube, she’s all of our foe,” she said, not taking her eyes off of Zecora.

On Zecora’s left side, Derpy touched down. The pegasus frowned at the zebra, her face scrunched up in distaste. “Hey, how come you’re on the evil side? None of the zebras in the Veldt are like you.”

“None of you are in the light of what is wrong and what is right,” Zecora responded. “I fight for my cause and will never stumble or pause.”

“Uh, that didn’t really answer my question…”

“Forget it, Derpy,” a voice from behind Zecora said. Mare Do Well strode up, three needles levitating before her. “I doubt she’d give you a straight answer.”

Zecora swiveled her gaze. Applejack in front of her, Shining Armor taking up position on her right with Derpy on her left, and the masked pony behind her. All points of attack were covered.

“Give it up, Zecora,” Applejack said, her hooves planted in the dirt, giving her a firm stance. “We have ya outnumbered. This town belongs to its citizens and we’re going to make sure they get it back.”

Zecora closed her eyes and thrust her sword in the dirt. She rested a hoof over the pommel and said, “You make it sound like you have already won. I will determine when we are done.”

Applejack sighed. “So be it.” She reared back, letting out a “Yeehaw!” and charged forward. Shining Armor, Mare Do Well, and Derpy closed in, each reading an attack.

The Imperial general remained perfectly still as the Returners closed in on her. Applejack reached her first, thrusting a hoof to her head. Zecora snapped open her eyes, ducked her head just enough for the hoof to pass by. She grabbed her sword in her mouth and flung it into the air before Applejack could follow up. The sword spun like a windmill high above the combatants. Just as it reached its apex, the sun glinted off the crystal blade. The next second, a blinding red flash surrounded them all.

Applejack and the others felt the hairs on their coats stand on end seconds before a blistering heat washed over them. Applejack heard a scream. It may have been hers. She didn’t know. All she knew was the burning, agonizing red of Zecora's attack filling her vision.

.o.O.o.

Seconds later, it was over. A ring of wilted grass over a dozen hoof lengths in diameter circled around Zecora. Within this circle, four ponies lay, their bodies coated in a slick sheen of sweat. None of them moved, save for the occasional grunt or moan.

A heavy thunk was heard as the crystal sword fell back to the earth, the blade embedding itself into the ground in front of its owner. Zecora reached forward and yanked the sword out. A quick wipe with a rag removed the dirt from the blade, allowing Zecora to slip it into its sheath with ease.

The zebra casually trotted towards Applejack, casting a shadow over the earth pony. She lay in a heap of scorched grass, her body perspiring in a desperate attempt to keep her cool. Applejack cracked an eyelid open, the whites of her eye bloodshot. “Uh… wha… t… you…”

“The earth may be low on magic but the sun is not so tragic,” Zecora said, standing tall. “It was a shock, was it not? And now I have you in a spot.” Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. A small white colt rushed to where Shining Armor had fallen, repeatedly crying “Daddy!” over and over again.

More movement, this time coming from a larger pony, diverted her interest. A magenta coated earth mare slowly picked her way through the battlefield. She stopped in front of Zecora, ears lowered and eyes glistening.

“Chee… ril… ee,” Applejack croaked.

Cheerilee swallowed. “You’re… not going to kill them, right?”

Zecora shook her head. “That is not for me to decide. They will be taken to court, where the Emperor presides.”

“Oh.”

“You did well in alerting me of these spies. I'll ensure you are given an appropriate prize.”

A sound between a choke and a sob came from behind. Cheerilee swiveled her head at Applejack and immediately looked away. “D-Don’t look at me like that. It’s best for Mareanda this way. You and your friends would have only brought more trouble. I’m sorry.” Without another word, she ran away.

Zecora placed a hoof to her mouth and blew, creating a shrill whistle. Soldiers poured out of the command building with mythril chains dangling from their mouths. Soon, all of the Returners and Spotter were chained up and dragged into a waiting mythril cage attached to a cart. As the sun set on the once beautiful town of Mareanda, five ponies who dared stand up to the Empire’s forces were hauled to the east.

From her second story window, Cheerilee watched the prisoners until they disappeared over the horizon. She sighed, closed the window, and went back downstairs to her occupied life.

.o.O.o.

“Ya know, this place isn’t what I expected it to be.”

Applejack suppressed a groan, pulling her hat over her face and settled more deeply into her bedding. As long as she didn’t respond, then an answer wouldn’t be forthcoming.

“And what did you expect, dear?” came Rarity’s voice.

Horseapples.

“I’m not sure, but it sure wasn’t this,” Derpy said. She flittered to one end of her cell to the other, tapping her hoof against the bars, the ceiling, the floor, and the walls. “When zebras want to punish someone, they don’t put them in a room. They just throw them out of the village for a few days.” Though nopony could see it, Derpy loop-de-looped, a wide grin on her muzzle. “I loved it when that happened! I’d spend all that time with him so he wouldn’t be lonely. We’d travel all over the Veldt, I’d make sure the weather was nice, and we would talk the whole time!” She set down on the floor and gave a content sigh. “I never did see the same zebra banished twice. They must have learned their lesson.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Applejack groused.

“I wonder how that will work for us,” Derpy continued. “I mean, if they let us out, we’ll just go back to what we were doing before.”

Down the hall of the cell block, Shining Armor stood up from a meditative stance, stretching out his joints. “I doubt that will happen. Them letting us out, I mean. We’re probably on the top of the list of Returners to capture.”

“You mean we’re at the bottom of the list since they got us,” Applejack said.

Rarity walked up to her cell and poked her nose out as far as she could between the bars. “Applejack? You okay? You’ve been rather… snippy lately.”

The earth pony didn’t answer.

“Applejack? Darling? What’s the matter?”

Underneath her hat, Applejack rolled her eyes. “Do you really have to ask?”

Rarity let out a huff. “I can make an educated guess. But why don’t you tell me yourself.”

“Ya want an answer? Fine.” Applejack hopped off her prison bed and began stomping in circles within her cell. “We’re trapped here by our greatest enemy, with who knows what kind of plan they have for us. I have friends on the other side of the world who might be in danger, and I have no way to know if they’re okay. We were this close to getting a town free, but then had to get stomped by that darned zebra.” She stopped her circling, closing her eyes and lowering her head. “But I can deal with all that. It’s Cheerilee that’s got me bugged.”

“Why’s that?” Derpy asked.

Applejack sat back down on her mattress, her hooves fiddling with her hat. She let out a sigh and said, “It’s just… I just don’t rightly understand, I guess. She helped us, even let us into her home. But when we said we were Returners, she tattled on us. Doesn’t she want her town back? I can’t stand the thought of the Empire gettin’ hold of my orchard.”

“She was probably scared somepony would get hurt,” Rarity said. “Maybe she thought things were best the way they currently are.”

“Maybe. It just grinds my apples to think somepony isn’t willing to fight for what’s rightfully theirs. How are we gonna win with an attitude like that?”

The clang of a heavy metal lock moving out of position echoed from down the hall, halting further conversation. Seconds later, Gilda strode down the hall, inspecting each prisoner in turn. “Hey, lamos. Long time, no see.”

There came a slam of hooves on mithril bars as Shining Armor jumped up against them. “Gilda! Where’s my son?! If you’ve done anything to him, you’re dead. I swear it!”

“Yeah, yeah, join the club,” Gilda said, waving a talon in the air as she passed by him and ignoring further threats to her life. “He’s being looked after by the doctor. He’ll give that kid of yours a thorough inspection.” She casually walked up to the cell opposite Applejack’s, rose to her hind legs, and leaned against the bars. Crossing her talons, she smirked as best she could with a beak for a mouth. “Ah, Applejack. Bet ya wish you didn’t betray us now, huh? You could have been boozing with the Emperor right now if ya’d just givin me Twilight when I asked.”

“I’d rather be dead than break bread with that oaf,” Applejack replied, facing away from Gilda.

“Heh, I’m with ya on that one. Well, except for the whole dying part.”

“You here for a reason, or just like to hear yourself talk?”

“Hey now, no need to be so grumpy.” Gilda dropped down to all fours and approached Applejack’s cell. “Otherwise I won’t tell you all the juicy details about Neighshe.” Applejack’s ears perking up and swiveling towards her gave Gilda all the incentive she needed to continue. “Heh, I see that got your attention. So yeah, we went in, kicked some tail, and brought back that esper. It’s sitting in our research center now. Once Doctor Whooves gets it thawed out, it’ll be a nice addition to our collection.

“As for Neighshe, well, those twerps put up a decent fight but nothing I couldn’t handle.”

Applejack stood still, her mouth a thin, tight line.

“Couldn’t tell ya what the kill count was. I was kinda in a hurry. Met that Rainbow pal of yours though, and had fun with her for a while.”

The earth pony whirled, thrusting her hoof through the bars on a direct course for Gilda’s head.

A surge of wind knocked Applejack back against the opposite cell wall. She winced and dropped to her stomach, gasping for breath.

“Yeah, it went something like that,” Gilda said. She chuckled and made her way towards the exit. “You lamos be good now. We got a lot to talk about tomorrow, starting with those chocobos you let loose.” Her cackling laughter rang through the prison and only stopped when the prison door slammed shut.

Applejack lay where she fell long after she had recovered. She stared forward, an empty look in her eyes as tears began falling to the floor. No sound reached her ears. How long she lay there, she neither knew nor cared.

.o.O.o.

In a brightly lit lab, strapped to a metal table, Spotter woke up. He blinked away his grogginess, slowly adjusting to the glare from the overhead lights. Once his eyes adjusted, he twisted his head around, gaping at all the blinking lights, machines with functions at which he could only guess, and a table full of bubbling test tubes and bunsen burners.

“Ah, I see the young lad is awake.”

Spotter twisted his head towards a stallion walking into the lab through a grey metal door. He wore a yellow lab jacket over a light brown coat with a hood attached to the jacket that lay over his dark, spiked hair. No horn or wings could be seen.

“Good day, young sir,” the earth pony said. “I am Doctor Whooves and I’ll be looking you over in a few minutes.”

“Where am I?” Spotter asked, struggling against his bindings. “Where’s my daddy?”

“All in good time.” Doctor Whooves picked up a syringe with his teeth and walked towards the bound colt. “But first, I need to find out where that cutie mark of yours came from. I know I didn’t put it there. It’s such a mystery.” He pointed the needle of the syringe at Spotter’s rump, aiming for the middle of his cutie mark. “Now hold still. This will sting.”

Wherein It Gets a Little Chilly

The Party of One settled gently down on the grassy plain with nary a jolt or a jostle. The airship, despite its appearance, was as graceful as a butterfly fluttering through the air.

The pegasus clinging to the underside was not so graceful. The moment the airship touched down, Fluttershy released her grip on the dangling rope and collapsed to the ground. The heavens willing, she would never have to experience flying again.

She lay on the ground for a few minutes, patiently waiting for her body to stop shaking. Fluttershy had never been so high up in her life. Not helping was the fact that most of the trip had been spent over open water, with no land to be seen in any direction. She had cried when mountains appeared on the horizon, signaling the end of her journey.

Now, it was just a matter of pulling herself together and finding her wayward charges. Sighing, Fluttershy picked herself up and took a long, calming breath. That seemed to do the trick, though she failed to notice a soft white light enveloping her body. Feeling better, she turned and marched towards the gangplank being lowered to the ground.

"Oh, those girls are going to get it. No more Miss Nice Pony! This vacation is over!"

.o.O.o.

“So, how was everypony’s trip? Did you all have a good time?” Pinkie Pie asked to the gathered crowd of ponies. And a chocobo. And a dragon whelp. She hopped in place, both to get a good look at all the eclectic beings waiting to disembark and to use up some excess energy. “I can’t let you go unless you’re all one-hundred percent satisfied!”

Spike leaned over and whispered to Stardust, “Whaddaya suppose happens if we aren't satisfied?” Spike waited for an answer, but none came. He looked up to see Stardust gazing out over the railing of the airship, his eyes distant and watery. “Hey,” he said, poking the chocobo in the side.

Stardust started, his feathers ruffling all over his body. “Huh, wha? Uh… not sure.”

“You okay? You’re acting weird.”

“Um… just… got a lot on my mind.”

“Oh, yeah? What about?”

Stardust waved a wing and began walking towards the gangplank. “Just stuff.”

“Hey!” Spike cried as he ran to catch up with him. “No seriously, what’s up?”

“Nothing. Just drop it, alright?”

Letting out a huff, Spike folded his arms and looked away. “Fine. Spoilsport.”

They reached the plank, walking single file to the ground. Seconds after they disembarked, Rainbow Dash suddenly stopped and flared her wings. “Wait!” she said and whirled around to face the others. “We can’t just walk right into Vectorlot like this. Half the Empire’s probably on our tails. We gotta think of something so that we can get in.” She turned to Trixie and gestured towards her with a hoof. “You know this place pretty well, right? What do you think?”

Trixie smirked and stepped forward, making sure she was in the center of the group. “Well, our little espers are held in the Magitek Research Facility. That place is well guarded, as you can probably guess. Some of the most advanced weapons are used to protect it. Going in the front door would be stupid, but there is a second way. The facility connects to the Magitek Factory in a couple of ways. If we can slip into the factory then we can get to the facility. There’s a railroad that we can use to get into the factory. That shouldn't be as guarded.”

“Great,” Rainbow Dash said, nodding her head. “I guess that’s where we gotta head to. Still doesn't help us with getting there.”

A pink pony, held aloft by a dozen red balloons, floated down next to them. Pinkie Pie began waving a hoof into the air and repeating, “Oh! Oh!”

Rainbow Dash blinked, looking between Pinkie Pie and the airship. “Were you eavesdropping on us?

“Hey, I wasn’t dropping any leaves!“ Pinkie Pie said. “I was listening the whole time.”

“Uh, right. Could you, uh, forget everything you just heard?”

“But then I won’t be able to tell you my idea to get you in.”

Rainbow Dash peered at the pink pony through lidded eyes. “Why would you want to help us? Aren’t you, like, best buds or something with the Empire?”

“Only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.” Pinkie Pie reached behind her and pulled out a small binder from thin air, pointing at a crudely drawn calendar in pink crayon. “And today’s definitely a Sunday, so I am totally free to be a meanie-pants to them!”

The only thing Rainbow Dash could think to say was, “‘Kay.”

“Alright, now, we’re going to need a few things from my airship.” Pinkie Pie placed a hoof to her mouth and blew, generating a high pitched whistle. Within seconds, dozens of ponies carrying sealed cardboard boxes on their backs ran down the gangplank and stood before Pinkie Pie in a perfect line. Three smaller ponies conspicuously fumbled their boxes but managed to take their place at the farthest end of the line. Rainbow Dash looked to see if Pinkie had noticed, but if she had she didn't seem to care.

Pinkie Pie clopped her hooves to once again gain attention. “Okay, since the Empire knows we’re here, there’s no way to go in all sneaky like. So, I’m gonna do what they expect me to do.” She jumped to her hind legs, a cloud of confetti blasting out of her mane. “Throw a party!”

.o.O.o.

Deep within the bowels of the Magitek Research Facility, a young colt sat on a stool with a scowl on his muzzle. He glared at the stallion standing at a desk and writing down figures on a clipboard. Only the scratching of a pencil on paper could be heard within the confines of the room.

Finally, the stallion finished his notes and regarded the colt. Sighing, he said, “Young lad, would you stop looking at me like that? All I did was give you a physical.”

“It hurt!” Spotter cried. He pointed at his flank where a band aid covered up part of his cutie mark. “What kind of doctor are you?!”

Doctor Whooves chuckled and set down his clipboard. “Not much of one, I admit. But I know enough to get what I need.” He pressed a button on his desk. Moments later, a cream colored mare with a cropped green and white mane stepped into the room. “Coco, please see to our guest here for a while. I need to run this over to the lab.”

“Certainly,” the mare replied, an easy smile on her muzzle. “Anything in particular I should know?”

“Just keep him company until I return.” Without another word, he exited the office, leaving Spotter and his assistant behind.

The mare sat down next to the young colt and extended a hoof. “Hello, there. I’m Coco Pommel. What’s your name?”

Spotter looked at the offered hoof for several seconds before extending one of his own and gently shook it. “Um, Spotter.”

“Hello there, Spotter. I see Whooves has taken an interest in you. Oh! Here.” She reached into a brown satchel hanging by her side and pulled out a red sucker, offering it to Spotter. “I think it’s tradition to have one of these after a doctor’s visit, right?”

“Yay!” His pains forgotten, Spotter wasted no time in grabbing the treat, ripping off the wrapper, and sticking it in his mouth. “Phanks!” he said around the hard candy.

“You’re welcome. Now, let’s see if we can find something to do until Whooves returns. How about a game?”

“Wha kind of game?”

“Hmm, good question.” Coco looked about the room, searching for any inspiration. Doctor Whooves’s office was a cluttered mess at the best of times, despite Coco’s efforts to keep it tidy. Charts and graphs that displayed complex equations that she couldn’t begin to decipher lay strewn on the desk and pinned to the walls without any rhyme or reason. Small machine parts, measuring equipment, and discarded food wrappers filled up the rest of the available space. “Well, let’s try this. Do you know the game Eye-Spy?”

Spotter rapidly nodded his head. “Yep!”

“Great! Then I’ll go first. Let’s see… I spy with my little eye, something that begins with D.”

Scrunching up his face, Spotter glanced around the room, his gaze finally falling on one object in particular. “A desk!” he exclaimed, pointing a hoof at the wooden desk taking up a third of the room.

Coco clapped her hooves. “That’s right! Okay, your turn.”

Spotter rolled the sucker in his mouth around as he searched for something that might stump the mare. His eyes narrowed as a tingling sensation in his horn caused him to focus on a wall. “I spy with my little eye, something that begins with S.”

“It’s not you, is it?”

“Nope.”

“Darn,” Coco said, exaggerating a sigh of defeat. “Looks like I lose again. What was it?”

Spotter got up from his seat and trotted over to a section of wall. Without hesitating, he tapped a hoof against the wall in several spots, earning a confused look from Coco. The question of what he was doing morphed into a squeak of surprise as the wall opened inwards like a door.

“Secret passage!”

.o.O.o.

“Okay everypony, dragon, and chocobo. Let’s get this party started!”

Pinkie Pie led her motley crew straight down the main street of Vectorlot, throwing streamers and confetti at all the confused passers-by. A much less exuberant set of ponies followed in her wake. Dressed in a full-body manticore mascot outfit, Rainbow Dash pirouetted, hopped, swiped, and growled at the citizens watching the impromptu parade. Fortunately, her mask covered up the deep scowl the pegasus wore throughout the activities.

“The things I do to sneak into places,” she muttered after belting a roar at a delighted set of foals.

The only thing making a fool out of herself bearable was that all her companions were going through the same thing. Big Macintosh, Twilight Sparkle, Trixie, Spike, and even Stardust wore similar monster costumes, each playing up their parts as best they could. A half-dozen of Pinkie Pie’s employees took up the tail of the parade, throwing out candy and balloons to the entertained, and more importantly, distracted crowd. None of the Imperial guards made any attempt to stop them, with many hooting and hollering along with everypony else.

It was as the parade marched down the westernmost thoroughfare that Rainbow Dash felt a nudge in her side. She looked over to see a green hydra prancing beside her. A moment later, Trixie peeked her head out of a flap built into the costume. “We’re almost at the factory.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. Rushing forward, she leapt up into the air and came crashing down on the pavement, letting out the loudest roar she could manage. Ahead of her, Pinkie Pie stopped in the middle of the street and blew a silver whistle. Immediately, all her employees ran up to her and quickly formed a pony pyramid. With one mighty hop, Pinkie Pie landed at the very top and said, “Okay, everypony! Time to jam!” From out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie pulled out a blue cannon, aimed it skyward, and fired.

Five balls, each a different color, shot out of the cannon. Within seconds, the balls reached their apex and fell to the street where they exploded into copious amounts of sticky jam. Soon, the buildings, street, and the populace became covered in multicolored jelly.

“Ha! You all thought I was kidding!”

While the Imperials worked to extract themselves from the gooey substance, either wiping it off or eating it, six mascot costumes slipped away into a deserted alleyway. Once concealed, zippers and straps came undone, freeing the party.

“Wow, I can’t believe that worked,” Spike said, discarding his repo man costume into a nearby garbage bin. The rest of the outfits soon followed.

Trixie stood in the center, addressing everyone. “Okay, we have to head a few more blocks from here, so don’t go drawing attention.” She raised an eyebrow at Stardust, who waved a wing for attention. “What is it?”

“I’ve got a… request to make,” he said. “I don’t think I should go with you. Chocobos are all slaves here, and I’ll stick out like a sore talon. I can stay with Pinkie Pie and help her.” He held up his left leg where a metal band was attached. “If I wear this, they’ll think I’m owned by somepony.”

Trixie shrugged. “Fine. But you better not cause trouble. We’re going to be in enough as it is.”

“Want me to come with you?” Spike said.

Shaking his head, Stardust walked back to the alleyway entrance. “Naw. I’ll be fine.” He stepped out onto the streets and soon was lost from sight.

“Whatever,” Trixie said, regaining the group’s focus. “Follow me and stay close.” Her orders given, Trixie headed further down the alley. The others followed, each keeping watch for any stray Imperial not being entertained by Pinkie Pie’s parade.

.o.O.o.

It was at times like these that Coco Pommel wished she didn’t have an irrational fear of the dark. She knew it was a childish fear that her mature and intellectual mind ought to be able to overcome. Yet, as she walked down the passage that Spotter had discovered, her rational mind had deserted her, leaving only apprehension and uncertainty behind.

“Spotter?” she called out. Her voice echoed down the passage, along with the unsteady sounds of her hooves against the stone floor. “Um, please, if you can hear me, please come back.”

The moment the colt had opened the secret door he ran through it, leaving a stunned Coco behind. It had taken her several seconds to process what had happened before she chased after him. Never would she have guessed that Whooves had a hidden door in his office. She could only wonder where it led to.

“Spotter!” she called again. “If you come back right now, we’ll have cookies!”

She waited for an answer to come. She received none.

“Phooey.”

Coco Pommel huffed, considering her options. Chase after the boy and hope not to get lost or turn back and alert Doctor Whooves. Sighing, she turned and headed back to the office. She didn’t get paid enough for this horse manure.

.o.O.o.

As Coco Pommel headed back, Spotter ran forward. The feeling of needing to be somewhere had compelled him to rush off the moment he found the secret passage. Something important lay ahead, he just knew it. These strange new powers were still a mystery to him, but they hadn’t failed him yet.

While the passage was completely dark, Spotter had no trouble navigating the twisting turns. It was like a whole new set of eyes allowed him to see beyond the blackness, instinctively knowing where to go and when to run around a discarded piece of machinery. And since he could “see” everything that he needed to, the darkness wasn’t all that scary.

The passage seemed to go on and on, with dozens of exits for him to take. However, it was as he passed the ten minute mark of when he started down the hidden hallway, that he finally stopped at a door marked “Holding Cells”. He couldn’t read it, but he just knew that this was the door he had been searching for. Like with the entrance that led him in here, Spotter pushed against specific spots on the door with a hoof. As soon as he pushed the last spot, the door swung open. Cautiously, Spotter stepped through.

The first thing he noticed upon entering the room were the mythril lined cages. The next were the ponies trapped behind the bars. Finally, one pony in particular grabbed all of his attention. “Dad!”

Shining Armor jerked awake, the sound of the familiar voice rousing him from his sleep. Spotter rushed up to the cell and held a hoof out between the bars. “I’ve come to get you out!”

“Spotter!” Within seconds, Shining Armor pressed up against the bars, reached out, and wrapped a hoof around his son. “Thank goodness you’re alright.”

“Yep! I got away as soon as I could.”

“They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Spotter fidgeted in his father’s grasp. “Well, this one guy stuck a needle in my butt. He said he gave me a… a uh… um… Shoot, I can’t remember what he called it.”

“What?” Shining Armor twisted Spotter around, quickly finding a bandage partially covering his cutie mark. “Are you all right? Do you feel sick?”

“Um, not really. Just a little sore. I feel fine now.”

Shining Armor growled and held his son closer. “What kind of sick ponies are in this place?” He hugged Spotter for a few more seconds, slowly letting his mind clear of all unease and worry. At last, he patted Spotter on the head and set him down on the floor. “Okay buddy. Let’s get out of here so that nopony can mess with us again.”

“Got it!” The colt stepped back and let his eyes wander around the room. Applejack, Rarity, Derpy, and Opalescence had been roused from their sleep when Spotter came in, but kept quiet as he focused on finding a clue to get them out. It didn’t take long, as Spotter caught sight of a lever at the far side of the room only a few hooves above the ground. He scampered over, reached up with both forelegs, and pressed down on the lever with all his weight. The lever gave a squeak of protest but gave to the pressure. Instantly, all the cell doors swung open, allowing all the captives to trot out.

His father got to him first, sweeping up his son into a proper hug. “You did it! I’m so proud of you!”

“Very impressive,” Rarity said, beaming at him.

“Right on!” Derpy chirped.

Applejack, giving a brave smile, walked up and patted Spotter on the head. “Good goin’.” She turned away, her small smile giving way to a deep frown. Sighing, she said, “Not sure what good it’s going to do.”

“Applejack?” Rarity said, coming up to the earth pony.

“Sorry. I… I’m…” She felt a pair of hooves wrap around her neck. She looked up to see a shock of blond hair against a grey coat. Swallowing, Applejack leaned deeper into Derpy’s hug.

“It’s going to be okay,” Derpy said, stroking a hoof up and down Applejack’s back. “We’ve been through a lot, but we’re still here. And if we can make it then I’m sure your friends did too.”

“I know, but it’s just… hard not to think about it, ya know?”

Rarity stepped up to her, cautiously adding her own hoof to Applejack’s back as though the pony would run away. “Um, anything we can do for you, dear?”

Applejack shook her head. “I don’t know. It just seems so pointless.”

“Uh, Applejack?” The mare glanced down to see Spotter looking up at her with a quizzical expression. “What’s wrong?”

Sighing, Applejack extracted herself from Derpy’s grasp. “Nothin’. We better get out of here.” She tilted her head at the hidden entrance Spotter came in from. “Think we can get out through there?”

“Yeah!” Spotter ran over to the door, hopping up and down in excitement. “I was able to get here so I think I can find a way out.”

“Good going, Spot,” Shining Armor said. “Let’s get going before Gilda comes back.”

Spotter, a grin stretching his mouth from ear to ear, led the way through the dark passage. Rarity walked beside him, using her horn’s glow to light the way for the others. They traveled through the passage for several minutes, going past doors and separate hallways, until Spotter stopped at an intersection. Three different paths, right, left, and straight ahead lay before them. For the first time since their trip began, Spotter hesitated.

After a few moments passed, Shining Armor walked up to him and placed a hoof on his withers. “What is it, bud?”

“Um, I’m not sure which way to go,” Spotter said. He squinted his eyes and pursed his lips, looking down each passage one by one. Finally, he let out a whine. “I don’t know which way to go. It was easy when I found you guys. I don’t know what’s wrong!”

“Take it easy. You’re doing great. Maybe you just need a break?”

Light filled the hallway from light bulbs hanging from above. At the same time, ponies in Imperial armor charged down from the left passage. “There they are! Get them!”

“No time for a break!” Derpy said, taking wing and shooting down the right passage. The others quickly followed. Shouts and threats from behind spurred them on, taking hallways without thought. Soon, the sound of more ponies entering the corridors from all sides forced a decision. Choosing a door at random, Shining Armor slammed against it with his shoulder, causing it to rattle. He backed up and tried again, denting the metal this time. On the third try, Applejack added a solid buck, sending the door flying off its hinges. With soldiers bearing down on them from every direction, the ponies scrambled through the new opening.

They found themselves in an open-air arena. The entire area was composed of riveted sheets of metal, with sheer high walls on all sides. No exits could be seen anywhere.

“Welcome, Returner scum,” a voice said from a small platform overlooking the arena. A pony, dressed in royal red robes, leered down at them. “How nice of you to volunteer to test our newest creation.” He pressed a button on a control panel in front of him. A portion of the wall on the opposite end of the group slid open, the metal doors rumbling wide to reveal a colossal shadowed figure. “The Guardian will make short work of you.”

As the pony laughed in triumph, the Guardian began to move, revealing itself to the light. It towered over the ponies, twice the height of Shining Armor. It walked on two thick metal legs, with each step it took shaking the arena to its very foundations. Its main body was composed of dense steel with a long cannon sticking out of its front.Two mini-guns were fused on both sides of the torso. The bipedal monstrosity lumbered towards them, aimed, and fired.

“Scatter!” Applejack cried out. Her shout of alarm came just in time as the ponies dove out of the way. A blast of condensed energy shot out of the main cannon, striking the spot where they had stood. The power of the blast obliterated the metal plating and sent a shockwave that tossed the group like dolls.

Applejack managed to land on her hooves, shaken but ready to fight back. Raising to her hind legs, she focused and shot an Aurabolt into the Guardian’s broad side. The bolt careened off of it, leaving no visible mark of damage.

“Give up, Returners,” the controller said from his perch. “Nothing you can do can harm it.”

“No, but I can get you!” was all the warning he got before Derpy collided with him, sending the pony off the ledge to land hard on the metal grating below. “Ha! Take that,” she said to his unmoving form.

A hail of bullets whizzed by her, narrowly avoiding becoming a cloud of red mist.

“Ah! It’s still moving!” Rarity cried, running around the walker to keep out of its line of sight. “Let’s get out of here. Without any weapons, we’re not going to last long!”

“Back to the door!” Applejack said over the clanking titan. Putting words to action, she ran towards where they came in, only to be brought up short by a whole troop of soldiers blocking the entrance. Before she could muster the strength to plow through them, the Guardian swiveled at the sound of her voice and fired its main cannon again. Years of training saved Applejack’s life as instincts took over and she cartwheeled out of the way. The blast sailed past her to make a direct hit in the center of the dumbfounded troops standing at the entrance. The resulting detonation of spent energy incinerated most of the soldiers and tossed the rest aside like leaves in the wind. The explosion also tore through the riveted wall, creating a blackened hole of smoking metal.

“Quick, now’s our chance!” Applejack ran towards the charred entrance, waving for the others to follow. “Derpy! Think you could distract that thing for a few seconds?”

Grinning, Derpy saluted and swooped down in front of the Guardian and immediately flew upwards. The Guardian tracked her movements, searching for a clear shot and ignored the small ponies running through the opening it had made for them. Once Shining Armor and Spotter safely passed out of sight, Derpy banked sharply. The Guardian fired after her, leaving a trail of pockmarks and shredded pavement, but couldn’t turn fast enough to keep up with the agile pegasus. Her aim true, Derpy whizzed through the opening and down the lit passage, quickly catching up to the others and leaving the deadly magitek behind.

.o.O.o.

“Here we are.” Trixie levitated open a large grate set into a brick wall. The opening was large enough for even Big Macintosh to walk through. She pointed at the entrance. “Everypony inside.”

The moment the words left her mouth, a rush of air escaped from the opening and washed over the group. All of them gagged from the foul stench, with Spike turning green and choking back a dry heave. Rainbow Dash flapped above the smell, glaring down on at Trixie. “You want us to go in there? In a sewer?”

“Yes, nitwit,” Trixie said with a huff. “It’s the easiest way into the factory. Unless you want to try the main entrance and get blown to pieces by every magitek armor stationed there.”

“At least there I’ll die with dignity than die of puking.”

“Would you stop complaining and get in? Just hold your breath or something. Oh, and don’t think about what you may or may not step in.”

Grimacing, Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Still not giving me any good reason to go in there.”

“By all that’s—fine.” Shaking her head and mumbling something under her breath, Trixie pointed her horn at the small trickle of water leaking out of the drain and concentrated. Seconds later, a stream of super chilled air shot out and encased the bottom of the drain in a thin sheet of ice. Trixie poked at her work with a hoof, nodding her head in satisfaction. “There. The Great and Clever Trixie has provided a way to keep your precious hooves from getting all icky. Now move it.” Not looking back, she marched into the drainage pipe, her horn lighting up to show the way.

The others looked to each other, uncertainty in their expressions. The wait for someone to move went on until Twilight Sparkle firmed up and headed in. She disappeared into the darkness after only a dozen steps. Sighing, Spike ran in after her, leaving two ponies behind.

Rainbow Dash shared a look with Big Macintosh. “Still think this is a good idea?”

A feminine cry of shock echoed out of the cave, followed by a body smacking against a hard surface, then a male chuckle. “Need some help Twi?” came Spike’s amused voice. “I never thought I’d need to teach you how to move on ice.”

“Nope,” Big Macintosh said with a shrug. However, he too headed into the sewage pipe.

Alone, Rainbow Dash gave a groan and headed after him. “I hate the underground, but I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Inside, the smell hit Rainbow Dash like buck to the gut, but somehow it wasn’t as overwhelming as she feared. Trixie’s magic suppressed the worst of it. Sliding on the ice was tricky at first, with a few close wipe-outs, but Rainbow Dash got the hang of it quickly enough. If it required physicality, she would find a way to master it. She caught up with the others who were all forced to travel single file in the limited space of the pipe with Trixie leading the way. Four times Trixie had to stop to recast her ice spell, though this gave no hint as to how far they had gone. After what felt like hours of slow sliding on the makeshift ice path, Trixie came to a stop.

“Trixie has finally reached our destination.” She pointed her horn at a glyph drawn on the pipe and fired a tiny amount of ice over it. The glyph began to glow lime green, illuminating the passage in an eerie light. Rumbling of hidden machinery could be heard, followed by a hidden panel sliding down, revealing a new way forward. Trixie turned to the group, a satisfied smirk on her face. “Voilà! This entrance can only be opened by Magitek Knights like Trixie. We’ll be at the esper holding facility in no time.”

Rainbow Dash squirmed her way forward and peeked through the new opening. She blinked. “Uh, Trix, all that’s here is a bunch of garbage.”

“Well, yes. Even places like this have to be protected. Stand aside.” She nudged past Rainbow Dash and into the new room, gingerly stepping her way over the discarded trash covered in sludge. “There should be a way straight to where the espers are kept in here. Start looking.”

The others didn’t move. “You mean, we have to dig around in this?” Rainbow Dash swept a hoof over the mounds of waste. “With our bare hooves?”

“Really?” Trixie scoffed as she began moving bags out of her way with her magic. “You come all this way and a little dirt is what stops you? Didn’t realize you were all such wimps.”

“Hey, there’s fighting and then there’s… this.”

“I-I’ll help,” Twilight said. She stepped into the room, her horn lighting up with a dim aura, and copied Trixie’s efforts to search the room.

Spike sighed and headed in after her. “Oi, the sooner we get this done the better.”

“Eyup,” Big Macintosh said. He reached into his pack, pulling out a long pole and a shovel. He attached the shovel end to the pole, took the pole in his teeth and started pushing away large stacks of garbage.

“Ew,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “This better be worth it.” She joined in, whining the entire time.

Soon, most of the trash got moved to one side of the dump, creating a mountain of grungy material. Twice, a blue puddle of goo with beady eyes and gaping mouth that Trixie identified as flans rose from the gunk. However, a quick application of Twilight’s fire melted the globulous monsters, much to the unicorn’s delight. Nothing that disgusting was coming near her. It was as the last of the waste was moved aside that Big Macintosh found a door-shaped protrusion. And there, laying in front of it in a pile of filth and awful, lay a blue figure.

“Um, Trixie?” Big Macintosh said over his shoulder. “I think you better come look at this.”

Trixie dropped her current load onto the discard pile and rushed over. “Did you find—oh no.”

The group crowded around, wincing at the sight of the creature. Only its head and torso were visible, its skin color barely discernible due to the caked on layers of grime. It appeared humanoid, much like Ramuh, but with softer features, giving everyone the distinction that the creature was female.

“Shiva,” Trixie said, barely above a whisper. She unclasped a flask from under her cloak, unstopped it, and levitated it towards Shiva’s lips. Gently, Trixie managed to pry open Shiva’s mouth and began draining the potion down the creature’s throat. Once all the potion was gone, Trixie tossed the empty bottle away.

“Trixie?” Twilight hesitantly said. “I-I-Is this… an esper?”

“Was. Help me get her cleaned off.” With Big Macintosh’s help, the both of them uncovered the rest of Shiva’s body and laid her down on a cleared patch of floor. During it all, the esper did not move. Trixie shook her head. “Probably dead. Looks like Whooves drained her completely.” In one smooth motion, Trixie pulled out her sword and pointed it at Shiva’s chest. “Best to put her out of her misery.” Before anyone could protest, the sword descended.

Only for a blue hand to shoot up and catch the blade a hoof length from the esper’s heart.

“It has been a while, Trixie.”

All at once, cold air slammed against the ponies, sending them flying across the room. Amidst the confusion, Shiva rose up to her full height, her nude body glowing with power. All the filth covering her evaporated away, leaving a pristine, and terrible, esper standing above them. She tossed the sword still in her grip to where Trixie had fallen, her burning yellow eyes piercing the cowering unicorn. “At last, you and I can finish our business with each other.”

“Sh-Sh-Shiva,” Trixie stuttered, too frazzled to reach for her weapon. “Please, it wasn’t Trixie’s fault. Doctor Whooves is to blame! He forced Trixie, just like you!”

“It doesn’t matter who is to blame, Trixie. We are bound now. It’s time to see if you are worthy.”

Trixie swallowed. “Worthy?”

“To receive the rest of my power. Whooves may have given some of it to you through his tubes, but you lack my true magic.” Shiva pointed at the door where she had been laying against moments before. “When he finished, he dumped me here. I was too weak to escape so I waited for my strength to return. It took a long time. So very long.” She stepped back, putting space between herself and Trixie. “Now, face me.”

“Hold it!” Rainbow Dash zipped in between the combatants. “No way I’m letting you fight her. We’re here to help you! We’re gonna save all of you.”

Shiva smiled, giving a tiny nod. “And I thank you, and wish you success. But this is our way, little pony. We test those that seek our power.” From her lips, a tendril of cool air snaked towards Rainbow Dash. The pegasus yelped and flapped her wings, but the tendril moved against her wind and wrapped around her snout. Rainbow Dash’s eyes fluttered once, twice, then closed completely. With a flop, Rainbow Dash fell to the floor, unconscious. Shiva waved her hand, sending Rainbow Dash up into the air and onto Big Macintosh’s back. “The rest of you, do not interfere. Now, Trixie, show me your might.”

Not giving Trixie time to think, Shiva raised her hand, a gust of cold air shooting out of the esper’s open palm. Trixie’s training took over as she grasped her sword in her magic and hopped out of the way, letting the wintry blast blow by her. The wall she had been standing next to became encased in ice. Another attack came, but this time she was ready. Raising her sword, Trixie let Shiva’s magic come straight for her. With a spark of her horn, Trixie’s blade glinted, sucking all of Shiva’s power into the sword.

Trixie grinned. Absorbing the stolen magic through her horn, she raised up on her hind legs and shouted, “Anything you can do, I can do better!” A blast of condensed ice magic shot out of her horn, tearing through garbage and freezing blown trash in place. The reversal attack impacted Shiva full on, the sheer brilliance of Trixie’s magic obscuring her form.

When the last snowflake had fallen, Trixie dropped back down to all fours. Where Shiva had stood now lay a cocoon of ice, the esper’s body barely visible through the clear frozen water. Trixie swept back her cape in a dramatic fashion, a satisfied smirk on her muzzle. “That, my friends, is how it’s done.”

The cocoon shattered into thousands of small, glittering pieces, startling everyone. Stepping through the rainbow of sparkling water particles, Shiva approached a slacked-jawed Trixie. “Impressive, but foolhardy. My domain is ice and all you’ve done is regenerate me further. If that is the best you can do, then this contest is over.”

“Oh, yeah?!” Trixie thrust her sword forward, stabbing at the center of Shiva’s chest.

Shiva raised a hand, stopping the weapon with the very tip of her finger. “Enough. You are not ready to take my power. Until you are, train with this.” She sent a pulse of light blue magic down the blade. Before everyone’s eyes, the sword became engulfed by ice. The magical power seeped into the sword, morphing the shape and size of it. The blade expanded, growing serrated edges and becoming a deep blue. The handle changed into a stylized crystal, icicle-like in appearance. Trixie blinked and levitated the improved sword before her, her eyes wide with astonishment. “The Blizzard shall serve you well. Now, to take my leave. Fare thee well.”

“Wait!” Trixie said.

Too late, as Shiva stepped back and rose off the ground. She thrust her chest forward, gathering magic into her palms. Ice crept up from her hands and quickly encased her in ice. A flash of white light blinded the group, followed by the sound of shattering glass. When the light faded and the ponies trained their eyes back to the esper, they collectively gasped. Floating where Shiva had been was a shard of magicite.

“She… she’s gone,” Twilight Sparkle whispered.

The magicite pulsed, then drifted down in front of Trixie. Weary, Trixie sheathed her new sword and took the magicite into her hooves. “Fool,” she said to the shard. “I’ll show you. I’ll become greater and more powerfuller than you could ever imagine.” She stared into the crystal, as if waiting for a response, but none came. Sighing, she placed the magicite under her cloak.

A moment passed with no one saying a word. At last, Twilight stepped up to Trixie and laid a hoof on the other unicorn’s shoulder. “Um, I-I don’t know w-what to say. I’m s-sure you’ll prove that you’re w-w-worthy.”

Trixie slapped the hoof aside. “Save it. Trixie doesn’t need your pity.” She walked away, heading towards the door Shiva had been lying up against. “Let’s go. We’ve wasted enough time. And would somepony wake Rainbow Dash up?”

The pegasus snored in response.

.o.O.o.

On the other side of the door lay a flight of stairs leading up. The top of the shaft lay in darkness, with no way of telling how far up it went. Trixie took point, lighting up her horn to illuminate the way, while Twilight did the same at the rear. Twilight’s light flickered, earning a concerned look from Spike, but she gave him a small smile and waved him off. Spike withheld saying anything, but walked a little closer to Twilight than was necessary.

Without any cider around, Spike resorted to poking Rainbow Dash awake with his spear. The adventurer awoke with a yelp of pain and jumped twenty hooves into the air. Once she landed, rubbing her sore bottom the entire way, she growled and bared her teeth at the drake. “The hay was that for?! You could have tried something else, you know.”

“Eh,” Spike said with a shrug. “It was the first thing that came to mind.”

“Yeah, I’ll remember that when it’s my turn to wake you up.” Whirling away from him, she addressed the others. “So what happened?”

As they climbed up, Twilight, Spike, and Big Macintosh filled her in on Trixie’s fight with Shiva. Trixie herself remained silent, content with leading the way. Rainbow Dash let out a low whistle once they were finished. “So, what happens now? You keeping that magicite until it bonds with you?”

Trixie rolled her eyes and let out a snort. “What a stupid thing to ask. Of course Trixie will keep it. It’s not like you would be able to bond with Shiva.”

“Hey, you don’t know that. Weirder things have happened. Thing is is that I just know that the most awesome esper is just waiting for me to come along and scoop it up. Then the fun will really begin!”

“You might get your wish,” Trixie said, stopping in front of a door marked “Restricted” in big bold red letters. “Through here should be the Magitek Research Facility. The espers will be in there.” She shot a tiny blast of magic at a glass panel built into the door. Seconds later, a small click was heard. Trixie pushed open the door, the hinges letting out a tiny squeak, and stepped into the room beyond.

They entered in the middle of a long laboratory. Yellow lighting from above revealed tables laden with science instruments, lockers bursting with notebooks, and blackboards covered in equations written in white chalk. No Imperials or scientists could be seen, as though everypony simply dropped what they were working on and left the room. However, what caught the eye of everyone were the rows of large glass cylinders lining one side of the lab. They were all empty, though once the group walked closer, evidence of prior use could be seen. Condensation dripped off two of the cylinders while another was broken open with discarded glass laying around it.

“This place gives me the creeps,” Rainbow Dash said. “Is this where the espers are supposed to be?”

Trixie let out of huff of air. “They should be here. Whooves must have moved them. We’ll need to look around.” She took in the room, noticing a set of double doors, the only other exit in the room, and headed towards them.

Twilight and Spike hovered around the cylinders, the unicorn’s eyes becoming teary as she looked over the spent machines. “Espers w-w-were in here,” she said, her voice cracking. “I c-can feel it. They went through s-so much pain.”

“Twilight,” Spike said, laying a claw on her backside. “We’re gonna help them. Promise.”

“I-I didn’t want to fight. I didn’t w-want to hurt others. But… others are being h-h-hurt no matter if I f-fight or not.” She sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. “I don’t know what to do, Spike.”

“Don’t worry, Twilight. You’ll figure it out. And I’ll help like I always do.”

Twilight sat down, smiling at her mentor. She reached forward and gathered up Spike in a hug, holding him tight to her chest. “Thank you, S-Spike. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Spike returned the hug, closing his eyes and living in the moment.

A few hooves away, Big Macintosh nodded at the scene and walked off, letting the two to have some privacy. He busied himself with going over the workbenches and tables, marveling at how advanced some of the instruments were. Opening a tool chest, his eyes widened. Reaching a hoof in, he pulled out a cordless drill. The grip fit around his hoof perfectly, the trigger placed in such a way that a simple act of pressure was enough to activate it. The drill itself, long and topped with a diamond bit, whirled at what Big Macintosh estimated to be one hundred revolutions per second. Grinning, he switched it off and strapped it to his tool belt.

“Hold up!” Rainbow Dash shouted, fluttering over to a metal display casing set against the wall opposite the cylinders. Viewable through a sheet of glass built into the casing lay a weapon the pegasus had never seen before. It was a sword, the blade shaped in the form of a lightning bolt. The handle and pommel were decorated with storm clouds. Rainbow Dash’s eyes shone as she gazed up at the weapon, a thin line of drool leaking from her mouth. “This… is so awesome.” Tentatively, she reached forward.

“Um, Dash, maybe you should leave that alone?” Spike said from across the room.

Rainbow Dash didn’t heed his warning. She popped open the unlocked display, reached her head in, and pulled out the sword. The handle between her teeth felt like soft cotton. Rainbow Dash shivered as a slight electric tingle ran down the blade and into her body. She closed her eyes and moaned.

“Are you done making out with that thing?” Trixie called, waiting next to the double doors. “We have to get going.”

“Thunder Blade,” Rainbow Dash mumbled through her teeth. Absently, she flipped out her mythril dagger with a wing and tossed it to the floor. The newly christened Thunder Blade slipped into the now empty sheath. Rainbow Dash turned to the others, making sure that her new weapon was in full view. “Whaddaya think?”

Twilight, closest to Rainbow Dash, gave her a wide smile. “I-it looks g-great. I’m sure it will h-help you.”

“Darn right it will! I’ve got a good feeling about this one.”

A cough drew their attention back to Trixie, giving the duo a half-lidded stare. “Wonderful. Let’s go.” Not waiting to see if they followed, Trixie pushed open the doors and into the area beyond.

They found themselves in a non-descript hallway. No doors lined the walls, just a featureless metal walkway. With no other way to go, the group headed down. Taking a sharp corner, they found themselves in a hangar like area. Lines of pilotless magitek armor lay on one side while a half dozen telstars hung from the ceiling. As with the laboratory, no Imperials could be seen.

“I’m not liking this,” Big Macintosh spoke up. “Not enough guards for a place like this.”

“Yeah,” Spike responded. “It’s strange that we haven’t seen anyone for a while.”

“Whatever!” Rainbow Dash flew forward, right in the middle of the hangar. “We’ve come too far to go back. Besides, we can deal with whatever it is they throw at us.”

The sound of a heavy sliding door wiped the confident grin on Rainbow Dash’s face. Across the hangar, two large metal panels slid open, revealing a humanoid creature twice as tall as Big Macintosh. The creature gave a low roar and stepped into the light, showing off more of its physique. Blue armor with golden, spiky shoulder pads covered its bulky torso, its head was a mishmash of stitches topped with a crew haircut, and twin blades jutted out from its wrists. It gave a wordless grumble and charged.

“Number zero-two-four!” Trixie yelled. “Move!”

Number 024 came in swinging its arms, its attached blades slicing through the spot where Rainbow Dash had been hovering. The pegasus swooped around, brandishing her new sword, and came diving back in. Her overhead chop towards Number 024’s neck was met with a block from the creature’s right blade. Its left one stabbed forward but Rainbow Dash twisted out of the way and landed next to her companions. “The heck is that thing?!”

“Something Doctor Whooves was working on before Trixie was assigned to South Fillygaro. Looks like he finished it.”

Talking ceased as Number 024 ran forward and swiped at them. The group scattered and quickly positioned themselves to surround the creature. As one, Trixie, Rainbow Dash, Big Macintosh, and Spike rushed in, striking the monstrosity with their respective weapons. Number 024 slashed back, but the ponies and dragon were too quick, moving out of its line of sight faster than it could react. Soon, deep gashes and holes appeared all over its body, spilling out cords, exposing circuitry, and leaking out motor fluids.

“Is it some kind of machine?” Spike said. His spear was covered in oil, making it hard to grip.

“Who cares, just kill it!” Rainbow Dash shouted, aiming again for the monster’s head.

Before everyone’s eyes, Number 024 roared, its body emitting a multitude of colors. Rainbow Dash’s Thunder Blade struck seconds later.

It bounced off as though she had struck rubber.

“Ow!” Rainbow Dash fluttered to the ground and dropped her weapon, rubbing her jaw. “What gives?”

Trixie danced away from a vicious upward strike strong enough to remove her head and lunged forward, sinking Blizzard into Number 024’s thigh. “Stop complaining!” she called to Rainbow Dash, seconds before Number 024 flashed again. Trixie’s next attack, aimed at the same spot and meant to cleave her opponent’s leg off, ricocheted away without leaving a scratch. “Eh?”

Number 024 rounded on the blue unicorn but a stream of fire impacted its chest and pushed it away, leaving a smoking hole of melted metal. “G-Guys!” Twilight Sparkle said, a sheen of sweat forming on her forehead. “I… I can f-feel it changing its w-weakness. It’s adapting!”

“Then fire at it again before—”

Too late, as Number 024 emitted its rainbow lights again. Growling, Trixie stepped back, her sword levitating at the ready. “Great, now what?”

Spike ran up to Trixie and leveled his spear up at the advancing monster. “I’ve still got my wind breath.”

“Oh, good, give it a gentle breeze why don’t you. That will solve things.”

Number 024 attacked before Spike could bark out a retort. He held up his spear, blocking one of the wrist blades while Trixie managed to do the same with the other. Doctor Whooves’ creation pressed down, using its superior height and leverage to bear down on the two.

Behind Number 024, Big Macintosh sneered as he watched his comrades slowly lose ground. “Nope!” He ran forward, standing right behind Number 024’s legs. “Hey, Spike! Use your wind breath now!”

“Okay!” Sucking in as much air as he could while holding back Number 024’s blade, Spike let loose a blast of wind into the creature's chest. The force caught Number 024 off guard, sending it rearing back, and toppling over Big Macintosh’s body.

The red stallion wasted no time. He leapt onto Number 024’s chest, using his great weight to pin it down. He reached for his tool belt, grabbed his new drill, flipped it on, and drove the diamond tipped bit right between the monster’s eyes. Number 024 immediately began convulsing, its thrashing body nearly sending Big Macintosh flying off. The engineer held on though and shoved the drill deeper into Number 024’s head. The creature jerked a few more times, then its arms and legs went limp. Big Macintosh kept the drill in for a few more seconds before finally pulling out and stepping away. Smirking, he placed the drill back on his belt. “Found its weakness.”

The others crept forward, cautiously keeping an eye on the downed machine. Rainbow Dash nudged it with a hoof but Number 024 did not respond. Grinning, she turned to Big Macintosh. “Dude! That was awesome!” She held up a hoof which Big Macintosh gladly bumped with his own.

“Yeah, nice thinking there big guy,” Spike said, patting Big Macintosh on the side.

Twilight came around his other side, giving him a wide smile. “Good g-going.”

“Aw, shucks,” the stallion said, a light blush forming on his cheeks.

Trixie walked past the cheering group, heading for the entrance Number 024 had emerged from. “Yes, good job. But we better move before any more things like that show up. Come on.”

“Yeah, yeah, coming miss pushy,” Rainbow Dash called to her. She slipped Thunder Blade back into its sheath and followed after said pushy unicorn. The others placed their own weapons away and quickly caught up to the two blue ponies.

Past the hangar another large room opened before them, twice as big as the laboratory from earlier. More glass tubes where present, each connected to a walkway down the center of the room. However, unlike the empty ones seen only minutes before, these were filled with beings unlike anything the Returners had encountered previously.

Twilight gasped, her senses telling her for what they really were. “Espers.”

In Which Ponies Bond

Pinkie Pie’s parade may have ended, but the afterparty was in full swing.

“Come on, everypony! The night’s still young, even if we can’t see the moon through all that smog. Who’s up for another round?”

A thunderous cheer of approval answered her.

“Just what I wanted to hear!” Pinkie Pie pulled back a curtain covering a trolley full of bottles of cider. Pinkie picked one up, popped off the cork, and took a deep gulp. “Aaaaahhhhhh,” she sighed after coming up for air. “Nothing beats the eighty-fours.” She hopped aside and gestured to the trolley. “Don’t be shy. Come and get ‘em!”

The crowd didn’t have to be told twice. Ponies quickly crowded the trolley and picked up a bottle, drinking down the sweet and slightly alcoholic beverage.

“Don’t worry, there’s plenty for you all! Especially for our Empire’s finest.”

A group of Imperial soldiers trotted up, large smiles across their muzzles. They gladly accepted the offered cider and drank heartily. Soon, the whole crowd had sampled Pinkie Pie’s cider and began singing and dancing in the streets. The party went on and on and would become one of the most talked about parties in the Empire for some time to come.

All the commotion made it easy for Stardust to slip by without being noticed.

Unnoticed, except by a trio of tiny shadows following his every move.

Stardust stuck to the side streets, even though the few ponies he passed didn’t give him a second look. Chocobos were a common sight in the Empire, especially in Vectorlot were dozens would walk the streets on errands for their masters. He caught sight of one such chocobo out and about, a dull yellow female carrying sacks of food on her back. Stardust followed her, keeping a discreet distance away. After a mile of tailing her, she reached a nondescript house within the residential section of the city. She opened the door and walked in.

A few minutes passed, with no pony or chocobo leaving or entering the house. Swallowing, Stardust made his way up to the door. He raised a talon up, but hesitated, and set it back down. “C’mon, Stardust,” he muttered to himself. “Don’t chicken out now.” Again he lifted a talon, this time rapping it against the door.

Moments later, the same female chocobo opened it and cocked her head. “Yes? May I help you?”

“Um… ah… I’m not sure,” Stardust said. He looked down, shuffling his talons upon the ground. “This is going to sound really strange, but I was wondering if you could give me some information.”

“What kind of information?”

“Well, you see, I’m not owned by anypony here. I’ve come with some friends that might be able to help.”

The female gave him an odd look. “Help with what? You are saying some very strange things.”

“Look, I don’t think it’s safe if I speak outside like this. Is it okay if I come in?”

“No.” She stepped back and shut the door. A second later a click was heard on the lock.

Stardust hung his head and sighed. “Crap.”

“Whatcha doing?”

Letting out a loud squawk, Stardust whirled around, coming beak to muzzle with three tiny fillies. “You guys again?! How the heck did you get here?”

Apple Bloom held up her nose. “Just because we’re small doesn’t mean we don’t know how to get around.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said. “It wasn’t that hard to sneak on that airship.”

“But enough of that.” Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes. “Where’s that unicorn, the one that knows about cutie marks? She was with you guys and then we lost her.”

Stardust held a wing to his head and groaned. “This again? Look, Trixie is off doing whatever and there’s no way you’re going to get to her. You’re better off going back to the airship and waiting for her there. If she lives, that is.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“She’s doing stuff that’s very dangerous, that’s what. Now, go back to the party or airship or whatever. Stop following me around.”

Scootaloo pumped her tiny wings, managing to lift off the ground and hover in front of Stardust’s beak. “Why, chickenlips? You up to something bad?” She gasped, her wings finally giving out and she fell with a flop back to the ground.

Stardust flicked her nose with a talon for good measure. “No! Now go away!”

“Hey, mister! That’s no way to treat somepony smaller than you!”

Stardust drew back as a pair of cyan eyes filled his vision. The pair belonged to a vaguely familiar yellow pegasus, but all his facilities were focused on the glare he was receiving.

“You’re bigger than she is. You should know better. Say you’re sorry right now!”

Comprehension of the words didn’t matter, only the primal compulsion to follow them. Stardust nodded.

“Good. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Blinking, Stardust became aware of his surroundings again. As his first conscious act, he bent his head down towards Scootaloo and said, “Sorry.”

A hoof gently patted his back. “There. That’s better.”

Stardust jolted at the sensation, drawing back and getting a full look at the newest arrival. “Oh, it’s you. Butterfly butt.”

“Um, it’s… it’s F-Fluttershy,” the pegasus said.

“Yeah, well, good seeing you again, I guess.” He waved a wing at the three fillies watching them. “So uh, you going to take them and go?”

“Now hold on,” Apple Bloom spoke up. “You haven’t told us what you are doin’.”

Stardust let out a long breath, shaking his head. “Look, if I tell you, will you all just go away?”

Sweetie Belle stood straight and saluted. “Cutie Mark Crusaders’ honor!”

“Fine. Whatever. All I’m doing is trying to help the chocobos here. They’re all slaves here and getting them free is important. I’m trying to find any information I can to help. That’s it.”

“Oh, that’s very noble of you,” Fluttershy said.

Scootaloo buzzed her wings, gaining everyone’s attention. “Hey, Fluttershy, how’d you find us anyway?”

“Um…” Fluttershy rubbed her hooves together, looking away. “Um… I’m not really sure. I just sort of felt my way to you. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Probably something to do with your new butt symbol,” Stardust said, pointing at her flank.

“Oh, right. I forgot I had that.”

Any further conversation came to a stop when the door they had been loitering next to opened, revealing the female chocobo Stardust had spoken to earlier. “Excuse me, but are all of you going to stand in front of my home and talk all night?”

“Oops, sorry,” Stardust said. He gave a sheepish chuckle and turned to walk away.

“Actually, I have something to say to you. Could your friends give us a moment?”

“They’re not my—”

“Oh, girls, let’s check out that fountain over there, shall we?” Fluttershy said, herding her charges away.

“But I want to hear what they say,” came Sweetie Belle’s fading voice.

Once all the ponies were out of earshot, the female chocobo regarded Stardust. “Listen, I happened to hear what you were saying. About helping chocobos, I mean. Now, I’m not part of any group or anything like that, but the Imperials around here talk. I don’t think they know how good our hearing is or they just don’t care. From what I’ve heard, there were some chocobos that were freed a few days ago and haven’t been found.”

Stardust leaned in, his eyes wide. “Really? Do you know if one of them was called Moonlight?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know anymore about that. My point is, is that even though those chocobos got away, they’ve been in hiding. As long as the Empire is around, nochoco is going to be safe. If you really want to help us, the Empire has got to go away.”

“Well, yeah, but—”

She held up a wing, forestalling what Stardust was going to say. “I hear there’s a group that’s fighting back. If you want to help, join them.”

Stardust let out a long sigh, rolling his eyes. “Yes, I know. The Returners.”

“Yes, them. If you look hard enough, I’m sure you’ll find them.”

“I don’t have to. I already am one.”

She blinked and gave him a quizzical look. “Then why are you wasting time with me?”

“Because they’re taking too long!” he burst out, flailing his wings into the air. “I want to help the chocobos now. I want to find Moonlight and get him out of here so we can go back home. It’s my fault he’s stuck here and why I’m free and he’s not!”

The female chocobo reached up and clamped down on his beak, silencing his growing tirade. “Keep it down!” she hissed. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”

“Sorwe,” he mumbled through his beak.

“Okay, you need to leave. I’ve told you everything I know. Get back to your friends. Do what you can. Bye.” She pushed him away and made to close the door.

“Wait!” Stardust snapped out his talon, stopping the door. “You can come with me.”

“No.” She nudged Stardust’s talon away. “I’m not a fighter or anything else useful. Good luck.” With that, she shut the door, the lock clicking into place once again.

Stardust stood still, looking at the closed door before him. At last, he hung his head and started walking away.

“Didn’t go well, huh?”

He twisted his head, catching sight of Scootaloo and the others trotting beside him. “How could you tell?”

“Now Scootaloo, don’t pry,” Fluttershy said, giving the filly a sharp look. “It’s none of our business.” She looked up at the chocobo, who had already turned away, his eyes downcast. “So, I don’t mean to impose, but do you mind if we go back with you? I’m going to see if the captain of that airship will take us back home.”

Sweetie Belle snapped her head up. “We’re going back already?!”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, we’ve had our fun, but it’s time to head back.”

A series of pleading cries and teary faces assaulted her, but her stance remained firm all the way back to Pinkie Pie’s party. Stardust remained quiet the entire time, his gaze distant and forlorn.

.o.O.o.

Applejack kicked off the floor, launching herself high into the air. Derpy caught her, swung around, and launched the earth pony towards three golden robots hanging from chains attached to the ceiling. The three globe like robots fired at her from mounted guns attached to their sides, but the bullets ricocheted off the built-up wind surrounding Applejack. She plowed through all three hind leg first, knocking them off their chains where they crashed to the floor in piles of useless junk. Landing gracefully on her hooves, she turned to face the next threat.

Nothing presented itself for now. A trail of broken magitek led back the way her friends had come from, but more would be on the way soon. Applejack took this brief moment to wipe her sweat covered brow and catch her breath.

“I feel so useless,” Shining Armor said, coming up to her, Spotter close behind. “Without my sword, all I’m good for is distraction.”

Rarity ran up to them, her horn aglow and a half-dozen objects ranging from sheared metal to broken glass levitating around her. Opalescence clung to her back. “You and me both. We’re not going to last long like this.”

“Don’t give up!” Derpy said, landing next to them. “I’d rather fight my way through like a cornered badger than let them catch us again.”

Having had a moment to rest, Applejack said, “I know, I know. But it seems we’re not getting any closer to findin’ our way out.” She gestured around, indicating the vast array of moving equipment around them. Conveyor belts carrying heavy magitek armor, hooks and pulleys lifting up cannons and limbs to assembly lines, and the sound of constant welding surrounded them on all sides. “We’re in some kind of factory by the looks of it. I guess this is where they make all their stuff.”

“Yes, and too bad we don’t have time to mess it all up,” Rarity spoke up. “So let’s not dawdle, anymore. Onward!”

“But to where? I’m plum lost.”

Spotter nudged his way past them, Shining Armor keeping a sharp eye out for any dangers. “Um, for some reason I’m getting the feeling we should head that way.” He pointed towards a walkway higher up that led to the far side of the cavernous factory room. “There’s something back there, I just know it.”

The overhead lighting, a sterile yellow, now began flashing red. Alarms from overhead speakers began blaring. The sound of voices from a short distance away could be heard over the din.

“Well, better than staying here!” Applejack shouted. “Derpy, Rarity! Can you two get those chains up there closer to us? Maybe we can use them to climb up.”

“On it!” Derpy saluted and flew up, grabbing the gold colored chains. She quickly brought them down where Applejack, Shining Armor, and Spotter managed to grab hold.

Rarity tossed aside her makeshift weapons and directed her magic to another set of chains. These she pulled down and wrapped around her midsection. Together, Derpy and Rarity began lifting themselves up along with the others. With one giant push, Derpy swung the ponies over to the walkway, allowing them to let go of the chains and land safely.

“Good job, everypony!” Rarity cheered.

“Yeah, now run!” Applejack said, rushing down the elevated walkway. The others followed, the sounds of Imperials all around them. A griffon landed in front of them, but a brutal pummeling from Applejack left the poor creature unconscious before he hit the floor. More probes dropped down from the ceiling but none could get a lock on the fast moving ponies. At the end of the walkway, a wall of glass stretched from wall to wall of the factory. The walkway split left and right, following the glass walls and looping back where they came.

“We gotta get through that!” Spotter yelled.

Applejack looked back at her companions and winked. “Everypony, close your eyes.” She put on a burst of speed, leapt forward, and covered her face with her forelegs. With a loud sound of shattering glass, Applejack burst through the wall and through the other side. The others followed quickly after her.

It was as Applejack descended that she realized, too late, that there was no walkway on this side of the wall.

A chorus of shocked cries left the ponies as they plummeted towards the floor below. Applejack twisted her body, trying to right herself, but a quick glimpse downward revealed that she wasn’t going to make it in time. Closing her eyes and bracing herself, she prepared for the worst.

The impact came, but much softer than she expected. And louder. Almost as though someone was screaming at her to get off.

Applejack opened her eyes. A shock of bright color flashed across her muzzle. Looking down, she identified the sounds and the reason why she didn’t feel the cold, hard floor.

“Rainbow?”

.o.O.o.

“Somepony get this Impy off of me!”

Rainbow Dash’s pleas were ignored as Big Macintosh, Twilight Sparkle, Trixie, and Spike moved to catch the ponies falling from high above. Big Macintosh pulled a string on his pack which inflated a life preserver. He tossed it below Spotter just in time for the colt to bounce harmlessly off of it. Shining Armor found himself softly set down by the combined levitational efforts of Twilight and Trixie. Finally, Spike blew a gust of wind, slowing Rarity’s fall enough for him to catch her in his arms.

Derpy bounced off a glass tube, then toppled to the ground. In less than a second, she bounced to her hooves. “That was a great landing, guys!”

“My hero!” Rarity said, wrapping her hooves around Spike and planting a kiss on his cheek. The little dragon stiffened, his purple scales taking on a deep red hue.

“A-Applejack!” Twilight rushed for the earth pony and hugged her with all her might. “You’re okay!”

Not one to be left out, Big Macintosh took Applejack’s other side and joined in on the group hug. “Eeyup!”

“Huh? Whu?” came Applejack’s coherent response. “You… you guys are all right?”

“What the?” Twisting around, Rainbow Dash looked up into the startled face of her long-lost friend. “Applejack!” With one mighty heave, Rainbow Dash pushed Twilight and Big Macintosh away and gave Applejack the tightest embrace yet. “I knew you were kicking flank! I just knew it!”

Eyes watering and lips quivering, Applejack buried her muzzle into Rainbow Dash’s hair. Sounds came out of her mouth, incoherent mumblings that nopony could interpret, but sounded happy all the same. After a minute of embracing, Rainbow Dash and Applejack pulled apart, the widest smiles anyone had ever seen on their faces. “I heard about Neighshe. I that y’all were dead.”

“C’mon, Applejack,” Rainbow Dash said, lightly bopping her on the shoulder. “Ya think we’d be that easy to knock off? Give us some credit.”

“How the hay did y’all get here, anyway?”

Big Macintosh cleared his throat. “Well, we—”

The goodwill and catching up was cut short as two panels situated on opposite ends of the lab lifted up, revealing a pair of Guardians. The two behemoths lumbered forward on their thick bipedal legs, their twin mini-guns and primary canon aimed directly at the ponies clustered in the center of the lab.

“Oh, fiddlesticks,” Applejack cursed. “Not more of these things.”

“What are they?” Rainbow Dash said, pulling out Thunder Blade and holding it at the ready in her mouth.

“A trap, you rainbow dunce,” came a voice from the lab entrance. All attention switched to the newcomer, the group further tensing up as Gilda strode down the metal flooring. The griffon smirked at her quarry, her gaze taking in all the Returners before her. She finally settled on Trixie and beckoned her with a talon. “I guess you weren’t lying, Trixie. You actually pulled it off.”

“Wha—” was all Rainbow Dash got out before a pair of light blue hooves bucked her in the head. The pegasus cried out in pain and fell back into Applejack, her sword clattering to the floor.

In one smooth motion, Trixie levitated her sword and slugged Spike in the stomach with the pommel, knocking him and Rarity a few feet away. The next swipe placed the bladed end up against a wide-eyed Twilight’s throat. Trixie quickly wrapped her hooves around Twilight’s barrel and began dragging her hostage away from the stunned Returners. Keeping her eyes pinned on the group, she said, “All of you stay back! Don’t any of you try a thing.” Her sword pressed up harder against Twilight’s skin, nearly drawing blood.

Twilight whimpered, forcing herself not to swallow. Her breathing came in short bursts and tears began welling up in her eyes. “T-Trixie,” she said. “Why?” Twilight yelped in pain as Trixie yanked down on her mane, exposing more of her throat.

“You shut up,” Trixie hissed.

By now, Rainbow Dash was back on her hooves, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. “Trixie, what the hay are you doing?!”

Trixie didn’t answer, instead focusing on moving Twilight closer to Gilda, little by little.

“Well, since Trix has her hooves full, I’ll be happy to tell you,” Gilda said. She chuckled, a victorious grin on her face. “Ya see, just the other day a letter was delivered to me. Your pal Trixie here slipped it in one of our soldier’s armor. It said she’d be bringing little Twilight and all the rest of you here for us to capture. In exchange, she’d hoof over Twilight back to us and we’d grant amnesty to the rest of you.”

A stunned silence followed Gilda’s speech. Then, a low growl began to emanate from the center of the Returners. The growl grew into a roar of rage as Spike leapt forward and charged, his face contorted with hate and malice. “You traitor! I’ll kill you!”

In response, Trixie’s sword pressed harder against Twilight’s throat. This time, a trickle of blood began to run down Twilight’s coat. Even in his hate fueled state, Spike took notice and stopped before he had reached even half way to Trixie. From the side, one of the Guardians took aim and let loose a thin white laser that sliced through the floor panels directly in front of Spike. The dragon yelped and stumbled back.

“I said stay back!” Trixie shouted. “You'll all be dead if you don’t do exactly as I say!”

Spike glared, flames leaking out of his mouth. “I swear, Trixie, if you harm her anymore, you’ll be the one that’s dead!”

Twilight…

Twilight’s panicked eyes widened even more.

“Trixie, listen to me!” Rainbow Dash yelled, gaining everyone’s attention. “Whatever you’ve got planned, it won’t work. You can’t trust them.” She swallowed, beckoning Trixie with a hoof. “Please, don’t do this.”

Twilight. Free us.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash,” Trixie replied, still inching her way towards Gilda with Twilight in toe. She hiccuped, her voice coming out thick. “But… but this is the only way. W-we can’t beat them! The Empire’s too strong. Maybe… maybe if we had beaten them at Neighshe, I… could believe we had a chance.” She blinked her eyes, tears dripping down her muzzle. She dragged Twilight a little faster. “But that didn’t happen! We lost, badly! The Empire’s going to take over the world no matter what we do. This is the only way we have to be safe.”

You can do it. You have the power.

A burning feeling began to build within Twilight’s body. She felt it once before, in Neighshe.

“And what about Twilight?” Applejack asked. “You just going to give her up?”

“I'm willing to sacrifice one pony if it means we all stay alive.”

“Heh, just as pragmatic as always, Trixie,” Gilda said. “It’s like you never left.”

“Be quiet, Gilda.” Trixie looked over her shoulder, only a few paces away from the griffon. “You’re not helping.”

Trixie’s momentary distraction was all that was needed.

Rarity’s horn lit up and a pin from inside her hair lifted out. She needed little time to aim and fire it like a bullet. The needle streaked past Trixie’s cheek, drawing a line of blood and causing her to screech in surprise. Her hold on Twilight weakened and her sword drifted away.

The terrified unicorn did what came natural to her. With a wild look in her eyes, Twilight Sparkle let out a wail and her body burst into flame. The sudden shock wave of power knocked Trixie away, an act that saved her from being burnt alive. Twin jets of flame sprouted from Twilight’s back, completing her alternate form.

“Oh horseapples, she’s going ballistic again!” Rainbow Dash cried. She turned to the others. “Find a spot to hide!”

The two Guardians took note of the new threat and opened fire. Lasers and cannon fire flew through the air, but Twilight snapped her hooves out, sending two giant gouts of flame to incinerate the incoming projectiles. She pressed her attack, her magical fire impacting the Guardians, pushing them back.

“No you morons, I want her alive!” Gilda frantically reached into her jacket, fumbling for a remote. She managed to pull it out just as Twilight screamed again and sent fire in all directions. Gilda cursed and ducked behind a glass cylinder holding one of the espers.

Her choice of hiding spot mattered little. Twilight’s chaotic and unfocused power crashed against the cylinders, control panels, and anything unfortunate enough to be in her proximity. Soon, the entire laboratory became a giant oven.

A floor panel near the Returners slid open and a pony rose into view via a humming elevator. Doctor Whooves' jaw dropped as he beheld his smoldering facility. “What the bloody Tartarus is going on here?!” He ran towards the nearest control panel, doing his best to keep away from the flickering flames. He swore again after seeing all the flashing lights and alarm signals covering the display screen. “You fools! Stop this fighting! You’re going to—”

One of the cylinders burst, spilling the liquid contained within on the floor, along with the esper it held. Another tube exploded, then another and another. The released espers floundered on the floor, most too weak to move. One, however, humanoid in shape, began to slowly crawl towards Twilight’s raging form. It ignored the searing heat pouring from her body, using what little magic it could summon to protect itself. After several excruciating seconds, the esper reached up and touched Twilight’s hoof.

“Be calm.”

All at once, Twilight Sparkle’s magical outburst ceased. Her flaming wings receded and her body regained its lavender coat. She gave one final moan and then collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

“Twilight…” the esper groaned before it too passed out.

Despite the end of Twilight’s attack, the fires around the lab still raged on. At the panel, Doctor Whooves frantically punched buttons and flipped switches in a desperate attempt to regain some semblance of control. “Bollocks to you all! This whole place is ruined. We have to get out, now!”

Gilda hopped out from behind the destroyed cylinder, her body and red jacket smoldering from close calls with the fires. “Gah, you stupid idiots! You had to go and make things difficult, didn’t you?” She stood up on her hind legs and raised her talons. A green glow surrounded her body and soon a harsh wind blew through the facility. Raging fires were scooped up and snuffed out as fast as Gilda could manage. Little by little, the out of control flames were reduced to tiny smolders. Once the worst of the blaze had been dealt with, Gilda turned her attention back to the Returners huddling in the corner. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you.” She gave a shrill whistle and the two Guardians, burnt but still functional, began to lumber forward. They plowed past any wreckage in their way, heading for the group of ponies.

“Gilda.” The griffon looked down, raising an eyebrow as Trixie picked herself up, a thin layer of frost dissipating off of her body. “Remember, don’t hurt them.”

“Trix, shut that fat trap of yours. I’ve got this covered.” Gilda pulled out a small remote and began pushing buttons, sending commands to the magitek weapons. The miniguns and laser ports transformed, morphing into taser guns and net launchers.

Even as the two Guardians rumbled into position, another esper, this one in the form of a green, one-eyed boar, crawled towards the Returners. Rainbow Dash’s eyes swiveled between it and the approaching machines. Taking a deep breath, she rocketed out of her hiding spot and grabbed hold of the esper around its neck and tried to pull it back to the others. She grunted and flapped her wings as hard as she could, but the esper was twice her size and too weak to lift its own weight.

“The red pony…” it wheezed, its voice so low that Rainbow Dash barely heard it. “Call it over… Now….”

“Big Mac!” Rainbow Dash yelled over the sound of the approaching Guardians. “Get over here!”

Big Macintosh hesitated for a second, then rushed to Rainbow Dash and the esper. “Now what?”

“Fenrir,” the esper said, its breathing becoming shallower. “Summon him.”

Rainbow Dash threw up her hooves. “How?! It’s dead!”

The Guardians finished their preparations, aimed, and fired. Thin, electric bolts arced out from one while the other shot small black orbs in an arc over the ponies’ heads. The orbs split in midair, spilling out a large fish-net that fanned out and descended.

The boar esper jabbed a hoof into Big Macintosh’s cutie mark and sent a weak pulse of magic into it.

The whole room went pitch black. A wolf’s howl rang throughout the lab. The sounds of electricity and nets hitting their targets followed. Even Gilda’s griffon eyes couldn’t make out what was happening. At last, the all encompassing darkness lifted, revealing espers and ponies alike caught in the nets and unmoving.

“Yes!” Gilda roared, raising a fist to the sky. “You twerps are mine.” She let out a deep laugh and walked over to the pony closest to her, Twilight Sparkle. “Ah, my little pet. Shame on you for running away for so long. I’m going to have to make sure I bolt down the next slave crown I put on you.” Beaming, she reached down and ran a claw through the pony’s mane.

Gilda’s claw passed right through Twilight’s head. Blinking, Gilda felt around but the only tangible material she could feel was the net. Her beak dropped as Twilight’s image began to fade away until nothing was left except an empty net.

“No…” Her face contorting into a sneer, Gilda reached down for the esper laying beside Twilight, but her talon once again touched nothing but empty air. “No!” Even as the esper disappeared, she rushed down the lab, checking each pony and esper. Each one failed to be real. “This is impossible! What happened?! Where are they?!”

Behind her, forgotten by Gilda’s growing anger, Trixie slumped to the floor and sighed. “Gone.”

.o.O.o.

The world spun around Rainbow Dash in a confusing and nauseating manner. It was impossible to tell up from down and left from right. She held her mouth closed, convinced that she’d throw up at any moment if reality continued to shift around her. At last, her surroundings stopped spinning, allowing her to finally get her bearings. She hobbled on her hooves and fought back the urge to hurl. Little by little, her senses came back to her and she was able to take stock of the situation.

She was in a different room from the lab. Rainbow Dash blinked several times, her vision coming into sharper focus. Faint lighting from a half-dozen hanging light bulbs illuminated walls of dull metal brown. Her friends lay nearby, disoriented but otherwise seemingly fine. She moved to go to them, but her hoof bumped into something soft and warm. She looked down, noticing the esper that had somehow called forth the power bound within Big Macintosh. The large boar lay still, with no sign of breathing.

“Hey,” Rainbow Dash said, nudging the esper. “Hey, wake up.”

Her prodding produced a result, but not one she was expecting. She yelped and hopped back as the esper’s body gave a blinding flash of green light, forcing her to look away. The light lasted only a few seconds, and as soon as her eyes adjusted she looked back to see a magicite shard laying on the ground.

Rainbow Dash swallowed through a suddenly dry mouth. Slowly, she reached forward and picked up the magicite. It was warm to the touch. “Oh, no. No…”

More flashes of lights erupted around her. Where an esper once lay was now a piece of magicite, glowing faintly in the room. Rainbow Dash slumped to the floor, staring at all the pulsing stones as her eyes began to tear up. “No, no, no, no! You can’t die! We were gonna save you! We… we…”

A hoof wrapped around her neck and pulled her close to a warm body. Applejack held Rainbow Dash as the pegasus let out a wail of despair.

The others picked themselves up, not meeting anyone’s gaze. Most were content to stay put and allow Rainbow Dash to mourn. Spike quietly worked his way towards Twilight and rested a claw on her chest. He sighed in relief to find her heartbeat steady.

“Young dragon,” a weak voice next to him said.

Spike looked down and did a double take to see that one of the espers was still alive. It was humanoid, with bulging muscles and wild purple hair. Two horns sprouted from its head, giving him the appearance of a minotaur. Its breathing was shallow, but its eyes held such vitality that Spike unconsciously took a step back.

“Are you… her friend?”

“Wh-who, Twilight?” Spike said. “Yeah, I’m her teacher.”

“Teacher… How odd.”

“Uh, here.” Spike let out a breath of green fire, the fire swirling and coalescing into a canteen. The dragon popped open the stopper and held it next to the esper’s mouth. “Looks like you could use some water.”

“Ah, thank you.” The esper opened its fanged mouth and let Spike pour the water down into its maw. The esper drank deeply, emptying Spike’s canteen. “Oh. I haven’t tasted something so good in a very long time.”

“Um, you’re welcome.” Another stream of fire sent the canteen back. “So, what’s your name?”

“Maduin.”

“You’re… not going to turn into a stone too, are you?”

Maduin sighed and shook his head. “Not yet. I have things I must say to Twilight.”

“Hey, how do you know her name?”

The esper gave a weak smile. “Get us out of here safely, and I’ll tell you.” Taking a deep breath, Maduin closed his eyes, entering into a serene slumber.

Unnoticed by anyone, Doctor Whooves peered at one of the magicite laying on the floor. “Fascinating. I never knew this could happen.” He reached forward and picked up the magicite.

“Don’t touch that!”

Doctor Whooves was pushed away, the magicite flying up into the air only to be scooped up in Rainbow Dash’s hooves. In the blink of an eye, she gathered up the remaining shards and held them close to her chest. “These are coming with us. You can’t have them!”

“Whoa, settle down there, missy,” Doctor Whooves said, waving his hooves in a placating manner. “Let’s all calm down. I believe there’s much for us to talk about.”

“Who are you?”

Spotter hopped forward, pointing an accusatory hoof at the stallion. “That’s the guy that poked my butt!”

“What?!” Shining Armor stomped forward, his angry expression promising pain.

Doctor Whooves frantically backed away until he was stopped by a wall. “Hold up, you lot! Let me explain!”

“You better start now,” Rarity said, her horn alight.

“I’m Doctor Whooves. I’m the administrator of this facility.”

“Hold up.” Rainbow Dash set the magicite down behind her. “I remember Trixie talking… about you.” She trailed off, her expression becoming distant. “Trixie.” She tightly shut her eyes as another round of tears began to build. “Why?” Stamping her hooves, Rainbow Dash yelled, “Why did she betray us?!”

“Ah yes, General Trixie,” Doctor Whooves mused, rubbing his chin. “I thought that was her. Only she could make such a mess of everything.” He regarded the pegasus, who seemed on the verge of a mental breakdown. “So, I must ask. What are your intentions?”

Applejack stepped forward, leaning a distraught Rainbow Dash into Big Macintosh’s embrace. “We need to get out of here. Out of the capital. Are you gonna help us or you gonna cause trouble?”

The magitek expert looked around, finding Returners on all sides. He cleared his throat, hiding a nervous stutter. “Why, help you, of course. I’m plum out of work now without any espers. I think it prudent that we be on our way. It won’t take long for Gilda to find us.” He calmly walked over to a wall panel and flipped a switch. A large section of wall lifted up, revealing an industrial strength elevator. “If you would all climb on, this will take you to a railway system. It’s where we ship out our heavier equipment. You’ll be able to slip out that way.”

“That so?” Applejack trotted up, invading Doctor Whooves’ personal space. “You won’t mind me keeping close, would ya? Just to make sure you ain’t double crossin’ us like that unicorn back there.”

Doctor Whooves swallowed. “Not at all. Shall we?”

It took some doing, as Twilight Sparkle and Maduin were still out cold, and Big Macintosh wavered on his hooves. He had never used magic before and summoning the spirit of an esper had left him in a tired daze. The magicite were stuffed in a bag and slung over Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. The adventurer didn’t meet anyone’s gaze, simply keeping her muzzle forward.

The trip down proved uneventful, everyone keeping to themselves or watching for trouble. The elevator reached the bottom of the shaft and the group stepped out. Just as Doctor Whooves said, an underground rail station and an unguarded supply train waited for them. Doctor Whooves headed for the small booth station, all the while shadowed by Applejack. He manipulated the buttons on the panel and the train lit up and began to hum. He motioned towards the empty flatbed attached to the train. “All aboard, and good luck to you.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You not comin’?”

“Somepony has to stay to get the train to run. Since I’m the only one here that knows how, then yes, I’m staying. But don’t worry, I’ll set the tracks so that you will be sent straight out of Vectorlot. You’ll be on your own then.”

Applejack looked over at where the others were climbing onto the flatbed. “You okay with that Dash?”

The pegasus frowned, giving Doctor Whooves a sharp look. “Just so you know, I’m the fastest pony alive. If we run into trouble before we get out of here, I’ll fly all the way back and deal with you. I’m not in the mood for anymore double crosses.”

Doctor Whooves bowed his head. “Duly noted, ma’am.” The sound of approaching hooves caused him to look back up, into the unamused face of Shining Armor. “Uh, yes?” His head snapped back from a sudden hoof to the face. Stumbling back, Doctor Whooves rubbed his jaw and shied away from the large stallion.

“That was for Spotter,” Shining Armor said. “If Applejack’s friend doesn’t finish you off, then I will.” With that, he headed for the flatbed.

Once the Domarian and Fillygarian were a safe distance away, Doctor Whooves grumbled and reached for the panel. “Brutes, the lot of you.”

“Says the pony who put living things inside tubes to drain their energy,” Spike shot back as he laid Twilight down on the flatbed in as comfortable a position as he could.

Doctor Whooves declined to comment. A few more button presses and the train jerked, disengaging from the platform. With a screech of steel on steel, the train began to move down the tracks. Within moments, the ponies lost sight of the platform and the pony they left behind.

“Think he’ll keep his word?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow Dash sat down, unsheathed Thunder Blade, and began polishing it with a rag. “He better.”

Applejack sat next to her, watching Rainbow Dash work. A minute passed, the only sounds being the train moving down the tracks. “So, what’s new?”

It started with a noncommittal grunt. Rainbow Dash tried to fight it, but a small smirk grew on her muzzle. That smirk developed into a full-fledged grin, shortly followed by a repressed chuckle. It didn’t take long before a laugh escaped through her lips. Finally, Rainbow Dash set down Thunder Blade and let herself go, guffawing as though she’d heard the funniest pun of her life.

It took her a while, but Rainbow Dash finally managed to get her laughter to die down. “Heh, I could ask you the same thing, AJ.”

“Sure. I ain’t got nothin’ but time.”

“Yeah. Well, after we split up… wow that feels like a long time ago, I had to be all spy-like and get into South Fillygaro.”

.o.O.o.

“There you guys are!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed once Stardust, Fluttershy, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders returned to the party. “We were just about to play pin the tail on the pony.”

“Pass,” Stardust said and headed for the trolley of cider. All around, citizens and Imperials were still mingling and dancing, reveling in the festivities.

Pinkie Pie followed after the chocobo. “Aw, c’mon. It looks like you could use some cheering up.”

“Oh, really?” Stardust popped off the cork to a bottle and took a hearty drink. “How do ya figure?”

“It’s because I have this really nifty gift called Pinkie Sense. I get a little tingle in my body that lets me know certain things are going to happen.”

Stardust took another long drink. “Hmm, sounds like magic to me.”

“Maybe,” Pinkie Pie said, nodding. “I don’t know how else to explain it.” Her eyes drifted to Stardust’s bag, where a green glow emanated. She pointed to it and said, “Hey, something’s going on in your bag there.”

Looking over, Stardust nearly spit out his cider. Forcing down the beverage in a painful gulp, he tossed the empty bottle aside and placed down his bag. Reaching in, he pulled out the glowing object, a magicite crystal. “Um, I ah, think this is for you.” He held it out with his wing.

Pinkie Pie gasped and grabbed the magicite. “Really? For me? Wow, and it’s not even my birthday! Thanks!” She turned the magicite over in her hooves, inspecting it at every angle. “It’s warm. What is—” She got no further as the light intensified, obscuring her form.

Stardust was ready this time and shielded his face with a wing.

Once the light died down, he peeked out to see Pinkie Pie sitting down, her eyes wide and her mane even poofier than before. “Whoa. What a rush.”

Bending down, Stardust waved a wing in front of Pinkie’s muzzle. “You okay?”

Pinkie Pie blinked and produced a grin so wide it nearly touched her ears. “Okay? I’m better than okay!” She hopped to her hooves, a cloud of confetti bursting out of… somewhere. “I feel great! I feel spectacular! I—” She interrupted herself as her whole body shook and contorted in ways that no pony should ever be able to do.

“Ah!” Stardust shied away from the spasming pony. “What’s going on?!”

As soon as it began, Pinkie Pie’s body settled down, returning her to normal dimensions. “Wow. That’s never happened before. What a doozy.”

Stardust risked asking, “A… doozy?”

Pinkie Pie nodded, a far away look in her eyes. “Yeah, I think something big is about to happen.” She suddenly stood up, her features firming. “We gotta get back to the Party of One. I don’t know how, but something tells me we’re going to be needing it really soon. C’mon.” She turned away, heading towards her crew members mingled among the crowd.

Having turned away, Stardust managed to get a look at Pinkie’s flank. Adorned there were three balloons, each the shape of a smiling cat face.

.o.O.o.

“And that about wraps up my side of things.”

Rainbow Dash sighed. She looked over to Shining Armor, giving the stallion a sympathetic gaze. “Jeeze, poor guy. I didn’t think the Empire could get any lower.”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah. He seems to be doing better. He lives for his kid, now.”

A tiny gleam out of the corner of Rainbow Dash’s eye caught her attention. She looked down, noticing that it had come from the sack holding the magicite. She untied the sack’s cord, reached in and held up one of the green crystals. It sparkled on one side, as though reaching for something… or somepony. Rainbow Dash followed the direction of the sparkle, smirking at the pony her sight fell upon. “Hey, big guy!”

Shining Armor, who sat nearest the train, looked up and saw Rainbow Dash waving him over. Giving one last look at the train, he trotted towards the pegasus. “Yes?”

“Could you do me a favor?” Rainbow Dash held up the magicite. “Could you touch this?”

The stallion glanced at Applejack, but the earth pony merely shrugged. “Why? What’s going to happen if I do?”

“Nothin’,” Rainbow Dash said, fighting back a grin. “C’mon, nothing’s happening to me. What, scared of a little rock?”

Shining Armor huffed. “I’m not scared, just cautious.” He stared at the magicite offered before him, taking note of the way it gleamed at him. Slowly, as though caught between intrigue and indecision, Shining Armor raised a hoof. Something compelled him to want to touch it, like accepting a hug from a long lost friend. The moment his hoof came into contact, his world became a bright pink light.

Once his vision returned, the first thing Shining Armor noticed was that the magicite was gone. He blinked a few times and set down his raised hoof. “What just happened?”

Rainbow Dash no longer repressed her grin. “It seems like you made a new friend.” She got up and stepped around to get a look as Shining Armor’s flank. “Yep. Looks like I was right.”

Shining Armor followed her gaze. His jaw dropped. Adorning his flank was a dark blue shield with a pink starburst crest. Above the shield were three blue stars. “How…”

“Heh, congrats dude!” Rainbow Dash said, slapping him on the back. “You just bonded with an esper. That means you’re going to have a bunch of cool powers to use.”

“I don’t underst—”

From the cabin of the train, Spotter poked his head out and yelled back, “Hey! I think the exit is coming up!”

The group stood up and looked down the tunnel. A tiny dot of white light lay far down the tracks. Second by second, it grew bigger. The shape of an arched opening took form and soon the train passed by the tunnel exit and into daylight. The Returners threw up their hooves and cheered.

A cheer that turned into screams when a magitek armor unit appeared standing on the tracks around a sharp bend.

“Spotter!” Shining Armor cried as he rushed forward and telekinetically plucked his son from the train. Seconds later, the train collided with the unsuspecting magitek unit. The resulting collision produced a giant explosion of fire and shrapnel.

Smoke and fire obscured the desolation. An errant wind swept by, blowing some of the smoke away, revealing the flatbed still intact. A transparent, pink barrier surrounded it. Everyone inside was shaken, but otherwise fine.

“Um, Dad, you’re squeezing me.”

Snapping open tightly shut eyes, Shining Armor eased the pressure on his son. His horn, alight with pink magic, drew his attention next. He shook his head and the glow dissipated along with the barrier surrounding the flatbed. Immediately, the heat from the burning train and magitek armor washed over him. “We have to get away,” he said, levitating his son on his back. Quickly, he began to rouse the others, helping them get up and off the flatbed.

As the group headed away from the wreckage, they took notice that they were inside an army depot. Large crates and containers surrounded them on all sides, making it impossible to see into the distance. Cries from approaching Imperials and the sound of a siren soon followed.

“Great, can anything go our way for once?” Rainbow Dash said, readying her weapon. Soldiers and magitek began to appear on all sides of them, cutting off any avenue for escape.

Rainbow Dash tensed, ready to start cutting down anything that got in her range, when a soldier a few dozen hooves away went down. She stared, nearly dropping her sword when she realized the Imperial was covered in cake frosting. That was when she heard the roar of engines and looked up to see the Party of One descending from above.

“Hang on, I’ll get you guys out!” Pinkie Pie yelled down to them. She barked orders to her crew who began firing at will on the Imperials.

Completely caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the airship, and the bombardment of pies, cakes, and other confectionery delights, the Empire’s forces were pushed back. Ropes and hooks lowered from the hull which the Returners quickly grabbed hold of. Once they were all safely secured, the Party of One’s turbines whined, lifting the airship higher into the sky.

.o.O.o.

Gilda was not a happy griffon.

“You’re all useless!” she screamed as she raced through the military depot. She headed for the largest building, a place used for loading and unloading equipment onto the trains. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that the Party of One was heading this way, slowly gaining altitude. She didn’t have much time.

She barged into the building, knocking aside ponies and griffons alike in her haste. Gilda headed for the control room situated a floor above. Once there, she reached for the communications radio and said, “Whoever’s manning the cranes, listen up! I have a job for you bozos.”

.o.O.o.

“Wow, Pinkie, your timing couldn’t be better,” Rainbow Dash said to the airship captain.

Pinkie Pie smiled and took a bow. “Don’t just thank me, thank your friend Stardust. If it wasn’t for the rock he gave me, I wouldn’t have known you’d be here.” She presented her flank, showing off her new cutie mark.

Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. “No way. You bonded with an esper too? That’s unreal!”

The little fillies trotted up to them, each sporting an unhappy frown. “Yeah, how come everypony else is getting a cutie mark?” Apple Bloom asked.

“You’d think being called the Cutie Mark Crusaders would give us priority!” Scootaloo added.

Sweetie Belle declined to comment, but nodded her head in agreement.

Rainbow Dash did a double take. “Wait, didn’t we ditch you all at the opera house?”

“They’re stowaways!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, gathering the fillies up in a hug. “That’s so great because now I can tick that one off the list of things a true airship captain has to experience! I’m still waiting on a cosmic horror attacking my ship out of nowhere, but really, what are the odds of that happening?”

The airship suddenly rocked violently as the sound of crunching wood on both port and starboard reached their ears.

Rainbow Dash facehoofed. “You just had to go there, didn’t you.”

“Dash! Pinkie!” Spike yelled as he ran up to them. “We got trouble! There’s a giant machine attacking us!”

“Not just one, but two!” Rarity said and pointed to where a large mechanical arm lifted into view and grabbed hold of the airship, sinking its claws deep into the deck’s wooden panels.

“We’ve got them, brother of mine!” came a stallion’s voice over the crane’s intercom.

The crane operator opposite the other responded, “Well done, Flim! We’ll be getting back into the Emperor’s good graces after this!”

Applejack and Big Macintosh groaned. “You gotta be kiddin’ me. These guys again?”

“They mock us, Flam!” Flim said. “Let’s show them what we got.”

“Right with you!” the twin stallion replied.

The cranes rocked back and forth, shaking the airship with them. Any creatures without wings tumbled to the deck. Rainbow Dash lifted off, brandishing her sword and began whacking one of the cranes. Thunder Blade tore through the machine, producing a cascade of sparks and debris to rain down to the ground below.

“Think you’re hot stuff, eh?” came Flam’s voice. A panel slid open near the base of the crane arm, revealing a nozzle. “Not as hot as this!” The nozzle began spewing fire, forcing Rainbow Dash to fly back.

“Seriously?!” the adventurer grumbled. “Who builds in a flamethrower on something like this?”

The airship lurched again, now losing altitude as the cranes began to pull it down to earth. Stardust squawked and tripped, sending the contents of his bags scattering everywhere. He caught sight of his final magicite bouncing across the deck. “No! Grab that! We can’t lose it!”

“Don’t worry, I’m on it!” Derpy said. She flew after it, making several attempts to nab it, but each time she tried, the airship would shake and send it careening somewhere else. “Come back here, you little crasshopper!” She dove, this time catching it in her hooves, only for the airship to rock again, causing her to lose her grip. The magicite slipped from her grasp and tumbled over the side. “Ack!” Narrowing her eyes, Derpy jumped after it.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash zipped past a crane, leaving a deep gash in its side. However, the damage wasn’t enough as the cranes continued to hold on. Only a few hundred hooves remained before the airship was pulled completely down and into the waiting army of Imperials below.

“Almost there, Flam!”

“Right you are, brother! Nothing can stop us now.”

A flash of light below the airship was all the warning they received. Arcs of lightning suddenly lanced out, striking the long, unprotected base of the cranes. The machines began to smoke and seize up.

“What’s going on, Flim? I’m losing control!”

“Me too! Give it all you got, Flam!”

The two brothers pounded on their control panels, putting all their muscle on the levers controlling the cranes’ decent. Another round of lightning struck, sending hundreds of volts of electricity through the delicate systems. Despite the best efforts of the brothers to regain control, the cranes stopped, no longer responding to their commands.

“Now’s our chance!” Applejack cried. “Get those claws off!”

Galvanized, the Returners picked themselves up, two groups rushing for the clawed hands of the cranes. Bucks, hacking with weapons, and a chainsaw finally managed to dislodge the claws, sending them crashing to the docking building below. The airship lurched a final time, clearing the depot and rising high into the sky.

A collective sigh of relief passed through the tired group. Rainbow Dash landed on the deck, covered in sweat and panting for breath. Seconds later, Derpy crashed next to her, her coat singed and her eyes rolling in their sockets. Bubbles with lightning bolts within them now adorned her flank. “Wowy. That felt weird.”

“Most spectacular.”

The Returners looked up to see Maduin awake in the center of the deck. The esper had Twilight in his lap as he gently stroked her mane. Twilight herself slept soundly, a content smile on her muzzle. “You ponies are wielding the powers of my brethren quite well. I am both grateful and in awe.”

Spike walked up to him, an eager look on his face. “Um, you said you’d tell us more about Twilight once we got away, right? I think we managed to do that.”

“Yes, I believe I did,” Maduin said with a rich chuckle. “Very well. This is Twilight Sparkle. She is my daughter.”

In Which Ponies Gain EXP

Twilight Sparkle sat at the bow of the airship, gazing over the side as the landscape below whizzed by. Beside her, Spike looked over his spear, scrutinizing every inch of it for scratches and dents. The two relaxed together in companionable silence until Twilight let out a long, shuddering breath.

“I’m starting to remember, Spike,” Twilight said. “Before the slave crown.”

Spike looked up from his work, waiting intently for Twilight to continue.

“I’m only getting bits and pieces, and a lot of it doesn’t make sense, but I know these memories are real. I just… I just know.”

“What do you think triggered it?” Spike asked. He gave his weapon one more once over then blew fire over it. The spear disappeared in a flash.

Twilight closed her eyes. “My father. When he was telling his story, I could actually feel his words… I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like he was speaking to me, only me. He called out and I could tell something was changing in me.”

“Do you think it was magic?”

“Maybe, I guess.” Twilight opened her eyes, staring out at the empty expanse of the sky. “I wasn’t a very nice pony back then, Spike.” She sniffed, but kept going. “I did things that were horrible. Blueblood wanted me to be his personal weapon and he let Gilda do everything she could to make me it.”

A pair of claws wrapped around her foreleg. Twilight sniffed again and pulled Spike close, laying her head on his scaly back.

“You’re not like that anymore, Twi,” Spike said into her coat. “That’s all over now. You’re doing good. You’ve got friends.” He hugged tighter. “You’ve got me.”

“Thanks, Spike.” She sighed, her body relaxing. “I’m so glad I met you. I don’t know what I would have done without your help.”

They stayed that way for several minutes, neither willing to break the embrace. It was only the sound of hooves on the wooden deck that pulled them apart. Looking up, they saw Shining Armor heading their way. He stopped several hoof lengths away, shifting his eyes anywhere but on them. “Um, sorry. I can come back later.”

Spike frowned, crossing his arms. “Whaddya want?”

“I um, just wanted to talk. But I can leave. I can see you’re busy.” He turned and started walking away.

“Wait.” Twilight held out a hoof, swallowing against a suddenly dry mouth. “Wait, please. I want to talk too.”

“Twilight?” Spike looked up. “You sure?”

Slowly, Twilight nodded. “I… lost a lot because of the Empire. But I gained a lot tonight. More than I ever dreamed of. I should… try to make the most of it, right?” She picked out a spot and sat down, giving a nervous, but hopeful, smile.

Giving an affirmative grunt, Spike jerked a thumb a few paces away. “I’ll be over there if you need me.”

“Thanks, Spike.”

With a strained smile and a pointed look at Shining Armor, Spike headed over to his indicated area. Once out of earshot, Shining Armor took a seat next to Twilight. “He’s your little protector, huh?”

“And my teacher,” Twilight said with a blush. “He’s been helping me ever since… gosh, ever since the slave crown was removed.” She shuddered and quickly switched gears. “Anyway, um, so… I…”

Shining Armor scuffed the deck with a hoof. “Yeah, I uh, I’m not sure where to begin either.”

“You have a son, right? What was his name?”

“Spotter.” He stopped fidgeting, his body relaxing as a fond smile spread across his muzzle.

“Could you… tell me about him?”

“Yeah. I think that’s a good place to start.”

.o.O.o.

In another part of the airship, another reunion was taking place. Only this one contained more shouting.

“What the blazin’ saddles are you doing here, Apple Bloom?!”

“Sweetie Belle! How could you be here when you should be in Thamaresa!”

Scootaloo looked around, looking from pony to pony. “Um, anypony going to yell at me?”

A hoof came down on her head, ruffling her mane. “You’re a real piece of work, kid.”

The filly pegasus beamed up at the larger pony. “Gee, thanks… uh…”

“Rainbow Dash.”

“Thanks for scolding me, Rainbow Dash!”

“Ahem!”

All conversation and chastising stopped. Attention shifted to the pink maned pegasus, who immediately shrunk back. “Um, sorry,” Fluttershy mumbled.

Rarity sighed, trotted up to her, and gently placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s back. “Fluttershy, please explain. I promise I won’t be mad.” The unicorn gave a sharp look at Applejack. “Right?”

Rolling her eyes, Applejack nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

Fluttershy shuffled her hooves, not looking at anypony. She mumbled something under her breath.

“Sorry dear, I didn’t quite hear that,” Rarity said.

“Um, the ah, money you sent. We thought it would be nice to um, use it.” Fluttershy bit her lower lip, gazing up at Rarity with pleading eyes. “I thought it would be a good idea to get the girls out for a while. I didn’t know anything like this was going to happen, I swear!”

“Oh, Fluttershy.” Reaching forward, Rarity gathered up the pegasus in a comforting hug. She looked over her shoulder, beckoning Applejack and Apple Bloom to join. The Apple duo looked to each other, shrugged, and carefully wrapped their forelegs around Fluttershy as well. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, not wanting to be left out, quickly found a spot themselves.

“Oh, gag me,” Rainbow Dash scoffed.

Ignoring her, the pile of ponies held their positions for a minute longer until by unspoken agreement, they pulled apart. “Now,” Rarity said, rubbing a hoof over Fluttershy’s back. “Do continue. And please tell me how it is you know Applejack.”

“Um, well, I actually met Applejack before you,” explained the pegasus. “I was, um, doing some research on sand rays and I rented a room at her orchard. When I was about to leave, Applejack asked me to take Apple Bloom along with her.”

“Hold up!” Rainbow Dash said, raising a hoof. “AJ, who’s Apple Bloom anyway? You never told me you had a younger sister.”

Applejack smiled and pulled Apple Bloom close. “Adopted sister. I had an errand to run at South Fillygaro one day and found this little rascal trying to poach my apple sack. Took some doin’ to catch her, too. She didn’t have a home, and, well, I missed having a sibling. Said she could live with me if she didn’t mind doing some work.”

“And I did!” Apple Bloom said, nodding her head rapidly. “And I did such a good job she said I could be part o’ the family.”

Rainbow Dash quirked an eyebrow. “That’s all well and good but… does Big Macintosh know?”

“Not yet,” Applejack said. “And I’d appreciate it if you don’t tell him. I’ll be the one to do that.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Fine. Doesn’t bother me.”

“But yeah, once the business with the Empire started, I thought it’d be better to send Apple Bloom away. They poisoned my parents and I sure as hay wasn’t going to let them do the same with my li’l sis. Fluttershy leavin’ was perfect.”

“Wonderful news!” Rarity exclaimed. She turned to Fluttershy. “Back to you.”

Fluttershy swallowed as she once again was the center of attention. “Um, so, Apple Bloom and I started heading back to my home. That’s when we ran into you, Rarity.”

Tapping a hoof to her chin, Rarity said, “Hmm, yes I do remember you had a filly with you. I suppose that’s why I entrusted Sweetie Belle with you in the first place.”

“Same with you, huh?” Applejack asked.

“Seems so. Small world, isn’t it?”

“And I’m guessing all the money you make as Mare Do Well goes to support Fluttershy and your sis?”

Sighing, Rarity nodded. “Guilty. It’s not the most glamorous occupation a pony like me could have, but I’ve grown used to it. It doesn’t hurt that I’m good at it, too.”

Applejack shuddered, remembering the times the claim had been backed up.

“So what about you?” Rainbow Dash looked down at Scootaloo. “Whose family dropped you off?”

The little filly smirked and puffed up her chest. “Oh, I already lived in Themaresa with my parents. It was so cool when Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle got there because we set up a secret club! The Cutie Mark Crusaders!”

“Yeah, we wanted to be the first ponies to get cutie marks!” Sweetie Belle piped in. “The first in hundreds of years.”

“Kinda lost that one,” Apple Bloom mumbled, but she looked up with determined eyes. “But that don’t matter so much because we are still going to get one!”

“We just gotta get a hold of one of those rocks that chocobo carries and we’re in!” Scootaloo said. She gestured with a hoof to follow her as she headed for the casino. “C’mon, we’re wasting time!” She sped off, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle squealing with delight as they chased after her.

Rarity gave Applejack a pointed look. “Should we go after them?”

“Nah,” Applejack said, shaking her head. “Seems those esper things don’t bond with any old pony, so I think we’re good.”

“Well, there’s that, but what I meant was keeping them out of trouble with the airship crew.”

Applejack paused, her brow furrowed. A small tremor rocked the airship around her. It could have just been a bout of turbulence. Or it could have been caused by something, or somepony, else.

“Point taken.” With that, Applejack and Rarity rushed off after their siblings.

Left behind without comment, Rainbow Dash turned to Fluttershy and said, “Wanna see if they have any decent cider around here?”

“Oh, I don’t drink,” Fluttershy replied.

“That’s fine. Plenty more for me!”

.o.O.o.

Resting on a bed in one of the passenger cabins, Maduin tentatively reached out with his senses. He made it as far as the lower deck before her pulled back his consciousness and let out a sigh. “Still too weak.”

Being trapped within a glass tube and slowly drained of his magic for over a decade had taken a toll on his body and spirit. His magic felt weaker than he could ever remember, and it wasn’t replenishing as fast as it should. It was a miracle that he was still alive.

Maduin rubbed his eyes, letting out a frustrated groan. It was unlikely he would ever regain his former strength. Too much damage had been done to his spirit. He would need to return to the esper world if he were to have any chance to recover. Unlikely, considering how much power Sombra had put into sealing the gate up to keep the ponies out. It would take an exceptionally strong magic user to force open the entrance.

Sighing, Maduin turned over in his bed. It was probably for the best that the esper world was now closed off. The Empire couldn’t invade again and ruin more lives now. Too many of his brethren had perished already.

He smirked despite his darkening mood. If there was one silver lining to this whole mess, it was that any deceased espers were now free of their pain and had chosen many worthy ponies to take up their powers. Cait Sith with the pink one, Ramuh with the grey pegasus, Carbunkle and the white unicorn, Kirin with the unicorn’s son, Seraphim with the shy pegasus, and Fenrir with the large earth pony. More would undoubtedly join together and hopefully use their new magic to stop the Empire once and for all.

“Perhaps I should join them,” he murmured.

It was a tempting thought. It would be a simple act to release what little magic he still retained and become magicite. He could see himself bonding with his daughter, bequeathing his magic to add to her own. They would be together forever.

Maduin had served his purpose. The history of the espers had been passed on, and he had been reunited with his precious Twilight. Perhaps it was time to let her go. She had friends to take care of her now and would see that she was well protected. And, if a higher power existed and felt merciful, perhaps he could be reunited with Velvet.

He lay there for a time, running the idea over and over again. Finally, he shook his head and gave one long, shuddering breath. “Wait for me a little longer, Velvet. I have a few more things to take care of before we can be together again.”

.o.O.o.

“Everyone find a seat!” came Pinkie Pie’s voice over an intercom. “We’re landing!”

With well-practiced motions and a little intuition, Pinkie Pie maneuvered the Party of One to an open snow field outside of Neighshe. Crew scurried about, throwing down rope over the side and switching off the propeller systems. Soon, the airship was secured to the ground, allowing its passengers to disembark.

Mayor Mare was there to greet them. “I must say, I never expected you all to come back this way. How did you get Pinkie Pie of all ponies to help you?”

“It’s a long story,” Rainbow Dash said, making room for the others to crowd around her. “Let’s get indoors so we can explain everything.”

Nodding, Mayor Mare motioned her head towards Neighshe. “Of course. This—” She trailed off, her jaw hanging open upon seeing one pony in particular. “Applejack!” She ran forward and wrapped her hooves around the smiling farmer’s neck. “Oh, thank goodness! I thought we had lost you.”

Applejack happily returned the hug. “Good to see ya again, Mayor.”

Breaking apart, Mayor Mare beckoned them to follow. “Come! You have to tell me everything!”

“Hold up, we’re missin’ someone important,” Applejack said. She regarded Twilight, who looked sheepishly away. “Is he comin’?”

Twilight shook her head. “Sorry. Father said it’s better to stay behind for now and rest. He doesn’t have the magic to turn into a pony, so he doesn’t want to scare anypony.”

“Fair enough. Lead the way, Mayor.”

The reunited Returners made their way to Neighshe within minutes. Taking to the air, Rainbow Dash did a quick sweep of the town and gave a low whistle when she came back. “Wow. You guys did great fixing the place up. Except for that hole in the mountain, it’s like the Empire never attacked.”

“Yes, we’ve been hard at work repairing and recuperating,” Mayor Mare said. “It’s gone a long way into getting Neighshe to finally agree to join us.”

“Seriously?”

“Let’s get to the elder’s house and we can swap stories there.”

Within minutes, the group reached the elder’s house and filed in. The room quickly filled up, forcing some to stand. The elder himself greeted them warmly and soon stories were swapped and information exchanged. Mayor Mare hummed after hearing the adventure in Vectorlot. “It’s a miracle you all made it out of there alive. If I had known I would have stopped you, but no sense blaming you all now.

“What we need to do now is come up with a plan to even the odds against the Empire. Even with Neighshe behind us, Blueblood’s army is still too much to handle. I’m not even sure your new magical powers will tip the scales.”

“South Fillygaro is still being occupied,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“And Domare,” Applejack said.

Mayor Mare sighed and began pacing. “Where are we going to find the ponypower to help us? Coltlingen doesn’t have much of a population, and Jidhoof’s full of stuffy rich ponies who’d buy their way out of any trouble. Most of the chocobos are still captive, and the rest of the griffons won’t dare leave their mountain.” She stopped and looked to Derpy. “How about the zebras? Would they join us?”

Derpy scrunched up her face and tapped the side of her head with a hoof. “Dunno. I’ve never seen them leave the Veldt. Well, except for that one mean lady general in the Empire.”

“It’s worth a shot. Would you be willing to ask them?”

“Sure, but that’s a long ways off.”

“Don’t worry!” Pinkie Pie said, wrapping a hoof around Derpy’s neck. “I’ll get you there and back in a jiffy!”

Derpy’s eyes crossed and she cocked her head. “How will peanut butter get me there?”

As Pinkie snorted in laughter, nearby, Twilight jerked, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

“Twilight, are you alright?” Mayor Mare asked.

“Um… yes.” Shaking her head, Twilight’s eyes regained focus. “Sorry, that was weird. My father just contacted me.”

“Oh, yes, the esper that survived.” Mayor Mare walked up to Twilight and sat down next to her. “I’m beginning to see why you are so special.”

A blush formed on Twilight’s cheeks. “Well, not that special. I’m not the only one that can do magic anymore.”

“But you are still the only pony with any experience with it. I wouldn’t sell yourself so short.” Giving an encouraging smile, Mayor Mare indicated Twilight should continue.

“Thank you. Well, you see, father just suggesting where we could find some help. He… he wants me to open the Sealed Gate.”

Mayor Mare stepped back, her eyes wide. “To the esper world? But… but that’s…”

“I’m sorry! I’ll try to tell him that it’s a bad—”

“That’s brilliant!”

The whole room blinked.

Mayor Mare rushed to the center of the room, everyone’s eyes drawn to her. “Don’t you see? They have as much reason to fight as we do. I’m sure once they see what happened to their friends they’ll be sure to join us!” She rounded on Twilight, her eyes twinkling. “And the perfect pony to gain their trust is you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight’s jaw fell. “M-me? Why me?”

“Twilight, you are half esper, half pony. If any one of us can bridge the gap between our two races, it’s you. Your very existence is proof of that.”

A heavy silence followed. Twilight stared back at all the expectant faces waiting for her to say something. Hesitantly, she said, “I… I don’t know. What if I can’t do it? What if they won’t listen?”

Mayor Mare laid a hoof over Twilight’s shoulder, looking deep into the younger mare’s eyes. “I know you can do this. I’m not one to put too much stock into fate, but my instincts are telling me that this is why you are here, with us. You can bring this war to a screeching halt, and no more ponies, chocobos, griffons, or even espers will have to suffer or die anymore. That’s what you wanted all along, right?”

Twilight’s world spun and it took some quick reflexes for her to stay on her hooves. She looked away, her voice shaky. “But… I’m scared.”

She felt a soft and comforting warmth wrap around her back. She looked up to see a blue wing covering her with Rainbow Dash’s smiling face close by. “C’mon. Like I’d let you go do this on your own.”

“She’s right,” Spike said, standing tall. “I’m with ya the whole way, Twilight.”

Applejack smirked and tipped her hat. “Shucks Twi, who ever said you were alone?”

“Then it’s settled,” Mayor Mare said, giving a firm nod. “Derpy and Pinkie will go to the zebras while everypony else heads to the gate with Twilight. That leaves me and the rest of the Returners to get ready for our invasion of the Empire.”

Murmurs of agreement passed through the room, a palpable sense of purpose taking hold. As such, a lone hoof raising up into the air and the timid voice accompanying it almost went unnoticed. It wasn’t until Stardust gave a shrill kweh that the room quieted down.

“Hey, the yellow one has a question,” he said, gesturing towards the cringing pony.

“Fluttershy,” the pegasus squeaked out. She gulped, her words dying before they could form.

Rarity gave her an encouraging nudge.

“Um, well, this might be a stupid question…”

“Darling, whatever it is that you have to say, we won’t make fun of you.”

“Th-thanks,” Fluttershy said. “It’s just that, where is the sealed gate?”

The room of Returners gave a collective blink.

Nervous shifting resulted, the room becoming uncomfortably quiet. That is until Rainbow Dash slapped the side of her head and pointed to Twilight. “Duh. Twi’s dad probably knows. We just ask him.”

Twilight blushed, giving a sheepish smile. “Oh, right. I’ll ah… I’ll try contacting him.” She squinted her eyes, her horn lighting up a deep magenta. A few moments passed as the Returners waited for Twilight to finish. At last, she opened her eyes and grinned. “Wow, that worked. Father says it’s on the eastern side of the Empire’s continent. It’s surrounded by mountains but there should be a cave that leads to the gate.”

“Wait,” Rarity spoke up. “You said the east side of the Empire, right?”

“Yes. Why?”

With a sigh, Rarity said, “This is going to be difficult then. Applejack, do you remember, after we washed up on the Empire’s shore, you had me check out what we thought was a settlement? Well, it’s not a village, but a base. The Empire must have built it to protect the cave we need to go through. I didn’t stick around for long but by my estimate, there must be hundreds of soldiers there.”

“Crud, you’re right,” Applejack said. “I could hear their magitek even though we were a mile away.”

“We’ll need a plan to get by them. Otherwise we’ll have to scratch that whole idea off the list.”

Pinkie Pie gave a giggle, gaining everyone’s attention. “Well, I was planning on dropping you guys off on my way to the Veldt. I can fly you over the base and right into the mountains. Though you’re on your own finding the cave.”

“That’s pretty good,” Applejack said, her features firming. “Better than fighting our way through.”

“Then we better get going! No sense waiting around.” Pinkie Pie bounced to the door, saying over her shoulder, “I’ll get the Party of One ready. You just let me know when we leave!”

Mayor Mare waited for Pinkie Pie to close the door behind her before saying, “Quite excitable, isn’t she?”

“You betcha!” came Pinkie Pie’s voice through the door.

Letting out a chuckle, Rainbow Dash said, “Hey, I like her attitude. Let’s get ready ourselves and then we’ve got a date with some espers.”

.o.O.o.

The next day, everything was ready and the group piled into the airship. A gathering of ponies, chocobos, and even the dragons waved them off as the vessel ascended into the sky. Soon, the town of Neighshe was lost within the crags of the mountain.

“Okay everyone,” Pinkie Pie announced over the intercom. “First stop is the Veldt. It’s going to be a ways so I’ve got all sorts of games and snacks ready in the casino. Don’t be shy and help yourself!

“Then we make a big u-turn and head to the Empire. Let’s keep our hooves crossed on that one.

“Oh, one more thing. Maduin wanted to talk to us about something, so meet in the lounge please.”

Rainbow Dash lifted an eyebrow at Twilight Sparkle as the two headed for the indicated room. “What’s this about?”

Twilight’s brows furrowed. “I don’t know. This is the first time I’m hearing about it.” She stopped suddenly, waving for Rainbow Dash to wait for her. “Oh, Dash! I meant to give this back to you.” With a tug of magic, Twilight removed the atlas armlet from her hoof and offered it to the pegasus. “Thank you for letting me use this for so long. I really appreciate it.”

Glancing at the relic and then back at Twilight, Rainbow Dash said, “You sure? I don’t mind if you want to keep it a little longer.”

“No, I’m okay. I’ve been feeling really good lately, and I think I’ve got a good handle on my magic now. This will help you more than me.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged, took the offered armlet, and slipped it on. She shuddered, falling back a step. “Whoa. Forgot what a rush that was.”

Giggling, Twilight resumed her trot with Rainbow Dash. The pair reached the lounge, finding that most of the others were already gathered.

“Miss Dash,” Maduin said from his seat in the middle of the floor. “Do you have all the magicite you obtained the other day?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, right here.” She shrugged off her saddlebag and set it in front of the esper. “Whatcha going to do with them?”

“Let’s wait for everyone to gather and you’ll see.”

“Uh, okay.” Giving Maduin a confused look, Rainbow Dash nonetheless found a seat and waited.

A few minutes later, Pinkie Pie entered the room with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo before her. “That’s everyone!” she announced.

Across the room, Applejack stood up and marched over to the newcomers. “Wait, what are you three still doing here? I thought I left you back at Neighshe.”

“I hired them,” Pinkie Pie said as the trio of fillies gave Applejack smug grins. “They were going to stow away again anyways, so I thought I’d just skip the trouble and make them my swabbies.” She giggled. “Heh, swabbies.”

“Don’t worry, big sis!” Apple Bloom said, raising a hoof. “We’ll do our best to keep this ship all spick an’ span.”

“Big sis?”

Applejack winced. She turned towards the deep voice, giving a sheepish smile up at Big Macintosh. “Ah, heh. Um, you heard that?”

“Eeyup.”

“Horseapples. This wasn’t how I wanted to introduce ya.”

“Big bro!” With that, Apple Bloom latched onto Big Macintosh’s foreleg and squeezed it with all her pint-sized might.

Big Macintosh looked to the filly attached to his leg and then back at Applejack. “Explain.”

Shaking her head, Applejack pointed to the gathered, and waiting, group. “After this meetin’. I promise.” She pushed Big Macintosh to an empty spot, giving a reassuring smile the whole way. He didn’t protest, but the frown he gave back made it clear this issue was not over. Apple Bloom sat between the two, content.

Maduin cleared his throat, directing all attention back to him. “Now that that’s taken care of, I want anyone who hasn’t bonded with an esper to stand up.”

A few uncertain looks passed through the gathered Returners. Rarity was the first to stand, followed closely by Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. Maduin gave a pointed look towards Spike and Stardust. Spike got the hint first and got to his feet. He nudged Stardust in the side, the chocobo jerking to his talons with a squawk.

“Now, I need all of you to make an important decision,” Maduin said. He lifted up Rainbow Dash’s bag, presenting for all to see. “In here are the rest of the magicite. I’m positive that some of you will bond with them. Before you try however, I need to know if you are committed to using the powers that will be bestowed on you responsibly. The marks my kind gives you last forever. You will be different from others, maybe even shunned and feared.

“So, if any of you are willing to live with that, step forward.”

Three fillies were at his side in an instant.

“Us! Us! Pick us!”

“Now wait a cotton pickin’ minute, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said, reaching forward to drag her sister back. Apple Bloom darted out of the way.

“Hey, I’m big enough to choose!” she yelled back.

Sweetie Belle stood beside her, puffing out her chest. “Me too.”

“We’re going to get our cutie marks and kick flank!” Scootaloo said.

A shadow fell over the three. Slowly, they looked up to see a frightening sight.

Rarity glared down at them, her fierce visage causing the crusaders to flinch back. “That is certainly out of the question. This is why I sent you with Fluttershy, to keep you away from danger.”

“But—”

“No buts!” Rarity cut off her sister. “The Veldt is close to Thamaresa, so we’ll be dropping you off when we get there.”

“Oooohhhhh…” the three moaned.

“Now come along. This farce has gone—”

Quick as lightning, Scootaloo twisted and bucked upwards, striking the bag Maduin still held above them. Four magicite shards flew out, hovered in the air for a second, then dropped down as gravity took over. Applejack and Rairty watched, slack jawed, as the magical rocks fell atop the three fillies.

Blinding white light flashed before everyone’s eyes.

Seconds later the light receded, allowing everyone to blink away the afterburn. Once they were able to see, all eyes fell on the trio staggering on their hooves.

“You… but…” Rarity stopped and started, unable to form words. Instead, her gaze drifted towards Sweetie Belle’s flank. Her features fell upon seeing a gold unicorn’s horn adorned there.

“Whoa, what a rush,” Scootaloo said. She shook her head, forcing away any lingering dizziness. “Did it work? Did we get—” She cut herself off, her jaw dropping, as she saw a white feather made of swirling wind on her flank.

Apple Bloom groaned and rubbed her eyes. “Did what work? What the hay did you do?” She looked up at Applejack but her adopted sister stood comatose, staring at her. “What? What are you looking at?”

Applejack lifted a shaky hoof and pointed at something behind the young filly.

With a worried look, Apple Bloom followed Applejack’s gaze, coming snout to flank with a red eye, an apple stem sticking out the top.

The room remained deathly quiet. Finally, Pinkie Pie’s voice broke the tableau. “So is this the end of the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Because now you’re going to have to come up with a new name.”

The silent moment over, the three fillies whooped and grabbed each other into a tight hug.

“We did it!” Apple Bloom cheered. “We finally got cutie marks!”

Sweetie Belle grinned so hard her muzzle hurt. “This is the best day ever!”

“Wait till I show my parents!” Scootaloo said. “They’re going to flip!”

With a sigh, Applejack fell hard on her rump. “If this don’t beat all.”

A loud snap of claws against claws cut short the merriment, Maduin regaining everyone’s attention. “Congratulations, young ones. May the powers of Catoblepas—” he pointed to Apple Bloom then moved to Sweetie Belle “—Unicorn—” he stopped on Scootaloo “—and Quetzalcoatl serve you well.”

“Cool!” Scootaloo said. “Mine sounds awesome!”

“What do ours do?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I will explain in good time.” Maduin reached down, picking up the last piece of magicite. “This is Cactrot. Are any of you willing to take on his powers?”

The remaining blank flanks looked to each other, giving unsure looks. Twilight stepped away. “I don’t think I should get one. I mean, I’m half esper already.”

Maduin nodded, silently relieved. “How about the rest of you?”

Heaving a sigh, Rainbow Dash sat down. “I already touched all of them.”

“Do not fret, I’m sure you will find an esper when the time is right.” He turned towards Applejack and Rarity. “Ladies? Care to try?”

Applejack eyed the offered magicite with a raised eyebrow. “You think it’s smart for us to take it?”

“I would rather my kin be in your hooves than Blueblood’s.”

Shaking her head, Applejack gestured for Rarity to take her place. “Don’t seem right for some reason. Think I’ll pass this time.”

Rarity cocked her head. “You sure?”

“Yeah, I think I’ll make do without. Been doing fine so far, right?”

“Hmm, perhaps. But, it never hurts to be prepared.” With that, Rarity reached forward and touched the magicite with the tip of her hoof.

Like all the other times before, blinding light filled the room. Once the brightness receded, a trio of green diamonds could be seen gracing Rarity’s flank. The unicorn shuddered, her body trembling. “My goodness…” she breathed out.

“Excellent,” Maduin said, clapping his hands. “I was right in trusting in all of you. Now our work can truly begin.”

“Hey,” came Spike’s voice as he raised a claw. “What about non-ponies? We can still get an esper ourselves, right?”

Maduin nodded. “Yes. Species does not matter. You need look no farther than Gilda. I’m guessing that she received Typhoon’s power somehow.

“Now then, we will be arriving at the Veldt, are we not? If I remember correctly, that place is very open with little in the way of civilization.” A round of nods and a enthusiastic “Yep!” from Derpy confirmed it. “Very good. It will be a good place for you all to start learning how to control your new magic.”

A round of questions started to emerge from everyone. Maduin held up a claw to forestall them. “You must learn this if you plan to go into battle at your full potential. Some of you have never used magic at all.”

“But what about getting to the gate?” Rainbow Dash spoke up. “We can’t be wasting time when we can get the espers to finish this war for us.”

“I understand your eagerness to be done with this fighting. But you need to arrive at the gate first, which means getting past the Imperial base and the cave beyond. It wouldn’t do for you to die before then, correct?” Rainbow Dash scoffed and looked away, not arguing further. “The gate is not going anywhere. And there’s no knowing what has changed in the esper world since I was last there. I can guarantee that Sombra will not take kindly to having his gate forcibly opened after all the effort he put into closing it.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “You may have to fight my people in order to convince them of helping you.”

Rainbow Dash groaned, flopping to her stomach. “Great, on top of everything else.”

“Do not fret. My people may be easier to convince than you think. They will do anything to prevent another War of the Magi.”

A chime sounded, causing everyone to look around in confusion.

Pinkie Pie sprung to her hooves, many swearing they heard a “boing!” sound. “We’re here!” She rushed to the door, holding it open for the others to leave through. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m super excited to find out what I can do with this butt symbol. So c’mon, let’s get this party started!”

“Yay, a grind party,” Rainbow Dash muttered as she and the rest of the Returners headed for the exit.

.o.O.o.

“This will be perfect.” Maduin swept his arm over a broad stretch of land with nothing but short grass and a few spindly trees in the distance. “Nothing for miles to interrupt us and plenty of space to practice.”

Derpy Hooves stared over the landscape, a hint of wetness building in her eyes. “Wow. It’s like I’m seeing it all over again, and I’ve lived here my entire life.” She ran her hoof through the short grass, giggling at the ticklish sensation.

Nodding sagely, Maduin said, “Yes, I know the feeling. There were days when living in the Crystal Empire that I couldn’t fathom just how beautiful everything was. It’s good to appreciate what you have when you still have it.” He knelt down and placed a claw over Derpy’s shoulder. “Now, when you are finished with the zebras, head right back here. You will need to learn how to use your new magic too.”

Derpy firmed her stance and saluted, accidentally swatting herself in the muzzle. She shrugged off the sudden dizziness and took off into the sky, heading east.

“Now then,” Maduin said, turning back to the group at large. “We will begin.”

Rainbow Dash raised a hoof and spoke before being called on. “Can I sit this one out? I don’t have any fancy shmancy magic.”

“Even if you don’t, you should stay to become more familiar with how magic works and what it can do. Otherwise, you will be ill-prepared in case you face Gilda or Trixie again.”

Growling and baring her teeth, Rainbow Dash kicked a rock unfortunate enough to be too close to her. It skidded across the ground several hoof lengths away. “You had to bring her up, didn’t you?”

“Apologies, but that is something you will have to keep in mind for the future.

“Now, esper magic is generally divided into three categories: attack, healing, and support. Depending on which esper bonded with you will determine which category you are strongest in. I will do my best to remember which of my departed friends did what, but I’m sure with a little experimentation we’ll be able to figure things out. Twilight.” He motioned for his daughter to come closer.

The unicorn flinched, looking around nervously. Slowly, she walked up to Maduin and gave a sheepish smile. “Um, yes?”

“Of all the ponies here, you are the most experienced with using esper magic. I would like your help.”

“Oh, uh, sure.” Her smile became more genuine as she stood a little taller.

Maduin wasn’t done. “And you will need to learn how to morph into your esper form without losing control.”

“What?!” came a collective shout.

“My… esper form?” Twilight said, quickly sinking back down.

“You do remember what happened the last time Twilight lost control, right?” Rainbow Dash said.

Ignoring her, Maduin continued, “Yes. It is a part of you that you can not afford to ignore.” He bent down and ran a claw through Twilight’s mane. His daughter leaned into the touch, giving a small whimper. “Don’t worry. I promise that I will be with you the entire way. You can master this, I know you can.”

“But…” Twilight began, her body shaking. “But what if I don’t? I-I could hurt somepony just by being near them.”

With a flick of his fingers, Maduin produced a tiny red flame at the tip of a claw. He chuckled. “Hey, your father has some experience dealing with fire. You and everyone else will be fine.” He gave her one more gentle stroke through her mane, then stood up to face the others. “Let’s get you all into groups.”

.o.O.o.

"I’ll start with you two," Maduin said, pointing at Shining Armor and Rarity.

The two unicorns gave each other unsure looks, but marched up to the hulking demon regardless. They stood before Maduin, heads held high but their stomachs performing loop-de-loops against their wills.

Maduin tilted his head towards Shining Armor. "You, sir, have already manifested some of Carbunkle's power. He specialized in shields. Try to create one now."

"Um, okay," Shining Armor said, planting his hooves solidly into the ground. "Here goes." Squeezing his eyes shut, his horn lit up. It blazed pink energy and he let out a low growl.

Next to him, Rarity took a step back. "Uh, Shining, darling, it looks like you're constipated."

Shining Armor let out a whoosh of air, the glow around his horn fading. "Sorry," he panted out.

"Yes, I was afraid of this," Maduin said, one clawed hand cradling his chin. "You are trying to cast using your horn. That's how unicorn magic works but not how esper magic works. Try again, but without channeling any magic to your horn."

"Easier said than done." Still, Shining Armor firmed up his features and focused on the space in front of himself. Unseen by him, a string of white pearls flowed from his horn and back. However, he did see a pink, translucent ball materialize before his nose. Blinking, he reached out to touch it, only for it to pop like a bubble. "Shoot."

"Much better. Try again but keep it solid this time. With enough practice you should be able to generate barriers that can hold up to the most powerful of attacks." Turning away from the stallion, Maduin regarded the mare. "Now for you. Cactrot's powers generally took the form of cactus needles. Try—"

Three glowing spikes popped into existence at the tip of Maduin's nose, making the esper stumble back.

"Like this?" Rarity said with a grin.

"Yes, just like that." Clearing his throat and regaining his posture, Maduin smirked down at the pony. "Something tells me you have experience with this sort of thing already."

"I've dabbled. How do you think I can make such fabulous outfits like my Mare Do Well costume?"

"Then it looks like Cactrot is a perfect fit for you."

"Oh you," Rarity said, waving a hoof airily at him.

Maduin glanced at Shining Armor, who was grunting at the effort to maintain a pink, concave shield no bigger than his head. Tilting his head towards the stallion, Maduin said, "Give him some incentive, will you?"

Rarity blinked. "You sure?" An affirmative nod was her answer. Swallowing, Rarity willed her three needles to point towards Shining Armor. "Think fast!"

"Huh?" was all Shining Armor could get out before he caught sight of three deadly projectiles flying towards his throat. With a surprised cry, he threw up his hooves and prayed for the best. He heard a sound like rocks scraping against glass but no pain. Taking a peek, he gasped at the large wall of pink magic surrounding himself and the three bolts careening away.

.o.O.o.

Apple Bloom looked up and down at her new instructor. All five hooves nothing of him. "So why do we have to follow you?"

Puffing up his chest, Spotter peered down at the filly giving him lip. It would have been more intimidating if he didn't have to stand on the tips of his hooves to do so. "Because the big guy said I have more experience with magic than you. So there!"

"But why aren't we learning from him?" Sweetie Belle pointed out, waving her hoof towards where Maduin was lecturing Shining Armor and Rarity several paces away. "He seems to know this stuff."

"Yeah, what makes you so special?" Scootaloo said. "Just because you got a cutie mark before all of us?"

Spotter glared at the pegasus, his face scrunched in anger. "That's right! I'm the big boy here and you have to do what I say."

"Whatever, I'm going to see what my sis is doing over there." With that, Sweetie Belle trotted away, heading towards Rarity.

"Look out!"

Sweetie Belle's world spun as something impacted her side, sending her sprawling to the ground. In a daze, she looked up to see three glowing needles sticking out of the dirt mere inches from her nose. Giving a shrill shriek, Sweetie Belle jumped to her hooves and ran behind Scootaloo.

"Oh, Sweetie, are you all right?" came Rarity's panicked voice. The older sister picked up the younger, intently inspecting Sweetie Belle for any injuries. "I'm so sorry! It's all my fault, I should have been more careful."

"I-I'm fine," Sweetie Belle said, her voice shaky. "What happened?"

"It was wild!" Scootaloo shouted next to her, her body quivering with excitement. "You were running off but then Spotter knocked you out of the way. He saved you!"

Rarity set down her sister and ran over to where the young colt lay in a heap. "Oh, Spotter dear, I'm so sorry! Please say you're not hurt."

"I'm fine," he mumbled and spit out a mouthful of dirt.

"Son!" Now it was Spotter's turn to be fussed over as Shining Armor checked him over.

"I'm okay," Spotter insisted, trying to push his dad away. "I saw it coming."

"I take full responsibility for what transpired."

Everypony looked up to see Maduin standing over them, frowning. "I simply wanted to shock the young stallion here. I've found that to be a good way to get stubborn powers to activate. Seems I was correct, but at a cost." He sighed, swiveling his gaze over all the other ponies spread out that still needed his help. "Perhaps this was a bad idea."

"No, it was just an accident," Spotter said, trotting up to the esper towering above them. "C'mon, I wanna teach them!"

"And I wanna teach under him." Scootaloo came up beside Spotter, giving the colt a smile. "What ya did back there was pretty cool. You've got my vote!"

"I suppose I can give you another shot," Sweetie Belle said.

Their eyes found Apple Bloom, who sat silently on the side. She shrugged. "Sure. He does seem to know what he's doing."

"Don't worry, we'll keep watch over them," Shining Armor said, Rarity at his side. "Heh, guess even my son can teach me a few things."

Maduin crossed his arms and nodded. "Very well. But help and learn from each other. There's more than just what you've seen so far. I haven't even shown you how to summon the very spirit of the esper you hold. I need to check on the others, but come and get me if you have questions."

Hearing a round of affirmatives, Maduin left Spotter to be the pony in charge.

"Okay!" the colt chirped. "It's official now. You have to listen to me!"

Shining Armor and Rarity shared another look, then both broke out into laughter.

.o.O.o.

"That's it. You're doing great!"

Twilight Sparkle could barely contain her excitement at witnessing Fluttershy extend her wings and send a soothing wave over Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The two non-bonded ponies had decided to spend their time sparring rather than watch everypony practice. Though, sparring may have been too generous a word for Fluttershy, as the two seemed to be trying to kill each other. Bruising and shallow cuts littered their bodies, but somehow the earth pony and pegasus were smiling as though they had just shared drinks at a bar. Whatever the case, it gave Fluttershy plenty of opportunities to use her new magic to heal them up.

“I see we’re doing fine over here,” came Maduin’s rumbling voice.

Twilight looked up to him with the widest smile he had ever seen from her. “Oh, father! Did you see Fluttershy? She’s a natural!”

“Yes, I believe her disposition helps channel her magic. She wants to heal others, and so it happens.”

“How are the others doing?”

Maduin paused before speaking. “Some are having an easier time than others. I’m concerned about the fillies since they are so young, but they were chosen so there’s nothing to do about it. I’m hoping to ease them into their magic with the colt’s help. I think he will be a good influence.”

Twilight hummed an affirmative. “That’s good.”

“I need to check on the airship captain next. See me in ten minutes.”

“Oh. Okay.” Twilight involuntarily shuddered.

Reaching down, Maduin laid a claw over her shoulder. “Relax. Things are going better than I could have hoped.” He patted her back, gave her a reassuring smile, then headed towards where Pinkie Pie was practicing.

“I hope you’re right,” Twilight said to herself as she watch her father walk away.

.o.O.o.

Flying over the Veldt after weeks of being away was unlike anything Derpy Hooves had experienced in all her life. She never realized how much she missed soaring over the planes until she didn’t have it anymore. She giggled and performed a cartwheel in midair, unconsciously letting loose a lightning bolt that struck an unfortunate hydra head below. The other heads all had a laugh at their crispy comrade’s expense.

Unaware of the drama below, Derpy scanned the vast expanse of the Veldt for her friends. Given how her eyes worked, many would assume her sight was impaired, and they would be right, up to a point. However, having lived next to eagles and hawks for years, she had managed to pick up a few tricks to compensate. Right now both eyes were righted correctly, searching for any sign of where the Returners were practicing.

Flashes of light against the horizon gave her a clue. Putting on a burst of speed, Derpy headed for the source.

.o.O.o.

“And a one, and a two, and a three!”

Pinkie Pie slammed her hoof down, stopping the spinning wheels of the slot machine she had set up outside. She gave a whoop as all three slides stopped on seven. An avalanche of candy spilled out of the machine as her reward. “Yes! That’s ten in a row. I’ve never been this lucky before.”

“Uh huh, yeah, that’s great,” came Stardust’s unenthused voice. “Ah, how exactly is this supposed to help learn your new magic?”

“I don’t know, but I’m on a winning streak and I’m not about to stop now!”

Spike, standing next to Stardust, shared a look with his avian friend. “Why’d she even bring that stupid thing out here anyway?”

The chocobo shrugged and went back to mixing potions together. “At least she’s giving me plenty of ingredients for these. It’s amazing what a little sweetener has done to make these x-potions taste better.”

The sound of heavy footsteps caught their attention, the duo spotting Maduin heading their way. “How are things?”

Spike gestured towards Pinkie Pie and her eleventh shout of victory. “See for yourself.”

“Ah, very good. I see she’s got the hang of it.”

“Huh?” Spike and Stardust said in stereo.

“Cait Sith always had a knack for amazing luck,” Maduin explained with a smirk. “He called it a sixth sense and it bordered on precognition. He could always find a way out of any trouble he was in.” He stopped, letting out a sigh. “He also had a bad habit of getting himself into that trouble.”

“So… that’s his magic?” Spike asked. “Just luck?”

“Oh, he knew plenty of spells and I’m sure Miss Pie will discover them. Her tapping into his more latent power is more impress—”

“Twitchy tail!”

That was all the warning they received before Pinkie Pie plowed into the three creatures just as a ball of electricity detonated in the area they had been standing. They all quickly got back up, weapons and magic ready to defend themselves. As the smoke cleared from the impact zone, a single, light grey hoof poked up from the crater and lazily waved.

“Hey guys!” Derpy greeted. “I’m back!”

.o.O.o.

Minutes later, Derpy sat around the Returners, reporting on the zebras. “They seemed to be pretty excited that I was back, but they wouldn’t let me show off my new magic for some reason.” She scratched at her chin, a puzzled look coming over her features. “I think I heard a few say that this was some type of punishment…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s great and all,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “But did they say they were going to help or what?”

“Oh! Um, kinda.” She set down her saddlebags and pulled out a long piece of parchment. She hoofed it over to Rainbow Dash. “Here. They said they wouldn’t be very good in a fight, but they did give me this. They said it’s a list of some of the best potions and poisons they’ve found. I hope it helps.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head and sighed. “Great, it’s in their language. How are we going to use this?”

“I’ll take that!”

Rainbow Dash blinked at the empty spot in her hooves where the list had been. She followed the retreating figure that had taken it, blinking again at seeing Apple Bloom pore over the list with a gleeful smile. “You know about that stuff?”

“Yeah, I do!” Apple Bloom said, not taking her eyes off the parchment. “Fluttershy took us on a trip to the zebras a little while ago since they’re so close to Themaresa. They taught me all sorts of things! I’ll have this stuff ready to go in a jiffy!”

Stardust plopped down next to her, craning his neck to get a look at the list. “May I look? I don’t speak zebra but I want to see what kind of potions they have.”

“Sure! C’mon, let’s find the stuff we need!” Apple Bloom gave a pleading look towards Applejack, forestalling any disagreements.

Rolling her eyes, Applejack gave a tentative nod. “Okay, but only if I come with you. This place is still dangerous, no matter how out of the way we are.”

Apple Bloom thrust a hoof into the air. “Yes!”

Standing up, Maduin said, “Good, this will be a perfect time to take a break and let Twilight have her turn.” He motioned for Big Macintosh, who had spent his time so far tinkering with his new drill, to follow him. “You too. Your powers will give Twilight good target practice.”

Big Macintosh gulped, his ears flattening against his head. “Um, target practice?”

“Don’t worry. You’ll see what I mean very soon.”

.o.O.o.

Maduin came to a stop a mile away from the airship and the other Returners. He turned to Big Macintosh and said, “Fenrir was quite adept at creating duplicates of himself. He used it to help him hunt and confuse his prey. I want you to create images of yourself for Twilight to fire against. You’ll stay safe and get some practice in yourself.”

“Um, kay,” was all Big Macintosh could think to say. He looked down and scuffed the ground with a hoof. “Um, how?”

“Do you remember how we escaped the Magitek Research Facility? That was you. Try to recall that time and how it felt.”

Big Macintosh grimaced. “Not too keen on rememberin’ that time, but I’ll try.” He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. Minutes passed as he remained motionless. Finally, he sighed and opened his eyes. “Sorry. Can’t do it.”

“Oh really?” Maduin sounded amused. “Look to your left.”

Big Macintosh arched an eyebrow but did as he was told. He did a double take at seeing another him standing nearby. He reached up with a hoof, his double doing the same. “That is weird,” he said. The mimic mouthed the words but no sound came from it.

“Try to make it move on its own.”

Frowning, Big Macintosh stared at his double, neither stallion nor image moving beyond that.

“Just imagine yourself running and it should do the rest of the work.”

No sooner had Maduin finished his suggestion than the second Big Macintosh rushed off at a gallop. The real Big Macintosh’s eyes widened. “That was easy. Nothing to this magic thing.”

“Yes, well, time to see how my daughter manages.” He regarded Twilight, who looked back with a quivering lip. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here the whole time.”

“But what if that’s not enough?” Twilight said, her eyes downcast. “I d-don’t want to lose control again.”

Maduin bent down, coming eye to eye with his daughter. “Think of it this way. The best possible conditions are here, rather than on a battlefield where you could injure friend and foe alike. If you don’t try now, there’s no telling how bad it could be if you’re unprepared.”

Twilight looked away and scuffed at the ground. “You make a lot of sense… but I’m still scared.”

“I would rather you be scared than cocky. Fear has its uses when controlling ourselves.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll give it a try.” Letting out a long, shuddering breath, Twilight Sparkle walked towards the Big Macintosh clone several paces away. Once she reached it she looked back, seeing her father giver her an encouraging nod. Focusing back on the clone, she took one last, deep breath and closed her eyes.

As though the Veldt itself were holding its breath, no wind blew, no insects buzzed, and no birds chirped. For minutes Twilight remained motionless, her chest barely moving to indicate she was still breathing. A flicker of orange appeared briefly over her back and disappeared just as quickly. Seconds later a yellow gout of fire fluttered past her flank.

Without warning, Twilight arched her back and let out a wail as two flaming wings erupted from her shoulders. Her coat rapidly changed to a light yellow and her mane and tail blazed with orange fire. She snapped open her eyes, revealing bright red pupils that gazed balefully at Big Macintosh’s image. With a loud roar that had no right coming from a pony, Twilight aimed her horn and—

—she let out a long, drawn out sigh.

Twilight remained stooped over, her body still morphed. Slowly raising her head, Twilight stared at the waiting form of Big Macintosh. Reaching out with a hoof, she gently swept it through his image, scattering the magic holding it together. Once the duplicate completely dissipated, she turned towards Maduin. The esper had his arms crossed, but there was no hiding the wide smile on his face.

Unconsciously, Twilight flexed her wings, startling her. She peered at them, her mouth hanging open. Tentatively, she reached back with a hoof and ran it through the flaming appendage, finding only a gentle warmth. She gave a few experimental flaps but couldn’t get enough momentum to rise off the ground.

A shudder passed through her body and in the next instant her esper form evaporated, leaving behind a singed, but perfectly fine, unicorn.

“Well done,” came Maduin’s voice.

Heaving for breath, Twilight sat down on the grass and took her time recovering. Her body glistened with sweat with smudges of soot covering parts of her coat. After a few seconds she stood up on wobbly legs and headed back towards Maduin. Once she reached him, she gave a tired, but proud smile. “I… I did it.”

“Yes,” Maduin said, sitting down in front of her cross-legged. “I had faith you would. Don’t be afraid to trigger your change when you feel you need it. Though it looks like it takes a lot out of you to stay that way. You will need to choose wisely when to morph, but I think it will be easier each time you do.”

“Thanks, father.” She leaned forward and nuzzled him on the chest.

Maduin embraced Twilight in his muscled arms, cradling her like an infant. “You’ve all made remarkable progress today. I think we’ll be ready for the cave very soon.”

Wherein We Skip the Frying Pan

On the evening of the second day of training in the Veldt, Maduin called for a meeting.

“That will be enough,” he said to the group gathered in front of the airship. “You have all done well, but I believe it’s time to make our way to my homeland.”

“‘Bout time,” Rainbow Dash muttered. She winced as Applejack poked her in the side.

“Don’t be like that, Dash. We got plenty of practice in ourselves.”

“I trust that you all will continue to train your abilities,” Maduin said over them. “There is plenty still to learn, but I’m afraid we do not have the luxury.”

Pinkie Pie hopped forward and gestured towards the Party of One. “All right, everyone! Let’s get on board and get some rest. If we leave now we should be able to reach that base during the night. We can slip in easily, then!”

Rarity covered her mouth and coughed. “Don’t be so sure, Captain Pinkie. That place seemed to be very alert no matter what time it is. It might be best to slip in through the mountains rather than try the front door.”

“We’ll talk about it on the way,” Rainbow Dash said, already trotting up the gangplank. “C’mon, let’s get this over with.”

The moment Rainbow Dash’s form was out of sight, Spike turned to Applejack and said, “What’s with her?”

The farmer shrugged. “Reckon it has to do with that Trixie pony. I guess that with the downtime we’ve had, she’s had a chance to brood over it.”

“Jeez, she’s wasting her time. If you ask me, Trixie isn’t worth it.”

“Maybe, but try tellin’ her that.”

Soon, the rest of the Returners boarded the airship and helped themselves to Pinkie Pie’s pantry. Within minutes, the Party of One took off, heading west over the Veldt.

.o.O.o.

Just as Pinkie Pie predicted, the airship reached the eastern end of the Empire’s continent well past midnight. The engines whirred as slowly as possible to reduce the noise, forcing the Party of One to come in low. The eastern mountains loomed ahead in the darkness, a giant mass of rock that pierced the night sky.

“So, what’s the plan?” Pinkie Pie said, her hooves steady on the wheel. “If we go higher, they may hear us coming but if we go around it’s going to be morning by the time we get there.”

Scootaloo buzzed up and thrust a hoof forward. “I say we go blasting in! Take ‘em by surprise.” She whirled around, pointing at all the ponies present. “Man the cannons!”

“Uh, yeah, not gonna happen,” Pinkie Pie drawled. “The only cannons I’ve got are party cannons.” She blinked and cocked her head. “But you know, if I loaded them up with cake batter…”

Beside her, Rarity shook her head. “No. That would only make them mad. They’ve got more than enough to blow us out of the sky. We need to be cautious about this.”

“Hey, how about I scout ahead and see what they got?” Rainbow Dash said. “Better than going in blind.”

“A good idea, but you’re going to need something to cover up. Your mane isn’t the most stealthy of colors, dear.” Rarity lit up her horn, lifting out a black body suit from her bag. She presented the suit before Rainbow Dash. “This should do the trick. This was going to be a backup Mare Do Well costume, but with a little modification, I can make it suitable for your wings.”

Rainbow Dash pawed at the fabric, giving it a doubtful look. “I’m pretty sure I can get in and out without them seeing me.”

“Why take the chance? This will only take a minute.” Rarity sat down, levitated out a pair of scissors and began cutting through the suit. A little thread and needling later, Rarity stood back up and gave a “Ta-da!” Before Rainbow Dash could protest, Rarity held the pegasus still with her magic and slipped the suit on in one smooth motion. She stepped back and nodded in approval. “You look fantastic!”

The fabric covered all of Rainbow Dash’s body with only her muzzle poking out of a hole in the cowl area. Even her tail was covered by a thin black mesh.

Scootaloo snickered. “You look like a cat.”

“Har, har,” Rainbow Dash replied. Now able to move again, Rainbow Dash squirmed in the tight fitting outfit, using a hoof to pull at her crotch. “Is it supposed to ride up this much?”

Rolling her eyes, Rarity used her magic to adjust the uncomfortable area. “You don’t have to wear it long. Give your wings a try.”

Rainbow Dash spread out her wings, the same mesh that covered her tail also wrapped around them. A little hop into the air and she was flying around the deck. Once she completed two laps, she circled back and hovered over Rarity. “Okay, I admit, this feels pretty cool.”

“I never disappoint when it comes to frocks,” Rarity said with a smirk and a wink.

“Well, better head out then.” With that, Rainbow Dash took off over the mountains and was soon lost from sight.

An hour passed, the airship circling the coast as the Returners waited for the pegasus to return. Just as the others began to murmur among themselves if they should head in to find her, Rainbow Dash landed on the deck, startling them all.

“You guys won’t believe this!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed before anyone else could get a word in. “The whole place is empty! I couldn’t find a single Impy wandering around.”

A few moments of silence followed her statement.

“C’mon!” Rainbow Dash thrust a hoof towards the mountains, grinning viciously. “Let’s get in while the gettin’s good!”

A white hoof lowered Rainbow Dash’s own. “There’s no possible way that could happen,” Rarity said. “There must have been an entire army’s worth of soldiers when I last saw it.”

“Ya gotta believe me. I know it’s crazy but it’s true!” Whirling on Pinkie Pie, she pushed the airship captain towards the wheel. “When we get close, you’ll see.”

Pinkie Pie looked to the others, seeking guidance. A hushed conversation between Applejack and Shining Armor took place and after a minute, Applejack stepped forward. She shrugged. “Let’s check it out.”

“Yes!” Rainbow Dash pumped a hoof to the air.

Minutes later, the Party of One’s engines whined with increased power, lifting the airship higher and above the mountains. Only a half-hour passed before lights shining against the darkness could be seen. As the vehicle came closer, a large base built into the side of the mountains came into view. High walls covered in Imperial banners surrounded a central building large enough to house enough firepower and troops to lay siege to any settlement on the continent. The only thing missing were any signs of soldiers.

“I don’t like this,” Rarity said at length. “Why would they abandon such a critical place?”

Applejack made a committal grunt. “You think it’s a trap?”

“I know it’s a trap.”

“Then what do we do?” Shining Armor said. “If we want to get to the gate then we need to go through that.”

Waving a hoof in the air, Pinkie Pie let out an “Oh! Oh!” gaining everyone’s attention. “Why don’t some of us go in and the others stay out? We can be your lookout for anything weird. Whaddaya think?”

“Sounds good, I think.” Turning so that he had the entire group in his sights, Shining Armor said, “Let’s figure out who’s going in. Obviously, Twilight will need to go.”

“And me!” Spike spoke up, standing straight next to Twilight.

“I’ll go to make sure we follow the correct path,” Maduin said. “I won’t be much use in a fight, though.”

Rainbow Dash buffed her chest with a hoof, smirking. “And of course I’ll have to go. No way I’m missing out on this. Think of all the treasure I could find!” She looked over the rest. “Anypony else?”

“Us—”

Applejack bopped her sister over the head. “Nope.”

“Aww…”

“Me,” Big Macintosh said as he stepped forward.

Nodding, Rainbow Dash turned to Pinkie Pie. “All right, seems we’re all set. Get us down and keep a look out.”

“Roger!” Pinkie Pie saluted and began the landing process.

A few minutes later and the gate team were on the ground, in the middle of the base. Cautiously, the group headed for the large steel doors at the rear of the base. No locks could be seen holding it closed. Together, the ponies and dragon pushed the doors open, revealing a narrow path leading into the mountains. With no sign of Imperials, Maduin led the way. Less than a mile in, a heavy wave of heat hit the party. The sudden and oppressive temperature staggered the ponies while Spike walked on, unhindered.

“You dragons have way too many perks, ya know that,” Rainbow Dash said as she adjusted her bandanna to keep the sweat out of her eyes.

Spike’s response was a smile full of teeth. “Heh, yeah. We can live just about anywhere, especially if there are gems around.”

“Well, there should be plenty in a spot like this, so you should be right at home.”

“Yeah. Too bad Stardust didn’t want to come with us. Though he’d be a smoking plate of chicken wings going in here.”

“Speaking of here,” Maduin spoke up, “we’ve arrived.”

Before them was a large hole in the mountain. No fancy archway, no obvious path or marks to indicate that this was the entrance to the esper world. By all appearances, it was just an ordinary cave, completely uninteresting for what lay beyond.

“Once we enter, we must stay on our guard. Monsters have filled this cave over the centuries, drawn by the residual magic coming from the gate.”

“Don’t worry, we’re ready,” Rainbow Dash said, drawing Thunder Blade. “Let ‘em try to get us.”

.o.O.o.

“Run! There’re gonna get us!”

Having traveled a short distance into the sweltering cave, the party ran into the first wave of monsters. However, instead of living, breathing creatures, these beasts by all accounts appeared dead. Corpses of ponies shambled towards them, their rotting skin hanging from blackened bones. Their moans echoed through the cave, as though calling out for someone to end their suffering. The monsters came at them in packs, often with a single figure wearing tattered robes in the middle pointing bony fingers at the Returners to attack. Maduin identified them as liches, undead beings with power over the dead.

The first wave was taken down with a wall of fire from Twilight’s horn, incinerating the tormented creatures. However, another group soon replaced them. Rainbow Dash and Spike cut down two before being forced back by the unrelenting march. More liches and their animated servants began piling into the small, dark cavern, quickly surrounding the Returners.

Just as all avenues of escape closed, Twilight Sparkle gave a guttural cry and morphed. Now encased in fire, Twilight lowered her head and fearlessly plowed through the encroaching line of undead, incinerating any too slow to get out of her way. The creatures scrambled away from her, creating an opening.

Not one to pass up an opportunity, Rainbow Dash ran after the half-esper. Spike and Maduin followed, swatting away any stragglers seeking to get close. Twilight continued her charge, leading them deeper into the cave. Then without warning, the flames surrounding Twilight sputtered and died. Now just a regular unicorn, Twilight swayed and nearly toppled if Rainbow Dash hadn’t been there to catch her. Now the party ran for their lives, being pursued by relentless monsters and Twilight cradled in her father’s arms as she panted for breath.

“Where to?!” Rainbow Dash called back towards Maduin.

“Just up ahead!” Maduin replied. “They won’t follow us much longer.”

Rainbow Dash put on a burst of speed, galvanized by the esper’s words. She soon found stairs leading down with an orange glow at the bottom and bounded her way to the end. A heat more intense than anything she had ever felt hit her like wall. Gasping for breath, she gaped at the huge open cavern she had entered and the lakes of flowing magma. “We have to cross this?!”

Coming up beside her and kneeling down, Maduin gently placed Twilight on the rocky floor. He lay down next to her, sucking in air with shallow breaths. “Yes. This is… the way… to my home.”

“We’ll never make it through this. I can barely stand it, it’s so hot.”

She heard movement next to her and nearly jumped away, only to see Spike smiling smugly up at her. “Heh, can’t take the heat?”

Rainbow Dash wiped her brow and came away with a torrent of sweat. “Yeah, what about it, dragon boy?”

“I think I know a way for you guys to get through this just fine.” Rearing back, Spike took a deep breath.

“Whoa, wait!”

Too late, as Spike let loose a blast of arctic air that washed over Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Maduin. The Ice Dragon’s power coated the ponies and esper in a fine sheen of frost that glittered in the light of the lava.

Spike cut off his ice breath with a snap of his jaws and dusted off his claws. “There, that should do the trick.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, looking herself over. “Whadja do?”

“Gave you guys a little heat resistance. I thought it up on the way here. Neat, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s like being in a sauna now.”

The dragon raised an eyebrow. “You go to saunas?”

“Spitfire,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Anyway, let’s get going before this wears off.” She turned to Maduin and inclined her head down the path between the lava pits. “Lead the way, big guy.”

Nodding, Maduin carefully picked up Twilight, as the unicorn was still recovering, and headed further into the cave.

.o.O.o.

“See anything out there, Spotter?”

The colt sighed and shook his head. “Nothing, Sweetie Belle. I got this feeling I should be seeing something but I just can’t find it.”

“Maybe you need to squint really hard,” Scootaloo said. “Like this.” She propped her front hooves onto the airship railing and narrowed her eyes.

Sweetie Belle gave her a flat stare. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“Sure it does! It works for me.”

“Which is probably why you crash so much when you try to fly,” Sweetie Belle muttered under her breath.

“Whadja say?”

“Nothing!”

Spotter shook his head and trotted over to where Stardust and Apple Bloom were sitting only a few hooves away. The chocobo and filly had been inseparable ever since they had been given the list from the zebras. Scattered around them were an assortment of herbs, vials, and other materials that Spotter could only guess at. “How’re you guys doing?”

“Not bad!” Apple Bloom said with a wide grin. “Those zebras really know their stuff. I’ve already made a whole bag full of poison that that white unicorn said she could put on her needles.”

“And I might be able to make an elixir,” Stardust added. “Not even Moonlight could figure that one out.”

“Ah, cool, I guess,” Spotter said, giving a dubious look over all the seemingly random ingredients spread over the airship deck.

Apple Bloom nodded so rapidly, Spotter feared her head would fly off. “Yeah, really cool! Ever since I got my cutie mark, it’s like I just know how to mix this stuff. I was okay at it before but now I’m on a roll!”

“Great.” With nothing left to say, Spotter wandered back to the railing. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were in a heated discussion with something to do with how toast was supposed to be prepared, a topic Spotter decided he wanted nothing to do with. He turned away before he got embroiled in their argument, a decision that cost him missing a dark silhouette flying low against the ground. The dark form coasted silently until it reached the path leading deeper into the mountains. Soon, the figure disappeared between the craggy cliffs.

.o.O.o.

Twilight Sparkle stifled a groan as a brief twinge of fatigue nearly overwhelmed her. She looked up but no one else seemed to have noticed. She swallowed and forced herself to keep moving one hoof in front of the other.

She had been so excited and relieved when she had managed to get control of her esper half during her stay on the Veldt. Finally, she felt she could contribute to her friends and pay them back for all the help they had given her to reach that point. Never again would she feel useless while others around her did all the fighting. The path to peace looked brighter than ever.

At least up until her fight with the liches and their undead minions. True, she had managed to defeat them quite easily, but the aftermath of morphing that fast, that quickly had taxed her more than she could have guessed. Now she was back to relying on the others while she recovered, feelings of shame and uselessness bubbling up within her.

“You look troubled, Twilight.”

The unicorn was brought out of her darkening thoughts by Maduin’s voice. Her father walked next to her, his demonic face softened as he looked down at her.

“Sorry,” Twilight replied, turning away. “Just worried that I won’t have enough energy to do whatever I need to do when we get to the gate.”

“No need to apologize. You are still getting used to your powers. You’ll learn when it’s best to use them and when not to.”

“But that’s just it!” she cried, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes. “I’m going to be asking help from others soon, and I can’t afford to learn as I go. This… it’s too important for me to screw up.”

Maduin sighed, looking away. Her head hung low, Twilight shut her eyes tight and hiccuped. A few minutes went by, neither speaking as they traveled past boiling magma.

“Give me your sword.”

The sudden command made Twilight flinch. She blinked and glanced up to see Maduin’s hand outstretched and waiting. Swallowing, Twilight unsheathed her sword and levitated it towards him without a word. Maduin grabbed the pommel and made his way towards one of the lava pits. Twilight, face scrunched up in confusion, followed after him. She watched, wide eyed, as he dipped the blade into the molten rock and held it there. A small pulse of red magic traveled down Maduin’s hand and into the sword. After a minute, Maduin stepped back, removing the sword from the lava.

Twilight’s mouth hung open upon seeing her weapon. Instead of a handle with a melted off blade, there now was a bright red blade with serrated edges. The pommel had transformed as well, with a metal grip inlaid with swirling smoke designs. Maduin held the weapon out in front of him, peering down its length. He swung it twice, the sword leaving flaming tendrils in its wake. Nodding, he knelt down and presented it to Twilight.

“Use this,” he said, eyes twinkling. “It will help you while you recover after transformations.”

Speechless, Twilight took hold of the sword in her magic, feeling a tingle of familiar power run down her horn to her spine. “What is this?” she breathed out.

“Let’s call it the Flame Sabre. This should keep you in the fight even if your magic is running low.”

“I… but…”

“Take it. Think of it as a present from me.”

Twilight searched his face, finding nothing but compassion and love, all directed at her. More tears began to build but she quickly wiped them away. Firming her features, she sheathed her new sword and stood straight. “Thank you, Father.”

Maduin smiled and placed a clawed hand over Twilight’s head. “Don’t worry. You’ve made it this far. You’ll make it through this.”

“Hey, the bonding is cute and all, but we gotta get going!” came Rainbow Dash’s voice from further up the path.

“She’s right,” Maduin said, standing up. “Try not to think so hard about what’s coming up. Even the best laid plans rarely survive contact with the enemy.”

Twilight gave a slow nod, her eyes clear of tears. “Okay, I’ll try.”

With that, the group continued on. Twilight walked a little straighter though, no longer with her head hung low. They reached another set of stairs leading further down and into a pit. Bones of monsters and other unidentifiable creatures littered the pit, prompting the party to move a little faster to get by. Past the pit and around a bend, a large opening in the cave wall loomed before them.

And standing in front of the opening was the largest dragon either one of them had ever seen.

“Ah, my senses weren’t playing tricks on me after all,” the dragon said through a deep, rumbling voice. He laughed, a high pitched hiss that all but confirmed that he wasn’t here to offer them support.

Weapons were drawn in an instant, Rainbow Dash and Spike moving to protect Twilight and Maduin.

“So eager. Excellent.”

“Let me guess,” Rainbow Dash said through her hold on Thunder Blade. “You’re one of those freaky dragons.”

“Correct,” he replied, a stream of smoke curling out from his jaws. He stepped forward with a scaly red claw large enough to hold even Maduin. “I am the Red Dragon. The little whelp there has the powers of my brethren. If he wishes to add mine, then you will have to fight me for it.”

Spike raised a claw, giving a nervous chuckle. “Um, what if we said we just want to pass and don’t care about that?”

The Red Dragon curled his lips into a sneer, revealing long, sharp teeth. “Then that would be a shame because I’m going to attack regardless.” Putting action to words, the Red Dragon lunged forward, scattering the group.

Twilight dived out of the way but made it back to her hooves quickly. “Wait! We’re just here to get help. We don’t want to fight!”

“Too bad. I do.” The Red Dragon rounded on her and reared back, taking in a deep breath. He thrust his spiky head forward.

Rainbow Dash swooped in just before he could let loose his attack, striking his jaw with Thunder Blade, and sending the gout of fire meant for Twilight to veer off. His fire breath impacted against the cave wall, melting the rock into a super-heated puddle. Rainbow Dash whirled and came back in for another attack, but a sudden swipe of the Red Dragon’s tail swatted her out of the air.

The Red Dragon stepped back, rubbing his jaw. His claw came away with a few drops of blood, but the dragon ignored it. “Looks like I will have to get serious.” Raising his head, he let out a roar that shook the very earth around him. The group frantically covered their ears with little effect.

Now distracted, the Red Dragon used the opportunity to chant. A flash of bright red erupted from his body, followed soon after by magical balls of pink energy shooting out of the tips of his claws. Unable to get out of the way, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Maduin each got blasted. As if synchronized, they all fell to the floor, their eyes glazed over.

The Red Dragon turned to the last combatant still standing. “Well, little whelp, looks like it is just you and me. Don’t disappoint.”

Spike gulped, eyeing his friends lying unmoving on the other side of the Red Dragon. He shifted his stance, raising his spear to point at the dragon’s throat. “I-if you’ve hurt them in any way, you’re d-dead!”

“I don’t care about threats, only actions,” the Red Dragon hissed. He took a step towards Spike, the ground trembling under his weight. “And so far you haven’t done anything to convince me that you’ve earned my brothers’ powers.”

“Oh yeah, then have a load of this!” Sucking in air, Spike blew a stream of condensed cold air at the Red Dragon. The blizzard breath washed over the advancing creature, immediately covering his scales in flakes of ice. The dragon’s charge began to slow as more and more ice built up around his limbs. Spike squeezed his eyes tight, forcing his attack to continue even as his tiny lungs emptied of air. At last, he could take no more. He fell back on his rear, sucking in huge mouthfuls of oxygen. As he recovered, he cracked open an eye.

His eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets upon seeing a claw encased in ice inches from his face. Spike peeked around the outstretched limb to see the Red Dragon’s entire body was now an ice sculpture. He let out a sigh of relief. “Wasn’t so hard.”

A crack of ice was the only warning he got. In less than a second, the ice covering the Red Dragon shattered and the once immobile claw finished its attack. Too tired to react, Spike winced as the claw slammed down on him, pinning the smaller dragon to the floor.

“I am… not disappointed,” the Red Dragon said. He stepped away from Spike and the shallow indent he left the young dragon in. Spike gave a low groan and looked blearily up at the Red Dragon. “You still have a long way to go if you wish to truly challenge me.”

“Wha…?” Spike replied in a daze.

“I will let you go and give you my gem.” The Red Dragon blew out a puff of smoke that swirled and condensed into a single point. A flash of red light later, a sparkling ruby appeared. Taking it into his claw, the Red Dragon set it down next to Spike’s head. “You better be stronger the next time we meet.”

Without another word, the Red Dragon turned and lumbered down the cave. He passed the others, still on the ground in a magical coma, and briefly waved a claw over them. Within seconds, their eyes became focused and aware. The Red Dragon reached a nearby lava pit and dove in without ceremony. The last any of them saw of him was a tip of a tail sinking below the magma.

Rainbow Dash was the first to get up, her gaze lingering on where the dragon had submerged. “Well, that happened.”

“You all okay?”

A round of nodding and “Yeahs” followed Maduin’s question. The esper himself stifled a groan, slowly rising to his feet. “I don’t recall that beast ever causing problems before. He tends to ignore all that come through here.”

“Sorry,” Spike said, his head hung low. In his grasp lay the ruby the Red Dragon left behind.

Twilight came up to him and rested a hoof on his shoulder. “You didn’t know he was here, Spike. And none of us are seriously hurt. I think we should count our blessings.”

“Yeah, thanks.” His grip on the ruby tightened.

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re always giving me encouragement. And it was you that managed to get him to go away.”

“That’s right,” Rainbow Dash said, eyeing the blood red gemstone. “So… you gonna eat that or what?”

Spike shook his head and shoved the ruby in his sack. “Naw, not in the mood right now.”

“We should get going,” Maduin said, tilting his head towards the now unguarded exit. “Before he decides to come back. The portal is just beyond here.” He made his way over to the opening, his form disappearing into the shadows.

Rainbow Dash nudged Spike towards where Maduin had left. “C’mon, we’re almost done. You can mope around later.”

“Alright, alright,” Spike responded, waving Rainbow Dash away. A quick hop placed him on Twilight’s back.

Giving each other affirming nods, the ponies and dragon stepped through the rocky opening.

.o.O.o.

One second they were in a sweltering cave full of magma. The next, they all stood before a cliff overlooking dark clouds that swirled in an endless abyss. Lightning flashed within the clouds every few seconds, creating a constant cacophony of thunder. Stretching over the edge and connecting with a jagged outcropping of rock that pierced through the clouds was a wooden bridge. The bridge was several pony widths wide and held together with thick rope that weathered the storm churning below it.

Maduin stood only a few paces from the bridge, a faraway look in his eyes. Twilight and Rainbow Dash trotted up to him and peered across the bridge. The rock spire on the other side didn’t seem to be anything special, save for a circular indent in the stone where the bridge ended.

“You know, it’s one thing to hear about it, and totally another to see it for yourself,” Rainbow Dash commented over the booming thunder and wind.

“I’ll say,” Spike said. He hopped down from Twilight’s back and patted her side. “All right, student. Show ‘em what you got!”

Staring down the sturdy but swaying bridge, Twilight Sparkle involuntarily shuddered. “Do I… uh… just go down there and ask? Is there a password?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” Maduin admitted. “You will need to feel this one out.”

“Oh, just get on with it, already.”

Everyone whirled around, coming muzzle to beak with Gilda. The griffon nonchalantly walked through the cave opening, the sides of her mouth forming a sinister grin.

“You!” In a flash, Rainbow Dash and Spike readied their weapons. “Twilight, get to the gate, we’ll keep her busy!”

Twilight made to move into fighting position, but Rainbow Dash all but bucked her away.

“Go!”

Biting her lower lip, Twilight raced down the bridge, yelling over her shoulder, “Please be safe!”

With Twilight gone, Rainbow Dash and Spike stepped forward, Maduin lingering behind.

“You no good cheat!” Rainbow Dash said as she moved closer to Gilda. “How’d you get past the others?”

Gilda scoffed, buffing her talons. “We’ve had control of this area for years. It wasn’t hard to drill in a few extra holes to skip over all that heat. Your pals back there never had a chance to see me coming.” She planted herself on all fours, the wind around her gathering speed. “And once Twilight there opens the portal, we’ll have direct access to the esper world. Heh, how does it feel to know you’ve been working for us this whole time?”

Spike, only a few steps away, thrust forward with his spear, forcing Gilda to back away. “As if we’d let you get by us!”

“Well, then I guess it’s time for you dweebs to die.” Letting out a shriek, Gilda rushed forward in a mass of clawing talons and snapping beak.

Rainbow Dash and Spike separated, coming at Gilda from two different sides. Gilda didn’t seem perturbed by the numbers advantage as she casually raised a talon and summoned a gust of wind that pushed the two back. “You guys forget? I’m the one with the magic here.”

“Shut up!” With that, Rainbow Dash blasted forward, pushing her wings to their limit. The sudden burst of speed caught the griffon off guard, Rainbow Dash’s sword slashing upwards. In desperation, Gilda raised her talons to block and managed to deflect Thunder Blade away from her body. A current of electricity ran up her arm and into her chest, staggering her.

Spike took the opportunity to breath a gust of wind of his own, blowing Gilda away to crash into the cliff side rocks. The Imperial groaned in pain as she lifted her battered body up.

“Hey, Spike, looks like we’ll be able to keep our promise with the Storm Dragon after all,” Rainbow Dash said.

Spike responded with a smile filled with teeth. “That’s right. I’d almost forgotten about that.”

“You idiots,” Gilda hissed in anger and strain. “Don’t you know the golden rule? Never make deals with a dragon.”

“Yeah, well this one I’m willing to keep,” Rainbow Dash said. “Let’s end this, Spike.”

“Right with ya,” Spike replied.

In that moment, the world around them rumbled. The very air itself began to vibrate. The pair looked at each other, then behind them. Both of their jaws dropped as they beheld a rip in reality appear on the rock spire where Twilight stood. Blue light pulsed from the rip, with each reverberation growing stronger every second. Twilight had already morphed, her body pulsing with light in time with the portal.

A dark chuckle came from Gilda, all aches and pains forgotten. “She did it. After all this time, we finally—”

The reality distortion burst with the force of a hurricane. Blinding light and unearthly screeches filled the cavern as Maduin, Rainbow Dash, Spike, and Gilda were blown back. Dozens of shapes flew out of the opened portal, rocketing past the group and out through the cave entrance. The onslaught of magical pressure and sound continued for less than a minute, but seemed an eternity for those trying to weather through it. All at once, the portal gave one last gasp of power before imploding on itself, shrinking down until it was a mere speck. Then, it winked out and all returned to normalcy.

Rainbow Dash waited a time before peeking up. She found Spike curled up at her side and a quick check revealed him to be breathing. Looking around, she saw Maduin not far away, an expression of bewilderment on his face. Of Gilda, there was no sign.

“Twilight?” she called out. Rainbow Dash stood up to get a better view and quickly spotted Twilight laying on her side, unmorphed, near the bridge. Rushing up to her, Rainbow Dash sighed in relief to find the unicorn unharmed. She shook Twilight gently, saying, “Twilight. Twilight, wake up.”

A low moan came Twilight’s response. Blinking slowly, she looked up to see Rainbow Dash’s concerned muzzle, and smiled. “Did I do it? Did it… work?”

“I don’t know what the hay just happened, but I don’t think we should try that again. C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

.o.O.o.

Dinky sang a happy tune as she dusted off the porch leading into the inn. Soon it would be morning, and she needed to help her sister get breakfast ready for any awakening guests. A good night’s sleep wasn’t the only thing Amethyst Star promised her customers, and a fed client was a happy client. Happy clients tended to give hearty recommendations to their friends who in turn stopped by to stay the night. It was a beautiful circle of business that had kept the inn going strong ever since its creation.

Just a few more sweeps of her broom and Dinky finished her sweeping. With a practiced flick of her horn, she placed the broom behind the front door and set out the welcome matt. As she finished, she caught a glint of light coming from the east. She looked up and peered at the growing, orange light with a frown.

“That’s weird. The sun shouldn’t be rising yet.”

She stepped out into the early morning street, trying to get a better look. The light steadily grew brighter and larger, becoming much more luminous than the sun ever got through the perpetual smog that covered Vectorlot. A sinking feeling began to grow within her gut as the unnatural light continued to get bigger. She swallowed, her hooves shaking, as she saw the light break apart into smaller lights and scatter throughout the city. One such smaller light headed straight for her, quickly filling up the entire sky. Dinky’s eyes widened in fear, her whole body now quivering.

The last thing she saw was the form of a terrible creature wreathed in flames. Its ear-piercing roar rooted her to the spot. She felt unbearable heat for only one, agonizing second and then she knew no more.

In Which The Consequences Are High

Doctor Whooves felt the tremors seconds before the ceiling caved in. In a display of agility fueled by fear and panic, Whooves streaked across the room, dodging falling pieces like a ballerina. With one final dive, he hid himself under a metal desk. More chunks of the ceiling fell, some falling on the desk and denting its polished surface. Whooves cringed through the onslaught, huddling back as far as he could.

An impact stronger than any before it finally ended the carnage, but not his terror. A humanoid being now stood above the debris covered floor. It was riddled with muscles and stood taller than three stallions stacked together. Doctor Whooves could feel its wrath as it swept its gaze around the room, stopping on the rust colored stove.

The creature roared and reached forward, grabbing the superheated metal in its broad arms. With one colossal pull, the creature wrenched the stove out of the floor and tossed it like it weighed as much as a pillow against the wall. The stove cracked open, spilling out the partially melted slab of ice contained within.

“Gigas, what did you find?” came a voice from above.

Gigas mumbled something unintelligible under his breath. He stepped forward and propped up the ice slab, getting a better look. His lips curled up into a smirk. “A friend,” he called back.

Cocking back a fist, Gigas gave a roar and punched the ice like a wrecking ball. He yowled in pain, dropping the ice and cradling his throbbing hand. Doctor Whooves took this moment to take a much needed breath, having held it ever since Gigas had dropped in. He dared not move until the creature was gone.

“Gah! Stupid magic ice!” Gigas roared and kicked the aforementioned offending ice prison. He cried out again as his foot joined his hand in sustained injuries.

From the hole in the ceiling, a red, spherical creature with slitted eyes and a wide mouth floated down. It took one look at Gigas and twisted its entire body, as though ashamed. “You doofus, are you trying to break every bone in your body?”

“Shut up, Bomb!”

Bomb grinned, revealing rows of pointy, white teeth. Doctor Whooves shrank down into his hiding spot even more. “This guy won’t be getting out with muscle. We’ll need to have Ifrit work on—”

A crack like splintered wood came from the ice, stopping all conversation. Gigas even forgot his pain as he stared at the hairline fracture.

“Or not.”

All at once, the ice shattered into thousands of pieces, sending sharp fragments flying through the air. Gigas and Bomb twisted away, receiving several cuts but nothing too damaging. Once the rain of ice settled, they turned back around.

The released esper shook itself free of lingering ice. It took one look around before settling on the two beings before it. “Let me guess. Nothing’s changed.”

.o.O.o.

Spotter noticed them first. “There they are! They’re coming out of the camp!”

“Roger!” came Pinkie Pie’s response. With a twist of the wheel, she maneuvered the Party of One above the Imperial base. A wooden lift lowered soon after, allowing the returning group to pile on and rise up to the deck. Rainbow Dash opted to fly.

The moment the group touched down, they were besieged on all sides by concerned ponies. “Are you guys alright?” Shining Armor said. “When we saw those things fly off, we didn’t know what happened.”

“Twi managed to get the gate opened,” Rainbow Dash replied. She huffed and stomped a hoof. “But because of Gilda, we didn’t get a chance to talk to them! Which way did they go?”

Shining Armor’s eyes shifted west, towards the center of the mainland. “Umm… that way I think.”

“Should we chase after them?” Pinkie Pie asked.

Maduin nodded. “Yes, we need to make contact as soon as possible.”

“Got it!” With that, Pinkie Pie steered the airship around and directed it towards Vectorlot.

With their destination confirmed, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Spike excused themselves and headed for their cabins. The bushed ponies and dragon wasted no time in collapsing to their mattresses and quickly falling asleep.

.o.O.o.

A few hours later, but what only felt like minutes, Twilight snapped her eyes open and bolted out of bed. She rushed out of her room and made a beeline for the deck. Pinkie Pie still guided the airship while singing a jaunty tune. Twilight ran up to her.

Upon seeing Twilight, Pinkie Pie smiled and waved. “Hey, how you feeling? Sleep well?”

“I feel okay, but that’s not important.” Twilight gazed out into the distance, her mouth clenched up into a frown. “I… I think something’s coming.”

“Like what? Birds? Clouds? Impending doom?”

“The last one, I’m afraid.”

Pinkie Pie lost her smile. “Um, maybe I should turn—”

She never got to finish as something fast and glowing sped past port side, far too quickly to get a good look at it. The ship rocked from the wake of the unidentified object, forcing Pinkie Pie to wrestle with the wheel to right it. Seconds later, another bright object sped past on the starboard side, tilting the airship in the opposite direction.

From below deck, Shining Armor came running up the stairs. “What is going on?! Are we under attack?”

“Brother!”

He snapped his head towards the voice, spotting Twilight gripping the railing near the bow. With a burst of speed, he raced for her.

Another being flew past, this time clipping the underside of the airship carriage. The deck lurched, tossing equipment and Shining Armor into the air. He landed on his back and let out a pained grunt, but quickly got back up and rushed to Twilight’s side. “Are you all right?”

Twilight, her body shaking and her hooves gripping the railing as hard as she could, gave a shaky nod. “Y-yes. But there’s more coming!”

Looking up, Shining Armor found that she was right. A bright ball of light was heading right for the airship and would be upon it in seconds. With no time to spare, his horn burst with pink magic. Instantaneously, a hemisphere of pink energy surrounded the front of the ship. The glowing object bounced off of it, careening away.

“You did it!” Twilight cheered.

Her cheers died when more speeding lights struck against the shield, each impact like cannon fire against her ears. She heard Shining Armor cry out, followed by a sound of shattering glass. Twilight managed to catch sight of Shining Armor falling to the deck just before the airship rocked violently, sending her sprawling end over end. Something impacted her head and all went black.

.o.O.o.

“I think she’s coming around.”

Twilight Sparkle cracked open an eye, her sight picking up only moving blurs. She groaned and made to sit up but a hoof to her back kept her down.

“Easy there. You shouldn’t move so fast.”

Too woozy to resist, Twilight settled back down, the feel of a bed beneath her. “What happened?”

“Um, I’m not sure. I was looking after the girls when everything just went crazy."

The speaker quickly added, "But everyone’s all right! But… um… I don’t think the airship is in good shape.”

Twilight forced her eyes to open, finally getting a good look at her caretaker. The concerned face of a yellow pegasus loomed over her. “I’m sorry, but, I’ve forgotten your name.”

“Oh, it’s Fluttershy.”

“Thanks for looking after me, Fluttershy.”

Smiling radiantly, Fluttershy gently lifted up Twilight’s head and laid her on a pillow. “Oh, it’s no problem at all. I’ve been helping out with all the others and I just happened to be walking by when I saw you stir. Everyone’s really appreciative of all this healing magic I have now.”

Twilight swallowed, suddenly realizing how dry her mouth felt. “If it’s not too much trouble, could I have some water?”

“Oh, sure!” Fluttershy skipped off and returned moments later with a canteen. With a little help, the bedridden unicorn began taking large gulps of water.

“Thank you,” Twilight said after satisfying her thirst. Feeling much better, she propped herself up without suffering a dizzy spell. “So, do you know where we are?”

“Sorry, I don’t,” Fluttershy replied, putting away the canteen. “Some of the others went to scout around. I’m sure they’ll tell us when they return.”

The two fell silent, Twilight processing everything she had been told and Fluttershy standing by looking unsure of what to say. “Um, if you don’t mind, I’d like to check on a few others.”

Twilight blinked, her eyes coming back into focus. “Oh, sure! Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you.”

“It’s fine. So much has happened that it’s a little overwhelming. Even Pinkie’s been quiet.”

“Right, I think I’m feeling good enough to walk around now.” So saying, Twilight hopped off the bed and took a few tentative steps. Nodding in satisfaction, she headed for the cabin door.

Fluttershy fell into step next to her. “I’ll go with you. We can check up on the others together.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

The two headed out and were nearly bowled over by one of the airship’s crew members rushing by. She was out of sight before Twilight could call to her. “Oh dear, I hope this doesn’t mean anything bad. Let’s follow and see what’s going on.”

Fluttershy offered no objections, allowing both to trot briskly after the fleeing crew member. Their pursuit took them to the deck and the bright, sunny day. Too bright and sunny.

Twilight’s mouth hung open upon seeing the state of things. “Wha… what happened…?”

Where normally a giant gas balloon would be floating above their heads, now there was open sky. Cables that would normally be stretched taut to hold the balloon to the cabin were now limp and spread all over the deck. Parts of the floor were splintered or completely caved in, making it touch and go for all the crew members scrambling around.

Twilight spotted Pinkie Pie looking over the railing of the deck and made her way carefully towards her. As she got nearer, Twilight cocked her head. Something was off with Pinkie Pie’s bright pink coat. It now seemed duller. “Pinkie Pie, I’m so glad you’re alright.”

The airship captain turned her head and gave a smile that didn’t reach very high. “Oh, hey Twilight. Yeah, glad you’re okay too.”

Twilight gasped, finally spotting what was so odd about the other pony. “Pinkie, your hair! It’s… flat.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes swiveled to the side. She ran a hoof through a mane that had once bounced with every step but now hung straight down. “Oh, you’re right. Huh, hasn’t done that in a while.”

Coming closer, Twilight gave a worried look. “Are you okay? Do… you need me to cast a healing spell?”

“No, no, that’s okay. I’m not hurt, just a little bummed, that’s all.” Her gaze returned to the ground below.

Twilight stepped up to the railing, Fluttershy taking up position on Pinkie Pie’s opposite side. Both sucked in a breath. Down below, the entirety of the Party of One’s balloon lay spread out, flat on the ground. The giant pink balloon’s canvas had a hole the size of chocobo in it.

“Oh my…” was all Fluttershy could say.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Pinkie Pie said.

Facing Pinkie Pie, Twilight placed a hoof over her back. “I’m sorry. Is there any way to fix it?”

“If the hole weren’t so big I could probably patch it together,” Pinkie Pie responded, not taking her eyes off the balloon. “But I don’t have the materials to fix something like this. Plus, the engine isn’t looking so good, too. The only place I can get the parts is in Vectorlot.”

“Oh.” Falling silent, the trio just stood there, contemplating the situation. How long they would have remained that way was left to the imagination as Spotter ran up to them, heedless of the broken floor.

“Hey, Pinks, my dad and Applejack are back!” he said in a rush. “They want everyone to get together.” Before any of them could get a word in, he dashed off to another group of ponies.

Pinkie Pie gave one more look at the deflated balloon, sighed, then walked off towards the gangplank. Twilight and Fluttershy shared a look as they followed.

.o.O.o.

“Gather round y’all!” Applejack shouted as Returners began heading down the gangplank. She noticed Rainbow Dash missing, though that wasn’t much of a surprise. The pegasus had volunteered to fly in the opposite direction Applejack had taken for scouting and must not have returned yet. Once she was satisfied that everyone else was gathered, she gave a wide smile and swept her hoof towards a yellow chocobo standing next to her. “This here’s Willowgale. Shining Armor, Rarity, Spotter and I helped him out of a jam not too long ago. I can’t plum believe it, but we landed on the western side of the Empire. Willowgale and his pals have been hiding out in a forest not too far from here. Just a day’s ride from there is Mareanda.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “I think it would be best to avoid going back there. We don’t want to be captured like last time.”

“Yeah…” Applejack sighed, losing her smile.

Willowgale cocked his head, peering down at the earth pony. “Just where are we going, then?”

“Well, this is going to sound crazy, and it is,” Pinkie Pie said, some of her chipperness entering back into her voice, “But if I can get to the capital, I may be able to get the parts I need to fix the airship.”

“Right into the antlion’s den?!” Willowgale cried.

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Maybe if I go in real quiet, they won’t notice me. It’s not like I’ll be going in with the Party of One.”

“Well, if that’s the plan, you ain’t goin’ alone,” Applejack said. She made to say more, but a blue spot in the distance caught her eye. Within moments, Rainbow Dash landed among them, panting for breath.

“You… you guys… w-won’t believe this,” she gasped out.

“Breathe first Dash,” Applejack said with a shake of her head.

“R-right.” Steadying herself, Rainbow Dash took in deep breaths. After a few seconds her breathing became normal. “Okay, so, I decided to fly a little further than I planned but it was worth it. We’re still on the Empire’s continent and saw that Vectorlot was on fire!”

A confused look passed through the group, Shining Armor voicing his thoughts first. “You mean you saw all the smoke from the factory, right?”

“No! I mean the whole friggin’ city is on fire! The whole place is in ruins! I wanted to get closer but those darn telstars were flying around so I headed back here as fast as I could.”

Another look circled through the Returners, ranging from concerned to disbelief. This time, it was Twilight who got the first word in. “But, how could that happen? Did Mayor Mare attack already?”

“It was the espers.”

All eyes turned to Maduin who sighed and shook his head. “It has to be. They are the only ones able to cause so much damage so quickly.”

“Wow, guess it was a good idea to let them loose,” Rainbow Dash said. She suddenly jerked back as an angry pony got right into her muzzle.

“How could you say that?!” Fluttershy cried, her gaze boring into Rainbow Dash. “There are innocent people who live there, not just the army. There could be hundreds dead or dying right now and all you can think about is winning?”

Rainbow Dash wilted under the onslaught, muttering out a weak, “S-s-sorry…”

A white hoof draped itself over Fluttershy’s back and gently pulled the livid pegasus away. “Dear, to be fair, this is what we had planned all along,” Rarity said, her voice melancholy. “Though, it is unfortunate that it had to come to this.”

“We have to go there then,” Fluttershy replied. “We have to help any way we can.”

“I agree,” Applejack said, walking up to them. She tilted her head towards Pinkie Pie. “Looks like your plan won’t be so crazy after all.”

“I think you’re all crazy,” Willowgale muttered under his breath.

Either not hearing or choosing to ignore him, Applejack said, “Alright, y’all. Let’s figure out who’s going and who’s staying. There’s a ship that still needs fixin’ after all.”

“I’ll stay,” Pinkie Pie spoke up. “I’ll get a list together of everything you need so I can focus on getting my baby back together.”

“Sure. Let’s head in and get things decided.”

.o.O.o.

Traveling by chocobo was an odd experience, Twilight reflected. Having someone else carry her along rather than the other way around took some getting used to, but she couldn’t argue with the results. Even ladened down with ponies on their backs, the chocobos raced through the countryside with nary a misstep. At the pace they were going, they would arrive at Vectorlot by nightfall.

With nothing much to do other than hang on and watch the scenery whiz by, Twilight looked over to the others that had decided to come. She spotted Fluttershy nearby, riding a flaming red chocobo that Twilight couldn’t remember the name of. Fluttershy had been adamant in coming along, surprising many in how forceful she had been. The normally shy and quiet pegasus became a totally different pony when other’s lives were on the line. Twilight hoped that her calming presence and advanced healing magic would be central in dealing with the Empire. It was too bad more ponies didn’t have the kind disposition that Fluttershy carried.

What also surprised the Returners was Fluttershy’s insistence that the filly trio be brought along as well. Fluttershy claimed that Sweetie Belle’s own healing magic would prove useful, along with the potions Apple Bloom had bottled up. Not to be left behind with her friends going on a grand adventure, Scootaloo had come to fill out the ranks. So far, the three hadn’t been a problem but it was too early to tell how long that would last.

Craning her neck upwards, Twilight saw Rainbow Dash flying above, easily keeping pace with the long-legged chocobos. Twilight wasn’t surprised that Rainbow Dash wanted to come. It seemed the adventurer couldn’t sit still, even after braving a dungeon of fire and dragons. Or, as Twilight reasoned with a knowing smile, she didn’t want to stay at the airship and be put to work.

Twilight swiveled her gaze back down, catching sight of Applejack and Rarity on their own chocobos. Applejack had put up a little fuss about being carried when she was perfectly capable of galloping the whole way herself, but a little browbeating from Rarity had convinced her that being fresh when they arrived in case a fight broke out was important. Rainbow Dash got a pass due to no one being able to catch her.

Rarity had elected to come herself to deal with the “shopping” list Pinkie Pie had given them. The unicorn assured them that she would be able to get what was needed with the gil they had. The way Rarity had said it made Twilight’s coat stand on end, keeping her from wanting to know what Rarity had meant.

Behind her, Twilight could hear the rattling of a large cart being pulled by a pair of chocobos. Even though she couldn’t see him, Twilight could imagine the discomfort Maduin was in as he rode in the rickety cart. However, her father had yet to complain.

It was risky bringing Maduin along, and everyone knew it. To literally deliver an esper to the Empire’s doorstep after all the effort had gone into releasing them was something weighing on all of their minds. However, Maduin made the point that if any espers had stayed in Vectorlot after their attack, he would be the best chance of talking them down. Anyone else, even Twilight, would be too much of a risk at this point.

“How you hanging, Twilight?”

Twilight started, turning to look at Spike. The dragon had pulled up alongside her without her noticing. He waved from Stardust’s back, grinning like a kid who had found a horde of candy.

“I’m fine,” Twilight responded. “How are you?”

Spike jerked a claw at Stardust. “Well, Dusty here hasn’t been much fun to talk to.”

“Hey, I’m running here, alright?” came Stardust’s annoyed reply. “You want me to throw you off and waddle the rest of the way?”

“Take it easy,” Spike said and patted the chocobo’s ruffled feathers. “It was just a joke.” Stardust grunted but didn’t press the issue. With his ride mollified, Spike regarded Twilight again. “Anyway, I decided to eat the gem the Red Dragon gave me. Wow, was that good!”

Tilting her head, Twilight said, “Oh, really? So what powers did it give you?”

“Not sure yet, but I’m guessing it’ll make my fire breath a lot stronger. I haven’t had the chance to test it out yet.”

“Don’t get any ideas while you’re riding me,” Stardust warned.

“Relax, I wouldn’t do that.” Spike winked at Twilight. “My ice breath on the other hand…”

“Don’t you dare!”

“Sorry! Sorry!” Spike waved his hands in a placating manner.

Conversation lapsed soon after, the chocobos keeping their distance from each other to avoid collisions. It was as night began to fall that the group encountered their first obstacle that Applejack and Rarity had warned them about. A security checkpoint.

Only, as the chocobos got closer, it quickly became apparent that the site was abandoned. No lights or guards could be seen though a quick check of the premises found piles of abandoned gear and food. With night coming on shortly, the Returners decided to camp at the checkpoint and finish the journey to Vectorlot in the morning. Tired after a long day of traveling, the chocobos seconded this idea and settled in.

No one made comments about the reddened sky on the horizon where Vectorlot lay.

.o.O.o.

“I can’t believe it, Dash. It’s just as you said.”

Looking down on the valley of Vectorlot, Applejack and the rest of the group took in the sight of the mightiest city in the world ravaged by flames. Even days after the attack, Vectorlot had pockets of fire that still burned. Pegasi and telstars dotted the sky above like flies over a corpse. Even with the numbers available to the Empire, the citizens and army had yet to get all the fires under control. It left the group speechless.

“Please, let’s not waste anymore time,” Fluttershy urged them.

Applejack gave a grim nod. “Right. Let’s get down there.”

The trip proved uneventful, save for a few bands of citizens heading away from the city and out into the country. When pressed for answers on what happened, most simply said a plague of demons came out of nowhere and attacked. There was no warning and little in the way of keeping safe. In one day, the espers had brought the Empire to its knees.

Just as the group reached the main thoroughfare into the city, they were greeted by a familiar face.

“Oh, thank goodness you are alright!” Mayor Mare said as the chocobos approached. “When I didn’t hear from you, I began to worry.”

Applejack hopped off Willowgale and gathered Mayor Mare up into a hug. “Whoa, Mayor, didn’t expect ya to get here so quickly.”

“It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure,” Mayor Mare said, returning the hug. “We pretty much had to make a surprise raid on South Fillygaro to get us a ship. But, we made it and now…” Her gaze swept over the smoldering city that only days before she had planned to invade. “Now I’m not sure what to do.”

Applejack looked around, spotting more Returners and a host of Neighshe guards milling around. Firming up her features and tilting her hat, Applejack said, “Well, it’s mighty strange to say this, but we got here as quick as we could to help. The Empire needed to be stopped but its townsfolk didn’t have this coming. So we’re going to go in there and show ’em just what we Returners are made of.”

“But is that wise? Maybe we should head to the palace and secure it first. The soldiers aren’t going to be fighting the fires forever and could attack us when our guard is down.”

Applejack frowned and her eyes furrowed as she thought it over. Her thoughts scattered as a throat cleared behind her. She twisted to see Rarity trotting up, a satisfied smirk to her face. “How about a compromise,” Rarity said. “Mayor Mare and her forces will focus on helping the city while the rest of us head to the palace.”

“That’s not very favorable for us in numbers,” Mayor Mare countered.

“True, but many of us have become more proficient with our magic and should be able to deal with any difficulties or… unruly Imperials.”

“Can we move this along?” a low but anxious voice spoke up. Fluttershy forced herself to look away from the smoking city and at the ponies discussing strategy. “The more we wait, the more poor ponies, chocobos, and whoever else is in there are going to suffer. Me and the girls volunteer to help with the recovery. Right, girls!”

“Right!” the Cutie Mark Crusaders exclaimed.

Mayor Mare sighed, took off her glasses, and rubbed her forehead. “This whole situation is unreal. Nothing makes sense. Okay, we’ll stay in the city and the rest can go to the palace. But I want some way for you to contact us in case things go south.”

“Aha!” Rarity cried, startling Fluttershy. She closed her eyes and soon her horn began to glow a gentle blue. At the tip of her horn, a small, white glowing object began to materialize. Shaped like a needle, the object floated towards Mayor Mare who just blinked at it. Moments later, a second needle appeared, this one heading for Applejack. Once the two were in place, Rarity reopened her eyes. “There, this will do.”

Applejack pawed at the magical needing hovering in front of her, giving it a guarded look. “What is it?”

“Glad you asked. These are a little something I came across while practicing my new magic. It’s simple, really. These two needles are connected. If you vibrate one, the other will vibrate as well. So, Applejack, all you have to do is keep one on you and if you run into trouble, give it a good shake. The one Mayor Mare will have will then shake as well. That will tell her that she needs to get to you as quickly as can be.” Rarity finished her explanation with a flip of her hair. “Brilliant, if I do say so.”

“Huh,” was all Applejack could say. Shrugging, she plucked the magic needle out of the air and stuck it in her hat, near her ear. “Well, that takes care of that.”

“So are we going, or what?” Rainbow Dash said, her forelegs crossed.

“Simmer down, Sally, we’re going, we’re going.” A wing poked her in the side, prompting Applejack to look up at Willowgale.

“I think it’s best if we chocobos stay with your friends out here. I don’t like the idea of going straight into the Emperor's home.”

Maduin walked up next to him, his expression weary. “I will stay out here as well. I don’t sense any of my people nearby and I’ll only bring fear to those within.”

“Sure, sure.” Applejack turned to the rest of the group, comprising of Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Rarity. “Everyone else comin’, follow me!” With that, the Returners charged down the main thoroughfare, towards the heart of Vectorlot.

.o.O.o.

The journey to the palace didn’t take long. The damage to the city was severe but spread out, leaving large swaths of Vectorlot untouched. Most of the main roads remained intact, a fact that the Returners put to good use, making a beeline for the center of the city. All around them, citizens and Imperials alike worked to put out the worst of the fires still raging, ignoring the group of ponies running through the streets. The main gates of the palace soon loomed before them, dark and foreboding against the smoke filled sky.

“My, my, this place doesn’t seem all that damaged, does it?” Rarity pointed out. With the exception of a few scorch marks, the palace looked relatively untouched.

“Yeah, well, this is probably the most guarded spot in the whole Empire,” Rainbow Dash said. She pointed a hoof towards the stop of the gate. “See? Look.”

Rarity followed her hoof, spotting a line of soldiers and magitek armor stationed on top of the wall. Her steps faltered. “Um, maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all?”

As if to punctuate her statement, a laser fired from one of the magitek armor impacted the roadway only a few meters in front of them. The Returners came to a screeching stop.

“Halt!” An Imperial decked in black armor appeared above the gate. “Do not come any closer! We are not taking in any refugees, so turn around and go back.”

Taking a deep breath, Applejack stepped forward. “We aren’t refugees. I’m Applejack Fillygaro and we need to speak with Blueblood.”

A murmur rose through the troops, Applejack catching the word “Returners” and “espers” being thrown about. The black Imperial stomped his hoof with a resounding clang, silencing all of them. “That’s enough!” He turned back to the ponies in front of the gates. “So, it seems you are here to take us down at our weakest, am I right? Well, as you can see from my legion here, we are not as vulnerable as you thought.”

“Listen, there’s been enough fighting as it is!” Applejack swept back a hoof, encompassing all the damage behind her. “Don’t you see what this war has done to both of our sides? We’re here to make this all stop.”

“Save your breath,” the Imperial replied, his tone unimpressed. “I don’t care what you have to say. I only take orders from my emperor.” He raised his hoof, causing the Returners to tense. “Open the gates! Let them through.”

The Returners gaped as the large iron gates rumbled open. Dozens of soldiers poured out and formed a line on either side of the group, creating a straight path for the Returners. Applejack, her jaw hanging loose, quirked an eyebrow to the Imperial in charge.

He obliged her curiosity. “My orders are to let you in. Emperor Blueblood wishes to see you.”

“This is a trap,” Spike hissed. A trail of flame leaked from his mouth. “If we go in there, they’re going to take us out.”

“Applejack?” Twilight came up to the earth pony, her ears pinned back. “What do we do?”

The Imperial loudly cleared his throat. “Come along now, we mustn’t keep him waiting.” He turned to the soldiers around him and gave a nod. As one, the Imperials dropped their weapons. Swords, knives, and magitek guns hit the floor, creating a cacophony of ringing metal. Soldiers switched off their magitek armor and climbed out, taking positions next to their comrades. Satisfied, the Imperial turned and hopped down from the wall and out of sight. Seconds later, he reappeared in the entrance and trotted up to Applejack. “If it makes you any more comfortable, you can take me prisoner should any of my stallions attack.”

Applejack stole a glance to the others, receiving a quick wink from Rarity. Smiling, Applejack regarded the Imperial. “I’ll go along with that. Lead on.”

“This way.” Presenting his back to them, the Imperial headed for the gate. The Returners followed, keeping close.

He led them past the gate and into an expansive courtyard. Very few trees or plants could be seen growing, with most of the decorations being large stone statues of Blueblood and hanging red tapestries. Dull metal grey dominated the color scheme wherever the Returners looked, giving a sterile, lifeless feel to the palace grounds. Workers and soldiers dotted every corner, giving them dispassionate looks as they passed.

“Jeez, my caves back home have more cheer in them,” Spike remarked from his spot on Twilight’s back.

Twilight turned and gave him a glare. “Shh!”

Discussion ceased as they passed under an archway that led into the main building. More metal walls and dangling tapestries greeted them in the lobby, a huge space dominated by a fountain in the center of the room. No one was surprised to see it shaped in Blueblood’s angelic form. The lead Imperial took them up a flight of grand stairs draped in red carpeting. The stairs were wide enough for eight ponies to walk abreast. At the top, a set of steel double doors barred their path. Their guide trotted up and rapped on them in a rhythmic sequence. Seconds later, the doors parted on mechanical gears.

Applejack mused that Big Macintosh would have been right at home here, if this happened to be a social call.

“The Emperor is within,” the Imperial said as he stepped to the side. “Behave yourselves in his presence.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “It’s not like he’s a god or anything.”

“No, but he’s our ruler and I will not tolerate any disrespect.”

Applejack waved Rainbow Dash off before she could retort. “Dash, let me do the talkin’. I’ve dealt with him before back when we were allies.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes but remained silent. With that taken care of, Applejack led them through the entrance.

The throne room appeared like any other room they had encountered so far. Red drapes and carpet lined the walls and floor, with portraits of Blueblood hanging on the metal walls. A exotic chandelier ladened with candles hung from the ceiling, providing plenty of light for the windowless room. At the end of the hall lay a throne made of wood and gold, polished to a mirror shine.

Sitting on the throne, gold crown on his head and red robes covering his body, was Emperor Blueblood. The white unicorn stallion looked up from a half-dozen papers he had levitated before him, his mouth pressed in a thin line. He passed the papers to an aide standing next to him and dismissed her with a wave of a hoof. Blueblood barely shifted as the Returners approached him, staying so still he could have passed as a lifelike statue.

However, his regal stance couldn’t hide the deep, dark creases under his eyes.

“Welcome, my friends,” he said, his voice echoing in the room. “I see you have come to me in hopes of ending this war. Well, you may have your wish. I no longer have the will to fight.”

Wherein Dinner is Served

“Raindrops, take a group and help those civilians with that burning building over there, all right?”

Raindrops gave a crisp salute and rushed off to do Mayor Mare’s bidding.

Once the pegasus was gone, Mayor Mare turned to the remaining Returners and Neighshe volunteers. “Okay, we are to continue with the relief efforts as best we can. Do your best not to antagonize any Imperials. I know we came here to conquer but this may give us the opportunity to open peace talks with them. Understood?”

“Yes ma’am!” came the enthusiastic response.

“Let’s get to it then.”

With that, the ponies and chocobos dispersed, heading for areas in need of help. Left alone, Mayor Mare sighed as she took stock of the city around her. Many of the worst fires had been put out, giving way to the more daunting task of picking through the rubble for survivors. After that, the monumental task of rebuilding.

With a shake of her head, Mayor Mare dispelled any thoughts of future plans to concentrate on the tasks at hoof. Just as she moved to sift through the burnt debris, she felt a throbbing next to her ear. Eyes widening, she reached back and pulled out the needle Rarity had given her. It vibrated within the crook of her hoof.

“Oh, no…” she breathed out.

“... ayor… o hea… e?”

Mayor Mare nearly dropped the magic needle upon hearing a faint voice. Carefully, she placed the needle closer to her ear.

“... Mare, you there?”

“Applejack?”

“Land sakes, it worked!”

Furrowing her brow, Mayor Mare said, “Is that you Applejack? Is everything alright?”

“Yep, it’s me. Yeah, we’re okay. Didn’t mean to alarm ya.”

Mayor Mare shook her head, a useless gesture since Applejack wasn’t there to see it. “No, that’s okay. What’s going on? Did you get into the palace?”

“We did and you won’t believe what happened. Looks like Blueblood is calling it quits. He wants us to talk things over dinner tonight.”

Despite herself, Mayor Mare’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

“I know! It’s somethin’, right? That’s why I’m calling you. I think you should be here to help since you’re the leader and all. Blueblood’s given the okay to let you in.”

“Applejack, this is all too sudden. And convenient. What if this is a trap to lure us all in?”

There came a pause. Faint voices could be heard on the other end though Mayor Mare couldn’t make anything out. Finally, Applejack returned. “Well, call me crazy, but I believe him. You should see him, Mayor. Blueblood’s lookin’ more tired than a pony after an all night hoedown. I think he wants this over more than anypony.”

Mayor Mare brows furrowed, humming in thought. “Alright, I’ll be there. But some of you should leave and take over out here. That way at least some of us will be able to do something in case the worst should happen.”

“Sounds good,” came Applejack’s response. “Rarity was sayin’ how she needs to get those parts for Pinkie Pie, so that should take care of that.”

“Then expect me in an hour. I need to take care of some things out here first.”

“Yeah, see ya then.”

The needle stopped vibrating, cutting the connection. Mayor Mare frowned and placed it back next to her ear. Taking a deep breath, she trotted over to where she had sent Raindrops, instructions forming within her mind on how to deal with this new revelation.

.o.O.o.

Inside the palace, Applejack moved the now motionless needle away from her ear and stuck it back into her hat. “She’s on her way.” She turned to regard Blueblood, who had remained silent through the whole exchange. “So, uh, we just wait here, then?”

Emperor Blueblood rose from his throne, stepped down, and headed for a door in the back. “I have a waiting room prepared for you while dinner is made. I’ll have a servant come fetch you when it’s ready.” With that, his horn lit up, opening the door, and he stepped through, lost from sight when the door closed behind him.

“Well, a little standoffish, don’t you think?” Rarity said. “He’s got the royal bearing down, but he could work on his manners.”

Rainbow Dash threw up her hooves. “Whatever, just as long as he meant what he said.”

“Suppose we’ll be finding out soon. Now, I need to get those things for Pinkie, so be dears and behave yourselves.” So saying, Rarity marched down the hall, heading the way they came in. Without a word, the stationed soldiers pried open the large double iron doors and she stepped out, disappearing as she stepped down the stairs into the foyer.

The remaining Returners gave each other uncertain looks until an earth pony stallion dressed in a pressed tuxedo came in from a door next to where Blueblood had left. He purposefully trotted up to them and said, “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your room.” Nose upturned, the pony marched towards a second door next to the first, opened it, and gestured for them to go through.

With nothing better to do, the Returners stepped through the door. The room on the other side simply contained a set of stairs which they all began to climb. Two stories up they reached a balcony overlooking the palace and city. A quick glance across the landscape showed that most of the fires had been put out but smoke still choked the air. A deathly calm had spread over the city, as though its citizens were waiting for another attack to happen.

“The door on your right leads to your room,” the servant said, nodding his head towards a polished wooden door set into the metal wall. “I’ll come get your when we’re ready.”

“So we’re just gonna sit around and wait here?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Boring.”

“It’s better we know you are in one place rather than wandering around the palace,” the servant explained. “There are also many soldiers that are not too pleased that you are here. We don’t want you getting into any unnecessary fights just before peace talks.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Applejack said. She nudged Rainbow Dash towards the door. “C’mon, RD, I’ll play ya a couple round of cards. Twi, Spike, you know any games?”

Spike smirked and puffed out his chest. “I happen to play a mean game of Old Maid. You’re all going down!” He rushed in, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and a chuckling Applejack right behind him.

.o.O.o.

An hour later, a knock came from the guest room door, followed by, “Dinner is served.”

“Thank goodness!” Spike cried as he threw down his cards. He crossed his arms and huffed, pointedly looking away from Twilight. “I can’t believe you got so good so quick.”

Twilight smiled sheepishly and pushed away the large pile of coasters they had found in the room to use as ante. “Sorry, Spike. I didn’t know I had it in me.”

“Yeah, whatever. Let’s hope these Impie guys at least have some decent food.” Spike got up and stomped out of the room.

Once he was out of earshot, Twilight winked at Rainbow Dash. “Thanks for pointing out his tell.”

“Heh, yeah, his poker face is one of the worst I’ve ever seen,” Rainbow Dash said as she too trotted out.

Outside the room, they found the servant from before. He wasted no time in leading them back to the throne room and then through the door Blueblood had taken. One hallway heavily decorated with Blueblood’s image later, they entered a large chamber with a long table set in the center. A deep red cloth lay over the table, along with candelabras placed a few inches from each other to fill the room with candlelight. However, what really caught everyone’s eye were the plates of food set at each seat. Fruits and vegetables of every sort were piled up, tantalizing the Returners with their aroma. A bowl of glazed pastries lay in the center of the table, no doubt for dessert. There was even a plate covered in polished, glittering gems. Spike’s mouth began to unconsciously drool.

The table was already occupied when they stepped in. Blueblood sat at the largest and most ornate seat in the center of the table, sipping wine. Straight across from him was Mayor Mare, nursing her own glass. Mayor Mare saw them and waved them over. “Oh good, you’re safe. Please, have a seat so we can get started.”

They didn’t need to be told twice and quickly found themselves a seat on the same side of the table as Mayor Mare. The moment they settled in, Blueblood cleared his throat. “Thank you for coming. Don’t hesitate to help yourselves. I’m sure you are all hungry.”

Rainbow Dash leaned over, whispering into Applejack’s ear, “You think any of it’s poisoned?”

Applejack gave a slight shake of her head. “Doubt it,” she whispered back. “Awful lot of trouble if it were.” A series of crunching noises caught their attention, spotting Spike shoveling mouthfuls of gems into his mouth and chomping down on them with his sharp teeth. “Guess that answers that.”

Rolling her eyes, Rainbow Dash returned to her plate, shrugged, and began chowing down on a carrot.

Minutes went by as everyone ate their meal in silence, minus the ruckus coming from Spike’s end. Blueblood watched them with a bored expression, occasionally taking a sip from his glass. Once each plate was clean of food and the servants whisked them away did he finally speak. “Now that you are all full, I think it would be a good time to go over the purpose of this meeting.” He clapped his front hooves together and immediately a side door opened and two equines stepped in. It didn’t take long for the Returners to recognize them.

“Good evening,” Doctor Whooves greeted as he approached.

“Good to see you on this fine night,” Zecora said, taking a seat next to Blueblood. “Especially now that we no longer need to fight.”

“May I introduce my top researcher, Doctor Whooves, and my best general, Zecora,” Blueblood said. “They will help with the proceedings.”

Applejack regarded the newcomers with narrowed eyes. “We’ve met.”

“Good, then this will—Whooves, what are you doing?”

Doctor Whooves stepped up to Zecora, a thin metal rod in his mouth. Without hesitation, he pressed the end of the rod against Zecora’s temple and activated a button with his teeth. A red light flashed, followed by a clicking sound. The Returners blinked as the headband that Zecora wore around her head fell off and clattered to the floor. Doctor Whooves stomped on it, snapping it in half. “There, now we can begin.”

Zecora blinked. Slowly, she began taking in her surroundings, her mouth moving but no words forming. She shook her head and focused on a point in front of her.

“What have you done?” Blueblood said, his glare attempting to bore a hole through Doctor Whooves.

“Why freeing her, of course, and giving a good show of faith to your guests,” Doctor Whooves replied, nonplussed by Blueblood’s stare.

“Was… was that…?” Twilight Sparkle said.

“Yes, Miss Sparkle, that was a slave crown. Much like the one you used to wear. I designed it myself to help the Emperor control ponies, griffons, and this zebra for the war effort.” The matter of fact way in which he spoke was as though he were discussing what he had eaten earlier that day. “Not easy to take off unless you have the right tools and potentially dangerous if removed incorrectly.”

“Whooves, I did not give you permission—”

Doctor Whooves leveled his own glare at Blueblood, far exceeding the ruler’s malice. “I don’t care what you say anymore! You promised that the world would be a safer place and everybody would prosper. But now my niece is dead!” He looked away but wasn’t fast enough to hide the wetness building in his eyes from everyone present. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to bring those monsters to justice. Then I’ll see to every last machine I ever built is destroyed, bolt by bolt. I’ll do it myself if I have to.”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the dining room. The Returners held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next. The tension built until an unexpected voice said, “I have only just become aware, but I would like to know the name of this mare.”

Turning, Doctor Whooves regarded Zecora. “You mean my niece?”

Zecora gave a sympathetic nod.

Swallowing hard, Doctor Whooves looked away, his eyes downcast. “Dinky.”

Applejack nearly threw up. “You… you don’t mean that little filly at the inn, do you? The one with the healing magic?”

Doctor Whooves roughly rubbed at his eyes. “Yes. You knew her?”

“I met her when we came through here a few weeks ago.” Applejack placed her hooves on the table, steadying herself and her tightening stomach. “She was the nicest little gal. No older than Apple Bloom, I think.”

“Yes, she was a sweetheart. You should have seen her face when I gave her her powers. I never have seen a pony more excited than when she cast her first spell. I… I was going to help teach her more… when I wasn’t so busy…” Doctor Whooves trailed off, his voice cracking the longer he spoke.

Another silence enveloped the room. Once again, Zecora broke it. “Very troubling times I have awoken to. Please, tell me all that you plan to do.”

Twilight cocked her head. “Do you remember anything? I had some pretty bad amnesia after the crown came off of me.”

“My thoughts are murky, this is true, but they should become more clear as I talk with you.”

“Like I said,” Doctor Whooves spoke up, “taking off the crown the wrong way can mess up the mind. But, since I did it the right way, Miss Zecora should recover her memories without too much trouble.” He gestured towards Mayor Mare, who took the hint as he settled down into a chair.

Mayor Mare cleared her throat, her expression neutral as she said, “Well, we are here to discuss how to work together in order for this tragedy to never happen again. To do that, the fighting has to stop.” She gave a pointed look at Blueblood.

Having regained his composure, Blueblood took a sip of wine before responding. “I have ordered this war to be over. No more harm will come to anymore of our people.”

“Okay, that’s great, but what about guys like Gilda?” Rainbow Dash said. “She seemed pretty into this war from what I’ve seen. In fact, where the hay is she?”

“In jail,” Blueblood answered. He sighed, a look of weariness draping over him. “I have decreed her a war criminal. She has done things I am ashamed of.”

“Like the poisoning of Domare?” Applejack said through gritted teeth.

Blueblood visibly flinched. “Yes. That was inexcusable. Had I known she was planning that I would have ordered her back here. I have a deployment at Domare now cleaning up the poison.”

“Fat lot of good that’ll do now that everypony’s dead!”

“Applejack!” Mayor Mare shouted, motioning with her hoof for the earth pony to settle down. “I’m as appalled as you are, and believe me that we’ll seek justice, but we must remain calm for us to work together.”

Applejack bristled, looking ready to dive over the table and strangle Blueblood with her bare hooves. She closed her eyes, took several deep breaths, then settled into her seat. The glare remained, however.

“So what’s going to happen to Gilda?” Rainbow Dash asked, steering the subject away from genocide.

“I’m not sure yet,” Blueblood said, once again donning his regal stance. “Right now I’m content with keeping her locked up.”

“Um,” Spike spoke up, raising a claw. “I got an idea. How about we turn her over to the Storm Dragon.”

“The what?”

“Uh, we kinda ran into him when we were in Chozo. We made a deal with him that we’d take Gilda out for him.”

Mayor Mare and Blueblood both facehoofed.

“Spike,” Mayor Mare said in a controlled voice. “Are you telling me you made a deal with a dragon?”

Spike sank into his chair, trying to make himself as small as possible. “Um, kinda. But so did Rainbow Dash! She did it too!”

“Hey, we were in a tight spot, okay?” Rainbow Dash said defensively. “It was either that or get eaten, and I’m not about to kick the bucket over something we were going to do anyways.”

Mayor Mare rapped the table, stopping all discussion. “That’s enough. We’ll deal with that later, I suppose. But I’m with Blueblood on this one. Too much is going on to have to deal with Gilda and this dragon.”

“Fine,” Spike said and went back to eating the rest of his gems.

“Let’s get back on track here. Emperor Blueblood, there is only one thing I wish to hear from you at this time.”

Peering down at her, Blueblood inclined his head for Mayor Mare to continue.

“I want to know for certain that this war of yours is truly over.”

Blueblood closed his eyes and remained still as a statue. A moment later he reopened them and looked at each Returner in turn. Once he finished, he gave Mayor Mare his full attention. “Yes, it is. Continuing it will only bring more destruction to our people. It would be the War of the Magi all over again.”

Mayor Mare nodded, sighing. “That we can both agree on. So what now?”

An uncomfortable silence followed. The Returners looked to each other and then Blueblood, who had his head bowed. The stallion took a deep breath, stepped out of his chair, and walked around the table, stopping in front of Twilight. “I need to ask a favor of you. The only way to truly set things right again is to make peace with the espers. Only you can do that.”

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes narrowed, a hint of magenta swirling around her horn. “How can you say that to me after what you did? You killed my mother. You used me as your weapon. You hurt my friends.” Her horn glowed brighter, a noticeable heat emanating around her. “I hate hurting others, but you’re the first pony I want to… to do bad things to.”

Blueblood looked down, away from Twilight’s glare. “I don’t deserve forgiveness for what I have done. You have every right to hate me.” He raised his head, meeting Twilight’s stare. “But I ask that you think about what needs to be done now. Once this is all over, you may do with me as you wish.”

The two ponies looked into each other’s eyes, Twilight’s fury against Blueblood’s pleading. Twilight’s horn sputtered out and she looked away with a huff. “If I do anything, it won’t be for you. I’ll talk to the espers because I want the fighting to stop.”

Blueblood nodded and stepped away. “That is all I can ask for.” He headed back to his seat, speaking as he went. “Now then, reports from my forces in the east say they saw the espers heading northeast. That means either the Veldt or Crescent Island. The Veldt is far too open for them to hide in, so we shall check Crescent Island first. Now, I noticed that Pinkie Pie isn’t with you. Is her airship available?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Mayor Mare said. “From what I’ve been told, the ship was damaged by the espers as they flew by. Some of our members are getting supplies to take back to her, but I have no idea when it will be able to fly again.”

“That is unfortunate. We can’t wait, though. I will make arrangements for a freighter to leave from Albuck. I’ll have a detail accompany you.”

“I volunteer to go with them and help with their needs,” Zecora spoke up, rising from her chair. “I must begin making amends for my past deeds.”

“But that wasn’t your fault, Zecora,” Doctor Whooves pointed out.

Zecora shook her head, waving him off. “Too much blame has gone around this day. I would much rather do something to help than stay.”

“We’d love to have ya!” Applejack said, beaming. “With you on our side, this whole business with them espers will get sorted out faster than apples on harvest day.”

Blueblood rapped the table with a hoof, regaining everyone’s attention. “Figure out who of you is going then. The ship will leave as soon as you are all ready.” With that, he bowed and headed for the door. Just as he reached it, he turned and regarded the table of creatures before him. “Above all else, we must come to terms with the espers. I trust that you all will do your best. Now excuse me, I have much work to do.” Bowing one last time, he opened the door and left.

The remaining Imperials and Returners remained seated for a time, staring at where Blueblood once stood. Finally, Mayor Mare cleared her throat. “Well, while our host seemed a little standoffish, this went better than expected.”

“I don’t trust him.”

All eyes turned to Rainbow Dash, who had remained mostly quiet until now. “He talks a good game, but I’d bet all of my feathers that he’s got something planned. I mean, we’re going to hunt down espers, the things he uses to power his magitek. We’re going to be leading him right to them.”

Mayor Mare sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Yes, a very good point.”

“If I may,” Doctor Whooves said, walking around to the Returners side of the table. “I offer my services to you in making sure the Emperor keeps his end of the bargain. My niece will rest easier knowing I did all I could to make sure nopony else dies for this stupid war.”

Applejack snorted. “Yeah, that’s big of ya to say, but what are you going to be able to do about it?”

“Blueblood still needs me if he ever plans to rebuild his army. I’m too important to simply dispose of.” He looked to each of the Returners, then scuffed the floor with a hoof. “Though, it would be easier if a few of you stayed to help. It probably isn’t a good idea to have a large group go after the espers. They’ll see you coming and bugger off.”

“Before anypony asks, I’m going,” Spike said, coming up to stand next to Twilight.

Rainbow Dash hopped over to them, grinning. “Me too. We make a pretty good team, if I do say so myself.”

“If this journey is to amend, then I shall see it to its end.”

“Gah!” Rainbow Dash squawked. She whirled, her wings flaring out and glared at the zebra that had snuck up on her. “Hey, a little space! I’m still not sure if I trust you either.”

Zecora nodded, though a smile graced her muzzle. “There is much I need to do to earn your trust. I will travel to the ends of the earth, if I must.”

“Alright then,” Mayor Mare said, stepping down from her chair. “Seems we have things in order. You four head to Albuck and we’ll do our best to keep things in check here.” She looked at Twilight, seeing uncertainty in her eyes. “Twilight, I want you to know that I’m very proud of how you’ve held up through all of this. I just need you to be strong for a while longer, and then this awful war will be over.”

Twilight swallowed, but gave a firm nod. “I’m going to do my best.” She reached down and draped a hoof over Spike and Rainbow Dash’s shoulders. “And I’m sure my friends will make sure I give it.”

.o.O.o.

With a new mission and purpose, the Returners left the dining room but didn’t get far before their path was blocked by Blueblood’s servant. He pushed forward a black briefcase and gestured towards it. “A gift from his Majesty. He apologizes for not being here in pony to give it to you. Inside you will find documents that date back to the War of the Magi. Many of these have magical properties that Whooves was unable to get past. We hope that you may unlock them and gain some knowledge from that time. It may help with your meeting with the espers.” He paused, catching his breath. “Emperor Blueblood also informed me that our forces will be pulling out of South Fillygaro and the drafted citizens returned. We will also be leaving Domare once the poison has been cleaned up. Finally, all chocobos pressed into service will be released.

“That is all.” Bowing, the servant swiveled and walked away.

The group looked to one another. Applejack shrugged. “Well, guess that happened.”

“Think it’s legit?” Rainbow Dash said, eyeing the briefcase.

Twilight cautiously trotted forward and nudged the case with a hoof. “I don’t know. Should we leave it?”

“My senses are not tingling that this is a malicious device,” Zecora spoke up. “I believe it is what Blueblood said: a plethora of advice.”

Nodding, Twilight lifted the briefcase with magic and let it hover by her side. “We’ll take it to my father. Maybe he can figure it out.”

With their new spoils in tow, they left the palace and headed for the city gates. There, they found Rarity, Fluttershy, Maduin, and the fillies conversing with the chocobos. Wooden carts full of carefully stacked machinery lay nearby. Upon seeing her returning comrades, Rarity beamed and waved them over and gestured towards the carts. “Voilà! I found everything Pinkie Pie needs! It cost just about all the gil we had but it’ll be worth it to get the airship flying again.”

“Excellent work,” Mayor Mare said.

“So, how did it go at the palace?”

It took a few minutes to explain all that had happened during the meeting with Blueblood. Once finished, Rarity gave a curt nod. “I understand. We need to get a move on right away.”

Mayor Mare raised an eyebrow. “We?”

“Absolutely, I’m going. And Fluttershy and the young ones, of course!” Rarity wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy, pulling her close. “They are all natives of Crescent Island. I’m sure they will be able to help find any hiding spot those espers crawled into.”

“Hey, that’s right!” Scootaloo said, giving a hop and a buzz of her wings. “And we can stop by Themaresa and show everypony there our cutie marks!”

“And all the stuff we learned!” Apple Bloom added.

“And and… um… and…” Sweetie Belle trailed off, grimacing while tapping her head.

Scootaloo bopped her on the horn.

“Oh yeah, and magic!”

Squirming out of Rarity’s grasp, Fluttershy gave a hopeful smile. “It would be nice to go back. I think we’ve had enough vacation to last us for a while.”

“I should go as well,” Maduin spoke up. He crossed his arms as he looked over the group. “Between myself and Twilight, we should be able to get them to at least listen.”

“Then it’s settled,” Rarity said before anypony else could get a word in. “Just let me do one final check of everything here, have these fine chocobos deliver it to Pinkie Pie, then we’ll be on our way.” She whirled around, heading for Willowgale, and leaving a blinking set of ponies in her wake.

“When that mare decides she wants something…” Applejack grumbled under her breath.

Stardust broke away from the flock, heading for Twilight and Spike. Once he stood in front of them he looked away, a twitch in his wings. “Um… would it be alright if I stayed with these guys for a while?”

Twilight and Spike shared a glance, shrugged, and looked up at the chocobo. “Sure,” Spike said. “Why so nervous?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure if you needed me for this new adventure you’re going on.” Stardust paused, scratching the dirt with a talon. “And… I kinda want to hang around here and see if I can find Moonlight.”

“Oh, that’s your mentor friend, right?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, him. I haven’t had a chance to ask around for him or any of the others from my forest. I… really want to find out if they are okay.”

“Dude, no problem,” Spike said, waving him off. “This whole stupid war stuff is almost over, so yeah, take some time to find ‘em.”

Stardust smiled, as much as his beak allowed him to. “Thanks. That means a lot.”

“Just be sure to introduce us when we get back,” Twilight said, returning his smile.

“Definitely.” Inclining his head in a bow, Stardust turned and headed back to the waiting chocobos.

Moments later, the chocobos hitched up to the carts and began their journey back to the grounded airship. Rarity waved goodbye, then faced the others. “Well then. Shall we be off?”

.o.O.o.

It took half a day to reach Albuck, the going slow due to Maduin needing frequent breaks. By the time they made it, nightfall had already fallen, which served as a blessing as it was easier to keep the large esper out of sight. Zecora led them towards the docks, where a single cargo ship in an otherwise large port was moored. Imperials and crewponies were already at work getting the boat ready with supplies and equipment. When they saw Zecora they all stopped and saluted.

“Ma’am, we’re almost ready for departure,” one of the soldiers said. “We’ll have everything done by morning.”

Zecora nodded. “That will give us plenty of time to rest. Come the morning we shall be at our best.”

“Ma’am, there’s uh… one other thing that’s come up.” The soldier shuffled his hooves, trying his best not to appear nervous, and failing.

“Please, let’s not make this into a quiz. Tell me what the problem is.”

“Your rhyming hasn’t gotten any less annoying, you know that?”

Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow Dash jerked, swiveling their heads towards the voice. A pony climbed out from below deck and casually walked over, her white cape billowing in an unfelt wind.

Trixie stopped at the top of the gangplank, looked over the assembled group, and snickered. “Well, anyone miss me?”

Wherein There's Gold In Them Thar Hills

“So let me get this straight,” Apple Bloom said as she paced back and forth in the recovery room. The room was filled with ponies, most from the town but also included the recently arrived Returners. “We’ve been trying to convince you all that cutie marks exist, go out to learn more about them, get some ourselves, come back, but then find out that y’all knew all along?”

“That sounds about right,” Nurse Redheart said with a shrug.

With a groan, Apple Bloom flopped onto her stomach. Matching groans came from Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, still laying in their beds.

A unicorn mare stepped forward, her coat a light pink and her mane a deep purple, who laid a hoof over Apple Bloom’s back. “Kid, let me tell you why we had to keep our cutie marks a secret.” Her horn lit up and the paint covering her flank peeled away, revealing a starburst with two green curly wisps drifting from it. “And why we were hoping Scootaloo and the rest of you would never get one.”

Apple Bloom looked up into the mare’s eyes, blinking in confusion. “Okay. Why, Miss Starlight Glimmer?”

Starlight smiled, levitated Apple Bloom back into her bed, and took a deep breath. “You see, after the War of the Magi, the espers took off, leaving any ponies who could use magic behind. Since there was nopony else to blame for the war, anypony with a cutie mark took the blame instead.” She sighed and looked away. “Those ponies were hunted down and killed without mercy.”

A gasp escaped Fluttershy, whose eyes began to well up with tears.

“Some of them managed to escape, however,” Starlight continued. “They made their way to this island, where there isn’t much civilization. Those ponies became our ancestors. Over time our magic began to weaken and fewer and fewer ponies with cutie marks were born. We’ve done our best to hide our marks in hopes that someday they would never come back.” Looking up, she roamed her gaze over the three fillies. “But it looks like that’s not going to happen.”

“We’re sorry,” Sweetie Belle said, sniffling. “We had no idea.”

Rarity stepped up next to Sweetie Belle and laid a hoof over her shoulder. “In their defense, Starlight, something like this was bound to happen, given the circumstances.” She swept a hoof over the gathered Returners then twisted to show off her flank. “They aren’t the only ones to have gotten marks.”

Starlight’s mouth hung open as she and the rest of the townsponies beheld the older ponies cutie marks. “How… Nopony has ever gotten a mark this late in life.”

“The espers have returned, dear. In fact, that’s why we came back here. We’re tracking a group of them that laid waste to the Empire’s capital. We have to find them before they cause anymore harm.”

Shaking her head, Starlight levitated over a cushion and sat down. “So, they’re back then. I guess that would explain the lights we saw in the west the other day. My goodness, is the War of the Magi going to repeat itself?”

“No, not at all!” Twilight Sparkle spoke up. “We’re not here to fight. We just want to talk to them and get them to understand that the fighting’s over.”

Rarity sat down in front of Starlight, meeting her eye to eye. “Please, Starlight, if you know where they are then you must tell us. If we’re successful, there will be no more wars and no need for you to hide anymore.”

Starlight rolled her eyes and waved Rarity off. “Jeez, spare me the dramatics. I was going to tell you anyways. I’m just… letting this all sink in.” Standing up, Starlight headed for the door. “C’mon, let’s give the fillies some more time to rest and get the rest of you on your way.”

“Hey, wait!” Scootaloo shouted after her. “You’re not just gonna leave us here while you all go find the espers, are ya?”

“I think you three have had enough excitement to last a while,” Starlight called back.

Scootaloo opened her mouth, but a white hoof closed it shut before any sound could escape. “She’s right,” Rarity said. “You three did well, but now’s the time to rest. With any luck, we’ll be back soon with everything right as rain.”

“Don’t worry everypony,” Fluttershy said as she stepped up to the beds. “I’ll stay with you and help.” She fluffed her wings, sparkles of white magic drifting out from them. “With Twilight along, I don’t think I would be much help. I’m not really the adventuring type, anyway.”

Rarity smiled and gave Fluttershy a brief hug. Pulling away, she said, “Thanks dear, but don’t be selling yourself so short, you hear?” Turning away, Rarity bent down and kissed Sweetie Belle on the forehead. “You be good now.”

“Bye, Sis,” Sweetie Belle said, giving an encouraging smile.

With that, Rarity left the room, followed by the rest of the Returners, missing the conspiratory smirks the Cutie Mark Crusaders gave to each other.

.o.O.o.

The Returners spent the night at Starlight Glimmer’s home, lodging them into some spare rooms. Early morning came and with it breakfast and plans for finding the espers. As Starlight served her guests, she explained, “Like I said yesterday, we saw some odd lights coming from the west. There are some mountains in that area. Legends say that some powerful magic still emanates from there, so that would be as good a place as any for espers to want to visit.”

“Thank you for all the help,” Rarity said. “We really appreciate it.”

Starlight gave a curt nod. “If you can make it so cutie marks go away forever, that’ll be thanks enough.”

“Well, we can’t make any promises, but we really want to make all the fighting stop,” Twilight said as she levitated her plate and utensils to the sink and began washing them. “Once things settle down, maybe we can find a way to get rid of them?”

Stepping into her Mare Do Well costume, Rarity shrugged. “Don’t know. Perhaps that’s something you and your father can look into once this whole war business is over.”

“Yeah, between you and your dad,” Spike said through mouthfuls of eggs, “I’m sure you can figure it out.”

“Oh, Sweetie Belle and her friends are going to be so disappointed to hear that.”

“They’ll get over it,” Starlight scoffed. She put the dishes away and headed for the door. “Come on, I’ll see you out of the village.”

Starlight led them to the village entrance where a few villagers were waiting. They offered their goodbyes and encouragement on their quest. Once the pleasantries finished, the Returners waved their goodbyes to Starlight and the villagers, and began the trek back across the peninsula.

It wasn’t until they were out of sight when one of the villagers stopped short and said, “Oh, maybe we should have told them about that other pony that showed up a little while ago? It sounded like she was heading towards the same mountains.”

Shrugging, Starlight turned, heading back to her home. “Eh, I doubt it’ll be an issue. If that pegasus is smart, she’ll have found a way back to the other continents by now.”

.o.O.o.

Rainbow Dash once again took the skies to scout for monsters and any paths the land based ponies could take. Only a few creatures stepped out of the bushes and trees to challenge them, and they were quick to flee the moment fire, ice, and pointed needles started flying their way. By nightfall, the mountains came into view. Rarity suggested they stay a night in her tent and tackle the espers by light of day. After a full day of traveling, the party quickly agreed.

The night passed without incident. After a quick breakfast, the group set out for the mountains and any sign of the espers. Rainbow Dash flew ahead, keeping low to the ground in case any flying magical creature spotted her and decided she wasn’t welcome. A smile split her face after only a few minutes of searching and she flipped around, cruising back to the others. Her smile remained as she touched down in front of them and swept her hoof towards the mountains.

“Guys, we’re in luck,” she said. “Just a little further, there’s a path that leads right up into the hills. I think that’s our best way to get you guys up there.”

Rubbing her chin, Rarity pondered for a few seconds. “A path, you say? What would creatures that can fly need that for?”

“Um, I might have an answer,” Twilight said, clearing her throat. “Some of the records my father and I went over suggested that ponies and espers lived in harmony between the time after the war and before the espers left for their new home. It’s possible that this mountain may have been the home for both espers and ponies at that time. Maybe even the ponies in Themaresa are their descendants.”

“Hmm, you may be right. Alright then, Rainbow, lead the way.”

“You got it!” Rainbow Dash saluted and hopped into the air, heading towards the looming mountains.

Less than an hour later, the group pushed aside low hanging tree branches and bushes to reveal a stone walkway carved into the mountainside. Vines and boulders littered the path, but a little bit of magic and sword cutting cleared away any obstacles. The walkway curved into the hillside and then back outside again only a few steps later. It was as they came back into the light that Rainbow Dash caught a flash of bright yellow out of the corner of her eye. However, when she twisted her head, nothing but green vegetation and grey rocks greeted her vision.

“What is it?” Twilight asked from behind.

Shaking her head, Rainbow Dash turned back to the path and resumed her walk forward. “Nothing. Just thought I saw something. Probably just a monster.”

“Or it could be an esper,” Rarity said. “Keep alert. No sense taking chances.”

They continued on, following the path as it rose higher and higher up the mountain. The feeling in the air around them seemed to change, as though a light pressure were being placed on the ponies and dragon from all around them. Twilight and Rarity commented that their horns throbbed, but not painfully. Higher they went, the landscape below them becoming stretched out further for miles.

Spike raised a claw to shield his eyes as he peered out over a ledge. He yelped and pointed towards the east. “Hey! I think I can see Themaresa from here!”

“That’s nice, Spike,” Rarity commented absently, pulling down her mask and rubbing a hoof against her horn. “Oh, this itch in my horn is going to drive me crazy. I wish I had—”

A shock of white darted from out behind an outcropping of rocks on the path several hoof lengths below, only to disappear under an overhang before Rarity could get a fix on it. Rarity huffed and pulled her mask back on. “I’m getting the feeling we're being followed. If it’s the espers, I wish they’d just appear and get this over with.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Rainbow Dash said. “Want me to check it out?”

“No, let’s continue on. Whoever it is will make their move soon, and we’ll be ready for them.”

So saying, Rarity led the way, the path taking them back into the mountain itself. The cave inside contained little other than small spots of grass and masses of rock, with streams of light spilling in from openings at the top. It was enough for the Returners to see by so they pressed on, deeper and deeper. Rounding a bend, they came across a set of stairs carved out of the rock leading up. One by one, the group filed their way up, their senses tingling with all the ambient magical energy growing heavier around them. The stairs ended within a large open space, big enough to fit half the population of Themaresa within it. The ground had been smooth down in front of a raised podium of rock, giving the room the look and feel of an auditorium.

What caught everyone’s eye however, were three golden statues placed on top of the podium.

“Whoa,” Rainbow Dash breathed out, her tongue smacking against her lips.

Rarity stepped up to the podium as though in a trance, her masked face never leaving the statues. “Gorgeous.”

With a flap of wings, Rainbow Dash landed on the podium, inspecting the closest of the golden figures. Up close, it was even more beautiful. Vaguely shaped in the form of a pony rearing up, and with no sign of wear and corrosion, Rainbow Dash’s quick calculations determined that a single one of these relics would set her up for life. Her hoof reached out—

—a telekinetic slap swatted it away, eliciting a yelp of surprise.

“Rainbow, don’t touch them!” came Twilight Sparkle’s voice as she ran up the podium to stand next to the pegasus. “These are priceless artifacts, and should remain undisturbed.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, the pull of treasure still welling up within her, but stepped back and gave Twilight a cross look. “What do you know about these, anyway?”

“From these.” Twilight levitated the Empire’s documents from her saddlebag and hovered them before her. “Somewhere in here it described three statues—ah ha! Here we go.” She separated one of the sheets from the others and displayed it with a proud grin. “Father and I managed to decipher a little bit about there being a special place where espers built a monument for three powerful beings. This must be it!”

Spike climbed up the podium with the others and patted Twilight on the back. “That’s my girl.”

Twilight blushed. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, that’s great and all,” Rainbow Dash said with a hint of annoyance, “but can’t we just take one? There will still be two left!”

Crossing his arms, Spike tsked and shook his head. “Dash, if the espers are here, and they see us take one, you can kiss any peace with them goodbye.” His eyes drifted to one of the statues and he stroked his chin. “But, ya know, maybe if we built a copy…”

Twilight bopped him on the head with the rolled up document. “Stop it.”

“Fine.”

“Oh! This looks interesting,” Rarity said, who herself occupied a space on the now crowded podium. She knelt down and lifted her mask, peering closely at the back of the furthest statue whose shape Rarity could only guess was a large dragon. She pointed at a spot and said, “There are some markings here. Think you can make them out, Twilight?”

Twilight trotted over and took in the area Rarity had indicated. Her muzzle scrunched up in thought before she went back to her saddlebag. More papers levitated out before her, gaze darting between the statue’s writing and the writing on the documents. A few minutes passed, with Twilight moving from statue to statue and making the occasional thoughtful sound.

So engrossed were they in their findings, they all missed an orange head peek out from the passage they had come from.

At last, Twilight gave a firm nod and cleared her throat. “Okay, I think I have a good idea on what’s written here. The gist of it is that long ago, before the War of the Magi, there were two goddesses that ruled the world. It says something about them controlling the sun and moon, but I can’t make sense of it. Anyway, a third god appeared and fought them. He used dark magic to turn ponies into espers to wage his war. There’s not much here on the war, but the two goddesses found a way to use the magicite from dead espers to give more power to their pony warriors and fight back.”

“Gracious, I’m glad I didn’t live back then,” Rarity said. “It must have been terrible.”

“Yeah, and it gets worse,” Twilight replied. Swallowing against a dry mouth, she continued, “Things weren’t going well for the goddesses, so they gathered as much magic as they could and managed to turn the god into stone. But, sadly, this also turned the goddesses into stone. It goes on to say that in order for the goddesses to make their spell work, they had to pull in magic from the planet itself. Like, just about all of it.”

A silence fell over the group at Twilight’s last words. Rainbow Dash, her head cocked to the side, said, “Wait, wait, wait, wait. They took the planet’s magic?”

Twilight shrugged helplessly. “I guess so. If I translated everything right, that is.”

“So, wait,” Spike said, brows furrowed in thought. “That… kinda makes sense.” Feeling everypony’s gaze on him, Spike quickly explained. “I mean, that kinda explains why unicorns have so little magic, right? Just simple things like lifting stuff. Maybe the reason why is because these goddesses or whatever sealed it all away.”

“That’s kinda sick,” Rainbow Dash commented, looking ill.

“And it might not even be just unicorns that were weakened. Maybe pegasi and earth ponies were affected too and it’s just not as easy to tell.”

More silence followed, the group taking time to let this sink in. Hesitantly, Twilight said, “Um, there’s a little more, if you guys want to hear it.”

Rarity gestured for her to continue. “Might as well, darling. Let’s hear it all.”

“Right, so, once the three beings turned to stone, the espers gained their own will. They decided they would never let their powers be used for war again and made their own world to live in. They took the statues with them, behind the sealed gate. Before they left, they made the figures here in honor of the gods. Looks like they’ve been sitting here ever since.”

“Huh,” was all Spike had to say.

“No kidding,” Rainbow Dash said, shaking her head. “Even with all the tall tales I had to chase down for a lousy gil, I’ve never heard anything like this. I mean, controlling the moon and the sun? C’mon.”

Rarity hummed in agreement. “If it’s all true, it does put it in stark relief just how much was lost from then till now.”

“Seriously, I’m glad magic’s been gone. I mean, look at how far we’ve come with technology since then. I like how things are and magic will probably screw it all up.” Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight, frowning at the troubled look the unicorn wore. “What? I didn’t mean anything bad about you, Twi! Just magic in general.”

Twilight sighed and began putting her documents back. “Don’t worry, I know what you mean, Dash. And you’re right. Blueblood should have never tried to bring back magic in the first place. But, well, if he hadn’t, that means I never would have met any of you.”

“Oh, right,” Rainbow Dash replied and began swirling her hoof on the ground.

A loud clop from Rarity caught their attention. “Now none of that, you hear? Things are the way they are and worrying about what could have been isn’t going to help any. We need to focus on the now, and the now says we need to find those espers and get this whole mess cleared up.”

“Right on!” Spike said, pumping a fist into the air.

Finishing her packing, Twilight turned to her fellow unicorn and nodded. “You’re right. Sorry my thoughts aren’t very positive lately.”

“I’m sure you’ll feel better once we’re done,” Rarity said. “Now, let’s get a move on, shall we? Those espers aren’t going to find themselves.”

Giving one last, forlorn look at the statues, Rainbow Dash nodded. She turned and hopped up into the air.

A figure rocketed down from above and slugged Rainbow Dash in the face, sending the pegasus crashing to the rocky floor. Faster than Rarity or Twilight could react, the pony shaped being darted between them and snapped out its wings. The two were sent flying off the podium by the strength behind the wings, landing in a heap. Spike twisted to face the new enemy but received a kick to the stomach for his efforts. Doubled over, Spike was helpless as the pony picked him up and tossed him to fall next to his friends.

Now alone on the podium, the pony heaved for breath, smiling down at her efforts. She disregarded the disabled Returners and turned her attention to the golden statues left unguarded, a reverent grin splitting her muzzle. “Now this is the mother load. These will definitely set me up for a long time.”

Struggling to her hooves, Rainbow Dash rubbed her sore cheek before regarding the new arrival. “Daring Do,” she spat. “How the hay did you get here?”

Daring Do tore her gaze from the statues long enough to smirk at her rival. “A little bit of good luck and a lot of patience. I was pretty banged up after Chozo, but some rest at Jidhoof and a little bartering got me a ship out here. Now I’m going to claim what’s mine and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”

“How do you figure?” Rarity said, having picked herself up. She pulled her mask down and readied herself. “There are four of us and one of you.”

“Heh, don’t think I don’t know that.” Without warning, she pulled out a small blue ball and chucked it at Rarity. The masked vigilante deftly hopped out of the way, but the ball ricocheted off the floor and right into Rarity’s side. Rarity let out of whoosh of air and fell back. The ball wasn’t finished as it rebounded off of her and headed straight for Twilight, who squawked in surprise and dove out of the way. Again the ball bounced off the floor and then the nearby wall, picking up speed.

Not fast enough as Rainbow Dash blasted into the air, slicing at the ball as it passed her. She landed, Thunder Blade in her mouth, watching in satisfaction as two diced pieces fell to the ground with a plop.

“Heh, nice going, Rainbow Crash,” Daring Do commented. She raised up on her hind legs, holding up two more balls in each hoof. “But I’ve got plenty more super balls to handle you twerps!” Without waiting for the others to regain their balance, Daring Do threw the super balls towards Twilight and Rarity.

“Not this time,” Rarity muttered, her horn lighting up. She waited for just the right moment—

—Opalescence launched herself out from behind Rarity’s cape with a yowl and swatted the super ball out of the air and onto the ground. She immediately pounced upon it and began patting it back and forth between her paws.

“... Well, I guess that works too. Very good, Opal.”

Meanwhile, Twilight was not having as much luck. The super ball bounced faster than she could track and each pass it made left a stinging welt on her body. Spike tried to bat it away with his spear, but his swings were a second too slow. A pained shout from Twilight due to another direct hit finally drove him over the edge. He took a quick breath and blew a lash of wind out that surrounded Twilight and himself in a swirling tornado. The next time the super ball passed, the whirlwind plucked it out of the air and flung it with more force than a cannon. It splattered against the far wall, leaving a sizable crater from the impact.

“Darn it!” Daring Do cried, reaching for more of the bouncing weapons. “Do you guys know how expensive these things are?” The sound of hooves approaching perked up her ears. Looking up, she found Rainbow Dash standing only a few paces away, her sword at the ready.

“Give it up, Daring,” Rainbow Dash said. “You’re way out of your league, so piss off before I lose my patience.”

Sneering at her rival, Daring Do abandoned her balls and instead cracked out her whip. “Oh, you think you’re hot stuff now because you’ve got new friends? Well, I’ve got friends of my own!”

“Seriously? Where?”

“Here!” Daring Do lept from the podium and landed next to the room entrance. Her whip lashed out, snagging something behind the rock wall, and pulled. High pitched screams preluded to three fillies being dragged out and tossed to the ground. Daring Do stood above them, pulling tight on her whip to keep the fillies bound.

“Oh my gosh, Sweetie Belle!” Rarity cried, rushing towards them. She stopped short when Daring Do yanked her whip, eliciting more pained screams from the trio.

“Stay back if you don’t want them hurt,” Daring Do said. “Now, this is how it’s going to go down. I get those statues, you get the fillies. Fair trade, don’t you think?”

“If you think for one second I’ll let you get away with this—” Rarity began, but the appearance of a super ball at the tip of Daring Do’s wing clamped her up.

“You’ve got ten seconds to get me those statues or I start tossing these around.”

Nopony made a move. The seconds ticed down, Daring Do tensing as she mentally counted. “Time’s up. Too bad about the kids.” She flipped her wing, sending the super ball straight up into the air. It struck the ceiling and came back down, right for Apple Bloom’s head.

A teal glow surrounded Daring Do’s head. Before she could react, she was yanked forward with telekinetic force. The super ball collided with her nogin.

At the same moment, Apple Bloom struggled free from the whip just enough to kick out at her assailant, landing a blow to Daring Do’s hind leg.

Scootaloo quickly chanted, sending an arc of electricity through the whip and into Daring Do herself.

The combined trio of attacks overwhelmed the pegasus. Daring Do could only manage a drawn out moan of pain before toppling over. The super ball, lodged within her pith helmet, came loose and slowly rolled away.

“Got her!” Sweetie Belle cheered, her horn shining teal. Licking her lips, she concentrated on the whip around them, managing to loosen it up enough for the fillies to wiggle free.

No sooner had they stood up than they were gathered up in a crushing hug. “Sweetie Belle, thank goodness you’re alright!”

“Rar… ity,” Sweetie Belle gasped out. “Can’t… breathe…”

“I don’t care! I’m never letting you go, ever again.”

“At least let us go, then!” Scootaloo said as she struggled in the caped mercenary’s grasp.

It took some cajoling from the others, but eventually Rarity let go, allowing the fillies to catch their breath. That gave the older ponies the opening they needed.

“Okay, I shouldn’t be surprised by now that you three followed us,” Rainbow Dash said, giving them a half-lidded stare. “But the least you could have done was to show up sooner so we didn’t have to play the stand-off game with Daring Dinkus over there.”

Rarity sighed, shaking her head. “You girls are going to give poor Fluttershy a heart attack the way you keep slipping away.”

“We’ll make it up to her, I promise,” Apple Bloom said, laying heavy on the puppy dog eyes. “But how could you leave us behind when you keep going on these cool adventures?”

“Let’s not get into a debate on that here. Since there’s no point in sending you back, you’ll just have to come with us.” Rarity lowered her head, looming over Apple Bloom. “And once we do get back, there will be consequences.”

Despite the mask, or perhaps because of it, Apple Bloom shrank away. “O-okay…”

“What a pain,” Rainbow Dash grumbled, turning away to face Daring Do. Or at least, where Daring Do had once laid. “Great, she got away.”

“Forget her,” Rarity said, heading towards a set of stairs carved into the cavern that led upwards. “I’m not in the mood to track her down. With how injured she looked, I doubt she’ll be bothering us any time soon.”

Giving one last look around, Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, I’m not either. She’s always been good at slinking away. About all she’s good for…”

Forming a protective circle around the younger ponies, the Returners all marched out of the cavern room. The three golden figures were left behind, lying undisturbed once again.

.o.O.o.

Once the ponies were back outside, they came across a long overpass stretching across a deep valley. More alert than ever, the group trotted across it, the winds whipping at their manes and tails. Nothing impeded their progress, allowing them to reach the other end without incident. The natural bridge ended at the mouth of a large, gaping cave entrance, far larger than was necessary for a pony to enter through. Twilight took the lead, lighting her horn as she stepped into the blackness beyond.

They walked slowly, staying within the light Twilight provided. The air lay thick around them, as though the ponies were walking through a humid day but without the heat. Even though nothing could be seen beyond Twilight’s light, the feeling of being watched was inescapable.

“Hello-o?” Twilight called out. She cringed at how her voice caught. She swallowed and tried again. “Hello? I’m Twilight Sparkle, daughter of Maduin. Please, we mean you no harm. We just want to talk to you.”

Rustling could be heard, but nopony could pinpoint where it came from.

“Please, just hear us out.”

A blinding flash from above washed over the Returners, forcing them to cover their eyes. Once the spots floating in their vision cleared, the large cavern they found themselves in was now completely illuminated.

They also discovered that they weren’t alone.

Creatures of every size and description surrounded them. No matter where they looked, every esper appeared stranger than the last. A red head floated above them, providing the light for the whole cavern. It grinned down at them, its jaws as wide as its whole body and filled with sharp, white teeth.

The Returners huddled together in a tight group, weapons and magic being prepared.

“Stop!”

Immediately, the espers winced and shrank away. There came the sound of powerful wings flapping overhead. Moments later a new esper touched down, its form radiating authority and power. A combination of bird and reptile, it towered over the Returners, gazing down at them with a head covered with a golden helmet. Its piercing eyes swept over the group, stopping on Twilight. “So, we meet again, little pony.”

Twilight gulped, her hooves trembling.

“I see you finally found out who you really are. Not even I expected that.”

“Twi,” Spike said in a hushed voice. “Who is this? How does he know you?”

Twilight shook her head and took a long, shuddering breath. “You… you’re the one that started all of this. The one that set me free…”

“Wait. You don’t mean that he’s the frozen esper?”

The esper spread its wings wide, displaying its full length for all to gaze upon. “As you can see, I have finally been released from my thousand year imprisonment. Imagine my disappointment that I wake up to find that ponies and espers are still at odds.” It snorted, tendrils of smoke leaking from its nostrils and arcs of lightning flowing over its body. “I am Valigarmanda. Though I go by another name, one that you ponies gave me that is easier to pronounce.

“Tritoch.”

In Which Peace Gets A Chance

“Now then, state why you have come here,” the esper Tritoch said to the Returners. The group huddled together, surrounded on all sides by espers. Some of the magical beasts looked ready to pounce on the ponies at any moment, though Tritoch’s presence kept them at bay.

Gulping, Twilight Sparkle stepped forward. She let out a slow, shuddering breath, then closed her eyes tightly. Seconds later she snapped them open, revealing iris-less eyes awash with pure white magic. Two flaming wings erupted from her back, her mane and tail becoming writhing flames, while the rest of her coat changed to a blazing yellow. Her morph complete, Twilight flew up into the air, hovering in front of Tritoch’s beaked face. Tritoch squinted slightly from the intense light Twilight gave off, but otherwise remained still. “I am Twilight Sparkle, daughter of Maduin and Twilight Velvet. I’ve come here on behalf of the Empire. They want to make peace with you and stop all the fighting. Will you speak with them?”

Tritoch narrowed his eyes at the pony turned esper, letting out a snort of ice that quickly melted from Twilight’s flaming body. “Stop all the fighting? Is such a thing possible? I have been trapped for a thousand years and yet I am set free only to find that nothing has changed. What makes you think that anything will be different now?”

Despite her fearsome appearance, Twilight’s muzzle fell into a mournful frown. “Please, you have to believe me when I say that not all ponies are bad. We don’t want to see any more lives lost. The Empire, the ones that held your people captive, has suffered after your attack. They’ve realized that they made a mistake and want to set things right. Please, give us one more chance.”

“Don’t listen to her!” an esper shouted. “She’s just trying to lure us into a trap so they can kill us and take our magicite!”

Rumbles of agreement passed through the rest of the espers. Some took threatening steps towards the Returners left on the ground.

With a single wave of a wing, Tritoch sent lances of lighting to strike inches away from the advancing espers. They quickly retreated back.

“Stay where you are or I will not miss a second time,” Tritoch said. Seeing that the espers were sufficiently quelled, he turned his attention back to Twilight. “As for you, Twilight Sparkle, words alone are not enough to convince me that you mean what you say. Therefore…” Without warning, lighting snaked out from Tritoch’s wings, enveloping Twilight in a sphere of electricity in the blink of an eye.

“Twilight!” Spike cried. He took a deep breath, but Rainbow Dash tackled him to the ground before he could let it out.

“Don’t worry, she’s got this!” she said, though her frantic voice gave away her fear.

Above, Tritoch unleashed bolt after bolt of electricity, keeping Twilight ensnared. Her entire form remained obscured, keeping anyone from seeing her fate. With a flex of his wings, Tritoch willed the ball of lightning to shrink. Above the din of discharged power came a wail of pain from within the sphere, louder than any pony could possibly make. The electric ball shrank again, becoming smaller than Twilight’s body allowed. Twilight’s wail became an ear piercing shriek, so high pitched that it could no longer be heard except by the most sensitive of ears.

A small point of red light pulsed briefly within Twilight’s magical cage. Tritoch narrowed his eyes, pushing more into his attack. The light faded.

Only for the light to return, blasting outwards in a flurry of fire and rage. Tritoch’s cage shattered in an instant, allowing the full fury of Twilight’s inferno to slam into him like a runaway Phantom Train. Blasted backwards, Tritoch crashed into the cave wall, a heap of charred wings and scales. His form slumped to the ground, barely managing to catch himself on his talons. Senses a millennia old, but not dulled, screamed at him to move. He looked up in time to see Twilight shooting down at him, hooves outstretched in preparation to strike.

“Enough!” he bellowed, holding up a talon. Twilight screeched to a halt, her power ready to be unleashed at a moment’s notice. “Enough. I have seen enough.” Forcing his features to remain neutral despite his injuries, Tritoch arranged himself into a sitting position. “Your conviction is true. I will talk to the ponies you speak of. Let us all hope that they mean for this pointless war to stop.”

Hovering in the air, Twilight Sparkle gave a firm nod. “Thank you.” Heaving a sigh, she let her esper power fade away. She drifted down until her hooves touched the cavern floor, her body returning to its pony state.

The other Returners rushed to her side and wasted no time checking her over. A few healing spells from Sweetie Belle allowed Twilight to stand without wobbling and a drink offered by Apple Bloom had the unicorn feeling her magic return faster than normal.

“Thanks, girls,” Twilight said once she felt well enough to speak. “What was that you gave me?”

“Oh, somethin’ Stardust and me whipped up,” Apple Bloom explained. “He gave it a funny name. Eth-ur or something.”

Movement from all around them brought their cooldown victory to a stop. The espers eyed them warily, grumblings of attacking them while their guard was down reaching their ears.

Tritoch slammed a talon to the ground, gaining everyone’s undivided attention. “These ponies are off-limits. You satiated your bloodlust against that city and yet you want more? The lot of you are no better than the Empire.”

“They had it coming!” one of the more daring espers shouted. The individual stepped forward, revealing himself to be a dark skinned humanoid as large as Maduin. The similarities didn’t end there, as the esper sported two black horns protruding from his head, surrounded by a mass of dark red hair. However, the esper’s face appeared more feral, like a wild animal. “They came into our world and took our friends. Then they tortured them for their magic so they could take even more. I say we head back to the Crystal Empire, get the rest of us, and then burn this world to cinders!”

More than a few espers in the cavern shouted agreement. The ones that stayed silent gained thoughtful looks, shooting the ponies caught in their midst baleful glares.

Cocking his head, Tritoch said, “What is your name?”

The lone esper thrust his barreled chest forward. “Ifrit.”

“Well then, Ifrit, we are at odds. If you, or any of you for that matter, wish to pursue that course, then you will have to get by me.”

Ifrit snorted and jabbed a finger at Twilight. “The half-breed there beat you. You aren’t that tough.”

Tritoch’s beak prevented him from smiling, though he gave it his best shot. “Then what are you waiting for?”

With the offer given, Ifrit roared and thrust his palms out, twin gouts of fire rushing for Tritoch. With a contemptuous sniff, Tritoch leaned down, placing his head directly in the path of the oncoming flames. His nostrils flared, streams of ice pouring out of them and impacting Ifrit’s attack. The two opposing forces clashed for only a moment before Tritoch’s ice overwhelmed the fire and continued on to the source. So quick was the counter attack that Ifrit had no time to react before he became completely encased in ice. Tritoch hadn’t even moved from his spot.

Tritoch admired his new sculpture before turning to the rest of the espers. “Anyone else?” None of the espers uttered a word. “Good. Bomb! Thaw him out before he catches a cold.” He returned his attention back to the ponies huddled in the midst of the espers' ranks. “Now then, let’s be on our way. Foolishness like this is exactly what needs to be avoided. I am eager to find out if peace has a chance.”

.o.O.o.

The return journey to Thamaresa proved to be much swifter when flying espers were involved. Rainbow Dash led the way, Tritoch and two other espers following. Riding on the back of Tritoch, the Cutie Mark Crusaders gaped as the world below them seemed to speed by faster than even Pinkie Pie’s airship. Trailing behind, the whale esper Bismark kept pace even as he carried Rarity, gliding gracefully through the air. Close by, a large crane-like esper named Palidor ferried Twilight and Spike, his powerful wings beating against the air to match the group’s speed.

Twilight appreciated the lift as it gave her time to rest and concentrate. Her face relaxed and her eyes closed, she let her mind drift out in an attempt to contact her father. Pinpointing his location proved to be an easier task than the first time she tried this in the Empire, but forming her thoughts in a coherent manner was another matter. So much had happened in the two days since arriving on Crescent Island that it was hard to focus her mind on a single thing. Hoping that he received the gist of, “go to Thamaresa”, Twilight tried just enjoying the ride.

In less than an hour, Thamaresa came into view. Rainbow Dash dove down, heading straight for an open plaza in the center of the village. The moment she came into shouting range, she said, “Hey everypony, listen up! We got some new friends we want you to meet!”

Villagers blinked at the sudden entrance of the pegasus, only for their jaws to drop upon seeing what touched down next to her. Tritoch landed gently despite his great size, then lowered a wing to the ground. The fillies whooped as they slid down his wing as though it were a slide, coming to rest before a wide-eyed Starlight Glimmer.

“Mission accomplished!” Scootaloo said, her chest puffing out.

Starlight was too busy staring at the large esper to answer. However, she did squawk in surprise when two others landed next to the first. As with Tritoch, Bismark and Palidor lowered themselves so that the ponies riding them could hop off. The Returners rushed up to Starlight, wide smiles gracing all of their muzzles.

Rarity gave a dramatic bow, tipping her Mare Do Well hat in the process. “Miss Glimmer, may I introduce to you the representatives for the espers.”

A few more seconds passed before Starlight found her voice. “I didn’t realize they would be so friggin’ big.”

A snort of amusement escaped Tritoch’s nostrils. “I assure you, we can become even bigger if we wish.”

Nearby ponies began to edge away from the new arrivals, inching towards anything that appeared viable as a hiding place.

Rainbow Dash took notice and flew up towards Tritoch’s head. “Hey everypony, don’t be afraid. These guys are here to help. We’re finally going to end this war!”

The villagers didn’t look convinced but some did stop their slow retreat.

Starlight loudly cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Um, y-you said you can get bigger. Does that mean you can maybe get smaller?”

“Does our appearance frighten you, little pony?” Tritoch replied.

Swallowing, Starlight rapidly nodded her head.

“Hmph, very well.” With no fanfare and no outward signs of magic, Tritoch and the other two espers shrank down until they were the size of a large stallion. “Better?”

“A little, yeah. Um, I’m Starlight Glimmer. I’m kinda in charge of this town.”

“Tritoch, at your service,” he said, dipping his head down.

Rainbow Dash smiled and clapped her forehooves together. “Great, now that we’re all friends, let’s get Zecora here so we can get everything sorted out.” She turned to Twilight, giving a hopeful look.

“Oh, uh,” Twilight said, fidgeting with her hooves. “Um, I haven’t gotten a response back yet. I don’t know when they’ll be here.”

“That’s okay!” Sweetie Belle spoke up. She tugged on one of Tritoch’s wings with her magic, gaining his attention. “We can show you around while we wait.”

Scootaloo brightened at that. “Good idea! You can get to know the place better. I’ll also show you all the best places to hang out!”

“C’mon, what are we waiting for?” Apple Bloom said as she began to herd the three monsters of legend towards a house set next to a cluster of trees. “We’ll show you our home first.”

Tritoch quirked an eyebrow at the fillies, but shrugged and allowed himself to be led away. He motioned for Bismark and Palidor to follow along. Soon, the three espers were traveling through a pony civilization, the ponies themselves watching them pass by as though they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

Once they were out of earshot, Starlight trotted up to the Returners, a frown firmly in place. “They aren’t going to cause any trouble, will they?”

“I don’t think so,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “The leader and I had a… well, a bonding experience, I guess. I got a good sense out of him. He thinks the fighting is just as pointless as we do.”

“I hope you’re right. I really really do.”

.o.O.o.

Miles away, a sleek metal gunship hugged the northern coastline of Crescent Island. For now it remained motionless, save for the occasional bob from a passing wave. When night fell, it began to move, its engines churning at the lowest power setting to reduce noise.

.o.O.o.

Three days passed in Themaresa before Zecora, Trixie, and Maduin appeared at the village entrance. The three might have walked in with little fanfare had it not been for Trixie rushing ahead and loudly proclaiming, “Citizens of Themaresa! The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived to break bread with you and usher in a new age of magnificence!” She finished with a blast of tiny snow particles that sparkled in the daylight. A few nearby ponies oohed at the sight.

“For a week, she’s been holding that back,” Zecora said to Maduin. “I was afraid if she didn’t get it out, she’d have a heart attack.” Maduin snickered.

Trixie’s sudden display had the desired effect as townsponies, the Returners, and the espers headed towards their direction. Twilight reached them first, galloping up to Madiun who knelt down and accepted her bounding hug tackle. “You got my message! That’s so great!”

“We’ll need to work on that,” Maduin said, stroking Twilight’s mane. “I barely heard it. It wasn’t until we headed north that I managed to pick up your thoughts.”

Letting out a puff of air and rolling her eyes, Trixie walked away from the father and daughter scene. “Get a room.” She strode up to the espers, looking them up and down. “So you are the ones Twilight found. Funny, I thought you’d be bigger.”

Tritoch gave an amused grunt and lazily waved a wing to Bismark and Palidor. In seconds, the three espers grew in size, towering over Trixie and all other ponies in attendance. “Does this meet your expectations?”

Flicking her mane to hide a bead of sweat, Trixie nodded. “Quite.”

“I can feel an esper’s power within you, but it’s muted for some reason. How odd.”

“Yes, yes, but that’s none of your concern.” Trixie gestured grandly with a hoof, flaring out her cape and pointing at Zecora at the same time. “She has a few things she’d like to speak to you about on behalf of the Empire.”

Tritoch regarded the zebra, giving a nod. “Indeed.”

Trixie stepped away, allowing plenty of space for the two representatives. Zecora wasted no time, stepping forward to stand in front of Tritoch, and bowing deeply. “My name is General Zecora of the Empire. For you to hear what I have to say is what I desire.”

“Valigarmanda.” Tritoch inclined his head. “I too have a few things to say. First, I must apologize for the attack on your city. It was disgraceful. I disciplined those responsible and vow for it to never happen again.”

“Your words bring a lightness to my heart. I also vow to make sure our side does its part. We Imperials hold much blame, but I’m hoping we can work together to prevent further violence and shame.”

“I am willing to try.” Tritoch held out a talon, palm up. “I’ve seen what can happen when those with too much foolishness gain power. I want to prevent that from ever happening again.”

Zecora didn’t hesitate, placing her hoof within Tritoch’s offered talon, her smile reaching her eyes. “We have an accord. We will do our best to pay any price we can afford.”

The two gave a firm shake.

Off to the side, Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight and Maduin. “Well, that was easy.”

Spike nudged her in the ribs. “Hey, after everything we’ve been through, I can live with it.”

“Indeed,” Maduin said with a nod.

Rainbow Dash’s gaze swept over the gathered crowd, her eyes settling on Trixie who stood away from anyone else, looking bored. Firming her features, Rainbow Dash trotted over. Trixie spotted her coming but made no move to leave, simply maintaining a neutral expression. “Hey,” Rainbow Dash called to her.

“How eloquent,” Trixie drawled. “What do you want?”

“Look, Trixie, since everyone else is making friends and all that junk, whaddya say we bury the hatchet, huh?”

Trixie’s eyes shifted to Zecora and Tritoch who were speaking more quietly now that the main negotiations were over. While both still sported prim and proper postures, neither were tense, as though they were simply two people slowly getting to know one another. She watched them for a few more moments, then turned back to Rainbow Dash. “Sure, though there is little point to it. Trixie still plans to go her own way once we get back to Vectorlot.”

To Trixie’s surprise, Rainbow Dash smiled and patted her on the back. “Hey, that’s fine. I got things I’ve got to get back to now that this is all over. But, if you’re ever in my neighborhood, maybe we could team up or something.”

Despite herself, Trixie matched Rainbow Dash’s smile. “Trixie will consider it.”

“Sweet.

“You know, it’s too bad Pinkie Pie isn’t here. We could really go for a party to celebrate this whole peace thing and all.”

That was when a beam of light struck a building.

An explosion of flaming debris rained down across the entire village. Before anypony could even scream, another blast ripped through another house, reducing the structure to kindling in seconds. Now thoroughly panicked, villagers ran for their lives, seeking shelter where they could from further attacks.

“Incoming!” Rainbow Dash shouted a second before a rocket impacted the space the Returners and espers occupied. Hastily thrown up shields saved them from being incinerated, managing only to toss them aside like leaves caught in a wind. Groaning, Rainbow Dash picked herself up from the ground, spitting out a combination of dirt and blood. She reached for Thunder Blade, but she only got it halfway out of its sheath when she received a fisted talon to the head. She slumped back to the ground.

Just before she blacked out, she heard a familiar voice say, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now.”

.o.O.o.

Gilda couldn’t revel in her victory for long. The rest of the Returners and the espers quickly regained their senses and were already preparing spells to fling her way. Scoffing, she whistled and a trio of Guardians stomped into the village, one plowing through a home as though it wasn’t even there. The giant magitek surrounded the Returners, taking aim.

“So, I bet you're wondering just what’s going on,” Gilda said, sneering. “But that would be a waste of breath because you’re all going to die anyway.” She raised a talon—

—Tritoch roared and charged, crashing into one of the Guardians and forcing it away from the others. The rest let loose with everything they had on the remaining two machines, spells and elemental weapons chipping away at their metallic hides.

Gilda sighed, shaking her head. “Always gotta ruin my fun.” She reached behind her, unstrapping a flail from her back. Summoning up a wind, Gilda flung the weapon at the largest target available, Bismark. Carried along by unnatural force, the flail struck Bismark next to his blowhole, causing a wail of pain.

One of the Guardians registered the reeling opponent and turned its attention to the esper. Ignoring the Returners attacking it, the Guardian opened fire with its main cannon. The superheated beam of light pierced through Bismark’s blubbery hide. The esper spasmed once, then drifted to the ground in a gentle fall. His body flashed, the once graceful whale now replaced with a floating piece of magicite.

“Mine,” Gilda said, directing her winds to bring her the shard.

The act did not go unnoticed. Palidor let loose a screech and flew after his comrade's remains, his form glowing bright with magic. Gilda conjured gusts of wind to batter at the esper, but Palidor muscled through, aiming his long beak at the griffon’s chest. At the last second, Gilda focused her winds on herself, propelling her high into the air with Palidor scraping against her tail. Gilda descended while drawing a knife and managed to land on Palidor’s back before the esper could reorient himself. The knife plunged deep into Palidor’s neck, forcing a wet gurgling sound to escape his beak. Moments later, his body erupted in light, a magicite shard dropping to the ground.

Gilda picked the magicite up, a sense of warmth emanating from it. “Two for two.” She turned towards the battle still raging. One of the Guardians was missing a leg, making movement difficult and firing at its targets almost impossible. The other still functioned but the concentrated attacks the Returners threw at it made it unlikely that it would remain that way for long.

Chuckling darkly, Gilda pulled out a remote and pressed a red button. The disabled Guardian began beeping in increasing intensity, reaching a crescendo. Once the beeping reached a continuous whine, it exploded.

The shockwave spread throughout the village, knocking ponies off their hooves and rocking houses off their foundations. The Returners, closest to the blasting zone, were flung like rag dolls. Gilda chuckled again and readied her remote, her thumb hovering over a second red button.

A muscled claw knocked it away, sending the remote flying.

Instinct taking over, Gilda swiped at her assailant but a second claw caught her leg, trapping both her talons. She kicked with her free hindlegs, but her attacker held her out at arm's length, more than enough to keep her lion claws from reaching anything fleshy. Concentrating, Gilda tried magic next, but a red haze ran down the arms holding her and covered her entire body, sealing up any magic she tried to summon.

Entirely helpless, Gilda looked up. Maduin’s steely eyes stared back.

“Heh, I bet you think the tables have turned, don’t you?” Gilda sneered. “I had you caged up for years and now you have me at your mercy. So, what now? Gonna finish me off?”

“Yes.”

Gilda only had a second to process that word. Fire ignited over Maduin’s claws, sending searing hot pain into Gilda’s trapped arms. She screamed, thrashing violently against her bonds, but Maduin’s grip did not falter. His fire washed over her entire form, burning her feathers down to the roots and searing the flesh beneath. Gilda roared in agony until the flames reached into her very core, snuffing the life from her heart. Even then Maduin did not stop, pouring his magic until only ash remained of Gilda’s body. Finally, he let go, letting Gilda’s remains float away in the wind.

He swayed on his feet, dropping to one knee. Maduin coughed, spitting out a splotch of blood. Taking in deep, long breaths, he let the feeling of vertigo and nausea pass before he rose back up.

Only to jerk as a sword stabbed him in the back and through his chest.

“Gotta say, that was down right vicious of you,” came Gilda’s voice from behind him. “Too bad you only took out my shadow. Got that idea from when you guys escaped the Magitek Research Facility.” The real Gilda kicked Maduin forward, the sword ripping out of his body. The esper slumped to the ground, a pool of blood pooling in the dirt. “But don’t worry, your magicite will still be useful to me.”

Maduin let out one final desperate gasp, then his form shimmered with white light. Once the light faded away, a piece of magicite was all that remained.

.o.O.o.

In the desolate and storm filled cavern where the gate to the esper world resided, a spark of blue magic briefly appeared at the tip of the rocky spire set in the center of the maelstrom. All at once, the winds and lightning ceased, leaving the cavern completely still. Minutes passes, the silence so profound that it was as though the world itself was holding its breath.

The blue light returned, with a vengeance. Reality was ripped apart as the gate exploded back into existence, filling the cavern with sound once again. Moments later, an equine figure strode from the portal, taking his first steps back into the world of ponies in over a thousand years.

“Move quickly,” Sombra ordered. More espers began filing out of the gate, heading towards the cave entrance at the end of the bridge. “Our kind are in danger. I can feel it.” Once the final esper cleared, Sombra shot a bolt of magic from his red horn at the portal. The chaotic swirling of the portal stabilized, leaving it rotating in a more controlled manner.

“Is it wise to keep it open like that?” one of the remaining espers asked.

“No, it is not,” Sombra said. He turned away from the gate, following after the others. “But we need a way to quickly return once we find our people. Casting the spell to open it again would take too long if we are being pursued. I’m willing to take the chance.” He closed his eyes and concentrated. His flowing red cape split down from the back and flared out, forming two blood red wings. Sombra gave a mighty flap and rose to the air, using his new appendages to catch up with his advancing subjects.

“Hold out for just a little longer. We’re on our way.”

.o.O.o.

Gilda inspected the three magicite pieces floating in front of her. It were times like these she wished she had lips to properly smile. “All that wasted time draining them in those tubes when all we had to do was this.” She grasped the magicite of Bismark, marveling at how something so small could contain so much power. “Now to find a few dimwits to bond with these and we’ll be on our way to making the strongest army in the world again.”

Something tickled at the back of Gilda’s mind, a feeling of wrongness that grew by the second. She looked up, scanning the area. The Returners were still out for the count and weren’t looking to be getting back up any time soon. The remaining Guardian stood at attention, its systems ready to act should any hostiles come close. The feeling kept growing, Gilda’s senses all but screaming for her to leave. Quickly stuffing the magicite in her talon under her cape, she reached for the other two.

A fireball from above forced her back.

Gathering her magic, Gilda readied herself for the large esper that had led the weaker two. However, it wasn’t Tritoch that descended down, but a creature resembling a dragon. Grey scales covered a bipedal frame, while large leathery wings beat at the air to slow its descent. It spotted the two magicite shards and turned a hateful glare at the griffon.

“You will pay.”

The esper took in a breath, but got no further as the Guardian opened fire. The dragon swerved out of the way and turned its attention to the greater threat.

Gilda beamed at the carnage. “Another one to add to my collection.”

A buzzing from her cape pulled her attention away from the fight. Grumbling, she pulled out a rectangular device with an antenna sticking out of it. She pressed a button and held it to her ear. “This better be good. I’m a little busy here.”

“Gilda, return to base,” a voice said, coming from the device.

“You gotta be kidding. I’m not done here.”

“The gate is open. This is the chance we’ve been waiting for. Head outside the village. A Sky Armor will be there to pick you up.”

“But—”

“That’s an order.” With a click, the voice was gone.

Gilda cursed and stuffed the communicator back under her cape. Giving one last, baleful look at the destruction around her, she turned and headed for the village outskirts.

.o.O.o.

When Sombra arrived at Themaresa, he found the village almost completely leveled. Half of the buildings had collapsed and the rest were badly damaged. Many ponies lay dead or dying next to the devastated homes while others rushed to help those that needed it. Even now, the fighting continued, the great dragon king Bahamut taking on a hulking metal monstrosity.

“Help Bahamut deal with that thing,” Sombra said to a pair of espers closest to him. “The rest, help the wounded. That includes the ponies. Move!” The espers did as commanded, flying towards the beleaguered town. Sombra himself touched down next to two discarded magicite shards, his wings reforming into a cape. With a frown, he gathered them up in his magic, grimly inspecting the deceased espers. “Maduin. Palidor.”

A surge of highly focused energy forced his attention away. The two espers Sombra had ordered to help with the Guardian now held the machine up in the air. On the ground, Bahamut planted his claws deep in the soil as he gathered power. A second later, Bahamut unleashed his most devastating attack, Mega Flare, at the bound Guardian. The espers frantically dove out of the way as the intense beam of super-concentrated heat blasted the Guardian to smithereens. It’s smoking husk crashed to the ground and remained still.

Giving a satisfied nod, Sombra walked towards the group of unconscious ponies near the center of the village. Magic emanated from many of them, his suspicions confirmed when he saw some adorned with cutie marks. One of them, a lavender unicorn, immediately caught his attention. Casting a third tier healing spell over the entire group took only a moment and soon after the ponies began to rouse. Sombra waited for them to regain their bearings before saying, “I have a lot of questions for you. I would appreciate it if you would answer them.”

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. In the blink of an eye, she bowed. “King Sombra! What—how did you get here?”

Sombra inclined his head. “You know of me. That must mean you are Maduin’s daughter, correct?”

“Y-yes.” Twilight blinked and stood back up, her head swiveling around the area. “Uh, where is Father? He was fighting beside us but then I lost track of him.”

Sombra took a long, calming breath. He levitated over one of the pieces of magicite, offering it to Twilight. “I’m afraid this is all that is left of him. You have my deepest condolences.”

Twilight stared at the magicite before her. She reached out with her magic to take hold of it, her eyes fixed on the shard. For a long while, nothing existed to her except for herself and the fragment.

Without warning, the magicite flashed a blinding white light. Twilight didn’t flinch, didn’t look away. The next moment it was gone.

Another minute passed, with no pony, dragon, or esper willing to break the all-encompassing silence. Finally, a choked sob from Twilight dispelled the moment, the unicorn collapsing to the ground in a crying, heaving mess.

Her friends quickly gathered around her, giving their support any way they could.

.o.O.o.

In the bowels of the cavern that led to the esper world, Emperor Blueblood and Gilda stood before the wooden bridge suspended over a churning, storm filled chasm. On the other end of the bridge, the portal hummed and swirled.

“I’ve waited over ten years for this,” Blueblood said. A content smile on his muzzle, he trotted forward, his gait proud and sure.

Gilda fell into step behind him. “Whoda thought they’d make it so easy for us, eh?”

“Indeed. Remember this moment, Gilda, for we are taking the first steps towards a new, glorious world.”

Wherein The World Changes Part 1

The Party of One circled Themaresa twice before finding a suitable site to land on. Once on the ground and secured, the drawbridge lowered, allowing Pinkie Pie and the rest of the Returners to disembark. Zecora and Rarity were there to greet them.

“Thank the stars you are all alright,” Rarity said, resisting the urge to run up and hug them.

Pinkie Pie held no such restraint.

She charged forward and wrapped her hooves around Rarity and Zecora’s necks. “Me too! We got out of there just in time.”

“Wonder… ful,” Rarity gasped out.

Fortunately for Rarity’s lungs, Pinkie Pie let go and ushered a pony from the group to step forward. Doctor Whooves trotted up, a frown firmly in place. His gaze lifted, taking in the sight of the demolished town. Sighing, he looked away, taking a few seconds to compose himself. “I… I didn’t find out what the Emperor was planning until it was too late. I barely had time to get everypony out of the capital. But, well, it wouldn’t have mattered in hindsight.

“He’s mobilized the IAF. He had this all set up and right under my bloody nose. They didn’t even look at us twice when they took off.”

“Wait, wait,” Rarity said, cutting Doctor Whooves off. “What’s the IAF?”

“The Imperial Air Force.”

Rarity blinked. “Air force? As in, they can fly?”

“Yes.” Doctor Whooves shook his head, waving off any further questions. “Look, can we get everypony together so I can explain this once?”

“There is a place that we can stay,” Zecora said, gesturing a hoof towards Themaresa. “I will explain everything we’ve been through on the way.”

Nodding, Doctor Whooves followed after the zebra, Pinkie Pie and the rest of the Returners doing the same. They had just reached the first of the destroyed buildings when a figure stepped into view, its massive frame dwarfing anypony around him. It took one look at the remains of the home before lifting a fist and slamming it into the ground. The area around the structure trembled with enough force to knock over the rest of the house, sending wooden beams and paneling crashing all around.

Doctor Whooves stopped short, his wide eyes taking in the creature now bending down to pick up the pieces. “You!” he shouted, pointing a hoof at the figure. “You’re one of those bastards that broke into my lab!”

Turning to regard the pony, Gigas arched an eyebrow. “I did?” He scratched the back of his bald head, the pile of debris before him forgotten. “Huh, don’t remember that.”

“You broke that esper out of its ice prison, you dolt.”

Gigas beamed and smacked his fists together, creating a miniature shockwave. “Oh, yeah! Hurt like the dickens but got Tritoch out of there. You saw that, huh? Didn’t notice ya.”

Doctor Whooves turned to Zecora, giving her an exasperated look. “What in the blue blazes is an esper doing here? What is going on?”

“The mission was to find them, doctor,” Rarity said. “And we did. They promised to help us fix up the town and then stop the Empire.”

“Yeah,” Gigas seconded, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Gonna pound them something good once Sombra gives the word.”

Doctor Whooves stared up at the esper, his face contorting into a mixture of emotions too complex to identify. He settled on a hard look that made even Gigas fidget. Snapping his head away, Doctor Whooves stomped past the esper, heading deeper into town.

“What’s his problem?” Gigas asked as he watched the pony leave.

Applejack looked away. “His niece died when you attacked the city.”

A silence followed. Gigas opened and closed his mouth like a fish, but no words came out. He looked down at the pile of building remains and absently kicked at a wooden board. “Oh.”

“It is why this war needs to end,” Zecora said. “There are some things might and magic can not mend.”

“Yeah,” Gigas muttered. He turned away from the equines, busying himself with sorting out whatever looked salvageable from the wreckage.

Leaving him to his work, the Returners hurried to catch up with Doctor Whooves. They found him talking with Rainbow Dash, who seemed relieved at whatever he was saying to her. Before they could inquire, Rainbow Dash shot off towards a still-intact building.

“What’s gotten into her?” Pinkie Pie asked.

Doctor Whooves regarded her, his eyes weary. “I just got done telling her that General Trixie had nothing to do with what transpired.”

“Uh, okay, but what does that have to do with any—”

“Finally, you peons see reason!”

All eyes turned to the source of the noise, the building Rainbow Dash had entered. Even with the walls muffling her, there was no mistaking Trixie’s distinct voice. She burst out of the house with an explosion of ice particles, caught sight of the group of ponies, and marched over to them. Rainbow Dash came up from behind her, a stupid grin on her muzzle.

Trixie wasted no time giving the gathered audience an earful. “If this is how you treat your allies it’s no wonder you have no friends! Where do you get off imprisoning me like some lowly grunt?”

It took great restraint on Zecora’s part to resist rolling her eyes. “Regrettable it was to put you on ice, but it was necessary until we learned you could play nice.”

Trixie gave Zecora a flat stare. “You’ve been saving that one, haven’t you?”

She let out a whoosh of air as Rainbow Dash slapped her on the back. “Oh, lighten up, Trix. You’re out now and that’s all that matters. Besides, all you did was sleep, anyway.”

A loud cough caught their attention before Trixie could answer. “While I’m glad we got that all sorted out, where are the others?” Doctor Whooves said.

A look past between Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Zecora, and Trixie. As one, they motioned towards a small cluster of trees situated on the village outskirts. Doctor Whooves blinked at the complete silence and even Pinkie Pie had a troubled look.

Spotter finally broke the silence. “What? What is it? Is somepony hurt?”

“Yes,” Rarity said with a sigh. She headed towards the trees. “Very hurt.”

The young colt pestered Rarity as the group followed her, but wouldn’t elaborate further. As they drew closer, a pair of espers, one humanoid but with pale yellow mechanical plating for a body and the other just a skeletal upper torso of a human covered in black rags floating in midair, took notice and blocked their path. “THIS AREA IS OFF LIMITS,” the robot-like esper said. “GO BACK.”

Doctor Whooves bristled and made to retort, but a quick application of magic from Rarity snapped his mouth shut. Ignoring the stallion’s struggles, she adopted a bright smile and beamed at the guards. “Sirs, if you could pass along a message to Twilight, her friends from Vectorlot have arrived. I’m sure she would be most pleased to meet them.”

The floating esper shook his bony head. “We don’t care. Sombra told us to follow Miss Sparkle’s orders and that’s what we’re doing.”

Mustering her resolve, Rarity batted her eyelashes, preparing a new persuasive speech.

A quiet voice beat her to it.

“Golem. Zone Seeker. It’s okay. You can let them through.”

The two espers looked behind them, finding Twilight Sparkle standing there with a forced smile. Golem and Zone Seeker shrugged and parted, allowing the group access.

Rarity wasted no time and ran up to Twilight and laid a hoof over her shoulder. “Darling, if this is still a bad time, we can—”

“No. No i-it’s fine. I—” Twilight stopped to swallow, and continued on. “It’s hard, but I need to press on. Maybe… maybe all of you here can help.”

“Sure thing, Twilight,” Applejack said, coming to Twilight’s other side. “Whatever it is, I’d be glad to help.”

“Thank you, Applejack. I’m really glad you and the others are okay. It’s a huge relief, it really is.” Twilight turned her head, her eyes drifting to the grove of trees beyond. “Come on. I have something to show you.”

The ponies followed as Twilight led them to the grove. Voices could be heard within, but nothing discernible. Once past the trees, the Returners beheld a large pile of carefully arranged rocks. Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were laying down more rocks, forming a wide oval over a dozen hooves across. Fluttershy lay down at the base of the pile, arranging a bed of flowers before a grey stone tablet. Hesitantly, the group moved to where Fluttershy sat, getting a perfect look at the tablet.

It read, “Here Lies Maduin. Loving Husband and Father. May He Rest in Peace.”

Applejack and Shining Armor’s jaws dropped once they finished. They both looked to Twilight who had her eyes closed and head bowed.

“He… he’s not really buried here,” Twilight said, her voice catching. “He’s bonded with me, but the others said it would be nice to… to honor him with this monument. I-I hope you like it.”

Applejack, Shining Armor, and Pinkie Pie surrounded Twilight at once, finding space to wrap her up in a hug. Twilight sniffed and laid her head against the warm bodies supporting her.

“Oh sugarcube, I’m so, so sorry,” Applejack said while stroking the unicorn’s back. “If ya need to cry, there’s no shame if you do.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, giving Twilight a small nuzzle. “That’s right. It’ll make you feel better, I Pinkie Promise.”

“What they said,” Shining Armor added, mirroring Applejack’s actions. “I completely understand.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said, voice heavy with emotion. “But I’ve cried enough. I don’t think I could even if I wanted to. But… but could you hold me for a little bit longer?”

They did, for as long as she needed it.

.o.O.o.

Some time later, after paying Maduin’s grave its last respects, the reunited group of Returners gathered in front of the Party of One, enjoying a picnic provided by Pinkie Pie and her crew. Even the Themaresians and espers joined, though Twilight had to plead for the magical creatures to show up. A few suspicious glances were given to the odd, and often times scary, looking espers but no hostile actions were taken by either side. Once the food and drink passed around, nobody paid the other much mind and enjoyed the festivities.

Pinkie Pie, speaking through a microphone, said, “Oh! Oh! Everyone! We’re all having super-duper fun here, but I just wanted to direct your attention for a minute to some members of my crew that helped make this yummy meal! Girls, come up and take a bow!”

A trio of earth ponies, all a light shade of grey, came up next to Pinkie Pie. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet my sisters. Limestone, Marble, and Maud. They’re all the bestest sisters a pony could ask for! C’mon, don’t be shy. Say hi!”

Limestone Pie gave crooked smile and waved. “Hiya.”

“Mhm,” Marble Pie said, cringing away from all the faces staring at her and using half of her mane to hide her muzzle.

Maud Pie stood still, looking out across the crowd with a dispassionate expression. “Hi.”

“Aren’t they a hoot? If any of you have any questions or problems, don’t be afraid to ask them what’s up!” Dropping the mic, Pinkie Pie bounced into the audience and helped herself to the provided buffet.

Seizing the opening, Trixie took up the microphone, causing a brief whine of feedback that had some covering their ears. “Not to sour the feelings, and mood, and whatever friendship manure you want to call it, but Trixie thinks it’s time we figure out our next move. Doctor Whooves, you said you managed to discover what Blueblood is planning? Explain, as the Emperor only told me to come along.”

Heaving a heavy sigh, Doctor Whooves trotted up to Trixie, who levitated the microphone next to his mouth. “It’s simple, really, and quite ingenious. His goal this entire time was to get through the barrier separating our world with the esper world. He sent you, Zecora, and the others to find the espers that attacked the city and then put them in danger. Blueblood figured that if they were able to break the barrier once to save their friends, they could do it again. It just so happened that he was correct. The moment the espers came through, he dispatched the Imperial Air Force to get there quickly and secure the opening.

“He’s after something called the statues. I don’t know—”

“PREPOSTEROUS!” Golem shouted in his metallic voice.

Doctor Whooves and the rest of the Returners regarded him and the rest of the espers. “Why do you say that?”

Bomb took the opportunity to float upwards, the normally grinning red balloon no longer smiling. “What he means is that even going close to them is suicidal. I don’t know the whole story, but we’ve been told since the end of the War of the Magi to never disrupt them. Doing so would cause a disaster unlike anything this world has seen.” His grin returned, along with a more jovial tone. “But don’t worry! Sombra will make sure they are safe. He should be taking care of those fools right now and bring back their heads.”

The sentiment was shared by the other espers, who cheered and whooped.

Grinding his teeth together, Doctor Whooves said, “Even if that’s true, you miscreant—”

“What he’s saying—” Trixie interrupted, snatching the microphone away “—is that we should be ready in case the worst should happen. Trixie proposes we use the airship to head to the Sealed Gate and make sure the IAF are taken care of. That should at least make it easier on your leader and give you a chance to get back at the Empire one last time. What say you?”

“You want us to fight against your own kind?” Zone Seeker asked, shrugging his bony shoulders.

“‘Fraid so, sugarcube,” Applejack said, hanging her head. “We’ve been at odds with the Empire for a while now. Thought we had finally gotten through to them, but looks like Blueblood’s determined with this whole conquer the world thing.” She quirked an eyebrow and looked around the gathered Returners, noting an absence. “Where’s Mayor Mare? I thought she’d be with y’all.”

Doctor Whooves grabbed the microphone from Trixie. “She elected to stay in the Empire to continue the rebuilding. Your chocobo friend stayed with her as well.”

Her cheeks puffed in annoyance, Trixie ripped the microphone away from Doctor Whooves once again. “So, now that we are all accounted for, are we in agreement?”

Ifrit pushed his way to the front, towing over the ponies holding the impromptu conference. “Not all of us are here. Tritoch is missing. Where’d he go?”

“We don’t know,” Twilight said, looking away. “He took on one of those big machines by himself and that’s the last we saw of him.”

Scoffing, Ifrit shook his head. “Figured he’d run off the moment he got the chance.”

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash flew up and into his face, forcing the esper to back up. “Just what’s your problem, anyway? Last I saw, Tritoch whooped your butt good. I bet he’ll mop up that tin can and get back here any minute.”

Ifrit swiped at Rainbow Dash, but the pegasus darted out of the way. “I’m getting real tired of you ponies getting up in our business!”

“Please stop!” Twilight cried, putting herself between Rainbow Dash and Ifrit as best she could. “Fighting against each other won’t help us!”

“Bah, I’m not going to waste my time here any longer.” Ifrit turned to the crowd, sweeping his gaze over his esper brethren. “I’m heading back. If any of you are with me, then we’ll show these ponies what espers are really made of.”

“But we can do this togeth—” Too late, as Ifrit and the rest of the espers took off. In seconds their forms were nothing but tiny dots of lights against the sky.

When they were fully gone, Rainbow Dash heaved a sigh. “Great, now we’re back to where we started.”

Applejack poked Pinkie Pie, gaining her attention. “Hey, is the airship all set?”

“Sure is!” Pinkie Pie said. “We worked extra special hard to get everything in tip-top shape.”

“Great, because we need to catch up with them and make sure what happened to Vectorlot doesn’t happen again.”

“You… you think they’d do that?”

“At this point, I’m not willing to chance anything.” Applejack gave Pinkie Pie a nod. “Get ‘er ready. We’re leavin’ as soon as possible.”

The Party of One captain saluted smartly. “On it! C’mon girls, let’s get to it!” Pinkie Pie rushed up the airship plank, followed by her sisters.

Facing the rest of the Returners, Applejack said, “All of you, get ready as best you can. We can’t afford to let this stupid war go on anymore.” She tilted her head towards the ruins of Themaresa. “Too many are counting on us.”

“And what about us?” Starlight Glimmer said, a cross look on her muzzle. “You’re just going to up and leave us while our homes are still destroyed?”

Applejack sighed, closing her eyes. “I promise we’ll come back to fix your town up. But we gotta stop whatever it is Blueblood and Gilda are up to.”

Giving a disgusted noise, Starlight Glimmer swiftly turned her back on her. “I’m tempted to say don’t bother. We go to all the trouble of hiding ourselves away and then you bring the war right to our door anyway.” With that, she headed back to the village.

Nopony had the heart to try and stop her.

Rainbow Dash, her muzzle set in a determined frown, patted Applejack on the back. “We’re going to win, AJ. We’ve been through a lot and we’re still alive. We’re going to get through this one too.”

“Thanks, RD.” Applejack held up a hoof, which Rainbow Dash happily bumped. Raising her voice to the others, she said, “Alright, y’all. Get ready for another rodeo!”

.o.O.o.

Minutes later the airship took off, heading back towards the Empire’s continent. The Returners used their time readying their gear, preparing potions, and practicing their magic. It was as the Party of One reached the open ocean that Twilight Sparkle jerked up from her sitting position, startling Spike, and rushed to the side railing. She stared out towards the looming continent of the Empire in the distance, her mouth set in a pensive line.

“Twi, what’s the matter?” Spike said, running to catch up to her.

“Something’s wrong…” Twilight reached up and rubbed her horn. “I don’t know what it is, but… it’s like the world is groaning in pain.”

By now, the other Returners scattered across the deck took notice. A second later, those that were esper bonded began to fidget.

“What the…?” was all Sweetie Belle got out before a rumbling from the earth below interrupted her.

Everyone ran to the side, watching with shocked expressions as the island holding the Sealed Gate shook and convulsed. Entire mountains began to break apart and crumble while the shoreline churned with waves larger than any had ever seen. With horrified amazement, the Returners heard a series of cracks that sounded like bones snapping next to their ears. Unable to tear their gaze away, they witnessed the slow and agonizing process of a piece of the world being violently ripped apart.

However, even that paled to what happened next.

Defying the very laws of nature, the island began to rise out of the water.

More thunderous cracks came, but anypony close enough to bear witness to the spectacle hardly noticed. Higher and higher the island rose, the water underneath it spilling into the gap left behind with such ferocity that anything caught within would surely die. Enormous chunks of rock fell from the still rising island, stripping away entire plains and mountains within seconds.

Pinkie Pie darted down the stairs, returning moments later with a telescope. She adjusted the settings then raised it to her eye. She stopped when a glint near the very top of the island caught her attention, zooming in on the spot. A minute later, she exclaimed, “I see Blueblood and Gilda! But.. what the hay are those things?”

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked, her wings flapping anxiously. “What do you see?”

“They seem to be next to three rocks… no wait. Not rock—

“Oh. My. Gosh!”

Pinkie Pie lowered the telescope and jabbed it towards Twilight. “You better take a look!”

Swallowing, Twilight took the offered telescope in her magic and positioned it properly. After a few seconds of searching, she found what had set Pinkie Pie off.

“Oh dear. The statues.”

.o.O.o.

“Yes!” Emperor Blueblood cried, dropping any hint of royal bearing. “At last!”

Standing next to him, Gilda could only stare. “Unreal…”

Towering over the pony and griffon, a trio of stone figures sat at equal distance to each other. Silhouetted against the open sky, with motes of magic floating between them, were two large ponies with horns and wings rearing up against the third figure. This statue bore the resemblance of a huge serpentine dragon, with sharp scales covering its body, two outstretched claws as though it were reaching out to the two ponies, and a mane covering its head and back that would have been billowing in the wind had it not been petrified. Its jaws were open in an angry roar, revealing rows of teeth capable of tearing through anything like it where tissue paper.

“This is power!” Blueblood continued to crow to the world. “With these, nothing can stop me from taking my rightful place as supreme ruler.”

“Heh, gotta say, I thought you were full of it,” Gilda said, coming out of her awed state. She walked forward, only to have a white hoof bar her path.

“Don’t touch them! Disturbing their alignment could destroy the world.”

Giving a cross look, Gilda folded her claws. “Then what good are they? I didn’t abandon my home and come all this way just to sit and stare at a bunch of overgrown lawn ornaments.”

Regaining his composure, Blueblood regarded the three statues. “Give me some time. With our forces in place, we’ll have plenty of it for us to figure out how best to use these.” So saying, Blueblood’s horn began to glow.

.o.O.o.

The deck of the Party of One buzzed with ponies preparing themselves to board the floating island. Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood at the bow and whistled sharply to gain everyone’s attention.

“Alright, here’s what we’re gonna do!” Applejack said. “It’s plain and simple. We’re going to fly this here airship right up to that floating continent thingy and jump on it. Anything that gets in our way, we blow outta the sky. Nothing else matters besides getting to Blueblood and Gilda and stoppin’ them from using those statues.”

Pinkie Pie pumped a hoof into the air from her position in front of the wheel. “I’ll do the flying!”

“And we’ll do the shooting,” Limestone Pie said, standing next to Maud and Marble, a blue cannon set next to each of them.

Applejack nodded and turned to the others. “Any of you that can cast magic can back them up. Don’t hold back.”

A chorus of cheers answered her.

“Hope you aren’t afraid of heights, because we’re gonna get some altitude!” Pinkie Pie cried, pulling sharply back on the wheel. The airship rose at speeds many considered impossible for such a large vehicle. Clouds parted away, creating a vortex of air at the end of the ship that formed two trailing contrails of condensed mist. Within seconds, the airship breached the top of the cloud bank, revealing a sea of puffy white.

Straight ahead, the Floating Island drifted among the clouds as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Less natural were the hundreds of dots flying around the island.

Doctor Whooves raised a telescope, dropping it a moment later. “The IAF and the espers are already there and fighting.”

“Then let’s join the party!” Rainbow Dash said, her wings flexing in anticipation.

“Oh, I like your thinking!” Pinkie Pie pulled back a lever and the Party of One accelerated.

The Floating Island came up faster than anypony expected. One minute it was a large hunk of rock at a distance, the next it took up the entire sky. The small dots became discernible shapes, with mechanical flying contraptions and espers of every shape and size shooting at each other with lasers and magic alike. The IAF machines consisted of three main parts, a central open cockpit where the pilot sat and two oval attachments with propellers pointing upwards. The helicopter-like design allowed them to dart in the air like a hummingbird. The cockpit also sported two claws attached to its undercarriage and the Imperials put them to good use, grabbing hold of anything to fling at the opposing espers.

“Incoming!” Spotter yelled as a squadron of IAF crafts broke off from the fight surrounding the island and came straight for the airship.

“Sky Armors and Spit Fires!” Doctor Whooves said as he ducked for cover.

Rainbow Dash bristled and flared her wings. “Hey! Nopony takes my partner’s name like that!” She readied to take off but the pegasus with the blond mane standing off to the side and watching the conflict with an awed expression caught her eye. Rainbow Dash zipped over to her and tapped her flank. “Hey, Derpy, right?”

Derpy Hooves turned to the voice and smiled brightly. “That’s me!”

“Your lightning magic was pretty good against machines last time. Let’s get up there and knock ‘em out. I’ll cover ya.”

Derpy grimaced, eyeing the approaching IAF warily. “Um, I’m not sure if that’s—”

“C’mon!” Not waiting for Derpy to finish, Rainbow Dash grabbed hold of her and jumped into the air. With a mighty fling, Rainbow Dash tossed the other pegasus right at the enemy. “Go get ‘em!”

Screaming like a filly, Derpy covered her eyes, unwilling to see the end come. She felt pressure build up within her core and then a release like a thousand lightning bugs exploding from her body. After several seconds of not being shot, she peeked out from under her hooves.

Two wisps of smoke greeted her vision. She spotted movement below, catching sight of two Sky Armors plummeting to the ground.

Derpy let out a whoosh of air as something impacted her back.

“Nice one!” Rainbow Dash said, slapping Derpy’s back again. “Your magic broke up their formation. Now we and the others can pick them off easier. Now we’re the predators!” So saying, Rainbow Dash took off after a lone Spit Fire trying to get back to its squadmates.

Blinking at Rainbow Dash’s retreating form, Derpy struck a thoughtful pose. “Predator? Hmm, kinda like timberwolves. Yeah, I think I can do that!” She braced her hooves against the ground, entering a pounce stance.

Then reality reminded her that there was no ground and she fell.

A frantic flap of wings reoriented herself moments later. “Uh, maybe a griffon would be a better choice.”

.o.O.o.

Despite Rainbow Dash’s word, the IAF’s broken formation allowed the aircraft to surround the Party of One like a swarm of bees. They unloaded their payloads at the balloon, looking to score a critical strike that would bring the airship down.

Unfortunately for them, the Returners had ways of protecting themselves.

A pink bubble of magic surrounded the entire balloon seconds before the IAF’s shots could shred it. Shining Armor grimaced, saying through clenched teeth, “Now, while they’re open!”

The crew wasted no time opening fire upon the distracted Sky Armors and Spit Fires. Impacts of high speed confetti and pies splattered against their hulls, painting them in colorful and tasty confections.

Every Returner dropped their jaw.

“Why are you firing party supplies at them?” Rarity asked, her tone completely devoid of emotion.

“Well, duh!” Pinkie Pie said, rolling her eyes. “This is a party machine, not a war machine. But look at how more festive they all look, am I right?”

“Oh, for the love of…” Trixie ran to the edge of the deck and aimed her horn. “Anyone that can use magic, fire!” She blasted a chunk of ice at a Spit Fire just at it began to reorient itself to fire at softer targets. The ice crashed against its right propeller, freezing it instantly. With only one functioning propeller, the Spit Fire flipped end over end, sending it careening into a Sky Armor. The Sky Armor managed to recover, but the Spit Fire was soon among the clouds below.

Following Trixie’s example, the magic users unloaded on the rest of the squadron. Spike and Applejack compensated for a lack of magic with aurabolts and breath attacks. Soon, the sky above the airship became a spectacular fireworks show as both Empire and Returners traded shots. A war of attrition commenced, the IAF throwing everything they had against Shining Armor’s shield while the Returners whittled down their numbers.

“Just a little longer!” Pinkie Pie called over the din of battle. “We’re almost to the island!”

“Good, because I’m not sure how much longer I can last!” Shining Armor yelled back.

An impact underneath the ship sent the Returners tumbling to the deck. Luckily, Shining Armor maintained his shield, but the attack on the remaining IAF faltered, allowing the Empire to fire with impunity. The ponies hastily got back to their hooves but another impact sent them back down.

“Rainbow Dash!” Trixie screamed at the top of her lungs. “Take care of whatever’s hitting us!”

A rainbow blur shot down from above, zipping under the hull faster than the eye could blink.

Seconds later, she popped back up. “Uh, there’s something… curious down there…”

The others didn’t have to wait long to learn what she meant by that cryptic statement. The sound of buzzing wings, like that of a bee, could be heard rising in pitch. With no fanfare, a creature with the bottom of a hornet, and body of a bear rose up and roared at the Returners. Coiled around it was a purple sea serpent with half a missing mustache.

“YOU!” the serpent and Applejack exclaimed at once.

The serpent gave a hiss. “I should have known my new home would be destroyed by you.”

“What are you talking about?” Applejack said, throwing up her hooves. “Why are you even here?”

“That!” The serpent pointed a claw towards the Floating Island. “I was resting peacefully and then it just rises out of the water. I barely made it out alive. This bugbear helped me escape. Now my friend and I are going to make sure none of you make it out alive!”

“Okay…” Rainbow Dash drawled, eyeing the new duo with a cocked eyebrow. “AJ, I don’t know what’s up with this guy, but is it okay for me to start wailing on him?”

Applejack gestured lazily at the serpent. “Be my guest.”

With no further prompting, Rainbow Dash drew Thunder Blade and charged. She slashed at the pair but the bugbear deftly dodged out of the way. The serpent lashed out with its long tail, forcing Rainbow Dash to fall back. The bugbear moved in while the pegasus was off kilter, ready to plunge its stinger through her chest. A stream of fire brought it up short and a follow up gust of wind nearly made it drop the serpent.

Orienting itself to face the threats coming from the airship, the bugbear roared and dove down. It dropped the serpent onto the deck, allowing it to swipe freely with its claws at anything that moved. The Returners split apart, some surrounding the serpent and the others firing at the bugbear.

“You should have stayed out of this,” Applejack said as she delivered a punishing array of kicks to the serpent’s scaly body.

The serpent retaliated by sweeping the earth pony’s legs with its tail, but Applejack nimbly twisted herself away. “I wanted to stay out of this, but you blasted ponies won’t leave me alone!” He lunged at her with snapping jaws, narrowly missing biting Applejack in half.

“It’s not our fault!” Twilight pleaded, even as she rolled out of the way of a claw swipe.

The serpent didn’t bother answering, instead slithering from one pony to the next, trying to lay a decisive blow.

Meanwhile, the bugbear attacked seemingly at random, its movements sporadic, causing many attacks aimed at it to miss. Rarity stifled a curse as her barrage of needles zipped past the bugbear’s wing and nearly tagging Rainbow Dash by mistake. “Sorry, darling! Oh, this brute has the most outlandish colors. They clash in all the wrong ways.”

“Stop commenting on its looks and just kill it already!” Rainbow Dash hollered down to her. She flipped and came at the creature head-on. It saw her coming and growled in challenge. Rearing back, Rainbow Dash slashed hard with Thunder Blade, scoring a direct hit against the abdomen of the bugbear. The beast roared in pain and withdrew to the space outside the deck.

The serpent broke off its own attack and slithered up to it. “Let’s stop fooling around and take care of them.”

The bugbear seemed to understand and picked up the serpent. It then began to spin, using the serpent's weight to build momentum. The Returners watch on, preparing for whatever the monsters planned. They didn’t have to wait long as the winds picked up around the spinning duo. With surprising accuracy and agility, the pair spun towards the deck like a demonic top, whipping tornado strength winds at the Returners.

Fire, ice, wind, and electricity blasted towards the manufactured whirlwind but the power behind the gusts proved stronger. All attacks sent towards the creatures deflected elsewhere, leaving the pair unharmed. The bugbear and serpent ripped their way past, faster than anyone could react. A cry of surprise and dismay were all the ponies could get out before, one by one, they were flung off the sides of the airship.

In Which The World Changes Part 2

Ifrit swooped down on an unsuspecting Spit Fire, using his bare claws to skewer the pony piloting it. He lifted the punctured and bloodied corpse from the cockpit and dumped it over the side. Without its pilot, the Spit Fire began a free fall to the ground. Ifrit took off, not bothering with watching its descent.

He didn’t have to go far to find more enemies to kill. The IAF filled the skies around the Floating Island like locusts, an unrelenting swarm of mechanical death machines. Sneering, Ifrit covered his arms in flames, ready to take on the whole Empire if need be. He’d show them what he thought of ponies stealing his kind’s power and thinking they could wield it as their own.

Spotting Zone Seeker fending off a half-dozen IAF, Ifrit flew at top speed. So intent was he to get to his fellow Esper, he missed the formation of IAF converging on his position and the ice field that formed between them.

The next thing he knew was the pain of soul piercing, absolute cold that enveloped his body, then the sensation of falling.

.o.O.o.

Rainbow Dash considered herself a loyal pony to those she cared about. Loyal to a fault if Trixie were around to comment. She’d do anything within her power for her friends and then go even further.

Which is why choosing whom to save from a miles high fall caused her to scream in frustration.

There was no time to think; only act. Swerving to the nearest flailing body, Rainbow Dash scooped up Sweetie Belle and tightly held her to her body. A quick barrel roll brought her in arm’s distance of Zecora who reached out and grabbed hold. Rainbow Dash beat her wings furiously to maintain altitude, catching sight of Derpy and Fluttershy doing their part to save as many friends as possible. Stealing a glance up, Rainbow Dash fought back the urge to groan. The airship was too far above to fly to with this much weight, but looking down, the Floating Island was much closer. With no better options, Rainbow Dash spread her wings and began a slow glide down.

The trio had only been drifting for a few minutes when a large, dark shape propelled itself from behind a cloud bank. It was much larger than any of the Sky Armors or Spit Fires that had assaulted them. Its front end sported a grinning face with razor sharp teeth, while the rest contained a series of panels, protrusions, and moving parts that Rainbow Dash could only guess as to their functions; two smaller pods were attached to its sides, complete with their own psychotic smiling faces. All Rainbow Dash could do was gape as the metal battleship that looked to be a cross between a shark and a plane glided her way.

“Well, well, Flam, it seems we found our first target,” came a stallion's voice over a speaker system.

“Seems that way, Flim,” another stallion’s voice responded.

If Rainbow Dash wasn’t putting all her effort into keeping Sweetie Belle and Zecora from falling, she would have rolled her eyes. Luckily, Zecora had the luxury.

“You two had better run, or you’ll be scrap when I am done!” the zebra shouted at the approaching ship.

“Well, would you look at that!” Flam said. “None other than General Zecora herself.”

“The Emperor will reward us handsomely when we take her out,” Flim replied. “With this Air Force unit, that’ll be a cinch!” The craft’s smiling faces seemed to sneer a little wider as the whir of weapons powering up could be heard. “Laser Gun, fire!” The left mounted pod blasted a white hot beam out of its mouth, straight at the helpless trio.

Rainbow Dash strained to move out of the way, but all for naught as the beam reached them in nanoseconds.

Plenty of time for Zecora to grab hold of her sword with her teeth and flip it to intercept the attack. Zecora’s crystallized blade reflected the beam away. With a flick of her tail, Zecora redirected her sword on its way down to smartly resheath it.

Rainbow Dash swore she saw the smiles of the Air Force droop.

“That’s preposterous!” Flim yelled.

“Never fear, she won’t be able to block these,” Flam said. “Missile Bay, fire!” The rightmost pod’s mouth let loose three rockets that streaked for Rainbow Dash and her companions.

“Quick, do that trick again!” Rainbow Dash managed to get out.

Zecora shook her head. “I could get one, but with three we are done!”

“I got it!” came a squeaky voice. Rainbow Dash blinked, forgetting in the stress of the moment that Sweetie Belle was right beside her. A spark of magic came from her horn and a yellow sphere surrounded them. No sooner had it materialized than the rockets impacted.

“Got ‘em!” both brothers cheered. They pressed forward on their view screen, waiting for the smoke to clear from the explosions to see three vaporized equines.

Three equines did appear, only a little soot covered and definitely not vaporized.

“What is with these blasted ponies and their immunity to death?!” Flam said.

“Get closer!” Flim replied. “We’ll hit them with everything we’ve got!” The Air Force dipped down, picking up speed at a much faster rate than Rainbow Dash could.

Gasping, Rainbow Dash resisted the urge to wipe her brow and looked down. The Floating Island was only a few dozen hooves away now. A few seconds more and she could drop off Zecora and Sweetie Belle and properly fight off the twins. Tilting her head back up, it quickly became clear she wasn’t going to get those seconds.

The Air Force descended faster, seemingly ready to just ram the ponies. Weapon ports opened up all over the ship, each pointing at the equines with deadly intent. Both side pods began to hum—

A glowing form impacted against the side of the ship, sending it off course and its weapons shooting at nothing but air.

“Don’t you dare hurt them!” Twilight Sparkle roared, her flaming esper form pushing against a machine many times her size. “Spike!”

“On it!” Riding on her back, Spike jabbed with his spear, skewering the left pod clean through.

“We lost the Laser Gun!” Flim cried.

Flam wasted no time. “Quick, deploy the Speck!”

A panel at the tip of the Air Force’s nose slid open and a golden ball popped out. It floated next to the craft, a low whine coming from it.

Twilight jerked away from the Air Force as though stung. “Oh, I… I’m not feeling so good.”

“Ha! Your magic won’t work now!” Flam said. “Quick, fire on them now.” The Air Force began to turn, unleashing its weapons on Twilight and Spike.

Twilight backed away, casting fire spells to cover her retreat, but all of them fizzled out, leaving her completely exposed. A last minute wind breath from Spike diverted the missiles heading their way, but another volley quickly replaced them. Twilight swerved and dived while Spike swatted at any projectiles that slipped through, though both began to huff and puff from the constant exertion.

“That’s it, keep up the pressure!” came Flam’s voice.

“We’re sure to hit them at some point,” Flim said. “Shoot again!”

The Air Force lined up its right pod, locking onto its target. The Missile Bay’s mouth glowed as it prepared the largest volley yet.

“Now!” both brothers hollered.

A split second before firing, the pod rocked from a hard impact, dislodging it from the main craft. Before falling, it unloaded its payload right into the side of the Air Force. Explosions and shrapnel tore through the steel plating, exposing wires, magic tubes, and two very surprised pilots.

Rainbow Dash, sans two passengers and wielding Thunder Blade, somersaulted backwards after making her surprise attack. “There! See how you like it!” She squawked in shock as the Air Force pivoted towards her despite the massive damage done to it. Smoke and sparks leaked from its gaping holes but it remained flying.

“Why can’t you just let us win for once?!” Flim shouted at her. “Brother, is the Wave Cannon still online?”

“Yes…” Flam answered hesitantly. “But if we fire it, we won’t have enough power to—”

“Just do it!”

The remaining face of the Air Force began to move, opening its grinning mouth wide and revealing a large metal barrel. The last warning that Rainbow Dash received was an intense white glow and then her world becoming a searing flash of heat.

.o.O.o.

Twilight Sparkle didn’t have time to think. She acted. She dove down as fast as her blazing wings could take her with Spike hanging onto her flaming mane for dear life. Never before was he more thankful that his dragon scales protected him from high temperatures, otherwise anypony else would be a drifting wisp of ash by now. With his eyes clenched to avoid seeing the spinning ground below, he missed Twilight’s plan of action.

That plan: switch back to a normal pony and collide with Rainbow Dash just before the Air Force’s final attack could connect. All went according to plan. Then the wave of heat from the Air Force’s Wave Cannon clipped them, sending both ponies and tiny dragon into a free fall. Twilight Sparkle, moments before blacking out, contented herself with the fact that at least one of her plans worked successfully. She just needed to work on the follow up.

.o.O.o.

“Oh, dear, he’s not getting up.”

“Don’t bother with him. Just let him be. Or better yet, wait until he dies so we can use his magicite.”

“That’s a terrible thing to say! You should be ashamed.”

“Bah. That’s nothing compared to the terrible things he’s done.”

“And what things did he do?”

“He killed my niece and razed Vectorlot.”

“Oh. Yes, those are pretty bad.”

“Then let’s be on our way.”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said no. Nothing will change between ponies and espers if we continue with this terrible hatred for each other.”

“Then what are you suggesting?”

“A little kindness and a lot of understanding.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I am.”

Ifrit heard the voices but could do little else. His body wasn’t responding to his commands. He couldn’t even tell if the voices were real or made up in his head. All he could do was listen and wait.

The sound like ruffling feathers reached his ears and then the unmistakable sensation of magic being cast. Seconds later he felt a wash of relief flow over his body. His muscles twitched and he found he could clench his hand. A low, agonizing moan came from his mouth as his entire being remembered the icy pain he had experienced. Another wave of magic flowed over him, relieving him further. Now his body began to respond and he tentatively opened his eyes.

Two beige blurs met his gaze. The closest blur seemed to expand outward and the familiar and welcoming feeling of healing magic enveloped him again. The process continued for a few more minutes, with each casting allowing Ifrit more control. At last, he managed to prop himself up into a sitting position and take stock of his surroundings.

The landscape was unlike anything he had ever seen. The ground, plants, and hills no longer had the pleasant earthen tones and lush vegetation that were so common in the pony world. Instead, grotesque and pale flesh covered everything. Concentrating on one spot, he could even see parts of the land move, as though it had a pulse. The entire area appeared to be one large, living organism.

Ifrit tore his attention away from the unpleasant sight to the two blurs from before. Now he could see them as two ponies, a pegasus mare and a earth pony stallion. The mare was panting, her wings drooping to the ground. The stallion stood further away, looking ready to bolt at any second.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Ifrit said, “Who are you?”

The mare took her time to find her own breath before answering. “Fluttershy.” She gestured a hoof towards the stallion. “That’s Doctor Whooves.”

“Why did you heal me?”

Fluttershy dropped her gaze and scuffed a hoof against the ground. “Um, well, you didn’t look very good, so, um, I thought it would help.”

“But why?”

Biting her lower lip, Fluttershy looked up at the esper. “Because it was the right thing to do.”

Both Ifrit and Doctor Whooves scoffed.

Fluttershy pressed on. “I mean it. I haven’t been with the Returners for very long but I’ve seen enough to know that we can’t be mad at each other. We have to put our differences aside if we’re going to make a difference.” She swept of hoof over the writhing landscape. “Just look. This place is completely unnatural. If we don’t want this to happen to the rest of the world we have to work together.”

Ifrit stifled a groan as a flash of icy pain stabbed at this chest. Ignoring it, he said, “Just where are we?”

“We fell onto that island that rose from the sea.”

Blinking, Ifrit quickly rose to his feet. A wave of nausea overwhelmed him and he collapsed back down.

Fluttershy was at his side in an instant. “Oh, please, you shouldn’t be moving. Just rest a bit. I should be able to use more healing in a moment.”

“No, that won’t be necessary.” Ifrit placed a clawed hand on the spongy ground and forced his way to a kneeling position. “Leave me be.”

“But you’re still hurt. When I came down I saw monsters crawling all over the place. You won’t make it far.”

“I don’t need your—”

“Yes you do!”

Ifrit and Doctor Whooves recoiled from the sudden shout. Looking up, Ifrit saw the timid pony from before replaced by a steely eyed mare. Fluttershy marched up to him and jabbed a hoof against his chest. “Didn’t you hear anything I said? We need to stop this bickering with each other if we’re going to get anything done. We had a chance to work together back in Thamaresa and now look at what’s happened. Things will only get worse if ponies and espers don’t settle this feud that’s been going on for who knows how long.” She stepped back, her eyes softening but an undercurrent of steel remained. “Now, I am going to heal you some more and then you, Doctor Whooves, and I are going to see if there’s anyone else that needs our help. Once all of our friends are together, we’ll put a stop to whatever’s happening here.”

She whirled around, fixing Doctor Whooves with her stare next. The stallion wilted immediately. “As for you, I am very sorry for what happened to your niece. I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose a loved one. I’m not asking you to suddenly like all espers but you will cooperate with them. Is that clear?”

Doctor Whooves gulped. “Yes ma’am.”

“Good. Now, no more arguing. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover so let’s get going.” She spread her wings out as far as they could go. The magic of Seraphim once again spread out of her and into Ifrit’s body. At last, the large, red esper felt well enough to stand on his clawed feet and did so without hesitation.

Ifrit stared down at the pony, a creature so small he could step on her and barely notice. His mouth became a thin line as a range of emotions contorted his face. Snorting, he stomped away from Fluttershy, saying over his shoulder, “We head towards the strongest magic source. That should be where the statues are. I’m sure your friends will be heading that way too.”

Nodding, Fluttershy followed, ushering Doctor Whooves to do the same. The stallion fell in line, his own muzzle warped by conflicting thoughts. The three creatures made their way through the twisted landscape, towards the center of the island.

.o.O.o.

Trixie had to admit that the past few days really sucked. Defecting to the Returners felt like a lifetime ago, especially with all that had happened since then. Not that she would admit this to anypony else, but she could at least be honest with herself.

Small comfort when dealing with an angry behemoth looking to make her tiny pony body an afternoon snack. The large, horned purple beast slashed down in an attempt to skewer her with its dagger sized claws. Trixie countered with a wave of ice from Blizzard that encased the claw before it could reach her. She then dove out of the way, allowing the claw to shatter against the fleshy land the Floating Island had become. The behemoth howled in pain but swiftly ignored its injury to send a baleful glare at the unicorn, promising that it was far out of the fight.

The behemoth’s attention on Trixie cost it as two figures above swirled over its head, a storm cloud forming between them that was so dark, it appeared black. Seconds later a lightning bolt erupted from the cloud and arced towards the highest point: the behemoth’s horns. The electrical blast struck true, sending an unknown but deadly amount of volts through its brain. The monster shuddered once, letting out a low whine before collapsing in a heap, remaining still.

Derpy Hooves and Scootaloo landed moments later, wide grins over their muzzles. “That worked great!” Scootaloo said with a flutter of her wings. She looked towards a bulge in the ground that may have once been a boulder and called out, “Hey, Spotter! It worked!”

Spotter peeked out from behind the bulge, confirming that the scary monster lay dead. He scampered over with a matching smile. “See, I told you!” He raised a hoof, both Derpy and Scootaloo taking turns to bump it.

A throat clearing alerted them to the only pony not celebrating. “In case any of you have forgotten, it was Trixie that put her hide on the line for you to pull off that stunt. Where would you be without me around?”

“Hey, you were cool, too!” Scootaloo cheered, holding up her own hoof towards Trixie.

The ex-general gave a half lidded stare, sighed, and lightly tapped the offered hoof with her own. “Thanks, I guess.”

Giggling, Derpy made to give her own hoof bump, but stiffened and raised her ears. The action didn’t go unnoticed, everypony tensing. “I hear something coming. Over there!” She thrust of hoof down a path the four ponies had been following before the behemoth had attacked them. Distantly at first, the sound of galloping could be heard getting closer. Magic and weapons were readied for whatever appeared.

The group relaxed as Applejack turned a bend, spotted them, and rushed over. “There you are! I saw you up in the sky and ran over here as fast as I could.” Her gaze drifted over to the behemoth carcass and raised an eyebrow. “Whoa nelly, guess not fast enough.”

“Applejack, did you see Sweetie Belle or Apple Bloom anywhere?” Scootaloo asked with hopeful eyes.

Applejack closed her eyes and shook her head. “Nope. You guys are the first I’ve found. So we better head out and see if we can find the rest.”

“But where too? This whole place is a giant maze.”

Giving a nod towards Derpy, Applejack said, “Think you can fly up a ways and check to see if there’s a path?”

Derpy frowned and shrugged. “I can try, but there are a lot of flying monsters around here too. My magic wasn’t very good against some of them, either.”

“Stay low then and get down to us if ya run into any trouble.”

“Roger!” With a crisp salute, Derpy flew up until she was a dozen hooves into the air. She gave a quick scan of the area, motioning with her hooves to follow as she glided westward. The ponies on the ground galloped after her, traveling deeper into the depths of the Floating Island.

.o.O.o.

“I don’t think we’re in Fillygaro anymore, Big Mac.”

“Eeyup.”

Apple Bloom cringed as she walked, facing away from her brother. “Not that I even remember much of Fillygaro.”

Slowing his pace, Big Macintosh reached over and patted her on the head. “You and me both.”

“Um, if we get out of here alive, could you show me how you did that glider thing that got us down here? That was really neat.”

“Eeyup. But only if ya whip up a batch of that tonic you came up with.”

That put a smile on Apple Bloom’s muzzle. “Sure thing! It’ll be the best tasting tonic you’ve ever had.”

Several hooves behind them, Shining Armor heaved a deep sigh.

Rarity, tearing her gaze from the adorable bonding happening ahead of her, looked up at the stallion. “Dear, what is it?”

Shining Armor started, his eyes refocusing. “Oh, did I do that out loud?”

“You certainly did. I think every monster in the vicinity heard it.” Rarity’s tone softened. “It’s about Spotter, isn’t it? I’m sure he’s fine. I think I saw Derpy pick him up shortly after we fell off the airship.”

“It’s… not just that. I am worried about him but he’s a tough little guy. Heh, who better to watch over him in this wild place than a pony raised in a wild place?”

Rarity smirked and nodded. “Very true. What’s bothering you then?”

Shining Armor inclined his head towards the siblings still talking ahead of them. “Guess I’m a little melancholy is all. Those two get to be together again after all their years apart, but I’ll… I’ll never get to see my wife again.”

The two walked in silence for a time. After a few minutes, Rarity said, “I don’t think that’s true. If what we learned of the Phantom Train is correct, you’ll be with your wife eventually.” She gave him a pointed look. “But, you still have plenty to live for until then. Spotter, rebuilding your kingdom, training the next generation of knights. I only saw your wife that one time, but I think she would rest easier knowing you lived to the fullest before joining her.”

“Oh believe me, that is true,” Shining Armor replied. He walked a little straighter, regaining some of his warrior bearing. “I’m going to do all of that and more until this body of mine gives out.

“Apologies. It still stings a little. Fighting against the Empire has helped.”

Rarity gave a dainty little giggle. “Darling, no need to apologize. I have my own family too, you know. I’m hoping after all this unpleasantness is over with, Sweetie Belle and I can finally live a more normal life.”

Movement from up ahead caught her attention. Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom retreated back, the four ponies forming up. A trio of apokryphos jumped down from a higher platform and barred their path. The manticore like creatures roared and charged.

Shining Armor levitated out his sword and held it at the ready. “Well, duty calls once again.”

.o.O.o.

“It’s turning out to be one of those days.”

Sweetie Belle looked up, frowning at how slow and deliberate Rainbow Dash’s pace was compared to hers and Zecora’s. The young unicorn hadn’t known Rainbow Dash for all that long, but even she could tell that the pegasus’ normally energetic and carefree gate was severely lacking. She had cast as many healing spells as she could without passing out and even then Rainbow Dash came across as a limping old mare. Swallowing, Sweetie Belle turned her attention to the other pony in dire straits.

Twilight Sparkle succeeded in saving her friend from the Air Force’s final attack. In the process, she’d come off the worst for it. Now unconscious and being carried on Zecora’s back, most of the hair on Twilight’s flank was gone, having been burned off. Her once flowing tail was now just a few bent and burnt twigs. The rest of her body looked as though she had been out in the sun too long, her brilliant lavender coat now a dull red. It was a miracle she was still alive.

Marching at the front, spear held at the ready, Spike didn’t have a single scratch on him. The little dragon hadn’t said a word for over half an hour now, content with leading the way and finding those responsible for harming his charge. Zecora had consoled that him laying on Twilight’s back had possibly been the reason she was even alive at all. If anything, that seemed to make Spike even more withdrawn.

Sweetie Belle bit her lip, a question at the tip of her tongue. Sighing, she went for it and said, “Um, do we know where we’re going?”

No response came from Spike. Instead, Zecora looked back, giving an encouraging smile. “Do not worry so much on where we go. This twisted land changes so it is best to go with the flow.”

“You mean, like, this island is taking us where we need to go?”

Zecora nodded. “Strange, is it not? I have a feeling other forces are at work beyond our lot.”

“Think it could be the statues?” Rainbow Dash asked. Even as she finish, a portion of the Floating Island broke off nearby and plummeted to the ground. Rainbow Dash gulped and willed herself to trot faster.

“My knowledge of them is limited, so it is hard to say. All I can do now is follow my instincts and come what may.”

“I hope the others are okay,” Sweetie Belle said, her voice perking up now that the others were talking.

Rainbow Dash slowed and patted Sweetie Belle on the head. “Well, guess I’ll just pull a Zecora and say my gut tells me they made it here alright.” A screech of a far away monster reached them, causing the ponies to tense. “Just hope we can survive this place now.”

The group traveled in silence once again, keeping aware of anything that so much as looked at them wrong. With one pony out of commission and the other barely keeping herself up, fighting monsters was low on their priority list. Their vigilance paid off as something large and heavy crashed through the brush, heading straight for them. Spike and Rainbow Dash readied themselves, but gaped and fell back as a copper, scaled claw ripped its way through a fleshy protrusion sticking up from the ground. The rest of the body followed, revealing a bronze dragon. It was similar in shape to the Red Dragon but half the size; still large enough to bite through a pony in one chomp.

“I say, away from the fray!” Zecora yelled. She dropped down and gently let Twilight slide off her back. The next instant, her sword was drawn. Rainbow Dash and Spike rushed to the zebra’s side, making sure to put themselves between the dragon and Twilight.

Zecora gave a battle cry in zebrican and dashed forward. The dragon swiped at her, but Zecora hopped over the attack, used the extended arm as a launching pad, and lept over the dragon’s head. She twirled her sword and then all the others could see was a red wall of power. The wall flashed, forcing them to cover their eyes. Once they were able to see, Zecora stood at ease, watching as the dragon hissed in pain as it limped away. Nodding in satisfaction, Zecora turned back to her companions. “Let it flee. It is no longer a danger to you or me.”

Rainbow Dash became so slack-jawed that she dropped her sword. She shook her head and blinked. “Wow, am I glad you’re on our side now.”

“Seriously,” Spike said. He watched as the retreating dragon disappeared over a hill. “I’m beginning to wonder if my tribe are the only dragons who aren’t jerks.”

“Do not fret, there may be dragons of good in the world that you haven’t met.” Zecora bent down and draped Twilight back over her shoulder. Twilight gave a low moan but otherwise remained still. “Let’s be on our way. More unpleasant things will come if we stay.”

Nodding, Rainbow Dash sheathed her sword and took point. “Right. Let’s go then.”

The Returners marched on, unsure what they would encounter next but determined to see this through to the end.

.o.O.o.

Emperor Blueblood gasped and stepped back, beads of sweat running down his scalp.

“Lemma guess,” Gilda drawled. “You’re not having any luck.”

“On… the contrary,” Blueblood said, taking slow, deep breaths. “I’ve almost got it figured out. Just a little more time.”

Gilda rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Yeah, but I don’t think you realize we don’t have a little more time.” She jabbed a claw into the air, directly at the mass of flying objects still battling in the sky. “While you were all tranced out, the IAF has been whittled down to almost nothing.”

“Their sacrifice will not be in vain. I almost have—”

“Do not move.”

Gilda and Blueblood blinked. A deep, dark voice from behind them said, “You imbeciles are messing with powers you do not comprehend.” From the steps leading up to the statues, Sombra trotted into view. Bahamut and Golem flanked him on his sides. “Step away from the statues. Do not make me repeat myself.”

“Or you’ll what?” Gilda shot back, lowering herself into a pounce stance.

Sombra continued forward, his eyes locked on Blueblood. “I promise that neither of you will be harmed, but you must not tamper with them.”

His lips twisting into a crooked smile, Blueblood wiped his forehead and regarded the approaching esper elder. “You must be Sombra, king of the espers. I have always wondered how our meeting would take place. How fitting it should be here, at the beginning of the new world.” He placed a hoof over Gilda and rubbed the space between her wings. “Relax, Gilda. They are nothing to us, just like the rest of their kind.”

Bahamut snarled and made to charge, but a raised hoof from Sombra halted him. The dragon lord gave a questioning look at his king but Sombra never took his gaze off of Blueblood. “This is no time for posturing. I gave you my warning and now I must act.” His blood red horn ignited with sickly dark magic, the very air around them crackling with power.

“Funny you should say that,” Blueblood said with a chuckle. “I was thinking the same thing.” His own horn glowed, the two rulers of pony and esper kind now racing to finish their spell first.

Reality itself faded away from the duo. Nothing else mattered other than the magic working within themselves. With a simple twist of his head, Sombra let loose his gathered power. A bolt of pure darkness lanced out at the pony and griffon, black crystals rising up in its wake.

It faded from existence mere inches from reaching them.

“Wha?” Sombra narrowed his eyes and fired again. The second attack fared as well as the first. “Curse you.”

“WHAT IS HAPPENING, KING SOMBRA?” Golem asked at his side.

“They are too close to the statues. My magic is being absorbed by them.”

“Yours, perhaps,” Blueblood said, his horn now as bright as the sun. “But not mine.” He aimed and fired, a magical missile striking the ground in front of Sombra.

Gilda slapped a talon to her face. “All that and you miss?”

“Just watch, Gilda. You are about to witness the true power of the ancients.” A low rumbling from the ground below followed Blueblood’s statement. The rumbling became tremors, and then the tremors became a mighty earthquake. Cracks appeared where Blueblood’s magic struck, becoming longer and wider by the second.

Sombra fell back, his normally stoic poise now etched with shock and fear. “Impossible. How could you have known? Do you know what you have done?!”

“I did my research, king of the espers,” Blueblood said over the cacophony of snapping and crumbling rock. “Now rise, ancient beast of the cosmos!”

A giant claw riddled with muscles tore its way free from the island. A second claw joined it and braced itself against the ground. More bits of the island broke away as a wide chasm formed between Sombra and Blueblood. Up rose a great head, sprouting four twisting blue horns and a gaping mouth leaking wisps of blue energy. The beast lifted itself up from the chasm, revealing a heavily muscled and flesh colored body with six legs, a long lashing tail, and gold machinery fused to its back. The monster lifted its head and roared, the entire island shaking from its sheer ferocity.

Blueblood raised himself to his hind legs, basking in the beast’s presence. “The Ultima Weapon!”

Wherein The World Changes Part 3

“This is madness!” King Sombra yelled up at the summoned monstrosity towering over him. “Return from whence you came at once!”

The Ultima Weapon gave what could only be described as an amused look. You know that is not how it works, king of the espers, came its voice. Its mouth did not move as it spoke, instead projecting its thoughts with a force of will. I was created to perform a single function; to destroy. Stop me if you can. It roared and lunged for Sombra, reaching for the esper with one of its six claws.

A giant hand formed of rocks burst from the ground and caught the claw, keeping the Ultima Weapon at bay. “KING SOMBRA, WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS THING!” Golem shouted as he readied his magic once again. His stone hand crumbled against the formidable force of the Ultima Weapon, the beast quickly bearing down on the espers.

“Fool, you have no idea what we are up against,” King Sombra said. “Do not hold back. Hit it with everything you have!”

Next to him, Bahamut grinned and spread his wings. “With pleasure.” The dragon lord flew up into the air and began raining down blue fireballs as Golem created more stone hands to keep the Ultima Weapon busy. Blast after blast impacted against the monster’s muscled hide, leaving behind small burns.

The Ultima Weapon, displaying more speed than its size would indicate, spun around and lashed out with its long tail. The appendage crashed against Bahamut’s side, forcing the esper to break off his next attack. Far from out of the fight, Bahamut rose higher and prepared more spells to unleash.

Sombra was not idle. His horn lit up and soon a dark crystal rose from the ground. A quick application of magic transformed the crystal into a black scythe. Lifting his new weapon, Sombra charged in and began hacking away at the underside of the Ultima Weapon.

A fair distance away from the fight, Blueblood and Gilda watched as creatures of unspeakable power clashed. “The hell is that thing?” Gilda asked, the feathers on her back bristling.

“A being created during the War of the Magi,” Blueblood answered, his face beaming. “It’s unknown which side made it. Regardless, it will keep anyone from interfering while I work on these statues.” Giving one last smirk towards the battle, Blueblood returned his attention back to the three constructs of magic and concentrated.

.o.O.o.

With a primal roar, the Ultima Weapon slammed a glowing claw against the ground, creating a tremor that rocked outwards for several hoof lengths. The jarring impact of tremendous strength and magical output staggered Golem, forcing the earth esper to lose control of his multiple stone hands. The opening was all the Ultima Weapon needed. It ignored the ongoing attacks from Bahamut and Sombra and lunged, catching Golem with a swipe from a sharp claw. The single attack tore through the esper like he was a toy, crumbling to pieces on the ground. Moments later, the pieces flashed, leaving behind a shard of magicite.

Sombra and Bahamut didn’t have time to mourn as the Ultima Weapon immediately swerved and launched a massive amount of magic into the area. The air reacted, winds suddenly picking up and forming a tornado. All Sombra and Bahamut could do was take cover as the twister tore through the landscape.

“This is intolerable!” Sombra shouted over the raging winds. A boulder half his size nearly crashed into him, but a quick arc of his scythe knocked it away. “We’re not going to last long at this rate.”

As the battle raged, a group of ponies crested a hill and beheld the ongoing carnage.

“I am so not getting involved in that,” Trixie said.

“Hey, look!” Spotter pointed at a hill beyond the fight. “There’s a pony and griffon up there.”

Trixie followed Spotter’s hoof and quickly picked out Blueblood and Gilda next to a trio of glowing figures. “That’s them. Kid, can you find us a path to get there without that thing down there seeing us?”

“What are you talking about?” Applejack said, entering Trixie’s field of view. “Are you seriously going to let those guys take on that… thing all by themselves?”

Trixie eyed Applejack as though she’d grown a second head. “Are you seriously saying we help them? Look!” Trixie thrust a hoof towards where the Ultima Weapon tore through a series of fireballs from Bahamut with its bare claws as though they were tissue paper. “How do you expect to help against that? Stopping Blueblood is what matters.”

Applejack shook her head and turned towards the battle. “What matters is that we keep as many ponies and espers alive so that we can get this mixed up world back on track. I don’t expect a coward like you to understand. And that’s the honest truth.” Without a look back, Applejack charged down the slope and into the fray.

“You're insane!” Trixie called after her. Movement next to her caught her attention, but it was too late as she saw both Derpy and Scootaloo rush after the earth pony. “Have you all lost your minds?!”

A frightened whine next to her brought into focus the last pony to stay behind. Whipping her head between the battle and Spotter, Trixie let out a high pitched cry before picking the young colt up in her magic and shoving him into a veiny mess that may have once been bushes. “All right, bucco. I need you to be a big boy now and stay put. Don’t come out until one of us gets you, okay?”

“Y-you’re going to leave me h-here?” Spotter said, his whole body shaking.

“Kid, do you really think I wanna go and get myself killed? Now stay here before I come to my senses.” Quickly using her magic to pile the veins over Spotter, Trixie whirled around, drew Blizzard, and ran off.

She had only taken a few steps when a bright flash and the sensation of dense magic assaulted her senses. Acting on pure instinct, Trixie raised her sword and activated her runic magic. A surge of power washed into her, filling the unicorn with more magic than she could ever remember feeling. So much so, she feared exploding from the shear intensity. Screaming at the top of her lungs, Trixie pushed back against the power, ejecting it from her body with utmost haste. A pillar of super condensed ice erupted from her horn, plowing through anything in its way.

Whether it was fate or just dumb luck, the Ultima Weapon took the attack full on.

The beast roared as an unrelenting stream of bitter cold crashed into its side. The force of Trixie’s magic toppled it end over end until it impacted against a boulder, crushing it into powder. The ice flow lasted a few more seconds before finally petering out, leaving behind a blackened spot against the Ultima Weapon’s hide.

With the power gone, Trixie wobbled on her hooves. A pair of arms wrapped around her, keeping her from falling over. Trixie leaned into the support, uncaring if it looked undignified.

“Boy, howdy, I take back everything I just said!”

Trixie groaned. Of course it would be Applejack. “Wasn’t so tough…”

“Wow, you saved my feathers back there!” came Derpy’s voice. “That thing was about to blast me but you showed him who’s boss.”

Your celebrations are premature.

The ponies gaped as the Ultima Weapon picked itself up, flakes of ice and rock cascading off its body, and began advancing on them as though nothing had happened. I do not bleed, for I am but strength given form. Feeble creatures of flesh, your time is nigh!

“Horseapples,” Applejack muttered.

A battered but unbroken pair of espers stepped up next to them, flanking them on either side. “Ponies, we will join you,” Sombra said, raising his scythe. “Should our end be this day, it will a day worth dying.”

“And the day isn’t over yet!” Derpy chirped.

“Indeed.”

United, the group rushed the approaching beast of magic.

.o.O.o.

Spotter’s body trembled, shook, and winced with every crack, every shout, and every rumble that came from the battle happening only a few short hooves away. He kept his eyes firmly shut as the mere sight of the Ultima Weapon put all his senses on edge. No other monster had ever made him feel this way.

“Daddy…” he whimpered. “Make it go away.”

Above the sound of fighting, he heard rustling from some brush nearby. His eyes popped open and he squirmed himself further into his hiding place. Movement and a flash of white crossed his vision, causing him to yelp in fright. The figure that had moved past stopped and turned, facing his direction. Now in a full panic, Spotter covered his muzzle and cried.

He felt the sensation of being lifted up by magic then being pressed and held against something warm and fuzzy.

“Son!”

Spotter didn’t have to open his eyes to know he was in the safety of his father’s hooves. He simply buried his head in Shining Armor’s chest and continued to cry.

“I hate to break up the touching reunion, but there’s a big nasty that our friends need help with,” came Rarity’s voice.

“Wait!” Spotter pried himself out of Shining Armor’s grip enough to cry out and hold out a hoof. “That-that thing is too strong! I’ve never felt anything like it.”

A roar that shook the very island came from the Ultima Weapon, followed by an intense magical discharge. Seconds later, a large black shape fell from the sky and crashed heavily against the ground. A flash and the sound of a crystal hitting the ground marked the end of another esper.

“Blast it all,” Shining Armor said, levitating Spotter behind him. The young colt caught sight of Apple Bloom helping Big Macintosh put on some type of metal backpack and gas mask. Apple Bloom stood up on her hind legs and poured a green liquid into a tank built into the backpack. Giving a nod, the two siblings headed off towards the conflict.

Shining Armor grimaced. “Spotter, you’re going to have to stay—”

“No!” Spotter yelled, waving his arms. “I don’t want to be alone again!”

“I can’t protect you while I fight.”

“Yes you can! Put one of your shields over me. Please!”

Rarity walked over and placed a hoof over Shining Armor’s back. “It might be for the best, darling. There are a lot of ponies already down there. We can attack from further away.”

“But—”

“It’s either that or we leave him here all alone and scared, with plenty of other monsters prowling around.”

Shining Armor gave Rarity a vicious glare. However, the costumed pony did not back down. Giving one last grunt of disgust, Shining Armor pointed his horn at Spotter, magic coiling around the colt. Soon, a translucent pink shield surrounded him, its see-through surface glittering in the sun. “I’m keeping you right beside me, understand?”

Spotter nodded his head rapidly.

“Good, let’s go.” Taking the lead, Shining Armor unsheathed his sword and charged, Rarity right behind him. It didn’t take long to reach the battle. Ponies surrounded the Ultima Weapon, chucking magic and weapons at the beast whenever they had an opening. The Ultima Weapon itself did not sit idle, lashing and clawing at anypony in range, its long reach making it difficult for the combatants to stay at a distance.

Sombra kept close to the monster like a lamprey, slashing at the tough hide of the Ultima Weapon. Large gashes crisscrossed the underside of the beast’s body, but no blood poured forth. Seemingly having enough of the constant nuisance, the Ultima Weapon flopped down onto the ground. Sombra managed to roll away but the immense weight impacting the ground caused him to stumble. Taking advantage, the Ultima Weapon reached forward, claws extended to run the esper king through.

A pink shield materialized in front of Sombra, taking the hit.

The Ultima Weapon hesitated at this new development. It proved to be a costly act.

Running up to the distracted monster, Big Macintosh, decked out in his new gear, shoved a metal nozzle into the Ultima Weapon’s mouth. Before the beast could react, Big Macintosh bit down on pressure lever attached to his helmet, letting loose a noxious green gas. The Ultima Weapon let out a noise between a shriek and a gasp and stumbled back into a coughing fit.

“What witchcraft is this?” Sombra asked as he stood back up.

“Somethin’ my little sis cooked up,” Big Macintosh said. “I wouldn’t breathe it in if I were you.”

“Indeed, but we’re not making much progress. If a few of you could get to the statues while the rest hold this thing off, we could end this quickly.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the Ultima Weapon gave a guttural roar that expelled a cloud of green toxin. Quickly following up, its claws glowed with magic before discharging into the ground. Seconds later, the island shook from the force of a massive Quake spell. Anypony without wings toppled over and large fissures began to form all around them. Once it was over, the landscape had changed, including the collapse of the path leading up to where the statues lay.

Sombra sneered and once again regained his footing. “This is intolerable.”

The Ultima Weapon itself surveyed the carnage, snorting out a puff of green mist from its nostrils. The ponies around it were recovering, but slowly. Your pathetic attempts to stop me are worthless. Were I designed to feel emotions, I would be… amused.

“You stupid automaton!” Sombra shouted up at the creature. “Are you not aware that this very world is in danger and could end at any moment?”

If that is how fate decrees it, then it shall be so. Until that time, I have a role to fulfill. The horns on its head glowed, kicking up a wind that pulled in the poisonous vapor left over from Big Macintosh’s device. It swept its head, creating another wind that spread the noxious gas across the battlefield. Immediately, the Returners began to hack and cough, many falling to the ground entirely. Such fragile beings. Is this all that it takes to defeat you?

A wave of purple washed over the fallen ponies. Within seconds, the retching and sickly green faces cleared. Another ripple of magic passed through them, this time green, and the numerous wounds from the fight closed up. The Returners, given a second wind, regrouped and readied themselves for the next round.

A single pegasus descended from above, a scowl on her face. “That wasn’t very nice,” Fluttershy said.

The Ultima Weapon snorted, one of its claws idly crushing a rock into powder. You only delay the inevitable, my little pony. It raised its head and roared, following up by charging at the ponies.

.o.O.o.

“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it,” Doctor Whooves said, his vision tracking every movement of the massive beast the Returners fought against. “The Ultima Weapon. It actually exists. Incredible.” He inclined his head to glance sideways up at Ifrit. “You say I’m mad for my creations, but what do you have to say about… that.”

He trailed off as he discovered that his reluctant companion of the past hour was gone.

Movement from above caught his eye, pulling his attention away from the missing esper. A prismatic flash of color allowed him to quickly deduce who had entered the fight.

.o.O.o.

“You are one ugly motherbucker!” Rainbow Dash cried out as she flew past the Ultima Weapon, lashing with Thunder Blade as she went. The Ultima Weapon took a swipe at her, but she darted out of the way and landed next to Applejack. “What’s the plan?”

“I wish I knew, Dash,” Applejack said, keeping her eyes on the enemy the whole time. “No matter what we throw at it, this varmint just won’t go down. I’ve pummeled it enough times to level my whole orchard—”

Without warning, the Ultima Weapon twisted around, reared, and lunged for Sombra. Full Power! The full weight and power of the beast came down on the esper king before he could react. A pink shield from Shining Armor flashed into existence seconds before it connected.

The shield shattered like glass.

The island shook as the attack landed, the Ultima Weapon’s claw creating a deep crater from the impact. A burst of light flared from underneath its claw, then everything went silent. The Ultima Weapon stepped away, revealing a cracked magicite crystal.

The sight left the Returners staring in awe and horror. Nopony dared move even as the Ultima Weapon turned towards the latest arrivals, Twilight, Spike, and Zecora. It advanced, its form glowing in preparation for another attack.

“You… you monster!” Rarity shrieked. Casting all sense of decorum aside, she charged the beast, glowing needles at the ready. The act served to break the Returners out of their shocked state, galvanizing them to raise their weapons and fight as one. The Ultima Weapon met them head on and the battle resumed.

Zecora carefully placed Twilight down on the ground, drew her sword and joined the fray. Spike drew his spear and stood over Twilight protectively, ready to lash out at anything that came their way.

“Spike…” came Twilight’s soft voice. “Spike, help me get over there.”

Without taking his eyes off the action, he replied, “You’re not in any shape to be fighting that thing.”

“No, Spike. I mean over there.” Spike glanced back to see Twilight pointing a hoof towards the crater the Ultima Weapon left. “I… I need to get there. Please.”

Spike let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re the most difficult and frustrating student I’ve ever had.”

Twilight’s lips quirked into a smile. “I’m the only student you’ve ever had.”

“Exactly!” Giving another sigh, Spike blew out a gentle wind that surrounded Twilight’s body. Ever so carefully, the wind picked her up off the ground. Spike placed a claw against her side and gave a little push, Twilight drifting away like a balloon. The little dragon continued to guide her towards the impact crater, mindful of the fight close by. They reached the indent without incident and Spike led the two down the cragged slope. When they made it to the bottom, Spike slowly sucked in the wind holding up Twilight, allowing the unicorn to descend without hurting her further.

Gingerly, Twilight stretched out a hoof and touched the magicite that had once been the esper king. Red and green mist leaked out of the deep cracks covering the crystal, the steady stream getting lighter and lighter as the seconds passed. Twilight twitched as a small pulse of magic entered her hoof.

Twilight… Sparkle… the weak voice of Sombra said within her head. I… don’t have much time. We espers thought… if we hid ourselves… we could avoid another… War of the Magi. It’s not too late. You, who are… half pony, half… esper… can accomplish what I… could not. Please, make it so… that ponies and espers… can live together without fear… or envy. Please…

A final wisp of mist sputtered out of the magicite. The crystal quickly faded from a bright green rock with a red core into a dull grey stone.

Twilight sniffed and wiped at her damp eyes. Cradling the empty husk of magicite to her chest, she wept silent tears.

.o.O.o.

You insects do not know when to die, the Ultima Weapon projected.

Scootaloo buzzed her wings, sending a bolt of lightning into the creature’s side. “Same to you, creep!”

From somewhere on the Ultima Weapon’s body, a grinding sound, like gears turning, could be heard. This ends now. The grinding became faster and louder, transcending into a constant whirring. The Ultima Weapon remained still, the entire beast pulsing with a yellow glow.

Only a few hooves away, Spotter’s eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. He shut his eyes tight and grabbed his horn, moaning.

This did not go unnoticed by Shining Armor. “Buddy, what’s wrong? What’s happening?”

“It… it’s too powerful,” Spotter said through gritted teeth. “I can’t… stand it.” Without warning, Spotter’s eyelids flew open, revealing solid white eyes. “It’s coming! Flare Star! It’s going to destroy us all!”

Indeed, the Ultima Weapon said telepathically. The outcome was never in doubt. Die.

Nearby, Trixie stepped away, her ears folded back. “I… I can feel it too. I can’t runic something that big.”

“Hit it with everything you got!” Rainbow Dash called out, rushing in and putting action to words. Anypony still standing did the same, hacking away with their weapons.

Rarity summoned a trio of magic needles and charged with everypony else. She didn’t make it far before the large form of Big Macintosh blocked her way. “Miss Rarity, how good is your aim?”

“What?” Rarity shook her head and made to go around the stallion but Big Macintosh stepped in her path once again. “Move, you big oaf! We don’t have time to dawdle!”

“I know, that’s why I need your help to stop it.”

Behind Big Macintosh, the Ultima Weapon took on a constant glow that grew brighter by the second. The high pitch whine was only drowned out by the cacophony of machinery coming from somewhere on the beast. The Ultima Weapon ignored the Returners attacking it, remaining still as it continued to charge its attack.

“What do you have in mind?” Rarity said quickly, her eyes darting between Big Macintosh and the Ultima Weapon.

“You can hear it, can’t you? There’s something mechanical moving on that thing. I haven’t heard anything like it since we started fighting it. It may be the key to stopping it.”

“All right, but what do you want me to do? I know nothing about machines.”

In response, Big Macintosh put down a metal disk the width of a pony. “Step on this,” he said, pointing a hoof at the device. “It’ll launch you into the air. I think what we are looking for is in that armor on its back. Find an opening and use your magic to take it out.”

Rarity eyed the disk dubiously. “You think that will work?”

The mechanic shrugged. “Worth a shot.”

“Well, then I guess we better get to it.” Taking a breath, Rarity placed all four hooves onto the disk. “Um, didn’t you say this would lauuuuunnnnnch!”

Suddenly finding herself way up into the air thanks to the spring loaded platform, Rarity could see the entire battlefield laid out before her. The Returners piled on the attacks against a stoic, but steadily growing brighter, Ultima Weapon. With only moments to spare before she descended, the masked vigilante forced herself to calm and focus. Setting her sight squarely on the golden plating attached to the beast’s back, she could just make out a series of gears whirring together near the base of the Ultima Weapon’s tail. Ignoring the grotesque fusion of flesh and machine, Rarity summoned three blue needles next to her head. She reached the apex of her launch and began to fall back to earth.

She fired off one of the needles. It ricocheted off the golden armor, an inch away from her target.

Rarity waited for her fall to bring her closer. She let loose a second needle. It passed through the small opening and Rarity felt her heart soar.

Only to despair when the needle clipped against one of the gears and was sent flying away.

With one needle left and no time to magic up more, Rarity let out a breath. From the corner of her eye, she could just make out Sweetie Belle and her friends flinging magic with the rest in a desperate attempt to stop the Ultima Weapon from finishing its spell. The thought of missing, of failing with this final gambit, her sister and everypony else dying as a result, flashed through her mind.

She shot off the final needle.

Rarity couldn’t tell if she hit her mark or not. She passed by the Ultima Weapon, closed her eyes, and waited for the ground to claim her.

Several things happened at once. An explosion went off somewhere above her, the temperature spiking to unbearable degrees. She felt an impact and the sensation of fast movement, followed by the rush of air. Finally, a roar that could only be described as unearthly rocked her very core.

“Whoa, hang tight!” came a voice next to her ear.

Rarity popped her eyes open just in time to see a tangle of vines fill her vision seconds before she crashed into them.

Truthfully, it didn’t hurt as much as she feared.

Minutes passed as Rarity collected her bearings. She was still alive. Hopelessly tangled within veiny vines, but alive. Groaning, she fought to free herself but couldn’t get any leverage to move upright. Then, she heard annoyed mewling and stopped struggling. “Oh, Opal darling, could you be a dear and get me out?”

Opalescence crawled out of her space from behind Rarity’s cape and clambered up next to her owner’s head. The white cat sat on Rarity’s shoulder and licked her paw.

“I promise I’ll get you the finest tuna for dinner tonight.”

That seemed to be enough as Opalescence began clawing and gnawing her way through the vines.

Now that her means of escape was secured, Rarity glanced around and spotted a multicolored tail wiggling and whipping about as its owner tried to free herself from her own viney confines.

“Tuna for the rest of the week to help Rainbow Dash as well. She did save us, after all.”

.o.O.o.

Impossible!

That was all the Ultima Weapon managed to get out before its back exploded in a titanic blue fireball. Chunks of flesh and metal parts burst out of the gaping wound. Its tail severed completely off, flopping to the ground and twitching as though still connected to the rest of its body. Its balance now hopelessly off, the Ultima Weapon crashed against an outcropping of rocks and laid there as huge gouts of blue, magical flame erupted from its hindquarters.

The ponies, ragged and exhausted, watched in morbid fascination as the deadly creature bled its life force away.

The joy of a quick end to this nightmare ended as the Ultima Weapon propped itself up on its four front legs and glared with pure malice at the Returners. You think you have won. If I go down, I’m taking you with me. Calling up the last remaining dregs of magic within it, the Ultima Weapon cast its final spell.

A dark sphere surrounded by a red corona formed next to the Ultima Weapon. Lances of searing hot energy lashed out from it, striking the caster itself and heading straight for the ponies. Anypony able to bring up a shield frantically began casting, but the dark power of Flare Star reached them before they could finish.

Or it would have had a sword made of ice not been thrust up, redirecting all the terrible power to just one source. Trixie mouthed a curse as she took in all of the spell from her sword and into her horn, her body already feeling ready to burst. Her final thought was at least she would go out in a blaze of glory.

Too overwhelmed to even mutter a scream, Trixie’s form became obscured by a bright flash of white light.

.o.O.o.

“Ew, does everything on this island have to be so gross?” Rarity said, eyeing the numerous stains covering her Mare Do Well costume. Washing them out was going to be a nightmare. She idly wondered if Twilight or Trixie new a spell to get out stubborn dirt.

Rainbow Dash walked beside her, her own coat and bandanna smothered in the same dirt and grime. She hocked and spit out something she didn’t want to contemplate knowing what it was. “You know, I normally don’t mind getting messy. Comes with the job. But I’m with you on this one. I’m gonna dunk myself in the ocean if that’s what it takes to get cleaned off from this stuff.”

“Be sure to catch some tuna while you’re in there.”

“Har har.”

The two continued on for only a few more minutes until they came upon the battle site. They blinked as they found no sign of the Ultima Weapon, but did find all of their companions milling about and getting healed by magic. Rainbow Dash ran down towards Applejack, the farmer being attended to by Sweetie Belle, blurting out, “What happened?”

“Oh, good, you’re okay,” Applejack said, her shoulders slumping in relief. “When you tore off like that I wasn’t sure how the landing was going to be.”

“It was no biggie. So where’s that big monster?”

“Gone, as far as any of us can tell. Big Mac told us what him and Rarity did, and by golly it worked. Blew up half of it and then the other half got torn to shreds by its own attack.”

“Sweet!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pumping a hoof into the air. “Too bad I didn’t get to see it. Anypony hurt?”

“Well…” Applejack trailed off, turning her head towards where Twilight was hovering over a pony on its side.

Rainbow Dash zipped over before Applejack could finish, nudging aside Twilight to get a better look. She swallowed, taking in the sight of Trixie laid out on a pile of gathered leaves. No sign of her signature white cape could be found, but bits and pieces of Blizzard could be seen scattered across the area. As for Trixie herself, no outward signs of injury were present, but she lay perfectly still.

“Is… is she…”

Twilight placed a hoof across Rainbow Dash’s back and pulled her in for a hug. “Dash, she’s fine.”

The pegasus blinked. “Huh?”

Her mouth quirking up into a smirk, Twilight said, “She’s just tired. I didn’t see it, but I know what happened. Call it a unicorn sense. That monster used up the last of its magic to throw one big spell at us but Trixie stopped it. It must have been only a fraction of the power it could have been thanks to Rarity, because when Trixie used her runic powers she didn’t explode. But, it was still a lot for her to take. Luckily, Shiva’s magicite activated and fully bonded with her. It must have done something to save Trixie because she’s still with us.”

Rainbow Dash heaved a sigh and sat down, noticing for the first time that Trixie wasn’t as perfectly still as she first thought. Her chest rose and fell from steady breathing and one of her ears twitched. Reaching forward, Rainbow Dash gently nudged Trixie, finding her body warm to the touch.

The nudge was enough to rouse the general from her slumber. Groaning and rubbing at her eyelids, Trixie peaked out from under her arm. Her pupil swiveled between the two ponies hovering over her, prompting her to scramble to her hooves. “Wha-what are you two doing standing over the Great and Powerful Trixie?!”

Rather than reply, Rainbow Dash lightly punched Trixie in the shoulder. “Nice going, buddy. Always knew you’d come through.”

“D-don’t be preposterous! Trixie was saving her all-important self. It was just a bonus that you were all saved at the same time.”

“Sure, sure,” Rainbow Dash said, waving her off. Cocking an eyebrow, she nodded towards Trixie’s flank. “Nice tush.”

Trixie reached for her non-existing cape, squawked upon realizing it wasn’t there, then sat facing them, hiding her flanks from sight. “Perv!”

“No, Trixie, look,” Twilight said, pointing at the other unicorn’s backside. “Your cutie mark.”

Narrowing her eyes, Trixie took a quick glance then twisted back to make sure the two ponies hadn’t moved. She blinked, then turned back at a much slower pace, staring at her cutie mark. Where before a wand superimposed over a stream of pixie dust had been on display, now there sported a wand with a large, white snowflake as the tip. A cloud of snow replaced the pixie dust. “How… but I…”

A pat on her back interrupted her musings. “Nice going, Trix!” Rainbow Dash said. “Looks like Shiva finally found you worthy.

“Too bad you lost your sword, though. Us three had a neat theme going on.”

Trixie peeled her gaze from her flank to the remains of Blizzard all around her. Closing her eyes tightly, she said, “It… was just a sword. I’ll get another.”

“Hey, it saved your life and everypony else’s. Can’t think of a more radical way for it to go than that!”

Heaving a sigh, Trixie nodded. “Sure. Let’s go with that.”

“Hey, guys!”

The trio of ponies looked up, seeing Spike coming their way. In his claws he held the most peculiar object. He stopped and held it up for all to see. “You won’t believe this! I found it where that monster died.”

What “it” was, was a sword. The blade was a deep blue that seemed to have no end to its depth. The handle was golden in color, with an intricately designed metal pommel. However, the most distinct feature was that the blade was extremely short, barely longer than the hilt.

“You think that monster left it?” Spike said.

“It… does feel similar to that thing,” Twilight replied. She reached out to it with her magic, but a different aura beat her to it. “Hey!”

Trixie blew a raspberry. “Dibs.” She held the sword in front of her, inspecting every angle, focusing on the blade end. The blade did not show her reflection. In fact, on closer inspection, it didn’t appear to be a blade at all but some type of energy beam. Raising it to the sky, Trixie channeled some magic through it, holding it there for several seconds. Finally, she brought it back down, scowled, and tossed it at Twilight. “On second thought, keep it.”

Twilight yelped and fumbled to catch the weapon before it pierced her. “Wait, what? But why? You need a sword.”

“Yes, but that one doesn’t react to my runic power. Like, at all. Whatever it is, it's worthless to me.”

“Oh.” Now it was Twilight’s turn to hold the sword aloft, twisting it in her magical grip. “Well, I already have the Flame Sabre dad gave me. I do feel power from this but it’s very weak. And short.”

“I’ll take it!” Before Twilight could react, Rainbow Dash snatched the sword out of the air.

“But you got one, too,” Twilight protested.

“So? This came from the remains of the most powerful monster we’ve ever fought. Think of the fortune I could make off of it!”

“Figures,” Twilight and Trixie said as one.

“Hey, you guys ready?” the group heard Applejack call from across the field.

The three ponies and one dragon turned to where Applejack and the rest of the Returners had gathered. The ragtag group of freedom fighters had seen better days, but the will to fight still remained strong. Applejack pointed up to the top of the hill where Blueblood and Gilda had been last seen. A low humming could be heard coming from that direction. “I think it’s time we ended this war, once and for all.”

In Which the World Changes Part 4

“Do you see any more?” Pinkie Pie called out to her gunners.

“Negative,” Maud Pie replied in her deadpan voice.

On the other side of the airship, Limestone Pie stamped a hoof. “All clear.”

From her position at the stern, Marble Pie shook her head.

“Okay, good,” Pinkie Pie said, letting out a long, deep sigh. “I don’t know how much more my baby could take from all those Imperials. I’ve done more repairs on this ship in the last month than I have in years.”

Limestone Pie trotted up to the Party of One’s captain, a scowl on her muzzle. She always had a scowl on her muzzle, but this one appeared meaner. “We should just cut our losses and get out of here. Ever since we picked up that group at the opera house, things have gone from bad to worse.”

“No way, jose,” Pinkie Pie replied with a shake of her head. “Call me crazy, but I like our new friends. This is the most fun I’ve had since… since… oh.” She fell silent, drooping her head.

Rolling her eyes, Limestone Pie headed back to her station, saying over her shoulder, “You’re crazy.”

Sighing, Pinkie Pie grabbed hold of the wheel and began steering the ship towards the Floating Island. “Yeah, maybe I am. But crazy or not, I’m going to make sure my new friends get back safe.”

“Pinkie.”

Pinkie Pie swiveled her head, finding Maud Pie standing next to her. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“We have incoming.”

“Wha—whoa!”

The airship rocked from a large impact, tossing ponies to the deck. Pinkie Pie managed to keep hold of the wheel and fought to righten the ship back to its correct orientation. No other impacts came and soon the Party of One was sailing smoothly through the sky once again.

“Report!” Pinkie Pie shouted out. “What hit us?”

“I did. My apologies.”

All eyes tracked upwards. Hanging upside down from the balloon, carefully clutching the underside so as to not puncture it, Tritoch stared down at the crew. He let go, dropping to the deck with much less force than his jarring entrance. He looked over the ponies, noting the wary and weary expressions directed towards him. “I mean you no harm. I am the esper that Twilight Sparkle and her companions sought out. I am looking for her. Where is she?”

A low murmur spread through the crew, Tritoch’s keen ears easily picking up the sounds of distrust. He opened his beak to speak but somepony else beat him to it.

“Hey, mister birdy guy, if you’re looking for Twilight, she’s over there.” Pinkie Pie pointed towards the Floating Island, hovering just over a mile away.

“Thank you. I figured as much but couldn’t be sure. I’ll leave you in peace.” He spread his wings and made to take off, but a hoof prodding his talon brought him up short. He looked down, spotting Pinkie Pie looking over his talons with a frown.

“Wow mister birdy guy, you must have been in quite the tussle. You got bruises and cuts all over.”

Tritoch snorted, a stream of cold vapor leaking from his nostrils. “Yes, gifts from that metal monster the Empire attacked us with. It took a lot to destroy it and I have been slowly recovering ever since. But I’m not about to sit around while others do the fighting. I’ve had my fill of that the past thousand years.”

“Well, we’re on our way over there too. Wanna hitch a ride with us? It’ll let you rest a little longer.”

Cocking his head, Tritoch said, “You would not mind?”

“Nope!” Pinkie Pie replied, pumping a hoof into the air. She suddenly whirled around and ran down the stairs to the lower quarters. Everyone hardly had time to blink as she returned carrying a package on her back. She walked up to Tritoch with a large smile plastered over her muzzle and presented the package to him. “Here. A little something to perk you right up.”

Tritoch eyed the wrapped box dubiously. “What’s in it?”

“Well, you gotta open it to find out!”

Declining to ask further questions, Tritoch plucked the package from Pinkie Pie’s back and made a precision slice with a talon. The packaging surrounding the box slid off and another cut popped the folded cardboard open. Using his wing as a lever, Tritoch tipped the box over, dumping its contents on his other wing. A clear bottle containing a red liquid now rested on his appendage. “What’s this?”

Pinkie Pie hopped to her hind legs, pointing at the bottle with her forelegs. “That there is a little something a chocobo friend of mine left with me just before we left Vectorlot. He said to only use it in emergencies since it’s really hard to make. Chug it down and you’ll feel super-duper in no time!”

Tritoch retained his skeptical look. “I’m not sure something like that will work on an esper. Besides, wouldn’t this be of more use for someone else?”

“Hey, it’s worth a shot. I mean, we’re going to help the others any way we can, but I’d take the bet that you’ll be more useful than us once we get to that island.”

The esper stared at the bottle for a few more moments. “Ah, the hell with it.” Rather than uncork the bottle, he raised his wing and plopped it into his open beak. The bottle shattered as he snapped his beak closed, but Tritoch didn’t seem to mind. One gulp later and the contents of the bottle, and the bottle pieces themselves, went down his gullet.

Even Pinkie Pie was taken aback by the act. “You know, I think Rainbow Dash would call what you just did ‘hardcore’.”

Tritoch didn’t comment as his wings snapped wide open and he let out a piercing shriek that made all the ponies cover their ears. His cry to the heavens over, he folded his wings back and let out a content sigh. “If I hadn’t experienced it, I wouldn’t have believed it. Whatever it is you gave me worked. I haven’t felt this good since before I was frozen.”

“GLAD TO HEAR IT!” Pinkie Pie shouted over the ringing in her ears. Banging a hoof against her head didn’t seem to help, so she settled with heading back to the airship wheel and directing the Party of One towards the Floating Island. “NEXT STOP, THAT AWAY! YAR!”

.o.O.o.

The path leading up the hill proved tricky to navigate; mainly because there wasn’t one. The fight with the Ultima Weapon had completely rearranged the landscape, including the way up to the Returners’ enemy. It took several minutes of careful magic usage, pegasus positioning, and a little bit of earth pony engineering to make a new path for the non-fliers of the group to make it up the hill.

It also took a lot of coaxing and pleading to keep Rainbow Dash from darting off on her own.

At last, the Returners crested the hill and came upon a sight that made their blood run cold. Emperor Blueblood and General Gilda stood in front of three massive statues, motes of magical energy passing between the stone structures at regular intervals. Blueblood had his back to them but Gilda faced forward and waved a claw in greeting.

“You know, I’m kinda glad you twerps took out that big monster. Was a little worried it’d turn on us next before Bluie here got a handle on these babies.”

“You’re gonna wish it was that thing that got to you first!” Rainbow Dash sprung forward, Thunder Blade at the ready.

A sharp yank on her tail prevented her from getting too far. “Dash, simmer down and let me do the talkin’,” Applejack said after spitting out Rainbow Dash’s tail. She walked forward, gently pushing Rainbow Dash back and took a deep breath. “We’ve come here to stop ya, but I’d rather we avoid anymore fighting if that’s all the same to you. So how ‘bout we all head back to Fillygaro and put back a few rounds of cider?”

“You waste your breath, Applejack,” Trixie said, standing off to earth pony’s right side. “They’ve made it this far so no way will they stop now.”

“My wayward general is correct.” Blueblood tore his gaze away from the statues, turned, and gave his full attention to the gathered Returners. “At last I have what I've been seeking all these long years. This world is mine and no pony or esper can stop me now.”

“Says you!”

That was the only warning Blueblood received as Rainbow Dash blasted forward, her sword aimed at the emperor’s chest.

Blueblood simply raised a hoof to the sky, then pointed it at the oncoming pegasus. At the speed of thought, a sparkling white mote separated from the statues and intercepted Rainbow Dash mid flight. She didn’t have a chance of evading it. The mote struck Rainbow Dash in the chest, immediately locking up her joints. With no cry or flailing of limbs, the pegasus dropped to the ground, skidded a few hooves, then remained still.

The remaining Returners weren’t so inactive, crying out for their friend and charging towards the Imperials. Smirking in triumph, Blueblood directed more white motes to fly out, striking each of his enemies down with pinpoint accuracy. One by one, the Returners fell as Rainbow Dash did.

All but one. Trixie, wide-eyed at the power on display, could do nothing but watch as each pony, zebra, and dragon, young or old, was reduced to nothing more than a stiff body. She lifted her head, fully expecting to be taken down at any moment, but no white mote came for her.

Blueblood smiled as he stepped forward, walking past the Returners without a second glance. He stopped a few hooves away from Trixie and gestured for Gilda to come to his side. “Behold, General Trixie, at what I’ve tapped into. While you and your friends were keeping busy with the Ultima Weapon, I have finally gained the power to command the statues to do my bidding.” He swept a hoof back, indicating her fallen comrades without losing eye contact. “This is just a taste of what I’m now capable of.”

Swallowing back against a dry mouth, Trixie said, “Then why did you spare me?”

“Because I want you to come back to my side, where you belong. With you and Gilda, nothing can stop us.” He tapped a hoof smartly against the ground. Gilda swept back her cape with a flourish and reached behind her back. As her talon retracted, a long, glistening sword followed. She stepped forward and presented the sword to Trixie.

“Take this,” the griffon said, her eyes sparkling with malice. “Use it to kill the others. Once these punks are gone we’ll know you’re back with us. Then we can have some real fun.”

Trixie examined the sword offered to her. The blade was pure ivory in color, with diamond and spade shaped indents of deep red along the wide end. Two crescent grooves on both sides of its razor edge were cut out, giving it a deadly elegance. The guard was no less spectacular, a brilliant combination of gold and a wing design, like a bird in flight. The rest of the hilt, from the grip to the pommel, consisted of tightly woven leather that ended with a pearl tip.

It was the most beautiful sword Trixie had ever seen.

Mouth set to a thin line, Trixie levitated the sword from Gilda’s open talons and held it up. A quick spark of magic confirmed that the weapon was compatible with her runic power. It was as if the sword had been made just for her.

Trixie tore her gaze off of her new gift, drifting towards the Returners scattered across the hilltop. She took calm, measured steps, passing by Returners on either side, until she stopped in front of one pony in particular.

Trixie hovered her sword to Twilight Sparkle’s throat.

“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment,” Trixie said, no emotion whatsoever in her tone. “You, laid out before me, at my mercy. But I would show you no mercy and end your infuriating life, taking my rightful place as Blueblood’s top magic user.”

Twilight didn’t respond, unable to do little more than stare up at the other unicorn.

The sound of clopping hooves behind Trixie alerted her that Blueblood had drawn near. “I knew fostering that rivalry between her and you would someday produce results. Now that little Twilight here is no longer needed to fulfill our dream, remove her from your path and claim your destiny.”

“Yes,” Trixie said, nodding. “Trixie thinks it’s time to do what needs to be done.” She raised the sword, tip pointing down and ready to stab it into a fleshy sheath. She let out one long, calming breath.

Trixie swerved, the sword twisting in midair, and plunged it into Blueblood’s chest.

The emperor jerked, letting out a gurgling gasp. He looked down to see the very sword he had granted Trixie with now buried to the hilt within him, then back up at the mare herself. His body began shaking.

Sneering, and with no more words to say, Trixie hardened her grip on the sword and flung Blueblood away, the blade tearing from his body. The stallion landed hard on the ground and flopped down a few hooves away from the statues.

Trixie lifted her sword to the sky. Even with it coated in blood, it still shone with majesty. “Trixie will be keeping this, seeing as she has now saved the day. It will need a name though." Her gaze briefly shifted to the two pony statues and the crowns atop their heads. "How about, Save the Queen? That seems appropriate.” With her newly christened weapon, Trixie turned to the only threat left to deal with.

Gilda stood dumbstruck, her eyes flickering between Trixie and Blueblood’s body. With a screech, she pulled out a knife and threw it at the nearest Returner, Scootaloo. Trixie focused, catching the knife in her aura before it could reach the filly, but the distraction paid off. Running for her life, Gilda raced to the statues, grabbing hold of one of the pony shaped ones. “Statues, I am your master now! I command you to strike that traitor down!”

There came a hum of building power. From the centerpoint of the statues, a bolt of pure magic lanced out at Trixie, forcing her to dive out of the way. “Yes, this is more like it,” Gilda said. “Do it again!” Another streak of magic erupted, but Trixie was ready and channeled runic through Save the Queen. The attack hit, but deflected at the ground, causing an explosion right at her hooves. Trixie was sent flying, landing roughly several hooves away. Gilda saw the unicorn struggling to rise.

“Don’t know why Bluie didn’t do this in the first place.” Sparing a glance at the downed emperor, Gilda snorted and gripped the base of the statue and pushed. With surprising ease, the statue began to slide, emitting a low crackle as the energies surrounding it began to shift. “The hell with what Blueblood said. If I can get these things in the right position, I can absorb all their power myself.” Putting words to action, Gilda shoved the statue further away from the others. Satisfied, Gilda rushed over to the second pony figure, this one a little larger than the first. Grunting, Gilda pushed the horn and winged pony until it formed a perfect triangle with the others. The air positively glowed with magic now, the power seeping into Gilda’s very being.

“Yes, it’s all true,” Gilda practically purred. She stood in the center of the trio where the magic was densest. “Most of the magic in the world was sealed up with you guys and now it’s all mine. Give it to me! All of it! I’ll finish what Blueblood started and show that Storm Dragon who the boss is now!”

So far into her euphoria that Gilda failed to see a large figure jump up from below the hill and charge. It impacted the larger of the two pony statues, pushing it back towards the center. Gilda squawked in surprise, lashing out on instinct. A magical bolt, summoned from the power of the statues, struck the larger pony of stone, causing a shockwave that knocked the newcomer back. As if in retaliation, the statue fired its own bolt, striking the dragon figure. The dragon statue began to vibrate, a high pitched whine building around it, followed by chips of stone flaking off of its surface.

“Now look what you did!” Gilda roared, finally getting a good look at her attacker. It was an esper, demonic in form. “You won’t deny me my chance!”

Ifrit grunted as he picked himself up and prepared to rush back in. He stopped as the sight of the statues, now glowing in a kaleidoscope of colors, caused his face to fall. “Oh, no. No, this can not be happening.”

Slowly, but with gaining intensity, the entire island began to shake and rumble. A burst of magic blasted out from the statues, the wave washing over the Returners still comatose on the hill. From the corner of his eye, Ifrit could see several of them begin to stir, but his full attention was on the figures of stone. It took the arrival of another esper touching down next to him to tear his gaze away. “Tritoch! Don’t just stand there, we have to get them back into alignment!” he said over the cacophony of the island shaking apart.

Tritoch spared a glance to the recovering ponies littering the hilltop before focusing on the task at hand. “I don’t think we have much time. Show me how it’s done.”

“I’ve got this one, you get the one over there.” Ifrit pointed at the smaller of the pony statues before heading towards the larger one. “Get them close togeth—”

A magical force pressed down on him, forcing him to the ground.

“You didn’t listen!” Gilda’s voice could be heard, coming somewhere next to the statues. “You won’t take this away from me!”

Using every ounce of strength he possessed, Ifrit crawled his way towards his target. Inch by agonizing inch he gained ground. Distantly, a small portion of his awareness could tell Tritoch was also struggling against the increased gravity but was still moving closer to his goal. The pressure increased but one final lunge placed his claw against the larger pony statue.

The magic holding him down suddenly dissipated. Not wasting the opportunity, Ifrit shoved against the statue, pushing it closer to the center. Bits of stone rained down on him but he ignored them, concentrating on completing his task. He planted his feet into the ground and heaved. The last thing he felt was a serene calm descending over him, followed by a single white feather drifting down. It landed on his cheek, and for the first time in a long while, he felt peace.

.o.O.o.

Tritoch gave a cry of defiance as he finally pushed his statue up against the others. His labor complete, he stepped back and took stock of the situation. Gilda was still up next to the dragon statue, her body glowing with raw magic.

He stepped around to get a better angle when his talon brushed up against something soft and warm. Looking down, he saw a stallion laying in a pool of blood, the wound in his chest gushing out even more red liquid. The pony was most likely dead from so much blood loss, but Tritoch reached down and grasped the stallion in a talon anyway. The pony’s family would most likely want to properly bury him once this was over.

With one talon left, Tritoch flew up over the statues and reached down for Gilda. Wild magic buffeted him on all sides, but his powerful wings kept him steady. Aiming carefully, he made one final lunge, catching the griffon between his claws. Gilda screeched and thrashed in his grip but was no match for Tritoch’s strength. With a beat of his wings, Tritoch began to rise up.

He only made it a few hooves when a stray bolt of magic struck him dead center in the chest.

Tritoch let out a wail that split the air. He fell, taking his two prisoners with him. His body crashed into the dragon statue, toppling it over. There came a bright flash of white from the impact, and when it cleared, the statue, Tritoch, Blueblood, and Gilda were gone.

.o.O.o.

“Oh, gosh, this doesn’t look good at all,” Pinkie Pie said as she wrestled with the controls of the Party of One. The moment they had passed overhead of the Floating Island, Tritoch had taken off. It wasn’t long after that that the previously clear skies around them suddenly developed dark storm clouds. Now Pinkie Pie was fighting to keep the airship stable as rain and lightning buffeted the ship on all sides.

Luck was with her as Limestone ran up to her, her expression more excited than Pinkie had ever seen. “I found them! Turn starboard and start descending! I’ll signal when to stop!” Without waiting for confirmation, Limestone ran back to the side railing.

Not that she needed it, as Pinkie Pie grinned and twisted the wheel sharply to the right. The airship plunged with gut lurching speed, but the crew held on and began preparing for boarding. Ropes and cable ladders were thrown over the side while others began preparing medical rooms for the injured. Moments later, Limestone raised a hoof and Pinkie Pie cut the engines and pulled back on the wheel. The Party of One’s bow rose up at a forty-five degree angle, putting enough force and wind resistance to come to a complete stop.

Once the airship was steady and parallel with the ground, Pinkie Pie wiped her brow. She patted the cutie mark on her flank and said, “Don’t know if I could have done that withoutcha. Thanks.”

.o.O.o.

“Hurry up Sparkle, we don’t have much time!”

“I’m trying, Trixie, hold your horses!”

The duo of ex-Imperial unicorns ran from Returner to Returner, casting healing magic as fast as they could. The binding on them had lifted the moment Ifrit had crashed into the statues but a lingering stiffness kept them from moving all that quickly. Trixie hadn’t wasted the opportunity and began attending them, keeping her hooves crossed that whatever was happening with the statues wouldn’t interrupt her until she was finished. Twilight had been the most receptive to her magic, cutting the job down by half.

Unfortunately, the constant shaking of the island and the darkening of the skies made it clear that things were going to get worse instead of better. Trixie had no desire to be around to see how bad it could get.

Trixie had just finished getting Sweetie Belle up on her hooves when a cable ladder bonked her on the head. Eliciting a swear that made Sweetie Belle blush, Trixie bit down any further words and grabbed hold of the swinging ladder. “Thank whatever gods are watching over us.” She shoved the ladder into Sweetie Belle’s hooves. “Don’t just stand there, get climbing.”

“But what about Scootaloo and Apple Bloom?” Sweetie Belle asked, her voice cracking.

“The faster you get up that ladder, the faster they can follow you up it. Now go!” As a final incentive, Trixie poked Sweetie Belle in the rump with the tip of her sword.

With a squeak of fright and a touch of pain, Sweetie Belle rushed up the ladder as fast as her little hooves could take her.

“And don’t look down!” Trixie yelled up at her. Whirling around, Trixie began directing the recovering Returners to grab hold of any available ropes and ladders and get ascending.

The island shook harder than ever, with a large piece nearby dropping away to the distant earth below.

The Returners doubled their efforts to scramble up the ladders.

Zecora had just grabbed hold of the bottom rung of a ladder crawling with Returners when the land lurched away below her. Not daring to look to see how far the drop was below her, Zecora climbed up to her salvation. So intent on reaching the airship, she missed seeing Trixie, the last pony left on the island, drift away.

Alone on a crumbling island high in the sky, Trixie watched the Party of One sail away to safety. She yelled at the top of her lungs for them to come back but the gale force winds drowned her out. Lighting up her horn, Trixie cast spell after spell to generate a lightshow to gain attention but the magical imbalance caused by the statues fizzled them out. Drained and tired, Trixie slumped to the ground and wept. No pony was left to see her tears so it didn’t matter if she cried or not.

The Floating Island rumbled one last time then disintegrated into thousands of rocky chunks.

From above, a streak of rainbow light pierced through the rubble. Seconds later, Rainbow Dash burst out from the collapsing landmass, carrying Trixie in her forelegs. “Does everything have to be so dramatic with you?”

Trixie, for once, kept her mouth shut and held onto Rainbow Dash for dear life.

The two touched down on the Party of One’s deck minutes later, quickly being mobbed by the rest of the Returners. Hugs and congratulations were given all around. Pinkie Pie tossed streamers and confetti while promising to throw the biggest celebration of her life for what she dubbed, “Saving the Entire World Party”.

A bolt of lightning grazed the side of the airship hull, cutting short their jubilation.

Twilight Sparkle ran over to the side of the airship and looked down. “I… I feel it.”

“Feel what?” came Shining Armor’s voice from behind. The rest of the group fell silent, waiting for Twilight to speak.

“Magic.”

Spinning around, Twilight faced her friends. “The seal holding the three statues has been broken. All the power that’s been held within them is being released to the world.”

The Party of One shook from the massive amounts of turbulence generated by the storm surrounding it.

“Well, that’s great and all, but what now?” Spike said, his claws digging into the deck to keep himself stable. “It’s like we’re living through the end of the world instead!”

Twilight nodded, her face pensive. “I know. It must be the planet getting accustomed to so much magic all at once. We just have to ride it ou—”

A shockwave of tremendous power struck the Party of One from below. The concussive force snapped the hull in half like a twig. Above, the balloon ruptured, sending it and the vessel it was still attached to careening downwards. Throughout the chaos, ponies, zebras, and dragons alike screamed.

.o.O.o.

Water gushed from the seas and oceans, flooding large patches of land.

Mountains rose and fell in minutes when once it had taken hundreds of years.

Winds ripped through trees, stripping them of their leaves within seconds.

Lava burst out of volcanoes that had once been long extinct.

Fields of grass grew rapidly, forming forests of tall reeds.

Lightning struck throughout the world, scorching the land.

The entire planet rearranged itself to adapt to the influx of magic.

.o.O.o.

On that day, the world changed forever…

Wherein The World Has Changed

One year later…

A bird chirping nearby.

Waves gently rolling over a sandy beach.

The wind blowing through a grove a trees, rustling their leaves.

A door opening and closing, followed by hooves clopping against a wooden floor.

The scrape of a stool being pulled aside then a sigh as the pony sat down on it.

These were the sounds that Trixie woke up to.

Slowly, Trixie blinked her eyes against the light streaming through gaps in the wooden walls surrounding her. She raised a hoof and rubbed at her eyelids. They felt thick and heavy, as though they protested against being open. Trixie let out a dull moan, shifting her weight to place her hooves below her body. Giving a tentative push, she lifted herself off the bed of straw that served as her mattress. A patchwork blanket fell off of her back, leaving her coat exposed to the air. She shook herself, regretting it instantly as a wave of vertigo hit her, nearly falling back onto the straw. Taking several small breaths, she closed her eyes and waited for the nausea to pass. Once she felt like she wouldn’t be sick, Trixie reopened her eyes and took a step. Her leg held her up, only giving a tiny tremor. She took another step, this one proving to be sturdier. Another step, then another until she cleared the straw and stood on the rough cut wooden floor.

Pulling in a deep breath, Trixie then slowly let it out. She swiveled her head from side to side, taking in her surroundings. She was in some sort of makeshift shack, constructed completely from logs and sticks. Vines and dried mud kept the structure together, though with how rickety the shack looked, Trixie had to wonder how it was keeping up at all. A sword within its sheath lay next to the bedding. A glance upwards showed a roof of leaves sitting atop tightly bound twigs. Despite how many openings were uncovered on the roof, the inside of the shack remained dry. Thankful for not having awoken to a damp and chilly shelter, she turned her attention to the other occupant of the shack.

He leaned against a bench that was no more than a plank of wood propped up by two large stones. His dark brown mane and beige coat were matted with dirt and dried sweat. The stallion’s skin was stretched tight against his bones, his ribs clearly visible even through his ungroomed coat. He snored lightly, sound asleep.

Trixie slowly walked up to Doctor Whooves and nudged him.

“Crikey!” Doctor Whooves exploded into action, leaping from his seat and flailing his hooves at his assailant.

The next moment he lost his balance and fell flat on his back.

Wincing, Trixie made her way over to him, entering his line of sight. Whooves’ eyes whirled in their sockets before giving a sharp shake to his head and getting a good look at the mare. Recognition quickly set in, his shock being replaced by a beaming smile. “General Trixie! You’re finally awake!”

“Finally awake?” Trixie repeated. It came out as a wheeze.

Nodding rapidly, Whooves clambered to his hooves. He swayed unsteadily for a moment before firming up his stance and giving Trixie the most joyous look she had ever seen on a pony. “Yes, yes. You’ve been asleep for a long time, now. About a year if my calculations are correct.”

“A year?”

“Indeed. I was losing hope you’d ever wake up.” He turned his head and coughed.

Trixie blinked, her ears folded back. “Really?” She looked around again, gesturing a hoof at their shoddy shelter. “Where are we?”

Sniffling, Whooves turned back to her. “A small island from what I’ve been able to gather. You, myself, and a few others washed up here the day that island in the sky broke apart.”

“Others?” Her eyes widened and she stared intently at Whooves. “Are any of the others alive?!”

“I’m going to assume you mean your Returner friends.” Whooves looked away, swallowing. “I have no idea. The others that ended up here were ponies and one chocobo that I had never met before.” He sighed, closing his eyes and lowering his head. “None of them are alive.”

A silence hung over them, with only the gentle crashing of waves in the distance filling the void. Trixie’s mind whirled with questions but not a single one was voiced. Doctor Whooves shuffled his hooves, glancing at Trixie then towards his desk.

“This… is a lot to take in,” Trixie said at last.

“Indeed,” Whooves replied. Another hacking cough followed his statement.

Frowning, Trixie walked up to the stallion. “Are you sick? It looks like you’re all skin and bones.”

Whooves wiped his mouth clean of spittle. “Well, I haven’t had much to eat since I became ill a few days ago.”

“And you’ve been taking care of me this whole time?”

Sitting down, Whooves rubbed his forehooves together. “Well, you see… you’re the only pony I know that’s here. It didn’t seem right to just let you die when I had a chance to save you. I am a doctor, after all.” Another cough rocked his body. “Besides, it gave me something to live for. The others that washed up here passed away from boredom and despair.

“You’re the closest thing to family I have now that… well, you know about my niece, right?”

Trixie nodded, sitting down next to him. “Yes, I was told of Dinky’s fate from the Emperor. I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault. I should have—” Whooves shook his head, interrupting himself. “No, I’ve spent too much time dwelling on that.”

Another silence fell upon them, the weight of the war pressing down on the ponies. Whooves let out another cough, this one dredging up green phlegm.

“Here, let me try this.” Trixie’s horn ignited for the first time in a year. She grunted as though trying to flex a muscle that hadn’t been used for a long time. A string of white pearls finally coalesced and the green glow of healing magic washed over Whooves.

The stallion let out a content sigh, closing his eyes. A moment later, his hoof shot up to cover his mouth from a sudden cough. “Doesn’t look like it worked.”

Her features firming up, Trixie guided Whooves over to the stack of straw that had once been her resting place. “Lay down and rest. Maybe some food will help.” She blinked, her face falling. “Is there food here?”

“Yes, actually,” Whooves said as he allowed himself to be tucked in. “But, there’s not much. I’ve eaten all the food around here and haven’t felt well enough to travel further out.”

Smirking, Trixie stood high and proud as she declared, “Then let the Great and Powerful Trixie be your doctor this time!”

Whooves chuckled. “Glad to see you’re in high spirits.”

“Yes, very. And… there’s something I want to ask you.”

Looking up, Whooves experienced the rare sight of Trixie looking bashful. “Yes?”

“Since we’re alone here and… neither of us have any family… would you mind if I call you uncle?”

Whooves tilted his head, giving Trixie a blank stare.

“Not that I’m trying to replace your niece or anything!” Trixie quickly added. “I just mean, that, um… I guess what I’m trying to say is—” She stopped her babbling as a hoof touched her own. Whooves looked up at her, giving a sincere smile.

“I wouldn’t mind at all.”

Trixie let out a relieved sigh. She smiled back, patting his hoof. “Thank you.” Using magic, she made sure that her new surrogate uncle was properly tucked in. Once she was satisfied that Whooves was properly covered up, she waved and headed out the rag covered door.

.o.O.o.

The world outside the shack wasn’t quite what Trixie had expected. With the talk about the other ponies that washed up here and Whooves' weariness, her mind had conjured up a wasteland of cracked dirt and dead plants stripped of all vegetation. What she got could only be described as… average.

There were trees and dirt, yes, but the trees showed a healthy amount of leaves and the dirt sported hundreds of tuffs of grass. The temperature was cool but pleasant and the sky was as blue as Trixie remembered. For having survived the end of the world, Trixie almost felt disappointed by the results.

Trixie banished such thoughts to be dealt with later, instead focusing on the task at hoof. She could forage through the spots of grass or pluck the leaves off of the trees with her magic, but neither were all that nutritious or filling. Trixie needed something more substantial to get her uncle healthy. Trotting further away from the shack, which was nestled under some low hanging trees, Trixie scanned the landscape. She saw a sandy beach not too far away, the source of the constant sound of waves. Opposite the beach, no more than a mile away, stood a rocky hill. Deciding that the hill would contain food fit for a pony, Trixie headed for it.

Her journey proved uneventful. The few creatures she encountered were no larger than common vermin and ran off the moment they heard her coming. Trixie reached the hill in only a few minutes, grateful for a gentle incline rather than the steep climb she feared she would need to make. Her body still felt stiff and weak, but she figured a few days of exercise would take care of that. Taking it slow at the beginning though would keep her from pulling or straining anything.

The search for food on the hill became fruitful, in a literal sense. Apple trees were abundant with large, deep red apples that snapped off their branches with a simple tug of Trixie’s magic. Orange and grape plants were also plentiful, along with a few carrots she stumbled across next to an upturned boulder. Soon, she carried enough to fill a cornucopia, or more appropriately, a hungry pony. With a satisfied smirk, she headed back to the shack, snacking on one of the apples as she went.

The return trip went a little faster as Trixie had a skip to her step that would have raised a few eyebrows from her lost comrades. She called out in a chipper voice, “Uncle! I’m back!” Too eager to wait for a response, Trixie swept away the door curtain and strutted inside.

Her step faltered a little as she saw Whooves scramble away from the bench and back into his bedding.

Trixie’s smile dropped, replaced with a stern frown. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing!” came the response of a pony up to something.

Striding up to the bedding, Trixie gently placed down the food next to Whooves, who looked upon it as though it were a grand feast. “How—where did you find all of this?”

“That hill not far from here.” Trixie levitated up one of the apples and offered it to Whooves. The stallion grabbed it and tore into the fruit with gusto. “Now, mind telling Trixie why you were out of bed and not resting like you are supposed to?”

Trixie didn’t receive an immediate answer as Whooves continued devouring the apple. Once the fruit was picked clean from the core, he dropped it and reached for another. A pink aura stopped his grabby hoof, however.

“You’re not getting any more until you tell me what you’re doing.”

Whooves stared at the fruit, a hungry stallion only a few inches from salvation but may as well have been miles away. Sighing, followed by another cough, he said, “Um, not much. Just… getting some work done.”

“Not on my watch you’re not, uncle.” Still frowning, Trixie nudged a carrot. Not being picky, Whooves snatched up the offered vegetable and snarfed it down within seconds. “Now, I’m going to go out and get more. If I come back and don’t see this pile gone or you’re not in this bed, there’s going to be a very unhappy unicorn in this house.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Whooves said, his gaze already roving over the grapes.

“Good. Now, eat up. Trixie will be back soon!” Her prance back, Trixie headed for the opening.

“A-a question before you go, Trixie.”

Turning back around, Trixie offered him an upraised eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Where did you say you got this?”

“The hill just over there,” she answered, pointing a hoof towards the direction of said hill. “There’s plenty there for the both of us.” Giving a parting smile, Trixie exited the shack.

Left alone, Whooves pondered as he popped grapes into his mouth.

.o.O.o.

“Trixie is back! She found nuts this time and crystal clear water.” Flinging back the tarp, Trixie strode inside, her findings floating in after her.

The cache of food dropped to the floor, forgotten, as she found Whooves passed out next to the work bench.

Trixie rushed over to the stallion. “Uncle! What happened?” She gently shook him, earning her a pained moan. “Please, say something!” The only thing that came out of Whooves' mouth was a terrible cough, followed by a glob of blood.

Her horn flaring, Trixie picked up Whooves with her magic, carefully levitating him over to the bedding and setting him down. She covered him back up with the quilt, then floated over a small, hollowed out log from the supplies she brought back. She lifted up Whooves' head and tipped the opening of the log towards his mouth. Clear water dribbled out, slowly pouring down his throat. Trixie silently thanked the stars that some had remained when she had dropped it.

The life giving liquid had an effect, as Whooves coughed once more, this time keeping down any phlegm. He weakly opened his eyes, his gaze finding a worried Trixie hovering over him. “Niece… Trixie. It’s no use. I don’t have much time left—”

“Don’t talk like that!” Trixie propped him up more, readying the log canister. “Here, have more of this. It’ll help.”

Whooves shook his head, waving off the water. “No. I have to… get this out. There’s a trapdoor under that bench over there.” He coughed, a ragged sound. “Take what… you find there and get off this island.”

Trixie shook her head, her face firm even as her eyes began to water. “No. You’re going to get better, then we’ll leave together.”

“Sorry,” Whooves said, forcing down another cough. His voice became strained, as though trying to speak through a tube. “Something… has been keeping me alive… for longer than I should be. The food you… brought back… never once grew on this island. Just… grass.”

Trixie wiped at her eyes. “Stop talking. It’s not helping you.”

“Farewell, my niece. I’ll give Dinky… your regards…” Whooves closed his eyes, letting out a wheezing exhale. His body did not take in another breath.

For a long moment, Trixie didn’t move. She stared down at Whooves, holding her breath. “Uncle?” She began to shake him, gently at first, then harder as she got no response. “Whooves? Please, don’t do this.” She poured the rest of the water into his mouth, but his body did not swallow it, the water pooling until it leaked down his chin. “Whooves!”

Trixie tossed away the log, set Whooves down, then lit her horn as bright as she could. “You are not going to die, here! Wake up, you oaf!” She unleashed her gathered magic, the cure spell covering every inch of the stallion’s body. Once the glow receded, Trixie collapsed to her knees. Struggling to stay conscious, Trixie placed her ear to Whooves' chest.

Minutes passed, but no heartbeat ever came.

A sob broke the silence, then the sound of hooves running out of the shack and into the gathering dusk.

.o.O.o.

Night had arrived by the time Trixie climbed up to the highest point of the hill. She flopped to the ground, her face streaked with tears. How long she laid there, she didn’t know, or cared. Her mind was numb, all thoughts vanishing before they could even form. Nothing felt real, as though she were trapped in a dream but unable to wake up.

Below her, the waves of the sea crashed against the rocky cliff of the hill.

“Everypony is gone,” she whispered. “I’m probably the only one left alive.” She sniffed and wiped her moist eyes. “Why did this have to happen? We won, didn’t we?”

There came no answer, not that Trixie expected one.

The sound of the waves continued.

Slowly and ponderously, Trixie made it to her hooves. She plodded over to the edge of the cliff and looked down. The drop appeared to be at least a hundred hooves. Trixie couldn’t see any rocks sticking out of the water, but an impact at just the right angle would snap a pony’s neck. Lifting a single hoof, Trixie let her weight shift forward. She fell, a trail of tears drifting behind her.

.o.O.o.

The gentle sound of waves washing against a sandy beach was the sound Trixie woke up to. In her detached and woozy mind, she idly wondered if this was going to be a trend. She lay on the sand, feeling the cool beach below her and the lapping of the waves against her body. Trixie could think of worse ways to wake up after a botched suicide.

Letting out a frustrated groan, Trixie maneuvered herself to a sitting position. She turned her gaze out to the sea, its blue waters fading off into the distance. “Why did you even nurse me back to health? I never asked you to help me.” Sighing, Trixie stood up and shook as much water and sand out of her coat and mane as she could. Once she was satisfied, she turned to head back to the shack.

A sparkle at the other end of the beach caught her eye.

Trixie turned and squinted, roving the area for the disturbance. An incoming wave refracted some sunlight, shining it upon an object stuck in the sand. Trotting over, she could make out some type of metal but it was half buried in the sand. Her horn lit up, taking hold of the mystery object and tugging it out of its resting place.

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell. Within her magical grasp was the Ultima Weapon.

The blue and gold sword was just as she remembered it. Not a blemish or smudge could be seen anywhere on the pommel. The short energy blade still shone with otherworldly power. Absentmindedly, Trixie sent a small pulse of magic to the blade and didn’t receive any runic feedback, confirming without a doubt that this was the Ultima Weapon.

“How?” she said, barely comprehending what she was seeing. “There’s no way that this would end up here. It should be gone, just like Rain—”

She shut her mouth, tearing her eyes off the sword and back out to sea. Minutes passed, the only movement the steady crash of the waves and the gentle breeze that fluttered Trixie’s mane.

“She’s alive.”

.o.O.o.

Trixie stood outside the shack, the Ultima Weapon levitating at her side. Taking a deep breath, she brushed past the cloth entrance. Whooves lay where she had left him. Setting the Ultima Weapon onto the bench, she approached the body. A rush of emotions played over her muzzle, settling on firm determination. “I’ll make you proud of me, uncle. I’ll go on, just like you wanted. But first, Trixie will make you a great and powerful resting place.” Concentrating, she levitated up Whooves’ body and headed back outside.

For the rest of the day, she labored over making a slab of rock at the top of the hill. Placing Whooves over the finished bed of stone, she then stood on her hind legs, her forelegs raised to the sky. “Uncle, we didn’t know each other very well or for very long, but I will make sure that anypony that comes here is suitably awed.” Her horn flashed, an ice spell forming at the tip. Trixie grunted, her spell growing in intensity, then let it loose over Whooves. A thick sheet of ice enveloped his body but was clear enough to see through. Dropping down, Trixie picked up a leftover rock and chucked it. The rock slammed into the ice tomb, shattering on impact, but the ice remained smooth and undamaged. Trixie reached up and put a hoof over Whooves’ encased forehead. The ice was cool to the touch, soothing and unbreakable. “Goodbye, Uncle.”

Turning sharply, Trixie headed for the shack, never looking back. Night had fallen, making it hard to see without constant horn light. Deciding that she would investigate the bench tomorrow, Trixie ate the rest of the food she had offered Whooves. She barely remembered tasting any of it, preoccupied by her thoughts. Likewise, sleep came slowly, despite how sore she was from making Whooves’ tomb.

Morning finally came, and with the sun given light, Trixie could see the seams of a door underneath where the bench stood. Opening the trap door turned out to be easy, as it was just a simple series of wooden planks covering up an indent in the ground. The hole wasn’t very deep but surprisingly wide. It needed to be in order to fit the constructed raft she found inside. A few tugs of magic lifted the raft out and she placed it on the floor.

While the shack and everything else was a slapped together mess that looked like it could fall apart at any moment, the raft was the exact opposite. Thick trunks were held together by tightly intertwined vines. The indents between the trunks contained a sealant that Trixie could only assume was a mixture of mud, sand, and small rocks. Prodding the sealant with a hoof, she found that it was surprisingly firm, no doubt to keep water from seeping through. The entire raft was large enough to hold two ponies, or in Trixie’s case, one pony and a stack of provisions.

Trixie turned away from the raft and checked the indent in the ground again. Underneath where the raft had laid was a single wooden paddle several hooves in length. She lifted it out, inspecting the crude whittling job used to make it. She tapped it against the floor, satisfied to hear it give a solid feedback sound. It didn’t look like much, but Whooves at least favored function over style.

Placing the paddle on top of the raft, Trixie now gave her attention to the sword and sheath that lay forgotten next to the bedding since she woke up. Taking a moment to compose herself, Trixie lifted up the sheath, took hold of the sword hilt, and pulled. In one smooth motion, Save the Queen was released from its year long sleep, able to bask in the light of day once again.

Trixie took a minute to inspect the blade but found no nicks or dents. It was as sharp as the day it had been forged. “You and I have a lot of work to do.” Nodding, Trixie re-sheathed the blade and strapped the holder tightly to her side.

The last chore Trixie finished before departure was to gather as many supplies as the raft could hold. With no idea how long she would be out at sea, it was best to pack heavy on the food. Besides the two swords, there wasn’t anything else worth taking. Her labors complete, Trixie left the shack the way it was, her magic dragging the raft behind her while the foodstuffs floated beside her.

Once she reached the shore, she set the raft into the water with no fanfare. The supplies and swords followed, Trixie securing them to the raft with vines and placing a water tight magical seal over them. Grabbing the paddle with a hoof, she turned back to the small island she had called home for the past few days. Giving herself a minute to memorize the sights, she then twirled the paddle like a baton, stuck the handle into the sand, and gave a deep bow. Whirling around, she hopped onto the raft and nudged it further out into the water with the paddle. Using alternating strokes, she slowly pulled away from the land and into the great beyond.

.o.O.o.

For two days Trixie sailed the open seas. She had no direction or any indication of where to go. The night sky’s stars were a jumble of sparkling dots that Trixie swore moved positions. Not that she knew how to read the stars to chart a course, but it would have been extremely annoying if she did. Luckily, the water remained relatively smooth and easy to paddle through with no signs of monsters ready to strike should she fall in. The days proved tiring and boring and more than once while Trixie rested she reminded herself that stopping now would be her slow and agonizing death.

It was on the dawn of the third day out that she encountered something that broke the monotony. On the distant horizon, Trixie spotted a brown blotch against the normal blue of the sea. Adjusting her course, she headed towards it in the hope of finding land. As she drew closer, no obvious bumps of land appeared, but the brown spot grew wider. An hour later, Trixie finally reached the odd coloring, discovering that it wasn’t land at all, but the water itself. It appeared thicker, and when she dipped her paddle into it, completely opaque. An odor that she could only describe as cocoa wafted through the air. Her raft slipped through with no more difficulty than normal water, but the oddness of it all left Trixie with unease. She dared not touch or taste it, renewing her efforts to push on. The faster she passed by this anomaly, the better.

Unfortunately, the brown water continued on for miles. The oppressive wrongness continued to grow but there was no turning back now. Late in the fourth day of her travels, just as she was despairing that she would run out of supplies and die alone in this wasteland of muddy water, there came a sight that brought of whoop of joy to her throat.

Land.

More importantly, buildings on the land.

Despite the late hour and how tired her body felt, Trixie found an extra reserve of stamina and paddled as fast as she could. She didn’t care what the land looked like or what it held, just that she needed to get there. In what felt like no time at all, the raft struck the shore and Trixie jumped off it like it was on fire. She flopped onto her back, her breath coming in short fits and her muscles and horn screaming in protest, but that didn’t stop her from forming the biggest grin in well over a year. Minutes later, the adrenaline rush wore off and she fell into a blissful sleep.

.o.O.o.

Trixie felt a presence above her. Hushed whispers and shadows played over her closed eyelids. Her mind rapidly came out of its dreamlike state, but she kept her eyes shut. As discreetly as she could, she reached out with her magic, grabbing hold of the first thing she came across. She held back from lashing out, waiting for the right moment. One of the voices turned away, as though about to walk away, and that’s when Trixie made her move.

Snapping open her eyes and swinging her improvised club, she struck one of the figures over the head. She heard a crack, but didn’t check to see what had broken, as she was already on her hooves and spinning into her next attack. Planting her forehooves, she bucked out at the second figure, landing a solid blow to its side. She quickly scanned for anymore foes, but none presented themselves. Trixie backed up and got her first good look at her assailants.

“Ow, jeez, what did you do that for?!” howled a pegasus stallion as he rubbed at the bump forming on his head.

“Yeah, what he said,” said another, this one holding his stomach area.

Trixie didn’t drop her guard, holding up the paddle from the raft. “Don’t come any closer or I’ll use this again!” She swung it to and fro, creating a whoosh of air each time.

The second pegasus took one look at the weapon, sputtered, then let out a deep laugh. “Look at it, Hoops! Guess what they say at the docks is true. Your head is thicker than wood!”

Hoops lifted his shaggy brown mane from his eyes with a hoof, letting out a snort. “Yeah, well, I didn’t want to figure it out the hard way.”

“Stop ignoring me!” Trixie roared, brandishing the paddle in front of her. She blinked, noticing for the first time that the paddle had split in two down the handle, the larger end hanging on by splinters alone.

This caused both stallions to laugh, forgetting all about their pains. Trixie huffed, tossed the useless paddle away, then reached for the sword hanging at her side. The sound of Save the Queen being drawn and pointed at the stallions silenced them quickly. Both raised their hooves to the sky.

“Please don’t hurt us, lady!” Hoops said. “Me an’ Dumb-Bell weren’t going to do anything to ya, honest!”

Dumb-Bell nodded rapidly. “Yeah, what he said. No harm done!”

“Shut up,” Trixie ordered, her horn glowing brighter. The two clicked their mouths shut, keeping their hooves raised. “Now, you two are going to tell Trixie where she is. Trixie has had a long journey crossing the sea and isn’t in the mood for any crap.”

Dumb-Bell tilted his head and pointed a hoof at the water. “Whoa, you mean like, you crossed that stuff in that little raft?”

“Yes.”

“That’s awesome!”

“Totally!” Hoops added in. “The boats don’t even go out that way. Don’t want to risk getting stuck in it.”

Rolling her eyes, Trixie waved a hoof to silence them. “Wait, what boats? Where are we?”

“The coast of Albuck.”

Trixie’s eyes glazed over, a far away look in them. “We’re on the Empire’s continent?”

“Well, what’s left of it,” Dumb-Bell muttered.

That brought back Trixie’s focus. “What?”

“Um, if you could put that sword away and promise not to kill us, we can take you there,” Hoops said with a nervous smile.

“Trixie can see the town from here,” she deadpanned. Sighing and shaking her head, Trixie sheathed her sword and headed for the raft. She picked up what was left of her supplies and slung them over her shoulder. She eyed the raft, giving it a frustrated look.

Dumb-Bell crept forward, making sure he was in Trixie’s line of sight and offered a hopeful smile. “Hey, is that thing made of real wood?”

Trixie blinked and cocked an eyebrow at him. “Yes. Why would you say such a thing?”

“W-well, it’s just that we’re running low on it. Hoops and I, we work at the docks, and we could take it there and sell it for some good money.” He grinned wider as he spoke his plan. “We’ll hook you up! Split the gil three ways!”

Trixie remained quiet for a few seconds, shifting her gaze between the raft and Dumb-Bell. “Split two ways. You two can share the other half. Otherwise, Trixie will sell it on her own.”

“Deal!” Dumb-Bell held out a hoof which Trixie grimaced at before giving it a bump.

Head held high and her gait radiating authority, Trixie began the trek to Albuck. “You two have the privilege of doing business with the Great and Powerful Trixie. Now, earn your share and get to carrying that thing.”

“Yes, ma’am!” the duo said in unison. Together, Hoops and Dumb-Bell lifted the raft onto their backs, using their wings as balancers. Despite the weight on their backs, they easily kept up with Trixie all the way to town.

.o.O.o.

Two days later, Trixie left Albuck refreshed and restocked. The two stallions were good on their word, selling the raft for a tidy sum which Trixie put to use immediately. Food, a rigorous grooming to fix a year’s worth of tangles and scruffs, and a new white cape to drape over her body. All in all, a very productive start for her search for Rainbow Dash and the other Returners.

She was glad to be back to traveling. The citizens of Albuck were odd. Trixie couldn’t quite put her hoof on it, but they all acted nervous whenever asked about what had happened over the past year. Often, the topic was changed before Trixie could get any useful information; instead, the citizens wanted to just want to wax on about local affairs. Nopony or chocobo had any clues on her friends’ whereabouts, so staying any longer would be a waste of time.

Also, it was strange that, besides the few ships at the docks, nobody came or left the town.

Now back on the road, Trixie dismissed Albuck and focused on her path ahead. The best place to go would be Vectorlot. The capital would surely have plenty of opportunities to dig up information. It wasn’t until she had traveled a few miles that she began to notice a lack of consistency with her surroundings. Having traveled to Albuck many times during her career as general for the Empire, Trixie had become familiar with the landscape. What she saw now didn’t quite match up with her memories. A small forest that should have been on her right was now on the left. The mountains in the distance appeared much smaller, little more than hills now. She spotted a few monsters darting for cover the moment she came into view and none of them were anything like what she expected. They were small gangly creatures that looked more like an amalgamation of different animals. Luckily, no monsters ran up to attack her, which left her alone to ponder.

Two more days passed before Trixie reached the small canyon that led into Vectorlot. The road through it hadn’t changed, but Trixie was sure now that the mountains had. Instead of tall spires of rock, gently rolling hills surrounded Vectorlot valley. The sight left her so confused, that when she exited the pass, she didn’t immediately take notice of Vectorlot itself.

“This is all wrong,” Trixie murmured to herself. “Why is nothing as it sh—” She stopped herself, her eyes widening as far as they would go and her mouth hanging open.

Before her, where the vast city of Vectorlot had been, was now a multi-colored checkerboard.

Trixie closed her eyes. When she reopened them, the sight remained the same. Gone was the sprawling town. Gone was the grand palace, the largest ponymade structure in the world. No Imperial soldiers. No magitek. Nothing but square boxes of colors stretching from one end of the valley to the other.

“Marvelous, isn’t it?”

Trixie shrieked. She whirled around, looking wildly for the source of the voice.

“Up here.”

Snapping her neck up, Trixie saw a creature hovering in the air. Much like the monsters she saw on the way, this one was comprised of many different pieces of animals. It was serpentine in form, but had legs and arms sprouting from its sides. The head resembled that of a horse, with two mismatched horns on its head. A bat and griffon wing were attached to its back, but it didn’t appear to need them to fly. The creature looked down at her with yellow eyes with red pupils. It gave her a sly smile, revealing a lopsided, overgrown tooth. It lifted a lion pawed hand and snapped its fingers. There came a flash of white and the creature disappeared, only to immediately reappear right in front of her.

Trixie backed away, her magic reaching for her sword. “What… are you?”

The creature placed a eagle’s clawed hand to its chest, looking shocked and offended. “You don’t recognize me? My dear Beatrix, how could you?”

The ring of Save the Queen sounded in the air, Trixie levitating it at the ready. “How do you know that name?!”

“Oh, I know a lot about you, Trixie.” The creature smiled again, placing its mismatched arms behind its back and began casually circling her. “I’ve waited for this moment for over a year now. And here we are, at last. As for who I am…”

It snapped its fingers again, the flash of white obscuring Trixie’s sight. She blinked away the dots in her vision, and when she regained her sight, the world around her had literally turned upside down. Trees floated in the sky, pigs flew in the air, the ground had pink polka dots scattered all over it, and many more things that Trixie could not process. Movement caught her eye and she turned to see the creature standing next to her, looking out over the impossible land with a pleased expression.

“The name’s Discord.” It spread its arms wide and hopped into the air, its voice joyous. “And welcome to my World of Chaos!”

In Which a Game is Set

“Discord?” Trixie said, eyeing the strange creature as though unable to decide what to make of it.

“That’s correct.” He reached down to pat Trixie on the head, but she backed away, swiping at him with Save the Queen. “Oh, don’t be like that. We have so much to catch up on.”

Trixie remained guarded, keeping her sword between her and Discord. “Trixie doesn’t even know you. Start making sense!”

“Sense? Where’s the fun in making sense?” A snap of his fingers and a flash of light conjured up a picnic blanket, covered in an assortment of plates covered in sandwiches, fruit, and pastries. Discord sat down, reached behind his neck, and pulled out a cloth napkin from thin air. He tied it around his long neck and began piling up food on an empty plate. “But, if sense is what you want, I suppose I can make an exception for you.” Without waiting for Trixie to respond, he shoved the entire contents of the plate, along with the plate itself, into his mouth. “Deg en!” he said, spitting out food and crockery. “Ahf recofend the affuls!”

Trixie could count the number of times she was completely speechless on her hooves. She made a mental note to include additional body parts to keep track.

Taking a big gulp, Discord swallowed his mouthful. “Not gonna eat? Well, more for me.” He reached for a roasted chicken but the tip of a sword at his neck prevented him. Discord followed the tip down the length of the sword to the unicorn levitating it.

“Start talking or this goes through your throat,” Trixie said, her expression hard.

“Well, somepony is being rude.” Sighing, Discord snapped his fingers again, making the picnic disappear. “If you’re going to be so insistent, I suppose I’ll explain.” Another flash of white later produced a chalkboard, with Discord appearing next to it wearing a white lab coat. Trixie yelped as a chair popped up from below her, followed by a desk that she braced her hooves against. “Pay attention, because there will be a test.”

Discord cracked his knuckles, summoning a piece of chalk. As he spoke, he drew on the chalkboard. “Now, as far as I can tell, about a year ago, there was this big island that floated in the sky. I think you’re familiar with this part so I’ll skip to the end. Magic, explosions, and magical explosions all happened, yadda yadda yadda, the three statues got put out of alignment, then BAM!” He stepped back from the chalkboard, presenting it to Trixie as though showcasing the next masterpiece of art.

All Trixie could make out were a bunch of random lines that may as well be explaining chaos theory.

“So you see? Make sense now?”

Trixie shot a bolt of ice at the chalkboard, shattering it to pieces.

“Well, I know who’s going to be staying after class.”

Shoving the desk out of her way, Trixie lifted Save the Queen, cried out, and thrust the sword at Discord.

The creature held out a single talon finger, stopping the sword completely.

As Trixie stared at the tip of the sword pressed against the finger, Discord cleared his throat. “Young lady, I don’t think you realize what you’re up against.” He flicked his talon, sending the sword and Trixie flying back. The unicorn landed on her rump, Save the Queen landing at her side. “Let’s try this again, shall we?” Discord grinned, showing plenty of teeth. “Here, I’ll bring out some help.”

Discord stood tall, his grin remaining in place. He held out his lion paw, palm facing forward. To Trixie’s disgust, the paw’s fingers shrank back, leaving just a stump of an arm. The skin of the lump began to boil, bubbles of flesh popping and reforming back into the mass. Slowly, torturously, the bubbles became bigger, the stump growing in size. Trixie could not tear her eyes away, especially as the bubbling stopped to be replaced with receding hunks of flesh, creating ridges and creases. Holding back the urge to vomit, Trixie watched as the mass became more refined, finalizing in the shape of a head.

Specifically, the head of Emperor Blueblood.

He appeared just as regal and imperious as Trixie remembered, the yellow coloring and tuffs of fur from forming out of a lion body part doing nothing to diminish him. He spoke, his voice smooth and rich. “General Trixie, we meet again, at last.”

Trixie blinked and shook her head, wrenching her gaze away. “No... no, this is a trick. Blueblood is dead; I stabbed him myself!”

“Indeed you did! I took you in when you were nothing but a pathetic foal, raised you and trained you, and this is how you repay me!” Blueblood’s head closed its eyes and took a deep breath. “You are wrong. I am not dead. The Phantom Train almost gained a new passenger, but I hung on just long enough to be granted a new life. Now, I reside within this vessel that calls itself Discord. My power is supreme and I rule the world just as I wanted, even if I have to share it with three others.

“I don’t know how it happened, but through magic and chance, I am now a part of a greater being. In a way I should be thanking you. Because of you, I have powers you can only dream of. Soon, I will even transcend this body and—”

“Okay, that’s enough from you,” Discord said. Using his talon hand, he pushed down on Blueblood’s horn, ignoring the indignant cries of protest coming from the emperor’s mouth. With a wet squelch, Discord jammed Blueblood’s face backwards into the lion arm, up to the elbow of the talon arm. Discord pulled back, the talon hand extracting with a pop as the lion paw sproinged back into place. He flexed his paw, giving it a shake, then folded his arms together and smirked down at Trixie. “There, make sense now?”

Trixie stared up at the creature, one of her eyes twitching.

Slapping a hand against his face, Discord gave a dramatic sigh. “Okay, perhaps I’m throwing too much at you all at once. Maybe this will get your attention.” Before Trixie could react, Discord reached down and stood her up on her hooves. He picked up Save the Queen by the hilt and carefully reinserted it back into its sheath. His task done, he stood tall and placed his hands on his hips. “There, now that that’s taken care of, I have a little favor to ask of you.”

“Favor?” Trixie said, her tone distant.

“Yes, something I’m sure you were going to do anyway. I want you to go and find your friends.”

Focus returned to Trixie’s gaze. She looked sharply up at Discord, giving him an intense glare. “What did you just say?”

Discord’s whole body drooped, an exasperated sigh escaping him. “Do I have to repeat everything to you? You remember those do-gooders you teamed up with to fight the Empire, right? Get out there and get the party back together.”

Trixie eyed the strange creature, her magic twitching over her sword. “Why would you want that? You’re still not making sense.”

“It’s what I do,” Discord said, grinning and puffing out his chest. “But seriously, I’ve had a whole year to weave my chaos throughout this world. There’s nothing and nopony that can come close to stopping me. Every pony, every griffon, every everything bends to whatever fancy my mind can come up with.” He fell sideways, laying on his side in midair with his talon arm supporting his head. Stifling a yawn, he continued, “Frankly, I’m bored. Ruling the world isn’t as interesting as I thought it would be. Messing with ponies and chocobos loses its fun when they have no chance to fight back.”

With a smirk, Discord slithered his body through the air, sliding up next to Trixie and placing his lion paw over her shoulder. “That’s where you come in, Trixie dear. You still have that spark of defiance that others lack. While you can’t do anything to me now, I’m betting that working with your friends to try and stop me will lead to very interesting times to come.”

Trixie blinked at him, her mouth forming words faster than her brain could. “You want us to stop you?”

“Well, you’re welcome to try,” Discord drawled.

Pushing away from the creature, Trixie fixed Discord with the angriest glare she could muster. “What is this to you? Some kind of game?!”

“Yep! You finally get it!” He snapped his fingers and a row of packages appeared before the startled unicorn. “Here, these will help you get started. Don’t ever say I didn’t do anything for you. Alvederzane!”

“Wait!”

Too late, as Discord disappeared in a flash of light.

Trixie stood and waited for several minutes, but the odd creature didn’t come back. She looked around, confirming that the land was still a mishmash of impossible things. Had she dreamed the whole thing? Was she still dreaming? It was too bizarre, even for a dream.

Deciding to focus on something productive before she went insane, Trixie inspected the three packages that Discord left behind. Each were wrapped in brightly colored paper with a red bow tied around them. Trixie picked one up with her magic, levitated it over to a geyser spewing grape jelly, and made to chuck it in.

The package hovered just a hoof from the geyser, but didn’t move any closer.

Indecision raged across Trixie’s face. For a full minute the box remained in place until Trixie scowled and pulled it back. Drawn by sheer curiosity, Trixie tore the wrapping paper off and popped open the top, revealing the contents inside. A brown bag tied with a yellow knot lay within, and when Trixie lifted it out, it made the unmistakable jingle of gil. A quick peek inside confirmed that Trixie had a sizable fortune in her grasp.

Frowning, she set the bag aside and reached for the second box. Opening it up, Trixie found a rolled up piece of parchment. She unfurled it, blinking when she saw a glowing blue dot surrounded by contour lines. A moment later, Trixie realized she was staring at a map of the nearby area. Why Discord had left her an incomplete map, she couldn’t say. Shaking her head, she rolled up the map and placed it next to the gil bag.

Finally, she turned to the last box. Something rattled within as she opened it, something solid. Flipping open the box, she tipped it over, allowing whatever was within to fall out. A piece of magicite landed onto her outstretched hoof. Trixie stared at the green crystal with the red core. Sunlight peeked through the puffy pink clouds above and shown upon it, causing glittering lights to spread all over her muzzle.

“He really means it,” Trixie murmured, turning the magicite over in her hoof. “Of all the things I expected to see when I woke up, this wasn’t one of them. Fine, I’ll play your game.”

With new resolve, Trixie put away the magicite and the rest of the supplies given to her by Discord. Within minutes she was ready. Levitating the map within her field of vision, she set out, heading north.

.o.O.o.

A day passed as Trixie made her way through the increasingly bizarre world. Whatever sanity she had experienced in her travel from Albuck was completely overshadowed by the growing oddness of trees planted upside down, rocks made of marshmallows, and all manner of things that were the opposite of what they should be. She also began encountering monsters again, their timidity now gone. More of Discord’s work, she reasoned, though it gave her plenty of practice with Save the Queen and her newly awakened powers from Shiva. Trixie found the tradeoff of a peaceful journey acceptable. At least it took her mind off of recent events.

She quickly found that the map wasn’t as useless as she had first thought. Before her very eyes, the map filled in as Trixie traveled, revealing the surrounding area around her blue dot. Amusingly, words appeared to mark locations of importance, though Trixie had no interest in visiting places called “The Hole to Infinity” or “The Roundabout Plains”. No, her destination became quite clear when on the dawn of the second day of parting ways with Discord, Trotzen appeared on the parchment. Hopefully, the citizens there would be more helpful in finding her comrades than Albuck’s.

Hours later, Trotzen came into view, just as the map showed it would be. Stepping into town, Trixie found that Discord’s influence was more apparent than in Albuck. The floating buildings were a good first indicator. Her attention swiftly shifted though to a large red stallion who was currently occupied with helping a couple anchor down their house with thick steel cables.

“These bindings should hold,” Big Macintosh said to the pair of ponies. “Tightening it down more may not be so good. Could collapse the roof.”

The mare of the pair practically threw herself at Big Macintosh, hugging his large frame as much as she could. “Oh, thank you, sir. You don’t know how much this means.”

“Seriously,” her male companion said. “Hard to raise a family as it is, but not being able to get in your own house makes it impossible.”

“Happy to help.” With that, Big Macintosh extracted himself from the mare, gave a polite bow, then headed off for the next house.

He stopped, blinking as his path was blocked by Trixie.

“I wasn’t sure which of you I would find first,” Trixie said with a smirk. “Glad it’s one of the more reliable ones.”

Big Macintosh smiled and nodded. “Miss Trixie. Glad to see you safe. What brings ya around these parts?”

“Discord.”

Immediately, all talk around them ceased and Big Macintosh’s coat turned pale. Frowning, Trixie looked around her, taking note of all the ponies and griffons that had stopped what they were doing and acting as though the sky was falling. “What?”

“Don’t say that name!” hissed somepony.

“He’ll hear you!” cried another.

“The last time he came here, he turned all my turnips into garden shears. It took me weeks to plant a whole new crop!”

Big Macintosh walked up to Trixie and prodded her to move towards a more secluded area. “You should know better, Miss Trixie.”

“Trixie’s been asleep for a year!” she snapped back. “Besides, it’s not like he’ll just appear because I… said…” She gasped and pointed, prompting Big Macintosh to follow her gaze. His mouth dropped.

Discord hovered over the house Big Macintosh had just finished securing. He idly spun the wind gauge attached to the roof as he inspected the cables strapping down the building. “My my, what ingenuity. You ponies sure do think up creative ways to keep my chaos down. Literally.”

The silence that hung over the town broke. Ponies and griffons alike screamed and fled. They didn’t make it far before roller skates suddenly appeared on their hooves and claws, causing many to collide with each other or stationary objects.

Above them, Discord laughed at the spectacle. “Oh, it’s been too long since I’ve been here. You all know how to make me feel special. So before I go, let me leave you all with one last show.” Using his eagle talons as scissors, he snipped the steel cables of the building like they were threads. The cables flew apart and the house began to rise into the air. “Toodles!” He waved and disappeared in a flash.

Moments later, screams of panic could be heard coming from the house. A window shattered outwards from a thrown lamp, a mare poking her head out a second later and yelling, “Help! My husband’s stuck. He can’t get out!”

Big Macintosh quickly scanned around him, looking for any pegasus or griffon available. He spotted none, the citizens long gone from Discord’s appearance. His sight settled on the cables Discord broke and ran up to them, Trixie following close behind. “Miss Trixie, I think I can jury rig something to keep the house from floating away, but it will take time. You need to get up there and get those ponies out.”

“Me?!” Trixie shrieked. “Why me?”

The stallion gave her a dirty look. “Because you’re the one who caused this mess.” Acting before Trixie could, Big Macintosh grabbed her and hoisted her above his head. Ignoring Trixie’s panicked cries, he took aim at the house slowly drifting away and threw with all his might. Trixie flailed fruitlessly in the air, tumbling end over end, only stopping when her body sailed through the broken window and landed with a thump on the floor.

“I am going to freeze his tail off…” Trixie swore as she collected herself off the floor. She wobbled as the house tilted by an arrant wind, coming close to colliding with the mare next to her. “Where’s your husband?”

The mare pointed a shaking hoof towards a door. “In the other room! Please, hurry!”

Grunting in annoyance and effort, Trixie made her way to the door and flung it open. The next room appeared to be a lounge, with sofas, pictures on the walls, and a carpet. Glancing around, Trixie saw a large wooden cabinet on the far side turned over. A stallion lay under it, his body pinned to the wall against the cabinet’s weight. Trotting over, Trixie summoned her magic, ready to fling the cabinet aside.

That was when the house suddenly lurched, sending Trixie tumbling to the floor. Furniture and picture frames began sliding across the room, forcing Trixie to blast them back with a burst of magic. The house rocked again, the world around Trixie spinning out of control. She landed hard, her head colliding with an upturned desk. Groaning in pain, Trixie fumbled with her hooves in an attempt to get back up, only to collapse back down in a woozy pony pile.

Trixie didn’t know how long she stayed down. Her vision swam, making everything around her a swirling maelstrom of indistinguishable houseware. Shutting her eyes and acting on pure instinct, Trixie’s horn lit up and a second later healing magic flowed around her head. When Trixie reopened her eyes, the living area was no longer spinning. She moaned and tried standing again, this time managing to remain upright. Her head pounded but at least she was able to see.

Another jolt from the house reminded her that time was limited, so she rushed over to the stallion. The constant rocking of the house had knocked the cabinet aside, but the stallion didn’t appear to be conscious. Trixie’s head still hurt, so she bent down and nudged the stallion onto her back. With the added weight, moving back to the first room proved treacherous. The house seemed to have stabilized as it wasn’t lurching anymore, but plenty of strewn about objects impeded Trixie’s way. Pushing them aside wasn’t an option with her living cargo and conjuring magic just made her head pound even more, forcing her to navigate around the room.

Seconds that seemed like minutes passed until Trixie reached the door leading to the first room. The mare was still there, cowering in a corner next to the open window. “Hey, if you help me out here we can get out of this faster,” Trixie called over to her.

The mare gave Trixie a blank stare and continued to shiver. Figuring the mare must be in shock, Trixie forced her aching body across the room, managing to peek out the window. The ground lay about twenty hooves down, though it appeared it wasn’t getting any further. Big Macintosh stood below next to a cable that was pulled taught. One end had been driven into the ground while the other disappeared somewhere underneath the house. “Big Mac! I’ve got them! Reel us in.”

“Nope!” he yelled back. “This is as close as I can get it! You’ll have to jump!”

“Are you crazy?! We can’t survive a landing this far!”

In response, Big Macintosh pointed a hoof towards a pile of cushions, pillows, and blankets stacked right under the window. “Hurry! The cable’s gonna break!”

“Oh, for…” Biting back a curse, Trixie grunted and heaved the stallion off her back and out the window. Outside, she heard the satisfying sound of a body hitting a soft landing rather than a splattery one.

The sound of a steel cable snapping was much less comforting.

Roaring in defiance and pain, Trixie yanked the mare out of the corner with her magic, tossing her out the window. The house tilted but Trixie managed to grab hold of the window sill and hawl herself over the edge. She felt more than saw the home drifting away, followed by the jarring impact of cushy linens and cloth. Now out of danger, Trixie heaved a sigh, allowing her body to sink back into the comfy pile.

She may have fallen asleep if it weren’t for the mare she had just saved trying to scramble towards her husband. The mare’s desperate struggles against a surface that receded back every time she moved made her appear as though she were swimming towards him. It wasn’t until Big Macintosh dug her out that she managed to find purchase and rush to the stallion’s side, sobbing and cradling his head in her lap.

“Need any help, Miss Trixie?” Big Macintosh said to the splayed out unicorn.

“In some ways, yes,” she replied, biting her tongue to keep from lashing out. With a grunt, she pushed away the pillows and blankets around her until she reached the ground and could stand on her hooves. She winced as her horn sparked, a few snowflakes drifting away before quickly melting. “You wouldn’t happen to have a potion on you, huh?”

Silently, Big Macintosh rifled through his saddlebag, pulling out a small bottle containing red fluid and offering it to Trixie. Using her hooves, Trixie popped the cork and gulped it down, grimacing at the foul taste. Almost instantly, her headache faded away and her horn stopped sparking. She frowned at the empty bottle, then gave a quizzical look to Big Macintosh. “That wasn’t a potion.”

“Nope. Somethin’ brand new called a tincture. Supposed to help restore magic.”

“You made it?”

“Nope. Stardust did.”

Trixie scrunched up her muzzle. “You mean that chocobo? He’s still around?”

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh pointed over Trixie’s shoulder, towards the east. “He and a bunch of others use the Hydra’s Trench to make deliveries to a couple of the towns in this part of the world.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Trixie said, waving a hoof. “Hydra’s Trench? But that’s underwater.”

“Not anymore.”

Trixie felt her headache returning. “Okay. You and Trixie have a lot of catching up to do.”

.o.O.o.

Trixie was seeing it with her own eyes. Her brain just didn’t want to believe it.

After leaving Trotzen, a fact the townsfolk were all too happy to speed along with their angry looks and biting remarks, Trixie and Big Macintosh headed east. Along the way, Trixie explained her year on the isolated island and her encounter with Discord. Discord himself made no sudden and dramatic appearances, something Trixie was grateful for. Big Macintosh in turn filled her in on how Discord would pop in and out with no warning, causing havoc and chaos for any creature unfortunate enough to have gained his attention. Every town did its best to deal with the fallout, but it was strictly taboo to say his name in fear of summoning him. For the most part, the world had decided to ignore Discord in the hopes that he wouldn’t take notice of them.

Now, Trixie could see why. Before her, stretching off into the distance, a strip of land less than a mile wide snaked its way northward and eastward. A tiny but sturdy bridge had been built to connect the Empire’s continent to the newly risen landmass. Most of the stretch appeared barren, with a few rocks and boulders scattered around, all worn down by centuries of constantly flowing water. Or at least, water used to flow here.

It was like the very land inverted itself. The trench rose while the seas fell. Trixie could find no words other than, “Why?”

Standing next to her, Big Macintosh shrugged. “Dunno. Who knows what that thing is thinkin’.” He then froze and slowly looked around, but no beings of chaos appeared. He let out a relieved sigh. “Anyway, we have two choices. Either we head north towards Nikhay or east to the zebra village.”

Trixie tore her gaze away from the Hydra’s Trench to look up at the stallion. “Well, Trixie doesn’t see much need to go see the zebras. Nikhay would probably be the best place to look for the others.”

“Twilight’s at the zebra place.”

If Trixie had been drinking anything, she would have spittaked. “She is?!”

“Eeyup.”

He didn’t elaborate further and a pregnant silence followed. Trixie stared up at him, then slowly turned her head towards the path that led east. She closed her eyes, letting out a long breath. She reopened them, her features firming up, and took a step east. “Fine. We’ll pick up Sparkle, then.”

Big Macintosh fell into step next to her. “You’re going to have a time convincin’ her to come.”

“Why’s that?”

“You’ll see.”

Again, he let the statement hang, and no amount of prodding from Trixie would get him to open up. Giving up in a huff, Trixie instead concentrated on the journey ahead. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see or do, besides fighting off the occasional discorded monster. Even the map didn’t display any named landmarks, though Trixie rolled her eyes when the Sea of Irregularity appeared. Did Discord name these things or was the map enchanted to randomly pick names out of a chaotic hat?

Days went by, making Trixie wish they had an airship again to help cart them around. When asked about Pinkie Pie, Big Macintosh shook his head and said he hadn’t heard anything about her whereabouts. His best guess was that she was partying it up somewhere, though Trixie had her doubts that was the case. A pony as gregarious as Pinkie Pie wouldn’t lay low for this long.

After a long and boring trek, the duo reached the end of the Hydra’s Trench. The zebra village came into view, though Trixie made note that it was no longer located within the Veldt. The map showed a lonely peninsula surrounded by a dozen islands. Apparently, not content to raise an entire undersea canyon, Discord had rearranged many of the towns and continents on a whim. Grateful more than ever to have a map to make a little sense of this new and twisted world, Trixie and Big Macintosh trotted into the village.

No zebra came up to greet them. In fact, no zebra could be seen at all. Instead, stone statues dotted the village, all of them zebra shaped. Some had looks of alarm, as though making ready to flee. However, as Trixie and Big Macintosh got deeper into the village, most of the statues appeared to have been stuck doing mundane things, such as walking, talking, or bending down to eat. One sat next to a large wooden bowl, his hooves clutching a roller used to grind herbs, though when Trixie peered into the bowl, the plants inside had long since shriveled up.

Trixie shivered and glanced up at Big Macintosh. “Okay, what happened here?”

The stallion’s face, normally stoic, had fallen into a deep frown, his ears drooping. Big Macintosh motioned with his hoof to follow him, leading Trixie next to a stump near the edge of the village. He wrapped against it four times, then stood back and waited. Moments later, the stump lifted up a few inches and a pony peeked out through the narrow slit.

“Oh, it’s you.”

~ A mysterious young mare with a fiery attitude,
whose role in the world has yet to be found... ~

The pony heaved the stump to the side and stepped out of the ground, revealing herself to be a unicorn with a burnt orange coat and yellow and red streaked mane. She nodded to Big Macintosh but narrowed her eyes when she looked at Trixie. “Who’s this?”

“A friend,” he said. “Can we see Twilight?”

“I don’t think Twilight would like it if a stranger came in here.”

Trixie snickered and tossed back her mane. “Oh, believe me, Twilight and Trixie go way back.”

The mare’s eyes widened upon hearing the name. “So you’re Trixie.” Her horn began to glow red and her eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure if I should burn you on the spot for what you did or leave you out here for the beasts to maul you to death.”

Rolling her eyes, Trixie made a shooing gesture. “Please, you’re embarrassing yourself. Go fetch Twilight and stop wasting our time.”

The mare’s features twisted into a snarl and the air around the ponies began to heat up. A red glyph formed at the tip of the mare’s horn, followed by a fireball that grew bigger by the second.

“Sunset Shimmer. Let them in.”

The mare, Sunset, stumbled at hearing the voice echo up from the hole in the ground. The fireball fizzled out and Sunset turned towards the hole, ignoring Trixie and Big Macintosh. “Twilight, I don’t think that’s a good idea! I mean it’s… it’s…”

“It’s Trixie, isn’t it?”

“Yes! Don’t worry, I can get rid of her.”

“It’s fine, Sunset,” came Twilight’s distant voice. “I want to see her.”

Sunset twisted her neck, giving Trixie a look that promised pain. She kicked the dirt and turned away, allowing access to the hole. “You heard her. Get in.”

Trixie didn’t move, instead focusing her gaze on the unicorn. At this angle, Sunset’s flank was visible, along with the cutie mark emblazoned there: a blazing red and yellow sun. Trixie gave her a shewed look. “Nice mark. Where did you get it?”

Sunset thrust a hoof at the hole. “I said get in!”

Shrugging, Trixie trotted past the fuming unicorn, avoiding eye contact. She stepped into the hole, finding a winding staircase leading down. A few steps in, she heard Big Macintosh’s heavy clops behind her, followed by the lighter ones of Sunset. The discarded stump was moved back into place, casting the stairs in darkness. The dark didn’t last long as a door at the end of the stairs opened up, spilling out light for them to see by. Trixie wasted no time going through, entering a large room filled with crudely constructed beds and one desk. Torches lined the walls, the source of the light.

Around the desk sat a half dozen zebra colts and fillies. These zebras were not statues, but living, breathing children who all looked up at Trixie with uncertain eyes. And sitting behind the desk, a small smile on her face, sat Twilight Sparkle. A red cloth cap covered her head.

“Please, come in,” Twilight said, pointing a hoof towards an empty space on the floor. “Sorry we don’t have any seats.”

“Trixie will stand, if you don’t mind.” She moved to allow Big Macintosh and Sunset inside, Sunset closing the door behind her.

“Oh, sure, whatever makes you comfortable. It’s great to see that you’re alright, Trixie. I was worried.”

Trixie eyed the zebras staring up at her, then back at Twilight. “Yes, as you can see it takes more than the end of the world to stop the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

A round of giggles passed through the zebras.

Trixie gave them a glare. The children quickly grew silent. Focusing again on Twilight, she said, ”Look, I’ll get to the point. I’ve met Discord—”

“Don’t say his name!” Sunset screeched.

Trixie ignored her. “—and he’s given me an ultimatum. Either I gather up all the Returners and we fight against him, or he’s going to continue ruining our world. Trixie doesn’t understand it completely, but it seems he wants a challenge after playing around.”

Twilight sighed, looking down. “I was afraid that’s what you were going to say.” She stood up and walked over to the wall at the back of the room. Hanging up from a pair of wooden hooks driven into the soft dirt of the wall was Flame Sabre. Twilight reached up and ran a hoof along the blade’s length, her gaze taking in the whole sword. She swallowed and turned back to look at Trixie. “I can’t come.” She reached up and slipped the cap off her head. Her horn came into view, revealing it to be covered in blue spots and drooping downward. “You see, I’ve lost my magic.”

Wherein Allies are Gathered

Twilight Sparkle sat amongst the group of zebra foals as they each came up to her and offered a hug or pat on the back. She wore her red cap again, hiding the sickly horn protruding from her forehead. She also wore a wide smile as she gladly accepted the offered comfort, as though her magic was the least on her mind. “I suppose you want to know how this all happened, right?”

Keeping her face expressionless, Trixie said, “She admits, the thought crossed Trixie’s mind.”

The children all giggled, causing Trixie to raise an eyebrow. “What’s with them? Did Trixie say something funny?”

Twilight smirked and gave the children a knowing look. “Kinda. They like the way you say your name all the time.”

Trixie’s eyes narrowed, watching the little foals continued snickering. Shaking her head, Trixie turned back to Twilight. “Brats. Whatever. You were saying about your horn?”

“Right, that,” Twilight said with a sigh. The zebras huddled around Twilight, forming a pile of warm, fuzzy bodies. “Well, when we all got knocked off the airship that day, I got separated from everypony.” She tightly closed her eyes and licked dry lips. “Even Spike.” Opening her eyes, she stared off into the distance. “I’ve been looking for him ever since. I thought he might be back at Neighshe so I headed towards there, but I never made it. On the way my horn started acting funny and my magic wouldn’t cooperate. It wasn’t until I got a look at myself in a stream that I saw what it looks like now.

“I didn’t know what to do. I was all alone and so scared. I thought I was going to die. That’s when Sunset Shimmer found me.”

Trixie glanced to the side where Sunset stood. The mare appeared to be trying to seem imposing and noble, but Trixie could spot the contours of her face softening as Twilight spoke.

“Do you want to take over, Sunset?” Twilight asked. “It’s your story, too.”

Sunset jerked as though stung and rapidly shook her head. “N-no, that’s alright. Please, go on.”

“Alright. Let’s see, what happened next? Oh, right, Sunset kinda stumbled upon me and we got to talking. It didn’t take long before I noticed her cutie mark and asked her what esper she bonded with.” Twilight paused, taking a breath. “She didn’t know. In fact, she doesn’t know how she got where she was or even who she was. It was like… looking at my reflection. She was where I had been, with no memory of anything. I think it might have been a slave crown, but we have no way to know for sure.

“We agreed to go with each other to help cure both of our conditions. We traveled around for a while and even found Stardust; he didn’t know anything about what happened to my horn, and none of the potions he had worked on it. That’s when he suggested we go see the zebras. They have a lot of knowledge about obscure illnesses.

“But… when we got here…” She trailed off, gazing over the room full of fillies and colts. They looked up at her with wide, shining eyes. Some whimpered and cuddled closer to Twilight. “All the adults had been turned to stone.” Falling silent, Twilight held the children close to her tighter.

When it became clear Twilight wouldn’t continue, Sunset spoke up. “Well, um, we thought it’d be best to stay and look after the kids.”

The room grew quiet again, the only sounds the scuffling of the zebras and the occasional sniffle. Trixie looked around, her expression unsure and hesitant. She sighed and said, “So what caused them to be turned to stone?”

“Who do you think?” Sunset spat.

“Figures. Do you know why?”

“We weren’t here to see it, but the kids tell us he just appeared out of nowhere, snapped his fingers, and all the adults changed to stone. He said something about not changing ponies into stone, but since zebras aren’t ponies—”

“He made an exception,” Trixie finished. She smiled and puffed out her chest. “But not to worry! With Trixie’s stupendous and awesome magic, she will cure the zebras of their curse!”

“Don’t you think we’ve tried?” Sunset said, turning to face Trixie. “What makes you think you can do it?”

“Do you have healing magic?”

“Well… no…”

“Then you haven’t tried everything. And, since Twilight’s healing magic is out, it falls to Trixie to make things right!” She whirled around, her cape billowing dramatically behind her, and headed for the door.

Before Trixie could reach for the handle, Sunset bared her way. “No! You can’t go out there!”

“Stand aside and watch a professional do her stuff!”

“I don’t care who you are!” Sunset lowered her head, her horn pointing directly at Trixie. “You aren’t getting past me.”

Trixie looked down her nose at Sunset, seemingly unperturbed by the pointy bit aimed at her. “Again with the bravado. Trixie hasn’t seen you do anything to earn it.”

“As if you’re one to talk!”

Smirking, Trixie flicked her hoof against Sunset’s nose, causing the other mare to sneeze. “I’ve earned it, a thousand times over, while you I can tell are as fresh as the cadets just before bootcamp. Trixie doubts you have what it takes to step on a flower.”

Sunset stomped the ground and snarled, “That’s it—”

“Please, stop!” A purple blur shot up between the two, pushing them away from each other. Twilight heaved from the sudden exertion, her face pleading. “Please, please, please, we can’t be fighting, please!” She turned to Sunset and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Sunset, thanks for being so concerned. Could you go over to the children for a minute?”

“But—”

“Please?”

Sunset looked past Twilight to stare hatefully at Trixie. A moment later, her gaze settled back to Twilight. “Fine.” She stomped past the two unicorns, keeping her eye on the foals the entire time.

Trixie watched her go with one raised eyebrow, then smirked at Twilight. “You have your own servant, I see. Way to step it up.”

“Trixie, now’s not the time,” Twilight said with an exasperated sigh. “But Sunset’s right, you can’t just go up there like this. There are more things than just monsters around here.”

“Oh? Like what?”

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!”

Everypony in the room cringed at the roar of a deep voice from somewhere above. The zebras cowered next to Sunset while Big Macintosh readied his drill. Twilight gasped and whirled away from the door and backed up, as though expecting the hounds of hell to burst through.

“Like that.”

Acting swiftly, Twilight rushed over to Flame Sabre hanging on the wall and gripped the pommel in her mouth. She made a face, as though tasting something disagreeable, and slipped it off its hooks. She headed back to the door, propped the sword against it, and turned back to the others. “Everypony, stay here. I think I can get him to go away like last time by talking to him. Don’t let him know you’re here.”

“Okay, hold up,” Trixie said, raising up a hoof. “What is going on? Who is this ‘he’?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time. Sunset can tell you. Don’t follow me, please?” With that, she picked up her sword, opened up the door, and headed through. The door closed seconds later and a click could be heard on the other side.

Trixie was left staring at the closed door. She blinked and growled, grasping the door handle with her magic. She gave a tug but the door wouldn’t budge. Huffing, Trixie withdrew Save the Queen and readied it for a swing.

“What are you doing?!” Sunset cried, once again rushing over to place herself in front of the door. “Didn’t you hear what she said? We have to stay here.”

“Trixie heard what she said and Trixie thinks she’s lost the last of her marbles. Stand aside before I move you myself!”

“No!” Lighting up her horn and spreading her stance, Sunset stared down the pony holding a sword.

“Oh, for the love of—”

“Sunset, we’re going up there.”

Sunset whipped her head towards the voice of Big Macintosh. The stallion walked up to her and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. She flinched at the touch but didn’t move from her spot in front of the door.

“Sunset, I know you respect Twilight 'n' all, but she’s always been a bit naive. Words aren’t gonna be enough, sometimes.”

“But, it worked last time…” Sunset said, though her tone didn’t match her statement.

Big Macintosh shrugged. “Sure, but I ain’t willing to take the same chance twice.” He gave a push, moving Sunset away from the door. Sunset didn’t offer any resistance.

“Oh, sure, when you say it, it makes sense, but when Trixie says it, she’s a looney.”

Big Macintosh gave a small smile. “It’s just the way you gotta say it, is all.” He lifted up his drill and gave it a whirl. “Ready to go?”

Trixie readied Save the Queen. “Always.”

.o.O.o.

Twilight Sparkle tossed Flame Sabre onto the ground and pushed the stump back over the hole. With the others sealed up and out of the way, Twilight picked her sword back up and ran towards the middle of the village. The zebra statues on the way silently watched her go. When she reached the village square, she thrust her sword point first into the dirt and yelled, “Tirek! I’m right here!”

She waited a few minutes, the only sounds the wind whistling through the houses. Then, the sounds of heavy hooves against the ground came towards her left. She twisted and took a deep breath as a creature with the black body of a horse and the red torso of a human stepped out from behind a home. He spotted Twilight, smiled, and casually walked up to her. Stopping only a few hooves away, her looked down at her, towering above her by two full grown ponies. “Twilight, how nice of you to come out and greet me.”

“Tirek, you need to leave,” Twilight said, trying and failing to stop the quavering of her voice. “There’s nothing for you here.”

The centaur sighed and ran a hand through the tuft of white hair on his head. “Must we go through this again? It doesn’t matter if your magic doesn’t work. I can still take it.”

“It won’t do you any good. Please, I beg you, leave me in peace.”

“Ah, but I’m not the same as I was last time.” Tirek spread his arms wide, as though offering Twilight a hug. “Don’t you see? I’m more powerful now. While you managed to drive me off before, that won’t work this time.”

Twilight inched closer to her sword. “Please… just go away.”

“And give up the most powerful magical pony for miles around?” Tirek swept his hand across the village and all the stone zebras contained within it. “Look at this, Twilight, and look well. I can fix this. I can destroy Discord and restore this place to what it once was. You will be heralded as a savior to the whole world. All I need is your magic.” He smiled, showing rows of large, white teeth. “It won’t even hurt.”

Swallowing, Twilight grabbed her sword by the mouth and held it up, pointing it at Tirek. “Ah shed no!”

Tirek sneered. He stood back and folded his muscled arms. “Very well. We’ll do this the hard way, then.” Lowering his arms, he stepped forward.

Twilight stepped back, keeping the space between them as large as possible. Tirek snorted and rushed forward, closing the distance in only a few strides. Gasping and nearly dropping her sword, Twilight latched down, closed her eyes, and swung it from side to side. Her third swing struck with a meaty thunk. Daring to see if she had feld her foe, Twilight opened her eyes.

Her sword had indeed impacted Tirek, specifically, the palm of his right hand. Unfortunately, that didn’t appear to faze Tirek in the slightest. Giving a cruel smile, he closed his hand, entrapping the blade, tugged, and yanked it from Twilight’s grasp. Tirek flung the sword away where it landed somewhere with a thud. Wasting no time against his disarmed opponent, Tirek formed a fist with the same hand he used to throw away the sword and brought it down hard onto Twilight’s back.

Twilight didn’t even have time to scream as her stomach impacted the ground, knocking the air out of her. She tried sucking in oxygen, but her lungs wouldn’t obey her. She felt a sensation of being lifted and her vision was soon taken up by Tirek’s grinning face.

“Perhaps I misjudged your power if that’s all the resistance you can put up,” he said to her, his black horns glowing crimson as he held her up with his magic. “But beggars can’t be choosers, so I’ll take what I can get.” Tirek opened his mouth wide and breathed in deeply. Wisps of magical energy began to leak off of Twilight and down his throat.

“Put her down this instant!”

Tirek paused in the act of sucking in Twilight’s magic and turned to the new voice. A pair of unicorns and an earth pony charged at him, each brandishing a weapon. The yellow unicorn wielded Flame Sabre in her red magic aura. Chuckling, Tirek held Twilight out before him. “Twilight, you never told me you had friends. And I can sense magic from all three. Coming here will be worth the effort, after all.”

“Put her down, now!” Sunset demanded again. She held up Flame Sabre, the fire sword trembling slightly in her aura.

“As you wish,” Tirek said. He placed Twilight on the ground behind him. She collapsed on the dirt, her eyes vacant. “I’ll finish with her once I’ve taken care of you.” A fireball formed in the space between his horns, a beam of blazing heat shooting out towards the ponies.

He snickered when Trixie jumped in front of his attack, holding up her sword. His amusement died as the beam struck the sword and felt his magic being drawn in against his will. Cutting off his beam, Tirek reared back and regarded the newcomers with wariness. “What is this? Who are you?”

“Your doom,” Trixie answered. Her horn lit up and sent a pulsating purple ball towards him.

“Feh.” Tirek reached out to swat the incoming attack away. That didn’t happen, as the ball proceeded to bounce off his arm, impact his chest, and pass through him. A dozen smaller purple balls shot out of his back, scattering and dissolving in the air. Tirek let out a gasp of surprise, instinctively channeling his magic. His surprise grew as less magic than before welled within him. “What… what did you do to me…?”

Trixie smirked. “Like it? It’s something Trixie came up with all on her own. It depletes your magic reserves. Trixie calls it rasp.”

“Impossible! It’ll take days to regain that power again!” Roaring in fury, Tirek forgoed further magic and rushed the trio of ponies. Grabbing a large cooking cauldron that lay outside a zebra house, he ran towards them and threw it with all his might.

Big Macintosh acted this time. He held up some type of mechanical device with a nozzle, flicked a switch, and pointed the nozzle at the incoming pot. A loud whirring noise filled the area as air got sucked through the nozzle opening, forcing the pot to change course. The bottom of the cauldron impacted the nozzle, causing the stallion to stagger back, but the cauldron remained firmly attached. With another flick of a switch, the pressure in the nozzle reversed, shooting the cauldron back at Tirek like a cannonball.

Tirek didn’t bother avoiding the incoming projectile, simply forming a double fist and smacking the cauldron to the side. He now bore down on the ponies, reaching for the nearest one, Sunset.

The unicorn screeched and swung wildly with Flame Sabre. Much like Twilight before, Tirek caught the blade with his palm and pulled. The sword came free, rendering her weaponless, and Tirek opened his mouth to suck in her magic.

Sunset managed to react first, firing off a ball of flame right to his face.

Tirek chomped down on the fireball, swallowing it like it was hard candy. “Spicy, but I’ll manage.” His mouth opened again and began to pull in her magic.

“Fool!” Trixie stabbed up with her sword, intercepting Tirek’s suction. “Ignore Trixie and you will pay!”

Growling in frustration, Tirek turned to deal with the loudmouthed pony.

Only to receive a bright flash of light to the eyes.

Tirek roared and covered his eyes, but it was too late. He blindly flailed about, uncaring what he hit or what he trampled over. He felt a biting cold strike his back, followed by an impact from a kick. Sensing more incoming attacks, Tirek made a decision.

“You haven’t seen the last of me!” With that, he broke off from the ponies and ran. His vision only partially restored, he ran through obstacles rather than around them, collapsing buildings and knocking over statues alike. Within moments, he reached the outskirts of the village and out into the wilderness.

.o.O.o.

“He’s getting away!” Trixie said, sheathing her sword and reading to give chase. Next to her, Big Macintosh put away his flash to do the same.

Sunset blocked their path. “Forget about him! We need to check on Twilight.” Without waiting for acknowledgement, Sunset turned and rushed to Twilight’s fallen body. A quick inspection found a fist sized bruise forming on her back, but she was breathing. “Quick, let’s get her back to the hideout.”

Minutes later, after some careful application of telekinesis, Twilight lay in a bed surrounded by concerned zebra colts and fillies. Trixie cast a healing spell while Big Macintosh fed her a tincture. The combined actions were enough for Twilight to weakly open her eyes.

Sunset was at her side in an instant. “Oh thank goodness, you’re okay.”

“What happened?” Twilight slurred.

“Don’t worry, Tirek is gone. We managed to drive him away.”

“Oh.” Twilight shifted in her bed, wincing as the pains from the battle began to make themselves known. “Good.” Her gaze swiveled over to Trixie, giving the unicorn a sad smile. “Doesn’t look like I’m in any shape to go with you.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “While I thought your excuse before was lame, Trixie admits that it would be best for you to stay here and get healed up.

“Though she has to ask. What happened out there?”

Twilight looked away and squirmed. “I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I think when the magic was released a year ago, it also released a couple of things that had been sealed up. My guess is that Tirek was one of them. He can steal others' magic and grow stronger. He says he’ll use the power to stop Discord, but I can tell he means to do more than that. He’d be even worse than Discord if he gets his way.”

“Wonderful,” Trixie said, letting out a huff. “So it’s not just Discord that has to be dealt with, but potentially a bunch of magically powered creatures that also want to rule the world.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. Sorry.”

Sunset cleared her throat, her expression grim after the mention of Discord. “Okay, let’s not bring him up again and let Twilight get her rest. As for you,” Sunset pointed a hoof at Trixie, “since it’s obvious Twilight isn’t going to come with you, I think it would be best to leave now before something else happens.”

Narrowing her eyes, Trixie said, “Are you suggesting that that beast came here because of me?”

“No. I’m suggesting that you’re a menace and—”

“Sunset.”

Sunset bit her tongue and turned to Twilight. “W-what?”

Even bed ridden, Twilight could still give a disappointed look. “Stop antagonizing Trixie. I might not be alive today if it weren’t for her. Apologize, now.”

“To her?! But—”

“Sunset.”

Head bowed, Sunset faced Trixie, her mouth twisted as though she had bit into something bitter. “Sorry.”

A round of giggles passed through the zebras as they watched the antics of the older ponies.

Trixie rolled her eyes and headed for the door. “Whatever. This whole trip has given Trixie a headache. Big Mac, we’re heading towards Nikhay.” Big Macintosh nodded and began collecting his stuff.

“Good luck, Trixie,” Twilight called out.

Trixie glanced back, smirked, and stepped out to the stairs beyond.

It was as she was climbing out of the secret hole that Trixie encountered a whole flock of chocobos milling about the village. She stared, frozen in place as one of the chocobos separated from the group and came up to her. Trixie looked up and frowned.

“Oh, it’s you.” “Oh, it’s you.”

Stardust and Trixie blinked at the synchronization.

Stardust recovered first. “So, we meet again, I guess.”

“Yes, joyous day and all that.” Trixie looked around at the other chocobos. “Trixie takes it you found your clan?”

Perking up, Stardust gave a sharp nod. “Yeah, some of them. Though all chocobos now are kinda all one group. Kinda hard to form a clan when only one or two members have been found.” His tone dropped as he said, “Still no sign of Moonlight, though.”

A moment later, Big Macintosh climbed out of the hole and spotted Stardust. “Why, hello there. Was hopin’ we’d run across ya on our way.”

Stardust waved a wing. “Hey, Big Mac. How’s Twilight?”

Big Macintosh frowned and shook his head. “Not so good. Tirek came back and he did a number on her.”

“Does she need healing?” Stardust blurt out, placing his pack down to sort through it.

“Eeyup, best ya got.”

“Here.” Stardust placed down a collection of clear bottles with different colored liquids. “Tell her to take a sip of each every few hours.”

“What’s going on up here?” Sunset popped her head out of the hole, taking stock of the new arrivals. “You guys are going to draw attention standing around like this.”

“Wow, is there a party going on over here or what?”

All heads turned to a pair of ponies trotting up to them, a mint green unicorn and a pale yellow earth pony. The unicorn waved and said, “Hi, I’m Lyra and this is Bon Bon.”

Bon Bon waved herself. “A pleasure.”

“... Charmed,” Sunset said at length. “Can we… help you?”

Lyra grinned and rubbed the back of her head. “Oh, sorry. We hooked up with these chocobos when we got to Nikhay and have been traveling with them since. We’ve been looking for a good spot to settle down.”

“We’re a couple, if you hadn’t guessed,” Bon Bon added. “We thought about South Fillygaro, but, well, you-know-who pops in there quite a bit, lately. We figured he’d ignore someplace out of nowhere, like this.”

Trixie snorted. “Doubtful.”

“All the same, we figured it was worth a try.”

Sunset shook her head. “Look, not to be rude, but this isn’t the place for you. Monsters still show up and we just got done driving off a demon trying to hurt my friend. More ponies will just draw more unwanted attention.”

“Oh, we can help with that!” Lyra exclaimed, her grin growing wider. “You see, about a year ago when the world went all nuts, I got this sudden urge to start learning to play music. I’ve gotten really good and can even play tunes that force monsters to run away.”

“I can vouch for that,” Stardust spoke up. “It’s really neat. We haven’t been bothered by monsters the whole way here.”

“And if any monsters don’t run away,” Bon Bon said, forming her own grin, “I’ve got this.” She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a silver cylinder. She pressed a button on the side and it expanded into a large mallet. She took a swing and struck the ground, leaving a deep divot. She pulled it out with little effort and let it hang over her shoulder. “Got it in South Fillygaro.”

Lyra gave a firm nod and beamed at Sunset. “So, what do you say to that?”

“No.”

“Aw, c’mon!”

Sunset stuck out her tongue and made to close the hole, but a red hoof prevented her. “Sunset, we should talk to Twilight about this,” Big Macintosh said. “If Tirek comes back, they can help.”

“Or they’ll get sucked dry!” Sunset countered.

The stallion shrugged. “Always that chance, but in my experience, it’s better to have numbers on your side.”

Sunset let out a disgusted groan. “This has been the worst day.”

She led them down to the concealed room, taking the potions Stardust provided as well. When the group convened and retold the whole story to Twilight, she looked positively glowing. “This is great news. We’ll get the help we need to protect the village.”

“But it’s dangerous, Twilight!” Sunset protested.

“I know, but it’s dangerous everywhere, Sunset. Nothing can change that.”

“Hey, Trixie is working on it,” Trixie said.

Twilight grew silent, her gaze distant. Finally, she said, “You’re right. I wish it wasn’t so, but you need just as much help as we do.” She looked up at Sunset and motioned for her to come closer. The unicorn did so, sitting down next to the bed and waiting intently. “Sunset, I want you to listen to what I have to say.” Twilight took a breath, ignoring her pains. “I want you to go with Trixie and Big Macintosh.”

Sunset stared at Twilight as though she had grown a second head. “Wha… what?”

“This is important,” Twilight continued, keeping her eyes locked to Sunset’s. “Discord has to be stopped. Nothing will change while he’s still around. You can go where I can’t.”

“Twilight, stop talking. You’re not feeling well and need rest.”

Twilight gingerly laid a hoof over Sunset’s shoulder. “Sunset, I know what I’m doing. When I lost my memory, I went on a journey. It was very scary and I saw many horrible things on the way. But, it helped me, it really did. I met so many wonderful friends that helped me every step of the way. I grew stronger, and in time, I was able to help those that helped me. I even regained my memories.

“This is your chance to do the same, Sunset. You’ve been a wonderful friend to me, and I cherish our time together. I’m not doing this because I don’t like you anymore. I’m doing this because I know it’s what you need to do. Go out, become stronger, and maybe you’ll remember who you really are.”

“But I don’t care about that!” Sunset’s voice cracked, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’ll gladly go my entire life without remembering anything to stay here!” She grabbed Twilight’s hoof between her own. “Please, don’t send me away.”

Twilight closed her eyes and smiled. “I won’t force you to, if you really don’t want to. It’ll be your choice. Gosh, it feels like it was so long ago when Mayor Mare gave me the same choice.” She opened her eyes, her smile still in place. “Do you know what I said to her then? The same thing you’re saying now. I was so scared to get involved, to hurt others. I didn’t want any of it.” Twilight looked away and sighed. “But, things happened and I got involved anyway.”

Pushing Twilight’s hoof away, Sunset tucked her in, making sure she was covered up completely. “Here.” Sunset levitated over the bottles Stardust gave her, giving her a sip of each. “The medicine will make you feel better. Get some sleep.”

“Yes…” Twilight’s voice trailed off and soon she was sound asleep.

Once she was sure Twilight was secure, Sunset turned towards the others who had stayed silent during the whole exchange. Rubbing at her eyes, Sunset said, “Look, it’s getting late. Why don’t we all get to bed and then you guys can head out tomorrow.”

There came no argument. The zebras stayed in the hidaway while everypony and chocobo made camp up top. Lyra even provided a soothing lullaby with a lyre that quickly lulled everyone asleep. All but one.

Sunset remained awake, her mind too active to rest. Instead she tossed and turned within her blanket until giving up and trotting a short ways out of the village. There, she sat and looked at the stars, as though urging them to give her the answers she needed.

Dawn came, and with it the chocobos began packing up. They promised to check in with the village on a regular basis, even though it was way out of their way. Trixie and Big Macintosh left with them while Lyra and Bon Bon stayed to begin fortifying their new home.

The small caravan had only gone a few miles when the sound of approaching hooves from behind caught their attention. They turned to see Sunset Shimmer galloping up to them, Flame Sabre held to her side in a makeshift sheath. Once she reached them, she took a few moments to catch her breath. Her eyes locked with theirs, and while there was still some uncertainty in hers, they could also see the embers of determination turning into a flame. “I’m coming with you.”

In Which Trixie and Sunset Join the Mile High Club

“Let’s stop here and rest.”

The flock of chocobos, Big Macintosh, and Sunset Shimmer halted as Trixie set her belongings down next to an upturned boulder. Water streaks and indents of fossilized crustaceans marked the large rock as having come from the bottom of the ocean. It was another example of the changes Discord had wrought upon the world.

Stardust looked up at the sky, scratching the back of his head with a wing. “Why? There’s plenty of light still. We could get a dozen more miles in.”

“Trixie is aware. But there’s a nice open spot over there. I’ll be needing it to train Sunset.”

Sunset blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Wearing her cape and sword, Trixie trotted over to a flat rocky area only a few hooves away. “Come on, or the real sunset will get here before you do.”

Flabbergasted, Sunset looked to the others but only got blank stares or shrugs in return. Scowling, Sunset threw down her saddlebags, drew Flame Sabre, and rushed to where Trixie was waiting. The blue unicorn wore a smirk equal to Sunset’s frown. “Okay, what is your deal?”

“Firstly, it’s the Great and Powerful Trixie to you,” Trixie said, casually inspecting a hoof. “Secondly, your performance against Tirek left much to be desired. I will not drag you around to the ends of the earth or save your hide every time there’s a fight. If you want to help, then you need to pull your own weight.”

“Oh, so you don’t think I can fight, do you?” Sunset leveled Trixie with a confident look, setting into a stance. “You know, Twilight’s not here to defend you anymore. I’m going to enjoy cutting you down a peg or two.”

Trixie snorted and flicked her mane back. “Please, leave the impossible to Discord.”

“Oh, that is it!” With a feral cry, Sunset raised Flame Sabre and charged. When she came within reach, her sword streaked down like a fireball towards Trixie’s neck.

A flash of steel, a clang of blades, and one disarmed unicorn stood trembling with a sword tip pointed at her throat.

“It’s even worse than Trixie thought,” Trixie growsed. She lowered Save the Queen from Sunset’s neck, instead pointing it at Flame Sabre laying nearby. “C’mon, enough wasting time. Pick it up and try again.”

Sunset shot a look at Trixie that promised unending pain, levitated her sword back up, and swung at Trixie’s unprotected backside. The blade struck with strength to cleave a buffalax in half. It bounced off Trixie’s cape as though it had struck rock, a few ice particles following in its wake.

“Points for trying,” Trixie said, her gaze never leaving Sunset’s. “My turn.” Save the Queen rose, its blade gleaming in the sunlight. Trixie took a swing, forcing Sunset to recall Flame Sabre in time to intercept the attack. “Good reflexes.” With the preliminaries over, Trixie launched into a flurry of strikes and swipes, keeping Sunset on the defensive.

Sunset’s entire world revolved around keeping Trixie’s assault from touching her. The blue unicorn’s sword was everywhere at once, forcing Sunset to keep alert or get skewered. Flame Sabre held up to the task of keeping her safe, but did little else. All it would take was one mistake for her to lose.

That mistake came seconds later as Sunset went for a high block, only for Trixie to reverse her sword and go low. Sunset watched in shock as Save the Queen came in, point first. Her shock grew as Save the Queen swerved again, missing her nose by a hair and struck the pommel of Flame Sabre instead. The force of the blow knocked her concentration off, sending Flame Sabre flying away to land in the dirt. Save the Queen once again pressed against her neck.

Trixie chuckled, recalling her sword and sheathing it. “We’ll have to work on that later. You can’t win if all you do is block. Now, let’s see how you handle this.” Her horn lit up, and seconds later an ice ball rocketed towards the fiery unicorn.

The incoming spell knocked Sunset out of her stupor. She roared her defiance and launched a fireball of matching size. The two spells collided, exploding on impact and sending a shockwave that pushed the unicorns back. Trixie recovered first, a hint of appreciation in her eyes. “Well, looks like I’ve got something to work with after all.”

“There’s more where that came from,” Sunset promised as she readied for the next round.

.o.O.o.

Stardust watched as the impromptu duel between the ponies raged, a second explosion rippling the landscape and ruffling his feathers. “Uh, should we stop them before they get hurt?”

Next to him, Big Macintosh raised a hoof to cover his face from flying pebbles flung from another explosion. Once the rain of debris had ended, the stallion swiftly turned and headed for his tool pack. “Nope.”

Stardust watched him go, feeling a wave of cold nip at his feathers. Taking the hint, Stardust sighed and headed for his own pack. They were going to be needing a lot of potions.

.o.O.o.

Trixie and Sunset stood opposite each other, both ponies breathing heavily. One of Sunset’s legs was encased in ice while half of Trixie’s cape had been seared away. Their horns flicked as they summoned what magic they had left for one final attack.

“Trixie thinks… you have the talent… for barbecue pits… and nothing more,” the general panted, fighting the urge to wipe sweat from her eyes.

“And you… have enough hot air… to float an airship,” Sunset countered, her body shivering.

“Well then, no sense… toying with you further.” Trixie reared back, her horn glowing brightly with magic. Across from her, Sunset grit her teeth and did the same.

At once, the two unicorns lurched forward and unleashed the last of their power at each other, ice and fire hurtling towards their opponent.

A tiny icicle and a glob of flame sputtered out and landed a hoof away from their owners. The icicle quickly melted while the fire was snuffed out by a gentle wind.

Trixie and Sunset stared at where their final attacks landed, neither making a move.

“Horseapples,” Trixie muttered before falling forward, face first into the dirt.

“Ha… beat you…” Sunset said, then followed Trixie to dreamland.

.o.O.o.

Trixie awoke an hour later to a splitting headache. Her moans of pain alerted Stardust, who immediately brought over a phial of red liquid. Lifting Trixie’s head and tilting her neck, he carefully poured the tincture down her throat. Trixie’s groaning and squirming gradually settled down and she blearily opened her eyes.

“You do know that these things are a real pain to make?” Stardust said as he set down the empty phial. “I can only get the ingredients from certain places.”

“Noted,” Trixie slurred. With Stardust’s help, she rose to a sitting position and rubbed her horn. “Where’s Shimmer?”

Stardust pointed a wing over to where the unicorn in question lay. “Still asleep. She’s going to be just as drained as you were when she wakes up.”

“Pheh, as if this little migraine is enough to keep Trixie down,” she said, even as she bit her inner cheek to keep from moaning further.

“So are you going to tell me what that was all about? It looked like you were trying to kill each other.”

Trixie waved him off. “It’s called sparring. Trixie can assure you that she was holding back the entire time.”

“Right…”

“Anyway, our training has given me a picture of what Shimmer is capable of and what needs work. It will be a simple matter to iron out her deficiencies.”

Stardust resisted rolling his eyes. “Whatever. You still owe me for this.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie has you covered. Go over to my bag. There’s a sack of gil in there. You’ll have plenty to buy more stuff.”

Eyeing Trixie dubiously, Stardust headed over to where Trixie’s saddlebags lay and reached for the first sack he saw. It didn’t jingle like gil should, instead feeling like a solid rock. Untying the string, he dumped the contents of the sack onto an outstretched wing.

The revealed magicite glowed upon contact.

The bright flash from the center of the camp gained the attention of all present. It even brought Sunset out of her sleep, sputtering incoherently. However, everypony and chocobo looked away from the blinding white light. The light soon receded, revealing a catatonic Starburst staring off into the distance. His outstretched wing now lay empty, the magicite having disappeared.

One of the chocobos recovered and ran up to Stardust, shaking him by the shoulders. “Stardust! Are you okay? Say something!”

Stardust nearly fell over from the chocobo’s shaking, but recovered in time to catch himself. Blinking repeatedly, he gulped and said, “I had no idea that could happen.”

“What could happen? What are you talking about?”

Trixie stepped in between them, pushing them away and gaining their attention. “What he means is that plucky over here just bonded with an esper.”

It took a moment for the group to let that sink in. One of the chocobos stepped up and raised a wing. “Uh, but I thought only you ponies could do that.”

“Not necessarily. Gilda managed to gain the powers of one, though Trixie heard that it didn’t go very smoothly. We only knew how to drain them at the time and didn’t learn about bonding until much later.” Trixie turned and poked Stardust in the chest. “So, do you know which one it was?”

“He said his name was Palidor,” Stardust said, his voice distant as though in a daze. “He was one of the espers that died in Themaresa when Gilda attacked.”

Trixie nodded, her mind’s eye replaying that day. “I see.” Lips forming a crooked smile, Trixie continued, “Well, then that means you get to work with Sunset and I. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be joining us.”

That brought Stardust’s attention back to the real world. “Wait, what?”

“You heard Trixie. We’ll have to figure out what spells you can cast and if they’ll be of any use.” Trixie turned away, heading back to her sleeping area. “Get plenty of rest, birdie. You’ll be needing it.”

“Wait! I didn’t ask for any of this!”

Trixie stopped and looked over her shoulder. “None of us did.” Saying no more, Trixie settled into her blankets, falling asleep minutes later.

Left behind, Stardust gave an imploring look to his fellow chocobos. “You don’t think she means it, right?”

The others shrugged and quickly found something to occupy themselves with, leaving Stardust to wander back to his bed in a stupor. Sleep that night did not come easy for him.

.o.O.o.

For a chocobo, running was a way of life. Mere days after hatching, a chocobo could run circles around the fastest of ground monsters. Their land speed was so great that even in the age following the War of the Magi, where machines began to flourish, chocobos were still relied upon to traverse the land to deliver critical packages. To live was to run and few ever questioned their purpose.

Today, Stardust counted himself among those few.

His body ached in ways he never thought possible. His breath came out in shallow puffs of air. His talons pounded the dirt, growing more sore with every step. Stardust couldn’t remember a time he felt so tired after only twenty miles of constant sprinting, laughable to even the most out of shape of chocobos.

Then again, he’d never had a taskmaster like Trixie before.

“C’mon, feather duster, pick it up!” she yelled from her perch on his back. “We’re falling behind again!”

“Hate… you…” Stardust gasped. A short distance ahead, the other chocobos and ponies began to recede as Stardust’s strides grew shorter.

“Good. That means Trixie’s methods are working. Now quit talking and get running!”

Stardust longed to buck Trixie off, but the unicorn had anticipated that and had tied herself down. Any other violent movements earned him a sting of cold to his rear end, just beneath the tail feathers. He was stuck with her, both literally and figuratively.

“This is all worth it, trust Trixie.” Trixie’s horn glowed and reapplied a thin sheen of ice around Stardust’s legs. The cold tightened up his muscles, making it harder to run. “You chocobos use your legs a lot so it stands to reason your magic will flow there. Magic calls to magic in Trixie’s experience, so this is the quickest way to bring yours out.”

Stardust doubted that, but arguing hadn’t gotten him anywhere. Big Macintosh hadn’t been much help either, though the stallion did manage to convince Trixie to leave weapons out of it. Hooray for small favors.

A few miles later, Stardust managed to catch up with the others, though it was due to the group stopping rather than the chocobo getting a second wind. He flopped down, uncaring that he looked like a fledgling stumbling out of the nest for the first time. Trixie untied herself and hopped off, relieving him of further burden.

“Why are we stopping?” Trixie asked as she trotted up to the others.

“Well, besides giving that poor guy a rest,” Sunset said, eyeing Stardust with sympathy, “I felt a jolt of some kind coming from that group of mountains over there.” She pointed a hoof towards said mountains, less than a mile away.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “And?”

Letting out an annoyed huff, Sunset said, “Shouldn’t we go and check it out? One of your Returner friends could be over there.”

Trixie pursed her lips and brought out her map. “For once, you make a good point. Let’s see what this says…”

“There’s nothing over there,” a chocobo called out. “Just a group of mountains.”

Trixie raised up her map, giving the chocobo a smirk. “Not according to this, there isn’t. It’s actually a ring of mountains with an opening in the center. Looks like there’s some sort of building in there called Fanatic’s Tower.”

Sunset gave a dubious look. “Why would anyone build a tower in the middle of nowhere? And where did you even get that map?”

“Discord.”

“No!”

“You called?”

That was the only warning before Discord popped into existence above them, laying on his side. The chocobos squawked and quickly huddled together. Big Macintosh gulped and draped a camouflage blanket over himself. Sunset froze, her face alternating between fear and panic.

Trixie turned to Discord and gave him a hard look. “Well, since you’re here, you can explain something.”

Discord smiled and clapped his mismatched hands together. “Really? Oh, this is new! Usually, I don’t get any questions. Just begging and pleading. And a little groveling, from time to time.”

Holding up the map for Discord to see, Trixie said, “What’s this tower doing there? Something you did?”

Discord came close, squinting at the spot Trixie indicated. “Oh, that. Not much to it, really. Just some ponies and other assorted creatures that spend all day moping about and worshiping me.”

Trixie’s features hardened more. “What?”

“It’s kind of flattering, really,” Discord said, waving it off. “They think I’m some sort of all-powerful god that will bring them divine attention or something. I usually leave them be because, well, they’re not wrong.”

“Trixie finds it hard to believe that anypony would waste time fawning over you.”

Putting his lion paw over his chest in mock hurt, Discord said, “Don’t believe me? Well, perhaps you just need a closer look.” With a toothy grin, Discord snapped his fingers.

He, Trixie, and Sunset disappeared.

.o.O.o.

The first thing Trixie experienced as she popped back into existence was a cool breeze over her coat.

The next was the sensation of falling.

Head pointed downward, Trixie let out a scream as the ground below, well over a mile down, began to get closer.

“Hey, pay attention or you’re going to miss it!”

Trixie whipped her head, catching sight of Discord falling down besides her. “You fool! Put me back!”

Before Discord could respond, a yelp of terror caused her to turn her head to the other side. Sunset also tumbled through the air, her frantic movements doing nothing to slow her descent.

“You two are really missing out,” Discord’s voice swept past them. “Just look at how high they made it!”

Trixie looked down, both in panic and a touch of curiosity, to see what Discord was rambling on about. Sure enough, a structure rose in the very center of an open clearing inside the circle of mountains. The tower was too far away to make out any details, not to mention falling to her death to care about studying it more, so Trixie ripped her gaze away and back to Discord. “I’ve seen it! Now get us down! Safely!”

“Well, with that attitude, I don’t think that I want to.” Crossing his arms and pouting, Discord turned away. “After all the effort they went into making it, too. Tsk.”

“You can’t be—” Too late, as Discord disappeared in a flash of light.

With nothing else better to do, Trixie went back to screaming.

The seconds ticked down, Trixie and Sunset’s forms falling closer and closer to the ground. Sunset covered her eyes while Trixie’s horn shot off spell after spell in the vain hope that something would slow her down. With only moments before impact, Trixie gave up and followed Sunset’s lead, praying that it would be over quick.

With their eyes tightly shut, they missed the silver glow surrounding their bodies. The rush of air against their coats slackened and the sensation of falling slowly receded. After a few seconds of relative calm, Sunset dared to uncover her eyes first. They bulged out upon seeing exposed rocks only several hooves away. She attempted to move, but all her body did was bob up and down in midair. “Trixie, did you do this?!”

Trixie peeked out from behind her hooves, seeing what Sunset was seeing. “Um… as much as Trixie would like to claim she did…”

Sounds of something running up to them gained their attention. They swiveled their heads enough to see Stardust approaching them. The chocobo stopped just below where they were floating and fell in a heap. “Made… it…”

Moments later, the rest of the chocobos and Big Macintosh came into view, swiftly rushing up to them. Two chocobos went to check on Stardust while the others looked up at the two air locked ponies with cocked heads. “Wow, he actually managed to do it,” one of them stated.

“Not that we’re ungrateful that we’re still alive,” Sunset said from her upside down position, “but what is going on?!”

The chocobo pointed at the still recovering Stardust. “Ask him, he’s the one with the magic.”

“Ha! Trixie’s methods prove effective yet again!” the unicorn crowed. “Where was his magic concentrated in? His legs? It was his legs, wasn’t it?”

“Actually, I’m pretty sure his wings started to glow just before he took off.”

“Phooey!”

A flash of light heralded the return of Discord, who clapped his hands in appreciation. “Bravo! Bravo, I say!”

Trixie grunted as she twisted her floating body around to face the master of chaos. “You have a lot of nerve showing up after what you pulled!”

“Oh, don’t be like that. You all made it out okay, right?”

“And if we hadn’t? If we’d just been splattered all over the ground? You wouldn’t have had your ‘oh so’ epic fight with us, would you?”

Discord scoffed and waved her off. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic. What, you thought I was going to make your quest easy on you? I can pop in and out any time I want and do whatever I want. Better remember that going forward, Trixie.”

Even from her awkward position in the air, Trixie still managed to tag him with a death glare. “Don’t think you’re invincible. You may have a lot of magic now, but ours is getting stronger all the time. Ours will beat yours soon enough, so enjoy what you can until then.”

“Oh, it’s that defiance that makes me like you so much, Trix!” Discord said, demurely looking away with a light blush to his cheeks. “Keep it up and I might start falling for you.”

“Buck off!”

Discord gave a hearty laugh and disappeared in a flash.

A tense silence followed, many of the chocobos snapping their heads to and fro in search of any sign that Discord was still around. A light moan from Stardust interrupted them as the silver chocobo slowly stood up. “I can’t believe I’m… saying this… but I’m sick of running.”

A round of chuckles passed through the flock, dispelling any leftover tension. The pair helping Stardust led him over to the still floating ponies. Stardust grimaced and raised his wings, putting them over the unicorn’s horns. “I’m… not sure this will work, but…” A soft glow passed from Stardust’s wings and over the ponies. Trixie and Sunset’s bodies drifted lightly to the ground.

Once she was certain she wouldn’t float away, Sunset nodded at Stardust. “Thank you for the rescue. And as for you…” she whirled on Trixie. “What are you thinking talking to him like that?! You just saw what he could do to us and you go and mouth off on him!”

Trixie brushed non-existent dust from her fetlock, giving it more attention than to Sunset. “If you’re going to be so afraid of him, why did you bother coming with us? He’s our end goal, or weren’t you aware?”

“Yes, but—”

Trixie loudly stomped her hoof. “We can beat him, Sunset. Not right now, but soon. My magic, your magic, and even Big Macintosh and Stardust are all growing stronger. If there’s anything I’ve learned in my life, it’s that nothing is invincible. Not the Empire, not the Ultima Weapon, and not even Discord.

“He was foolish to give me this task, because it will be the end of him. He thinks we’re all going to come together and then dance like puppets on his strings. Well, he’ll learn just like Blueblood learned that you should never cross me.” Her eyes grew hard as she stared ahead, seeing images that only she could see.

The ponies and chocobos gulped and stepped back.

Shaking her head, Trixie came out of her stupor. “Anyway, we’ve wasted enough time. We’ll wait for Stardust to catch his breath and then we head out.” She trotted up to the chocobo of the hour and nudged him with a hoof. “Hey, Trixie doesn’t say this often, so listen up.

“… Thanks.”

Stardust blinked up at the unicorn, convinced that exhaustion was making him hear things. A green glow washed over him, a number of his aches and pains leaving his body. He managed to catch sight of Trixie’s glowing horn a second before she turned away and began galloping off.

“C’mon, let’s go already!”

The group looked to each other, uncertainty and a bit of confusion littering their faces. It was Big Macintosh that moved first, a small smile on his muzzle as he raced after Trixie. As one, the rest shrugged, picked up their things, and followed the ponies.

Sunset Shimmer brought up the rear, her mind echoing one thing over and over again.

“What have I gotten myself into?”

.o.O.o.

Two days passed as the group continued to head north. Trixie continued to urge the magic users to practice, even going so far as to use surprise attacks. It proved to be a long few days. When Nikhay came into view on the third day, the chocobos were delighted to have an excuse to finally be rid of the strange and frightening general. They quickly separated to head for the market, leaving Stardust the lone chocobo left with the ponies.

“I hope you’re happy,” Stardust grumbled as he and the ponies made their way to the docks. “I had a good thing going with them, but now I have to hang around with you again.”

Big Macintosh spoke up before Trixie could. “We’ve been over this, Stardust. You haven’t seen feather or beak of Moonlight for months. It’s time to look somewhere else. Or have you given up finding him?”

“No! It’s just…” Stardust looked away, beak clenched.

“If it helps, it’s the same for me. I’ve been up and down the trench more times than I can count, but no sign of Applejack or Apple Bloom. It’s high time I move on too.”

Sunset trotted up to the chocobo next, rapping him lightly with a hoof. “Hey, it’s going to be alright. You’ve got some magic now which might be the thing you need to find him.” She gave what she hoped to be a bright and encouraging smile.

Giving a grunt, Stardust lifted his head and walked a little straighter. “I know, I know. It’s just hard to walk away from a flock when it’s such a sure thing.”

“Nothing is a sure thing,” Trixie said, cutting into the conversation. “Not with Discord around.” Her voice carried, making all ponies and chocobos in earshot snap their heads up and give her a shocked glare. Trixie ignored them. “Now, let’s see if we can get a ship. South Fillygaro is our next stop.”

As it turned out, mentioning Discord’s name spread quickly through the shipyard. At each available ship they checked they were turned down. No crew or captain wanted to bring a pony along that could summon a being that could turn their voyage into an obstacle course. Or simply blink them out of existence. By the end of the day, the Returners sat at a pub, nursing drinks and cursing their misfortune.

Or rather, one pony cursing out another.

“You just had to go and open your big mouth, didn’t you?!” Sunset exclaimed for what must have been the twentieth time. “You know how others get when he’s talked about and you still do it!”

Trixie turned away, scowling. She took another swig of her ale to hide a grimace.

“Hey, I’m yelling at you! What, got nothing to say now? Too late now, as we’ve got no way to cross the sea unless you want to try swimming.”

“We could wait for new boats to come in,” Big Macintosh offered, seemingly unperturbed by Sunset’s outburst. A large mug of cider sat next to him, half drained after only one gulp.

Stardust put down a cup of pomegranate juice. “I don’t think that will help. Any boats coming in will be told as soon as they dock. Too bad we don’t have an airship anymore…”

Sunset threw up her hooves, nearly knocking over her tea. “So what now? If we’re going to be stuck here, I’ll just head back to the zebra village.”

“Trixie will think of something,” the unicorn finally said. She pounded down the rest of her drink and slapped the empty bottle on the table. “We have gil. We can bribe someone to take us. Trixie will build another raft if she has to.”

Sunset was about to start lacing into her again, but a figure trotted up to their table, stopping her. The figure was a mare, with a dark grey coat and a mane and tail just a few shades lighter. Her mane hung loose around her shoulders, which were slight and delicate. She raised a hoof and waved, giving a big smile. “Hello, there! Sorry for listening in on your conversation, but I take it you want to get to Fillygaro?"

“Yes, that’s right,” Sunset said, a little more tersely than she intended.

The mare didn’t seem to notice. “That’s great! I’ve been looking to hire a few ponies to help me and you look capable. If you agree to help, I’ve got a ship already waiting to take us there.”

Trixie scrutinized the pony before her with narrowed eyes. “This is all rather sudden, don’t you think? What’s your name and what exactly do you want us to do?”

The mare gave a courteous bow. “My name’s Gilgamesh. I want you to help me break into Fillygaro Castle.”

Wherein Castles Rise

Big Macintosh watched with detached bemusement as the pale grey mare downed her fourth bottle of orange juice in as many minutes. Gilgamesh apparently took her drinking seriously, as she had spiked each bottle with a healthy dose of rum before downing it in one swig. He pushed back a bit moments before Gilgamesh slammed the bottle on the table and took a much needed gulp of air.

“Ahhhhh, I needed that,” she said, her cheeks now flush with a light shade of pink. She reached for another bottle but a blue hoof batted it away.

“If you don’t mind, Trixie would like to get to this proposition you just laid on us. Besides, with how slight you are, you’ll probably pass out from the next one.”

Gilgamesh stared forlornly at the bottle of orange juice just a hoof lengths away. She grunted, sat herself up, and coughed into a hoof. There was a slight slur to her voice as she said, “Forgive my uncouthness, 'tis been so long since I've indulged. My proposition is what it was before. Interested?”

Clearing his throat, Big Macintosh gave Gilgamesh a bored expression. “Before we agree to this, I would like to know something.” Gilgamesh nodded her head, so Big Macintosh continued. “What do you want from the orchard?”

“You need to ask? Castles have treasure rooms, and treasure rooms contain treasures. If the residents are gone it will be an easy plunder.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “That’s it? You could just rob a store if you wanted gil so bad.”

“But where would the fun in that be?” Gilgamesh said. She splayed out her forelegs as though ready to grab a hoofful of golden coins. “And besides, what could a shop offer Gilgamesh that could compare to the spoils of a castle raid?”

Stardust let out a small laugh. “I don’t know. I can imagine quite a bit.”

Gilgamesh ignored him. “So what do you say? It will be an in and out job and you all can take fifty percent of the treasure.”

“Fifty percent for the rest of us?” Sunset said.

“Fine. Sixty.”

Another cleared throat from Big Macintosh regained the table’s attention. “You’re forgetting one thing. Last I heard, Fillygaro was stuck under the sand.”

“'Tis no concern,” Gilgamesh replied without hesitation.

Big Macintosh’s brow creased. “What do you mean?”

“Don't be hasty, you've not yet agreed to aid me. I can't reveal all my secrets just yet.”

“Fair enough.” He looked over his comrades, meeting each of them in the eye. “What do you think?”

Sunset spoke up first. “I think we need some time to talk it over amongst ourselves before we make any agreements.”

“Trixie agrees.” Trixie paused, looking at Gilgamesh expectantly.

The pale pony stared back, cocking her head to the side. “Do I have something on my face?”

Trixie resisted the urge to facehoof. “That means leave!”

Gilgamesh blinked as understanding dawned on her. “Oh. Yes, of course. I’ll just be over here. Call when you’re done.” She exited her seat, swiped the bottle of orange juice before anypony could stop her, and trotted over to a deserted corner of the pub.

The moment Gilgamesh left earshot, Trixie hunched over the table and hissed, “Trixie doesn’t trust her. Nopony just waltzes up to total strangers and asks to rob a castle.”

“Orchard,” Big Macintosh corrected.

“Whatever.”

“I agree,” Sunset said, keeping her voice down. “I don’t like it.”

Stardust scratched at the floor with a talon. “Yeah, this is a deal I wouldn’t take unless I was desperate.”

A moment passed as the table grew silent. One by one, each pony and chocobo turned to Big Macintosh, who busied himself with staring a hole through the table. The stallion finally looked up at the group, his muzzle a stoic mask. “I say we do it.”

Trixie huffed and fell back into her chair. “Somehow, I’m not surprised. Well, why should we?”

Big Macintosh fidgeted in his chair as he gathered his words. “If what she said is true, this might lead us to information on Applejack. I haven’t seen or heard of her all year. I reckon we could also figure out why Fillygaro got stuck in the desert when it last tried to move. It’s my old home and I don’t want it lost forever like that.”

Sunset raised a hoof. “Um, this might be a dumb question, but why would a cast—I mean, orchard, be under the desert?”

“Fillygaro is set up to travel under the sand. There’s a cave structure that it uses to pass from one side of the continent to the other. But, a year ago when it was moving, something happened and it hasn’t resurfaced.”

“Wow. That’s… pretty impressive, really.”

Absently nodding, Big Macintosh continued, “I know it’s a stretch to trust this Gilgamesh, but right now it’s our only chance to cross the sea. I also think there’s more to Gilgamesh than just being a thief, but I can’t put my hoof on it. I wanna find out for myself.”

“And if she’s not telling the truth?” Trixie asked. “What then?”

Big Macintosh grinned at her. “I’m sure the Great and Powerful Trixie will keep us all safe if the worst should happen.”

Trixie’s muzzle scrunched up in distaste, though she didn’t refute what he had said.

“Sooooooo… are we doing this then?” Sunset said, looking around the table.

Giving an exaggerated sigh, Trixie threw up her forelegs. “Might as well. What’s breaking and entering compared to whatever Dis—” Sunset growled, her horn lighting a dangerous shade of red “—what that guy has done?”

Sunset let her magic fizzle out and gave a sharp nod. “Fine. I’m kinda curious to see what an orchard that can travel underground looks like anyway.”

“Well, as long as I get paid, I’m in,” Stardust said.

Big Macintosh smiled warmly. “Thanks. I guess that settles it then.” He sat up and waved a hoof towards Gilgamesh. She didn’t take notice at first, having just started a long swig from her bottle, but the moment she finished she sputtered a bit and rushed over.

“So, do we have a deal?”

Wearing a happy grin, Big Macintosh said, “We’re in.”

.o.O.o.

The rest of the day was spent purchasing supplies for the trip. Trixie’s funds from Discord were put to use, making the shopping go by without a hitch. Even with all the changes brought upon the world in the past year, Trixie found a small bit of comfort that gil still counted as acceptable currency. Ponies weren’t ready to let Discord disrupt every way of life yet. Once all preparations were made, the group headed towards the docks and to the only ship willing to take them. At least that was what they assumed, but upon finding the correct boat, a familiar scene was already playing out next to the loading plank.

“You’re insane to bring them along! My ship won’t be able to leave port before you-know-who pops in and sinks it!”

“And ponies say I blow things out of proportion. Worry not, sinking ships doesn’t seem to be his style. Turning it into taffy is more likely.”

“Same difference!”

Gilgamesh huffed, giving the boat captain an exasperated look. “I paid you to sail, not to whine. You will take my companions and me to South Fillygaro at once. You did tell me you could do it before the morrow, did you not?”

The captain didn’t bat an eye. “That was before I knew who you’ll be bringing along. Anypony that utters his name won’t set hoof on my ship.”

Smirking, Gilgamesh pointed over the captain’s shoulder. “Too late.”

The captain twisted around, spotting Trixie and the others already boarded and setting down their gear. Panic seized the captain in a way he had never felt before and rushed up the plank. “No! Not going to happen! Off with you, now!”

Trixie broke away from the group and stepped up to the captain, giving him her most winning smile. “Sir, Trixie is going to make this easy for you. You have two options. Either you take us to where we need to go or I summon he who must not be named.”

A heavy sweat broke out on the captain’s muzzle. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me. Dis—”

“Okay, okay! You win! Just please don’t say his name!”

“Trixie knew you would see reason.” With that, she trotted back to her companions.

The captain watched her go, his heart thudding in his chest. He nearly squealed when a hoof touched his back.

“Be at ease,” Gilgamesh said, rubbing his back. “Someday when you hear others talk of Gilgamesh, you will have a tale to tell them.” With one last pat, Gilgamesh sauntered towards her new employees.

“Dead stallions tell no tales…” the captain said under his breath. With a sinking feeling in his gut, he gave orders to shove off. "The sooner these ponies get off my boat, the better."

.o.O.o.

“We're soon to arrive!” Gilgamesh hopped down from the roof of the bridge, peeking in the open door. “You see, captain? All your concerns were for naught. My companions were more than a match for the monsters of the sea.”

The captain briefly glanced her way but otherwise didn’t respond. He pressed a hoof down on the accelerator, the steam engine whirring faster. The ship picked up a knot of speed, closing in fast on its destination.

Seeing that everything was in order, Gilgamesh headed for the small cabin set aside for passengers. Nopony had claimed it, so Gilgamesh had taken it herself. It suited her fine as it gave her the privacy to done her armor without anypony getting in her way. Once she was finished, she grabbed her saddlebags and headed for the deck where everypony else waited. “Greetings! We should be arriving shortly.”

Everypony glanced up at her voice. They all stared upon seeing Gilgamesh’s new attire. She smiled, turning to the side a bit so that her gear was on full display. “You like it? I think it suits me.”

The armor in question consisted of thick metal plates covering her chest and legs, woven expertly with red, yellow, and black bands. Intricately stitched designs covered the bands. Loose fabric flared out from the ends, forming fan-like protrusions over each hoof. Completing the outfit was a helmet that completely covered Gilgamesh’s head, except for an opening for her muzzle to stick out. A thin red cloth covered her mouth and throat, leaving only her nose and eyes exposed. “Well?”

“It’s… exotic,” Trixie said, eyeing the armor with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s genji armor. The warriors of Domare wear them for battle and ceremonies. It’s considered one of the highest honors to be given a set due to how difficult it is to make them. They say that blades cannot pierce them yet are light as a butterfly.”

A collective blink resulted, including Gilgamesh who looked upon the speaker with awe and wonder.

Sunset Shimmer stood staring at the genji armor, her mouth hung open. “... How do I know that?”

Gilgamesh shrugged. “Your wisdom is beyond me. 'Twas gifted to me by a noble who I saved from certain doom. Mayhap he was from Domare, but I cannot say.”

Stardust reached a wing over and waved it in front of Sunset’s face. “You alright in there?”

Frowning, Sunset pushed his wing away. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… I know I’ve never seen that before and yet it feels familiar.”

Big Macintosh chuckled. “Shucks, looks like Twilight was right. You coming along is helping you remember your past.”

“But… this doesn’t make sense! I’m sure as hay not from Domare… I think.”

“Don’t think too hard on it, none. Just let it come naturally and your memories will sort themselves out.”

Sunset absentmindedly nodded, her mind elsewhere.

Rolling her eyes, Trixie turned back to Gilgamesh. “Yes, well, as lovely as this all is, you were saying that land was nearby?”

“Correct,” Gilgamesh confirmed with a nod. “We need wait only a few minutes more. Get your things together for departure.”

The group did so, Sunset taking the longest due to her throwing everything into her saddlebag and being forced to restart in order to cram all her belongings in. It took her three tries to get it right, seconds before the ship docked. The captain and crew quickly set down the gangplank and practically pushed their clients off the boat. The moment Sunset’s back hooves touched pavement, the gangplank lifted back up, nearly swatting her on her rump.

“Jerks,” she muttered, falling in line with the group. “I know they were scared, but nothing happened.”

“Which is why you shouldn’t put so much stock into saying Discord’s name,” Trixie said from up front, causing Sunset to flinch.

“Great, now we’re going to be shunned in this town too.”

“Actually, you will be surprised,” Gilgamesh said.

Sunset narrowed her eyes at the other mare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

Conversation lapsed as the group made their way through the docks and into the town proper. Evidence of Discord’s influence quickly became apparent as picks, shovels, and pitchforks could be seen dancing on top of buildings, houses that sagged as though made out of taffy, and the occasional pig flying by. Ponies were busy dealing with each crisis in a multitude of ways, though Sunset would freely admit it wasn’t in the way she was expecting. The dancing utensils all wore hats and simple clothes as a pony nearby played a tune on a flute, as though directing the chaos magic himself. A group of foals laughed in delight at the sight while tossing a gil or two into the pony’s open music case. The taffy houses were being cut to pieces and being sold as the confectionery that they were. Even the pigs were given a job, delivering mail above the mess.

Gilgamesh smirked upon seeing Sunset’s slack jawed face. “See? Not all ponies crumble in his presence. The townsponies here haven’t let him rule their lives.”

Sunset didn’t answer and continued staring at the spectacle the city had become. The others similarly didn’t have anything to comment on, though Trixie had a hint of a self-satisfied smirk to her muzzle.

Rushing to the head of the group, Gilgamesh called out, “Allies, I require a single stop before we head to Fillygaro. Follow me, please.” She took them through the streets, avoiding any wandering bits of chaos that happened her way. Her trail led them to the industrial wedge, where fewer and fewer random happenings appeared as they left the central part of South Fillygaro. At last, she came to a stop next to a metal door and pressed a button next to it. The sound of buzzards came from inside.

“Hey, this is—” Big Macintosh began to say.

He was interrupted by the door sliding open, revealing a cranky looking Cranky Doodle.

“Whaddya all want?” he said, his attention on Gilgamesh. His eyes drifted to the others behind her and came to attention upon seeing Big Macintosh. “Well, I’ll be a horse’s ass! Big Mac! Long time no see, son!”

“Boss!” Without needing further encouragement, Big Macintosh ran up to Cranky and mightily shook his hoof. “A long time, eeyup!”

“Honey, who’s at the door?” came a voice from within the house.

With a grin wider than anyone had seen in a lifetime, Cranky called back, “Matilda! Get the fine silverware out! Big Mac’s back!”

.o.O.o.

Less than an hour later, a table was cleared of innumerable gadgets and doodads and replaced with food to fill a herd of ponies. Matilda Doodle practically beamed at the gusto the ponies and chocobo ate, clearing their dishes down to the last crumb. It felt good to see such healthy appetites, allowing herself to daydream about serving her own family.

“Who wants seconds?” She held up a plate filled with apples, bread, and cheese. A half dozen hooves shot up, prompting a chuckle. “Well, I’d better go back after this and dig into our stores.” She set the plate down on the table in which it was immediately set upon.

“Uh, I hope we aren’t imposing,” Sunset Shimmer said, even as she took a big bite out of an apple.

“Oh dearie me, no. There’s plenty. So much so I was worried I’d have to start throwing some of it out.”

Sunset gulped down her food, clearing her mouth before speaking. “Really? If you don’t mind me asking, where do you get all this from? In the zebra village, we have to search pretty hard to find things to eat.”

“Well…” She looked to Cranky, who sat nursing a beer while he conversed with Big Macintosh. The two had a space on the table set aside for piles of schematics and diagrams. Both were deep in technical talk that even a lifetime of living with a tinkerer didn’t help Matilda follow along. She reached over and tapped Cranky’s shoulder, startling him.

“Huh? What?” The donkey twisted around, noticing Matilda’s concerned expression. “Uh, yes dear?”

“The young lady over there was asking where all this food came from. Do you mind if I tell her?”

“Oh. Sure. They can be trusted.” He glanced over at Trixie. “Mostly.”

Trixie tilted her nose up at him and sniffed.

“Very well.” Matilda cleared her throat, gaining the table’s attention. “I’m sure you’re all aware of Discord, right?” She raised her hooves in a placating manner when Sunset’s eyes bugged out. “Don’t worry, I know of the stigma of saying his name. It’s really not a problem here, though.”

Trixie placed down an ale, giving Matilda her full attention. “Yes, Trixie was wondering about that. Every place she’s been to before, the locals get really uptight when he’s brought up. Not that it does anything.”

“Precisely. And that’s why the citizens of South Fillygaro have decided to live with it the best they can. We don’t worship him or anything like that, but we’re a town that prides itself with thinking out of the box. Instead of fearing him, we take advantage of his chaos. Discord took notice very quickly and tried different ways to make our lives… well, for a lack of a better word, interesting.

“He began to test us, seeing what we would come up with to deal with his magic. Once he filled the skies above the town with a swarm of flying pencils. The pegasi just rounded them up and found that they floated on clouds without falling through. So they built a building out of the pencils on a large cloud and now use it for storage away from ground monsters. I remember Discord turning the city roads into soap. The foals figured out how to skate on it, so for a month we all skated to where we needed to go. Turned out to be faster than walking, too.

“There’s more, but I think you get the idea.” Matilda took a sip of water, then continued. “We think he sees it as an amusing challenge. He comes up with something and waits to see what we do. So far, his antics haven’t been that extreme, at least from what we’ve heard him do to other towns.” She spread her hooves, indicating the banquet of food and drink on the table. “That’s where this comes in. Whenever we open up a cupboard or refrigerator, we find it stocked with all of this. We were cautious about eating any of it at first, but nothing bad has happened to us in the long term. I think he likes us and wants us to continue amusing him.”

“But you can’t tell anypony about this,” Cranky said. “If word got out that we get an unlimited supply of food and drink, it’ll be chaos the likes of which we don’t want.”

Sunset looked down, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “Seams rather selfish.”

“Perhaps,” Matilda said with a nod. “But we don’t know what will happen if Discord decides we’re no longer worth playing with either.”

Trixie waved a hoof nonchalantly in the air. “Don’t worry. He’ll be dead soon.”

Before Matilda or Cranky could respond, Gilgamesh wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood up from her place at the table. “'Tis a good plan, one you should take full advantage of while it lasts! However, I’d like to get to why I came here. My dog, pray chance?”

“Oh!” Matilda left the table as well. “Sorry dear, I got so caught up with the food that I completely forgot. Follow me, please.” She headed towards the back of the house, working her way past all the spare parts and machinery scattered over the floor with a practiced ease. Gilgamesh followed. A few minutes later the duo returned, Matilda coming in first. “She’s been just a treasure. But, how do you pronounce the name again?”

“Enkidu.”

A large beast stepped out from behind Gilgamesh seconds later. Its appearance matched closer to a wolf than a dog, sporting green fur and wearing threads that matched the coloring of Gilgamesh’s armor. It paused and sniffed the air, then made a direct beeline for the table. It found Gilgamesh’s previous spot and began licking the plates left behind.

Gilgamesh came up from behind Enkidu and lightly rapped her on the back of the head. “Down. You already ate.” Enkidu whined but backed away from the table as ordered. “There, perfect all around. We’ll be heading off now.”

“So soon?” Matilda said, her ears pinned back.

“Alas, it must be. The tide will be going down soon and we need to be at a certain place before then.”

“May I ask where you’re all heading off to?”

Before Gilgamesh could respond, Big Macintosh said, “The orchard. We gotta get in and get what we can.”

Gigamesh frowned, shooting Big Macintosh a dirty look. “Foolishly giving away information like that is folly. If somepony else gets to the treasures before us, I’m not splitting anything with you.”

“They can be trusted.”

“I’ll be the judge of that. Enkidu, come!” Gilgamesh headed out the door, her dog obediently following.

As the others rose, Cranky rose with them. “Let me come with you. I helped build the systems in the orchard. I could figure out what made it stop under the desert.”

Big Macintosh shook his head. “Nope. Too dangerous.”

“And Gilgamesh wouldn’t allow it, either,” Trixie added. “She’s our only way in and I can tell she’s already miffed. Having you tag along would mean we lose our chance.” Satisfied she had made her point, Trixie left, the others piling out with her.

Stopping at the door, Big Macintosh looked back at the donkeys. “Thank you for the help. Sorry to eat and run. I’ll be back to tell you all about it.”

“Take care, now!” Matilda called after him, waving her hoof goodbye. She then yanked down on Cranky’s nearest ear as he tried to inch away, causing him to yelp in pain. “You heard them. No following. Besides, it’s well past time we had a talk about having a foal.”

Cranky groaned.

.o.O.o.

With their bellies full and their supplies restocked, Gilgamesh left the chaos ridden, but strangely content, town and led her team of impromptu thieves west, towards the mountains. “I hope you all are good swimmers. It’s going to be getting wet soon.”

“Um, how deep are we talking?” Stardust asked, giving a worried glance to his packs. “These things are water resistant, but not completely waterproof.”

“It should be fine. We’ll be in and out, quick as crickets.”

“Perhaps you could tell us a little more on how we’re getting in?” Trixie said, trotting a few paces behind Gilgamesh. “Trixie would rather not go into this blind.”

Gilgamesh remained silent for a time, maintaining her brisk trot. Just as Trixie readied to ask again, Gilgamesh spoke up. “I uncovered a path but a moon ago through the cave that used to pass through the mountains to the desert. I was befuddled at how it happened at the time, but the female donkey’s talk about Discord shed some light on it. I think all the chaos magic he’s been casting against South Fillygaro has reshaped the underground tunnel. There’s a new path that opened up that will lead us straight into the keep. We’ll need to be right quick about it, as the tunnel is filled up with water during high tide.” Gilgamesh twisted her head around, giving the group a pointed look. “That’s when you lot come in. Once we get there, loot and pillage what you can and then get out. If we tally too long, the tide will come back and we’ll be stuck.”

“I see.” Trixie turned to her comrades. “You all get that?” A round of nods followed. Trixie looked back at Gilgamesh. “Lead on.”

Gilgamesh did so, pushing the ponies and chocobo to make it before nightfall. The dark cave entrance soon came into view, contrasting against the mountain rock. As the group entered, Trixie shivered as a wave of memories of her and Rainbow Dash traversing this cave over a year ago swept through her. So much had happened in such a short time. Trixie doubted her past self would recognize the pony marching through these mountains as herself.

Shaking her head, Trixie banished those memories from her mind. No sense getting distracted just as their mission was starting. Plenty of time afterwards to reminisce.

The cave remained unchanged from what Trixie remembered, though the monsters inside did. Giant, slimy creepy crawlies and small tubby humanoids pestered the group as they made their way deeper in. Trixie, instead of fighting them, herded any monster trying to accost her towards Sunset. A little magical levitation did the trick.

“What’s the big idea?!” Sunset yelled as a convulsing mass of flesh twice as tall as herself plopped down in front of her. She heard Gilgamesh say something about a cruller before Trixie drowned her out.

“Training never ends, Shimmer,” Trixie replied, unable to stop a smirk from forming. “Let’s see if you’ve learned anything from our lessons.”

Sunset didn’t have time to retort as the pulsing blob reached for her with a sticky tentacle. She screeched and scrambled away, her horn blazing bright. A spell shot off from her horn, searing off the tentacle and continuing on to strike the cave ceiling. A small avalanche of broken rocks tumbled down, falling directly on the monster and distracting it.

“Finish it off!” Trixie called to her.

Sunset darted her eyes from Trixie and back to the cruller. It was hurt but not out of the fight, squelching its way towards her.

“Use your sword, dummy!”

Eyes widening, Sunset fumbled with her magic to find Flame Sabre strapped to her side. A bubble formed at the tip of the severed cruller’s tentacle and was flung with a flick towards her. She managed to find the handle and swung wildly. The bubble burst and a wail was heard as the sword cut through the cruller, slicing it in half. The moisture from the broken bubble splashed down, coating Sunset with monster saliva.

Sunset opened her mouth to wail in disgust and instantly regretted it. Some of the fluid seeped into her mouth, causing her to gag and spit it out. The liquid clung to her body like a spider’s web, making her movements sluggish. “Ew! Get it off me!”

Stardust was at her side in an instant. He ignored the mad cackling coming from Trixie who had fallen to the floor and was holding her sides. Uncorking a bottle, he dripped a few drops of blue liquid over her coat. The monster fluid quickly dissolved away, allowing her to move freely again.

The moment she could, Sunset lifted up Flame Sabre and charged at Trixie. “It’s not funny!”

Trixie slipped away from Sunset’s half-hearted swing, still giggling uncontrollably. “It’s hysterical! Trixie wishes she had a camera. Hey Macintosh, build a camera so next time I can show Twilight just how far her student’s come!”

Sunset redoubled her efforts to skewer the unicorn, chasing Trixie down the cave tunnel.

Rolling her eyes, Gilgamesh trotted after the duo. “Rambunctious friends you have.”

“You haven’t seen the half of it,” Big Macintosh said, trying and failing to keep from smiling.

Once Sunset had calmed and settled on glaring at Trixie rather than trying to kill her, the group finally came to a point where Gilgamesh called a halt. She walked up to a nondescript boulder and pushed, revealing a new tunnel. Unlike the rest of the cave, which was rough rocks and dirt paths, this tunnel was perfectly round, as though a large ball of pure energy passed through the rock and left its indentation in its wake. Enkidu stepped up to the tunnel and sniffed, then quickly backed away and began to growl.

“Steady, girl,” Gilgamesh soothed, patting the large dog’s back. Enkidu stopped growling, but kept her ears pealed back against her head. “Nothing to fear here. Mayhap a little scourge of chaos magic still lingers. Let’s hurry.” Gilgamesh trotted into the tunnel, Enkidu and the others following.

The tunnel quickly began to descend with more and more moisture appearing on the smoothed walls and floors. Several times the ponies slipped as their hooves found little traction. Soon, the source of the moisture became apparent as the tunnel continued down straight into a pool of water. Gilgamesh came to a halt at the edge of the water, taking in the scene. “Unfortunately, the water stands taller than I was hoping it would be. The path curves back upwards at some point, but there’s no telling how far it is. Swimming is our course of action to the other side.”

“And what if there is no other end?” Trixie said, eyeing the water with suspicion.

“The great Gilgamesh will not turn back from mere water. Enkidu, come!” With no fanfare, Gilgamesh took a deep breath and dove into the pool. Enkidu whined, pacing back and forth at the edge of the water. Finally, she jumped in, disappearing beneath the water like her owner did before her.

A few moments passed as the remaining group stared at where their employer had just left them. Stardust crept up to the pool, dipped a talon in, then pulled it back and stepped away. “Nope. Not doing it. I’m out.”

Big Macintosh reached over and patted him on the wing. “No worries. We can take it from here.” He walked up to the pool, took a breath, and—

“Wait, I might be able to still help.”

Nearly toppling into the water, Big Macintosh caught himself in time. He turned to Stardust and looked at him expectantly.

Stardust looked away and scratched at the floor. “Well, I’ve been messing around with the magic I got from Palidor and I did something once that was really weird.”

When Stardust didn’t elaborate further, Trixie stomped her hoof. “Well, don’t keep us waiting. The tide is going to get higher the longer we wait.”

Rubbing his head with a wing, Stardust said, “Sorry. I’m just not sure how to explain it. There was this empty bottle rolling around on the ship and I tried casting a spell on it. It… seemed to move faster, but that could've been the boat moving. I’m not sure. I’m thinking that I could cast it on you, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it again.”

Big Macintosh walked up to him and nodded. “Go ahead.”

“You really want me to try it on you?”

“Eeyup.”

“Well, alright. Sorry if I screw it up.” Stardust raised a wing over Big Macintosh’s head, his face set in a determined grimace. Slowly, his wing began to glow white, the magical light flowing over the stallion’s form. What could only be described as a clock ticking faster sounded out in the cave. Stardust lowered his wing, beads of perspiration rolling down his head, and gestured towards the pool. “Better try it out before it wears off.”

Big Macintosh nodded, a motion so fast nopony could follow. He turned in a blur, then jumped like a crossbow bolt into the water.

“Wow… I think it worked.” Stardust looked at his wing as if only now discovering it.

Trixie trotted up next. “Can you cast that two more times?”

“Um, yeah, I think so.” He raised his wing again, the magic appearing at his command.

.o.O.o.

“The cowards have left us, Enkidu.”

Enkidu lifted her head at hearing her name, but otherwise didn’t react.

Gilgamesh stomped a hoof. “Drat, and being so near our treasure, too! A single hour gained and the castle would have been mine. Now I need to wait for this blasted tide to go down before I can find another batch of scound—”

The exit pool burst with expelled water, splattering the tunnel walls with liquid. Gilgamesh squawked in surprise and backed away in time to avoid most of it. A red form touched down next to her and began shaking off excess water at a rate that should have been impossible. Gilgamesh blinked, taking in Big Macintosh’s now dry body. “What…?”

“Spell,” Big Macintosh said, saying it so fast Gilgamesh nearly missed it. Before she could reply, Big Macintosh was next to her and pushing her further up the tunnel. “Otherscomingmove.”

As she tried to parse that statement, Gilgamesh heard another breach of water, followed by another pony landing on the rocky floor. Sunset shook herself off just like Big Macintosh did and darted over to where they were standing. Seconds later, Trixie’s hoof popped up from the pool, latched onto the shore, and hauled the unicorn onto dry ground.

“Dumb… bird…” Trixie coughed and spat out a mouthful of water, taking in deep, heaving breaths.

“Servesyouright,” Sunset blurted out, turning her nose away and sprinting up the tunnel.

“What sorcery is this?!” Gilgamesh managed to say. “Why are the two of you acting a fool?”

Trixie pulled herself to her hooves and gave a shake to rinse off. “The bird knows some kind of hastening spell. He used it on the other two but must have run out of magic when he got to me.” She narrowed her eyes. “At least that better be the reason. Either way, Trixie’s putting him through more training when we’re done.”

“You good to go?” Big Macintosh started, rubbing his throat. “Looks like it wears off in a hurry.”

“Yes, let’s go.” Trixie marched her way up the tunnel, following after Sunset.

Gilgamesh watched her go, then shook her head. “You are all very odd. But, 'tis no matter as we can continue with our quest. What of your chocobo friend?”

Big Macintosh shook his own head. “Not coming.” Taking a moment to make sure his gear was all in place, the stallion trotted up the tunnel.

“Very well,” Gilgamesh called after him, falling into step herself with Enkidu close behind. “Regrettable, as that means we shan’t be able to take as much back, but we can’t wait any longer.”

The pair caught up with Trixie and Sunset at a point where the rock tunnel ended and a patchwork of bricks began. Gilgamesh nodded, taking the lead. “We’re here. Just a little further and we’ll be in the castle, proper.” True to her word, the ponies traveled only a few hundred hooves more and came out into a small enclosure. A row of steel bars barred their path.

“We’re in the dungeons,” Big Macintosh said, taking in a sight he rarely ever indulged in.

“Correct!” Gilgamesh walked up to the bars and pushed. They opened with a squeak, allowing the ponies to pile out. “Head upstairs and begin the plunder. Carry what you can back here and be quick about it. Time is short and I shan't be denied my fortune!” Without further ado, Gilgamesh headed for the stairs leading up, Enkidu following.

Sunset made to go but Big Macintosh held out a hoof to stop her. “Wait a few seconds.”

Raising an eyebrow, Sunset said, “What are you planning?”

“We’re going to go to the engine room, see if we can get this place back to the surface.”

“And Gilgamesh?”

Big Macintosh shrugged. “Deal with her later.” Taking a moment to collect himself, Big Macintosh trotted up the stairs. Trixie and Sunset hurried after, the trio finding themselves at the end of a hallway. Gilgamesh was nowhere to be seen.

“Think there are survivors?” Sunset asked.

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh replied without hesitation. “There are supplies stored in case something like this happens. Should be enough to last even a year.”

“So where is everypony then?”

“Should be in their rooms. During submersion, everypony gets strapped in. In an emergency, only the maintenance crews can move around.”

“So… do we see if they are alright?”

Big Macintosh stood still for several seconds. Finally, he slowly shook his head. “Nope. Gotta get the orchard up first. If we try to check on them, we may end up letting sand leak in. This way.” He headed down the hallway, keeping a stoic expression.

Sunset watched him go a ways before trotting after him. “Jeez, it’s gotta be rough. Being so close to ponies you care about and not knowing if they are okay or not.”

Letting out a snort, Trixie fell in line. “Trixie will have to take your word for it.”

“What, you’ve never felt worried about ponies before? Even for somepony like you I find that hard to believe.”

Trixie didn’t respond other than to shoot a glare at the back of Sunset’s head.

Big Macintosh led them through a series of corridors, knocking on any door before opening them to check for possible buildups of sand. Sunset and Trixie lost all sense of where they were only a few minutes in. Heading back to the dungeon was now out of the question as they would be lost finding their way back. Despite Big Macintosh’s assurance that the orchard’s occupants were still alive, they came across nopony else. The submerged building lay silent, without any hint of life beyond their own.

And there was still no sign of Gilgamesh.

“How long before we get to where we’re going?” Sunset asked, her voice low as a whisper. Speaking any louder felt unnatural to her in a place like this.

Big Macintosh stopped next to a nondescript corner in the hallway they were in. He pointed a hoof at a stack of crates and boxes that seemed to have been set there many months ago due to all the accumulated dust and cobwebs. “Here. Help me clear this away.” He walked up to the nearest crate and began pushing it away from the corner.

Sunset and Trixie shared a glance, shrugged, then started levitating the discarded items further down the hall. It took several minutes, but the last box was set aside, revealing a bare stone corner. The two unicorns stared at the empty space they had helped clear, then as one turned their unamused muzzles at the lone stallion.

Big Macintosh blushed, a feat considering his red coat. “Um… maybe it wasn’t here…”

“What’s not here?” Trixie said, exasperation entering her voice. “What are you looking for?”

“There was supposed to be a trap door somewhere around here that would lead us to the engine room. Suppose I could have remembered wrong.”

“Do you even know where we are?” Sunset asked.

“Well, it’s been a few years since I lived here…”

Trixie whirled on him. “Are you serious?! You’ve been leading us around without a clue?”

Big Macintosh looked up, scratching under his chin. “... eeyup…”

Throwing up her forelegs, Trixie sat down heavily on the brick floor and leaned against the wall. “Wonderful, now we’re lost and with nopony around to tell us how to get—” She shrieked as the wall behind her gave out and she tumbled back.

“Found it,” Big Macintosh said. He trotted through the new opening, finding Trixie in a heap on top of a wooden plank that was flush with the floor. Taking a spot next to Trixie, Big Macintosh ushered Sunset to come in. “It’s an elevator. We’ll take this down.”

Sunset poked her head through the gap in the wall, eyeing the device with uncertainty. Trixie meanwhile picked herself up and occupied herself with boring a hole through Big Macintosh’s head with her stare alone. “Can it hold all of us?”

“Eeyup. C’mon.”

Taking steps gingerly, Sunset joined the other two on the plank. As soon as she was on, Big Macintosh bit down on a rope dangling from the ceiling and pulled. The plank jerked and began to descend. Sunset and Trixie edged away from the sides as the elevator took them down into a cavernous room. Light from the room above spilled over the warehouse sized room, revealing metallic gears, levers, and all sorts of other mechanical wonders. “So what do we need to find once we get down there?”

Big Macintosh pointed a hoof downward. “That.”

The unicorns turned to see two large engines centered in the cavernous room. The single light source was enough to make out the two behemoths, as well as dozens of squirming and writhing yellow tentacles wrapped around them.

“Please don’t tell me we’re going to have to fight those,” Sunset said, feeling nauseous at the mere sight.

Big Macintosh nodded. “They must be what’s keeping the orchard from moving. I reckon they’re attracted to the electricity.” The elevator stopped at ground level, allowing Big Macintosh to hop off. He drew his auto crossbow and notched a round. “I ain’t seen nothing like it. Be careful.”

“Trixie isn’t impressed.” So saying, Trixie drew her sword and joined the stallion. “Start lopping them off and we’ll be done in no time.”

“Maybe we should try using magic first?” Sunset said, still standing on the elevator.

Trixie shrugged. “If it gets the job done, go for it.” Letting out a battle cry, Trixie rushed forward towards the nearest tentacle. A single swipe from Save the Queen severed it clean through.

The reaction from the remaining tentacles was immediate. They untangled themselves from the engines and reached for Trixie with astonishing speed. The unicorn barely had time to let out a startled yelp before three slammed down on her position. Trixie dove out of the way but two more snaked out and battered her in the side. She tumbled over, losing her grip on her sword, and ending up on her back. A single tentacle came down, tip first, towards her unprotected stomach. Trixie screeched, shut her eyes, and blasted out a stream of magic. Ice washed over the descending tentacle and blew it off course. The tentacle tip crashed into the floor inches from Trixie’s body, shattering into thousands of icicle shards. The remaining stump wiggled in the air for a second, then receded back to the engines.

Trixie took the opportunity to right herself and regain her weapon. “A little help would be nice!”

“Coming!” Big Macintosh took aim and let loose a spray of crossbow bolts. The tentacles moved too much for him to get a good shot but several bolts still found their marks. The struck tentacles recoiled but didn’t retreat, instead focusing on attacking the new target. Big Macintosh only had time to lift his auto crossbow up in a desperate attempt at defense before being slammed back by the surprising force of the tentacles. Two gripped the crossbow and ripped it from Big Macintosh’s grasp, followed by them crushing it into useless kindling. In retaliation, Big Macintosh took a few steps back, reached for his pack, and unhooked his portable chainsaw. A quick rev of the engine brought the spinning serrated blade to life and he wasted no time cutting into the advancing tentacles. Severed limbs and sticky ichor splattered everywhere, but Big Macintosh plowed through, forcing the tentacles away.

Sunset meanwhile watched the gruesome spectacle from the elevator, vivid memories of a tentacle monster in the caves sliming her and rooting her in place. It was an experience she didn’t want to relive any time soon. So she stayed put and away from the action. Besides, Trixie and Big Macintosh seemed to have the situation under control.

With another swipe from Save the Queen, Trixie reduced the tentacle’s numbers again. One came up from behind and wrapped around her torso. Trixie gasped as it began to squeeze and could feel energy being sucked out of her and into the offending appendage. “Oh, you want to play that game?” Keeping calm, she lit her horn and her body took on a blue tinge. The tentacle convulsed as ambient magic began to be siphoned out of it and back into Trixie at a much faster rate than it could. Within moments, the tentacle became nothing more than a husk of flesh. Trixie bucked, crumbling the decayed tentacle around her into dust. “Never try to out-osmosis me again.”

Giving a shake to clear the flecks of monster parts off her coat, Trixie took a second to look around. Deducing from the amount of movement she could see in the provided light, there were still about four of the yellow creepy crawlies left. Heading towards one, she let loose an ice spell, but the targeted tentacle retreated, bunching itself around the orchard engine. Trixie tried her sword but the tentacle slipped further away and out of reach.

“They’re getting away!” Trixie yelled over to Big Macintosh. “I can’t reach them without hitting the machine.”

“Over here,” Big Macintosh said, putting away the chainsaw and slipping down a gas mask. He hoofed another mask to Trixie as she came up to him. “Put that on and don’t take it off.” With no further warning, he flipped a switch on his belt and a metal nozzle expanded out of his pack. Trixie got her mask on just as he flicked another switch to activate it, spewing green gas over the engines. A sound that could only be described as wet meat being slapped came from the machine as the remaining tentacles quickly took in the poison through their porous skin. They writhed in agony for less than a minute and then flopped down, remaining still.

Big Macintosh took off his mask, prompting Trixie to do the same. “Huh. Should have done that from the start.”

“Eeyup.”

Turning her head, Trixie sneered and tossed Big Macintosh her mask. She marched over to where Sunset still stood and roughly jabbed a hoof into the other unicorn’s chest. “Where the hell were you through all that?!”

Sunset grimaced from the touch and shoved Trixie back. “I was going to help if you needed it. And you obviously didn’t need it.”

“What, you were going to wait for a big hero’s moment and jump in to save the day? I don’t want heroes, I want warriors who aren’t going to bail on me the moment things get tough!

“I swear that if you do something like that again, I’m shipping you back to Twilight in an ice cube.” Sunset didn’t reply, instead hanging her head towards the floor. Giving one last glare for good measure, Trixie stomped her way towards Big Macintosh. “There, your pretty engine is fixed. Now what?”

Big Macintosh shot his own disapproving stare at Sunset before focusing on their prize. “Need to make sure nothin’s damaged, then we use the master controls to get us back to the surface.”

“Is that what this is?”

Three heads looked up to see Gilgamesh perched on top of a platform just above the engines. She threw her head back and laughed, drawing a katana from her side. The blade swung through the air to rest against a lever below her. “At last, I can shed this mummer's farce of secrecy! For too long has Gilgamesh's blade gone sheathed! Yet you have proven your worth tenfold what I expected. Instead of mere trinkets, you deliver to me the entire castle!” The katana flicked and struck the lever. The entire room came to life, lights flickering on and the engines roaring into motion. The room jostled and the sensation of lift soon followed.

Gilgamesh set the katana onto her shoulder. “You have proven your worth both as warriors and as fools! I’ll be taking all the treasure, I’m afraid. But do not worry, for you shall be given a payment worthy of fighters of your caliber: a death at the hooves of the greatest swordsmare in all of the world!”

Author's Note

Special thanks to DrakeyC for some much needed dialogue suggestions.

In Which Swords Grow

Trixie gazed up at Gilgamesh with a half-lidded stare, the swordsmare grinning down at them with glee, then turned to Big Macintosh. “Are you surprised?”

The stallion shook his head. “Nope.”

“Didn’t think so.” Heaving a weary sigh, Trixie raised her sword that still dripped tentacle blood and readied herself.

“Ah, just what I’ve come to expect from you,” Gilgamesh said, brandishing her sword with a flourish. “Let our epic battle commence within the confines of this rising castle—”

“Orchard,” Big Macintosh corrected.

“Whatever! You’re ruining my moment!”

Trixie spoke up before Gilgamesh could continue. “You seriously think you can take us on, three to one? Trixie thinks you didn’t think this through.”

Instead of showing concern, Gilgamesh smiled wider. “Ah ha, how correct you are. Let’s say I even the odds to a more favorable position.

“Enkidu, now!”

That was the only warning before a streak of green tackled Big Macintosh, sending the large stallion tumbling across the floor and crashing into Trixie. The two ponies fell, Trixie losing her grip on her sword. Enkidu came in again, her jaws snapping, but an icicle shot out from Trixie’s horn, forcing the dog to hop away. The small breather allowed the ponies to get back to their hooves, just in time to meet Enkidu’s next attack head on.

Only a few hooves away, Sunset clenched her teeth, drawing out Flame Sabre with her magic. She took a single step before a figure dropped down in front of her.

“My pet can deal with them long enough for me to strike you down.” Gilgamesh gripped her sword tightly between her teeth but still managed to maintain a smile. “'Tis a pity that I stain my blade with the blood of a coward. Gilgamesh shall be merciful and make it quick.”

Sunset stepped back, swallowed, and readied her own sword. “I’m no coward.”

“Says the mare who stood aside whilst her comrades fought a pitiful beast. Give yourself a happy favor and expose thine neck. It won’t even hurt.”

Sunset responded by giving a cry and thrusting Flame Sabre forward. Gilgamesh twirled, striking the incoming weapon with her own and sending it spinning into the sky. As Sunset grimaced, trying to get her sword back under control, Gilgamesh darted in, her katana singing through the air. Giving a startled yelp, Sunset flattened herself to the ground. A silent moment passed, then Sunset felt a tickling sensation on her nose. She crossed her eyes, spying a few strands of yellow and red hair gently sliding down her muzzle.

“Amateur,” Gilgamesh scoffed somewhere above. “Such folly to send your sword so far out of your guard. It leaves you wide open should one such as myself get past it.”

Not wasting her breath to retort, Sunset pushed hard against the floor, rolling away from her opponent. She got to her hooves, spied Flame Sabre nearby, and levitated it over. Sunset quickly faced Gilgamesh, expecting an incoming attack, though one didn’t come. Gilgamesh hadn’t moved from her spot, instead eyeing Sunset with contempt.

“To think I waste my time facing off with you. I should have sent Enkidu to fight you instead. I could be having a duel that would test my mettle to the utmost limit, but instead I get this.” Gilgamesh set herself, her sharp blade gleaming with anticipation. “My next attack will cut more than your mane.”

“Just try it!” Sunset reared back, her horn blazing with red light, then thrust with both her sword and her horn. Flame Sabre came in low while a fireball streaked high. Gilgamesh crouched, parrying the sword while letting the fire pass overhead. She came in again, but this time Sunset pulled back her weapon in time to fend off Gilgamesh’s furious strikes.

“Ha! Perhaps you do posses some spine!” Gilgamesh laughed and continued her deadly dance with Sunset.

.o.O.o.

Enkidu let out a howl, falling end over end on the floor. She whined in pain as she picked herself up. Across from her, Big Macintosh righted himself back to all fours after delivering a solid buck. Next to him, Trixie readied a spell.

“Think you can pin it down so I can freeze it?” Trixie asked.

Big Macintosh gave a nod and trotted towards the hound. He only made it a few steps when Enkidu hopped high into the air, spreading all four legs wide. Before the ponies’ eyes, the dog’s limbs extended, its paws elongating into bony claws. That wasn’t all, as Enkidu’s body morphed into a humanoid form while her head took on a more avian appearance with two yellow horns forming above. The beast landed back on the floor, grey wings sprouting from its back and a long mass of copper hair growing from the back of its head, completing the transformation. The new harpy like creature stood up and gave a shrieking cry.

“Of course it can transform,” Trixie muttered. She rushed forward, hoping to strike the monster before it could act. Enkidu put its new wings to use as she took to the air, flying over Trixie’s lunge.

It dove for Big Macintosh, its claws reaching out to tear into the pony’s flesh. He quickly lifted up the Noise Blaster but wasn’t fast enough. Enkidu crashed into him, the beast thrashing at the device in order to get through it and the kill beyond. She swiped upwards, nearly knocking the machine out of Big Macintosh’s grip, but the stallion held on. Sensing an advantage, Enkidu grabbed the Noise Blaster by the horn end, intent on pulling it away.

Big Macintosh simply had to press down on a button to activate it.

A billowing blast of intense sound washed over Enkidu at point blank range. The creature let go of the offending device immediately and wailed at its ringing eardrums. It was helpless to stop Trixie from freezing it on the spot.

Trixie gave a quick inspection of her newest ice sculpture and nodded. “This should keep it trapped until we deal with Gilgamesh.” She turned towards the sounds of fighting coming from the other side of the room. Trixie cocked her head, half expecting to see Sunset Shimmer near death, but the unicorn was managing to hold her own. Grunting, Trixie readied her sword for more battle.

.o.O.o.

Sunset blocked a strike from above, quickly flipping her blade to parry the one from the left side. A spin put some distance between her and her opponent, but Gilgamesh closed it within seconds, continuing her furious assault. Several cuts littered Sunset’s body, tiny rivers of blood dripping down her coat. No time was spared thinking about her body’s condition, only action to keep herself alive for another minute.

“Hark! Your skill be commendable, but it is for naught!” Gilgamesh said between attacks. “I see you tire. Gilgamesh need only a single opening to finish this!”

If all her concentration hadn’t been on survival, Sunset would have choice words for the swordsmare. As it was, she held in her barbs to instead focus on sucking in haggard breaths of air. If something didn’t change within the next few moments, she’d be a body on the floor.

Movement out of the corner of her eye signaled a change.

Gilgamesh must have noticed too, as she broke away from Sunset and faced the newcomers. Trixie strode up, her sword at the ready while Big Macintosh circled around. Soon, Gilgamesh stood at the center of a triangle of ponies.

“Surrender or die,” Trixie said.

Gilgamesh matched Trixie’s confident stance with one of her own. “Ha! You think you have me cornered, do you?”

“It’s three on one, so yeah, I kinda do.”

“And what of Enkidu? Have you slain my poor companion?”

Trixie inclined her head but kept her eyes on Gilgamesh the entire time. “Your pet’s back there, stuck in ice. Put down your weapon and I’ll unfreeze it.”

“So it has come to this.” Gilgamesh lowered her head, not meeting anypony’s gaze. Trixie began to inch forward, watching the swordsmare for any sudden movements. Gilgamesh snapped her head back up, a feral grin plastered over her face. “I salute you, this day! Not many have driven me to such lengths, but I always felt something special about you in that tavern. Now behold, my true strength!”

“Nope!” Big Macintosh charged, drill at the ready to stop whatever Gilgamesh had planned. Gilgamesh responded by throwing down a pellet that broke upon impact against the floor. A blinding flash filled the spot where Gilgamesh stood, forcing the ponies to shield their eyes.

“Nice try, but Gilgamesh will not be denied!”

Sunset recovered first, blinking away the spots dancing in her vision. She found Gilgamesh standing just a few hooves away, grimacing as though she were in pain. Sunset made to attack but stopped short when something moved under Gilgamesh’s armor, trying to push its way through the bands covering her back. Recoiling from the sight, Sunset saw more bulges forming, the grotesque movements becoming more frantic. Sunset, unable to look away from sheer disgust and fascination, stared at the scene until Gilgamesh let out a guttural yowl. Her armor burst, allowing the things underneath to break free. Four long muscled grey arms, each ending with a hand, now adorned Gilgamesh’s back. Each hand snapped its fingers and a sword appeared out of thin air for each to grab hold of.

Gilgamesh’s grin returned. “A sight, is it not? With these, I will slay you all with ease. I have collected these weapons from countless fallen warriors who tested my mettle. Once I am through with you, I will add your blades to my collection and grow ever stronger!”

Still in shock, Sunset stared at the abomination in front of her. “Wh-what are you? Are you even a pony?”

Her vision returned, Trixie got her first look at Gilgamesh’s transformation, making a disgusted face. “Probably more of Discord’s magic.” She lifted up Save the Queen, readying herself.

“Ah, I will make that blade the crowning jewel of my collection,” Gilgamesh purred, eyeing Trixie’s sword with naked lust.

“Over Trixie’s dead body.”

“Exactly!” With that, Gilgamesh charged, her new limbs swinging. She bombarded Trixie with swift and deadly strikes, each arm acting as though it had its own mind rather than being part of a single entity. Trixie rapidly lost ground, unable to spare a single stroke for anything other than defense.

Big Macintosh didn’t stand idle. His drill whirling, he rushed into the fray. Two arms broke off their attack with Trixie to intercept his charge, expertly deflecting the drill bit. His advantage of surprise gone, Big Macintosh put his considerable weight into pushing against Gilgamesh’s swords, but the arms that held them proved surprisingly strong. He broke away, coming at a different angle, but the arms tracked him with unnerving ease and stopped his attack again.

“Yes, fight on!” Gilgamesh cried, manic glee radiating from her. “I will have bards write songs about this battle and sing til they are hoarse!”

Trixie, despite having fewer swords to deal with now, still couldn’t get past Gilgamesh’s guard. The arms would not let a single strike get through and retaliated too fast for her to concentrate on a spell. “Sunset! If you’re not too busy being useless, we could use some help!”

Only a few hooves from the action, Sunset bristled. “I’m not useless!”

“Then get in here and prove it!”

“Yes, prove it,” Gilgamesh drawled, her hooves skipping along the floor to keep her arms positioned to fight off her opponents. “By all means, better to die foolishly than dying a coward.”

Snarling, Sunset let off a stream of fire, aiming for a spot where Trixie and Big Macintosh were not fighting. A single sword broke off its duel with Trixie, intercepted the fire and deflected it downwards. The fire spread across the floor and streaked underneath Trixie’s legs. The general shrieked and hopped away, parts of her coat singed from the near contact.

“Trixie said help, not get me killed!”

Gilgamesh laughed, a deep and genuine sound. “Please, do continue. Your efforts to stop me truly do bring delight.”

“That’s it!” Roaring in rage, Sunset galloped in, swinging Flame Sabre with all her might.

Gilgamesh broke off her attack on the others, willing all four of her arms to cross and intercept Sunset’s sword. The blades clashed, Flame Sabre coming to a complete stop. Gilgamesh smirked. “Your weapon, I don’t find nearly as impressive.”

Before Sunset’s eyes, Gilgamesh’s weapons blurred. A snap of metal filled the room, followed by the clang of steel against the floor. Sunset stared at the hilt of her sword. Where a red serrated blade once adorned, now lay broken in three pieces at her hooves. A sudden silence filled the room, all watching. Sunset continued to stare at her empty hilt, small, intelligible gasps escaping from her mouth.

“Did it mean something to you?” Gilgamesh asked. She raised up a single arm, its sword pointed towards the unicorn. “Then I shall end your life now to spare you further grief.”

“Sunset!”

Sunset diverted her watering eyes away from her broken sword in time to see both Gilgamesh’s attack and something blue and golden thrown her way. Reacting on pure instinct, Sunset grabbed the object and held it before her just in time to intercept the sword that would have pierced her heart. Both Sunset and Gilgamesh’s gaze fell upon the new artifact that had saved her life.

The Ultima Weapon’s short transparent blue blade sparked as it held Gilgamesh’s sword at bay.

Gilgamesh’s eyes widened. “What is that?”

“I have no idea,” Sunset replied, just as confused.

The tableau broke as Trixie and Big Macintosh took the opportunity to attack Gilgamesh’s blind side. Only for the arms to come back to life and intercede. Gilgamesh whirled around on them, a manic expression unlike anything they had seen plastered over her muzzle. She attacked the duo with brutal ferocity, knocking them back. One of the arms came down, punching Big Macintosh across the face and sending the stallion down onto the floor, hard. The same arm twisted, aiming its sword down, but a wall of ice sprang up between it and its target. Gilgamesh swiveled and bucked, catching Trixie in the side before she could react. She cried out and fell next to Big Macintosh, gasping and holding her side. The two ponies were down and at Gilgamesh’s mercy.

The swordsmare turned away from them, her sights on Sunset. Gilgamesh stalked towards her, any sense of jovialness gone. “That weapon. Gilgamesh desires it. Give it to me, now!”

Sunset backed away, her eyes flickering to her companions. Trixie’s horn pulsed with white magic, presumably a heal spell, but there was no telling how long it would take for her to patch herself up. Darting her gaze back to Gilgamesh, it appeared she wasn’t aware, as her full attention was on Sunset and her sword. “If I give you this, will you leave us alone?”

“Don’t you dare!” Trixie yelled.

A casual backhand from one of Gilgamesh’s arms silenced the blue unicorn.

Gilgamesh continued her march forward. “Gilgamesh has seized the day. This castle, your weapon, all of it belongs to me. Relinquish it, and maybe I shall be merciful.”

“That doesn’t sound very convincing,” Sunset said.

“It matters not what you think! I shall take what is due!” With a cry, Gilgamesh launched herself, all four of her swords pointed at Sunset.

Sunset scrambled to the side, barely missing the initial lunge. She lifted the Ultima Weapon up in time to deflect a sword slice but the short energy blade made it impossible to follow up. Another thrust came in, intent on running her through, though a quick fireball managed to divert it enough for Sunset to roll away. Scrambling to her hooves, Sunset frantically waved the Ultima Weapon in front of her as though trying to swat a fly.

“Pathetic, but my mercy is at an end!”

Looking between her weapon and Gilgamesh, Sunset grimaced. The Ultima Weapon wasn’t strong enough to defend her for much longer and fire would only make things worse. Gilgamesh charged again.

A calm settled over Sunset, even as her imminent doom rushed at her. She took a breath, flared her horn, and pointed it at the oncoming swordsmare. “Last spell I know. Might as well.” In her next breath, she loosed her magic.

Several yellow spheres appeared around Gilgamesh. In the next instant, they converged on her. Gilgamesh took notice and swiped at them but the yellow spheres passed through her swords as though they weren’t there. The spheres centered on Gilgamesh’s very core, causing her to shudder, then a much larger red sphere pulled out of the mare and floated towards Sunset. The sphere enveloped her completely, a radiant glow surrounding her. Then the red glow vanished.

Gilgamesh dropped to her knees, panting heavily. “What… what have you done? Verily, tis as if… the very v-vitality hath been sapped from me.”

“Wow, that actually worked,” Sunset said, all her aches and pains clearing away even as she spoke. She lifted the Ultima Weapon, ready to put it to use, but stopped. Her eyes traveled to the energy blade. Then traveled up further.

The Ultima Weapon’s blade, once only a few hooves long, was now three times that length. Its blue energy pulsed brighter than before, and even the handle itself was more intricate. Sunset lowered it closer, marveling at its power.

She wasn’t the only one, as Gilgamesh took notice, too. “It grows?” Giving a grunt of effort, she pushed herself back to her hooves. “'Tis more splendid than before. It will make all other weapons I gather insignificant.” Gilgamesh took a step, testing her footing, then took another, more confident, step. “Fall!” With that, she rushed forward, bringing two swords to bear.

Sunset yelped and swung at the incoming blades. She felt no impact, but heard a hiss of melted metal followed by two clangs against the floor. Her jaw dropped as she beheld both of Gilgamesh’s swords cut completely through, wisps of smoke wafting off the stunted weapons.

“Glorious…” Gilgamesh said, almost reverently.

Her revelry was cut short as Sunset came in, the sword she so prized thrusting for her heart. She sidestepped away, bringing her remaining weapons down on the unicorn. Sunset raised the Ultima Weapon again, passing through them like a hot knife through butter, then shot a gout of flame point blank at Gilgamesh’s face. Gilgamesh screamed, her helmet taking the brunt of the attack, but searing pain against the rest of her muzzle preoccupied her.

It was the opening Sunset needed to pierce Gilgamesh through the chest.

Gilgamesh gave a wet gurgle. Even with blood welling up her throat, she managed to sputter out, “Mag… nif… i… cent…” Sunset wrenched out the Ultima Weapon, leaving behind a blackened hole, and Gilgamesh fell to the ground.

All was silent in the engine room within Fillygaro. Absently, Sunset noted that the machines had stopped running, though she had no idea when. She stayed still, her eyes pinned on Gilgamesh’s body. How long she stood there, she didn’t know. The next thing she experienced was the sound of hooves walking up to her.

Trixie and Big Macintosh came up on either side of her, looking down on Gilgamesh. Trixie reached down and nudged the corpse but no reaction came. She turned to Sunset, favoring her side. “What was that spell you used? Trixie hasn’t seen it before.”

“Drain,” Sunset said, no emotion coming forth.

“Trixie guesses it steals health and gives it to you?”

“... Yeah.”

Nodding, Trixie shifted her attention to the Ultima Weapon. It still maintained its improved length and brightness, humming with power. “Trixie also guesses this thing grows stronger the stronger the wielder is. Cute.”

Sunset didn’t respond.

“Okay, what’s the matter? You just won the day and gained my respect back. Is this your first kill or something?”

Swallowing against a dry mouth, Sunset said, “My first time… killing a pony.”

Trixie made a thoughtful sound, observing Sunset. She then turned to leave. “Trixie will leave you be then. Keep the sword for now, but do not lose it. It belongs to somepony else.”

Once again, Sunset didn’t reply, remaining as she was.

Big Macintosh gave one last look at Gilgamesh, patted Sunset on the back, and followed after Trixie. The pair reached the engine they had fought to regain, inspecting it for any damage.

They had barely begun when clapping could be heard from above. Everypony swiveled their gaze upwards, spotting Discord lounging on a steel chain. “Bravo!” he called down to them, his clapping becoming more intense. “Great show and I got the best seat in the house. I’d ask for an encore, but it looks like some of the actors won’t be up for it.”

Trixie resisted the urge to fire off an ice spell. Instead, she pointed to the corpse on the floor. “This is your work, isn’t it? Are you happy you just killed an innocent mare?!”

“Oh, she was hardly innocent,” Discord replied smoothly. He slid off the chain, slithering his way down to stand next to them. “In fact, she was responsible for many deaths before I ever met her. Though to be fair, she saved just as many lives, so it balances it out, I guess.”

“What are you talking about? Who was she?”

“Better to show than to tell.” He snapped his fingers and Gilgamesh rose off the floor. There came the sound of flutes and a tiny golden dot descended from above and entered Gilgamesh’s body. A small angel appeared briefly over her, sprinkling sparkly dust before disappearing. The hole left by the Ultima Weapon closed up, new skin and tissue growing at a phenomenal rate. Discord floated over to her and flicked his talon against her forehead. The gray coat of the pony washed away like wet paint, revealing orange hair and a blond mane. The four arms and hands faded away and the genji armor repaired itself from where the arms had burst through. The pony gently levitated back down to the floor, small chest movements revealing that she was breathing again. “There, all better. I’ll leave it to her to explain things as I’ve got places to be and chaos to sow! Au revoir!”

Discord gave one final laugh then disappeared in a flash of white.

The others barely noticed, their attention fully locked on the pony laying on the floor. Big Macintosh acted first, galloping over and cradling the pony in his forelegs. “Applejack!”

The sound of her name roused the farmer, blinking open her eyelids and revealing green pupils. Applejack looked up at her brother’s astonished face and gave a small chuckle. “Heya, Big Mac,” she said, her voice low and tired. “Been a while.”

Big Macintosh failed to hold back a sob and held Applejack close.

“Whoa there, big guy. Take it easy. I ain’t feelin’ so keen at the moment.”

The stallion loosened his grip but didn’t let go, continuing to cry into his sister’s mane.

Applejack sighed happily and returned the embrace as best she could. “There, there. It’s alright, now.”

She heard hooves approaching. Looking up, Applejack saw Trixie and Sunset walking over, Trixie with a bemused expression. Applejack gave a tiny wave. “Howdy.”

Trixie shook her head. “Trixie is totally confused and yet not surprised. What the hay happened to you?”

“We on the surface?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Why?”

Letting out a long sigh, Applejack said, “Well, I’d rather catch up with y’all in a more comfortable place.” She tilted her head at the room around them. “Never felt welcome in this here room, anyway.”

Big Macintosh finally released Applejack and rubbed at his eyes. “Eeyup.” Saying no more, he carefully placed Applejack over his back and headed towards the elevator. Trixie and Sunset shared a look, shrugged, and followed after them.

They had only made it a few steps before the sound of cracking ice came from across the room. Soon, a shape came barrelling out of the shadows and launched itself towards Applejack. Trixie and Sunset readied their weapons, only to stop as they saw a brown and white dog happily licking at Applejack’s face.

“Winona! Girl, take it easy! I’m fine.” Despite Applejack’s gentle protests, Winona continued to lap at the farmer.

Trixie stared at the scene a moment longer before rolling her eyes and sheathing her weapon. “Definitely need to know what the hay happened.”

.o.O.o.

The orchard was abuzz with ponies when Trixie, Big Macintosh, Sunset Shimmer, Applejack, and Winona stepped out of the engine room. The citizens that had hunkered down during the orchard’s prolonged submersion were now running from place to place, checking equipment and shoveling out piles of sand. The personnel became even more animated when they spotted Applejack and Big Macintosh.

“Boss!” many of them cried and crowded around the Apple family. Questions and congratulations flew out of them at a breakneck pace and it took several minutes for the Apples to calm them down.

“I’m happy y’all are all alright,” Applejack said to her citizens. “As soon as I heard Fillygaro was stuck under the sand, I promised I’d do anything to get you out. Well, I ain’t no liar, that’s fer sure. I kinda made a deal with Discord when I was at my most desperate and, well, it didn’t go like I thought it would. But, thanks to my brother and his friends, things turned out okay, I guess.”

More cheering and queries erupted from the Fillygarians.

“Thank ya, kindly. But if y’all don’t mind, I need to rest somethin’ fierce. Listen to Big Macintosh, he’s in charge for now. Let’s get this place spic and span, alright?!”

A rousing cry came from the orchard, louder than anything before it. With renewed vigor, the orchard folk dashed off to do their employer proud. The sounds of hard work accompanied by a merry song were a soothing balm to Applejack’s ears.

The group headed for Applejack’s room, finding Granny Smith waiting for them there with a self-satisfied smirk. “Knew ya be the one to get us out of this fix. Reckon South Fillygaro could hear those rascals hootin’ and hollerin’ out there.” She stood aside, allowing Big Macintosh to lower Applejack onto her bed. The earth pony mare sighed heavily, sinking deeply into her mattress. Winona joined her, laying next to her owner. “The sam hill happened to ya?”

Applejack didn’t respond right away, savoring the feeling of her bed and collecting her thoughts. “Well—”

The door burst open, a sand covered and frazzled Stardust nearly collapsing into the room. “I’m here! I made it!”

The group stared at the chocobo for several moments. A round of chuckles followed soon after.

“Glad to see ya again,” Applejack said with a smile.

“You’re here!” Stardust rushed up to the bed, sand spilling from his feathers with every step. “Big Macintosh’s hunch was right!”

“Actually,” Sunset said, using her magic to push some of the sand towards the door, “she was Gilgamesh the whole time.”

Stardust gawked, looking between everypony for any sign of a prank. “Really?”

“Eeyup,” Applejack confirmed. “Sit down and I’ll explain.”

“Hold on a minute.” Stardust set down his bags and rummaged around until he pulled out a bottle of blue liquid. He unstopped it and tilted Applejack up to have her drink it down. “This’ll help.”

Once Applejack finished, she lay back on her sheets. “Much obliged, though I don’t even know how I survived. Thought I was finished for good when that sword went through me.”

Off to the side, Sunset looked down and shuffled her hooves. “Sorry.”

“Not yer fault, hon. With the way I was actin’, you did the right thing.”

Trixie took this opportunity to pipe up. “So, going to explain what happened?”

“Yeah. Guess the long and short of it is that I heard Fillygaro got stuck and needed to find some way to get it back up. Didn’t have a clue since I didn’t have a way to get here. That’s when Discord appeared and made me a deal.

“Said he’d help if I did something for him. I didn’t right trust him but I was plum outta options. He used some weird magic on me and I became that varmint Gilgamesh. I heard and saw everythin’ but couldn't control myself. It was like I was taking a ride in my own body but had no way to steer. The only thing that seemed to be working was that Gilgamesh wanted Fillygaro as bad as I did.”

Applejack looked away, her eyes watering. “I’m sorry. I put you all in a heap of trouble. Worse, I still owe Discord.”

Giving one of her trademark smirks, Trixie said, “Trixie doesn’t think that will be a problem. You already gave Discord everything he wanted; a little entertainment.”

Applejack blinked and wiped away her tears. “Really?”

“Yes, really. He seems to do things to amuse himself at the expense of everypony else. Trixie’s sure that he’s plotting something right now that we’ll need to deal with down the line.”

“So, why would he go to the trouble of saving Applejack, then?” Sunset asked.

Trixie flipped her mane back, smile in full force. “Easy. Fewer ponies means fewer opportunities to mess with us.” Her grin faded and her eyes darkened. “It’s going to be the end of him, I swear.”

Nopony had anything to say to that.

Stardust coughed into a wing, breaking the awkward silence. “So… what do we do now?”

“Simple,” Applejack said, trying to sit up. Big Macintosh and Granny Smith reached over and helped her. “Thanks, y’all. Ahem, anyway, once the orchard’s back in shape, we can use it to cross under the mountains. Coltlingen’s that way.”

“And what’s special about that place?” Sunset asked. She missed the way Trixie bit her lower lip.

“Dunno, but we can check to see if any of our pals are there.”

Trixie nodded. “Great, sounds like a plan. Big Mac, let’s get out there and make sure this rust bucket gets fixed. Stardust, make sure she stays in bed and gets better.” Her gaze shifted to Sunset, making the orange unicorn’s eyes narrow.

“What? You got a problem with me again?”

Trixie shrugged. “Not right now. Trixie’s sure something will come up sooner or later. But for now, let’s put all that energy you took to use. I’m sure Mac here could use some fine tuned magic help.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed further. “And what will you be doing?”

“What Trixie does best. Ordering you around!” With that, Trixie rushed out of the room, cackling maniacally.

“Why that—” Cutting herself off, Sunset chased after her, swearing better uses for Trixie’s mouth the whole time until her voice faded away.

Applejack looked up at Big Macintosh with a tired expression. “I know I just put the whole orchard on yer shoulders, but could you also keep those two outta trouble?”

Strapping on his tool belt, Big Macintosh headed out, a small smile gracing his muzzle. “Nope.”

Once he was gone, Applejack sank back into her bed. “We’re doomed.”

Winona barked in agreement.

Wherein The Mountains are Crossed... Again

The upper towers of Fillygaro were refreshingly cool, tall enough to catch the wind as it traveled through the barren desert. Most of the orchard staff used them as lookout, but given the amount of activity going on throughout the facility, oftentimes these areas were vacated in order to spend time fixing equipment or checking the stores. It was here that Sunset Shimmer sat, looking over the landscape and letting the breeze blow through her mane.

In the days following Fillygaro’s resurfacing, all time not spent sleeping or eating was dedicated to getting the orchard back to one-hundred percent. Sunset had to give it to these ponies: once they had a goal, they worked tirelessly to reach it. Sunset herself put in just as much effort, being one of the few unicorns staying here and utilizing her magic to manipulate machinery that an earth pony simply couldn’t. She had no idea what the machines did or even what it was she was fixing, but the ponies here sure did. As long as she followed their instructions to the letter, they seemed pleased. It brought a lightness to her heart that she was helping in her own way.

Even still, using her magic in a constant and precise manner in ways she had never experienced before left Sunset weary. Her horn ached something fierce, and there was only so much that Stardust could do to ease her pain. So Sunset had taken a break to let her magic return naturally and just have a moment to herself. Now, watching the ponies below her move from place to place like a large colony of ants, she could let her mind wander.

She scrunched up her face. Memories of the battle to take back the orchard began to return. Despite her best efforts to try to dash it away, the image of the Ultima Weapon plunged deep within another pony kept resurfacing. Sunset shook her head, but that didn’t make the memory go away and only aggravated her sore head. Sighing, she laid down, and contemplated if taking a nap would help.

“Ah, there ya are. Been lookin’ for ya.”

Sunset turned her head, lifting an eyebrow at seeing Applejack up and about despite being told to stay in bed. She hadn’t known the mare for long, but Sunset got the impression that Applejack wouldn’t lay around unless she absolutely had to. “Did Trixie send you?”

“Sorta.” Applejack closed the trapdoor leading to the top of the tower and gingerly stepped over to Sunset. She plopped herself down and lay next to her. “Overheard her wondering where you were but she got pulled into helping some folks downstairs. Reckon it’ll be a while before she gets a chance to look for ya again.”

“Great,” Sunset huffed. “Well, you can tell her that you overheard me saying that she can be shaved and thrown out in the desert to get a sunburn.”

Applejack let out a snort of amusement. “I’ll try to remember that.” She shifted where she lay, trying to find a spot where her limbs wouldn’t ache.

Sunset looked her over, frowning. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“Should, but I ain’t gonna. Getting weaker by the minute laying in that thing. At least here I can harden up a bit. Besides,” Applejack said, turning to Sunset with a pointed look, “this gives me the chance to thank ya properly.”

Sitting up, Sunset looked away. “Please, you don’t have to.”

“But I want to. Plus, I can talk to you about shovin’ that sword through my chest.”

Sunset flinched. “I said I was sorry! It… it wasn’t like I had much of a choice—”

“Sunset. Look at me.”

Sunset shook her head and made her way to the trapdoor.

Somehow, Applejack crossed the distance faster than Sunset could blink and sat down on the only exit. The farmer crossed her forelegs, the very picture of stubbornness. If the sudden movement aggravated any of her injuries, Applejack didn’t show it. “I said look at me.”

Sunset looked away and shut her eyes tight. “I can’t. Please, just… just let me go.”

“I ain’t budgin’.”

Several seconds passed, neither mare moving from their spot. Sunset wondered how long Applejack could stay like that, but had the distinct impression it was longer than Sunset was willing to wait. Snapping up her head, Sunset glared at Applejack. The slight buildup of tears ruined an otherwise intimidating stare. “There! I’m looking! Now move!”

Applejack cocked her head as though inspecting a curious new apple species. “Something’s eatin’ away at ya, and I think I know what it is.”

“Oh yeah? How do you know anything about me? You have no idea who I am and where I come from!”

“From what I’ve heard, neither do you.”

Sunset snarled, her horn lighting up red. “Last chance to move before I make you.”

The earth pony remained where she was.

Sunset let out a cry and pushed off with her hind legs, her forelegs held out to shove Applejack away. Her hooves never made contact. One moment she was pitching forward, the next her world turned upside down. Once the scenery stopped spinning and her eyes rolled back into place, she stared up at the bright blue sky.

Applejack’s frowning face came into her view. “You just had to test me, didn’tcha?”

Frowning back, Sunset made to sit up, but found her legs and body completely pinned. Applejack sat on her stomach and Sunset felt the farmer’s tail wrapped around her hindlegs. Despite the softness of her tail, it may as well have been hair of steel cables for all that Sunset could move it. Her front hooves were similarly immobile due to Applejack’s own. “Let me up. You’ll regret it if you don’t!”

Applejack huffed, the only sign of exertion. “Only on one condition. Answer my next question, honestly, and I’ll let ya go.”

“What is it?”

Leaning down, eyes fierce and touching her nose to Sunset’s, Applejack said, “Was I your first pony kill?”

Sunset didn’t answer. She stared ahead into Applejack’s looming visage, a vision only she could see replaying in her mind.

A sharp slap from Applejack brought her back to reality. “Answer me!”

She tried to hold back the tears. She tried working her mouth to spit at the other mare. She tried gathering magic into her horn but no spell took form. All Sunset could do was look up at a pony that by all rights had died by her own hoof.

“Y-yes…” Sunset’s voice spilled out.

Grunting, Applejack sat up. “Thought so.” Her tail unwound from Sunset’s legs and she stepped away. Sunset flopped over to her stomach and rushed to the edge of the tower. She made it in time to vomit out her breakfast all over the desert sands.

It took some time for Sunset to finish her heaving. Once her system couldn’t bring up anymore, she collapsed to her side, panting. A small red rag landed next to her. Working on autopilot, Sunset levitated the rag to her mouth and wiped away the remnants of her sick. Feeling drained and cold, Sunset forced herself up and regard the other pony.

Applejack’s sat nearby. Her mane lay unbound around her head, her golden locks swaying gently in the wind. “I’m sorry for doing that to ya, but I’ve seen what happens to folk who let things like that fester in them. It ain’t a pretty sight. It’s best to get it out sooner than later.”

Sunset looked away from her and to the trapdoor. She could just walk over and leave, but the desire to flee was no longer as strong. Tearing her gaze away, she focused on Applejack again. She swallowed past a grimy mouth. “So what happens now?”

Shrugging, Applejack said, “Up to you, hon. Wanna talk about it? I promise ya, it helps.”

“I… I think I do.”

Giving a small smile, Applejack nodded and carefully laid down. She grimaced a few times, her body protesting her earlier actions. “I’m all ears.”

Sunset laid down as well. She spotted the rag she’d used and sheepishly held it up. “Uh, you want this back first?”

“Nah, I’ll get a new one.”

“Right.” Sunset tossed it aside and forgot about it. “I’m not sure where to start…”

“Take yer time. I ain’t going anywhere for a while.”

Sighing, Sunset flicked a nearby pebble with a hoof. “I guess it starts with Twilight.”

Applejack’s ears perked up. “Ah, right. My memories are all fogged up when I was Gilgamesh but I remember hearin’ you and Trixie talk about her. She okay?”

“I hope so. She’s at the zebra village right now. She wanted me to leave so I could help with… with…”

“Discord?”

Sunset flinched. “Yeah, him. We both took care of each other when she found me. She had a real strong sense of pacifism, even against monsters. I usually had to deal with them myself.”

Nodding, Applejack said, “Eeyup, sounds just like her. She refused to join the Returners but got caught up in that business with the Empire anyway. Real shame, that.”

“So, I guess she kinda rubbed off on me in that way. I mean, I have no problems killing monsters, but, well…”

“I hear ya. It’s different with ponies.” Applejack sighed, her gaze drifting to the sky. “Look, I ain’t no saint. I’ve got blood on my hooves, even before the war. Working on this orchard, accidents happen, even with all our safety precautions. Had to bury some good ponies just doing their job.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “But those aren’t your fault.”

“Isn’t it?” Applejack retorted. She looked back at Sunset, weariness in her expression. “I’m in charge here, yet I don’t know half of what those gizmos down below do. If I did, I may have saved a couple of those that died when they broke. Nope, all I learned was how to kick really hard. And in doing that, I killed a whole bunch of Imperials who were just following orders.” She stamped a hoof, rattling the tower a little. “Damn waste that all was.”

A silence fell over them, though Sunset didn’t find any discomfort in it. She let it stretch for a few seconds before saying, “Thanks. I think I feel a little better now.”

Applejack brightened. “Told ya.”

“I just hope I don’t have to kill anymore ponies on this quest. I’m not sure I could look Twilight in the face again.”

“Well, I can’t promise you anything. Guess you’ll have to make that choice if it comes up again.”

“I guess. Well, since we’re doing this whole talky thing, there’s one more thing.” Hearing no objections from Applejack, Sunset grabbed hold of one of two sword hilts strapped to her side with her magic and pulled out the broken stub of Flame Sabre. “Um, I don’t know if you know of anypony who could fix this, but it would really mean a lot to me if it can. Well, I mean it would mean a lot to Twilight.”

Applejack shook her head. “Sorry, don’t know nothin’ about swords, especially magic ones. Nopony here would know, either. I guess keep it with ya for now and maybe you’ll find somepony along the way who does.”

“I suppose.” Sighing, Sunset resheathed it. She turned to Applejack and gave what she hoped was a hopeful smile. “Thanks. For the talk, I mean.”

“And thank you for stopping me.” Chuckling, Applejack gingerly made it to her hooves. “Suppose we should get back. Granny’s gonna pitch a fit when she finds out I’m not in bed. I’m sure Trixie’s looking for ya now, too.”

“Great.”

Applejack gave a lopsided grin. “Don’t forget powerful.”

Despite herself, Sunset snorted out a laugh. “Don’t let her hear you say that. She’s insufferable enough as it is.”

“It’ll be our little secret, then.”

Sunset opened up the trapdoor and held it up for Applejack. “Definitely.”

.o.O.o.

Two days later, the moment of truth had arrived. After preliminary testing completed without any errors, it was time to sink the orchard and move it across the continent.

Only one problem remained. Stardust stood rooted in place, staring at the seat he was assigned to sit in during the journey. “All that time spent fixing this place up and none of you thought to build a chocobo sized seat?”

One of the engineers gave an awkward laugh. “Uh, sorry. A bit of an oversight there.”

Stardust shook his head. “Forget it, I’m not doing this again. I’d rather run the whole way than be strapped in that deathtrap again. Can’t we just go to Neighshe instead?”

Giving a long suffering sigh from her own seat, Trixie said, “We’ve been over this. The map shows that Neighshe can’t be reached from here. The whole landmass has been rearranged, just like with the Hydra’s Trench. And you can’t get to Coltingen by land, either. Not unless you’ve learned to run on water.”

“Hey, I’ve heard some chocobos could.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow, looking at Stardust expectantly.

Blushing, Stardust mumbled, “But I can’t.”

“Exactly. So find some straps and tie yourself down to a pillar or something.”

Stardust’s feathers ruffled, but before he could retort, the engineer tapped him on the side. “Bud, I may have something for you. Follow me.” The engineer led him away, Stardust giving Trixie one last glare before wandering out of sight.

Rolling her eyes, Trixie turned to Big Macintosh, who was strapped to his seat nearby. “How long till we get there?”

“Well, as long as nothing goes wrong, about the same time as the last time we did this. A few hours, maybe.”

Heaving a sigh, Trixie settled back into her seat. “Wonderful. Trixie hates just sitting around, and it’ll be too noisy to get some sleep.”

The others stayed silent, unwilling to get into a verbal spar with her. Minutes later, the orchard shook and the steady whir of machinery all around them intensified. A jerk of movement signified that the structure had started its descent. A few minutes after that, the orchard jerked again and the sensation of steady movement began.

An hour into the trip, the structure slowed and an alarm sounded, startling the ponies from their travel stupor. Big Macintosh quickly unhooked himself from his seat and trotted off, saying over his shoulder, “Stay here. I’ll figure out what’s goin’ on.”

The others watched him go. Sunset looked over to Applejack and asked, “Has this happened before?”

Applejack bit her lower lip, her hooves hovering over the release to her straps. “Not often, no. Usually it means that the track the orchard runs on has some damage to it and needs to be fixed. Let’s just sit tight and see what Big Mac finds out.”

Five minutes later, Big Macintosh rushed back into the room and towards Applejack. “We may have a problem. Seems there’s something bumping against us. The crew thinks we can slide past, though. May be a bit bumpy. They wanna know what to do.”

“They know what it is?” Applejack said. “Rocks or somethin’ else?”

Big Macintosh shrugged. “Dunno. We’d have to leave to see.”

“Leave?” Trixie echoed. “You mean, get out into the caves where who-knows-what is out there?”

“Eeyup.”

Rubbing her temples, Applejack said, “You said we could slip past. Will that cause any damage?”

“Won’t really know until we resurface.”

“Son-of-a-sow,” Applejack muttered. She unhooked herself and motioned for the others to follow. “Well, guess we better go and take a looksee.”

“Now hold on,” Trixie said, staying in her seat. “Before we go spelunking, let me check the map.” She levitated out the map and held it out in front of her. She tapped the area that labeled Fillygaro and it zoomed in, expanding the area around it. Trixie blinked as a new name appeared near their location. “It says Ancient Castle.”

Applejack cocked her head. “Come again?”

Trixie flipped the map around and pointed at the name. “That's what it says. Know anything about it?”

“Not a clue.”

Shaking her head, Trixie pulled the map back. “Great, we're stuck and clueless.”

“It's the Castle of the Two Sisters.”

All heads turned to the speaker. Sunset wilted under the combined looks.

Trixie crossed her forelegs. “And you know this how?”

Throwing up her hooves, Sunset said, “I don't know, alright?! I just do.”

Trixie made to speak but movement on the map made her pause. Before her eyes, the name Ancient Castle faded away and was immediately replaced with The Castle of the Two Sisters. “Huh, guess you're right. But does this change anything? Are we going to check it out?”

Applejack turned to Big Macintosh. “You're the expert. Whaddaya think?”

The stallion frowned, looking at the floor as he pondered. A moment later, he lifted his head to regard the others. “Safest way is to go back, get a team together, and look into what this all means. Get a bigger picture of what’s goin’ on.”

“Go back?” Trixie repeated. “But that could take weeks!”

“Eeyup. And if we press on and something goes wrong, we could be stuck down here, forever.”

“Horseapples,” Applejack sighed out. “Alright, no sense taking chances. Give the order to head ba—”

Big Macintosh and Applejack nearly lost their footing as the orchard suddenly lurched into motion.

“What in tarnation?! Mac!”

Big Macintosh was already heading for the door. Applejack raced after him, leaving a stunned Trixie and Sunset behind. The two earth ponies headed for the engine room, fighting against the constant rocking of the moving orchard. After a several minutes of stumbling they made it to the control room, only to find the engineers huddled in a corner, shaking in fear. The reason for this stood at the control panel, seemingly pressing buttons and pulling levers at random.

Discord swiveled his head to look at the newcomers. He stood up straight and waved. “Hello! Applejack, you're looking much better, I must say. Hey, since you're here, do you know how to work the espresso machine?”

It took a few seconds for Applejack to comprehend the scene she’d stumbled into. Once her brain restarted, her muzzle distorted into a snarl. “The hay are you doing?!”

Giving a wide grin, Discord spread his arms wide. “Why, helping you, of course! You ponies need a good kick in the rump from time to time to get you to do anything. I mean, turning back after coming so far? Where's the adventure in that?”

Applejack stomped up to him, pinning him with an ugly glare. “This isn't about adventure, this is about keeping my folks safe! Now get away from there!”

Discord heaved a sigh. “See, this is exactly why you ponies need someone like me around. You take no chances.” Reaching over to the panel, he pushed a lever as far as it would go. The orchard’s trembling grew worse. “There, you’ll thank me later.”

Roaring in rage, Applejack lunged for him, but Discord laughed and disappeared in a flash of light. Quickly shifting priorities, she grabbed hold of the lever and yanked it back down. The shaking lessened but the sensation of movement didn't cease. “Big Mac, do something!”

Big Macintosh didn't need to be told twice. In two strides he was next to the panel and inspecting the sensors. He adjusted a few settings then reached for a pedal built into the floor.

“Wait!”

Big Macintosh paused as one of the engineers rushed up to him and pointed at a display that showed the path the orchard was taking. “It's too late. We’ve already passed whatever it was that stopped us. Going back will only make it worse.”

The two siblings looked at each other, frowns of bewilderment all they could muster. Applejack recovered first and motioned for the other engineers to return to their stations. “Figure out if there are any problems. Report back to me if you find anything.” She left before they could respond, heading back to the safety room, Big Macintosh trailing behind.

Applejack found Trixie and Sunset where she had left them, still strapped to their chairs. “Looks like we won’t be turning back after all. Discord saw to that.” Sunset inhaled sharply, but otherwise didn’t respond. “He forced us past whatever it was that blocked us. We’re on our way to Coltingen now.”

“Is everything alright with this place?” Trixie asked. “We’re not going to break down, are we?”

“Nope,” Big Macintosh said, shaking his head. “Don’t believe so.”

Applejack stomped over to her seat, plopped down, and yanked the straps into place. Once she finished, she laid back, closed her eyes, and let out a long breath. Several minutes passed before she spoke again. “Whatever you have planned to kill Discord, I want in.”

Trixie quirked an eyebrow. “You weren’t before?”

“I had other things on my mind the past few days, okay? But after what he just pulled, he’s too dangerous to keep pulling this manure over and over again. He could have crashed this orchard and we’d have little chance to get out.

“And all he did was laugh.”

Trixie made a thoughtful sound. “Sounds about right. As for Trixie's plan, we got to find the rest of your friends first. Then we build our magic up until we can take him on.”

“Simple enough. Think I can manage that.”

Nodding, Trixie fell back into silence, along with the rest. Hours later, the orchard reached its destination with no further interruptions and broke the surface. A quick inspection found no major damage to the structure, but Applejack ordered a full inspection to be sure. She also advised the crew that, once the orchard was repaired, to go back and investigate The Castle of the Two Sisters. Applejack left strict instructions to observe from a distance and not to enter until she returned.

Once preparations were made, the group left and headed west, towards Coltingen.

.o.O.o.

“I’m almost afraid to see what this Coltingen place is going to be like,” Sunset said as she followed the others towards the town. All greenery and wildlife seemed to have disappeared from this part of the world, leaving only parched grey dirt and stray rocks. Her hooves ached from stepping for miles on the hard surface of the ground. “If it’s this bad now, I don’t want to imagine it being worse.”

Applejack nodded grimly. “I hear ya, hon.”

“If you don’t mind me saying, I’m surprised you’re wearing that.”

Shrugging, Applejack looked over her new attire. The genji armor adorned her frame like a second skin, making movement easy in the foreign garb. “What can I say? Waste not, want not. Discord messed with my mind, not the armor. Besides, I kinda like the look.”

“If you say so.” Falling silent, Sunset continued her trek across the bleak land. A little ways ahead of her, Stardust plodded along with the rest. While the chocobo’s beak couldn’t form a frown, Sunset had the distinct impression that it would if it could. Stardust had been delighted to get out of Fillygaro as fast as possible, but the moment he had seen the state of the land, he’d clamped up. Now he stared at the scenery, or lack thereof, with despondent eyes.

“We’re here,” Trixie called from the front of the group.

Sunset sighed and trotted forward to get a look. The town came into view and her worst fears were realized. The buildings of Coltingen had the same dreary appearance as the rest of the land. No gardens or rushing water could be seen. The very air tasted stale, as though a refreshing breeze hadn’t blown by in months.

The biggest concern, however, was the absence of citizens.

As the group entered the village proper, no ponies came out to greet them. The houses were all boarded up, and it appeared from the age of the wood that this happened some time ago. Any calls for somepony to come out were met with silence.

“It’s like the zebra village all over again,” Sunset said, her ears pinned against her head. “You don’t think there’s pony statues in the houses, do you?”

“We’d have to bust into one to find out,” Trixie replied. “But before we do that, let me check on something first.” She led them to the other end of town, to a rickety shack that looked as though it would topple over from a simple puff of air. “Don’t touch anything inside, okay? Rainbow Dash will lop off my horn if—”

“Stay back or we’ll buck ya to the sun!”

Trixie halted, as did the others. Narrowing her eyes, Trixie called out, “This shack belongs to Rainbow Dash! If you don’t want to incur her wrath, along with the Great and Powerful Trixie’s, leave immediately!”

Shuffling and quiet whispers were heard from within. After a few moments of waiting, three earth pony mares walked out of the run-down shack and into the light. Trixie squinted, unsure if she knew these ponies or not.

Applejack smiled and stepped forward. “Well, hello girls. Been awhile since I’ve seen y’all. Howya been Maud, Limestone, Marble?” She nodded to each in turn.

Limestone peered at the farmer. “Wait, aren’t you Applejack? The hay are you doing in that weird getup?”

“Hey, now, this thing here’s authentic Domarian armor! Well, if what Sunset here said about it is true anyway.”

“It is,” Sunset said a touch hotly. Huffing, she continued, “Even if I don’t know why.”

Coughing into her hoof loudly, Trixie regained everyone’s attention. “Okay, remind me again who they are?”

“We’re the Pie sisters, duh,” Limestone said. “Remember? We helped crew Pinkie’s airship.”

Trixie shrugged. “Trixie had a lot on her mind at the time. But to Trixie’s next question, what are you all doing here?”

“Helping me!”

Everyone turned to see Mr. Greenhooves exiting the shack. The world upending itself hadn’t changed him in the slightest, even still chewing on a long piece of grass stalk. Trixie wondered if it was the same one she’d seen last time she was here. “Boy howdy, this sure has turned into quite the herd! Haven’t seen this many ponies for months.”

“Yeah, about that,” Applejack said and swept her hoof back towards the town. “Where is everypony?”

“Up north,” Limestone answered, tilting her head behind her. “There’s a new settlement up there. We come down here every few weeks to give Mr. Greenhooves here the stuff he needs to keep growing his herbs.”

Trixie started, giving Greenhooves a wide eyed look. “You mean you’re still giving them to Rainbow’s friend?”

Giving a wide smile, Greenhooves nodded. “Yep! I made a promise to Dashie and I plan to stick to it. In fact, I just saw her not too long ago.”

Trixie was in his face in an instant. “She was here?! Where is she now?!”

Greenhooves fell back, nearly tripping over. “Whoa there, darlin’! Easy up, now. Yeah, she was here. Said she finally got a lead on somethin’ that could bring back Spitfire. She headed south last I heard.”

Staring ahead at something only she could see, Trixie let his words sink in. Clearing her throat, she stepped back and regained her composure. “Good! That’ll be our next destination.”

“Sorry, but you can’t,” Limestone said, shaking her head. “The continent split apart that day a year ago. Unless you can find a boat or want to swim the whole way, we’re cut off. And if you haven’t noticed—” Limestone swept her hoof around “—nothing’s growing around here. Hardly any plants, let alone trees to build with.”

“Blast it, Discord!” Trixie spat and stomped her hoof. “Just as I start gaining ground, too.”

“Any other way?” Applejack asked. “What about the airship? That still works, right?”

The three Pie sisters looked away, their expressions saying all that needed to be said.

Applejack’s breath caught. “Oh dear. I’m sorry, girls. Pinkie was a strange one, but she always meant well. I hope she didn’t suffer until the end.”

Limestone looked up sharply. “What are you talking about? Pinkie Pie’s still alive.”

Applejack let out a breath. “Oh, sorry. From the way y’all were acting, I thought the worst had happened.”

“It did.” Limestone turned and headed back to the shack. “We’re heading back up north if you want to see her. Not that it’ll do you any good.”

Blinking, Applejack cocked her head. “Uh, what’s that supposed to mean.”

This time, Maud spoke. “It means that even though she’s still alive, Pinkie Pie died on that day.” Elaborating no further, she followed Limestone, Marble not too far behind.

The group glanced at each other, puzzled looks on their muzzles. Sunset voiced what they all thought. “Well, that was cryptic.”

.o.O.o.

Hours later, the slowly reforming Returners and the three Pie sisters left the abandoned town and began their journey north. No amount of grilling would get them to open up about Pinkie Pie and Limestone loudly proclaimed that if they asked one more time, she’d yell for Discord. Conversation regarding Pinkie lapsed after that.

That didn’t stop all the questioning, though. “So do you guys know anything about what happened to the Chickadee Forest?” Stardust asked, nearly hopping from one leg to the other as he walked next to Maud. “Or about a chocobo named Moonlight?”

Maud calmly shook her head. “No. That forest is cut off from us as well. Haven’t seen any chocobos around here, either.”

“Which sucks, because we could really use one to make these deliveries,” Limestone added. She gave Stardust a shrewd look. “Whaddaya say, buddy? Want to make some gil?”

It was Stardust’s turn to shake his head. “Can’t. Not until I find my flock and Moonlight.”

“Jeeze, Stardust, I remember when you first came to the orchard and were looking for him then,” Applejack said. “Mighty noble of you to keep at it.”

Stardust kicked at a nearby rock and hung his head. “I’m beginning to wonder if he’s even alive.”

“Now don’t be thinking like that. We’re still here, even after everything we’ve all been through. I say keep lookin’ until you find the honest truth.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

Conversation fell short after that and hours passed, the group trekking across more barren landscape. Even monsters were scarce and scurried off at the sight of a large group of well-armed ponies. It was as dusk settled in and the group made camp that Trixie asked, “So where are we headed to, anyway? Seems like we’re going well off the beaten path.”

“Our rock farm,” Limestone said as she helped her sisters get a fire going and supper ready. At the blank looks of the Returners, she continued, “It’s where we all grew up and worked before Pinkie left. She came back after getting her airship and offered us to come with her as her crew. Ma and pa weren’t thrilled to see us all leave, but business kinda dried up after Fillygaro Orchard was finished.”

Applejack straightened up. “Oh yeah, I remember. Y’all supplied just about all the stone we needed to build it. Gosh, that was decades ago.”

“We were living off the gil we made since then, but no new projects came along. So when Pinkie offered us jobs, we took ‘em. Ma and pa stayed behind to keep the farm going but nothing ever came of it.”

“Until now,” Maud interjected as she stirred a pot of soup.

Limestone gave a humourless laugh. “Yeah.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sunset said. She took an offered bowl of soup, took a sip, then spit it out. “Gah! It tastes like dirt and… and… I don’t know what!”

“It’s granite,” Maud revealed and took a sip out of her own bowl. “You get used to it.”

Sunset stared at the earth pony. She set the bowl down, dug into her saddlebag, and pulled out a stalk of celery. “I’ll stick to my own rations, if you don’t mind.”

Maud didn’t respond and took another sip of her soup.

“Anway!” Trixie spoke up, discreetly dumping her soup in a bush behind her with her magic, “You were saying about the farm?”

Limestone smirked. “You’ll see. Don’t want to spoil the surprise—”

“Discord did it.”

The eldest Pie sister blinked. “How—?”

Trixie waved her off. “Please, Trixie’s been traveling from one end of this world to the other and everywhere she goes, Discord has his slimy paw all over it. So stop being coy and just tell us what he did and maybe we can help.”

The Pie sisters looked to each other. Marble shrugged and motioned for Limestone to talk. Sighing, Limestone said, “Well, it’s going to be hard to believe.”

“Try me.”

.o.O.o.

“Trixie doesn’t believe it.”

The land the Returners now stood in one day later was no different than what they had seen before. Grey stones littered the ground everywhere and bare dirt stretched from one end of the horizon to the other. A two story timber house and a silo made up what would have been a typical and boring homestead.

Typical and boring, if it weren’t for the amusement park that lay just beyond the house.

The ponies and chocobo stared at the garish colors and blinking lights that plastered every available surface and structure, ranging from a ferris wheel, roller coaster, miniature golf course, carnival stands, and more. Loud music and cheerful laughter filled the air, confirming the presence of the Coltingen citizens. Balloons were released from somewhere inside the park, creating a colorful and bright display against the overcast skies.

Unperturbed, the Pie sisters headed for the house. “C’mon, let's get you a couple of day passes,” Limestone called back.

Trixie tore her gaze off the park and back to the retreating ponies. “Wait, what?”

“We converted the house to a ticket booth. Getting way more business now than when we were selling rocks.” Limestone reached the house and opened the door to let the others in. She blinked as nopony went by as expected. She turned to see the Returners still stuck staring at the scene. “You guys coming or what?”

Trixie shook her head and jabbed a hoof at the spectacle. “Are you all fools?! Are you not seeing what I’m seeing?! What the flying feather is all this?!”

Rolling her eyes, Limestone said, “Would you just get over here? I’ll explain inside.” She tapped her hoof impatiently as the Returners looked to each other with blank expressions. Stardust broke away first, walking up to the house. He ducked to enter the door and gave a “Kweh!” upon seeing the inside. The home was just as bland and sparse as the outside, save for the shelves of pamphlets, posters, and merchandise all advertising the new park. A few moments later the rest shuffled in, more wary than himself. Once all were present, Limestone closed the door and rounded a counter with a cash register perched on top at the end of the room. “We normally charge five hundred gil per pony for the day, but since you’re all friends with Pinkie, I’m gonna knock it down to two hundred and fifty.”

Trixie’s eye twitched. “You’re seriously going to charge us to get in? We’re not here for this insanity, we’re here for Pinkie Pie!”

“Trixie, it’s alright,” Applejack said, laying a comforting hoof on Trixie’s shoulder. “I got this.” Giving Trixie a parting pat, Applejack trotted up to the counter and laid down a bag of gil. “Business is business, right?”

Limestone opened the bag and counted up the gil. “At least somepony gets it.” She rang up the tally on her register and hoofed over a paper ticket for each member of the party. “Follow the exit signs on your right and have a pleasant stay. You’ll find Pinkie working at the main tent.”

“Thank ya, kindly!” Applejack grabbed the tickets and passed them to each of the Returners. Trixie yanked hers and stomped towards the door with a bright red sign that read “Exit”. The others followed, leaving the house and emerging outside.

The force of the park hit them full on the moment they exited. Lights and sounds assailed the senses on all sides. Countless ponies laughed and ran from one entertainment area to the next while the park rides roared overhead. Vendors hawked their wares, ranging from cotton candy to stuffed toys, with wild abandon. It was all so much that no one noticed the figure descending towards them until it was too late.

“So glad you all could make it!”

The Returners snapped their heads up, spotting Discord hovering above them, one hand holding a bunch of balloons over his head while the other held a large ice cream cone. Discord took a single lick of the ice cream with his forked tongue and let go of the balloons, causing him to plop down in front of them. He tossed the unfinished cone over his shoulder where it landed in a waste bin. “I was beginning to wonder if you were going to skip over this optional content. Glad to see you aren’t afraid to trailblaze!”

Trixie’s glare went from Discord, to the park, then back to Discord. “Trixie knew this was your doing, but she’s still surprised. What are you up to?”

“You like it?” Discord faced away from her, looking over the park with a content smile. “I’m thinking of branching out. It’s been such a big hit that I’m giddy to see what the rest of the world thinks of it.” He turned back. “What do you think?”

“Trixie thinks this is just a scheme to get ponies to like you so that they don’t try to kill you.”

Discord touched his chin in mock thought. “You might be onto something there.” He hopped into the air and waved. “Well, I don’t want to hold you up. Enjoy the festivities!” With a flash of light, he disappeared.

With Discord gone, Trixie looked to the others. “We need to find Pinkie Pie and get out of here fast. Don’t touch anything, don’t look at anything for too long, and for goodness sake!” She rushed up to Stardust, who had wandered up to a nearby vendor and bought a fresh bag of gysahl greens, and ripped the bag from his wings with her magic. With a heave, she threw it as far as she could. “Don’t eat anything!”

“But I’m hungry…” Stardust whined, looking forlornly at where the bag had been thrown.

“Stick to your rations. There’s no telling what Discord enchanted here. And none of these ponies look to be acting normally.” Indeed, none of the park workers or attendees had so much as glanced their way when they arrived or had batted an eyelash when Discord appeared. They continued on with their gayful acts, lost in their own blissful worlds.

Sunset swallowed, putting as much distance between herself and anything else that wasn’t her companions. “This is seriously creeping me out. What do we do?”

Applejack pointed to a tent that stood taller than the rest. “My guess is we go there. Limestone said Pinkie would be in the main tent. Worth a look, at least.” With no better course to take, the group marched through the park, staying close together and watching for any suspicious moves towards them.

Despite appearing to be close by, the tent took over twenty minutes to reach. Ponies crowded every thoroughfare, many waiting in lines to buy concessions, play games, or wait their turn on the rides. A bit of pushing and shoving was required to break past the masses. Through it all, the seemingly robotic park guests didn’t voice a single protest other than to complain that the line waits were too high. At last, the Returners made it to the tent’s entrance, only to be confronted by a new obstacle.

“Tickets please,” a long, scaly sea serpent said in a bored tone. He reached out a thin hand as it bathed in a large water tank set close to the entrance. His other hand was being used to prop up his head against the tank, lounging and completely uninterested in the ponies passing by.

Applejack and Big Macintosh both started. “Wait a minute,” Applejack said and peered closer. “I know you.”

The voice caught the serpent’s attention. He swiveled his head around and his eyes locked with Applejack’s. A silent and tense moment passed as the two creatures regarded each other. Applejack spoke first. “Howdy.”

The serpent sneered and drew back, crossing his arms in front of him. “So, here we are again. Come to ruin things for me—what is it—the fourth time now?”

Shaking her head, Applejack said, “Nope. Just here to see a friend. I’m willing to let our past slide if you are. What are ya doin’ here anyways?”

The sneer morphed into a frown. “If you must know, I work here now. This little pool—” he flicked his tail, sending a small wave out of the tank “—may not be a sea but at least I don’t have to worry about ponies like you wrecking it. At least that better not be the reason why you’re here.”

“Like I said, just here for a friend.” She lifted up her ticket. “See? All nice and official like.”

The serpent eyed the ticket suspiciously. He slowly bent down and inspected it closer, finding that the print allowed her to pass. “Hmph. Still not sure if I should let you pass, but that would be against regulations.” He reached for a flap on the tent and pulled it aside. “In you go.”

Applejack smiled and tipped her genji helmet to him. “Thank ya kindly, Mr… uh…”

“It’s Steve. Steve Magnet.”

“Been a pleasure, Mr. Magnet.” Not wasting anymore time, she and the others trotted in. Steve closed the flap once they passed and went back to work. However, a hint of a smile could be seen if anypony looked closely.

.o.O.o.

The immediate takeaway upon entering the tent was that the inside looked much larger than it did on the outside.

The next noticeable thing were all the gambling stations set up throughout the tent. Countless slot machines lined the walls and were dotted across the center area. Dozens of roulette and blackjack tables filled the rest of the spaces. Every table was full of ponies tossing dice and placing bets. The cacophony of machines and conversation made the inside far louder than the outside.

Trixie raised her voice in order to be heard. “Spread out and find Pinkie!”

“What, no comment on all of this?” Sunset yelled back.

“Don’t care anymore! Go!”

“But I’ve never even met her before! What does she look like?”

“A giant piece of cotton candy,” Stardust drawled, then headed left.

The Returners separated, Trixie heading down the center aisle. She quickly lost track of them in the mass of ponies spending their gil on games of chance. In the back of her mind, Trixie noted that there were far too many ponies here than the total population of Coltingen, but let that fact slide in favor of finding Pinkie Pie. She made a complete circuit of the tent before she spotted a flash of pink across the room. She muscled her way through the gambling ponies and found Big Macintosh speaking to a pony that was pink, but many shades darker than Pinkie’s coloring. Her mane and tail also didn’t look right, falling straight down her head instead of the poofy cloud it normally was. The pony wore a black serving mare’s outfit, with a platter of drinks balanced on her back. Once Trixie got closer, she managed to pick up what was being said.

“—Drink or get out of my way.”

“Nope,” Big Macintosh said with a shake of his head.

“Security!” the pink mare exclaimed.

“What’s going on?” Trixie said as she trotted up.

The pink mare looked Trixie’s way then pointed to Big Macintosh. “He’s interfering with my job. Throw him out of here!”

Trixie sighed and nudged Big Macintosh with a hoof. “Stop flirting and find her.”

“I did.”

Stopping, Trixie eyed Big Macintosh then back at the mare. “What’s your name?”

“Pinkamena.”

Trixie nodded and prodded Big Macintosh again. “See? Wrong one.”

Not giving ground, Big Macintosh said, “Show me your flank.”

“Excuse me?!” Pinkamena roared, even drawing attention from the oblivious ponies around them.

Unperturbed, Big Macintosh continued, “I know you have a cutie mark that you got from bonding with an esper. If you are Pinkie Pie, it’ll be on your flank.”

Pinkamena was in Big Macintosh’s face in an instant, a curled up hoof under his chin. “If you say flank to me one more time—eek!” The back of her outfit lifted up, Trixie’s magic revealing her rump.

A trio of balloons in the shape of a frowning cat’s face lay underneath.

Pinkamena slapped Trixie in the face, releasing her hold on the outfit and hiding the cutie mark once again. “Back off! I’m warning you!”

Before Trixie could respond, a new pony, flanked by two large and burly earth ponies, came trotting up. The lead pony, a purple earth stallion with a white mane and a garish blue and green suit, cleared his throat. “I say now, what’s the trouble?”

“Gladmane, thank goodness you’re here!” Pinkamena zipped over to his side and pointed at Trixie and Big Macintosh. “Those ponies assaulted me!”

“Gracious, what terrible manners,” Gladmane said. He raised his hoof, motioning towards his bodyguards. “Boys, show these two what happens to guests who don’t show the proper respect to my employees.” The two large earth ponies nodded and walked forwards.

Trixie’s horn lit up and shot an ice spell at both, freezing the duo solid in their tracks. “Trixie’s not in the mood for this!” She glared at Gladmane. The earth pony quickly got the idea and backed away. Trixie then focused on Pinkamena, who looked to be ready to flee. “You! You are Pinkie Pie, the captain of the Party of One. You were crazy but nopony could pilot an airship like you. You helped the Returners fight the Empire a year ago before the statues were awoken and changed the world.” She marched up to Pinkamena, pinning the shaking pony with an intense stare. Once they were inches apart, Trixie said, “Does this ring any bells?”

Pinkamena swallowed as tears welled up. “P-please. Just leave me alone…”

Her glare hardening, Trixie’s horn ignited. “We had to kill the last pony that lost her mind. Don’t make me repeat it.”

“That’s enough.” Big Macintosh pushed Trixie away, coming between her and Pinkamena. “That’s not how we’re going to do this. If she doesn’t remember or doesn’t want to come, we’re not going to force her.”

“But Discord—”

“Nope. We would be no better than him.”

Trixie fumed, her teeth grinding together. “Then we came all the way up here for nothing.”

“So be it.”

Letting out an incoherent snarl, Trixie extinguished her horn. Once the light went out, Trixie took several breaths, each one shorter than the last. “I’m heading back south, then. I’ll make another raft if I have to.” Spinning on her hooves, she made to walk away.

“Wait.”

Pinkamena’s voice stopped Trixie mid motion. She turned, looking at the other mare who gingerly stepped out behind Big Macintosh. “You said… I piloted an airship?”

Trixie gave a curt nod.

The dark pink mare’s muzzle scrunched up as though she bit into something sour. “I… you said I was a captain?”

Trixie nodded again.

Laying down, Pinkamena took hold of her head in her hooves. “This… no, you’re wrong. I… I’m not the best pilot.”

Trixie and Big Macintosh exchanged looks, but didn’t interfere.

“There… there was another. A better pilot. Fastest in the world.” Pinkamena rose up and let out a piercing howl, startling the entire tent full of ponies. She collapsed once her lungs ran out of air, panting on the floor.

“There’s… another one,” Pinkie Pie said, her body heaving for breath. “Another airship.”

In Which The Ancestors Are Roused

Pinkie Pie sat at the bar of the casino, nursing a martini with one hoof while the other rubbed at her temple. “I have the weirdest headache right now,” she mumbled. “It’s like my brain is trying to unlock a safe, but somepony’s using a wrench to do it.” She took a sip of her drink, grimaced, then went back to massaging her head.

Standing nearby, Stardust placed his bag on the bar. “I’ve got some stuff that could help with that.”

“Thanks, I might need it Star… bright?”

“Stardust,” the chocobo answered as he began to pull out ingredients.

“Sorry. Head’s still fuzzy.” Pinkie lifted her head and swept her gaze over the ponies crowded around her. Applejack and Big Macintosh she recognized, the blue unicorn seemed familiar, but the orange one was drawing a blank. “Soooooo… somepony gonna explain what’s going on?”

Trixie made to speak but Big Macintosh gave her a cross look. The hesitation gave Applejack the opening. “Well, we came lookin’ for ya because we could use your help dealin’ with Discord.”

The sound of shattered glass came from behind the bar. The bartender gave Applejack a wide-eyed, horrified look before racing off. Shaking her head, Applejack continued. “And we were hoping that we could use your airship to perhaps find our other friends. It would help us get around easier, too.”

Pinkie Pie sighed, laying her head down on the bar. “My airship’s gone. Got busted up a year ago.”

“But you said there was another one,” Trixie pointed out, ignoring Big Macintosh’s warning glare.

A second sigh escaped Pinkie, heavier than the last. “There is. It’s hidden away.”

Several moments passed. Pinkie Pie didn’t elaborate further.

Applejack’s ears pinned back. “Is there something wrong, Pinkie?”

“Sorta,” Pinkie replied. “Wait, strike that. There’s a few things wrong.”

Before she could continue, a glass bottle was pushed into her field of view by Stardust’s wing. She silently took the bottle and guzzled its contents down. Scrunching up her face, Pinkie grabbed her martini glass and downed the last of it in one gulp. “Bleh.”

“Sorry, didn’t have anything to help it taste better,” Stardust said.

“'Sokay,” Pinkie slurred. She lowered her head in her hooves, taking deep, calming breaths. “Thanks. I think it’s working.” Stepping down from her barstool, Pinkie Pie gave a mighty stretch. She shook herself once, then turned to the group, a tired frown on her muzzle. “I’d like to help, but I can’t leave.” She waved her hoof to encompass the casino. “You see, I’m kinda in debt to this place.”

“That’s right.”

Heads turned to see Gladmane, accompanied by two recently thawed out bodyguards, walk into their small knit circle and block Pinkie Pie from view. “All this talk is pointless. This here little lady needs to get back to work and you all need to leave before I call in my special friend.”

Trixie snorted, her horn glowing. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has no problem getting in more practice making ice sculptures.”

Gladmane quickly held up a hoof. “Now hold on there, there’s no need for that.” He reached into his sparkly vest and pulled out a sheet of paper. He held it out for all the see. “This here contract was drafted by Discord himself. Signed and legal, too.” He pointed at the bottom where Pinkie Pie’s name was located, next to a series of random squiggles. “If you cause any further trouble or my employee leaves without settling her debt, then he’ll be here lickety-split.”

Eyeing the contract then lifting her gaze back up to the stallion, Trixie said, “How much does she owe?”

“About one hundred thousand gil, give or take a grand.”

Trixie made a choking noise while both Applejack and Big Macintosh gave a long whistle.

“So, now that our business is done here—”

“Wait.” Pinkie Pie stepped out from behind Gladmane, her coat a noticeably lighter shade. “Let me win it back.”

Gladmane rolled his eyes. “Missy, that’s how you got into this situation in the first place. It’s bad business to make it worse.”

“I can do it this time. I know it.”

Without looking at her, Gladmane stuffed the contract back into his vest and began to walk off. “Quit while you’re ahead. You don’t even have any gil to gamble with.”

His path became blocked by a silver chocobo holding up a brown sack. “She does now,” Stardust said with a self-righteous pose.

“Birdbrain, we need that money,” Trixie stated.

“Yeah, and we also need an airship. Don’t worry. I know she can do it.”

.o.O.o.

“The house is now ahead one hundred twenty thousand gil.”

Standing across from Stardust at a roulette table, Trixie gave the chocobo a look that promised he’d be carved into chicken bites by the end of the day.

Pinkie Pie slammed her hoof onto the table. “Again! This time I’ve got a sure fire way to win.” She took a hoofful of chips and spread them over the entirety of the table, covering over each number. “There, I can’t lose this way!”

Nearby, Applejack scrunched up her face. “Wait, I ain’t no gamblin’ expert, but won’t you lose anyway with how much you put down?”

Pinkie Pie didn’t respond as she pointed towards the dealer. “Spin it already!”

Shaking his head, Gladmane motioned for the dealer to take the bet. The dealer pressed a switch to get the wheel turning and a moment later, a small white ball fell in. It took only a few seconds for the ball to settle into an indentation. “Fourteen.”

“See? What did I tell you?” Her face fell as the chips she received were far less than the ones she bet. “Oh. Well, let’s do it again!” Pinkie Pie reached for her chips, blinking when her hooves didn’t touch anything. She looked down to see that she only had two one-hundred gil chips left. “Ew.” She turned to Stardust and gave her best puppy dog eyes. “Got any more?”

“No!” Trixie cried. “We need that money, too!”

“We also need an airship,” Applejack said through the corner of her mouth.

“Trixie will learn a spell to give us all wings. How hard could that be?”

Their mutterings stopped when Gladmane tapped the table, gaining everyone’s attention. “As much as I normally love to see the house make money on gullible ponies, even I’m getting tired of this. Miss Pie, get back to work. The rest of you, get on outta here.”

“Hold it!”

All heads turned to see three mares stride up to the table. Ponies parted away to let them pass, revealing Limestone, Marble, and Maud. On Maud’s back lay a brown sack that jingled each time she walked. She placed the sack down on the table, untied the knot, and dumped its contents. Out spilled hundreds of chips, each valued at one-thousand gil each. “This will cover everything.”

Pinkie Pie gasped and ran over to them. “Girls, no!”

“Be quiet, Pinkie,” Limestone said, never taking her eyes off of Gladmane. “Well, you gonna stand there or are you going to settle up?”

Gladmane eyed the chips with a raised eyebrow and waved over the dealer. “Count these up and make sure they’re legit.” He regarded the Pies before him. “Mighty surprised, girls. What brought upon this act of charity?”

“It’s not charity,” Marble mumbled, but loud enough to carry. She “eep!”ed and hid behind her mane.

Limestone nodded. “What she said. We’re doing this for our sister, not you.”

Shrugging, Gladmane looked to his dealer. “Well?”

The dealer placed down a chip he had been inspecting with a small magnifier. “It’s good. We’ll need to run these through the counter but at a glance, I’d say it’s enough.”

“It is,” Maud deadpanned. “I counted them all myself.”

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie looked more and more horrified. “But this is your life’s savings…”

“Yep, and we’re using it to save a life,” Limestone said and placed her hoof over Pinkie’s shoulder. “Yours.”

“But…”

“C’mon. Let’s get out of here.” She gently led Pinkie away towards the exit. Pinkie allowed herself to be taken, her eyes moist.

Fixing his mane and adjusting his suit, Gladmane waved after them. “Pleasure doing business with y’all—URK!” An orange hoof yanked him down to eye level with a very cross looking Applejack.

“One more word out of you and you’ll be my next kicking bag.” She gave him one more glare, then shoved him back and headed after the Pies. The rest of the Returners followed, leaving the large casino tent and its deluded players behind.

.o.O.o.

Outside the Pie house/entrance to the amusement park, Pinkie Pie stood across from her sisters. Gone was her waitress outfit and replaced by her captain’s garb. Despite the growing familiarity with the clothes, Pinkie Pie’s face streaked with tears. “Are you sure?”

Groaning and holding her head in her hoof, Limestone stared hard at her sister. “Yes! We’ve been over this!”

“Are you really, really sure?”

“Really, really, really sure!”

“Really?”

Limestone’s face turned a unhealthy shade of red. Before she could blow her top, Maud stepped forward. “Pinkie, this is for the best. You’re miserable here. The only way you’re going to find happiness again is to leave and fly again.”

Marble nodded. “Hmm. Reclaim the skies.”

“But—”

“No buts!” Limestone said, her normal colors returning. “We’ve been planning this for a while now, but held back because you’ve been so bummed out lately. We didn’t want to send you out only for you to get even more depressed. But then these guys showed up and now you seem to be getting better. And if half of what they claim is true, then Discord needs to be dealt with. He might give this place a pass for now but who knows what he’ll do later down the line.” She grinned, giving Pinkie Pie an appraising look. “Besides, it’s nice to see you in that again, captain.”

Pinkie Pie blushed. A bit more color washed over her coat. “Thanks… It does feel pretty good.”

“And imagine how much better it’ll be when you’re behind the wheel again.”

“Then come with me and be my crew!”

Limestone sighed. “Look, Pinkie, we’re not fighters like your friends here. We’ll only get in the way.” She cocked her head to the side, a small smile forming. “Tell you what. You get an airship, and we’ll think about being your crew again.” She turned to Maud and Marble. “Right?”

The pair nodded.

“Girls… I—” Unable to contain herself, Pinkie Pie threw herself forward, gathering her sisters into a tight hug. “Thanks. Thank you for everything.”

Limestone, Marble, and Maud returned the hug, each patting Pinkie Pie on the back. After a minute they all separated, Pinkie Pie backing up next to the Returners. “I’ll be back. I’ll be better, too. It’s not all that much fun being all mopey all the time.”

“Heck yeah!” Limestone pumped her hoof.

Giving one more wave, Pinkie Pie took a breath, turned, and began walking away. The group waved their own goodbyes and followed. The remaining Pie sisters watched them go, slowly growing smaller in the distance.

“Three… two… one…”

It was only due to Limestone bracing herself that she wasn’t tackled to the ground by a flying pink pony pounce. Pinkie Pie gave one last squeeze then raced after the bewildered Returners.

“See?” Maud said. “She’s feeling better already.”

Marble smiled. “Hmm.”

.o.O.o.

The ponies and chocobo headed west, towards the cape of the continent. The dirt and rock covered landscape didn’t let up, with the only difference being the crash of chocolate milk waves against the shore. A single day after leaving the amusement park, a tall spire became visible in the distance. With a flat expression stamped on her muzzle, Pinkie Pie led them closer. Soon, it became apparent that the spire was a single large boulder shaped like an egg perched on top of a small hill.

“Everypony and chocobo, this is Houlder’s Boulder,” Pinkie Pie said as they reached their destination. “Legends say that this is a dud dragon egg, but we’ve never been able to figure that one out. But anyway, this marks the spot of my family’s burial site.”

Trixie squinted at the boulder, then looked to Pinkie Pie. “You buried your airship with your ancestors?”

“Yep. Wasn’t easy, either. Airships are a lot bigger than ponies, you know.”

The unicorn gave Pinkie Pie a flat stare. “Indeed.”

“Now, there’s a trick to opening this place up, but before I do that—” Pinkie Pie whirled and thrust a hoof into Trixie’s chest, pushing the blue pony back. “I want an apology!”

Rubbing her chest, Trixie scrunched up her face. “An apology? For what?”

Pinkie Pie pinned Trixie with a sore look, any trace of gained cheer gone. “For threatening me the other day. That wasn’t very nice, you know. For somepony trying to save the world, you’re not very good at getting ponies to like you.”

“Like me? When did I ever claim I wanted ponies to like me?! I want ponies to help me kill Discord so that we don’t have to put up with his nonsense anymore!”

Pinkie Pie’s face shifted to a sad frown. “I can think of one pony that likes you. And I don’t think she’d be happy to see you like this.”

Snarling and shaking with a cocktail of suppressed emotions, Trixie spit out, “Fine! I’m sorry! The Great and Powerful Trixie is a horrible mare that’s just trying to do the job bestowed upon her by a mad chaos creature! Are you happy?”

Walking up to the fuming mare, Pinkie Pie gently padded Trixie on the shoulder. “A little more happy. But we’ll work on that. But you said you’re sorry, so that’s good enough for me.” She stepped back, a puzzled look crossing her features. “It’s… Rainbow… Crash. Right?”

Trixie didn’t want to. She really had no desire. The feeling was so inappropriate and foreign that brushing Pinkie Pie off with some sarcastic remark would have felt more natural. The feeling built and built, until it couldn’t contain itself any longer.

Trixie burst into laughter.

The general sank to her knees, unable to support herself as her body was wracked by wave after wave of ridiculous guffawing. It took some time, but Trixie managed to control herself down to a few sputtering chuckles. Once she was sure she had the last of it out of her system, she took a deep breath and stood back up. She was immediately greeted by a row of smiling ponies. Coughing into her hoof to hide a building giggle, she settled for a smirk and strode past. “Ha ha. Amusing.”

“Hmm, don’t think I’m a hundred percent well yet,” Pinkie Pie murmured before shrugging. “Oh, well. At least I got you to smile. Now, let’s crack this baby open!” Pinkie, with a new spring in her step, hopped up the hill to Houlder’s Boulder. She stepped behind it, removing herself from view of the others. A small click was heard, followed by the ground rumbling. A side of the hill began to part, revealing an opening leading to pitch blackness. Pinkie Pie hopped down and stood in front of the entrance. “Okay, in we go. But be careful, this place has a nasty habit of attracting meanie beasties.”

The group shuffled their way forward, looking into the darkness. A series of stairs were faintly seen, leading down in the earth. Stardust sniffed the air, gaged, shook his head, and backed away. “Nope. Not going in. I’ll see you all when you come back up.”

“How’s this any different than all the other caves you’ve been in?” Applejack asked.

Stardust waffed a wing in front of his beak. “It smells terrible! I can handle damp and musty, but not this!”

“Here.” Stardust looked down. A gas mask was held before him by Big Macintosh. “Might be a little tight, but it’ll work.”

“But—”

Trixie groaned and took the mask in her magical grasp. “No buts. You’re coming with us. Your magic needs more work, and this is the perfect opportunity to practice.” Ignoring Stardust’s sputtering refusals, Trixie yanked the mask over his head and tightened the straps. Stardust’s beak protruded out a little, but the mask covered his nostrils properly. “There. Now in you go.” A little magical ice prodding got the chocobo moving down the stairs. Taking one last breath of fresh air, Trixie and the others headed down after him.

.o.O.o.

“Big Mac, you wouldn’t happen to have more of those masks, would you?” Applejack said hopefully.

Mere moments of the Returners entering the tomb, the smell hit them like a blow to the muzzle. Eyes and noses began to run with wild abandon. The air was moist, making it feel as though the stench clung to their coats rather than just assault their noses. Several of them had already gagged.

“Nope,” Big Macintosh replied, his muzzled scrunched up in distaste. He held a rag up to his nose, but it did little to stem the smell.

“Couldn’t your family put any air fresheners down here?” Sunset asked. Her horn lit up and a nearby torch set in the wall was set ablaze. A row of similarly lit torches trailed behind them.

Pinkie Pie, who led the way deeper into the tomb, seemed the least affected. “Uh, we may have, but it’s been a while since anypony’s been down here. Been kinda busy.” She stopped as an indent in the wall appeared after another torch was lit. “Ah, here we go!”

“The airship?” came Stardust’s muffled voice from behind the mask.

“Nope! Our first corpse!”

The others backed away in disgust. Pinkie Pie didn’t notice. She pointed at a gold plaque screwed in above the indent. “See? My Granny Pie.” She looked down at a pony sized bundle wrapped in burlap that lay within the indent. “She died before I was born but I heard she could cook up the best cookies.” Nodding her head in respect, Pinkie turned away and continued down the hall. “Lots of my ancestors are down here, so be mindful, okay?”

One by one, the Returners warily eased their way past the small crypt. Their displeasure grew as Pinkie would stop at each resting point and give a little history about the dead pony. From Nana Pinkie all the way to Chancellor Puddinghead, Pinkie Pie tirelessly listed off her family members as they passed by. It was at the dozenth crypt that they heard a low moan coming from somewhere in the darkness ahead. The party stopped and listened. The faint sound of something scuffling across the floor could be heard, growing closer with every second.

Being at the head of the group, Sunset stepped forward and readied a spell. Heat built up around her, readied to be released at a moment’s notice.

“Wait!” came Pinkie Pie’s frantic cry. “No big fire spells! You’ll burn up what’s left of my dead family.”

Sunset groaned and cut off her spell. “You could have warned me before.” Shaking her head, she pulled out the Ultima Weapon and held its brilliant blue blade ahead of her.

A brown floating skull, surrounded by wisps of orange mist, stared back at her.

Shrieking, Sunset swiped at the skull but her panic induced attack missed by a wide margin. She fell back and readied a new spell. “Scare me like that, will you?! Congratulations, you’re going to be used to power up this thing!” Finishing her drain spell, she let it loose, the swirling of yellow and red magic stealing the skulls life energy and bringing it to herself.

“Ugh!” Sunset collapsed to the floor, dropping a rapidly shrinking Ultima Weapon.

“Oops, sorry,” Pinkie Pie said from behind. “That’s a power demon. It’s undead and has no life energy. Looks like it has no problem taking yours, though.”

“Hate… you…” was all Sunset could get out.

The power demon loomed above her, seemingly grinning with its stolen power. It widened its skeletal mouth and spewed orange mist at her. Just before its mist could reach her, Sunset’s body suddenly split into triplets. The mist touched the center Sunset and her image faded away. The power demon paused at this new development as two more Sunsets still remained. It didn’t get the chance to attack again as an icicle speared it through its mouth, snapping it in half. The two halves crashed to the floor where it shattered in a hundred pieces.

One of the remaining Sunsets disappeared, the remaining one staring at the remains of the monster in disbelief. A moment later, the familiar feeling of a healing spell washed over her, allowing her to stand back up. The Ultima Weapon levitated before her in a pink aura.

“Looks like you’ll be needing to cast that on living things from now on,” Trixie said, allowing Sunset to take back her sword. “Just don’t get any ideas about casting it on me.”

Sighing, Sunset sheathed the stunted Ultima Weapon. “Yeah, whatever. But what was that other magic just now?”

“Mac. Guess he finally remembered he can use magic as well.” Trixie shot Big Macintosh a look that promised that he’d be next in spell training.

Big Macintosh moaned deeper than the power demon did. “Horse apples.”

.o.O.o.

The going slowed down for the party as more and more undead began to pop up from the dark and dank corners of the tomb. Sunset cursed her luck as Pinkie forbid the use of her fire magic and the drain spell was less than useless, forcing her to use the stub of a blade that Ultimate Weapon had become. She got an up-close and personal look at all the decayed and smelly corpses that seemed to crawl over every inch of the tomb. The others managed, but the tight confines of the tomb hallways made it difficult to swing weapons or cast spells without hitting a nearby companion.

“How much further?” Trixie asked as they turned into another hallway. She held Save the Queen at the ready, its blade slick with felled monster juices.

Pinkie Pie tapped her head as though the action would unlodge her thoughts. “I’m sure we’re getting close. Just one more corridor.”

“You said that two corridors ago!”

“I mean it this time!” Pinkie Pie hopped away, pulling away from the group.

“Pinkie, don’t go too far!” Applejack called to her.

Pinkie Pie continued on despite the warning. Making a sharp turn, she headed down the nearest set of stairs she could find. Down into the darkness she went, but the lack of sight didn’t slow her down. The shuffling and scraping of undead could be heard all around her, making the hairs on Pinkie’s coat stand on end. She pressed on as though possessed, only coming to a stop when she reached a dead end.

“Phooey!” she cursed. “I thought for sure this was going to be it.”

Low moans and creaking of dried bones came from behind. Gulping, Pinkie Pie turned. A horde of decayed and hungry monsters slowly crawled their way to her. The faint light was just enough to show that they were only moments away from overwhelming her.

Pinkie Pie did what came natural. She reared up and screamed.

The closest monster took a swipe at her. She backed up but the wall behind her kept her from going any further. She pressed herself against it, her hooves frantically flailing for anything to be used as a weapon.

One of her hooves nudged a nook, there came the sound of a click, and Pinkie Pie’s world turned upside down.

The wall receded into the floor and Pinkie fell back with a squawk of surprise. Not a moment too soon as the monsters lunged but caught only air as the pink pony tumbled backwards down a smooth slide. The trip only took a few seconds and deposited her into a large room. After clearing the swirling chocobos from her vision, Pinkie picked herself up and took stock of her situation. The room was lit by a soft red light provided by the glow of crystals placed in the ceiling. Dominating the center of the room, there stood a podium covered in red silk. A withered bouquet of flowers lay on top.

Pinkie Pie thrust a hoof into the air. “Nailed it!”

The sounds of distant fighting came from the tunnel she had just existed. A few minutes later, those sounds were replaced by mumbled conversation followed by a shout of surprise. Within seconds, Stardust landed in a heap at Pinkie Pie’s hooves.

“Hi! Glad you could drop in,” Pinkie said as she helped the chocobo up.

“Thanks.” Taking a moment to unruffle his feathers, Stardust turned and leveled a glare up the slide. “She's down here!”

More muted conversation came from above. Then, one by one, the rest of the group slid down into the room. Trixie was the last and the moment she touched down, she rounded on Pinkie Pie. “You have any idea how stupid that was?! We had to mow through an army of monsters to get to you!”

“Sorry, but I couldn't help it. I knew we were getting close, and look! I was right!”

Everyone turned to the large monument in the center of the room. Its grandeur and bright coloring made it stand out from all the other basic and plain tombs they had seen on the way. Pinkie Pie walked solemnly up to it and laid a hoof over the silk drapery. The others simply watched, this mood shift in Pinkie keeping their voices in check.

“Hi, Surprise,” Pinkie Pie said after a minute’s pause. “Sorry that I haven't been by in a while. And I'm sorry that I dropped by to borrow your ship.”

Another pause. Applejack took this opportunity to walk up besides Pinkie Pie, laying a hoof over her withers. “Sounds like this pony meant a lot to ya. Was she a cousin or something?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head. “Nope. She's the only one buried here that isn't a family member. I couldn't find any of her family, so I brought her here when she… died.” She sighed, a long, laborious sound.

Applejack hesitated, but curiosity won out. “What happened?”

Forcing her head to look up at the decorated coffin, Pinkie Pie said, “She was always pushing herself to go higher and faster. Pegasus ponies can only go so high, but Surprise wanted to be known as the mare that flew closest to the stars. I’d egg her on because it brought her so much joy. One day she went off to break as many aerial records as she could and promised to share everything with me when she got back.” She looked away, her emotions building to a boiling over point as her voice shook. “She never made it back to our special hill. I found the wreck a year later in a distant land.”

The silence that followed fit the tomb. Pinkie Pie quietly wept, her tears staining the red silk hanging off the monument. An unknown amount of time passed before Pinkie managed to control herself. She wiped away her tears and took a long, shuddering breath. “I gathered up the wreck and restored it. But I couldn't bear to look at it and stored it here, where she rests. I think she'll be okay with us borrowing it. Surprise’s airship belongs in the air.” Squaring herself up, Pinkie Pie lifted up the silk drapes and reached under with her hoof.

Something wet and squishy latched onto her leg.

Pinkie Pie screeched and pulled back, hopping back to the others in an instant. While everyone asked what was wrong, she looked down at her hoof. A small glob of green slime rested there. Pinkie Pie flicked it off where it splattered against the floor.

A wet squelching noise came from the monument, drawing everyone’s attention. A pool of green fluid oozed out from under the drapes, its mass growing larger by the second. Weapons and spells were made ready as the group began to spread out around the mystery liquid. An unknown amount of gallons later, the center of the pool rose, forming a bell shaped mass. To everyone’s disgust, a thin line formed across the center, splitting apart to reveal a mouth. The slime creature bobbed back and forth, seemingly regarding the ponies around it.

“What is it?” Sunset asked, keeping her distance.

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Uh, don’t really know. It wasn’t down here when I came last.” She scrunched up her face. “At least I think so.”

“Well, whatever it is, it needs to go,” Trixie said, and took a swipe at the slime. Her sword struck, lodging itself deep within the goop. The creature swiveled around, cocking its bulbous head to the side, then enveloped its mouth around Save the Queen. A sharp yank wrenched the weapon out of Trixie’s magical grip where it slowly sank near the base of the creature. “Hey! Give that back!” Trixie moved to reach forward but drew back as the slime creature shuddered and grew a hoof in height.

“Great, so it eats weapons,” Sunset sighed and quickly sheathed the Ultima Weapon.

Trixie glared at her. “Don’t just stand here, hit it with magic!” Following her own advice, Trixie launched an icicle at the jiggling ooze. Sunset shook her head and let loose a fireball. The two attacks collided with the creature. It’s body contracted around the magic, then sproinged back into shape like a mattress. The two unicorns yelped and ducked as their attacks sailed overhead.

“Okay, so now what?” Applejack asked out loud. “I ain’t getting in there if nothing’s going to work.”

“Maybe we can lead it away,” Stardust said. “If it eats weapons, perhaps we can lure it out of here.”

“Not without my sword, first!” Trixie retorted, looking like she was about ready to tackle the monster if it meant getting her weapon back.

Applejack shimmied over to her brother, keeping on eye on the creature. It simply moved its mouth from one side of its body to the other with no sign of advancing. “What do ya got in your pack that’s expendable, Big Mac?”

Big Macintosh dropped his bundle and began rummaging around. Scraps of metal, wires, and tubes fell over the floor. The slime monster swiveled its mouth towards him, its attention now squarely on the stallion's dropped gear. Big Macintosh nudged a piece of scrap towards it then quickly drew back as the creature extended its mouth out away from the rest of its mass to suck it up. It retracted, taking the metal with it and depositing it next to the sword it ate earlier.

“Well, guess that means it likes it. Try forming a line of that over into a corner and drop a load down. Hopefully, it’ll munch on that while we get out of here.”

“But what about my sword?!” Trixie shrieked, her eyes wide and frantic.

“I’ll buy ya a new—”

“No! That thing is irreplaceable!” Trixie stomped up to the slime creature, much to the dismay of the others. She jabbed a hoof into the creature’s mass, uncaring of the goop that got on it. “Give it back or I’ll jar you up and scatter you to the four corners of the world!”

The monster shrank back as though wounded. Its mouth quivered, forming a frown. It began squelching away, back towards the monument.

“Aw, I think you hurt its feelings,” Pinkie Pie said. She barred the creature’s path, holding out a hoof to pat the top of its mass. “There, there. She can be a little mean, I know. I’m still working on that.” The creature made a low slurping sound, almost as though it were purring. “You like that, huh? Hey, how about I sing you a song? It’s been a while since I’ve done that.”

On the other side of the monster, Trixie stared at the scene before her. “Are you seriously doing this now?”

“Of course! It’s been so dank and dreary down here that I think we could all use a pick-me-up. Hey Mac, can that noise maker of yours be tuned to a beat?”

Big Macintosh blinked. “Uh, maybe?” He reached into his pack and pulled out the compact form of the Noise Blaster. A quick series of adjustments unfolded it into its complete form. He set the dial down to its lowest setting and gently pressed the on button. A low hum filled the room.

“Good! I can work with that.” Pinkie inhaled, ready to belt out a trippy tune, but stopped short. The mass of slime was vibrating in front of her. It didn’t appear to be in pain but instead seemed to relax. Its mouth formed a goofy grin, its mass slowly receding down. The slime creature shrank until it was the size of a cat, releasing Save the Queen from its icky grip.

Trixie wasted no time and snatched Save the Queen the moment it was uncovered. She grumbled as she wiped it down, sending flecks of ooze all over the floor.

“Big Mac, turn that off now,” Pinkie said. The stallion complied and the creature ceased shrinking. “Stardust, got an empty bottle?”

Stardust rolled his eyes, but dug into his bag and pulled out a pint sized glass bottle. “Are you doing what I think you’re doing?”

“If what you think I’m doing is taking it with us, then yep!” She accepted the bottle and uncorked it, then dropped a gil coin into it. “You’re all alone down here, aren’t you? Why don’t you come with us? We’ll get you all the shiny things you want to eat! See?” Pinkie Pie held the opening down towards the floor.

The slime monster slide forward, inspecting the bottle. It reached a feeler in, taking hold of the coin, then pushing the rest of itself in. It settled on the coin and lay there, its grin firmly in place. Pinkie Pie lifted the bottle up, corked it, then presented her prize to the others. “There! We made a new friend!”

A pregnant silence followed. Applejack and Sunset gave a few tentative stomps to the floor while Big Macintosh and Trixie busied themselves with their equipment. Stardust simply looked on.

Unfazed by the lukewarm response, Pinkie went on. “Well, since this was a rousing success, what should we call him? How about Oozie? Or Slimey? Oh! Pumpernickel!”

“Call it whatever,” Trixie said, her sword safely back in its sheath. “But if I see it digesting any of my stuff, it’s going overboard. And speaking of which…” Trixie motioned towards the monument.

“Oh, right. I guess I’ll think of something later.” Putting the bottle with the slime into her saddlebag, Pinkie Pie reached under the silk covering a second time. There came the sound of a click then a low rumbling from the far side of the room. A section of the wall slid open, revealing a set of stairs leading down. Pinkie Pie hopped over and waved to the others to follow. “This way. Almost there!”

.o.O.o.

The path leading down took some time, but no monsters blocked their descent. Stone walls surrounded them on each side, appearing more sleek and smooth than the rough cobblestone that the rest of the tomb contained. Unlike the torches that lined the walls above, the ceiling had special crystals embedded in it that shone with white light. Pinkie Pie led them on until she reached a metal hatch at the bottom of the staircase. Popping it open, she hopped down, the others following soon after.

The Returners landed on a sturdy set of planks only a few hooves down. But what truly caught their attention was the massive cavern they had entered. Thousands of light crystals dotted the walls and ceiling, making it look like they had stepped right into the night sky. The wooden planks led to the next thing that caught their attention: a large airship.

While the Party of One was a garish pink, this one was a simple beige. The balloon was thinner but longer, a dull grey material that looked sturdy enough to cut through the fiercest winds. The hull underneath also appeared thinner and longer, trading in the bulk of Pinkie’s ship with a more streamlined design. The entire ship seemed built for speed.

“Everyone aboard,” Pinkie Pie said as she headed towards the hull. “There are cabins below, so pick one out and secure your stuff. It might be a little bumpy getting this out.”

The group climbed on, hopping over the guard rails and finding a trap door that led downwards. A large open common area greeted them, though it was sparsely decorated. No couches, chairs, or roulette tables, just a few cushions and windows. Doors leading to small cabin rooms were spaced out at regular intervals. Once they were satisfied that their gear was tied down as best it could be, Pinkie Pie led them back up to the deck. Near the center, a single control panel with a wheel stood out. Pinkie calmly trotted up to it and began fiddling around.

“You guys might want to hold on. This sucker is a whole lot faster than mine was.”

“Hold on to what?” Trixie asked, swiveling her head around. “There’s nothing here but the guard rails.”

“Yup.” A final press of a button and the engines and turbines began to spin. The whole ship rocked as it came to life for the first time in years. Up ahead in the twinkling darkness, two strips of parallel lights switched on, forming a take-off route. Pinkie yanked down a lever and the constraints holding the ship to the dock separated, allowing the airship to surge forward. Cries of panic could be heard behind her, but Pinkie Pie’s attention rested solely on the path. The crystal lights sped by at an alarming rate till they were nothing but a blur. Up ahead, the path lights winked out to be replaced by a thin slit of white. The airship raced towards the slit at ever increasing speed. The slit became longer and wider, the ship aiming for its center. Finally, with one last burst of speed, the airship busted through a thin pane of glass, followed by a sudden rush of water. The ship’s speed was so great that it pushed through the water before it could envelop the hapless passengers and rocketed out of the ocean and into the wide open skies. Pinkie Pie let loose a walloping cry as the winds swept by her. Her captain outfit’s coattails lifted up, briefly showing a cutie mark of three balloons with grinning cat heads.

“Welcome back to the world, Paradise!”

Author's Note

Making all the 1986 references!

Wherein Past Grievances Are Rekindled

The Paradise cruised through the sky, its sleek, elongated form slicing the air and leaving twin vapor trails in its wake. The ship flew so smoothly and naturally that anypony catching only a glimpse of it from the ground could have mistaken it as a floating whale. It leveled off at a gentle cruise as though sighing in contentment from having been underground for so long.

Pinkie Pie set the controls to autopilot and turned around to her compatriots. “That went great! Way better than I thought it would.”

“Swell…” Stardust drawled. He and the rest of the group weren’t in a position to appreciate this monumental event, having been thrown back and clumped together during takeoff. Slowly, the bodies began to untangle.

Once everyone was sure all their bits were in place and took a moment to enjoy the scenery, a collective silence befell them. Unsure glances and idle mutterings past between them. Finally, all eyes turned to Trixie.

“What?” Trixie inspected herself, going so far as to feel her muzzle. “Is there something on Trixie’s face?”

Applejack gave a loud snort. “Oh for the love of… Where’re we going?”

“Oh.” Trixie tapped her chin before nearly smacking herself and brought out the map. “Well, we’ve been through most of the north. Trixie supposes we should—”

“Wowie! What a big bird!”

The Returners blinked then turned towards the source of the voice. There, flapping hard to keep pace with the ship, flew Derpy Hooves. A satchel hung at her side, a few white envelopes poking out from the top. The grey pegasus waved at the blimp. “Hello, Mr. Bird! Where you off to?”

“Down here!” Applejack called up to her.

Derpy tilted her head. “Down? Is there a nest nearby that you roost in? It’s gotta be as big as a mountain to fit you.”

“Derpy!” Applejack yelled.

Derpy’s front hooves shot to her cheeks in shock. “Oh my gosh, you know my name! Have we met before?”

Any further conversation was interrupted by a lasso snagging her hind leg and yanking her down to the deck. Derpy landed in a heap, her eyes swirling in their sockets. “Oh, not so rough… Hope you don’t treat your chicks this way.”

Applejack sighed and came up to the poor pegasus, helping her get to her hooves. “Derpy, it’s us. You remember right? Your friends?”

A shake of the head cleared Derpy’s swirling vision back to normal, sans one eye. Her expression lit up on seeing the earth pony. “Oh, hey, Applejack! It’s been a while. Are you helping Mr. Bird?”

Reigning in another sigh, Applejack shook her head. “No, Derpy. This isn’t a bird. Take a closer look.” Applejack swept her hoof to encompass the entire airship. Derpy followed the hoof, taking in everything around her. Once her vision settled back on Applejack, the farmer said, “You know now what this is?”

Derpy nodded. “Yeah, this bird has a really big belly. It must be ready to lay some eggs soon.”

Applejack facehoofed.

A low chuckle built up, causing Applejack to stare at its source. Derpy’s cheeks and mouth were puffed out as though holding in a breath. All at once, Derpy exhaled and began laughing with wild abandon. “You should see the look on your face!” Unable to control herself, Derpy fell to the deck, cackling madly. It took a minute for her to regain control and when she looked up she nearly burst back into laughter. “Ha! Got you good!”

Despite herself, Applejack gave her own chuckle. “Eeyup, ya did.”

Derpy, still smiling, lunged forward and gave Applejack a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe! It’s been so long.” She released Applejack and beamed. “And the airship’s back, too! This is the best day all year!”

“Actually, the one you’re thinking of is gone,” Applejack said, some of her cheer evaporating. “This is a new one, courtesy of Pinkie Pie’s old friend.”

“Oh, well that was nice of her. Where is she?”

Before Applejack could correct her again, Pinkie Pie stepped up and gently put a hoof to Derpy’s mouth. “Okay, I’m going to let that one slide because you’ve got a good sense of humor. Short story, my friend’s gone and we’re borrowing her airship to help battle Discord. You with us?”

Derpy blinked, processing what she had been told. She gave a nod, giving a muffled, “Shurr.”

Pinkie pulled her hoof back. “Great! Now that that’s all cleared up, where were you off to?”

Derpy gasped. “Oh, right! I got a delivery to make!” She turned and readied for takeoff but Applejack stepped on her tail, keeping her pinned to the deck.

“Whoa, there. Delivery to where?”

Yanking her tail free and giving Applejack a sour look, Derpy said, “Mareanda. I’ve been helping a few ponies get some mail delivered in this area.”

“Really? That’s mighty kind of ya. Anypony we know?”

Derpy looked away, one hoof pawing at the deck. “Well… I kinda promised I would keep it a secret.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. “Okay. How ‘bout we help ya? We can give you a lift.”

“Um, okay. I suppose that’ll make it quicker. Just, one thing.” Derpy swallowed and motioned for all of the ponies and chocobo to come forward. The others gave her odd looks but Derpy increased her urgent movements to get closer. Slowly and reluctantly, the group clustered around the pegasus. “Okay, so, we gotta be careful when we fly around. You see, there’s this really big and nasty black thing that’s taken over the skies. Anything that gets too high or too close, it attacks. I’ve stayed low but I’ve had a couple close calls where it nearly saw me.” Derpy shuddered. “I don’t even want to imagine what it would do to me if it ever caught me.”

A grim look passed between the Returners. Trixie nudged Derpy and said, “Do you know what it is beyond a ‘big black thing’?”

Derpy shook her head. “I never dared get close to it. I’ve only seen it from far away but I could still feel just how mean it was.”

“Probably one of Discord’s minions, then.” Trixie turned to Pinkie. “Does this ship have any weapons?”

A shake of Pinkie’s head was the answer. “There’s a few cargo hooks attached to the bottom, but nothing like cannons. I suppose we could get some, but it will take some modifications to fit them in. Which reminds me…”

.o.O.o.

“Oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh girrrrrrrrrrrrllllllllllllls!”

“... We’ll get our stuff. Ma! Pa! Watch over the store! We’re going to help Pinkie save the world!”

“Doth, take care! Pray, do not do unto others that which you do not want done unto yourselves!”

.o.O.o.

“There, that little sidequest is done,” Pinkie said with a satisfied nod.

The party blinked as they watched Maud, Limestone, and Marble Pie settle into their positions as crew members as though they had never stopped.

Pinkie slammed her her hooves together. “Now, let’s put this baby to work. Next stop, Mareanda!”

.o.O.o.

With a new destination, the Paradise sped over land and sea, heading south. Mindful of Derpy’s warning, Pinkie Pie kept the airship as low as she could and kept the speed at a moderate pace. Even with the ability to fly, the going was slow as landmasses no longer looked the way Pinkie remembered them. Many times, Trixie’s map had to be referenced to keep on track. Derpy’s insistence that they were going the right way helped, but the unease of flying over strange lands kept Pinkie from truly letting the Paradise show its stuff. Hours of flight later, the parched landscape changed as bountiful forests and farms began to pass underneath them. No sign of chaos tampering could be spotted, which quickly gained Trixie’s attention.

“So you’re more familiar with this part of the world than we are,” she said as she watched a particularly well kept farmhouse and groomed fields streak by. “What has Discord been up to here?”

Derpy cocked her head. “Huh, good question. I mean, all the ponies that live around here know of him, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of him doing anything mean. He’s hardly ever around as far as I know.”

“Which only makes it more suspicious,” Trixie grumbled. “Just when I think I have him figured out, something like this shows up to mock me.”

“Don’t worry! You’re going to like Mareanda. The ponies there have really fixed the place up! They say it’s even more beautiful than it was before the Empire took it over.” Derpy smiled, reached over, and nudged Applejack in the side. “Hey, remember when we tried kicking out all the soldiers? We almost did it, too!”

Applejack’s face scrunched up. “Yeah, I remember.” Her mouth formed a deep frown. “I also remember why we failed.” She abruptly turned and headed down into the ship quarters, her movements stiff and forceful.

Derpy watched her go, her smile turning upside down. “Oh dear.” She turned back to Trixie and saw the unicorn also had a frown. “Not you too? Why do you look so bummed?”

A verbal answer didn’t come, but Trixie did send Derpy a sideline, half-lidded glare. The pegasus wilted under the look and decided she needed to be somewhere else. Once she was out of sight, Trixie went back to staring at the ground passing below and sighed.

.o.O.o.

An hour later, the airship landed on a large patch of tall grass that waved and rippled like the waters of the sea. Ponies landbound all stopped what they were doing and watched as the mechanical wonder set down just outside Mareanda. A group of them quickly gathered together and discussed this new development, nodding as one as a decision was made.

Aboard the Paradise, Pinkie Pie and her sisterly crew got to work securing the ship to the land. Despite it being a new ship with a year’s worth of being out of practice, the Pies expertly tied down the Paradise as though the time away from their passion hadn’t happened at all. It wasn’t long before the Returners disembarked down an extendable set of stairs built under the cabin. They were immediately greeted by the locals, but the looks on their muzzles made it clear this party was anything but welcoming.

“You have ten minutes to get back on that thing and clear out!” one of the ponies in the crowd shouted. The others, a mixture of earth, pegasus, and unicorns all yelled in agreement.

Pinkie Pie bounced to the front of the crowd and gave a chipper, “Hi!” She stood on her hind legs and waved. “You all miss me? I know I haven’t been by in a while but let me make it up to you by throwing the biggest party of the year!”

“Didn’t you hear?” a pegasus mare said. She thrust her hoof towards the airship. “Get out of here!”

“Now what’s with the attitude, huh?” Pinkie Pie crossed her forelegs and gave the ponies a cross look. “This isn’t a nice way to make a good first impression. Derpy? A little help?” Pinkie Pie reached back and yanked Derpy to her side while wearing a confident smile. “Tell the ponies here we are just looking for a little help.”

Before Derpy could get a word out, the same mare exclaimed, “You brought them here?!” Her wings shot out, making her appear twice her normal size. “You idiot!”

“Now wait a minute, there’s no need for tha—”

“You’re going to ruin everything!” The crowd behind the mare all shot Derpy looks that could kill. “Get them, quickly!” The mob roared and stomped, sending small tremors through the ground. The Returners, unprepared for this, began to teeter on their hooves. Several ponies broke off from the mob, horns, wings, and hooves readied to attack.

A combo of fire and ice magic blasted in front of them, sending the ponies neighing and rearing back. As they recovered and readied to charge again, a pair of figures stepped through the smoldering and mist filled grass, stopping them instantly. Ears drooped and jaws dropped as Trixie, flanked by Sunset, strode up, her eyes flashing with contempt. “Tr-Tr-Trixie the Terrible…” one of them blubbered.

Trixie kept up her march, forcing the ponies back. She looked down her nose at them, eyeing them with a mixture of contempt and tired resignment. “Hello again, Mareandians. Trixie has returned. She and her companions have a little business to deal with here and then we’ll be on our way.”

A stare down ensued, the Mareanda civilians glaring and pawing at the ground while Trixie kept her poise cool and composed. At length, Trixie harrumphed and said, “Don’t be wasting both of our time. Let us pass and we’ll be out of your manes.”

“We… we won’t let you,” an earth pony replied, digging his hooves into the ground. “We finally have our town back and we won’t let you burn it again.”

Trixie’s ears drooped slightly. Having the good grace to look down at the ground, she said with no hint of haughtiness, “Would it help if I said I was sorry?”

The Mareandians gave a collective blink. They stood and stared as Trixie prostrated herself before them, her horn digging into the ground. “I apologize for what I did. Trixie was a different mare back then and I now deeply regret it. If you don’t want me to enter your town, that’s fine. But please let the others by. They have business here that has nothing to do with me.”

Nopony said anything. Trixie stayed in her position, not moving a muscle or twitching an ear. A full minute went by until a magenta earth pony mare broke off from the crowd and marched over to the unicorn. The mare bent down and lifted Trixie’s chin up until they could look each other in the eye. The mare twisted her head, searching every bit of the pony before her. She reached down and pulled Trixie up so that they stood face to face. The mare gave a small smile.

She then cocked a hoof back and slugged Trixie in the cheek.

Trixie went down, her world spinning and the worst pain she had felt in a long time. She barely even registered the mare talking to her. “Call me crazy, but I believe you. I just wanted to give a little back for what you did.” She backed off as Trixie’s friends rushed up to her, Stardust with a medical box at the ready. It took a few minutes but they got Trixie back on her hooves, a large red and purple welt beginning to swell over her eye. She stumbled and hocked out a tooth.

“I probably deserved that,” Trixie said, wincing at the pain the movement of her mouth gave.

“You definitely deserved it!” the mare shot back. “You and the Empire came into our homes and destroyed everything we built and then shipped us off to fight your war! We are finally getting our lives back together and we won’t let anything ruin it again.”

Trixie fought back the pain as she said, “Discord won’t allow it.”

The mare and the crowd behind her paled and frantically looked around in fear of the chaos creature appearing. When he didn’t, the mare gave Trixie a half crazed look. “Have you gone mad? Don’t say his name!”

Shaking her head, Trixie pushed away her fawning companions and stood before the mare again. “Don’t be stupid. He’s letting you get away with this. He’s probably waiting for you all to lower your guard and then he’ll come in and mess things up even worse than I did.” Trixie worked her mouth, choosing her words carefully. “We are going to stop him. Any help you can give will be appreciated.”

“Stop him?” The mare looked back as though Trixie had truly gone insane. “How?”

Before Trixie could respond, Applejack stepped forward, gently pushing Trixie back. “I’ll handle this from here.” She looked back at the mare, who had paled even further than before. “Howdy, Cheerilee. Mind if we talk?”

.o.O.o.

While Pinkie Pie took Trixie back to the airship for more medical attention, Cheerilee led Applejack, Derpy, Sunset, and Big Macintosh into the town proper. Ponies grumbled at the sight of the newcomers but didn’t press their grievances further. The trip was made in silence, though both Applejack and Derpy made the occasional comment and low whistle at all the repairs that the Mareandians had made in the past year. Even the central fountain where Applejack had faced off with Zecora was rebuilt, its ornate fish statues spraying out crystal clear water. Their journey came to an end as Cheerilee opened up her house and ushered the Returners in. Once the group settled into the living area, Cheerilee faced them and lowered her head.

“I’m truly sorry for what I did. I was afraid you all would cause even more Imperials to come to Mareanda. I… I thought that if I turned you in that the Empire would ease up on us, maybe even leave.” She sighed heavily. “Nothing really changed, though.”

Applejack nodded. She shuffled her hooves, looking to Derpy and Macintosh, though no inspiring words came from them. Taking a breath, she said, “Look, I ain’t gonna lie and say that it’s all water under the bridge. I was mighty upset, though I suppose it’s been so long since then that much of my anger has slipped away. I just wanted to help, though I guess help wasn’t what y’all were looking for.”

“Applejack, please understand that we had been occupied for over a year before you came. The Empire didn’t just burn our town down, they took advantage of us and then stomped out anything they thought would threaten them. We learned quickly that as long as we followed their rules, they tended to ignore us. Well, most of the time, anyway.” Cheerilee swallowed, a faraway look in her eyes. “We were scared that anymore trouble would be the end of us.”

“I suppose you got a point. I’m… sorry too.”

The room grew silent for a time, nopony willing to break it. That is, until Derpy raised a hoof, answering before anyone could call on her. “But things changed, right? The town’s better, so things worked out in the end!” She smiled, but quickly frowned and tilted her head. “You guys never did tell me how that happened.”

Cheerilee scrunched up her face. “Well, that’s because nopony here really knows what happened. Over the past year, we all slowly felt more alive than we’ve ever felt before.” Her voice rose, excitement taking over her previous gloom. “It’s the most amazing feeling! I feel like I could do anything. Ponies all over town said the same. Then, a nasty storm came in, but a couple of pegasi were able to blow it away. Pegasi have never been able to do that before.

“After that, the unicorns found out they could do more than just levitate, and us earth ponies have been able to build much better houses and grow crops larger than they’ve ever been. It’s been paradise the past few months!” Her enthusiasm died down as she regarded the group. “Please don’t ruin it for us.”

Applejack sighed and shook her head. “Cheerilee, I can’t promise ya anything. You heard what Trixie said. You may not like her much but she’s had more experience with Discord—” Sunset clenched her teeth while Cheerilee cringed—”than any of us. From what I’ve seen, she’s gotta be right. He’s gonna pop in here any day and mess everything up.”

“But he hasn’t!” Cheerilee protested. “Maybe he isn’t aware yet or—”

“No,” Applejack said with finality. “He knows. I’ve seen firsthoof what he can do. He nearly got my orchard stuck a second time because he was impatient with how fast it was going.” Applejack walked up to Cheerilee, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, but that’s the truth of it. That’s why he’s gotta be stopped.” She pulled Cheerilee close, staring her dead in the eyes. “And trying to get rid of us won’t help, either.”

Cheerilee gulped, though if it was from the threat of Discord or feeling the muscles ripple through Applejack’s leg, nopony could tell. Applejack pulled away, giving Cheerilee her personal space back. “I don’t mean to frighten ya. It’s a pretty bad situation all around, but we’re doing what we can to help.”

“Do…” Cheerilee hiccuped. She took a few moments to compose herself and tried again. “Do you really think you can stop him? We… we’ve only heard rumors, but it does sound pretty bad.”

Looking back at her companions, Applejack smiled. She turned back and said, “If anypony can do it, it’s us.”

Cheerilee shivered and looked away. “Even with all the changes we’ve had, we’re no match for him. I suppose you are the best hope we’ve got.”

A long silenced followed, nopony sure what the say next. Just as Applejack was about to suggest they head out, Derpy shot to her hooves and smacked her forehead with a hoof. “I almost forgot!” She dug a hoof into her pouch and pulled out a white envelope. She held it out towards Cheerilee. “Here you go!”

The earth pony blinked before her face lit up and she took the offered envelope. “Oh, thank you. With all the excitement today, I completely forgot I was expecting this.” She ripped the top off with her mouth and fished out the folded letter inside. A quick scan of the letter later, she nodded her head and beckoned the others to come closer. “Well, it sounds like you all could use all the help you can get. It just so happens that I’ve been in contact with one of your friends, Applejack.” At Applejack’s expectant look, Cheerilee continued, “That stallion you were with when you tried saving the town? He’s in Chozo.”

“Are… are you talking about Shining Armor?” Applejack asked.

Cheerilee tilted her head. “Yes, that sounds about right. He never signed his letters, but it was obvious who it was. The things he talked about were things only he could know. Plus, his penmanship is impeccable.” She held out the letter for all to see. Every letter was in cursive and the line structure neatly laid out. “If I was a school teacher, he’d get an A+ for sure.

“Anyway, he somehow learned of me and our town and has been having Derpy deliver letters between us. I keep him informed on what’s happening and he’s… well, he’s been encouraging me to make the most of the gifts we’ve been given. He seems to be a very forgiving stallion.”

“Sometimes,” Applejack said, her tone wistful. “He has a protective streak when it comes to his son, though. Huh, hope Spotter’s with him.”

“He hasn’t mentioned him, so I don’t know.”

Applejack nodded, her features firm. “Then we’ll need to visit him and find out.”

Cheerilee held up a hoof, forestalling Applejack from leaving. “Wait, before you go, could I trouble you to take another letter?” She rushed over to a desk, pulled out a quill and paper, and began to write furiously. A minute later she finished, fanned the paper to dry the ink, then folded it up and placed it in a clean envelope. She trotted back over and hoofed the envelope to Derpy. “This will probably be my last one. You’ve been a great help to us.”

Puffing up her chest, Derpy gave a crisp salute. “I’ll get it to him even if my life depends on it.”

Cheerilee frowned. “Now don’t be doing anything like that. Your safety isn’t worth a letter.”

“Don’t worry,” Applejack said. “We’ll all help get this to him.” She turned to the others, giving a confident smile. “Well y’all, let’s get packin’ and get back to the airship. We got ourselves a friend to find.”

.o.O.o.

The Returners returned to the airship, relaying everything they had been told. Trixie, laying on a set of blankets and holding a cold compress to her face, hmmed to herself. “I don’t know what’s going on with the ponies around here.” She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Probably need to get Twilight to look into it.” She stood up and removed the compress. She clicked her mouth together a few times and worked her tongue along her teeth. She nodded towards Maud Pie. “Thanks for saving my tooth.”

Maud returned Trixie’s gratitude with a flat stare. “No problem.” She held up a bottle of pink liquid. “You should take this one more time tomorrow just to be sure.”

“What is that?” Sunset asked, following the exchange with a raised eyebrow.

“Tooth regrow. We eat a lot of rocks on the farm. Not good for the teeth, so we bought the formula off of a traveling zebra.”

Sunset stared while Stardust looked on with unmasked interest for this new form of healing. Trixie ignored both, addressing Pinkie Pie. “How long before we can reach Chozo?”

“Well, as long as it’s in the same place as before—”

“It is!” Derpy chirped.

“—Then tomorrow morning at the latest.”

Trixie nodded. “Good. Let’s hope we can slip in and pick him up. There’s a dragon there that Trixie is in no mood to meet again.”

.o.O.o.

“So you want me to fight them?”

“Yep! Give it all you’ve got, too. They’ve gotten a teensie bit stronger than the last time you met them.”

The Storm Dragon scoffed, a motion that sent a gust of wind to crash against his cave chamber. “You make it sound as though you expect me to fail. I am one of the eight chaos dragons. Ponies are as beneath me as the pigeons my griffons feast on.”

Discord sighed and waved his lion paw. “Fine, don’t listen to me. Your funeral.”

A hiss of a thousand snakes rattled the rocks dotting the cave.

“Oh?” Discord looked up, grinning widely. His next words came out more high pitched. “Strike a nerve?” A bulbous mass formed within Discord’s stomach and traveled up his neck. His eyes bugged out as the mass forced its way through his mouth, stretching it like a snake dislocating its jaw before swallowing its prey. Instead of food though, a female griffon head poked out from Discord’s maw.

“Deal with it, buster,” the head of Gilda said, her eyes gleeful. “You have to do what I say from now on.”

The Storm Dragon snarled, its tail thrashing against the floor.

“Yeah, sucks, doesn’t it? Having to do what you’re told, just like you used to do to me. I may be stuck like this but I’m thinking the perks make up for it.

“Oh, and I heard about that little hit you put out on me. Too bad Trixie’s stooges didn’t follow through, huh? Heh, at least now you can beat them up for it.”

“If you weren’t a part of my mast—”

“Yeah, yeah, threaten, kill, and all that. I’ve heard it. Now stop that and—” Gilda jerked, her face flinching as though she had been pinched. The misshapen lion and eagle hands of Discord clamped down on his upper and lower jaw and began squeezing them together. “You got your orders—!” Gilda managed to get out before Discord’s mouth snapped down, silencing her. He swallowed the mass in his mouth, sending it back down to his stomach, and let out a loud belch.

Discord smacked his mouth together a few times as though trying to work out a bad taste. “Phew. Sorry about that. She’s a bit temperamental, but I’m sure you already know all about that.” He dusted his hands off and turned to walk away. “Anyway, I’m sure you can handle it. Ta ta!” A snap of his fingers and a flash of light signaled his departure.

Now alone, the Storm Dragon stomped on a nearby boulder, crushing it to pebbles. “Gabby!”

A few seconds passed, then a light grey female griffon flew into the cave and landed before the great beast. She bowed and said, “Yes, my lord? How may I serve you?”

“We shall be having more guests soon. Prepare the appropriate lodgings.”

Gabby grabbed her head between her talons and gasped. “Do you mean more ponies?!”

“Yes.”

The high pitched squeal that resulted from the griffon reached the entirety of Mt. Chozo.

In Which Griffons Rule the Roost

The Paradise circled the airspace above Chozo, maintaining a low cruising speed as the group looked down at the dark grey clouds that churned and thundered below them. Marble Pie shook her head, whispered something to Limestone Pie, then trotted off towards the other side of the ship. Limestone huffed and walked over to Pinkie Pie. The captain looked to the approaching mare with questioning eyes. Limestone didn’t let her wait long. “There’s no way we can get lower from here. As soon as we do, those winds will take this ship and smash it against the mountains. Not that we’ll see them coming, anyway.”

Pinkie Pie frowned and turned back to the controls. “I figured as much. We’re going to have to land outside this storm system and hoof it, then.” She twisted the wheel, taking the Paradise out of its holding pattern and heading south. It only took a few minutes to travel past the turmoil and into clear skies, though the distance was considerable once the ship landed and the group began the trek back. A few monsters attacked them, making Trixie ecstatic for the extra practice it gave the magic users.

Once they reached their destination, amidst the perpetually falling rain, the group found an open bar to take refuge from the downpour. Even after a year, the ponies in Chozo hadn’t changed, boozing and partying as though the near end of the world had never happened. Drinks flowed freely, rawkus laughter filled the room, games of chance were played, and Discord danced on a makeshift stage set up at the end of the room.

The Returners quickly left, deciding that a little rain never hurt nopony.

“Okay, where to?” Trixie asked, directing her gaze towards Derpy.

The pegasus grinned and pointed a hoof to the sky. “We go up!”

“Applejack, you deal with her. You seem to have better luck.”

Applejack nodded, patting Derpy on the back. “Yes, but most of us here can’t fly. We need a way for the rest of us to get up to the mountains.”

“Oh… um,” Derpy hummed as she looked down, her muzzle scrunched up in thought. “Well, I… ah… never had to worry about that.”

“Could you perhaps fly around a bit and see if you can spot a way up?”

“Sure thing!” Derpy spread her wings and crouched to take off—

“What are you all doing in such a dangerous place?”

—and plowed into the pavement as the unknown voice startled her.

All eyes turned to the newcomer, who stepped out of the shadows of the alley they stood next to. He was a grey-coated earth pony stallion with a purple mane done up in a braid that hung down the side of his head. Dressed in brown and white cloths, a red scarf, a red and gold beret atop his head, and wearing a set of dark purple spectacles over his eyes, he swept his gaze over the group. “My, you are all an eclectic bunch. But my question still stands.”

After helping Derpy back to her hooves, Applejack regarded the newcomer. “Well, not to sound rude, but it’s not really any of your business.”

“Oh, pardon me,” the stallion said, bowing. “I’ll leave you all be and let you find the entrance to Mt. Chozo on your own.” He turned to leave.

Sunset stepped in front of him before he could exit through the alley. “Okay, what’s your deal?”

The stallion gave a blank look. “I beg your pardon?”

She jabbed him in the chest with a hoof. “Nopony just waltzes out of the dark like that and just so happens to know what it is we’re trying to do. From the looks of you, you’re some type of peddler or merchant wanting to sell us something. My memories may be all foggy, but I wasn’t born yesterday.”

The stallion gave a dramatic sigh. “You’ve found me out.” His mouth formed a smile and he reached into his clothes, pulling out a jar of clear liquid. “I just so happen to be a curio shopkeeper with an exotic collection of doodads for any adventuring type. This here is your key to getting to the mountains.”

Sunset eyed the jar dubiously. “What is it?”

“Rust remover.”

Sunset kept staring.

“I see I need to elaborate.” The curio shopkeeper cleared his throat. “The entrance to Mt. Chozo rarely gets used due to the dragon and griffons that live up there. So the door isn’t kept very well. Doesn’t help that the constant rain here rusts things over something terrible. You’ll be needing this if you want the door to open. Only one thousand gil!”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Who says we can’t just bust it down?”

The curio shopkeeper blinked. “Well, I suppose you could.” The ponies began to walk off. “Wait! You don’t know where it is!”

“It’s a door that’s rusted over that should be next to the mountain,” Trixie said over her shoulder, never breaking her stride. “Shouldn’t be hard to miss.”

The curio shopkeeper sputtered, trying to form words, but the jingle of gil near his hooves snapped him out of it. He looked down to see a modest sized bag, the chocobo that set it there following the others.

“From one merchant to another,” Stardust said as he walked off.

Quickly snatching up the bag, the curio shopkeeper stuffed it and his rust remover into his clothes. It didn’t take him long to decide where to spend his money as he did an about turn and entered into the nearby bar.

.o.O.o.

The door was easy to find.

While plenty of the buildings in Chozo where in a constant state of decay due to the weather and negligence of its citizenry, even a blind pony could have found the right door by touch alone. The door, which Derpy happily pointed out after a brief flyby of the closest cliffs, was covered in red flecks of metal that had fallen off from the iron hinges holding it to the sides of the rock face. A solid buck from Applejack knocked the entrance down, revealing a tunnel of roughly cut stone. Before the group could move in, Trixie cleared her throat. “Be mindful that we’re stepping into griffon and dragon territory. Let’s try to keep a low profile, find Shining Armor, and get out of here.”

“Aw, the griffons aren’t so bad,” Derpy said, taking the lead through the tunnel. “As long as you’ve got gil handy, they tend to leave you alone.”

“Great, meat eaters and extortionists,” Trixie drawled as she filed in with the others.

The tunnel didn’t last long and soon the Returners exited into a large cavern. Much of the cave was comprised of tall rock spires that rose out of a pit too dark and deep to see the bottom. Poorly maintained paths led to rope bridges which looked so frayed that anypony stepping on them may well take their last step. Dozens of holes in the walls let in wind and rain, washing away any dirt deposits and making the stone ground shiny and slick. One misstep and a pony would slip into the black expanse of the pit.

“Okay, how are we supposed to get by all that?” Sunset Shimmer asked, already inching back towards the tunnel.

“What? It doesn’t look that bad to me.” Derpy hopped and took flight, poking her head through one of the holes that led outside.

Ignoring Derpy, Trixie turned to Big Macintosh. “You think you could fix up those bridges? Sunset and Trixie can levitate anything out that you need.”

Big Macintosh stepped carefully up to the first bridge, mindful of each step he took. He looked it over for a minute, grimacing as the full extent of the damage time had done to the bridge was in sharp relief. “Nope.”

“Ponyfeathers,” Trixie said. She looked up at Derpy, who hadn’t moved from her spot. Trixie’s eyebrows creased as she could just make out the sounds of a conversation. “Hey! Who are you talking to?” An answer came swiftly, as Derpy moved to the side and a grey blur shot down and grabbed Trixie in a crushing embrace.

“Oh my gosh, you have the cutest little horn! Your coat is as blue as the sky and your hair is so silky smooth!”

The others stared, too stunned to help Trixie escape from the confines of an excitable female griffon even as she was smothered further.

“Tell me your name. Tell me if you can use magic. Tell me everything!”

Taking a chance, Pinkie Pie prodded the griffon in the shoulder. “Hey, I’m all for a tight hug, but she’s starting to look a little bluer than normal.”

The griffon blinked and looked down, noticing how Trixie’s face puffed out from her lungs being compressed through her nose. “Oops! Sorry.” The griffon released her hold and Trixie took the biggest gasp of air in her entire life. With Pinkie’s interruption, the griffon took notice of the rest of the group, raising her talons and squealing. “So many cute ponies!” She reached for the nearest one, Applejack, but a light hoof to the beak stopped her.

“Look, no offense, but I like to get to know a feller before getting physical with them, okay?”

Derpy touched down next to the griffon, laying a hoof on her shoulder and pulling her back a few steps. “Easy there, Gabby. Not so grabby. We pop if you squeeze too hard, remember?”

Gabby nodded, though her gaze flicked from one pony to the next as though unsure who she should pounce next.

Satisfied that the griffon would stay put, Derpy said, “This is Gabby. She’s the one that I give Cheerilee’s letters to. I’m not allowed to go any further so she helps finish the job.”

“Hi!” Gabby said, waving a talon in greeting.

The response from the Returners was more subdued, many giving a half-hearted wave. Stardust hid in the tunnel, poking his head out and then darting back whenever Gabby began looking his way. Trixie, having regained her breath and original coloring, gave the griffon a sullen glare. “Trixie doesn’t know which is worse. Griffons trying to kill us or griffons being friendly. Seems to hurt either way.”

Gabby had the good grace to blush and look away. “Um, sorry. It’s just that until recently, I’ve never met ponies before. It’s all very exciting!”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Swell. But that does bring up why we’re here. We’re looking for one of ours that we heard might be in these mountains. His name is Shallow Harbor—”

“Shining Armor,” Applejack corrected.

“Whatever.”

Gabby perked back up, smiling as wide as her beak allowed her to. “Oh, I know him! In fact, I’m supposed to take you to him.”

Derpy’s ears perked up. “Really? I’ve never been past this point.”

“Yep! You’ve been given special permission to go all the way up. C’mon!” She launched herself into the air, disappearing through one of the openings to the outside.

A minute later she came back, a sheepish look on her face as she rubbed the back of her head with a talon. “Oops. Forgot that most of you can’t fly.”

“How good of you to notice,” Sunset said dryly.

“But that’s okay! My master already thought of that.” Gabby reached into a brown bag strapped to her side and pulled out a small grey pellet. Before anyone could ask what it did, she threw it to the ground, shattering it. A tremendous gust of wind rushed out and engulfed the entire party. Screams of shock and alarm were drowned out as the mighty wind picked them up, forming a miniature tornado of whirling bodies. The tornado lifted off the ground and headed for a larger opening as though it had a will of its own. Soon, the tornado ascended the mountain with its live cargo, Gabby following behind, humming a tune.

.o.O.o.

Minutes later, the tornado touched down and dissipated, releasing the Returners from its gusty grip. However, many were in no condition to move as the ride left them dizzy and nauseous, content to stay put until the world around them stopped spinning. Gabby landed next to them, all goodwill and cheer. “How was it, huh? That looked like fun!”

A collective groan was her only answer.

Gabby’s face drooped. “Oh, guess you guys need a little more practice flying like that.”

“Trixie wouldn’t call it flying,” Trixie said, holding back a heave. “More like… controlled falling.”

“At least you made it! Just wait right here and I’ll get your friend.” With that, Gabby took off in a flurry of feathers.

After some time to recover, the ponies and chocobo took stock of their surroundings. The tornado had plopped them down in the middle of a settlement. Huts of straw and twigs surrounded them on all sides, many having been built next to trees for extra support and perches. Griffons of all ages had gathered around to witness the spectacle of so many ponies visiting their home. None approached or made any aggressive movements, through Stardust made sure to stay in the center of the group, squatting down as low as he could go.

Pinkie Pie smiled and waved. “Hello! Nice to finally meet you all!” Derpy grinned and followed suit, the two ponies drawing odd stares and grumblings from the griffons.

Applejack nudged Trixie in the side. “You’ve got more experience with them than I do. Should we be worried?”

“Doubtful,” Trixie said, looking bored. “Most of the nastier ones left with Gilda. Unless they came back, Trixie doesn’t think they’ll cause trouble for us. As for their master though…” She trailed off, muttering something about a deal.

A few minutes later, just at it looked like Pinkie and Derpy may try their luck with mingling with the locals, Gabby returned, touching down next to them. Following at a gallop, a familiar white stallion wedged his way past the flock of griffons and rushed up to the Returners.

“You’re all okay!” Shining Armor exclaimed, his muzzle stamped with a wide grin. “I’m so glad to see you all!” His eyes roved over to Trixie. “Even you.”

Trixie smirked. “Of course! What pony wouldn’t be delighted to bask in the Great and Powerful Trixie’s presence!”

Shining Armor gave an amused snort and turned to Applejack. “How did you all find me?”

“A tip-off from Cheerilee,” Applejack said, returning Shining Armor’s smile. “Seems you two have become pen pals or something.”

A blush spread over the stallion’s pale coat. “Um, yeah, I kinda came across their village but wasn’t allowed in. That’s when I ran into Derpy and we set up a mail network in this area. She was able to pass along my letters and Cheerilee just kinda hopped in.”

“Well, it was mighty nice of ya. How’d you end up here?”

“Training, mostly. The griffons saw me practicing magic and said I was welcome to use their mountain. I think I’ve got a good handle on it now.”

Applejack nodded. “Good ta hear. Is Spotter with ya?”

Instantly, Shining Armor’s jolly demeanor vanished. He looked away and sighed. “I haven’t seen him this past year.”

Applejack’s ears flattened and she lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”

Shining Armor looked to the group. “Have any of you?”

A sad shake of heads was the response.

“Horseapples,” Shining Armor said, stomping the ground.

Firming her features, Applejack said, “He’s a tough kid. I’m sure he’s somewhere out there. We just need to find him. Though with his magic, he might find us first.”

“I hope you’re right. This world has gone crazy—er.”

Applejack nodded, a sly grin forming. “Well, I suppose you would be up for another rodeo? There’s a new varmint that needs takin’ out and we’re gathering everyone up that’s willing to help.”

“You’re talking about Discord, right?” A round of nods followed. Shining Armor returned Applejack’s grin. “I’ve been preparing myself all year. Let’s do it.”

A heavy sigh alerted the group that they had an audience. “Aw,” Gabby said, eyes downcast. “You’re all going to leave already? You just got here.”

Shining Armor nodded sadly. “I’m sorry, Gabby, but if half the things I’ve heard about Discord are true, he needs to be taken care of. Plus, I have to leave to find my son. He’s not getting any closer with me being here.”

Gabby made to speak again but Trixie beat her to it. “Great, it’s settled. Get your stuff Armor, and we’ll get out of here before—”

A large shadow fell over the gathered creatures. A strong gust of wind blew through the area, rattling the cottages and threatening to tear off the roofing. The griffons quickly parted to allow more space for a giant grey pterodon to touch down.

“—he shows up… Ponyfeathers.”

All the griffons immediately bowed as the Storm Dragon settled down, his slitted eyes falling on the ponies before him. “We meet again,” he said, his voice as low as building thunder. “And not under the circumstances that I had expected. You have failed your end of the deal. Gilda still lives.”

“Not for a lack of trying!” Trixie quickly countered. She forced her words out against a suddenly dry mouth. “And once Discord is gone that should do her in too!”

The Returners tore their gaze off of the Storm Dragon to give Trixie odd looks.

“You can’t kill a single griffon and yet claim you can defeat a being such as Discord?” The Storm Dragon hissed, making his griffons shake from their prostrated positions. “I find your boasts… inadequate.”

“Just give us more time and you’ll s—”

“Silence! I’ve had enough. The only way you live another day is to prove to me now that you have the strength to carry out my task. Have at thee!” With that, the Storm Dragon swept a wing, sending a strong wind towards the party. Ponies and chocobo alike scrambled to get out of the way, the gust flattening the grass and toppling over a nearby cottage. He made to sweep his other wing but a grey griffon flew in front of his face, distracting him.

“Master, please stop!” Gabby cried, her close proximity covering up the Returners below.

The Storm Dragon snorted, the resulting pressure blowing Gabby towards the ground, landing in a heap. She gave a pained groan as the Storm Dragon turned to the rest of his subjects. “All of you, stand down. I will not tolerate any further interference.” The griffons nodded their heads as one and vacated the area, two griffons grabbing hold of Gabby and dragging her groggy form away. With the griffons properly dealt with, the Storm Dragon returned his attention back to the ponies.

The Returners were not idle during the exchange. Weapons drawn and magic ready to cast, they spread out, forming a half ring around the dragon. Stardust made to make a hasty retreat but a mote of pink magic snagged a leg and dragged him back. “Not this time, buster,” Trixie said and plopped the chocobo down next to her. “You’ve got magic and you’re going to use it if you want out of here alive.”

Stardust looked up at Trixie, his eyes manic. “But I don’t have any attack magic! I’m a sitting chick!”

“What about those spells that speed us up and slow others down?”

“... Oh. Right. I really gotta start doing that before a fight breaks out.”

“No kidding.” Trixie quickly surveyed the situation. The Storm Dragon finished his warning to his griffons and was now ready to unleash. “Cast it on me first, then do it to the others.”

“But—”

“Now!”

The desperate panic in Trixie’s voice betrayed her calm and cool exterior. More out of shock than from the order, Stardust waved a wing in Trixie’s direction, the tick-tock of a speeding clock sounding over her. Wasting no time, Trixie darted forward, her form a blur. She raised her sword to the sky, seconds before the Storm Dragon opened his mouth to spew hurricane magnitude winds. The winds, intended to cast aside the Returners like paper, instead flowed towards Save the Queen. The Storm Dragon twisted around, his slitted eyes creased in confusion, only to receive a giant hunk of ice to the lower jaw. He screeched in shock and pain, the force of the blow staggering him backwards.

“Hithim! Hithim! Hithim! Hithim! Hithim!” Trixie repeated frantically, slicing away at the dragon’s talons. Her hits managed to pierce through the thick and heavy scales, chipping off pieces with every strike. She continued her attacks, lopping more off in the hopes of reaching the tender bits below.

Galvanized by her actions, the others let loose, throwing magic and weaponry at the Storm Dragon. Stardust rushed from one pony to another, casting haste and doing his best not to stand in front of the action. Applejack, charging with added speed, leapt up and shot an aurabolt point blank into the dragon’s chest, leaving a scorch mark. She dropped down and began pummeling the other talon.

The Storm Dragon roared, flapping his wings and sending bone crushing force down on his assailants. “Annoying pests! Die!”

A pink dome formed over the Returners, displacing the tremendous winds away from them entirely. The Storm Dragon lifted a battered talon and brought it down on the dome, stomping it repeatedly. Shining Armor smirked and inverted the dome into a bowl, pushing up with all his might. At the same time, Trixie and Applejack finally managed to break through the Storm Dragon’s scales, drawing blood for the first time. The two forces combined toppled the dragon over on his back.

“Go for the head!” Trixie commanded. She hopped up onto the Storm Dragon’s stomach, holding her sword out and aiming for an eye.

That eye snapped to her, pinning her with a look of malice that faltered her step. The distraction cost her as the Storm Dragon folded his wings in, trapping her to his body. With a heave of his tail and an application of wind, the Storm Dragon righted itself back upright. “Such insolence. I am going to enjoy devouring each one of you.” He lifted Trixie's struggling form to his mouth, saliva dripping from his teeth.

“Oh no, you don’t!” From above, Derpy dove down hooves first, slamming into the side of his head.

The impact barely tilted his head. The Storm Dragon smirked. “Was that supposed to do something, little pony?”

“Nope. This is.” With that, she snapped her wings out, tendrils of lighting snaking out. The bolts arched and struck the Storm Dragon from his head to his wings. The dragon roared again, genuine agony lancing down his side. His wings spasmed, releasing Trixie who briefly fell before being caught by Sunset’s magic and set gently down.

Derpy stopped her attack, took a breath, and readied to unleash more magic. The Storm Dragon rolled to the side, knocking Derpy away. He came to a stop, using his wings to prop himself up. He snarled and snapped, rage radiating from him like a physical force. “Intolerable worms! You think your puny magic will be enough to defeat me?! I will not suffer the indignity of being brought low by ponies!”

Trixie sniffed in contempt. “Yeah, Trixie’s heard that before, and from something way bigger than you.” She tilted her head towards Sunset, specifically the Ultima Weapon held in her magic.

A low rumble emanated from the Storm Dragon, winds coiling around him. “You expect me to believe that you peons killed a living machine of destruction? Preposterous.”

Pinkie Pie bounced in front of him and placed her forehooves on her hips. “Hey, I wasn’t there to see it but I definitely believe it. Together, we can accomplish anything, even beating that meanie Discord. So why don’tcha calm down and we can discuss this like civilized beings and find a way to stop him. Okay?”

The Storm Dragon responded by stepping on her.

His eyes widened as Pinkie’s voice came from next to his ear. “You’re going to make us do this the hard way, aren'tcha?”

Hissing, the Storm Dragon slapped the spot with a wing, but no satisfying splatter of pony came from it. Gathering power, he spread his wings, ready to unleash more winds, but a pink splotch on the tip of his snout held him back. “Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance.” Pinkie Pie huffed, then backflipped off of him, revealing the sight of an old man floating in the air and holding a staff crackling with electricity.

So stunned was the Storm Dragon at seeing Ramuh the esper in over a thousand years that he failed to dodge the rain of lightning until it was too late.

.o.O.o.

The Returners watched as storm clouds gathered above the Storm Dragon’s head and unleashed their built up power. The dragon of chaos gave an ear splitting roar as his form was bombarded with magical bolts. Once the heavens spent their wrath, the clouds dissipated and the form of Ramuh faded away in a burst of tiny yellow motes. The Storm Dragon gave one last gasp and then collapsed to the ground, his body smoking.

Derpy followed suit, falling onto her back and huffing from the exertion of summoning the esper. Stardust was at her side in an instant, an ether ready in his wing. The others cautiously crept forward, weapons ready for more mayhem. As they drew closer, they could see the Storm Dragon’s chest rise and fall as he breathed. Trixie lifted her sword, once again aiming for the eye.

“No!”

Gabby touched down in front of them, waving her claws to ward them off. “Please, no more! It’s over!”

“Seriously?” Trixie said, her sword still at the ready. “You want this thing alive? It tried to eat me!”

“I’m sorry! But please, leave before he wakes back up.”

Shining Armor came forward, a curious expression on his muzzle. “Gabby, if he’s gone, that means you and the other griffons don’t have to stay stuck up here. You can see the rest of the world and meet all the ponies you ever wanted.”

Tears streaked down Gabby’s face as she shook her head. “You don’t understand. He’s protected us for so long. Yeah, it’s a little boring up here but we don’t have to worry about anything hurting us. He’s… he’s our master and it’s all we’ve ever known.” Gabby made to say more, but the words stuck in her throat. She instead stood firm even as her body shook.

Sighing, Shining Armor motioned for Trixie to lower her weapon. “Okay, we’ll go. But if he attacks us again we have to defend ourselves. There’s too much for me still to do.” He sheathed his sword and made to leave.

A talon on his shoulder stopped him. He turned and pulled back a bit as a long beige package was shoved in his face. Gabby held it up to him, her eyes a mixture of happiness and sadness. “Take this. I want to give you something to remember us by.”

Trixie blinked. “Where did she get that—” A sharp elbow to the side from Pinkie Pie shushed her.

Shining Armor looked to the package, then back to Gabby. She gave an encouraging nod. With a delicate magical touch, he undid the tie on the package, letting the paper fall away to reveal a blue and black katana sheath. Tilting his head, Shining Armor grabbed hold of the hilt sticking out its end and pulled. The resulting katana blade shimmered as a stray beam of sunlight struck it, casting a dazzling array of colors. A low wind kicked up and swirled around the sword, ruffling the wings and mane of the griffon and pony.

“This is Sky Render,” Gabby said, awe and reverence in her voice. “It’s been passed down from before even the Storm Dragon. It’s said that the one who wields it can cleave the heavens and rule the sky.”

Swallowing, Shining Armor carefully gave it a few swings. It was perfectly balanced and sung with each pass. The very air around it parted. Reverently, he placed it back in its sheath and strapped it to his back. He bowed low. “Thanks, Gabby. I… I don’t think… I have words—”

“Yes, I understand!” Gabby said, some of her earlier trepidation returning. Behind her, the Storm Dragon began to stir, the winds around them feeling heavier. “Go, before it’s too late!” She shoved the stallion and shooed him away.

“Right, we’re out of here.” He looked up to the sky, narrowing his eyes. With one swift motion, he withdrew Sky Render and slashed upwards. A tremendous force of air shot forwards, cleaving the thick clouds above, revealing the Paradise hovering beyond.

Pinkie Pie whooped and thrust a hoof to the sky. “Nice thinking, girls!”

With clear passage, the airship lowered down and soon the Returners were scrambling aboard. A wave of hooves from the ponies later and then the Paradise lifted away. It wasn’t long before it became a speck in the sky, leaving behind a partially demolished mountainside.

The clouds surrounding the mountain reformed, closing up the hole Shining Armor’s weapon opened. With a huff, the Storm Dragon picked himself up, gritting his mouth to refrain from groaning against his aches and pains. “Well done. Discord was right; they have grown stronger. And it appears that sword is a good fit for him.”

Gabby nodded vigorously, regaining some of her cheer. “Yes, I’m so glad he’ll be able to put it to good use.” She clasped her talons together, looking up at her master. “So, what now?”

“The same thing we’ve done for the past one thousand years. We wait.” The Storm Dragon gazed upwards were the airship had last been seen. “However, I believe our wait will soon be over. You live in interesting times, Gabby. My master is about to return.”

Wherein There Are No Friendly Skies

The Paradise sped through the sky, putting as much distance between itself and Mt. Chozo as possible. Once the airship had reached a point that the clouds circling the mountain were a faint haze against the horizon, Trixie faced Derpy and asked, “How did you get your esper to do that?”

Derpy, curled up on the deck like a sleepy cat, lazily opened up one eye to stare up at the unicorn. “I asked him,” she murmured. She gave a great yawn and closed her eye.

“Hey, stay with me!” Trixie poked Derpy in the chest, earning a moan and a swiping hoof as though Derpy were trying to shoo away a bothersome fly. “This is need to know information! We’re still alive because of what you did.”

A white hoof gently guided Trixie’s away from the snoring pegasus. “Ease up, will ya?” Shining Armor said. “It took a lot out of her, you see?” Keeping his hoof up, he pushed Trixie back until they were a few paces away. “I think I can answer for her.”

“Oh?” Trixie slapped his hoof away and gave him a half-lidded stare. “And how did you come across this knowledge?”

“Twilight’s father.”

Trixie had the good grace to pin her ears back and look away. “Oh.”

“Yeah. He gave us a few pointers right after we bonded with the espers. Turns out if you have enough magic built up you can summon the spirit of the esper that bonded with you.” He coughed and looked away. “I haven’t been able to do it yet.”

“Trixie gets it.” She nodded and walked past him. “It looks like more practice is in order.” She past by the snoozing form of Derpy and trotted up to Pinkie Pie who was at her position at the Paradise’s wheel.

“Ah, I was just about to talk to you,” Pinkie said before Trixie could get a word out. “We got a new party member!” Pinkie Pie declared, pumping a hoof to the air. She raised her voice to reach everyone on board. “So, where we off to next?”

A few minutes of murmuring between the assembled ponies and chocobo passed, starting with suggestions of towns they haven’t visited yet and progressing to thoughts of doubling back to see if people they had met had any new information. Shining Armor cleared his throat, gaining everyone’s attention. “Well, how do we feel about ex-Imperials?”

A hesitant look passed between the Returners while Trixie rolled her eyes. Applejack broke the silence. “Suppose it depends on who you’re talkin’ about.”

Shining Armor bit his lower lip, pawing at the airship deck. “It’s that general that we met at Mareanda. I ran into her when I was heading towards Chozo. I thought I was going to have to fight her but she was actually pretty pleasant.”

“She was wearing a slave crown like Twilight was,” Applejack explained. “When it was taken off she started helping us.”

“Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense. I didn’t talk with her for long but she did say she was heading towards the Veldt to see her people.”

Sunset Shimmer groaned, rubbing her forehead. “She’s not going to find it there. When the Hydra’s Trench rose up it split part of the Veldt off. The zebra village is now south of it.”

“That’s no biggie!” Pinkie Pie said from her position at the helm. “We can just pick her up and take her to the right spot.”

“Actually, I’m liking this idea. We can check up on Twilight while we’re there.”

Pinkie Pie nodded. “Seems like I have a heading. Off we go!” With a twist of the wheel, the Paradise shifted course, heading east. Hours passed as the airship breezed through the sky, over land and water. On the way, Pinkie spotted an odd curiosity, a floating cloud colored pink. Despite the others’ protests, the Paradise flew closer to it.

Trixie rushed up to the captain. “Are you crazy?! This has the stink of Discord all over it.”

“Oh, c’mon,” Pinkie said, casually waving a hoof. “You gotta lighten up a bit. Not everything in this world has been touched by him.”

Just as Pinkie finished saying that, a bird entered into the cloud. A few seconds passed before it reemerge on the other end, one of its wings now twice its length and its neck stretched out as long and thin as a snake.

Pinkie Pie twisted the airship away from the cloud. “Okay, yeah, that’s a whole lotta nope.” She picked up a microphone from somewhere and said, “Girls, be on the lookout for random pink puffs of cotton candy. And I don’t mean me.” She set the microphone away and continued guiding the Paradise on its course.

.o.O.o.

Hours later, as the Returners fell into a relaxed state, Maud sat at the port bow of the ship, scanning the sky with a small telescope in hoof. It was as she made the seventh pass since her shift began she paused, cocked her head, and set the telescope down. Calmly, she collapsed the telescope down and placed it in her crew pony outfit pocket, turned, and walked towards Pinkie Pie. Her sister still piloted the airship, looking as happy and peaceful as she had before the world had changed. Maud sighed, frowning as she relayed her news. “Pinkie, I found something.”

Pinkie Pie regarded Maud with a smile. “What’s up? Another one of those clouds?”

“No. This thing is smaller, black, and heading right this way.”

Cocking her head, Pinkie said, “Oh, really? What do you suppose it is?”

Wild and maniacal laughter filled the air moments before a dark shape zipped passed the Paradise on the port side, rocking the ship in its turbulent wake.

“Nothing friendly, that’s for sure.”

Pinkie Pie grimaced as she fought to keep the airship stable, yelling out, “Get the others up here! Looks like we’ve got an unexpected party guest!” Nodding, Maud galloped away, disappearing down the stairs towards the cabins. Long seconds ticked by as Pinkie waited for her return.

Her eyebrow twitched.

As if possessed by a force controlling her actions, Pinkie thrust the wheel forward, sending the Paradise into a sudden nosedive. The same dark laughter as before passed by, the black form narrowly missing the airship’s balloon. Wrenching the wheel back into place, Pinkie righted the Paradise into a cruising position. Moments later, Returners began scrambling up from below deck, some sporting new bruises.

“What is going on?!” Trixie cried out, her mane disheveled. “Warn us if you’re going to do something like that again!”

Pinkie Pie ignored her, calling out towards Shining Armor, “Get a shield up around us! Now!”

Hearing the desperation in her voice, Shining Armor complied without question. His horn lit up a soft pink, and a field of matching color shimmered around the airship. Just as the crew began to relax, a powerful force of bluish-black miasma struck the stern side, rocking the deck. The stallion winced, gritting his teeth against the impact on his shield.

“Impressive! This will be more sport than I first thought!”

A figure descended from above, slowly revealing itself from the cover of the Paradise’s blimp. It was equine and female, but much larger than any pony the Returners had ever seen, nearly twice the size of Big Macintosh. Her coat was a deep black and her dark blue starry mane and tail waved in an ethereal wind. Two large wings beat against the air while a long horn jutted from her head. The dark pony wore light blue armor, an ornate chest piece, four greaves for her hooves, and a helmet that formed around her horn and mane. However, what most drew the group's attention were the two green, slitted eyes that revealed naked malice and the pony’s grin that showed off cruel, sharp teeth.

The pony spoke in a voice that commanded respect. “I had heard rumors that some foolish ponies had invaded my skies. Maybe some dimwit pegasi that thought to wrest my realm away from me. Imagine my surprise and delight to find a contraption such as this has dared challenge me! My subjects, you have changed mightily in the thousand years I’ve been gone!”

The Returners looked to each other with quizzical faces. Derpy, meanwhile, hid behind Big Macintosh, her frame shaking.

Pinkie Pie raised a hoof. “Um, who are you again?”

The dark pony scoffed, her wide grin morphing into a sneer. “Have I been gone so long that you no longer recognize your true ruler? Has my crown lost all meaning?” She spread her hooves and wings apart, showing off her full size. “I am Nightmare Moon! And soon, I will reclaim my birthright and rule under an endless night!” She threw her head back and laughed maniacally.

Limestone rolled her eyes. “Where do these nutters keep coming from?”

Despite the distance and a shield separating them, Nightmare Moon heard her and snapped her gaze down on the earth pony. “What did you say?!” The sheer venom and volume of the voice made all the ponies cringe. “I see you need some convincing. Allow me to tear your vessel asunder and plunge you to your deaths. Perhaps then you will understand my might!” With a loud cry, Nightmare Moon reared back and launched a black laser at the ship.

Shining Armor let out a pained groan and sank to his knees, the shield around the airship dulling. “I-I don’t know h-how long I can last!”

“Hold on for just a little bit longer!” Trixie said, drawing her sword. “We’ll have Derpy draw her attention then hit her then—” She looked around for the pegasus mare but there was no sign of her on deck. “Wait, where did she go? Trixie saw her come up with us.” Any further discussion was cut short as Shining Armor gave one last grunt of exertion before the barrier shattered into thousands of magical motes.

“Ha! A valiant effort but now you are mine!” Nightmare Moon flew forwards, landing hard on the deck and shattering the wood paneling around her. The Returners drew back, slowly spreading out and forming a half-circle around her. “Perhaps if you all surrender now and pledge fealty to me, I may spare your lives.”

Trixie held her sword at the ready. “No way are we joining up with one of Discord’s pets.”

“I am not his pet!” Nightmare Moon roared. “He is a worm that will soon grovel at my hooves. And just for that, you die first!” The dark pony charged her horn and fired a beam at Trixie. The attack impacted Save the Queen, the magic running down the blade and traveling to Trixie’s horn where she gratefully absorbed it. Nightmare Moon’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “How?”

Smirking, Trixie said, “We’ve got some magic tricks of our own.” A quick chant later and an icicle laced with black magic shot forwards. Nightmare Moon slapped it with a wing, breaking it into crystal shards.

“I am not impressed,” Nightmare Moon stated. She shook her wing, trying to dislodge the ice that now stuck to her feathers. She didn’t get far as fire, ice, crossbolts, and aurabolts launched towards her, forcing her to retreat to the air. “Foals, all of you!” She rose up higher though with less grace than before as her encased wing slowed her down. Her horn sparked as she took aim for the blimp.

“Shining, get another shield up!” Trixie said.

Shining Armor gritted his teeth and his horn lit up. A small magical field winked into place just as Nightmare Moon fired. The tiny shield deflected the attack, sending the oncoming projectile careening away, but disappeared shortly after.

Trixie ran up to him, quickly casting a healing spell over the stallion. “Again, quick!”

“I’m trying!” Shining Armor braced himself but no matter how much he strained, no more magic poured forth.

“Stardust! Get over here and give him one of those magic potion thingies! Derpy, you gotta get up there and distract her before she fires again!”

While Trixie barked out orders, Nightmare Moon had already summoned another bolt and took aim at the unprotected balloon.

“Hey, Black Snooty!”

Nightmare Moon snapped her head down, her eyes completely encased in white light. Despite the lack of pupils, she still managed a stare of hatred directly at the pink pony addressing her. “Who dares sully our name with such disrespect?!”

Down below, ponies made space between themselves and Pinkie Pie. The earth pony gave a sharp salute with one hoof and aimed a blue cannon on red wheels with the other. “Just so you know, I can’t stand party poopers, so let’s lighten you up!” With a tug of a string attached to the back of the device, the cannon fired, sparks and confetti spewing from the barrel.

Nightmare Moon laughed. “You can’t be ser—”

Something warm and slimy impacted her muzzle. In a most unregal display, Nightmare Moon spit, sputtered, and pawed at the vile substance covering her face. The thing refused to dislodge, seemingly oozing its way higher up her head until it reached her dark blue helmet. With growing disgust and anger, Nightmare Moon felt her helmet wrenched off her head, a tuft of blue mane escaping from its confines to drape across her brow. An unholy scream released from her throat and she blasted the drippy substance with as much magic as she could gather. The blob finally dislodged, taking her helmet with her. She saw a green slime creature fall into Pinkie Pie’s outstretched hooves, her helmet held in its center. “I… This… You…”

“Good job, Smoozie!” Pinkie said, patting the newly christened puddle of ooze.

Words failed Nightmare Moon. She fell back on actions instead. Screaming with more rage and hatred than a normal pony could contain, she charged her horn, forming a sphere of concentrated darkness over her head. “DIE!” She thrust her hooves forward, sending the all-consuming death ball towards the Paradise.

In a flash of white, a giant tennis racket appeared above the stunned Returners. With a single flick, the racket smacked the oncoming attack with ease, sending it back towards its caster. Nightmare Moon only had a second to stare dumbly at the scene before getting plowed by her own magic. Her incoherent screeches were heard as she was blasted back and disappeared into the horizon.

A collective blink from the group followed. The tennis racket morphed in on itself, forming a new figure who dropped down on the deck with a flourish. “Fifteen-Love!” Discord bowed to his gathered audience. “Sorry to interfere with what I’m sure was going to be a splendid team building experience, but that one was a teensie bit above your level. I’m confident you’ll do better next time.” He made to snap himself away, but a sword wedge between his fingers prevented that.

Trixie now had Discord’s undivided attention. Levitating back Save the Queen, she said, “Before you pop out of here to wherever it is you go, mind explaining what the hay that was all about?”

Discord snorted and waved her off. “Oh, just a stick in the mud that thinks she’s all that and then some. But since you’re so curious, she’s an alicorn that may or may not have a claim to a long lost kingdom.” He grinned, flashing too many teeth to be sincere. “Survive long enough and you may just figure more of this out.

“Before I go, just let me say I love the new airship, Pinkie Pie!” He spread his arms wide, a large bag appearing in front of him. It fell to the deck and spilled its contents, revealing a small mountain of gil. “Though you may want to think in investing in more cannons. You might just need them down the line.” With a final laugh, he vanished in a flash of light.

For several minutes, the only sound was the wind and the humming of the Paradise’s engines. Hesitantly, Sunset Shimmer gathered up magic in her horn, aiming it at the bag of spilt gil.

“Stop.” Trixie held up a hoof, forestalling the casting.

Sunset gave her a credulous look. “Are you serious? It’s gotta be cursed.”

“Trust Trixie, it’s not.” She trotted up to the bag, levitating it up and gathering the scattered gil back into it. She passed it over to Stardust, placing it on his back. The chocobo’s legs nearly buckled under the weight. “Get a count of that. We’re probably going to be needing it soon.”

“I’ll… get… on… it,” Stardust gasped out. He slowly stepped towards the stairs leading down. He barely made it halfway when Big Macintosh nudged him, making the bag tilt over until the burden was shared by both of their backs. “Thanks.” Nodding, Big Macintosh and Stardust headed off.

Watching them go until they were out of sight, Sunset turned to Trixie. “How can you be so sure? Why would he help us if he knows we’re out to stop him?”

“Haven’t you been paying attention?” Trixie said, inspecting the blade of her sword before sheathing it. “This is all a game to him and we are his little pawns. Pawns don’t entertain when they’re dead.

“Well, we’re not going to be pawns for much longer. Trixie intends to win this game.”

Sunset sighed and shook her head. “Okay, I gotta know. Why are you so determined to go through with this? What did he do to you?”

A far-off look entered Trixie’s gaze. She blinked and shook her head. Heading for the cabins below, Trixie said over her shoulder, “He took away the only family I ever had.”

Mouth hung open, Sunset could only watch as Trixie opened the cabin door and closed it behind her.

.o.O.o.

Within the cabin area, Trixie headed towards the available rooms, peeking her head into each one. The third room held her quarry. Trixie stepped in and closed the door behind her. On the other side of the room, swinging on a hammock, lay Derpy. She lifted her head up and folded her ears back when she saw who had come in. “Um, hi.”

Giving the pegasus a shrewd look, Trixie said, “Trixie isn’t going to mince words: why didn’t you help in the fight just now?”

Derpy lowered her head down until it was hanging off the hammock. “I was scared.”

“Scared? Just yesterday you punched a dragon thirty times our size in the face and then electrocuted it.”

A smirk graced Derpy’s features. “Yeah, that was pretty cool, wasn’t it?”

“Focus! Why could you do that but not against Nightmare Moon?”

Derpy shivered. “I… well, it’s just that… I… I don’t know.” She huffed in exasperation. “I guess the dragon just didn’t seem as scary to me. You remember when I told you there was that big black thing flying around that I had to hide from? I’m pretty sure it was that.” She sighed and swung her hoof back in forth. “Guess that doesn’t make much sense.”

“Not really, no.” Trixie ran a hoof through her mane, gritting her teeth. “Look, you are the only pegasus that we’ve got. You’ve also got a good grip on your magic. We need that kind of help more than ever. Now, Trixie is great and powerful in tactics and battle but this whole touchy-feely stuff that Pinkie Pie keeps rambling on about is something she’s still working on. So forgive Trixie when she says that she needs you to get your act together before we face that thing again. And it will be back, mark Trixie’s words.” Having said all she wanted to say, Trixie turned and left the room.

Derpy sighed again, looking down at the floor. “Stupid Black Snooty.”

.o.O.o.

A cursory inspection of the airship from the Pie sisters found no damage done from Nightmare Moon’s attack, other than the floorboards that she had crushed. They all agreed it was a minor miracle. They also agreed that the Paradise needed to be equipped with weapons as soon as possible to deal with further confrontations with crazy flying dark ponies. With the funds graciously given to them by Discord, the opportunity to do so was now, and so a detour was made towards South Fillygaro. The citizens, relatively unmolested by Discord’s shenanigans, were quick to pounce on the chance to work on the airship given how rare they were. The money the chaos lord left behind quickly got put to use.

On the second day of retrofitting the Paradise, Cranky Doodle, overseeing the whole operation on the deck, turned to Big Macintosh and asked, “So what kind of ammo do ya think this baby should be usin’? We got cannon balls and such but with all this new fangled magic being thrown around, it seems you’ll be needing something a little more exotic.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh agreed. “Been lookin’ into some ideas, and Pinkie Pie says she’s gonna use the slime creature she found as her ‘Surprise Shot’.”

“What did she call that thing again?”

“The Smooze. Seems to like eating treasure and magical stuff. It dissolved that helmet it took from Nightmare Moon in a couple of hours. Not sure what that means but Pinkie thinks it’s cool.”

Cranky shrugged and went back to inspecting the plans laid out for the Paradise. “Suppose that’ll have to do for now.” He looked up and frowned at an earth pony worker hammering replacement boards into the damaged deck. “Hey! You using the redwood or the maple?”

The pony jerked and looked up from his work. “Maple, sir!”

“No, you idgit! The maple’s for the cabins! Redwood keeps rain from soaking in.” Cranky jabbed a hoof at the deck. “Tear those out and do it right!”

“Sir, y-yes sir!” The pony rushed off to find a crowbar.

Cranky huffed. “Criminy. The help these days. Anyway, once this is all done, where to next?”

“The Veldt, then to see Twilight,” Big Macintosh said as he fiddled with a small mechanical device.

“I see. Whatcha working on there?”

“Not sure yet. But I’m trying to work my magic into it like the Empire did with its magitek.”

Cranky gave a nod. “Nice. How’s it going so far?”

The little device began to smoke seconds before part of it burst apart in a spray of sparks. Big Macintosh sighed. “Not so good.”

Chuckling, Cranky said, “Ah, you’ll figure it out. Setbacks are a part of the invention process. Now let’s take a break and go yell at more workers.”

.o.O.o.

The following day, the Paradise lifted off from South Fillygaro, heavy on artillery and cabin furnishings but lighter on gil. The airship once again headed east, over land and water. Shifts were taken to keep an eye out for Nightmare Moon, with two Pie sisters and two magic users on guard at all times. As the sun was going down over the horizon, Pinkie Pie made the announcement that they had finally reached the Veldt. Besides being pushed further north by Discord’s tampering with the land, the savannah looked as it did a year ago, with herds of animals of all types grazing upon the expansive sea of grass. A few flybys were made, all crew leaning over the side to catch a glimpse of anything that resembled a zebra.

On their third pass, Marble signaled to Pinkie, pointing out at a small pinprick of red against the darkening landscape. With so much open space available, it was no problem finding a landing spot and soon the Returners disembarked. A quick gallop later brought them to the spot that Marble pointed out and sure enough, a fire large enough for them to all sit around greeted them. Sitting next to the fire, wearing a brown cloak, and seemingly unsurprised to see the group approaching her, was Zecora.

“It is good to see you again, my friends,” she said, gracing them with a smile. “Welcome to my homeland of lands ends.”

“You stretched on that one,” Trixie stated, coming up to stand next to her.

Zecora chucked. “That is so and it’s true, but I haven’t spoken much to anypony until you.” She pointed towards a makeshift basket of dried fruits and vegetables. “I don’t have much but please take some food. I find it helps lighten the mood.”

Shrugging, Trixie levitated a carrot out of the basket and took a bite. Through a mouthful, she said, “Hey, if you’re offering. Thanks.” The others joined in, each taking a piece for themselves and finding a spot around the fire. Once settled, Trixie cleared her throat. “So, Trixie’s going to get straight to the point. We came to ask if you’d join us in defeating Discord.”

The zebra closed her eyes and spoke a few words in her native language. Derpy’s ears perked up but didn’t interrupt Zecora’s personal monologue. After a minute, Zecora half opened her eyes and stared at Trixie, making the unicorn squirm a bit. “This one accepts but with one request. Help me find my village and I’ll join your quest. This land is vast but even so, there is no sign of my birthplace, this I know.”

“Oh, it’s too bad you didn’t run into us sooner,” Sunset Shimmer said, showing a rare smile. “It’s no longer in the Veldt. It’s south of here. We can get there in the airship in no time. Oh, and you can meet Twilight!”

Zecora ears perked up. “Twilight Sparkle?”

“You know her?” Zecora nodded. Sunset beamed even more. “That’s great! You can see your village and we can check in and see how Twilight’s doing.” Her features fell as she continued. “But you’re probably not going to like what you see there. Dis—that jerk turned all your people to stone.”

Zecora took in a sharp breath. Her face contorted into a fearsome scowl that raised the hairs on everypony nearby. “Then we have no time to lose. We shall go and restore them and then I’ll help you make Discord pay his dues.” She abruptly stood up, causing the Returners to flinch back. Her gaze found Stardust. “Help me find some ingredients I need? I can make a potion but will need your speed.”

Nodding rapidly, Stardust said, “S-sure thing. Whatever you need, I can find it.”

Zecora bowed low to him and everypony present. “Then let us make haste. Knowing that my village is in peril leaves me with… distaste.”

“Um.” Derpy waved a hoof up, gaining Zecora’s attention. “Perhaps you should wait until morning? It’ll be easier to see and a lot of the carnivores that live here will be asleep then.”

Taking a deep breath, Zecora nodded. “Yes, you’re right. It will be too dangerous at night. Morning will come, this is true, and then we can work on making our brew.”

“Glad that’s all sorted out,” Trixie said, rising up. “Want to stay in the airship? It’ll be comfier than out here.”

Zecora smiled and shook her head. “I would like to sleep outside for one more night. Do not worry, I will be alright.”

“Suit yourself.” Trixie gave a half wave and trotted back to the airship, followed soon after by the rest of the Returners.

Once alone again, Zecora laid back down next to the fire, adding more twigs and chaff to keep it alight. For a time she silently stared at the fire, gazing into its depths. She took her cloak off and spread it across the ground to lay on it, exposing her coat to the cool night air of the Veldt. “Strange how my life has led me back here and not find what I was looking for. Tomorrow starts a new adventure and perhaps even more. Will this new journey help me clear my past deeds, or will I be consumed like these weeds?” Zecora sighed and closed her eyes. “May whatever gods exist be on our side, for we are all in store for a rough ride.”

In Which the Veldt is Plundered

Morning in the Veldt arrived and with it came Zecora. The sun barely peeked out from over the horizon when the zebra showed up at the Paradise, calling out for Stardust to join her. Minutes later, not only did the chocobo plod down the gangplank, but the rest of the Returners as well, dark bags under their eyes and sullen from waking up so early.

“You could have just come in and gotten the bird,” Trixie grumbled as she rubbed at her sleep-deprived eyes.

“Apologies for the early start,” Zecora replied, a smirk Fplaying at her lips. “This way you all get to play a part.” She pulled out a piece of parchment and carefully cut it into smaller segments. She hoofed over a piece to each pony, keeping two larger segments for herself and Stardust. “These are the things we’ll need to set my people free. Find them and bring them back to me.”

Applejack squinted and tilted her head at her list. “Um, begging your pardon, but I don’t know anything that’s on here.”

“Me neither,” Sunset seconded.

Zecora held up a hoof to forestall any further protests. “No need to worry, I know we’re in a hurry. The items on your lists will hum and glow when you get near. Just follow the sounds and sights and there will be nothing to fear.”

Trixie eyed her list and the zebra dubiously. “And how did you manage to do that?”

This time, Zecora let her smirk fully form. “Trade secrets from my place of birth. Espers aren’t the only ones with magic on this earth.” Whirling around, Zecora galloped off, her form seemingly vanishing within the tall Veldt grass.

Groggy and irritated, Trixie stuck her tongue out at Zecora’s retreating form. “I’m having second thoughts on letting her join.”

“Deal with it,” Sunset said, trotting off with her own list. “If this makes getting back to the zebra village faster then I’m all for it.”

“All right!” Derpy exclaimed and hopped into the air. “Scavenger hunt! I’ve got the home advantage, too!”

A pair of pink magic tendrils yanked on the ponies’ tails before they could get any further. “Not so fast,” Trixie said, ignoring the glares leveled at her. “We should at least form into pairs. There’s still monsters running around.” She pointed at Sunset and Derpy in turn. “Since you two are so eager, go with each other. The rest of us will head out in a minute.”

Sunset snorted, but declined to say anything. She took a few steps forward, motioned her head for Derpy to follow, and the two were soon out of sight.

With a flip of her mane, a six sided die fell out of Pinkie Pie’s hair and fell to the ground. “Okay, everyone pick a number. We’ll roll to see who goes with who: one with two, three with four, five with six.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because it’s more fun this way, silly! I’ve got number one!”

A few rounds of rolls later, the parties were decided. Applejack and Shining Armor formed one group, Pinkie Pie and Big Macintosh were the second, which left Trixie and Stardust together.

“Great, I’m stuck with her.” “Great, I’m stuck with him.”

“Hey, the dice decided so no take-backs.” Pinkie Pie looped a leg around Big Macintosh and pulled him close. “Let’s go, Big Red! Those other two got a head start so we’ll have to book it to catch up!” She ran off, dragging a bewildered Big Macintosh with her.

Shaking her head with a smile on her face, Applejack poked Shining Armor in the side and began trotting away. “C’mon, fella. Time’s a wastin’.”

“So is this the Veldt, round two for us?” Shining Armor commented as he followed after her. “I hope we don’t have to jump into the sea this time.” The pair shared a chuckle as they left.

The remaining duo gave each other a look, scowled, then headed out without a word.

.o.O.o.

“Got another one!”

With a swooping dive, Derpy skimmed the top of a field of grass, pulling up into the air seconds later. In her hooves lay a green fern which she carefully placed in her saddlebag. “Already halfway done and it’s not even lunch yet!”

“Good,” Sunset Shimmer absently replied. In her magical grip she held out the Ultima Weapon with her own list to the side. “Keep at it.”

Derpy landed next to her and inspected her own list. Everything she had collected automatically crossed itself out, leaving her with only a few more things to find. “Just like the zebras to come up with something like this. They really are great, aren’t they?”

“Yep.”

Frowning, Derpy poked Sunset in the side, eliciting a mild flinch. “Are you paying attention to your list at all or your sword?”

Sunset grimaced and sheathed said sword. “Sorry. Was just thinking I should get this thing powered up soon. I can’t wait to show Twilight.”

“How do you do that?”

“Well, so far, by draining something of its life energy. Oh, and undead don’t count.” She shuddered, remembering the results of the last time she tried that. “Anyway, I was kinda hoping we’d run into some monsters.”

“Hmm, well, I guess predators could be considered monsters, but that would be kinda mean. The zebras always told me that even meat eaters are a part of life in the Veldt.” Her lazy eye landed on Sunset’s levitating list and she perked up. “Hey, one of your things on your list is lighting up. We must be close to it.”

Blinking, Sunset pulled up the list. Indeed, a line item was glowing green and making a very faint pinging noise. “Huh, whaddaya know. Let’s go.” Holding the list out in front of her, Sunset turned and headed in the direction where the beeping was loudest, Derpy following. Moments later, a rock formation came into view. Once they got closer, a small entrance just large enough for a pony to squeeze through could be seen. The pinging became loudest when Sunset pointed the list at the entrance.

“Looks like we’ll need to go in there.” Without waiting for Derpy to respond, Sunset shimmied her way through the opening, crawling several hoof lengths before coming out into a larger area. The cavern inside held no light, prompting Sunset to light up her horn. Dull grey rocks made up the walls while a thin layer of dry dirt covered the floor. A tunnel leading down into darkness could be seen on the other side of the chamber. The sound from her list increased as she walked further in.

“Hold up!” Derpy called as she came up from behind. “I don’t recognize this cave. Anything could be living in it.”

“Relax, we both have magic. We’ll find what we need and burn anything that gives us trouble.” Sunset trotted on, using the list as a guide. She passed by a narrow slit in the wall, too small for any pony to fit through.

But not too small for a bladed foreleg to swipe through.

Sunset saw the glint of the appendage a second before it cut her neck. Yelling in both shock and pain, Sunset hopped away before a second attack could connect, a thin stream of blood rolling down her coat.

“Watch out!”

Derpy’s panicked cry was all Sunset got. Reacting on pure adrenaline, Sunset unsheathed the Ultima Weapon and raised it above her head mere moments before a second curved blade impacted it. Sparks of energy flew as Sunset strained to push back against the surprisingly resilient and strong razor threatening to cut her in two. Unseen, a second blade rose and descended.

Sunset reeled from something fuzzy but solid ramming into her, sending her careening further down the tunnel. She took several precious seconds to reorient herself, swinging Ultima Weapon to and fro in an uncontrolled frenzy. Springing to her hooves, she faced the direction she was knocked from. Nothing came for her but two mantis like monsters with curved bladed forearms contorted their bodies to squeeze out of the tiny openings in the walls. The mantises’ were now focusing their efforts on cutting down Derpy who was flying for her life in the tight confines of the tunnel. “Hang in there!” Sunset cried as she charged in.

“Stay back!” Derpy yelled then unleashed a barrage of lighting strikes from her wings. The bolts traveled directly for the mantis’ forelegs, impacting them, but the electrical energy flowed straight down through the mantis’ body and into the floor. Neither mantis appeared aware that anything had happened. “Oh, darn—!”

With a pained yelp, Derpy felt herself being pulled by her tail towards Sunset, away from the mantises. She caught a glimpse of red magic surrounding her hair and was set down next to the unicorn. The two ponies now faced off with the approaching monsters, the glow of the cave exit behind the creatures.

Sunset scowled and held up her sword but a tap on her shoulder stalled her. “What?!”

“This way!” Derpy said as she whirled around and ran deeper into the cave.

“Why?!” Sunset called, but turned tail and chased after her. She didn’t receive an answer, instead focusing on keeping Derpy in her sights while being chased by giant mutant bugs.

.o.O.o.

Elsewhere, two other ponies each with a list stopped their hunt for ingredients and took a moment to stop next to a stream and fill up on water. Around them, herds of animals crowded around to get a drink as well, including a group of antelope that quickly took notice of the out of place ponies. One nudged another and said, “Well, lookie there. I do say I think we’ve encountered these foreigners before, haven’t we?”

The second antelope rubbed his chin. “Perhaps, but what would the odds of that be?”

“Pretty good, I say.” The first antelope walked up to Applejack and Shining Armor and gave a small bow. “Good day. You wouldn’t happen to be the same ponies that washed up a while back, would you?”

Applejack looked up at the taller creature, cocking her head. “Uh, maybe. How many ponies do you fellers meet around these parts?”

“She’s got a point,” the second one said, nodding. “But that accent does sound familiar. However, to answer your question, we did spot a smaller one of you just a few days ago. White colored and didn’t stop by for a conversation. Saw us and skedaddled.”

Shining Armor’s ears perked up. “Was he a unicorn?”

“Apologies, didn’t get a good enough look. Headed west if you’re interested in finding him.” The second antelope squinted his eyes. “You know, this whole chat is starting to sound very familiar…”

The ponies didn’t reply. They looked to each other, nodded, and gathered up their supplies. “Thanks, y’all,” Applejack said as they began trotting away. “We’ll take a look.”

The first antelope waved after them. “Glad to be of service!” Once they were out of earshot, he said to his companion, “Bloody hell, ponies seem to lose their kids rather a lot, don’t they?”

The second slapped his head. “That’s who they were!”

.o.O.o.

“Think it’s him?” Applejack asked, picking up her pace to a gallop once they were out in the grassy plains.

Shining Armor snorted. “Don’t know, but I need to be sure.” His list started to ping, but he ignored it, his focus on running as fast as possible and keeping his eyes peeled for any splotch of white. Over a half-hour later, the flat expanse of the Veldt became rockier with several outcroppings of boulders dotting the landscape. The two split up, checking each one for entrances.

As Applejack passed by her fifth rockpile, a faint tremor beneath her hooves was felt. She stopped, standing perfectly still. A moment later Shining Armor came up to her, his expression hopeful.

“Find any—”

“Shh!” With Shining Armor hushed, Applejack continued her silent stance. A minute later, another faint tremor came from somewhere underground. “I think I got somethin’. Not sure what but it’s coming from below us. Keep lookin’ for a cave entrance.”

With renewed purpose, the two scoured the remaining rock formations. Finally, Shining Armor came across an opening just big enough to slip through. He called Applejack over and the two wasted no time squeezing their way in. Their luck held as they entered a cave with a tunnel leading further down. Only a short distance in, Shining Armor’s lit horn leading the way, they came across the signs of a recent battle. The walls were littered with sword slashes and a small patch of blood lay on the ground.

“Looks like one of the other groups ran into something,” Shining Armor said, picking up his pace. More evidence of fighting was found, from scorch marks to sliced feathers. “Sunset and Derpy from the looks of it.”

He abruptly stopped short as something larger than himself blocked his way. Cautiously, he shone his horn brighter, illuminating the body of a giant blue mantis, its bottom half completely blown away. Unsheathing his sword, he gave the upper part a poke then quickly backed up. The monster didn’t react in any way. “Pretty sure it’s dead, but let me be completely sure.” With one precise slice, he decapitated the head where it rolled away into the darkness. “That should do it. C’mon, and be on your—”

Chittering from above cut him off, followed by another mantis falling from the ceiling, its bladed arms primed for a deadly blow.

“Air Blade!” A razor sharp burst of wind intercepted the falling monster, striking it in its center. The blade cut right through the carapace, slicing the mantis in two and spraying green blood from both ends. The two ends landed with a thud, the top half twitching a few times before laying still.

Applejack, having finished her total body whirl attack, walked up to Shining Armor, smirking at all the green goop now covering his once pristine white coat. “Be on your guard, right?”

Using a hoof, Shining Armor reached up and wiped as much blood off of his unamused muzzle as he could. “Yeah.”

Nudging him playfully, Applejack said, “Let’s go. We’ll worry about hosin’ you down later.”

The two continued on, more alert to threats than before. A few hundred hooves later, the distant sounds of shouting could be heard, causing the two to throw all caution aside and rush down the tunnel. Corpses of mantis monsters littered the way but that did little to slow them down. With one last burst of speed, they galloped into a wide cavern and a scene of carnage. Dozens of the mantis monsters lay dead at the hooves of Sunset and Derpy. Several cuts crisscrossed their bodies with patches of their coats missing. Sunset’s horn glowed red, smoke trailing off of it. The air felt hot and oppressive, as though a major thunderstorm were about to erupt at any time.

Derpy saw the newcomers first and gave a tired wave. “Heeeeyyyyyyaaaaa…” She promptly fell back on her rump, panting.

“What in tarnation did you two do?” Appeljack said, keeping an eye on the bodies in case one of them moved. “You tick off an entire nest of these things?”

Sunset declined to answer, settling with giving the earth pony a weary glare.

After a quick inspection of the room to be sure all the monsters were dead, Applejack and Shining Armor came up to the two and offered what healing potions they had. Both Sunset and Derpy gratefully gulped down their share, though still looked ready to topple over from a simple push.

“That zebra’s stupid list,” Sunset said once she was sure her voice wouldn’t falter. “It led us down here.” She viciously kicked at a dismembered mantis claw laying nearby.

Applejack nodded. “Well, let’s get whatever it is and get out of here before more of those things show up.”

“Um, that might be too late,” Shining Armor said, pointing towards an adjacent tunnel. The sound of tiny pebbles being disturbed by movement could be heard coming towards them. The group readied themselves as the thing approached.

A white cat came bounding out from the tunnel and regarded them coolly.

Derpy cocked her head. “Isn’t that Opalescence?”

Opalescence sniffed, then ran off back where she came from.

The group looked to each other, expressions of befuddlement passing between them. Nopony appeared ready to move until Derpy took off after the cat. Cries to stop went unheeded, forcing the others to chase after her. No more monsters jumped out at them, but the sense that they were heading towards more trouble kept building the further they descended into the cave. The air became stagnant and heavy, as though a weight pressed down on their lungs. How far the ponies went, nopony could say, but at last Derpy came to a stop in a large cavern.

“Oh, lordy,” Applejack breathed out.

The wide room, partially illuminated by the soft glow of Sunset Shimmer's and Shining Armor’s horns, contained piles of bones. Some pieces still had strips of meat dangling from their ends while others were broken or crushed. The air stank of rotting flesh, the smell assaulting their senses like a physical blow.

Sunset gagged and began backing away. “Okay, we’re leaving before whatever lives here comes—”

“Son!” Shining Armor rushed forward, towards a small body laying on the other side of the room. Opalescence stood vigilant over the still figure, pawing at its ears. Shining moved to reach down but Opalescence hissed, then pointed to a rag wrapped around the colt’s midsection. The rag was seeped through with blood. “Oh, Spotter…” He twisted his head around, calling back, “Bring whatever healing supplies you’ve got over here! Now!”

The others complied, running over and fussing over the boy. Between Sunset and Shining’s careful use of telekinesis to lift Spotter up, Derpy and Applejack where able to clean the deep gash over the colt’s back and change the bandage. A few sips of healing potion where forced down his throat. Their efforts produced a hacking cough from Spotter, their first sign that the colt still lived.

“We gotta get him back to the airship,” Shining Armor said, setting his son gently on his back. “Let’s—”

Whatever else he was about to say got cut off as Opalescence let out a piercing yowl seconds before a massive form rose out of a large bone pile nearby. The hulking brute shook off its makeshift blanket of body parts and turned its head towards the still living beings in its den. Four times as big as the ponies, with bulging muscles rippling under its pale skin, the monster walked forward on four giant claws. Hornlight revealed a vicious muzzle with two long horns protruding from the head.

Derpy gasped and flared her wings, arcs of electricity building within them. “A behemoth! Don’t let it get close!”

No sooner had she let out her warning than the behemoth roared and charged, scattering the ponies. It swiveled on Shining Armor, drool leaking from its fang filled mouth. It took a swipe with a claw but a pink shield deflected it. It tried again but a flying kick to the jaw from Applejack sent it staggering. Before it could reorient itself, lightning struck its horns, the magical electricity spreading throughout its body.

The behemoth let out a huff of air, its muscles bulging even further.

“Oops,” Derpy said. “I’m not having much luck with that today.” She then frantically dove out of the way of a freezing ice beam from the monster’s mouth.

The ponies now surrounded it, though if the creature seemed perturbed by this it didn’t show it. Once again, it turned towards Shining Armor, lifting up and slamming the ground with such force that the stallion lost his footing and dropped Spotter. Reflexes honed from a year of training allowed Shining to catch his son with levitation before he impacted the ground. Sensing an opening, the behemoth attacked again, backhanding Shining and sending him and Spotter into a pile of rancid bones. It moved to follow but three simultaneous attacks from the other ponies held it back. Applejack and Derpy struck the behemoth from below and above, their impacts gaining the monster’s attention. As it turned to deal with them, fire lashed across its face, earning a pained roar.

“It looks like it didn’t like that,” Applejack said as she danced underneath the beast to land blows to any parts that looked squishy. “Do it again!”

“Right!” Sunset concentrated and let loose another volley of fire, each hit leaving a blackened scorch mark.

The behemoth howled in both rage and pain, shooting out blasts of ice breath at what it now perceived as its greatest threat. Sunset, still feeling fatigued from her fight with the mantises, struggled to keep from being frozen. “I can’t… keep this up!” she panted out. She screamed as the behemoth rushed her, its size making it impossible to avoid it.

A small white shape suddenly leapt up and attached itself to the behemoth’s face, scratching and biting for all it was worth. The monster hissed and stopped its charge to batter at the offending animal, giving Sunset time to see that it was the cat from before. Not letting the opportunity waste, Sunset charged her horn again, motes of red energy seeping out of the behemoth and entering her body. The aches and pains of the day’s tribulations washed away, even as the behemoth gave a low whine at feeling itself weaken.

“Sunset!” Applejack called out from under the behemoth. “Throw fire my way!”

Reacting before she could think better of it, Sunset aimed her horn at Applejack and fired off a half-dozen balls of flame. The earth pony began to spin, catching the fireballs in a self made wind pocket. Her spinning increased, the fireballs picking up speed with each revolution. Above, the behemoth finally dislodged Opalescence from its muzzle, flinging the cat away. It gave a grunt as it felt the heat underneath it become unbearable and tried to get away.

Applejack didn’t give it the chance. “Fire Dance!” Unleashing her stored up power, a mini tornado erupted underneath the behemoth, lifting the colossal monster off the ground. The creature was helpless as it was battered from all sides by searing fire, howling its desperation. The technique only lasted a few seconds, sending the behemoth crashing back to the ground in a heap. Its pale skin, once proud and pristine, was now covered in burns.

Slowly, and with great effort, the behemoth braced its claws against the ground to push itself back up. It cracked open its eyes, giving a low yowl, and saw a gleaming blue energy blade stab itself between its eyes. Giving one last shudder, it fell back to the floor and lay still.

Sunset waited a moment before pulling out the Ultima Weapon from the dead beast’s skull, its blade longer and brighter than it was before. “I’m really beginning to regret coming with you guys,” she muttered as she sheathed her sword.

She was ignored as Applejack and Derpy rushed over to the bone pile were Shining Armor landed. Pushing aside putrid body parts, the two uncovered a pink barrier holding both Shining Armor and Spotter. The stallion had his eyes squeezed shut as he held the colt protectively against himself. Derpy rapped against the shield, causing Shining to open his eyes and see his friend look down at him with a happy smile. Letting out a shuddering breath, Shining cut off power to his magic. “Is it over?”

“Yep! It’s safe now.”

With Applejack and Derpy’s help, Shining carried Spotter out of the bones and towards the center of the room where the behemoth’s body lay. Shining nodded and placed Spotter back on his back. “Let’s get out of here, then.”

“No argument from me,” Sunset said, already heading past the behemoth. She stopped as she heard a pinging noise come from her saddlebag. Narrowing her eyes, she pulled out Zecora’s list and gave it a baleful glare. “This stupid thing led us down here in the first place. I’m about ready to burn it just to spit in that zebra’s face.”

“Can I see it?” Derpy asked. Sunset levitated it over without a word. Once in her grasp, Derpy let the list guide her until she reached the point where it gave a final loud ping. She looked down, now standing over the head of the behemoth and its long black horns. “Um, I think we need to take one of these.”

“Seriously?! What the hay was that crazy mare thinking sending us to fight something like that?!”

“I’ve got it,” Shining Armor said, unsheathing Sky Render. With a single slice, the sword lopped off half of a protruding horn. He put back his weapon and magicked over the behemoth piece to Sunset. “My little way of getting back at it for what it did to Spotter.”

Sunset huffed and put away the offered ingredient. “Great, let’s go.” She once again headed for the exit but stopped again. Her eyes tracked a red mist flowing out of the dead behemoth and congealing at the mouth of the cave. All at once, there came a flash and the unmistakable roar of an angry monster. Once the light returned to normal, the ponies gaped at a fully formed behemoth now standing in their way. Its skin now had a reddish hue but everything else appeared the same, down to the deadly claws and sharp teeth. “Oh, you gotta be bucking kidding me!”

The ponies set themselves for battle, readying magic and weapons alike. The new behemoth roared, accepting their challenge, and crouched low to pounce.

A dark figure leapt up from behind the monster and dropped a red and white feather onto its back. The figure landed before the group, revealing itself as Zecora. The zebra smiled and nodded at them. “Apologies for being late. I ran here as fast as I could to keep you from having a horrible fate.”

“Yeah, wonderful, but we got a big problem if you hadn’t noticed,” Sunset shot back.

Zecora’s smile grew crooked as she looked over her shoulder at the confused monster she had hopped over. The behemoth gave a snort and tried scratching at its back, as though trying to reach an itch. Seconds later it roared and flung itself onto its back but it was too late. Before the ponies’ wide eyes, the creature slowly began to fade. It gave one last echoing howl before disappearing completely.

Turning back to the others, Zecora said, “Feathers of a phoenix, so I read, is what you need to deal with the undead. Its hatred for you has ceased and can now rest in peace.”

Derpy scratched her head in thought. “So… you killed it by bringing it back to life?” Zecora smiled and nodded.

Sunset gave the zebra a hard look. “So why did you send us off to get something so dangerous? We could have all died.”

At this, the smile on Zecora’s muzzle fell and she looked away. Pawing at the ground, she said, “This one regrets a list was out of place. It was I that the beast was supposed to face.”

Sunset looked towards the others. “You believe her?”

Stepping forward, Shining Armor came up and presented Spotter to Zecora. “Look, if you can help my son, I’ll forgive everything.”

Gasping, Zecora reached into her pouch and pulled out a brown bag. She undid the ties to the top and sprinkled a sparkling powder over the colt. “This will help but it will burn. We should hasten our return.”

“Great, I’m sick of this place,” Sunset said and trotted out the exit. Zecora and Shining weren’t far behind, carrying Spotter’s resting form on his back.

Applejack made to follow but a mewl at her side caused her to look down. Opalescence stood next to her, a pair of pony sized gauntlets set in front of her. At the foot of each gauntlet there protruded three long teeth, making the garments look like claws from some metallic creature. Derpy flew over and held up the gauntlets, inspecting them in the receding light from the unicorns’ horns. “Oooh, these are neat! Those are tiger fangs sticking out. Those are supposed to be really tough and sharp.” Derpy held them out to Applejack. “You should try them on.”

“Ehh… ” Applejack responded, giving the gauntlets a dubious look. “Why me?”

“I think Opalescence found them for you. Probably came from some poor pony that got eaten by that thing. These will work out great if you use them with your martial arts.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow, taking the offered pieces and laying them over her back. “I’ll try them out later. I wanna get out of here first.”

“Gotcha! Follow me!” Derpy zipped forward, slamming her head into the rock wall next to the tunnel. She pried herself loose, shook away the floating stars, then flew herself properly through the cave.

Applejack shook her head and followed, Opalescence padding close behind.

.o.O.o.

The trip back to the airship was uneventful. Late evening had already set in and the ponies were eager to get some dinner that wasn’t tasteless dry grass. Trixie, Stardust, Pinkie Pie, and Big Macintosh were already there, their lists complete. When asked how things went, Pinkie shrugged and said it was no biggie. Stardust on the other wing…

“Trixie just rode me the whole way and made me cast my haste spell to speed things up.”

“It was good practice,” Trixie defended.

“You made me find the stuff on your list for you!”

Trixie sniffed. “And it went faster that way. Trixie’s talents lay in tactics and magic, not gardening.”

Ignoring their bickering, Shining Armor came up to Stardust, motioning towards his back where Spotter still lay. “Please say you have something that can help.”

The chocobo looked at the battered colt and warked, yanking out an x-potion and offering it to Shining Armor. He wasted no time in administering it. Almost immediately, Spotter sputtered and coughed, looking up with bloodshot eyes. “Daddy…”

“Spotter!” Shining cradled his son, openly weeping. Pinkie Pie smiled and walked up to him, whispering in his ear. “Thanks, I-I appreciate it.” Keeping Spotter close, Shining followed Pinkie as she led him up the gangplank.

Trixie raised an eye towards the scene but passed on commenting on it. She turned to Zecora who appeared unusually smug. “So did we get everything?”

The zebra nodded with a smirk. “Our task here is done and I can make my mix. Tomorrow we are off to help my old village in need of a fix.”

“Good. I hope you’ve been keeping up with your training, because we’re about to undo one of Discord’s plans. I don’t think he’ll like it much, and Trixie thinks he’ll show up to stop it.”

Zecora tilted her head towards her crystal sword, strapped to her back in easy to reach unsheathing distance. “I pray that we are ready for his dangerous game. To go after my tribe in such a way means for me he might do the same." Her voice deepened and her face grew hard. "The thought of being petrified nigh brings me to tears, though it brings me hope there lie things he still fears.”

Trixie gave a humorless laugh. “Oh believe me. Trixie intends to give him plenty to be scared about.”

Wherein A Score is Settled

The gentle hum of the airship was soothing to Shining Armor. He lay on a soft bed in a private room, courtesy of Pinkie Pie, keeping close watch over Spotter sleeping beside him. Zecora and Stardust’s efforts to heal the colt paid off and was now enjoying a much-needed rest. His wound on his back was freshly bandaged, but it was likely to leave a scar once it fully mended.

Shining sighed and ran a hoof through Spotter’s mane. “It should be me that gets hurt, not you. I’m a knight of Domare; it’s my job to take the hits so that others won’t.” He laid back, staring up at the wall. “Even with all these magic powers, I keep failing you.”

A small mumble from Spotter drew his attention. He tilted his head and lay still, listening. Spotter stirred and mumbled again, this time louder. Shining reached over and carefully stroked his son’s back, “Shhh... It’s okay now. Go back to sleep.”

“Stop saying that.”

Brows knit in confusion, Shining tilted his head. “Huh? Stop saying what?”

Spotter shifted, turning his head until he could face his father. “Stop saying you fail.”

Shining averted his eyes with a frown. “Spotter, this isn’t the first time I’ve lost track of you. And each time I’m terrified that I’m not going to find you again.” He swallowed as he fought back tears. “Your mom would be really mad at me if I let anything bad happen to you. Like now.”

“I’m okay,” Spotter insisted, even as he struggled to get into a comfortable position. “I lived all by myself in the Veldt. Well, Autumn and Opal helped, but she’s just a cat. But you taught me all the things I needed. I’m all grown up now, see?”

Despite himself, Shining smiled. He gently ruffled Spotter’s head. “Yeah, that is pretty impressive. I’m sure you had all sorts of adventures, didn’t you?”

Spotter lifted his head up and grinned. “I sure did… OW!” Spotter settled back down into the bed, wincing as his back painfully reminded him of his injury.

Shining sat up and gave Spotter a stern look. “I don’t want you moving too much, you hear? Even knights have to rest so that they can get back into the fight.”

“Okay, okay,” Spotter muttered into his pillow. “But you have to stop calling yourself a failure. Deal?”

Smirking, Shining reached a hoof down and booped Spotter on the nose. “Deal.” He laid back down. “So, wanna tell me about all of your adventures?”

Spotter let out a big yawn. “Sure….”

“You can tell me later if you’re tired.”

“... Yeah, I kinda am. I’ll let Autumn tell you. She’s good at talking.”

Shining blinked. “Autumn?” A light at Spotter’s flank caught his eyes. The eye and magnifying glass that was Spotter’s cutie mark grew brighter and brighter until Shining was forced to look away. The light finally receded and the stallion was able to peer back. Spotter looked the same as he did, but his honed senses picked up the presence of someone else in the room. Quickly sitting up, he locked gazes with a creature he had never seen before. It had the shape of a pony, but a wild and curly brown mane, a scaled green snout, and a dark brown horn shaped like a tuning fork dispelled any notion that it was part of his race.

The creature lifted a beige leg, tipped with a green cloven hoof, and waved. “Hello! I’m Autumn Blaze, and Spotter’s told me so much about you! So let me tell you all that we’ve been through while you were gone! Please don’t mind if I insert comedic tangents and non-sequitur musings, but it’s been so long since I met somepony other than Spotter!”

.o.O.o.

“How are our supplies holding up?”

Stardust looked up from his work with Zecora, the two huddled over a bubbling black pot set on a stove. Trixie stood before him in her white cloak, looking as dignified as the general she once was. “Well, even with all the weapons, furniture, and appliances we bought at South Fillygaro, I still had enough to get us plenty of food and medicine. Those ponies were pretty generous so all our pantries are pretty full. I’ve even got ingredients to make more x-potions and ethers, too.”

Trixie nodded. “Good. We’re probably going to be needing them.” She tilted her head at the pot. “How’s that coming along? Is it some kind of soft?”

Zecora nodded. “A normal soft may not be enough to force Discord’s magic back. That is why we are developing a supersoft so that my people don’t crack.”

“Wonderful. Sounds boring, but wonderful. Continue on. Trixie needs to check up on the others.” With a sharp turn, Trixie left the two alchemists and headed for the deck. Up top, she found Derpy and Applejack near the stern, fiddling with what looked like boots. Trotting closer, she saw that Applejack was trying and failing to put them on with Derpy’s help.

“No, Derpy, hold it steady. More to your left—No, your other left. Sugar, now you’re pointing it down—Careful! You almost poked your eye!”

Trixie couldn’t hold back a smirk. “Trouble with your, how do you country folks say it, duds?”

“Not now, Trixie,” Applejack shot back as she took the greave Derpy was holding and tried to slip it on with her free hoof. The sharp fangs sticking out from the bottom made it difficult to hold without poking herself and laying it down on the deck proved cumbersome due to the same fangs keeping the greaves from being level. “Dagnabbit!” She picked it up and made ready to chuck it over the side.

A pink puff of magic stayed her hoof.

“Here, allow Trixie.” Before Applejack could protest, Trixie yanked the greave out of her hold, lined it up with Applejack’s leg, and smoothly slipped it on. “There. Feel free to lavish Trixie with your praise at any time.”

Applejack gave Trixie a sour look, but mumbled out, “Thanks. I guess.” Without prompting, Trixie tightened the straps, locking the greave in place. After giving another half-hearted thanks, Applejack stepped down on the greave and nearly toppled over. “Ah, shucks, these stupid fangs make it impossible to stand right. No way am I going to be able to fight like—”

A soft click within the greave was heard and the fangs retracted into a hidden compartment. Applejack once again nearly lost her footing at the sudden shift but righted herself before she fell over. “What in tarnation?” She sat down and lifted her leg, inspecting the greave with a suspicious eye. She tensed a leg muscle and the fangs shot back out, startling her. “Well, would you look at that. Nifty!” Another muscle tense sent the fangs back in, allowing Applejack to test her balance again. “Now that’s more like it. Help me get the other one on.”

Soon, with Trixie’s help, Applejack stood on two armored greaves, her Genji armor hanging over them slightly. With a grin, she jumped into the air, flipping into a somersault. The fangs snapped out, forming a deadly buzzsaw for anypony foolish enough to get close. Applejack clicked the fangs back in a second before she touched down, her posture solid. “Whoohie, that was fun! Didn’t think they were going to work for a second there, but with a little practice I should get the hang of ‘em. Thanks, Derpy!”

Derpy clapped her hooves, her smile wide. “You’re welcome!”

Even Trixie looked impressed. “Let’s hope those things last. Trixie doubt’s you’ll be lucky enough to find a second set.” Satisfied that things were in order here, she trotted off towards Pinkie Pie.

On the way she passed by the other Pie sisters, each on lookout and next to a cannon. The presence of the extra firepower was reassuring, even if Trixie doubted they’d be of much use against Discord or Nightmare Moon. At the very least it was better to have it and not use it, rather than not have it and need it.

Reaching Pinkie, she gave the airship captain a nod and said, “We almost there?”

“Yep!” Pinkie Pie replied. “A few more minutes. Though I’m not seeing too many good places to land. We may need to travel a bit.”

“That might actually be a good thing. The zebra children are all there and the last thing Trixie needs is for them to be all wound up because this thing flew over the town.” As Trixie waited for Pinkie to start her landing procedure, she caught Shining Armor coming up to them, Spotter riding on his back. She turned their way and cocked her head as another creature trotted next to them, a wide smile on its face.

Just as Trixie made to ask who this was, the new creature beat her to it. “Hi! Sorry for springing this on you at such short notice, but I’m Autumn Blaze and I’m Spotter’s esper. Are you the scary mare?”

Trixie blinked. Twice. “What?” She looked to Shining but the stallion just shrugged. Turning back to Autumn, she said, “Explain.”

“Gladly!” Autumn Blaze cleared her throat, took a deep breath, twirled, and began to sing.

~This here is a tail of how a kirin became a crony
Not to a zebra or griffon, but to a young pony!~

Without warning, Autumn grabbed hold of Trixie, who squawked in surprise, and whirled her into a pirouette, all while keeping her song going.

~I became magicite like my kin and thought this was the end
But then I found a worthy soul that I wanted to befriend.

In a flash I was his and his mark was set
A nifty magnifying glass tattooed on his ass
And I gave him magic sight that could protect him from any threat.~

Autumn dipped Trixie over, the unicorn unable to break whatever spell the esper cast to get away. “And boy, has this kid been through a lot. I mean, crazy doctors, monsters, the end of the world, and he’s only, like, twelve. Oh! Speaking of which...”

~We fell from the sky on that dark day, the plains stretched far and wide
But this was no time to jump and play, we needed to hide

Fearsome monsters roamed the world, spreading death and fear
We were alone and scared, with nopony else here
I made the choice to rise up and help out my friend
I appeared in his dreams and taught him how his plight could end!~

Autumn spun Trixie away, put a hoof around Spotter, and pulled him close. “Long story short I taught him how to summon me, because ya know I’m a super-cool esper and all, monsters aren’t gonna mess with me. Plus I’m a magicite now so it’s not like they could hurt me.”

She opened her mouth to begin singing again, paused and blinked, and then closed her mouth. “Huh, ya know, that’s actually all there is to tell. Not a very good segue out of the song. I guess I’m out of practice with that.” She grinned and bowed. “Thank you! Thank you, all! You have no idea how long I’ve been holding that in!”

As the ponies applauded, Trixie marched up to the still bowing esper and thrust her nose into Autumn’s snout, staring her straight in the eyes. “Congrats on the musical. Trixie’s sure it’ll be a hit at parties.”

“Especially mine!” Pinkie Pie piped in.

“But what Trixie caught in all of that is that we can somehow summon the espers that bonded with us. Derpy has managed it but not the rest of us.” She pressed harder into Autumn, her eyebrows furrowing. “Do tell.”

“Oh, that,” Autumn said, pushing Trixie back and grinning. “Sure, that’s easy. With enough magic you can summon the spirit of your esper for a brief time and they’ll do their thing. The more effort you put into it the stronger they’ll be or the longer they’ll stay. Spot’s been doing it all year just so that he’s got somepony to talk to.”

Motes of magical white energy began to disperse away from Autumn, her form quickly becoming transparent. “Whoops! Looks like my time is almost up, for now.” She waved towards Spotter, giving a happy smile. “Get well and I’ll see you soon, Spot!” Her voice faded away as the last of Spotter’s magic gave out.

With Autumn Blaze gone, the only sounds were the shuffling of hooves and the rush of the wind. Atop Shining Armor’s back, Spotter sighed. “It sucks when she has to go. It takes me a while to recharge so I can get her back.”

Shining Armor gave his son a hard look. “No more magic until you’re healed. Me and Autumn won’t like it if you force it.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

“Anyway, we’ll shelve that for later,” Trixie said. “Captain Pie, we landing or what?”

Pinkie Pie gave a small pout. “You could just call me Pinkie, you know.” Sighing and letting the matter drop for now, she continued, “Yep, got a good spot picked out. Prepare for landing!”

.o.O.o.

The distance to the zebra village wasn’t as bad as Pinkie feared it would be. A solid hour trot brought them into the village proper. The small hamlet didn’t appear to have changed, dilapidated houses and stone zebra and all. Zecora herself walked purposely to the center, her heavy gaze taking it all in. “I return home for the first time in years and all I have to show for it are fresh tears. Stardust, we must fix this at all cost or else our legacy will forever be lost.”

Said chocobo came up to the zebra, his wings twitching in anticipation. “Do we have to dump the supersoft on them one at a time? Do we even have enough?”

Zecora made to reply but a pair of figures approaching them stopped her short. Two ponies, one a unicorn and one an earth pony staggered forward, their coats and manes matted with dirt and grime. Getting closer, the unicorn must have gotten a good look because her face lit up into a beatific smile and she rushed forward, hopping in place once she reached them. “Oh, thank the stars, the heavens, the earth, and everything in between! You’re back!”

Trixie and Sunset Shimmer stepped forward, each wearing concerned looks. “What happened to you two?” Sunset asked.

“Tirek,” Bon Bon said as she trudged up to them. Her mallet lay over her back, dented in many places.

“He’s here?!”

Lyra shook her head. “Not at the moment, but he’s been hitting us pretty hard, lately. He’s gotten bigger and really, really wants Twilight. We’ve had to move her and the zebra children all over the place to confuse him, but I don’t think it’ll work much longer.”

“But with you guys here, maybe we can stop him once and for all,” Bon Bon finished.

Trixie shook her head and sighed. She turned to the others, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Derpy, and said, “Hope you all got plenty of rest because we’re at it again. Since Shining Armor stayed behind to look after his twerp, we’re down one magic user.”

“No worries!” Pinkie Pie chirped. “I’ve been itchin’ and scratchin’ to bust out my own magic for a while.”

Ignoring them, Sunset addressed Lyra and Bon Bon. “Where is Twilight now?”

“Follow us,” Bon Bon said and headed towards the back of the village. She walked up to a nondescript boulder three times her size and pushed, grunting and straining to move it. Big Macintosh and Applejack came up and helped and between the three of them, moved the rock to reveal a dark hole big enough for a pony to hop in. Once each pony leapt in, they found themselves in a recently dug out tunnel. Bon Bon took the lead again, heading downwards until she reached a fork in the cave. “We made some dead ends in case he ever gets down here, but we didn’t have the time to make it really confusing. This way.” She turned left, going a short distance before coming up against a wooden door. A quick triple hoof rap against it later and it opened, revealing a zebra colt. Upon seeing Bon Bon, he moved back and allowed her and the others to enter.

The room beyond was nothing more than a dirty hole, barely enough space for them let alone all the ponies trying to pile in. The zebra kids all huddled around a figure in the center, who looked up and gave a tired smile.

“Welcome back,” Twilight Sparkle said to them.

“Twilight!” Sunset burst through, nudging aside the zebras so that she could gather up Twilight in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe! I was so worried!”

Twilight returned the hug, sighing into Sunset’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay, too.” She looked up, smiling at the rest. “Have you guys had any success?”

“We sure have!” Pinkie Pie bounded into the room, handing out little cupcakes to the zebras. “Long time no see, Twilight. Hey, that’s a funny hat you have on.”

Subconsciously, Twilight reached up and adjusted her red cap. “Yeah, it’s a long story.”

Zecora came in next and suddenly the room was full of excited chattering as the zebra kids ran up to her and all danced around. Zecora smiled and spoke back in Zebracain, nodding to each in turn. It took a while, but eventually the mares and colts settled down but they couldn’t hide their immense glee. Turning to Twilight with a smile, Zecora said, “It was worth it to come here just for this. Never before have I felt such bliss.”

Untangling herself from Sunset, Twilight patted the unicorn’s shoulder and bowed to the zebra. “I’m so glad you got to see your home again.”

“Yes, it is a blessing, but I fear there are things more pressing.” Without warning, Zecora snapped out a hoof and knocked away Twilight’s cap, revealing her spotted and floppy horn. Twilight gasped and yanked her hat back on but it was too late. “It is as I suspected; your horn is broke. You are afflicted with poison joke.”

A collective blink from the room followed. Zecora spoke before questions could be asked. “It is a plant that causes misfortune in ironic ways. For you it appears to seal away your magic, always.”

Sunset found her voice first. “But you know what it is. You can cure it right?”

Zecora nodded. “Yes, but it will take time to brew. I will need to start right away so that it will be of use to you.”

From somewhere above, a loud explosion could be heard, followed by severe tremors that rained loose dirt upon them.

Out in the tunnel, Trixie angrily stomped the ground. “I knew it! I just knew this would happen!” She rounded on the gathered ponies and zebras. “Alright, Zecora and Stardust will get to work getting that cure for Twilight. The two with the hammer and harp will stay to watch over the kids. The rest of us will need to deal with whatever that was. C’mon!” Not waiting for a response, Trixie ran off towards the exit.

“You heard her!” Applejack said, racing after the retreating mare. The others piled out of the room, leaving only Zecora and Sunset behind with Twilight, Lyra, Bon Bon, and the zebra children.

“It’s a lyre, not a harp…” Lyra groused.

Sunset turned to Twilight and Zecora, swallowing. “Please, tell me what I can do to help get that cure ready.”

Giving a smile that reached her eyes, Twilight said, “Sunset, I know it’s only been a few minutes but I can already tell you’ve gotten stronger.” She inclined her head towards the door. “Go, they need you more than I do.”

“But what if they fail?! Somepony needs to stay behind and protect you.”

Zecora let out a snort. “Sunset Shimmer, a mare of the mystical arts I may seem, but I have plenty of ways to make enemies scream.” She nudged her sword, letting a crooked grin split her muzzle.

Sunset ignored her. “But—”

“Sunset!” Twilight lost her smile, leveling a glare at her. “I’ll be fine! Help your new friends and if Zecora can get me cured, I’ll join you. I promise!”

A tense moment of silence followed, broken by a rumble from above that shook the room. Snarling, Sunset jabbed a hoof at Twilight. “I’m holding you to that promise.” Without a look back, Sunset ran out of the room.

Zecora didn’t waste any time. “Come, we must find a place we can brew. It may take some time to mix up the cure for you.”

With Sunset gone, Twilight’s demeanor dropped, her ears pinned behind her head. “Okay. But, even if my magic’s restored, I’m not sure how much help I’ll be.”

Zecora cocked her head and motioned for her to continue.

“It’s been a year, Zecora. I haven’t had to fight in all that time. What if… what if I’m just a burden, now?”

“You will face that when the time arrives,” Zecora said, urging Twilight out the exit. “When you do, it may make the difference in all of our lives.”

Twilight sighed, gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile to the zebra kids, and headed out the room with Zecora. Behind them, Lyra and Bon Bon closed up the entrance and prepared for the worst.

.o.O.o.

On the surface, a red and black centaur hurled magic with reckless abandon, destroying anything unlucky enough to be in his path. Tirek made no attempt at subtlety, blasting red beams at the ground and digging up large swaths of dirt and rock. “Twilight Sparkle! I’m here to take what is mine!” He took aim at a pair of zebra statues near a ruined shack. “I’ve been patient with you long enough! Face me and give me your magic, or this village will pay the price for your cowardice!” He let loose his magic, obliterating the statues to dust.

He turned to spot a group of ponies heading his way. Two he recognized immediately. Not wasting words, he gathered his magic between his long black horns and shot at the Returners. They scattered, swarming around him with weapons and magic at the ready.

Tirek looked among them and growled. “Where is Twilight Sparkle? Is she afraid to face me?”

“She doesn’t need to; we’re plenty enough to take you out!” Trixie called out, Save the Queen already raised towards the sky.

“Ah, you think to reuse the same tactics from our last encounter,” Tirek said. He reared up with a sneer. “How foolish do you think I am?!” He stomped the ground with his forelegs, causing a tremor to spread out from him. Trixie and Big Macintosh stumbled and fell over, but Applejack and Pinkie Pie nimbly kept their balance, while Derpy took to the air.

Applejack leapt forward, her tiger fangs extended, catching Tirek off guard. He swiped his arm to swat her away but a quick hold and twist on that arm propelled Applejack’s hind legs into his abdomen, pushing him back. She dropped down and quickly reared up, slashing away with her gauntlets. Angry red cuts appeared against Tirek’s dark coat, earning a roar from the centaur. She pressed her attack but a telekinetic grip stopped her cold and flung her into a nearby hut, flattening it.

Tirek wasn’t given a chance to recover as Derpy swooped in, lightning lancing out from her wings. A bolt struck his horns and disrupted his magic, but that didn’t stop him from reaching out and grabbing her leg as she tried to fly past. “I think it’s time I thin your numbers.” Tirek pulled her in close and backhanded her hard in the head. Completely dazed, Derpy was helpless as Tirek lifted her to his mouth and breathed in deeply. Wisps of yellow energy escaped from Derpy’s body and down his throat. Her coat turned a dull beige while Tirek’s body shuddered and grew. In seconds it was over and Tirek tossed Derpy’s drained and limp form away.

Crackles of energy shot over Tirek’s body, his wounds closing. Looking down at the horrified remaining ponies, he said, “Your magic pales against the powers I have absorbed; it only serves to make me stronger.” He beckoned them with a hand. “Come. Throw yourselves at me again. I’ll need your power if Discord should ever challenge me.”

The home Applejack crashed into burst apart in a shower of wood splinters, the earth pony jumping out of the ruins. She squared herself and snarled, pawing the ground with a hoof. She faced Tirek’s back while Trixie, Big Macintosh, and Pinkie Pie warily circled around him.

Pinkie moved first, reaching into her captain’s jacket and throwing out a trio of darts. Tirek didn’t bother dodging, allowing them to bounce off his hide without leaving a scratch. He turned away from her, dismissing her as a threat, and focusing his attention on Trixie. He snarled and charged forward, bearing down on the unicorn with surprising speed. Rather than back off, Trixie lunged forward, surprising Tirek enough to duck under his reach and stab upwards at his undercarriage. Tirek side hopped away but not quickly enough as Trixie’s sword left a bloody gash against his lower rib cage. Keeping the pressure up, Trixie swung again but Tirek lashed out with a hoof, deflecting the attack.

The other ponies did not stay idle, rushing in and attacking. Soon, Tirek found himself barraged on all sides, unable to pin down an opponent long enough to retaliate while being hit from every angle. Pinkie Pie hopped up onto his back and hacked away with steel cards, adding more damage and distractions.

“Enough!” With a blast of power, Tirek blew the ponies away from him. He stood there, lightly panting, blood dripping from his wounds, teeth clenched as he watched the ponies get back up and ready themselves for the next round. “I will not be stopped by the likes of you.” Magic gathered between his horns, the shine growing brighter with each second.

“How about the likes of me?!”

Tirek looked up in time to see the silhouette of a pony against the sun bear down on him, a glowing blue sword descending for his head. He reached up and caught the blade in his large meaty hand, inches from his skull. His hand, enveloped in magic, held the Ultima Weapon in place. Seeing Sunset Shimmer’s shocked face, he chuckled. “You again. Will you try your fire against me, next? Please do, it has a unique flavor.” Hearing hoofbeats from behind, he lifted Sunset in his telekinetic grasp and flung her at the approaching ponies.

Applejack jumped and caught her, setting her back to the ground, then resuming her charge with the others. They didn’t get far as Tirek released his gathered power, shooting a beam just before them and gouging the earth. Trixie readied her sword to absorb it but Tirek directed the beam underneath them, raising the ground and flinging the Returners in all directions. Before any could recover, Tirek reached for the nearest pony, Big Macintosh, and levitated him up to his mouth. Just as with Derpy before, the stallion’s magic was drained out of him, his eyes glazing over. Tossing Big Macintosh aside, Tirek stood even taller and stronger than before.

“As amusing as this all is, I’m starting to get bored,” he said. “Bring me Twilight Sparkle and the rest of you can keep your magic.” The four remaining ponies responded by raising their weapons. Tirek snorted, twin puffs of steam coming from his nostrils. “So be it.” Magic condensed in his horns, more powerful than ever, and fired.

A bright object soared over their heads, impacted the beam, splitting it in innumerable directions, and continued on to slam into Tirek’s face. The centaur roared and fell back, collapsing onto the ground with an earth shaking crash. The glowing being shot up into the air then descended, impacting Tirek and causing a large explosion of released energy. Reeling from the dust and debris kicked up from the savage attack, the Returners could only stare at the scene before them.

A gust of wind brushed past the area, pushing away the gathered dust. Standing next to a deep crater, her body wreathed in flames, stood Twilight. Her esper wings blazed out from her back as she stared down at the singed monster at the bottom of the crater. She spoke, her voice hard and cold. “Leave.”

A tense minute passed, the only sound the crackle of Twilight’s esper fire. Then, from the crater, a soft sound could just be heard. The sound grew and grew, the ponies’ ears able to identify it as laughter. The laughter became louder, crescendoing into all out manic guffaws as Tirek rose from the carnage and beamed up at Twilight. “Everything I’ve heard about you is true. Your magic will be all I need.”

“Leave!” Twilight screamed, punctuating her command with gouts of fire that lashed out at Tirek.

He raised his arms, taking the brunt of the heat with his biceps, the shear force pushing him back. His arms fanned out, dispersing the flames and revealing an eager grin. “Leave? But you haven’t given me what I want yet.”

Twilight snarled and raised up into the sky, her form glowing brighter. “LEAVE!” Streams of magical fire, larger than Twilight herself, flew from her body and rained down on Tirek. He shot back with his own magic but the sheer magnitude overwhelmed him, the area he stood in becoming an inferno.

Tirek came charging out of the firestorm, his body covered in burns but not enough to knock the fight out of him. More magic formed between his horns, ready to shoot off his own attack, but a pair of ice and fire blasts impacted his unprotected side, staggering him. He turned to see the ponies he hadn’t drained yet charging at him. Snarling, Tirek re-aimed his beam, only to receive a diving buck to the face from Twilight. More attacks came from every direction as the Returners spread out around him.

Letting out a furious bellow, Tirek lashed out, firing beams in all directions. His assault didn’t last as his magic began to pull away from him and towards a single source, Trixie. Before he could cut off his rampage, magic encased his body in a vice grip. The next thing he knew, he was flung at an alarming rate, passing well beyond the village boundary to crash into a grove of dead trees.

Tirek groaned, several moments passing as he laid in a bed of splintered wood. Adrenaline seeped out of him and the extent of his accumulated injuries couldn't be ignored any longer. With laborious movements, he picked himself up and stumbled his way out of the trees. He looked towards the village but there didn’t appear to be any sign of pursuit. Taking the opportunity to recover, he galloped off towards the north, vowing that next time would be the end.

.o.O.o.

The Returners took stock of the zebra village. The battle with Tirek had leveled entire swaths of houses and untold amounts of zebra statue pieces were scattered within the wreckage. Miraculously, Derpy and Big Macintosh were found to be okay physically, if not magically. The most worrying discovery being that their cutie marks were now missing. The two were now recovering on a blanket, Stardust and Zecora checking them over.

“Do you think Tirek stole them when he sucked their magic out?” Pinkie Pie asked as she watched from a distance.

“Dunno,” Applejack muttered, sifting through a pile of broken boards and gently nudging out a stone leg. “Trying not to think about much of anything right now.”

“Yeah…” Pinkie grew silent as she joined Applejack on her grim task.

Nearby, Twilight Sparkle let out a shuddering sigh and released her hold on her esper form. Her flames dissipated, revealing a unicorn with a restored horn. She looked around at the devastation, her eyes brimming with tears. “Why?”

Sunset Shimmer walked up to her, her features morphing between relief and sadness. “Twilight, you can’t blame yourself. I hate to say it but I don’t think there was anything we could have done to stop this. Heck, it wasn’t until you arrived that we got the upper hand. Tirek won’t stop until he’s drained you.”

“Which is why we need to finish him off now while he’s still weakened,” Trixie said, walking up to the pair. She gave Twilight a shrewd look. “So Trixie takes it you’re cured?”

Twilight’s ears drooped, giving a nod. “Yes. Zecora and I got lucky. She found a stash of potions buried on the other end of the village. She said that there’s usually an emergency stock so we checked that first. One of the things we found was the cure to the poison joke.” Twilight looked towards the zebra, trying and failing to hold her tears back.

Giving a nod, Trixie said, “Then we can’t wait. Sunset is right, Tirek will be back and even more damage will be done. If you want to avoid that then come with Trixie.”

Twilight reached up with a leg and wiped at her eyes. She took a long, shuddering breath. “Okay.” She turned to Sunset with a sad smile. “I can’t be sitting on the sidelines anymore. Not while things like Tirek and Discord are loose. I thought if I didn’t fight then things would sort themselves out, but that doesn’t look like that’s going to work. So, I’m going to fight until they are gone. Will you help me?”

Sunset nodded rapidly. “Of course!”

“We’ll watch out for both of us, until the end. Deal?” Twilight held out a hoof.

Grinning, Sunset clopped her hoof against Twilight’s. “Deal!”

“Good, glad that’s all sorted out,” Trixie said, leaving the duo and headed towards Stardust and Zecora. Their patients were now standing, but Derpy and Big Macintosh had cloudy eyes, as though they had developed cataracts. However, as she got close, both turned to her, Derpy even smiling and waving. “How are you two feeling?”

“Like crap,” Derpy said, her good cheer evaporating. She spread out a wing and grimaced, but no electricity came forth. “None of my magic is working.”

“Ditto,” Big Macintosh responded.

“Well, then you’re not going to like what I have to say next. We’re going after Tirek before he comes back. If you’re feeling up to it, you can come, but you’ll probably just get in the way.”

“Probably,” Derpy sighed out. “I feel so tired I’m not sure if I can even fly.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh confirmed. “Had to take off my utility belt just to stand.”

“Then it’s best you stay here so that you can rest. Perhaps when we beat Tirek, your magic will come back.” With those two dealt with, Trixie turned to Stardust and Zecora, the chocobo looking away and scratching the ground while Zecora… well, Trixie wasn’t sure how to interpret Zecora’s stoic demeanor, so she tested the waters. “Wanna get some revenge?”

Stardust started. “Nope! Nuh-uh!”

“Wasn’t talking to you.” Keeping her focus on Zecora, Trixie asked again, “Well, what’s it going to be? Going to let him get away with what he’s done here or stick your sword through his guts?”

Zecora’s schooled features slipped, her eyes burning as she took in her old home and the broken pieces of her people littering it. “So overjoyed was I to be returning and now all I see is my village burning. Curse Tirek and all his filth. I swear not to rest until his blood has been spilth!”

Swallowing, Trixie took a step back to allow Zecora her space. “Okay. Trixie can count on you coming, then.”

Twilight and Sunset cautiously approached, Twilight saying, “I’m so sorry, Zecora. I… I’m to blame for this. If I hadn’t hidden here, Tirek never would have done this.”

Zecora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “No, there is no blame. Anywhere you chose, the outcome would have been the same. I should have been here but I was not, all caught up with the Empire’s plot. We do what Trixie said and finish Tirek forever so that a tragedy such as this does not happen again, ever.”

Nodding sadly, Twilight said, “I don’t think Tirek got them all. You can still save some of them.”

Before anypony could continue, multiple hoofsteps perked their ears. Twisting her head, Trixie’s eyebrows raised to see Lyra, Bon Bon, and the zebra children approaching. Many of the children were openly crying, no doubt due to seeing the state of their village. Trixie turned to face the two older ponies. “Why did you bring them up here? It’s still not safe.”

“Yeah, well, they were insistent that they check that everypony was okay,” Bon Bon said.

Trixie huffed and shook her head. She turned and trotted off, passing by Twilight and saying, “You deal with them. Trixie’s going to get ready.”

Biting her lower lip, Twilight stepped forward. The zebra crowded around her, each with a hopeful look. Twilight sat down, giving a smile that didn’t quite reach her ears. “I have to go for a little while. We drove off the scary monster but it’ll come back if we don’t do something about it. My friends and I are going to make sure he can’t do any more bad stuff.”

One of the zebra reached up and poked her horn. It remained rigid, no longer the spotty and floppy appendage it was before. All of them took notice, their voices growing curious.

“That’s right. Momma has her magic back.” Her smile widened as a thought occurred to her. “Would you like to see what Momma looks like when she goes to fight the monster?” A round of nods immediately followed. “Okay. Now, don’t be scared. I’m still Momma even if I look different.”

Twilight closed her eyes, allowing the power that dwelled within her to well up. Slowly, Twilight’s skin began to lighten, her mane and tail flowed with gentle fire, and when she opened her eyes, her irises were now bright red. The children backed away a bit as a pair of wings made of liquid flame sprouted from her back. Twilight stood and looked down at them, her transformation complete.

The zebra children looked upon her with wide eyes and open mouths. Hesitantly, one reached forward and touched Twilight’s coat, marveling at how fire could feel so pleasant. That opened the floodgates and all the colts and fillies pressed themselves against her, Twilight’s warmth seeping into them. Smiling, and with tears that did not evaporate as they fell against her cheeks, Twilight reached down and pulled the zebras close to her. “I have to go now, but I’ll be back,” she said, her voice unchanged. “Take care of each other. I need to go make the world safe for you.”

Reluctantly, Twilight untangled herself from the zebra and let her esper form fade away. She patted each on the head, giving words of encouragement. She looked up at Lyra and Bon Bon who were just as awestruck as the zebra were. “Can I ask you to watch over them a little while longer?”

Slowly, Lyra blinked away the image of the fire pony that was once again little old Twilight. “S-sure, no problem!” She nudged a still catatonic Bon Bon. “Right?”

Startled, Bon Bon blurted out, “Y-yes, of course!”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “Thanks. I don’t know how long it will be, but if I have the power to make a difference, it’s time I put it to use.” Stepping away from the zebra, she gave them one last reassuring smile, then turned to her companions. “Let’s go.”

.o.O.o.

A short time later, the Returners rode out of the zebra village, following Tirek’s trail. The centaur wasn’t making any effort to hide his tracks as they headed further north towards the cape. Along with them came Stardust, albeit reluctantly, as his magic and potions were too valuable to leave behind. Only a half hour of galloping later, the landmass began to shrink down with the sea surrounding them on three sides. A line of comatose buffalax and a few chocobos greeted them, drained of their energy. The Returners kept going, their need to stop Tirek growing with each body passed.

A few minutes later, they reached the cape and with it their target. Tirek saw them coming and quickly sucked down a struggling chocobo’s energy before tossing it aside without a second thought. “I was hoping to get a few more meals in before you arrived, but I still have plenty to deal with you.” With no hesitation, he shot a blast of magic their way.

“Remember the plan!” Trixie yelled out as she runiced Tirek’s magic through her sword. The extra magic collected in her horn and she shot off an icicle. Tirek contemptuously swatted it away and charged at them.

Stardust quickly got to work casting haste over Applejack and Pinkie Pie. The two earth ponies shot forwards, encircling Tirek and lashing out in a dizzying array of blurry bucks and slashes. Tirek roared and stomped the ground, sending shockwaves through the earth. However, Applejack and Pinkie Pie had already bounded away, avoiding the miniature earthquake, leaving Tirek in the center of a cracked wasteland.

“Chance!” Trixie said. On cue, she used the last of her magical boost and telekinetically grabbed hold of Zecora and flung her high into the air above Tirek. The zebra unleashed her crystal sword, twirling it in a complex series of motions. The air surrounding her ignited, a shock of crackling red energy blasting down on Tirek. Zecora landed with grace behind the centaur, poised to strike again.

Tirek howled as his senses were assaulted by blinding light and a deafening ring. He willed himself to press on, forcing magic through his body to clear himself of the distractions. “A worthless effort. You are only making me mad!”

“If you’re mad, then we’re livid,” a voice below him said.

Tirek looked down, spotting Sunset and his prize, Twilight, standing only a few hooves in front of him. Both of their horns glowed, their magic pooling together. Not taking chances, Tirek shot a beam point blank at the pair, hoping to take out Sunset before whatever magic they were casting was finished.

He was a hair too late.

“Flare!” the mares cried out, unleashing their pent-up magic. Super condensed and hot motes of energy flew out of their horns, tearing apart Tirek’s beam. The magical spheres continued on, dozens impacting against Tirek’s hide, burying themselves deep. The centaur had only a second of excruciating pain before the second explosion welling within his body detonated.

The resulting shockwave blew his form apart down to the cellular level.

.o.O.o.

Twilight shielded her eyes as magic came pouring out of the space Tirek once occupied. Strands of multicolored energy flew towards all the monsters and chocobos nearby while others shot off into the sky, arcing in different directions. Within seconds, the once unresponsive chocobos and buffalax began to stir and move. Stardust wasted no time checking on the chocobos while Applejack and Pinkie Pie herded the buffalax away.

Ignoring all of that, Twilight stared at the spot Tirek used to be, now nothing more than a blackened hole in the ground. She blinked a few times, but no tears fell. Either her ducts were dried out due to the immense heat from the attack or she had no more to shed. One or the other, Twilight did not take her sight off of the darkened earth.

“Twilight?” Sunset’s hoof settled on her back. “He’s gone. We did it.”

“I know,” Twilight softly replied. She opened her mouth to speak further but no words would come. Sunset stayed by her side, her hoof staying in contact.

After a time, Zecora came up to Twilight’s unoccupied side, also taking in the sight of Tirek’s last stand. “He is gone and yet our pain still clings. The hurt is like a thousand tiny bee stings. I hope with time it will all wash away and we can better appreciate our victory this day.”

“I hope so, too.” Twilight closed her eyes, finally breaking contact with the black spot. She sniffed, her body shuddering as her ducts began to open and the tears spilled down. Sunset and Zecora remained by her side, their own eyes welling up.

Trotting by, Trixie gave a wide berth to the three, heading towards Stardust. He was busy fussing over the dazed and confused chocobos, giving them a round of potions. Trixie sped the process up with a healing spell, the soothing magic getting the last of the chocobos on their talons. One black chocobo came up to her and offered a talon to shake.

“Thanks for the help. I have no idea what that was all about but I’m glad you guys were around to take care of it.”

Trixie shook the offered talon with a neutral expression. “We had some scores to settle with him, that’s all.”

“Pretty gutsy of you. I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve traveled all over the world.” He bowed, fluffing up his feathers. “The name’s Moonlight, by the way, head of the Silverlight Clan.”

“Charmed.” Her work complete, she turned and collided with a ramrod Stardust. “Watch it!” The chocobo didn’t even register the impact or Trixie’s indignant cry, his gaze fixed on the black chocobo.

“Moonlight?” Stardust didn’t blink, as though doing so would make the chocobo before him disappear.

Moonlight gave an affirmative nod. “That’s me.”

Stardust worked his beak, words spilling out of them without him even realizing it. “It’s me, Stardust.”

Chuckling, Moonlight smiled as much as he could. “So it is. How long has it been?”

“Since the Empire took us in Albuck nearly two years ago.”

Moonlight let out a high kweh. “Has it been that long? My, how you’ve—”

He let out a whoosh of air as Stardust lunged forward and wrapped his wings around the startled chocobo.

“—grown…”

“I’ve finally found you!” Stardust babbled on, his beak working for him. “I searched everywhere! I thought you were dead! Where’ve you been?! I’m so haaaaapyyyyyyy!” Speech failing him, Stardust settled for sobbing uncontrollably into Moonlight’s neck.

Moonlight blinked, his wings hesitantly coming over the hysterical chocobo clinging to him. “There, there, now. I’m all right. See? Not a feather out of place.”

Stardust only cried and clung harder.

“Okay, now you’re making a scene.” Moonlight waved awkwardly at all the eyes now staring at the pair. “Sorry, he gets a little emotional.” He looked to Trixie who only shrugged.

“Don’t look at me, Trixie has no idea what’s wrong with him.” Her mouth formed a crooked smile. “But she’ll definitely remember this and never let him live it down.”

Seeing how he wasn’t going to get any help from her, Moonlight wiggled his wings under Stardust’s and pried the clingy chocobo off of him. He shook Stardust a little, making eye contact. “Listen, this is all very touching but you’re making a scene. Pull yourself together!”

Stardust sniffed and wiped at his damp eyes. “Sorry… it’s just… I can’t…”

“Hey pard, mind introducin’ us?” Applejack said, diverting Stardust’s attention much to Moonlight’s relief.

“Oh, sure, right.” Gulping down an oncoming hiccup, Stardust held out a wing. “This is Moonlight, the head of my flock. I think I remember telling you about him at some point.”

“Ah, shucks, you probably did, but a lot’s happened and I plum forgot.” Applejack held up a hoof, which Moonlight took in a talon and shook. “I’m Applejack.”

“A pleasure.”

Applejack turned and pointed out the rest of the Returners. “You already met Trixie, but over there’s Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, and Zecora. There’s more of us back at the village—”

“The village!” Twilight exclaimed, suddenly trotting in place. “We should head back there and see if everypony’s okay!”

Zecora nodded. “I too would like to head back and see what can be done to clean up the attack.”

“Well, looks like introductions will have to wait,” Applejack said. She turned to the rest of the chocobos. “How about the rest of y’all? Comin’ with us?”

None of them voiced a disagreement. With that, ponies, chocobos, and one zebra headed back south. The run did nothing to stop Stardust from asking question after question at Moonlight, who persistently told Stardust to wait until they were back in civilization. Once the group rode into the village, they were quickly set upon by Derpy and Big Macintosh, whose coats looked much brighter than when they left.

“My magic’s back!” Derpy cried out, her wings buzzing with pent up static.

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh pointed at his rump where his cutie mark was now plain to see. “Musta busted up Tirek, right?”

Applejack tapped him good naturedly on the shoulder. “Eeyup! Took him out like a dead tree. Met some new friends, too!”

Before introductions could be started, Zecora broke away, pulling Stardust with her. “Alas, we must be quick. The supersoft we made should do the trick.”

“Moonlight, you gotta check this out!” Stardust called back even as Zecora insistently dragged him away.

Moonlight waved after him. “Be right there!” Lower, he said to the gathered crowd, “Persistent, isn’t he?” This earned him a few chuckles.

The others hurried to catch up, meeting Lyra, Bon Bon, and the zebra children on the way. Ponies and chocobos alike then began the task of finding as many intact zebra statues as they could and gathered them next to the cauldron Zecora and Stardust brewed. The fillies and colts bounced and chatted with abandon, giving Twilight and Sunset the full time job of keeping them from interfering. An hour later, Zecora declared the potion complete and administered the first dose.

The moment the supersoft touched the statue, the liquid vaporized into the air. The statue remained unchanged.

Zecora and Stardust looked to each other, then back to the cauldron. Before their widening eyes, the supersoft potion began to violently bubble and churn, spilling over the side. The Returners began backing away moments before a form burst out of the cauldron, spraying supersoft all over them.

“Ah, that was a refreshing dip!” Planting his hands on either side of the cauldron, Discord heaved himself out and hopped onto the ground. With a casual kick of his goat hoof, he knocked the cauldron over, spilling the rest of its contents onto the earth. He summoned a grungy brown towel and began drying himself off. “Definitely worth the wait. Nine out of ten stars.”

The crowd of creatures could only stare at the spot the supersoft had dissolved into the ground. Discord finished his drying and tossed away his towel. “There, now that bath time’s over, who’s ready for a game of buckball?”

“How…?” Twilight Sparkle tore her gaze away from the ground and up at Discord. “How could you?”

“Oh, Twilight, glad to see you’re back up and running! The horn’s looking particularly pointy.” He reached behind him and pulled out a wide wooden basket. “That means you get to play as goalkeeper.”

Twilight screamed and burst into flames, transforming into her esper form and blasting Discord with the hottest fire she could summon. The power of her magic completely obscured his body. Twilight didn’t let up her attack until every drop of her power was consumed. Steam rising and her body heaving, Twilight reverted back, her horn red hot.

Discord remained standing where he was, his upper body blackened and scorched, the basket he once held in his hands completely disintegrated. He puckered his mouth and let out a puff of smoke. “Well, if you’re going to be a bad sport about it then I don’t want you on my team.”

“How could you?!” she cried, her tears evaporating before they could fall. “You… you…”

Ignoring her and patting himself down until all the soot was gone from his coat, Discord gave a toothy grin. “Now, now, I put a lot of work into my statue garden. I can’t be having you ruin that now, can I? In fact…”

Cracking his fingers together to limber them up, Discord rose into the sky and spread his arms wide. All around them, the Returners saw each and every broken piece of all the zebra statues destroyed during Tirek’s rampage lifting from the wreckage and reforming into solid constructs. Next, the broken huts and deep gouges were restored and filled in. The sparse greenery dotting the village spread to form vibrant fields of thick grass and colorful flowers. Finally, Discord levitated the zebra statues back into their original positions, completing the pristine picture. “There, all better now. Be sure to tour around, you might see a few familiar faces! So long!” With a flash and a parting laugh, he was gone.

No words passed between the collection of creatures now standing in a beautiful settlement and its inanimate citizens. The minutes stretched on with no one willing to break the silence. A few birds flew overhead, their cheerful tweeting in sharp contrast to the quiet pall.

“Well,” Trixie said, startling those next to her. “Trixie is heading back to the airship. Anypony that wants to come, be there before we take off tomorrow morning.” With that, she turned and began trotting away, the soft grass making a soothing patter with each step.

The group fidgeted where they stood, shifting their gaze between Trixie’s retreating form and each other. A low growl began to build somewhere within their midsts, growing in intensity. Ponies and chocobos backed away once they realized it was coming from Twilight, who gritted her teeth so hard some feared she’d shatter them. With a roar and a burst of speed, Twilight raced after Trixie, quickly catching up with her and matching her trot. “I’m done being my little nice pony. I’m going to kill him if it’s the last thing I do.”

Trixie gave Twilight a sidelong look, her lips quirking into a smirk. “My, Trixie hasn’t seen you like this since you roasted all those soldiers.”

“Shut up, Trixie.”

A dark laugh escaped from Trixie’s mouth as she witnessed the literal fire within Twilight’s pupil flicker.

Wherein There's a Little Soul Searching

The skies around the Paradise were clear, not a bird or scary dark alicorn in sight. The airship resumed its course towards Neighshe, coasting by on the agreeable winds. Minutes turned to hours and the land below sped past. At her station, Marble Pie busied herself with scanning the ground, looking for anything notable. A dark shape stood out as the airship passed by and she motioned for Pinkie to come over, pointing at the landscape below.

“What's up?” Pinkie asked, looking at where Marble was pointing. She cocked her head at the medieval style castle that sat all alone with no signs of life surrounding it. “Huh, don't remember that place.”

“It's Domare.”

Both Pinkie and Marble yelped, swinging around to see Shining Armor standing next to them. He looked down on the abandoned castle, his gaze forlorn.

“That's your home, right?” Pinkie said.

Shining nodded. “It was.”

Pinkie fell silent, puffing out her cheeks. She looked back and forth between Shining and the castle, her head becoming a blur until Marble reached over and held it place. “Um, do you wanna visit it?”

Sighing, Shining wrenched his gaze away. “I probably shouldn't. It's all bad memories anyway.”

A cry of delight drew their attention. Autumn Blaze was leaning over the railing a short way down, Spotter laying on her back. The colt pointed down at the castle, a joyful smile on his muzzle. “That's where I grew up! See that tower? My room’s at the top!”

“Amazing!” Autumn’s long tail swished in delight. “The only thing in the esper world to top that is the Crystal Palace.”

“Hey, let's go down and see it!” Spotter twisted his head until he found his dad. He waved at him. “Hey! Land so I can show Autumn around.”

Shining Armor walked over, an apologetic smile already forming. “Sorry, Spot, we don't have the time.”

“Ah, but I'm bored! I wanna do something than lay down all the time.”

Autumn gave him a shrewd look. “Oh? I recall you trying to sneak out so you could pester the chocobos for candy.”

“You promised not to tell!”

“I promised nothing. You just asked me not to tell.” She stuck her tongue out playfully.

Pouting, Spotter readied himself to argue further but Shining beat him to it. “Spotter, we really shouldn't. There might still be poison in the water. I wish things were different, but we gotta focus on Discord.” Shining patted his sullen son on the head and turned to leave.

Zecora stood in his way, evoking a high pitched whinny of surprise from the stallion. Spotter and Autumn snickered behind him. Zecora bowed her head. “Actually, I would like to visit your home as well. It would allow me check the water and get off this airship for a spell.”

Shining Armor blinked. “What?”

“She said she's getting air sick and wants an excuse to get off,” Autumn said, smiling slyly.

“Oh.”

Pinkie Pie grinned and hopped over to the wheel. “That settles it. Let's check it out!” She began the landing cycle, picking out a suitable spot and descended. The change in altitude did not go unnoticed.

“Why are we landing?” came Trixie’s voice as she trotted up on deck. “Is there something wrong?”

“Nope! Just making a pit stop.”

“We’re going to see my room!” Spotter helpfully supplied.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Trixie thinks there are a few steps missing here.”

A few minutes later, Trixie was filled in on the plan. She huffed just as the Paradise made landfall. “Well, seems you timed this just right so that Trixie couldn't put the kibosh on this. Fine, you can go, but as soon as you're off, we're continuing on to Neighshe. We'll pick you up on the way back.”

“Deal,” Shining said.

“I'll go with ‘em.”

Everypony turned to see Applejack trotting up to them. “It'll be better with some more numbers. Ya never know if Discord’s left a nasty surprise behind. Besides, last time I was at Domare I was a prisoner, so this gives me the chance to see it all proper like.”

Shining Armor grimaced and looked away.

“Whatever, fine,” Trixie said, shooing them away towards the gangplank.

Minutes later, the small troupe of Returners disembarked and watched as the Paradise lifted off and sped away. Once the airship was a dot in the sky, they headed towards the castle. It only took a few minutes for them to reach their first hurdle.

“Dad, are those…” Spotter swallowed. “Headstones?”

Shining didn’t answer. He walked up to the nearest stone, noticing that the ground near it was raised a bit. Stubs of grass grew irregularly over the raised part, indicating that it was more recent than the ground around it. Lifting his head, he gazed over the landscape, counting over a hundred tombstones. None had names etched into them.

“This was a mistake,” Shining said, his voice hitching. “W-we shouldn’t have come h-here.” He turned and looked to his companions, keeping his back to the mass graveyard. “We need to leave.”

“But to where?” Autumn asked, pointing a hoof over her shoulder. “Our ride just left.”

“We’ll make camp in the woods over—”

The ground next to Shining Armor erupted, a decayed hoof bursting out and reaching for him. With a strangled cry, Shining unsheathed his sword and lopped the hoof off, the limb sailing through the air and landing several hooves away. It began to twitch, wiggling its way back towards him. That quickly became the least of their concerns as all around them, dead bodies began to pull themselves out of the earth and shamble towards them. A collection of ponies, chocobos, and griffons wearing Domare uniforms and Imperial armor filled their ranks.

Zecora followed after Shining and twirled her own blade, creating a column of heat that incinerated anything not living. “Such horrors of neither flight or fancy; to use the dark magic of necromancy!”

“This way!” Applejack cried out. She shot an aurabolt through a group of undead, completely obliterating them and creating an opening for her to run through. “Keep close! Get to the castle!”

The others followed her lead, Shining and Zecora cutting down anything that got close while Autumn carried Spotter. A running battle commenced, even after they cleared the graveyard. Uncountable undead rose out of every dead bush and grimy hole. Applejack lost count of how many she kicked or blasted, her sights locked on the looming form of Domare.

Just as they reached the iron gates, her senses screamed at her to move. Applejack dove out of the way in time for a metal colossus to crash down from the castle ramparts. She twisted and cursed to see a magitek suit adjust its position, its iron maw opening to expel heated death. Applejack tensed and jumped up, a powerful fire beam singeing her tail hairs. Coming down from her leap, she aimed herself for the cockpit, touching down and ready to clobber the pilot.

To her dismay and confusion, it was empty.

The magitek thrashed and bucked in an attempt to throw off the pony mounting it. Applejack held on to what she could while the undead below were crushed and trampled by the machine’s wild lashing. So focused on keeping her hold, she missed Shining Armor rushing in below. Moments later came the sounds of metal being ripped to shreds, parts and plating flying off the magitek in huge chunks. A rush of wind blew her mane back, followed by the magitek giving a mighty shudder before collapsing into a heap. The giant mecha gave one last twitch and then lay still.

Applejack waited a few more seconds before hopping down. Her reprieve didn’t last as more undead came barreling towards them, unfazed by the loss of their magitek. Shining and Zecora did their best to fight them off but the sheer number of foes pushed them back. Soon, they would be completely overwhelmed. Letting out a fierce cry, Applejack bucked, her powerful legs striking the gates of the castle.

The heavy double iron doors swung open as though they didn’t weigh anything at all.

“Inside!” Applejack hollered. Autumn Blaze and Spotter ran in first. Moments later, the magic sustaining Autumn faded out, causing Spotter to flop down onto the ground. Applejack couldn’t spare the time to help him up, too busy kicking away any undead that got close to the entrance. “Hurry, ya idgits!”

Out on the battlefield, Shining scooped up Zecora in his levitation and dashed for the castle. His magic flared again, creating a protective cone over the path to the entrance. Undead beat against the shield on all sides, creating a cacophony that rang Shining’s ears. The moment he passed through the gates he shut off his magic, allowing the undead freedom to attack.

That is until Applejack kicked the doors back into place, then pressed her back hooves against them. The entire horde of undead pushed back, the force growing by the second. Applejack gritted her teeth, her front hooves slowly sliding against the ground. “I could use some help here!”

Zecora answered the call. She twirled her crystal sword, creating a zone of intense heat around the blade until it glowed red hot. Running forward, she leapt up into the air, bringing her sword down between the doors of the gates. The sword partially melted through the metal, cooling down rapidly as the sword passed. Once Zecora reached the bottom the doors were already melding together. With one final push from Applejack, the doors slammed completely shut. Seconds later, the gates no longer needed her as the two iron doors were now sealed together.

Applejack stepped away. The gates held even as the monsters outside rammed against it, the metal clanging but not yielding. Heaving a sigh, Applejack turned to her friends. “Everypony all right?” She received a few nods, though their eyelids were heavy and ears pinned back. “Guess we’ll need to wait it out until the others get back. We should check around to make sure nothing else is hidin’ here.”

No sooner had she said that when Shining Armor let out a pained moan and fell to his knees. His sword clattered to the ground as his magic sputtered out.

“Dad!” Spotter got up despite the protests to his back and ran up to Shining. “What’s wrong?”

Before Spotter’s eyes, Shining Armor’s coat began to take on a green tint. Applejack and Zecora rushed up to him, checking him over with potions at the ready. It wasn’t long until they found a bite wound on his back leg oozing sickly green liquid. Applejack reached to pour a potion over it but Zecora held her back. “This is more than a potion can cure. It will need a special brew, this I am sure.”

“What’s happening to him?” Spotter asked as he held his gasping father’s head in his hooves.

“He’s becoming one of them, isn’t he?” Applejack said. Zecora confirmed with a nod. “What do you need?”

Zecora made to speak but a hacking cough from Shining interrupted her.

“He’s not going to make it!” Spotter wailed.

Applejack took hold of Spotter, making the colt look her in the eyes. “Do you know where the infirmary is? We’ll check there for anything that can help.”

“I told you he won’t make it!” Spotter slipped from Applejack’s grasp and stood over his panting father. “I gotta save him now! Autumn, please help!”

“Wait, you gotta rest before—!”

Too late, as Spotter’s cutie mark and horn began to shimmer and magic sprang forth from his body. Applejack and Zecora recoiled from the sudden light. Through squinted eyes, they saw Autumn Blaze’s form appear over Shining Armor’s body. The kirin closed her eyes and a wave of green magic washed over the stallion. The next instant she faded away.

Spotter let out a shuddering breath, then fell over.

.o.O.o.

“I’m never going to get over this magic stuff.”

Applejack finished tucking in Spotter in an empty bed they had found in what she presumed was the infirmary, given the abundance of beds and cabinets with rags and gauze. Shining Armor lay in a bed next to him, his complexion improved. Whatever Autumn was able to do, it had stabilized his condition. Zecora confirmed that he wasn’t completely healed, though, and was now rummaging around to find anything she could use to complete the job.

As far as either could tell, the castle was abandoned. No monsters harassed them as they searched the castle and none had made it through the sealed gates. The Empire had done what it had promised to do and cleaned up all the poison before pulling out. Now the castle was completely empty, save for the three ponies and zebra resting within its walls.

“So what now?” Applejack asked to her only remaining conscious companion.

Zecora paused in her search for ingredients, a small pile of potential items stacked on a counter nearby. “I suggest we rest while there’s still time. There may be more battles to come and we’ll need to be in our prime.”

“Great…” Yawning, Applejack walked over to the door and checked to make sure it was locked. “Well, since you’re still looking for stuff, mind if I snooze for a while?”

“That would be wise. I will stay awake and look for supplies.”

“Thanks.” With no further preamble, Applejack climbed into an empty bed. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

.o.O.o.

“Oooohhhh, they all look so delicious. I don’t know where to start!”

“Idiot. The choice is obvious. We go for the male.”

“Umm, not that I’m picky, but he’s kinda tiny, isn’t he?”

“Not that one, doofus! The big one!”

“Both of you, shut up! You’re going to wake them up.”

Applejack mumbled and stirred in bed, blearily blinking her eyes open. “Zecora, izzat you?”

“Shoot, I told you! Hurry and dive!”

In an instant, Applejack fully woke up and sprung out of her bed. Her head whipped around but she didn’t have to search long to find the strange voices. Three creatures hovered over the beds, their appearance a combination of dragon and fish. Hard scales covered their bodies while long tails ending in fins lashed about in the air. A larger transparent fin sprouted from their backs. Their dragon like snouts also had smaller fins where their ears were located, but the rows of sharp teeth within their clenched mouths where far from fish like. A pair of legs ending in cloven hooves dangled from their torsos. Each was colored differently: one blue, one purple, and one yellow.

The yellow one reared back and dove for Shining Armor. “This stallion’s soul is ours!” Before Applejack’s shocked eyes, the creature flashed and disappeared within Shining’s body.

“This stallion’s soul is ours!” the red one proclaimed next, diving into Shining like the one before it.

“This stallion’s soul is—ouch!” The blue one flinched back from Applejack’s flying kick, shrinking back from the pony. “Hey, you broke the trend!”

“The hay are you?!” Applejack roared. From the corner of her eye, she could see Spotter and Zecora rousing from their slumber, but she kept her glare on the blue creature. “What are you doing to him?!”

The creature waved one of her cloven hooves at her. “Oh, chill out, would you? We’re just going to feast on his soul. It’s what we sirens do.”

“What?!” Spotter lit up his horn, the beginnings of a spell forming.

“Sorry, can’t stay and chat!” With that, the siren rose up and zipped around the room faster than anypony could track. However, everypony knew where she would end up.

As one, Applejack, Spotter, and Zecora launched themselves at Shining Armor, each latching onto the siren as she dove for the stallion. Unfortunately, her momentum was so great that the ponies and zebra were pulled in along with her, disappearing from the room in a flash of light.

.o.O.o.

“Spot…”

Spotter squeezed his shut eyes tighter, shaking his head to and fro.

“Spot.”

“Go away…” Spot mumbled. “Sleeping.”

“Spot! Wake up!”

“What?” Spotter yawned and opened his eyes, blinking the weariness from them. Autumn Blaze stared down at him, her muzzle etched with worry. He felt her hoof on his side, followed by his body shaken by that hoof. “Leave me alone.”

Autumn narrowed her eyes and shook him harder. “No, you have to get up. Now!”

“Okay, okay.” Groggily, Spotter pushed himself up, giving a mighty yawn. “I’m up. Happy?”

“No.” Autumn grabbed his cheeks and twisted his head to the side. “Look around you.”

Spotter’s sleepiness rapidly faded away as he took in his surroundings. The sky was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. Instead of the gentle blue of a sunny day, all around a kaleidoscope of colors twisted, undulated, and swelled. It was hard to stare at any one spot as nothing remained still. The sight made him dizzy so he wrenched his gaze away to stare below himself. He blinked, seeing himself standing on white tiled flooring, its sturdiness and unchanging stature completely at odds with the chaos everywhere else. Looking back up, he searched Autumn’s face. “Where are we?”

“Not a clue. Last thing I remember was casting regenerate on your dad. Next thing I’m here with you next to me.”

Spotter shook his head. “Wait, how are you here? I shouldn’t have enough magic yet to summon you.”

Shrugging, Autumn said, “Sorry, Spot. I don’t have any answers for ya. What’s the last thing you remember?”

Spotter cocked his head, his brow furrowing. He suddenly jerked, his eyes wild. “Dad! Something was after my dad! I tried to stop it but then everything went weird and now I’m here.” He twirled in place, his head darting around. The tile flooring extended several hooves all around him, ending in a drop off into the swirling chaos. One feature stood out, though. A white door sat at the end of the platform, a handle sticking out of it. Spotter started heading for it.

“Hold up.” Autumn stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “You can’t just wander off. Besides, aren’t you still hurt?”

“C’mon, we can’t just stay here. And my back’s fine.” Before Autumn’s shocked eyes, Spotter rolled over, wiggled on his back, then rolled over onto his hooves. He lifted his chin in defiance. “See?”

Autumn facehoofed. “You’re going to be a pain about this, aren’t you?”

“Yup! Whatcha going to do about it?”

“This!” Autumn snatched up Spotter and rubbed him to her cheek. “I haven’t done this in so long!”

Spotter reacted like any young colt would.

“Ack! Stop! Lemme go! This is embarrassing!”

“Not an excuse! Nopony’s around to see!” Autumn kept up her nuzzling for another minute before relenting and setting Spotter down. “There, that’s out of my system. All set to go!”

“Hurray for you…” Spotter grumbled, stomping towards the door. Autumn trotted along side him, a happy grin on her muzzle. Reaching out with his magic, he tugged down on the handle and pushed the door open. A dark void lay on the other side, completely at odds with the tempest of colors churning around it. Spotter and Autumn looked to each other, their ears pinned back.

Autumn held out a hoof towards the door. “Well, you’re the one that didn’t want to stay.”

Turning back to the door, Spotter gulped. “Yeah…” Taking a deep breath, he stepped through.

.o.O.o.

A door that exactly matched the one Spotter entered opened. Seconds later, it spit out a colt and kirin, depositing them unceremoniously on the floor. It slammed shut behind them.

“Owie…” Spotter picked himself up, shaking the stars from his eyes.

“What?! What are you doing here?”

Spotter’s senses returned and he looked up. A siren like the one he saw attacking his dad hovered above him, except this one was red. She bared her teeth and lashed her tail.

“That doofus Sonata screwed up again. I gotta tell Adagio.” The siren twirled and disappeared in a swirl of air and water.

Spotter turned to Autumn, the kirin having recovered now. “Do you know what those things are?”

“Not a clue,” Autumn said with a shrug.

A figure dropped down from above, startling them both. Spotter prepared to run but the figure’s voice stopped him. “Do not fear, little colt! I do not wish for you to bolt.”

“Zecora!” He ran up to her, hopping happily. “Did you see that big monster? Where are we? Look! My back’s okay!”

Zecora waited for Spotter to finish his rapid-fire barrage of questions. “I don’t know where we are or what that was. This whole place gives me pause.”

“No kidding,” Autumn said, trotting up to them. “It’s like we’re in a dream or something.”

Furrowing her brow, Zecora looked around their current whereabouts. The constant undulations of the environment made it difficult to focus on anything. However, the platform they were on did have something that stood out. “There, a door against the flow, but where it leads, I do not know.”

Spotter followed her gaze and saw another door, this one colored blue. “Me and Autumn went through one like that and it kicked us out here. Wanna try it?”

“Let’s go and see what wonders will be.”

Both Spotter and Zecora stared at Autumn, who grinned wide, flashing her teeth. “Hey, who says I can’t rhyme too? It’s fun!” She trotted for the door and pushed it open. Another pitch black expanse lay behind it. Autumn extended a hoof, inviting them in. “Shall we?”

Spotter and Zecora looked to each other, shrugged, and took the plunge.

.o.O.o.

Elsewhere, a blue door swung open. Out came a zebra who cantered with delicate ease. Next came a kirin who hopped out and landed sure of hoof. Lastly, a young colt came flying out, landing on his back and rolling several hooves before coming to a stop.

“Ugh… why?” With help from Autumn, Spotter got back to his hooves.

“Guess this place doesn’t like ya,” Autumn said with a pat to his head.

Suddenly, Zecora was next to them, her sword unsheathed and levied upwards. She swung, batting aside a blast from above that sounded like a gong when struck.

“Curses!”

That was their only warning as another siren, this one yellow, came hurtling towards them. It opened its mouth for another attack but a kick to the snout from an orange hoof sent it flying away. Applejack touched down next to Zecora, the two equines ready for mayhem. “Scram, ya varmint!”

The yellow siren sneered. “Just wait until my sisters are with me.” With that, she vanished in a tornado of sparkling musical notes.

With the threat gone, everypony turned to the new arrival. Applejack smiled and tipped her helmet. “Nothing like a good scrape to bring us all together again, eh?” She let out a whoosh of air as Spotter nearly tackled her with a hug. Applejack returned the embrace, though with much less force than the colt’s. She lost her smile as she took in her surroundings. “Wherever this place is, anyhoo.”

“Have either of you seen Shining?” Autumn asked, looking between Zecora and Applejack. Both mares shook their heads. “Then I guess that’s what we need to do next.”

The four didn’t have to search long to find another door set into the floating platform. Black in color, the group gathered before it, letting Spotter do the honors of opening it up. As with the others, a void greeted them. Taking a breath, Spotter hopped in, followed closely by his comrades.

.o.O.o.

Atop a white tiled platform floating in nothingness, a black door opened on its own. Spotter came barreling out, but a quick roll along the floor followed by a hop landed him on his hooves. “Made it that time!”

Behind him, the others exited, each coming to a smooth landing. Autumn grinned and nudged Spotter. “Daddy would be proud.”

“Look there,” Applejack said, pointing at a door shimmering with a wide assortment of colors at the far end of the platform. “This is just a guess but I think that might be our ticket out of here.”

With no other options presenting itself, the four Returners marched forwards. Halfway there, a screech shook the air, forcing them to pin their ears down. Three forms flew up from under the platform and hovered in front of them. The yellow siren sneered down at them, her sharp teeth gnashing. “That’s as far as you’ll get!”

“We are the three Dream Sirens!” the red one spoke next.

“And this stallion’s soul is mine!” the blue one finished. She cringed back from the twin glares of the other two. “I mean ours. Ours!”

“This wouldn’t be happening if you hadn’t screwed up, Sonata!” the red one snapped.

“How was I supposed to know that they could follow us, Aria?”

The yellow one whipped her tail, slapping the bickering pair across the snouts. “Both of you, shut up! Let’s deal with these ones first, then we’ll divvy up the stallion.”

“Hey!”

The sirens looked down at the little white colt that had shouted at them.

“What did you do to my daddy?! You better leave or you’ll be sorry!”

Aria snorted. “Let me eat this one, Adagio. He’s starting to annoy me.”

“What doesn’t annoy you?” Adagio, the yellow siren, said. She lazily waved a cloven hoof. “Fine, he’s all yours.”

Licking her scaled lips, Aria lunged forward, her jaws opened wide to snap Spotter up in one gulp. Her target stood stock still, his eyes wide with terror. Aria gasped as the vision of Spotter was replaced by a pony and zebra launching themselves at her. The combined impact drove her back, her chest now sporting a noticeable dent. She doubled over, hissing in pain.

“Y'all better do what he said or y’all’re fish bait!” Applejack yelled up at them.

Spotter blinked, coming out of his fear-induced stupor and pointed up at the sirens. “Hey, I can see their weaknesses!” He pointed at each one in turn. “The blue one hates fire, the purple one is weak to ice, and the yellow one doesn’t like lightning!” He beamed up Applejack with a smug smile.

Giving a half-lidded stare back, Applejack said, “Do we look like Twilight and Trixie to you?”

Spotter’s face fell. “Oh.”

Autumn patted him on the back. “Don’t worry, kiddo. Happens to the best of us.”

“Eeyup,” Applejack said, smacking her greaved hooves together. A resounding clang resulted. “Looks like we get to do this the old fashioned way.”

Above, the sirens reassessed their situation. “Great, just our luck we get stuck with a bunch of heroes,” Adagio grumbled. “We’re not taking chances. Hit them with everything!” She and the two other sirens opened their mouths and let out a shrill screech that rocked the very environment around them.

The Returners covered their ears tightly with their hooves but that did nothing to reduce the assault. Ears began to bleed as the sensory attack continued, the pain so intense that they fell to their sides and curled up in tight balls of agony. Action and thought were impossible due to their brains slowly being turned to mush.

Then, just as their minds were on the brink of no return, a new sensation washed over them. Somehow, a soft melody with a gentle voice pushed back against the onslaught of noise. How it was able to be heard above the ear shattering din of the sirens, nopony knew. They were grateful, regardless.

Letting out twin moans of pain, Zecora and Applejack struggled to get their hooves under them and pushed. Though the misery had lessened, the sheer pressure of the sirens sound attack pressed down on them with unrelenting force. Applejack cracked an eye open, seeing Zecora close by. Putting one hoof in front of the other as the musical clash raged around her, she managed to stomp her way next to the zebra. Bracing her front hooves, she let out a mighty yell and bucked with all her might. Her hind legs lashed out and found her target.

One moment Zecora was struggling to keep upright, the next she found herself propelled skyward at an alarming rate. The pressure and assault on her ears suddenly vanished, allowing her to finally process the world around her. She immediately spotted the sirens below her and it looked as though they weren’t aware of her new height advantage. Firming her features, Zecora drew her crystal sword and began to twirl it. As her upward momentum faded and she began to fall, she cried out, “Shock!”

The sirens were completely taken off guard. So focused on their attack that the wall of supercharged energy that crashed down on them blasted them from the sky. As one, they slammed into the platform, the tiled surface cracking from the impact but remaining intact. The deafening voice attack immediately ceased, creating an eerie silence.

Adagio hissed, her body screaming at her that everything hurt. Wearily, she blinked open her eyes. Those eyes widened as a beam of white energy headed straight for her. One final thought went through her head before impact.

Sonata, you idiot.

.o.O.o.

Applejack’s aurabolt blasted through the helpless sirens, obliterating them to ashes. “Dang varmints.” She winced, her head splitting as though a thousand tiny bells were ringing constantly. Through the misery, she saw Zecora heading for her. The zebra’s mouth moved but no sound came from her. “What?”

Zecora grimaced, feeling her head swim. “I said your aim was true but my booty is now sore so shame on you.”

Applejack leaned forward, swiveling her hears outward. “What?! Speak up!”

Autumn trotted between them, smirking at the pair. “I’m going to stop this tired bit right here.” Her horn lit up and a green wave of magic passed over them. The trails of blood leaking from their ears dried and faded away. “There, now give it a try.”

“Try what?” Applejack said, then drew back. “Whoa, I heard that.”

Zecora nodded, rubbing her ears with a hoof. “My hearing has returned and with it a victory well earned.” She looked to Autumn. “Was it your voice that repelled that wretched noise? I can not imagine how you were able to keep your poise.”

Autumn smiled and shrugged. “Believe me, it wasn’t easy. Whatever crazy stuff is happening to keep me around longer that I should be also let me use more magic than normal.”

“What?!”

The trio turned to see Spotter walking up to them, his muzzle scrunched up in anguish. Autumn rushed over to him, her magic quickly repairing his hearing. The colt sighed in relief. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Autumn said and patted him on the head. “Remind me later to work on your healing spells and then you can do that yourself.”

“Well, now that that’s sorted out, any idea where to next?” Applejack felt a hoof poke her side. Swiveling her head, she saw Zecora pointing at the end of the platform past where the sirens once lay. A door that shimmered in a rainbow of light now stood there. “Boy howdy, this place is weird.”

Spotter was already running towards it. “C’mon! Dad’s probably waiting behind it!”

The others ran to catch up, watching as Spotter pulled the door open and revealing a white void beyond. With no hesitation, the colt jumped through the door and whatever lay beyond it.

.o.O.o.

The moment Spotter exited the door, he felt nothing but air. The next moment, he fell. He didn’t even have time to yell as he plummeted towards the ground below.

“Gotcha!”

Spotter’s downward plunge stopped as something yanked on his tail. His nose nearly kissed the speeding tracks that sped by below him.

Wait, tracks?

His ponderings were put on hold as he was hauled back, flopping down on a hard metal surface. “Ow,” he wined in protest.

“Dagnabbit Spotter, ya gotta stop taking off like that!” came Applejack’s voice from above. “And now I’m starting to sound like your dad.”

Autumn helped Spotter to his hooves and dusted him off. “He’s a hooffull, isn't he?” She looked around, finding her and the others standing on a platform while trees surrounded by eerie mist sped by. “What the hay?”

Recognition began to enter Spotter’s eyes. “Wait, Applejack, isn’t this the…”

“Phantom Train,” Applejack finished. “Wonderful.”

Autumn snapped her head towards them. “Wait, isn’t that the train that takes the dead to the other side?”

“Eeyup. Nearly got sent there, too.”

“Wow, you ponies live exciting lives.”

“Not the words I’d use to describe it. Anyway, last time we had to get to the engine to get off but looks like we’re at the caboose.” Applejack grunted and turned towards the door that had led them here. It looked nothing like the sparkling door from before, just a standard metal door that fit the aesthetic of the train. Pushing it open revealed a room and not the morphing nightmare they had come from. “Hope y’all are up for a walk.” She stepped through the door and past the room beyond, thankful for the lack of ghosts or creepy conductors. Opening the exit, she was greeted with the sight of Shining Armor scrambling up the ladder to the roof of the next cabin.

“Dad!” Spotter cried.

The stallion didn’t seem to hear. Forgoing caution, Applejack and the others rushed after him, climbing up the ladder and spotting him running full tilt to the end of the car. Despite the speed of the train, there didn’t appear to be any wind rushing past them. So focused on Shining that they didn’t notice and ran after the retreating Returner. Shining reached the end of the cart and looked over his shoulder, a look of terror adorning his face.

“Stop! Dad!” Spotter called again.

Again, Shining Armor didn’t respond, his eyes facing towards them but gazing as though looking through them. The colt yelped as something entered his field of vision as though appearing from thin air. He reared back and saw a tall pony completely draped in white robes stalk towards Shining. The only noticeable characteristic was a long pink horn protruding out from the blackness of the pony’s hood.

This time, Shining Armor did react. He mouthed a few words but no sounds came from him. He backed up as far as he could go on the cabin roof, shouting something that only he could hear. The draped pony trotted closer, unfazed by his silent words. Facing away, Shining Armor hurled himself towards the next car. He missed, falling between the opening and disappearing from sight.

“No!” Spotter ran forward, pouncing on the ghost but falling through it as though it wasn’t even there. The ghost ignored him, dropping down to the level below and continuing its pursuit at a steady trot. It phased through the door of the next car. “After it! It’s going to get Dad!”

“We’re on it,” Applejack said. She hopped down to the walkway connecting the train’s cabins and charged through the door the ghost had walked through. She screeched to a halt as she found herself in a room full of levers and switches. The others piled in after her, wildly looking around but finding no sign of Shining Armor. “It’s the engine room. How the heck did we get here so fast?”

“This world is not what it seems,” Zecora said, inspecting the room. “It’s as though we are trapped in a realm of dreams.”

“Dreams?” Applejack repeated.

“Yes. We are but spectators within Shining Armor’s mind. To everything else including us, he is blind.”

“So what can we do?” Autumn asked.

Zecora didn’t answer, her brow furrowed in thought.

Growing impatient, Spotter swiveled around and opened the door they can come through and blinked. “Guys, look.” Everypony turned, their jaws gaping at seeing the medical room of Domare castle on the other side. Spotter looked up to them. “Think that’s where we need to go?”

Applejack huffed, walking forward. “Doing no good staying here. Don’t want to risk fighting the train again, either.”

“But that was so cool!” Spotter cried, his apprehension fading away to be replaced with a gleeful smile. “Suplex it again! Suplex it again!”

Autumn raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Tell ya later,” Applejack said, pushing a bouncing Spotter through the door. “Let’s find Shining and get out of here.”

.o.O.o.

The medical room was just as they had left it, save for the absence of Shining Armor. The ponies, zebra, and kirin searched around but found no evidence of where he might be. As one, they decided to try the door that brought them here again in hopes of it sending them someplace more useful. Just as Spotter reached for the door to open it, a sound like magic being cast came from above.

“Spotter.”

Everypony looked up at where the voice came from. Jaws dropped as they saw a pink pony with wings and a horn appear in a sparkle of white magic. The pony floated down to the floor next to Spotter, smiling beautifully. “It’s so good to see you again, my son.”

“Mom!”

Like a rocket, Spotter rushed forward and grasped the pony in the biggest hug he could give. Unlike with Shining Armor, this pony was corporeal. She reached down to gather up Spotter and returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. “Oh, I’ve missed you. You’ve gotten so big!”

The pair lapsed into a tearful silence, no words exchanged but none needed. The others watched on, smiling at the sight of mother and child reunited. They stayed back, letting the moment last as long as it needed to.

The moment finally ended as the pink pony rubbed at her eyes with a hoof and nodded her head at the watching Returners. Still holding Spotter tight, she said, “Thank you all for looking after him. I’m Cadence, Shining’s wife.”

Applejack froze. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but only half finished words tumbled out. Swallowing back the questions she desperately wanted to ask, she said, “H-howdy.”

Cadence smiled, a sad smile. “I know what you’re thinking, and no, you’re not dead.” She stroked Spotter’s mane and kissed him on the forehead below his horn. “We’re in his soul. Somehow, we were all brought here. Unfortunately, we don’t have much time. You have to help my husband.”

Sniffling, Spotter looked up at his mother. “What? What’s wrong?”

“A lot of things, dear.” Cadence sighed, turning back to the Returners. “Shining’s hurting. His soul is heavy with regret and bitterness. He couldn’t save the citizens of Domare, the world is teetering on the verge of chaos, and he blames himself for failing me.”

“But I told him not to do that anymore!” Spotter cried. “He promised me he wouldn’t.”

“I know, Spotter, and you being with him has done a lot of good. But he can’t help but feel responsible. You know he puts a lot of worth in his faith to our country and his duty to it. It’s not easy for him to just cast that aside.” She looked away, sadness wearing on her lovely features. “And now our daughter is taking advantage of that.”

A collective blink followed.

“Beg your pardon?” Applejack said.

Cadence heaved a heavy sigh. “I was pregnant when I died. Shining didn’t know. I was going to tell him once the fighting with the Empire was over, but then you all know how that turned out. But my unborn daughter’s spirit managed to cling to this world and is now working to keep Shining all to herself. She used dark magic to animate the dead and created the Dream Sirens to put him in this state so that she could latch onto him. She needs to be stopped and put to rest.”

A tense silence followed, nopony willing to voice their disquiet. Zecora pawed at the floor, putting words to their feelings. “A terrible thing of us you ask. I am not sure we are up to the task.”

“Please,” Cadence whispered. “Neither of us belong here. It’s better this way.”

“What?” Spotter looked to the adults and their long faces. “What?”

Cadence patted Spotter’s back and stepped away. “Head to the throne room.” Her body began to shimmer and fade.

“Wait! Mom!” Spotter lunged forward but he passed through her and landed hard on the floor. In the next instant, she was gone. “Mom!” He got up and whirled around but no sign of his mother remained. “Mommy!” His breathing heavy and erratic, Spotter bolted for the door.

“Wait!” came the frantic cry from the others but Spotter either didn’t hear them or care. The door sprung open with no resistance and he galloped down the hallway. The rest piled out of the room to chase after him.

The pursuit didn’t last long as Spotter came to a stop next to a set of large iron double doors. Using magic, he tugged and strained, cracking one door open enough for him to slip through. A shove from Applejack opened it completely, revealing a large room beyond. A red silk carpet lined the floor, leading to a dais with a single throne. At the base of the throne lay Shining Armor, curled up as though he were sleeping. Above him, sitting on the throne and gazing down at the stallion fondly, sat a small pink filly.

The filly looked up sharply from the sudden entrance of the Returners. “Go away! He’s mine!”

Spotter snarled, sticking out his tongue. “No he’s not! He’s my dad!”

“You,” the filly said with such venom that the very air shook. The filly hopped down from the throne and stood in front of Shining Armor protectively. “He’s mine now!” From her back, two large wings snapped out, making her seem twice her normal size. A horn set in her forehead, surrounded by a swirl of purplish blue hair, glowed a deep yellow. “You’ll never take him from me!”

With a cry of pent up emotion, Spotter reared back and charged.

An armored hoof stomped down on his tail before he could take a single step.

“That’s enough out of you, mister,” Applejack said and pulled Spotter tightly against her. The colt thrashed, bit, and wailed, but Applejack’s armor protected her from his tantrum. With Spotter secure, she looked up at the filly. “As for you, missy, Shining’s in a lot of trouble, and if he’s not healed up then he could die.”

“Fine! Good!” the filly spat back. “He’ll be with me then! Forever!”

Applejack’s features fell. “How can you say that about your own father?”

“Shut up!” A beam of light shot out of the filly’s horn, striking the spot Applejack stood mere seconds before as the mare sidestepped out of the way. “It’s my turn! He can’t have him anymore!”

Zecora and Autumn Blaze came up next to Applejack, flanking her on each side. “It is a shame you never knew your sire,” Zecora said, keeping her voice level. “But for your father to die would lead to paths most dire.”

The filly answered by firing another magic blast, forcing Zecora to deflect it with her sword.

“Enough!” The magic around the filly’s horn grew brighter. “Go away!” She aimed and let loose a huge column of energy. The group scattered, the floor they vacated tearing up like a child scooping out a hoofful of sand on a beach. She pivoted and fired again, aiming for anything equine shaped.

The Returners scrambled out of the way as shot after shot erupted from the filly. Her magic came fast and powerful, forcing them on the defensive or else take a hit that was sure to put them out of the fight. It was as Applejack landed on all fours after back-flipping away from an attack that she noticed that something was missing.

“Oh, horseapples. Spotter!”

The filly continued her ruthless assault, her magic bottomless as blasts one after another tracked the infuriatingly nimble targets. So focused on hitting anything in front of her, she missed the smaller pony hiding along the side of the room. Under the cover of the heavy red drapes hanging from the ceiling, Spotter crept forward, getting as close to the dais as possible. He looked down at where Shining lay, a sliver of energy leaking out of him and into the filly. His sight could tell it wasn’t life energy, but something more ephemeral. Thoughts and feelings, of happy times spent with his son and wife, were seeping out and entering a void within the filly. Spotter peered harder at that empty place, seeing a desperate need to be filled. If he could fill it up, maybe there was a chance to stop her. He waited, looking for the right moment to strike. When the filly’s back was turned to him, his horn lit up and he made his move.

Somehow, above the cacophony of magic blasts and crumbling stone, the filly heard hoofsteps from behind her. She whirled, her horn charged for another strike, and saw red at the sight of Spotter leaping for her. She fired.

Their horns touched the moment the filly let loose her magic. A titanic surge of power exploded from where the two ponies connected, obliterating everything around them and bowling over the Returners. They managed to look up but couldn’t move any closer to the magic that continued to churn. Within the center of the maelstrom, two small silhouettes could be seen. Soon, even they faded away. The magic sphere suddenly collapsed in on itself and the onslaught of energies disappeared. The all encompassing silence that followed felt unnatural after the last few seconds of fury.

“Spotter?” Autumn called out. She raised herself up and cautiously trotted towards the remains of the dais. “Kiddo?” No answer came.

Applejack groaned and hoisted herself up next. She looked around but didn’t see anything that could tell her where Spotter had gone. Just the same boring rock that was now reforming itself from its destroyed state.

Wait, what?

Before their eyes, pulverized stone and fabric restructured to recreate the once grand throne room, as though time itself had reversed on everything except the Returners. Within moments the room was back to its former glory. Before any of them could wonder aloud what was happening, a bright white light from in front of the dais flashed then disappeared just as quickly. In its place were four ponies, two adults and two fillies, all smiling.

“Applejack, mind if I steal one of your countryisms?” Autumn asked. She spoke before Applejack could respond. “What in tarnation is going on here?”

Applejack shook her head. “Personally, I plum stopped askin’ those types of questions ages ago.”

She, Autumn, and Zecora walked the short distance to the dais where the ponies were conversing softly together. The filly was gone, replaced by a foal within Cadence’s forelegs that gurgled happily. They all turned to the approaching ponies, Cadence giving a bow. “Thank you, all. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Zecora cocked her head. “We are glad for all the help we could provide. However, perhaps the events that took place could be clarified.”

“Daddy’s all better now!” Spotter helpfully explained.

Cadence giggled. “That he is, Spot.” She reached down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “And it was you that did it.”

Spotter rubbed his cheek clean. “Well, I just saw that she was all empty inside and tried to fill her up. Looks like it worked.”

Cadence turned to the others. “He’s speaking about memories. Flurry Heart didn’t have any since she was never born, but Spotter planted enough of his own memories into her that she grew calm. She’s happy now that she’s gotten a glimpse of what having a father means.”

“Flurry Heart?” Applejack repeated.

“Our daughter.” Cadence lifted up Flurry slightly. The foal yawned and settled into her mother’s embrace.

Shining Armor came over and nuzzled Flurry. She giggled, her hooves pawing over his muzzle. He let her play with his face for a few moments before lifting away and staring longingly at Cadence. “She’s beautiful. Like her mother.”

Swallowing the emotions welling within her, Cadence kissed Shining lightly on the lips. “She would have been quite the hoofful.” She stepped back, smiling at them all. “Goodbye.”

“Mom, wait!” Spotter lunged, but Shining Armor scooped him up before he could reach her.

“I’ll make you proud,” Shining said, keeping a tight grip on his son. “I’m going to make the world right for Spotter and everypony else. Can you wait for me until then?”

Cadence nodded. “No need to rush. When it is time, we’ll meet again.” Her form shimmered and she and Flurry Heart faded away in a cascade of sparkling motes.

Spotter made one last push for her before the world went blank.

.o.O.o.

The next thing Spotter knew, he was laying at the foot of the throne. He jerked to his hooves and whirled around. Applejack and the others were also coming to, Shining laying next to him, his complexion once again pale and sickly. “Mom! Come back! Please! Dad still needs you!” His head whipped around but there was no sign of her or Autumn Blaze. The sudden movements sent searing signals of pain across his back, proving without a doubt that he was back in the real world. He gasped and fell to his side as fresh tears rolled down his cheeks.

A pair of hooves gently cradled his body, propping him into a more comfortable position. “Easy there, Spot. Just take it easy, ya hear?”

Applejack’s soothing voice did little to help Spotter’s turmoil. “But… but dad’s still sick. We won, right? He’s supposed to be better.”

Sighing, Applejack glanced over to the stallion in question, fighting back the urge to wince at how ugly the bite wound on Shining’s leg looked. “Zecora, is there anything you can do?”

Zecora, standing over Shining, shook her head. “This castle has little for us to use to heal. I would need to venture outside and that will be quite the ordeal.”

“I’ll summon Autumn again,” Spotter said and shut his eyes tight. He strained with all his might but no magic would come from within. Gasping, his body finally gave up, leaving him panting for air.

Snarling, Applejack slammed a hoof into the floor, causing the entire room to shake. “Dagnabbit! We went through all that and it still wasn’t enough!” Teeth clenched, she sat down heavily, giving Spotter a mournful look. “I’m so sorry…”

They fell silent, nopony making a move and letting the seconds drag on. Shining’s breathing became more labored while his fur began to turn a tint of green. Dragging herself back to her hooves, Applejack walked over to Zecora. “He’s not going to make it. Should we?”

Zecora closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. “If we had more time, I would say no. Let us decide who will deal the final blow.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Spotter mumbled, his voice slurry from exhaustion.

“Let me do it,” Applejack said, keeping her voice low. “I’ll make it quick.” She stepped over Shining Armor, eyeing the prone stallion with a heavy face. She paused to collect herself, finding her center. A flexing of leg muscle unsheathed her hidden fangs and she raised her hoof above Shining’s chest. “So long, partner.” Applejack aimed and thrust.

A tinkle, like the sound of glass hitting the floor, stayed her strike before her fangs could penetrate. Applejack looked up at the dais, her jaw dropping. A green crystal with a red core teetered over the edge of the throne, wobbling precariously before gravity asserted itself. It fell, bouncing down the steps, rolling across the floor to stop with peculiar finesse next to Applejack.

“What in blazes?” Applejack reached over and picked up the crystal, holding it up for Zecora to see. “Magicite?”

Zecora eyed the magicite, smirked, then took two quick steps backwards. Her timing was impeccable.

The magicite glowed white, and before Applejack knew what was happening, her world went blank.

Zecora shielded her eyes against the intense light that surrounded Applejack. The pony lifted off the ground, her entire form obscured by the power flowing around her. As soon as it began, it was over, the light fading away and Applejack floated gently back down to the floor. Now able to see, Zecora trotted over to a dazed Applejack and lifted the back flap of her armor, revealing her rump. A trio of pure white apples now adorned her flank. “It appears that fate has chosen to intervene. Your new cutie mark is quite pristine.”

“Wha?” came Applejack’s drowsy voice. Blinking away the last of the haze to have settled over her, she craned her neck, seeing the marking stamped on her rear. “Whaaaaaaaa?”

“No time to stare, my fortunate mare. His life is in peril and you must act before he becomes feral.” Bending down, Zecora unbuckled Applejack’s greaves with her mouth, tossing them aside once they became loose. She then directed a completely befuddled Applejack towards Shining Armor and laid her bare hooves over the stallion.

“Wait, you just expect me to know what to do?” Applejack said, looking at Zecora with confusion and a touch of desperation.

“If you do not, then he will die. For his sake and his son, you must try.”

“But—”

“Do what comes natural, as you have always done. Do not let defeat fall upon us after we have won.”

Applejack’s mouth formed a thin line, her eyes darting between Zecora and Shining Armor. The stallion gave a wet cough, followed by a low growl. Frustration, desperation, and fear mixed within her as she willed her new powers to do something. Anything. Autumn Blaze’s presence would have been extremely helpful to guide her, but there was nopony save her and the sick pony losing his battle. The emotions built up until she felt to bursting. She gritted her teeth and pushed them all down into her hooves.

A sensation similar to launching an aurabolt tingled at the tips of her hooves. Applejack latched onto that feeling, using whatever advantage she could get. Channeling power, she fired, praying that her instincts hadn’t doomed Shining Armor from becoming a smear on the floor. White light washed over the stallion, obscuring his form. Applejack pressed on, unknowing if her efforts were doing any good. The light over Shining grew and grew more intense until a final flash swept over both of them. When it faded, Applejack stepped back.

She wobbled on her hooves and was kept from falling over by Zecora rushing in and holding her up. Applejack blinked rapidly, spots in her vision keeping her from seeing straight. “Did… did I do it?”

A masculine groan, the kind that comes from sleeping in an awkward position, reached her ears. A voice soon followed. “Ohhh… that’s the last time I train without my padded armor…”

Next to her, Zecora smiled and nodded. “The worst is over. He will likely have to deal with a nasty hangover.”

Applejack let out a small laugh. “Swell. Glad things worked out. Imma collapse now.” She promptly did, falling into a pleasant, dreamless sleep.

In Which Reunions Are Best Served Chilled

“We’re getting close to Neighshe. Better start looking for a place to land.”

Pinkie Pie nodded at Maud’s words. The mountains surrounding the isolated settlement were grouped close together, creating harsh and biting winds. Space for landing the Paradise would be limited, forcing Pinkie to land several miles away from Neighshe’s entrance. Once securely anchored, the Returners grouped together before departure.

“Everypony, ready?” Pinkie asked. “I’ll come along, too. I don’t get too many chances to visit Neighshe so this will be exciting!”

“Sure, I don’t mind,” Twilight Sparkle said. She looked at the gathered members, noticing an absence. “Where’s Trixie?”

Stardust inclined his head towards the cabins. “Last I saw, fast asleep. If you want her, better do it yourself. She’ll probably just yell at me to go away.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, let her sleep. She probably needs it. I don’t think her ice magic will help here, anyway.”

Cocking his head, Moonlight asked, “You think you’re going to run into trouble?”

“We can only hope!” Pinkie thrust a hoof into the air, smiling widely.

Sunset Shimmer glared at the pink pony, drawling out, “Trouble tends to find us no matter where we go. It’s not something I’m thrilled about.”

Moonlight clucked, turning to Stardust. “If it’s so dangerous, why don’t you stay here where it’s safe?”

Rather than shuffle or stammer an excuse, Stardust raised a wing. His feather tips glowed briefly then faded back to their normal hue. The ponies got the impression the chocobo would be grinning from ear to ear if his beak would allow it. “Did I forget to mention I have magic now?”

Moonlight cocked his head the other way. “I suppose that helps. However, you can still get hurt. Aren’t these ponies enough?”

“Hey, Stardust has been with us a very long time,” Twilight said, giving the silver chocobo a pat on the side. “Even before he had magic he’s been a dependable companion. He takes care of us and we take care of him.”

“That doesn’t really answer my question…”

This time, Stardust did shuffle his talons. “Well… Spike was one of the first friends I ever made after I escaped the Empire. It just… feels right going in to see him again myself.”

Moonlight starred at Stardust with a raised eyebrow. Shrugging, he said, “I don’t get it, but whatever. Just remember that we’re the last of our clan. If anything happens to you, we’re through.”

“Oh, don’t get too worried,” Pinkie said as she bounced towards the gangplank. “My Pinkie Sense has a really good feeling—”

“Don’t finish that sentence!” came the combined voice of the Returners.

Pinkie stuck out her tongue. “You guys are no fun.” With a precise snap-kick of her leg, the gangplank lowered to the ground. “Okay, everypony that’s going, let’s do this!”

Twilight, Sunset, Big Macintosh, and Stardust all walked forward and headed down the plank. Derpy stayed where she was next to Maud, Limestone, and Marble, waving a hoof and wing. “I’ll stay behind and make sure everything’s just as you left it!” Derpy called after them. “I don’t like the cold, anyway.”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie said and followed after the others.

.o.O.o.

An hour of travel later, the Returners reached the gates of Neighshe. Immediately, a sense of foreboding washed over them.

“Okay, my good feeling is definitely gone now,” Pinkie said, ears pinned to her head as she looked up at the cold, empty walls of the settlement. No guards came out to great them or even call out, “Halt, who goes there?!” Pinkie frowned at the missed opportunity.

“Should we go in?” Sunset asked, keeping alert for anything suspicious.

Stardust fluffed his wings and scratched at the ground as though ready to dart off. “I could… try running in quick and back out. Not that I really want to.” He felt a pat on his back as Big Macintosh stepped past.

“No need,” the stallion said, standing in front of the group. “I think I got somethin’ safer to try.” He closed his eyes and stood still. A few seconds passed as nothing happened except for the howl of the arctic winds around them. Just as the group began to grumble and shuffle around, Big Macintosh’s form shimmered. To their astonishment, a second Big Macintosh stepped out of the first and galloped through the entranceway.

“What the…?” Stardust cocked his head from the retreating Big Macintosh and the one still standing still in front of him. “Hey, what did—?”

“Shush!” Twilight scolded, waving a hoof at him. “Let him concentrate.”

Minutes passed as the group waited. Big Macintosh continued to stand stock still, making a good impression of a pony frozen from the icy environment. Their wait ended as the second Big Macintosh emerged from under the archway. It ran straight for the first Big Macintosh, disappearing into its duplicate brother. A second later, the fully reformed stallion gasped and blinked open his eyes. After taking a few heavy breaths, he managed to compose himself and turn to the others. “It’s deserted.”

The matter-of-fact statement took the Returners off guard. Recovering first, Sunset said, “You mean, like, everypony’s gone?”

“Eeyup. Only thing I saw moving around were monsters.”

A round of fitful looks passed between them. Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat before saying, “Where there… any bodies?”

“Nope. No bones, either.”

Pinkie Pie kicked at a lump of snow. “Well, this is a real party pooper.”

“Are we going in or not?” Sunset asked, her magic ready to bring out the Ultima Weapon.

Heaving a sigh, Twilight said, “Where you able to check any of the houses?”

Big Macintosh shook his head. “Nope. My magic can’t do that yet.”

“Then we better go in and check. I don’t want to leave anypony behind. Besides, we gotta see if Spike is here. C’mon, everyone.” Twilight marched forward purposefully, her posture making it clear that any monsters in her way would meet a fiery death. The rest followed after her, readying weapons and magic alike.

They made their way to the first set of houses, opening the doors and calling out for anypony listening. Nopony answered back. Their loud actions did attract the monsters Big Macintosh warned them about, nastidons and red wolves wandering out of the mines and hills in search of an easy kill. They found red hot fire shooting their way instead. The wave of monsters got the message and scurried back to their dens. With the threat currently taken care of, the Returners were free to continue their search.

A few doors later, Pinkie rapped a hoof on the smithy’s entrance, yelling out, “Anypony home?!” She waited a few seconds, sighed, then turned to leave.

“Who’s out there?”

Pinkie froze mid-step. She craned her head back at the door, staring at it in incomprehension.

“If ye’ve come to rob me you won’t find anything useful.”

Gasping, Pinkie rushed over to the door. “No, no, no! We’re not here for that! I’m a Returner! We came to see how everypony was doing!”

The sound of locks being undone came from the other side of the door. It creaked open, revealing a small middle aged earth pony with a deep blue beard and mustache. “Returners, you say?”

“Uh huh!”

“Reckon I haven’t heard you guys in over a year. Name’s Big Daddy McColt. What can I do for ye?”

“Oh, wait one second and let me get the others!” Pinkie Pie bolted off, reappearing exactly one second later carrying three befuddled ponies and a chocobo and dumping them in front of the entrance. “Okay, now I’m ready.”

Big Daddy McColt chuckled and stepped aside. “Y’all best come in. Pretty dangerous around these parts nowadays.”

Once the confused Returners shuffled inside and the door securely shut behind them, Big Daddy McColt turned to them and said, “Okay, so what’s the story?”

Twilight cleared her throat before saying, “We’re here to see if one of our friends is around. Do you know if a little dragon named Spike came by?”

Big Daddy McColt gained a thoughtful look, absently stroking his beard. “Hmm, don’t recall seeing any of the little tykes, lately. They tend to keep to themselves, so it's possible he popped in without me knowin’. Not that I’d go out to check the way the town is now.”

“Yeah, what’s up with that?” Pinkie asked. “Where is everypony?”

His face falling into a deep frown, Big Daddy McColt trudged over to the fireplace, stoking the fire with a poker. “That big dumb lug appeared and spirited them all away. The elder, Bill Neigh, the marshal, even that boss of yours. Mayor Whatzits?”

“Mayor Mare?”

“That’s the one.”

As one, the Returners fell silent and looked to each other. No words needed to be said, the looks on their muzzles saying it all.

“Ya know, I always wondered why I was the only one left behind,” Big Daddy McColt continued, his gaze lost in the fire. “But now I’m wonderin’ if it was meant ta be.”

Breaking eye contact with the others, Twilight turned to the stallion. “What do you mean?”

Big Daddy McColt’s answer was to reach deeper into the fire with his poker. He routed it around for a few seconds before hitting something more solid than wood and rolling it out of the flames and onto the floor. A magicite crystal came to a stop next to Twilight’s hooves. Big Daddy McColt came up next to her, nudging the magicite with a hoof. “This here rock has been in my family fer generations. Nopony knows where it came from, but every now and again it gives off a weird glow. I’m thinkin’ it was waiting fer this moment for y’all to find it.”

Blinking, Twilight reached out with her magic and lifted up the green rock. Like all the others before it, a red core lightly pulsed within. She reached out with a hoof and touched it, but nothing happened. Frowning, she turned and presented it to the others. “Anyone want to try?”

“Not sure what good it will do us,” Pinkie said, shrugging her shoulders. “Everypony here already has an esper. Unless there’s a way to bond with two?”

Twilight shook her head. “No. One is it. Guess we’ll hang onto it until we find somepony that the esper accepts.”

“I reckon I was right giving it to you,” Big Daddy McColt chimed in. “But it sounds like you can’t use it. How about this? With your help, I could melt that sucker down and use it to forge a sword.”

Sunset cocked her head. “You can do that?”

Big Daddy McColt nodded. “My family has studied that thing for a long time. It can melt, but the temperature has to be hotter than what my mere fire here can make.”

“Why didn’t you do this before?” Stardust asked.

“Like I said, it’s been waitin’ fer this moment. Jest seems right, is all.”

Brows furrowed, Twilight looked down on the magicite. For just a moment, she swore she could feel it reach out as though encouraging her to go through with the forging.

“Jest one problem, though,” Big Daddy McColt continued, heaving a sigh. “Don’t have a hilt to go with it. My stock’s been bare ever since the world went loopy.”

Within the group of ponies, Sunset Shimmer looked down and shuffled her hooves. “...”

“What was that, Sunset?” Twilight turned to give the other unicorn a questioning look.

“I… I… might… have something.” Keeping her eyes down, she levitated open one of her saddlebags and lifted out the broken Flame Sabre. Swallowing, she blurted out, “Sorry! I didn’t mean it! Some weirdo nearly skewered me. I-I was going to get it fixed, but I didn’t know how and—”

A hoof reached up and covered her mouth. Sunset looked up to see Twilight’s encouraging face. “It’s okay.” Twilight reached out with her magic and took the remains of her old sword. She smiled forlornly at it. “I’ve lost a lot of things dear to me, Sunset, but I’d rather lose this than you. This is only a weapon and can be replaced. You can’t. There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Giving one last smile, she swiveled around and presented the handle to Big Daddy McColt. “Will this do?”

Big Daddy McColt came up and gave a critical inspection. He only needed a few seconds before giving a firm nod. “Aye. This’ll do. Still need help with the fire.”

Twilight looked back at Sunset with a crooked grin. “Oh, I’m sure that won’t be a problem.”

.o.O.o.

Throughout the night, Big Daddy McColt and the Returners worked to combine magic and technology. Twilight and Sunset cast their fire magic on Big Daddy McColt’s smelter, making it hot enough for the blacksmith to work with. Big Macintosh helped by working on the handle, preparing it for the eventual joining with the magicite. Pinkie Pie and Stardust also provided assistance, fetching requested tools or running out to get more wood for the fire. After hours of toiling and testing, the moment of truth came when Big Daddy McColt placed the magicite into the smelter using the longest tongs he could find.

“Boy, if this ain’t the hottest this baby’s gotten since it was built,” he commented, wincing at the heat pouring from the red hot liquid metal within the pot. His suspicions were confirmed when he pulled the tongs out only to see the ends had completely melted away. “Well, don’t that beat all.”

He whinnied and jumped away as a gout of green hued steam belched from the pot. A sizzling and crackling could be heard from within the smelter and the faint traces of magical energy being released. As quickly as it started, the liquid in the smelter settled down.

“Dunno if that was a good thing or bad thing, but here goes.” With Big Macintosh’s help, Big Daddy McColt tilted the smelter, the thick superheated contents spilling into a prepared mold. Before their eyes, the liquid metal flowed through the mold at a rapid pace, filling in the empty spaces as though willfully doing so. The moment the smelter emptied, the liquid cooled and hardened. Within seconds, a fully formed blade sat within the mold, precisely shined and sharpened. A red tint lay over the blade, giving it a hazy, otherworldly look.

“Okay, this is getting freaky,” Big Daddy McColt commented. “It’s like the thing’s alive.”

Twilight closed her eyes and lowered her head. “It used to be.”

“Pardon?”

“The magicite we just melted, it used to be an esper, just like the one your town found in the mines.”

Big Daddy McColt stroked his beard. “Really, now? Huh, never woulda thunk it.”

Raising her head and opening her eyes, Twilight’s gaze pierced the blacksmith’s. “It gave its life so that it could help us. Don’t ever forget that.”

“Hey, hey, now.” Big Daddy McColt waved his forehooves in a warding manner. “Didn’t mean no disrespect. This is all news to me and I ain’t had time to mull it over.”

Twilight grimaced and looked away. “Sorry. It’s a… sore subject for me.”

“Well, I ain’t gonna pry, none. If what you says is true, perhaps we should finish and let the old boy fulfill its destiny.” Receiving a tiny nod from Twilight, Big Daddy McColt huffed and pushed the mold away from the smelter, allowing the end of the blade to be exposed. Turning to Big Macintosh, he said, “Okay, now. Here comes the tricky part. We gotta somehow attach this here thing to a hilt that don’t exactly match. Lass, have that magic ready.”

With each stallion holding an end, the two aligned the Flame Sabre hilt to the exposed end of the blade. The moment it touched the newly formed sword, the metal reached out and grabbed it.

“Yowza!” Both Big Daddy McColt and Big Macintosh let go and jumped back.

As one, the group watched as the two separate sword pieces merged. The esper metal fully engulfed the hilt, locking it in place. The seemingly living blade then retracted back, revealing a new pommel design that was an even deeper shade of red and more ornate than it was before. A final pulse of magic radiated from the completed weapon, then became still.

Big Daddy McColt looked at the fully formed sword, swept his gaze over the stupefied Returners, then back to the sword. “Well, tonight has been a night of firsts.” He slowly crept up to his newest creation and gingerly tapped his hoof against the new hilt. Nothing happened. Growing more bold, he reached forward, clamped down on the handle with his teeth, and lifted the sword up for all to see.

“It’s beautiful…” murmured Twilight.

The sword pulsed again, nearly making Big Daddy McColt drop it. Getting the idea, he laid it out on his forehooves and presented it to Twilight. “Reckon it likes you the best.”

Twilight stared at the offered sword. Her eyes roved over the finely honed blade down to the handle that once was a gift from her father. A twinge from her cutie mark spurred her on to take hold of the weapon in her magic and lift it up. She could feel the magic brimming within, as though the esper was still alive. Twilight hoped it still was, in a sense.

Lowering it, she bowed deeply to Big Daddy McColt and Big Macintosh. “Thank you. It… I promise this won’t go to waste.” She heard hoofsteps behind her, Sunset coming into view with the scabbard Flame Sabre used. The new sword was too long for it, but on a hunch, Twilight tentatively began to slide the blade in. As with the pommel before it, the scabbard morphed, becoming longer and wider, with a starburst motif forming over it. The sword clicked into place, a perfect fit.

“Magic’s mighty convenient, ain’t it?” Big Daddy McColt side whispered to Big Macintosh.

The stallion nodded. “Eeyup.”

Louder, Big Daddy McColt said, “So… what do you think of the name Ragnarok?”

“Huh?” came Twilight’s response.

“My grandpappy once told me that he swore he heard a voice coming from that rock. It only said one thing: Ragnarok. If whatcha say is true ‘bout them espers, that was the name of that thing before it died. Seems fittin’ that your new sword be called that.”

Tilting her head, Twilight gained a far off look before nodding. “Yes, that seems right.”

“Splendid.” Big Daddy McColt addressed the group as a whole. “Looks like that’s it then. Much obliged to give me the chance to see my family’s legacy fulfilled. It’s been an honor.”

Twilight blinked and gave a concerned look. “You’re not going to stay here, are you?”

“Yup. Been here my whole life and see no reason to leave. Besides, somepony’s gotta stay in case the folk come back.”

Pinkie Pie bounced over to him. “You could stay on my airship. We’ve got plenty of room.”

“Naw,” Big Daddy McColt waved her off. “This old dudder has played his part. I reckon it’ll be ponies like you that will make this world right again and I’m jest happy to have a hoof in it.

“And don’t you be worryin’ about me. I made it this long, ‘spose I can make it a little longer. Now git, and find that dragon friend of yours.”

“Spike!” Twilight’s head shot up, her forlorn expression quickly changing to panic. “Yes, we gotta go. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!”

Big Daddy McColt smiled as the Returners filed out of his house. He cocked his head when Stardust dropped a bag in front of his door. “Some potions to tide you over.” With that, the chocobo followed after the others, leaving a chuckling Big Daddy McColt behind.

.o.O.o.

“Oh, I have some really bad memories here,” Twilight moaned as the group traveled through the abandoned mines of Neighshe.

Pinkie trotted up next to her and patted her back. “Then this is the best time to make some good ones! Finding Spike will be a good start.”

Twilight smiled at the excitable pony. “You’re right. I’ll try not to be too much of a downer.”

“That’s the spirit!”

“So, uh, where exactly are we headed?” Sunset asked, her gaze sweeping the rocky corridors for any signs of monsters.

“Well, if I remember correctly, the dragons live pretty deep in here, but I’m hoping we’ll find Spike before we get too far.”

They walked in silence for several minutes, their clopping hooves and the distant sound of dripping water the only noises in the winding caves. A pony form appeared up ahead, startling them briefly, before recognizing the magical construct of Big Macintosh. The silent copy trotted straight for its owner and merged with Big Macintosh seconds later.

“That is really freaky, you know that?” Stardust commented, soothing down his feathers.

Big Macintosh shrugged, his eyes becoming more focused as the mind of his double settled into place. “Not much ahead. Most tunnels lead to dead ends.”

Sunset held back a sigh. “Sorry, Twilight, but I don’t think your friend is here. We haven’t found any clue yet and we haven’t exactly been subtle moving around like this.”

“Just a little longer,” Twilight insisted, already trotting away.

This time, Sunset did sigh. Biting her tongue to keep from commenting further, she and the rest followed. More minutes passed with Big Macintosh occasionally steering them away from the dead ends his copy found. Both Twilight and Pinkie took turns calling out Spike’s name, the echoes of their cries swallowed up by the oppressive weight of the mountains above them. Just as Sunset made to suggest they head back, a distant rumble could be heard.

“You feel that?” Stardust asked, his feathers once again rising.

The rumble came again, a little louder than before.

“I definitely felt that,” Pinkie said.

A third rumble was heard, this one punctuated by the ceiling shaking and small strands of dust being dispensed.

Sunset unsheathed the Ultima Weapon. “It’s getting closer.”

The others readied their weapons, even as another rumble came, this one sounding more like an explosion. The very ground they stood on shook.

“Here it comes…” Twilight lifted her new sword, feeling the anticipation growing within it to be put to use.

Several minutes of silence followed.

Pinkie cocked her head. “Uh, did it move on—”

The wall beside them exploded outwards, sending huge chunks of rock to shatter against the opposite wall. The ponies whinnied and backed up as a figure, as large as the hole it created and obscured by the dust left behind from the collapsed wall, lumbered its way through. Humanoid in shape, the creature's head almost touching the ceiling and nearly as wide, the figure turned its head towards them and gave a low growl.

“Have some of this!” Sunset cried out and shot off a ball of fire.

“Wait!”

To everypony’s astonishment, the fireball seemed to slow down in midair. Slow enough that even the creature taking up most of the space available in the tunnel had time to turn to the side and let the magic pass by it. The fireball splashed against a wall behind it where it harmlessly dispersed. A few grey hairs on its bulky chest got singed but otherwise the creature was fine.

Before anypony could react, Stardust ran forward waving his wings frantically. “Hold up! I think I know him!”

“You think you know him?” came Sunset’s annoyed reply.

“Just give me a sec, would ya?” Not waiting for an answer, Stardust took a cautious step towards the creature. “Um… hi?”

“Birdie…” came the low grumble of the creature’s voice. It lifted up a hand the size of Stardust’s body. Stardust stood rock still, silently glad his feathers hid the sweat rolling down his neck. The creature’s hand opened palm up, revealing a weathered bone sharpened to a point. “Old bone wore out. Got… new one?”

Stardust felt his entire body sag in relief. “S-sure. I never let down a client.” Taking a moment to unhook a bag from his back as long as his leg, he set it down and untied it. Reaching in with his beak, he pulled out a bright white femur and presented it to the creature. “I found another one in case we ever saw each other again.”

The yeti beamed. It dropped the old bone and plucked the new one from Stardust’s grasp. The yeti brought it up to its face, twirling it around in its meaty fingers. “... Good.” It looked back down on the chocobo, gently patting him on the head with his other hand.

“Um, glad that you’re okay,” Stardust said once the yeti pulled back. “Last we saw you, we thought you were Ice Dragon chow.”

~ Admirer of bone-carvings, as strong as a gigas, a sasquatch pal with muscle! ~

The yeti made an affirmative noise. “Got away. Leave mountain for new mountain.” He beat his chest with his hand, making a sound akin to thunder. “Umaro.”

“Stardust! Glad to finally make your acquaintance.”

Umaro gave what Stardust hoped was a pleased smile, before turning away and waving at him to follow. “Other friend near. Come.”

“Wait!” This time Twilight rushed forward, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Do you mean Spike?!”

Looking down, Umaro nodded. “Cute horsies, follow.” With that, he walked off through the entrance he had made, each step rocking the tunnel.

Twilight made to follow but a yank on her tail stopped her. “What?!”

Sunset cringed back and let go of her magical hold. “Um… are we really going to follow that thing? Can we trust it?”

“Yes,” came Stardust’s confident answer. “He once saved Spike’s and my life.” Without hesitation, he jumped through the broken wall.

That’s all Twilight needed to hear. “C’mon. Not all things we find are monsters.” She followed after Stardust, quickly catching up.

“Oh, this has gotten really interesting!” Pinkie said, hopping after them. “What kind of party do you throw for a sasquatch? Something snow related?”

Big Macintosh wasn’t far behind, pushing away some of the debris to make a path for him and Sunset to follow. Taking up the rear, Sunset sighed, sheathed her sword, and plodded after him.

.o.O.o.

Umaro led the Returners further into the Neighshe mountains, deeper than even the citizens had mined. Their course led upwards, the chill of the air seeping into their bodies despite the pony’s coats. Twilight and Sunset lit their horns, forming a small area of heat that the others crowded around. Meanwhile, Umaro lumbered on, seemingly unperturbed by the drop in temperature. After over a mile of traveling, Umaro stopped at a huge boulder set in the path. Giving a grunt, the yeti pushed the two-thousand pound rock out of the way, revealing a cavern lit by torchlight. In the center of the otherwise empty cavern, sat Spike and a white and lavender dragoness, tending to a fire.

As soon as Twilight set eyes on him, she bounded forward, crying. “Spike!”

Caught off guard, Spike was helpless as Twilight scooped him up and hugged him tightly to her chest. “T-Twilight?”

“Oh, Spike, I missed you so much,” Twilight said, refusing to ease up on her hold.

Laughing weakly, Spike tried his best to return the hug, though the position he was in made it awkward. “I’ve missed you too, Twi.” He looked up and saw the others filing in. “Hey, guys!” he waved.

Stardust ran up to the pair, patting the helpless dragon on the head. “It’s great to see you, again! You won’t believe some of the stories I’ve got to tell you.”

“Oh, I think I’ll believe them,” Spike said with a chuckle.

A polite cough from the other dragon in the room stopped any further conversation. “Um, Spike, I’m not sure if I’ve had the pleasure…”

“Oh! Sorry, Pearl.” Spike gave Twilight one more reassuring squeeze, then slipped from her grasp. He presented a claw towards the dragoness. “Everyone, this is Pearl, my older sister. You’ve met her before, haven’t you Twi?”

Twilight bit her lower lip. “I think so? Didn’t you help out when we were still fighting the Empire?”

Pearl nodded solemnly. “Yes, but I’m afraid we weren’t much help.” She sighed, looking over the expansive cavern. “Not that it seems to matter much, now. The rest of our kind scattered when that creature came and spirited away the townsponies.”

“Yeah…” Spike said, his face falling. “They had already gone when I found my way back here. Pearl and Umaro were the only ones left. Oh!” He smiled again, turning towards the yeti who was busy sharpening his new bone. “I see you met him.”

Stardust nodded. “Yup. Luckily he recognized me.”

Stepping forward, Sunset said, “Great, now that we’ve all got caught up, how about we head out. I’ve freezing here.”

Pearl looked up sharply. “Are you leaving again, Spike?”

“Um…” Spike looked away, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. “Well, I kinda want to get back into the fight. I’m not getting anything done here and maybe our brothers and sisters will come back if we take care of that… that… thing.”

“Discord,” Twilight said. She missed the wince from Sunset, Big Macintosh, and Stardust.

“Yeah, whatever he is.”

“But… you just got back…” Pearl wrung her claws together, her shoulders slumped.

Pinkie bounded forward, slapping the unprepared dragoness on the back. “Hey, you can come with us! Have you ever ridden an airship, before? Because I’ve got the fastest one in the world!”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea!” Spike seconded. He took one of Pearl’s claws into his own. “C’mon, it’ll be fun and you’ll see so many new things, just like Twilight did.”

The suggestion only made Pearl draw back like she had been slapped. “I… Spike… I… I mean… I don’t…”

“What? What’s the matter?”

Pearl opened her mouth, closed it, and looked away. “Nothing. Just… just go. I’ll wait for you to get back.”

Walking up to her, Spike searched her face, trying to make eye contact. “No, seriously, how come you don’t wanna come? It’ll be a little scary at first but you’ll make lots of new friends and won’t be all alone here.”

She didn’t answer, heading towards the exit. “I’ll see you out.”

Spike blinked, watching Pearl leave the cavern. Clicking his jaw shut, he quickly picked up his spear and sack and rushed after her. The others watched him go, glanced at each other with concerned frowns, then followed after. Umaro took up the rear, pushing the boulder back into place and sealing up the cavern once again.

.o.O.o.

Pearl remained silent during their trek through the caverns and mines, despite Spike’s persistence to get her to talk. Eventually, Spike gave up, but a concerned frown remained stamped on his face. Umaro led them back down the mountain paths, casually pushing aside large swaths of snow or ice blocking their way. It was as they reached an open field that sloped gently down to the valley below that Pearl stopped. “This is as far as I’m going. Good luck, Spike.”

Arms crossed, Spike narrowed his eyes at the dragoness. “Okay, there is definitely something wrong. Are you going to tell me or what? We’ve known each other since we hatched and now you’re acting weird.” Seeing the downcast expression on Pearl’s face as he spoke, he sighed and dropped his arms. “Jeeze, I’m sorry. I… I don’t know what you want from me. I can stay, if you really, really want me to.”

Pearl shook her head, looking away. “No, you need to go. Really, it’s probably for the best, anyway.”

“You’re not making any sense. Just come with us!”

Fully turning her back to him, Pearl hung her head. “I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s your enemy."

The Returners looked up, spotting a tiny blue figure where the nasally, high pitched voice came from.

“Oh, crap!” Spike summoned his spear, taking a defensive position in front of Pearl. Umaro and Stardust reacted as well, Umaro flanking Spike while Stardust ran behind the yeti’s bulk. “What are you doing here?!”

Twilight and the rest readied their weapons, though uncertain as to why. “Spike, what is it?”

“The Ice Dragon,” Spike hissed.

“Suppose I should be flattered that you remember me, thief,” the Ice Dragon said. “I sense some of my brothers’ powers in you so you weren't content with just stealing my gem?”

“Would you believe me if I said they were given to me?”

The Ice Dragon snorted, the puff of wind instantly solidifying the air in front of him, causing ice and snowflakes to fall. “No, but I don’t care either way. As to why I’m here, I have a little family matter to clear up with her.” The Ice Dragon sneered and pointed a puny claw at Pearl. “I’ve given you plenty of time to leave my lands and yet you lounge around playing with your little dragon horde. Well, times up. Go back to where you belong now or I’ll have words with the master.”

Pearl let out a huff, waving a claw dismissively. “As though that will do you any good. The master hasn’t been around for over a thousand years.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” The Ice Dragon grinned, showing off rows of tiny, needle like teeth. “He’s coming back and then our conquest will begin once again. If you hadn’t been wasting time here, you’d know that.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Spike waved his arms, gaining everyone’s attention. “Pearl, do you know this guy? What the heck is he talking about?”

The flippant look while addressing the Ice Dragon disappeared from Pearl’s face. She grimaced, not meeting Spike’s expectant gaze. “Please, Spike. Leave while you still can.”

“Not until you tell me what’s going on!”

Behind him, the Ice Dragon let out a hearty cackle, slapping the rock he stood upon with a claw. “Ha, this is rich! You haven’t told him! This almost makes up for everything.” A cruel smile spread his mouth wide, flashing even more teeth. He leered down at Spike, his voice thick with smug mockery. “She’s one of us, drake. Your precious Pearl is the White Dragon.”

Some of the Returners gasped whereas Spike gained a confused look. “Wait, that can’t be true. Both of us hatched at the same time, Pearl just a few minutes before me.” He laughed, grinning up at the Ice Dragon. “You got the wrong dragon, buster.”

“You’re really committing to this, aren’t you?” the Ice Dragon said, ignoring Spike. “Just how far are you willing to go, I wonder…” Sucking in a breath, the Ice Dragon then blew a torrent of frigid air at the group. Twilight and Sunset gathered their magic to counter, but they needn't have bothered.

In a flash, Pearl disappeared from her spot behind Spike and Umaro, another flash in front of them heralding her return. Whereas before a dragoness no larger than Spike was present, now stood a colossal creature twice the size of Umaro. Her white scales shimmered and a barrier appeared, parting the freezing wind and forcing it away from the Returners. The White Dragon shook herself, as though adjusting into a suit that hadn’t been worn for some time. “Why do you have to make things so difficult for me, Spike?” the White Dragon asked, her voice a soothing chime to the ears.

Spike didn’t answer, too busy staring up at the dragon that once upon a time had been his clutch sister. Now, she looked more like a pure white version of the Red Dragon. Slack jawed, the only thing Spike could do was sputter out confused denials.

Craning her neck to look back at him, the White Dragon gave a mournful gaze. “Why couldn’t you just leave when I asked you to? Things wouldn’t have had to go this way.”

“Bah! You’re deluding yourself!” came the Ice Dragon’s mocking voice. “How else could this have gone? Were you going to parley the master to let him live?”

The White Dragon’s eyes flashed. She whipped back around, boring a hole through the Ice Dragon with her hateful stare. “You shut up! I had everything under control until you came and ruined things!”

“Pheh, still delusional, I see.”

“I said, shut up!” A pillar of white energy erupted underneath the Ice Dragon, sending him spiraling backwards. The White Dragon made to follow up, but a tug on her tail brought her up short. Turning, she saw Spike holding onto her, a desperate plea in his eyes. “Spike, you and the others need to leave Neighshe. I’ll hold him off.”

“Pearl…” Spike kept eye contact, not budging in the lease. “I… What is going on?”

Shaking her head, the White Dragon flicked her tail, sending Spike flying back to land in Umaro’s outstretched arms. “I enjoyed being your sister, Spike, even if it was pretend. I don’t know if things could have gone any differently, but I don’t regret the time we shared.” Twin motes of milky light flashed before him, resolving in a crystal clear white gem and a polearm topped with a point shaped in the form of an ornate angel. “Take these and go.”

Her words knocked Spike out of the trance he was in while accepting the offered treasure. “Wait, we can he—”

“Go!” With that final roar, the White Dragon stomped down on the snow. Everything below her shifted, beginning a cascade of tumbling snow and ice. The Returners and Umaro were swept up before anyone could react. The last thing Spike saw before his world became a chaotic tumble of white was the Ice Dragon bounding towards the White Dragon, their magic colliding in a kaleidoscope of colors.

.o.O.o.

The hills and mountain sides of the Neighshe range shook and trembled as tons of snow, rock, and ice crashed its way down to the gentler slopes below. For minutes the thundering avalanche echoed throughout the land, only coming to an end once the momentum petered out on a long stretch of flat plains. The silence that followed was profound, as though the world itself was holding its breath.

Sound returned as a growl from somewhere beneath the snow became louder and louder. With a surge of immense strength and a roar of defiance, Umaro burst out from underneath the sea of white. He clambered forward for a few steps, sinking to his knees. His arms, tightly wrapped against his body, relaxed, dumping ponies, chocobo, and dragon alike onto the fluffy surface below him. Disheveled, shaking, and completely out of sorts, the Returners allowed themselves several minutes to recover from the ordeal. Umaro sat by, gaze unfocused.

Through a combination of shear will and necessity, Twilight Sparkle called up her magic, dowsing the group in as many healing spells as she could cast. Bruises and busted lips faded away, leaving a sore, but alive, set of Returners laying in the snow. Feeling as though she had just been through the world’s biggest tumble dryer, Twilight propped herself up. “Is… is everypony okay?”

A series of affirmative grunts came back and a quick headcount found that everyone was there. Turning her attention to the battered yeti that had just saved all of their lives, Twilight reached up on her hind legs and kissed Umaro on the cheek. “Thank you.”

A deep blush spread across Umaro’s face, made all the more apparent by his bluish coloring. “Cute pony… welcome.”

Casting another healing spell for good measure over him, Twilight addressed the recovering Returners. “Alright, what’s next?”

Sunset spoke up before anypony else could. “Before he says anything, no, Spike, we’re not going back up there.” She waved a hoof to preempt his rebuttal. “If we do, we’ll just get thrown off again and I doubt we’ll all be lucky enough to survive a second time.”

His face contorting in frustration, Spike let out a pent up howl of rage that range throughout the valley. The others stepped away from him, waiting for his cry to die down to a barely conceivable whimper. Twilight was at his side at once, holding him close and rocking him back and forth. Spike held on as though his very sanity depended on it, crying softly into her coat. The scene lasted until Spike pulled away, slumping down into the snow. “None of this makes any sense.”

“I’m so sorry, Spike,” Twilight said, voice thick with emotion. “I don’t know what else to say.”

The rest of the Returners kept quiet, keeping a fair distance to let the two have their moment.

Spike sniffed, stood up, and blew a gout of fire, the White Dragon’s gem and her spear materializing in front of him. He took hold of the gem, twisting it around in his grip and finding it completely flawless. Sighing, he placed it down and lifted up the spear, finding it perfectly balanced. The tip shone with a soft light as though a solitary beacon in the dark plains. Frowning, he blew fire over it, letting it return to his dragon pocket space.

Quickly, before he could stop himself, Spike jammed the gem into his mouth. A few chomps and a gulp later, the magic of the White Dragon flowed through him, a soothing feeling after the turmoil of the past hour. With a lighter step, he reached over and patted Twilight on shoulder. “Thanks Twi, for being here.”

Twilight smiled, returning the gesture. “I wouldn’t have made it far without my number-one teacher.”

Despite himself, Spike gave a half-smile. “Yeah, I don’t think there’s anything more for me to teach you. Let’s fight together as equals from now on, okay?”

“Sure thing.” They drew each other into a final hug. Once satisfied, Twilight stood up and addressed the patiently waiting Returners. “Thanks for putting up with us. I suppose we should head back to the airship?”

A shadow fell over her. Looking up, Umaro towered above. “Me come too?”

Spike cocked his head. “You want to leave your home?”

“Mountain really dangerous now with dragons. And boring. Life not boring with cute ponies around.”

A giggle escaped from Twilight’s mouth. “I guess you could call it that.” She looked at the others. “Any objections?”

“Not me!” Pinkie piped in. “It might be a little hotter than here, but I can always install an air conditioner.”

“Or just use Trixie,” Stardust quipped, earning a few chuckles from Sunset and Big Macintosh.

Twilight nodded. “Then it’s settled.” She looked back up to the yeti. “Welcome to the Returners, Umaro.”

Umaro reached down and patted Twilight on the head. “Happy.” He trudged past, making a path through the snow for the others to follow.

They did so, with Spike lagging behind. He took one last look at the Neighshe mountains, trying to spot anything that stood out against the dark silhouette. Nothing appeared. Giving a salute to his old home, he turned and rushed after his friends.

Wherein Bets Pay Off

“Oh, it’s you.”

“Wonderful to see you, too.”

One step onto the new airship and Spike was greeted with the sight of Trixie standing before him, white cape fluttering in the wind. He took another step forward, his tiny teeth bared. “I can’t seriously believe everyone put you in charge.”

Trixie matched his glare. “They did. Unanimously. You going to be a pain in my flank about this, dragon boy?”

Ignoring her, Spike turned on Twilight, who was just now coming up the plank. “Please tell me you didn’t put her in charge!”

Twilight grimaced, a worried frown forming. “Yes, we did, Spike.”

“Why?! She tried to kill you! Twice!”

Heaving a sigh, Twilight placed her hoof over Spike’s shoulder. “Spike, I haven’t forgotten. But she’s the reason we’re all here, now. Please, and I know it’s not easy, but try to put whatever feelings you have for Trixie to the side. We all need to work together if we’re going to have a chance at stopping Discord.”

Spike’s jaw and claws clenched.

“Do it for me, Spike. Please?”

Huffing, Spike turned away and stomped past Trixie, not sparing her a look. He opened the cabin door and stormed downstairs, slamming the door behind him.

Trixie rolled her eyes, her gaze landing on the large yeti lumbering onto the deck. “And what the hay is this thing?”

“A new friend!” Pinkie Pie said, hopping out from behind Umaro. “He helped us out and now he’s going to join up.” Her happy expression dwindled, her ears drooping upon hearing the floorboards groan under the colossal weight of the yeti. “Hmm, might be a good time to reinforce the hull a bit.

“Oh, that reminds me! I’m going to need to borrow your magic for a sec.”

“What are you talking—ABOUT?!” Pinkie hoisted her up and carried her towards the cabin door.

“We just need to make a few quick modifications,” Pinkie said as she flipped the door open and headed down. “C’mon, big guy! Time to spec out a room for ya!”

Trixie’s cries to be put down faded for the ponies still on deck as she and Pinkie descended the stairs, Umaro close behind. Left behind, Twilight and the rest of the Returners stared after them. Scratching her head, Twilight turned to the nearest Pie sister, Limestone. “Um, any chance we can stop her so we can go and pick up Applejack and the others?”

“No,” came Limestone’s blunt reply. “We’ll waste more time trying to get her back up here than if we just drifted back to Domare.” She trotted up to the wheel, releasing the restraints. “I can get us over there. Pinkie’s been showing us how to fly in case she’s not available.” Her lips cracked into a fierce smile. “And since I’m the oldest, I get first dibs!” Raising a hoof to her mouth, Limestone yelled, “Pull up the plank and raise the anchors!”

Within minutes, the Paradise lifted up, its interim pilot spinning the wheel and revving the engines. The airship took off, speeding southward as Limestone gave a half-crazed laugh.

.o.O.o.

“Twilight, the next time it’s Limestone’s turn to fly, do me a favor and just fry her.”

“Believe me, I’m seriously considering it.”

After a harrowing and potentially air speed record breaking flight back to Domare, Spike and Twilight were more than happy to touch ground again. While Limestone had gotten them there in one piece, the experience left much to be desired. More worryingly, upon returning to the deck Pinkie Pie had congratulated her oldest sister on a successful first flight.

Twilight couldn’t scramble off the ship back to solid ground fast enough after hearing that.

Putting the whole experience behind them as best they could, Twilight, Spike, and Stardust approached the castle of Domare. As they neared the structure, Twilight couldn’t help but notice the landscape. “Is it just me or does it look a lot greener and healthier here than the zebra village?”

“Now that you mention it,” Stardust said, his eyes tracking over the lush grassy fields and full leaves of the surrounding trees. “It’s reminding me a lot of Mareanda. The ponies there were able to grow things unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“I wonder if the magic that was released a year ago has something to do with it.” Twilight’s musing came to an end as she stopped before the great iron doors of Domare. Clearing her throat, she called out, “Applejack! Zecora! Shining! We’re back!”

Minutes passed as the trio waited for a response. Just as she was about to call out again, one of the giant doors began to open. Once there was enough room for a single one of them to pass through, the door stopped and Shining Armor’s head popped into view. “Twilight! You’re just in time. We were just finishing up here.”

Stepping aside for the small party to walk through, Shining gestured a hoof towards the castle. “Boy, do we have things to tell you. I’m so glad we came here.”

“Why, what happened?” his half-sister asked. She looked around the courtyard. The interior didn’t have the same restorative look that the countryside did, with dirty grey stone and crumbling walls.

“I’ll fill you in once we get everyone together on the airship.” He rushed into the castle itself, returning moments later with Spotter by his side and Applejack and Zecora following after. They all appeared well, save for the dark bands under Applejack’s eyes. “Let’s head on out!” With a gait that seemed lighter than anything Twilight had ever seen from him, Shining Armor galloped out of the courtyard, Spotter scrambling to keep up.

“Well, he’s in a chipper mood,” Spike commented. He turned to greet Applejack but his voice caught upon seeing her flank. He stammered and pointed, unable to form words.

Applejack came up to him and patted him on the head. “Good to see ya okay.” She raised her hoof to stifle a yawn. “Can I explain later? I’m a mite tired.” She trotted off before he could answer.

“Cutie Mark!” Spike managed to blurt out. He gave a yelp as Twilight levitated him up and on her back.

“C’mon, I wanna hear all about this.” With that, Twilight took off after them.

One by one, the ponies and chocobo filed out of Domare. Zecora was the last to leave, closing the iron door behind her. With a satisfied nod, she rushed to catch up.

.o.O.o.

Safe and comfortable on the airship once again, Zecora, Shining Armor, and a summoned Autumn Blaze filled in the others of their adventures at Domare. Applejack lay nearby, snoozing on a provided cushion. She had barely made it aboard before flopping down and falling asleep.

“She’s been working really hard on using her new powers to purify the castle and land,” Shining explained, Spotter nestled between his forelegs. “I don’t think we have to worry about any dead rising up again. They can all travel to the other side, now.”

“Amazing…” Twilight breathed out. “To think she would get Alexander of all espers to bond with.”

Zecora smiled and nodded. “A more perfect match could not have been made. Her courage and valor have always been displayed.”

“Yep!” Autumn piped up. “Ol’ Alex was always a righteous guy, which means he was a stick in the mud and never got invited to parties. But we could always count on him in a pinch!” Her attention turned to the little dragon sitting next to Twilight. “And who’s this tyke? Bahamut's kid?”

Spike cocked his head. “Huh? No, I’m Spike. I lived in the mines of Neighshe until I ran into Twilight and started helping her out. And I ain’t no kid. I’m older than I look.”

Autumn rubbed a hoof under her chin in contemplation. “You sure you’re not related to scale butt? You got a lot of weird magic swirling inside you.”

“Oh, that’s probably from all those special gems I’ve eaten from those dragons we keep running into.”

Eyes widening, Autumn hopped to her hooves. “Whoa, wait. You don’t mean the eight chaos dragons, do you?”

Spike scratched his head. “Uh, maybe? I think one of them called themselves that. You know them?”

“Know them? They’re the ones that caused the War of the Magi to begin with! It’s the reason why espers exist in the first place.”

A round of blinks followed, along with a deathly silence that was only interrupted by Applejack’s soft snoring.

Twilight stood up from her spot, expression eager. “Can you tell us more?”

Going uncharacteristically bashful, Autumn whirled a cloven hoof in the air. “Wellllll… I only know a few details, myself. It was a long time ago and I didn’t exactly keep a journal of newspaper clippings.”

“Anything you know could help us greatly. There’s so much we don’t know of what happened back then.”

Scrunching up her muzzle, Autumn plopped back down. “Alright, let’s see what I can remember. Fair warning, I wasn’t part of the fighting much. My magic’s better at healing and finding weaknesses.

“So you all know that espers were once just normal ponies, right?” A few heads nodded. “Right, so these dragons just came out of nowhere one day and started trashing the place. Their leader gathered up some of the captured ponies and used powerful magic to turn them into espers.” Autumn paused, collecting herself. “I was one of them, but this is where my memory gets foggy. Somehow, the pony leaders found a way to break us out of the control the chaos dragons held over us. Any espers that died and turned to magicite were used to power up normal ponies.”

Autumn frowned and looked away, unconsciously rubbing her forelegs together. “The sides were a little more even, then, and a lot more confused. The dragons and the espers they controlled fought freed espers and ponies who had bonded to magicite. It got so bad, the whole world nearly got torn apart.” She swallowed past a dry mouth. “Just when things looked like it would all end with us dying, the pony leaders managed to force a battle with the dragon leader himself, and it ended with all three of them trapped in stone. I guess that was enough for the other dragons to run away and hide, ending the war.

“Shortly after, the ponies that were left started blaming us for all the fighting. We didn’t want to start a brand new war with them so we created a new world for ourselves.” Autumn stopped, sighing and not making eye contact with anyone.

Spotter climbed out of his father’s lap, trotted up to Autumn, and wrapped his hooves around her as best he could. “I’m sorry.”

Autumn smirked and ruffled his mane. “Kiddo, you weren’t even born yet. But thanks, anyway.”

Twilight frowned and began pacing. “What you said matches up with what I’ve read and what my dad told me, but I didn’t know any of these dragons were involved.” She paused and looked to Autumn. “Do you know if Discord was the dragon leader?”

The esper shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure I’d remember a guy like that.” Her form began to shimmer and fade. “Whoops! Looks like my time’s up for now. Ta ta!” With one final wave, Autumn Blaze phased out of existence.

Spotter grunted and tried to force his magic to respond, but only got a few sparks to pop out of his horn.

“Don’t force it, bud,” Shining said, laying a hoof over his shoulder. “Give it time and she’ll be back.”

Making a disgusted face, Spotter stomped his hooves. “Stupid magic!”

“Just go take a nap, kid,” Trixie said from her position off to the side. Having stayed quiet up till now, she trotted towards the center of the group. “Glad you were able to sort out your literal demons and it was a fine history lesson, but Trixie thinks we need to decide on our next move. Staying still for too long is bound to attract Discord’s attention.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”

“He already did it once at Fillygaro when we got stuck and he forced our way through. Trixie’s certain that as long as we keep moving, he’ll lay off.”

“Yeah, and what about the dragons? You don’t seem too worried about them.”

Trixie gave the drake a half-lidded stare. “Tell you what. Trixie will worry about Discord and you can worry about your dragon pals.” Turning away from him, she addressed the room. “Now, where to?”

A pink pony bounced out of the crowd and landed in front of Trixie. “Hey, mind if we take a second and check on my folks?” Pinkie Pie asked with a hopeful look. “We’re close by!”

“Trixie’s not so sure that’s a good idea. That’s one of Discord’s hotbeds, after all.”

Pinkie pouted. “I’ll skip my turn to pilot and give it to Limestone if we don’t.”

“Discoland it is!” the room erupted as one.

Smiling brightly, Pinkie hopped her way towards the stairs. “Thanks! This will only take a jiffy!”

.o.O.o.

“Huh. Is it just me or was that not there the last time we stopped by?”

Circling the Paradise above Discord’s theme park and casino, Pinkie Pie scrunched her nose at the sight of a giant colosseum now dominating the northern end of the park. More curious than even that was the unmistakable appearance of a large landing pad set just to the side of the colosseum, complete with an image of an airship painted on the pavement. Below, ponies could be seen running into place and flagging Pinkie to land.

“What do you think?” Limestone asked from her station.

“That Discord has lost all subtlety,” Trixie replied. “Not that he had any to begin with.” She turned to Pinkie. “Land if you want, but Trixie doesn’t think there’s anything to fear.”

“Righto.” Pinkie motioned to her sisters and eased the Paradise down to landing speed. A few minutes later and the airship touched down, the landing pad a perfect fit for the vessel. The ground ponies quickly secured it, allowing for the gangplank to be lowered in quick succession. The Returners filed down, receiving a crisp salute from the ponies that had docked the ship.

Trixie eyed them closely, but didn’t see anything suspicious. Once all of the group had disembarked, she said aloud, “Well, we’re here. Now what?”

Pinkie stepped forward, a grin as wide and devious as a cheshire. “You guys go and enjoy yourselves. We’ll meet back here before sundown. If you need me, I’ll be in the casino.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were going to see your parents.”

“Oh, I am! Just got a business dealing to attend to, first. C’mon, Stardust, let’s go!” With a jaunty step, Pinkie Pie trotted off, Stardust close behind with a small bag strapped to his back. Moonlight followed, a look of consternation over his face.

Watching them go, Trixie had to suppress the urge to ask what the pink pony was up to. She squashed the feeling, deciding it was best not to know. Instead, she headed off towards the colosseum looming over the entire park. Unsurprisingly, she heard hoof falls behind her. Smirking, Trixie and her entourage headed towards the titanic building.

.o.O.o.

Pinkie Pie was a mare on a mission, wasting no time and marching up to the casino entrance. “Hi, Steve!” she greeted the serpent receptionist as she passed through.

“Lovely to see you again, Miss Pie!” Steve Magnet waved back. “Your coat is looking especially vibrant!”

“Thanks!” Smile deepening, Pinkie led the two trailing chocobos through the mass of gambling ponies and to a row of slot machines.

Moonlight cocked his head. “What are you doing? I thought you needed to go to one of the roulette tables for your plan to work.”

“Just testing something, quick.” Lifting a gil coin, Pinkie inserted it into an unoccupied slot and pulled the connected lever. The wheels spun for several seconds until stopping on two bars and a seven. “Excellent!” Pinkie spun around and walked away.

Now befuddled, Moonlight rushed after her. “Excellent? You just lost.”

“I know, silly!”

Befuddlement quickly morphed into exasperation. “Miss Pie, I really think you need to reconsider—”

“Two thousand gil on black!” Pinkie slapped down the money on a nearby roulette table, startling the ponies standing next to it.

The dealer, always the professional, recovered and pressed the button to get the spinner and ball going. “All bets final. Good luck, everypony!”

Seconds later, the ball finished bouncing from spot to spot, finally landing on its final destination. The crowd murmured in a mixture of disappointment and victory as the ball covered up position thirty three, black. The dealer began hoofing out chips to those that won and taking chips from the losers. Pinkie’s gil was taken and converted into chips totaling twice her bet. “Next game starting. Place your bets now.”

“Beginner’s luck,” Moonlight murmured.

Pinkie waved him off. “Hush, you. Stardust, you just be ready when Gladmane shows up, okay?”

“Gotcha.” Stardust saluted with a wing and settled in for more rounds of gambling.

.o.O.o.

Across the park, the Returners took in the sights and sounds of thousands of ponies cheering and stomping at the spectacle of battle taking place within the giant ring at the center of the new colosseum. Beige stone columns and arches made up the majority of the architecture, giving the structure a grand and imperious weight. Such a building could not have been made in the time the Returners were away, and yet here they sat within its smooth cut stands.

“Dang, there’s more ponies here than in all of South Fillygaro,” Applejack commented. She lifted her hoof and took a bite of a carrotdog on a stick. She winced at a particularly nasty blow taken by a pony in the pit. “Oof, that musta hurt.” The crowd around her disagreed, cheering even more loudly.

Sitting next to her, Zecora nodded. “It is very impressive, this artistry. It is a little worrying, though, how it came to be.”

“It’s his doing, I know it is,” Sunset said, scowling at all the equines making a ruckus that she was sure reached the village Coltingen.

Trixie gave Sunset a tired look. “You need to get over this silly superstition on saying Discord’s name.” She rolled her eyes at Sunset’s nervous twitch. “Seriously, he knows where we are at all times. It’s way past the point of annoying.”

“You didn’t live out the last year like the rest of us did,” Sunset shot back.

Shaking her head, Trixie went back to watching the current match and idly levitating popcorn into her mouth from Spike’s nearby bag. The dragon scowled but held back saying anything since Twilight was doing the same thing. He took huge clawfulls of the fluffy snack and stuffed as much as he could into his mouth before the unicorns could take it all.

“So are we just going to sit here all day, or what?” came Shining’s voice from the row of seats behind them. He held out a hoof holding a bag of crackerjacks so that Umaro, sitting next to him, could take a pinch and drop the coated kernels into his maw. He idly took a look at the current match, shaking his head at the poor hoofwork on display.

Trixie waved a hoof airily in the air. “Enjoy the downtime when you can. If you can’t sit still, you can always enter yourself.”

“Do it, Dad!” Spotter spoke up, sitting on his other side. “You’ll beat them all, I just know it!”

“You just had to give him the idea, didn’t you?” Shining groused. “How do you even enter into a match?”

A small pamphlet held in a deep magenta glow hovered up to his muzzle. “I picked this up on our way in,” Twilight said, smiling up at him. “It’s really interesting how it works. You just bet something at the registration desk and anypony who wants it has to ante an item deemed of near-equivalent value, and then the two of you fight. Whoever wins gets the other’s wagered item.”

Spike cocked his head. “What if all you bet is junk?”

“Then you get put into a free-for-all like what’s going on now.” Twilight pointed at the arena pit where a group of ponies were fighting it out for the current pot. “It says that common goods are usually put up by ponies who aren’t very experienced adventurers, so they pool it all and have a bunch of them fight all at once to make a more worthwhile prize. And a better spectacle.”

“Lame,” Spike said and went back to munching on his popcorn.

“I was thinking more along the lines of ‘barbaric’,” Shining muttered.

A few minutes later and the match ended, attendants dragging off the injured. As soon as the pit was cleared, the next match started, two figures entering on opposite ends of the field. One was a powerfully built pegasus pony with two tiny wings and the other was dressed head to hoof in a purple and black outfit, complete with a cape and wide-brimmed hat. Both Applejack and Shining sat up straight, pointing and saying at the same time, “That’s Mare Do Well!”

Twilight cocked her head. “Who?”

“Oh, sorry sugarcube, guess Rarity never told you about her secret identity,” Applejack said, standing up and tossing her finished carrotdog stick in the trash. She then headed for the exit.

“Trixie doesn’t think it counts as a secret when more than one pony knows.” She too stood up and followed after Applejack.

They soon filed out, Shining taking a quick glance at the arena where Mare Do Well was making short work of her opponent. A half smile formed as he saw her twirl her cape in such a way that made the pegasus lose track of her, following up with a buck to his flank. He hummed to himself before leaving.

.o.O.o.

“Number nine, red. House wins.”

The roulette dealer gathered up all the chips placed down on the last bet and began setting up for the next round. Pinkie Pie smiled and nodded as her chips were taken away. Beside her, a considerably higher pile of chips were stacked than when she started. “Darn, so close.”

Standing next to her, Moonlight didn’t even attempt to smother a loud groan. “We’re wasting time. You’ve made a bit of money, so quit while you’re ahead.”

“Soon, I Pinkie Promise.” Pinkie pushed some chips into position on the table.

“What’s even the point of all this? You’ve made more than enough to cover our supplies.”

Pinkie gave the chocobo a pointed look. “It’s not about the gil.” She turned back to the table where the dealer was running the spinner again.

“Stupid ponies,” Moonlight muttered under his breath. His eyes sought Stardust’s for some backup, but the other chocobo was just as focused on the game as Pinkie was.

A few more rounds passed, with Pinkie steadily winning more than she was losing. Just as Moonlight was about to suggest they leave again, a new group of ponies sat on the opposite end of the table. Two were obviously security ponies but the one in the middle carried himself as though he owned the place. He smiled over to them.

“Long time, no see, Gladmane!” Pinkie greeted, waving a hoof.

Gladmane inclined his head. “Good to see you too, Miss Pie. I see your luck has improved.”

Pinkie nodded. “Yup!”

Leaning his head on his right hoof, Gladmane made a show of looking over the table. “You know, it wasn’t all that long ago that you sat at one of these tables and lost your way into my service. What brings you back for more?”

“Hey, you see these?” Pinkie pointed at her chips. “I haven’t done so bad for myself today.”

Gladmane’s eyes flicked to the chips then back up to her. “Tell me, how much have you won?”

Tapping her forehead with the tip of her hoof, Pinkie hummed thoughtfully. “Well, I started with two thousand gil and I think I’ve got around twenty thousand now. So yeah, pretty tidy sum!”

“You sound so happy to make such a paltry number. It’s… endearing.”

Pinkie’s happy face slipped into a frown. “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

The practiced smile never left Gladmane’s muzzle. “Nothing, nothing. It’s just that you could win so much more if you bet on single numbers at a time.”

“Eh, I don’t know. Last time I did that I lost so much I had to work here to pay it off.”

“Yes, very unfortunate.” Standing up, Glandmane bowed and stepped away from the table. “Well, if you’re happy to just take home a pittance, then who am I to judge. Have fun, Miss Pie.” He turned to leave.

He didn’t make it far before hearing Pinkie exclaim, “Oh, yeah?! I’ll make this pittance a portly! All on sixteen!”

Both Stardust and Moonlight blanched. “Pinkie, no!” Stardust reached for her to stop, but it was too late.

Pinkie shoved all of her chips onto the sixteenth spot a second before the dealer hit the button to spin the wheel. The bet was set. The seconds dragged out as pony and chocobo alike watched with held breaths as the ball bounced around in the spinner. After an agonizing wait, the ball finally settled, filling the twenty-sixth spot.

All air left the Returners in a heavy sigh.

“Well, seems like the pittance went to potty.” Giving a chuckle, Gladmane began to leave.

“Stardust! Satchel!” he heard Pinkie yell behind him.

Eyebrows raised, Gladmane stopped and watched as Pinkie yanked the bag Stardust wore at his side, reaching in, and pulling out a slip of paper. Pinkie slapped the paper down on the table, her expression fierce. “This isn’t over, yet!”

Gladmane strode back up and looked down at the paper. “What is that, my dear?”

Pinkie Pie kept eye contact with him as she said, “The deed to my airship.”

.o.O.o.

Finding the desk to bet and register for the pit had been the easy part.

Dealing with the receptionists was not.

“Look sharp now, Flim, but a group of ponies that have the look of fighters are coming towards us!”

“Indeed, Flam! Will these ponies shake the very foundation of this grand establishment?”

The Returners approached the desk, some of them with questioning looks. “I swear to applesauce that I’ve met you two before,” Applejack said.

Shining Armor nodded in agreement. “Me too.”

“That makes three, though I have no guarantee,” Zecora spoke up, eyeing the two stallions dubiously.

Twilight eyed the brothers suspiciously, but declined to say anything.

The receptionist pair began to sweat, memories from over a year ago flooding back. “Ah, a case of mistaken identity, I can assure you!” Flam said even as sweat beaded down his brow.

“What can we do for you fine and upstanding citizens?” Flim asked, the professionalism in his words masking the tremor of his voice. “Care to take part in the festivities?”

Shining Armor shook his head. “We just want to talk to Mare Do Well.”

“Ah, apologies there, sir,” Flam said. “Nopony is allowed through here unless they intend to fight.”

Flim continued, his showmanship kicking in. “But if you have something you want to wager, perhaps it will catch Mare Do Well’s eye, yes? I hear the mysterious warrior has been looking for a weapon called the Striker. Ever hear of it?”

Blank stares were his answer. The Returners looked to each other, but confused shrugs and nopes were all that were exchanged. “Maybe we can meet her when she leaves?” Twilight offered. Seeing the impatient looks forming, she took that as a no. She turned back to the brothers. “Do you know what type of weapon it is? What it looks like?”

Surprisingly, Flim nodded. “It’s supposed to be a dagger, one that can cut through a body so cleanly and deeply, the victim rapidly bleeds out and perishes from a single strike.”

Zecora started, an action that caught everyone's attention. Reaching into her cloak, she pulled out a dagger with a blade and handle as black as night. No markings or other elaborate designs decorated it, but the gleam the blade gave off left those nearby uneasy. “By chance I found this in the Veldt, thinking it nothing more than an oddity. Could this be what Mare Do Well seeks as commodity?”

Flam grinned, gesturing towards the arena. “We won’t know until you bet it! How ‘bout it? Take a chance in the games?”

Once again, the Returners conversed. After a quick round of hooves, horns, and wings, Shining Armor stepped forward. “Let’s do it.”

.o.O.o.

Not since before the casino was first built had there been such a lack of noise as now. No slots rolled, no wheels spun, and no cards were dealt. Quiet murmurings from onlookers were the only things raising any sound as they watched two ponies square off at a table set up in the center of the room.

Gladmane sat at one end, his smile confident. “Well, little lady, here’s how it will go down. Since I’m sure you’re all played out with roulette, we’ll have a nice, simple, game of blackjack instead. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” said Pinkie Pie, occupying the opposite end of the table. Moonlight and Stardust flanked her, their expressions weary and resigned.

“Now, before we begin, how about retelling me the stakes for the sake of our audience.”

“Sure.” Pinkie hoofed over the Paradise’s deed, laying it in the center of the table. “I’m betting my airship. It’s now the only one in the world. I’m also offering my services as captain for one year. During that time, I’ll train whoever you want to fly it once my time is up.”

Nodding, Gladmane raised a hoof and motioned it towards the table. A dealer walked up and placed an iron safe the size of his torso next to Gladmane. The casino owner reached into his silk shirt and pulled out a key attached to a neck chain. Placing the key in the lock of the safe, he unlocked it with a simple click. The dealer took over from there, opening the safe, taking out a manila folder, and placing it next to Pinkie’s deed. “In there are the ownership rights for the casino, as signed by me and Discord.”

The room gave a collective shudder. Gladmane ignored it.

“So, now that everypony knows the stakes, here are the rules. We’ll play three rounds of blackjack. Whoever wins two rounds takes it all. Is that fair?”

Pinkie nodded vigorously. “Yes.”

“Then, let’s begin.” Running a hoof through his silver mane, Gladmane sat back in his seat.

A dealer sat down between them and opened a sealed deck of cards. He quickly began shuffling them. Once satisfied, he set it down in front of the players. “Who will draw first?”

Gladmane waved a hoof at Pinkie. “By all means, dear, start us off.”

“Alright.” The dealer reached forward and drew the top card. He set it face up in front of Pinkie, revealing it to be the ace of spades.

Gladmane whistled. “Not a bad start.” He idly watched as the dealer placed a card down in front of him, the eight of clubs.

The dealer turned to Pinkie. “Hit or stay, ma’am?”

Pinkie smirked. “Hit, silly.”

“Of course.” He drew the next card and placed it next to the last. It was the jack of spades.

The crowd around them “Ooohhh”ed, their murmurings growing in pitch.

“The lady wins the first round,” the dealer declared. He gathered up the cards and shuffled them anew.

“My, the cards couldn’t have been more in your favor,” Gladmane said with a small smile.

Pinkie waved her hoof airily. “Heh, thanks! Beginner’s luck, maybe?”

“Perhaps.”

Behind Pinkie, Moonlight leaned over to Stardust. “You really think she’s going to do it?”

All Stardust could do was give a hopeless shrug. “I have no idea. All I know is that if she does lose, Trixie’s going to kill us.”

Back at the table, the dealer set the freshly shuffled deck down. “Would the sir like to draw first this time?”

“I think I would, thank you,” Gladmane said. A card was dealt and set in front of him, the seven of hearts.

The round continued, with each pony drawing cards until Pinkie’s totaled eighteen and Gladmane seventeen.

“Hit or stay, ma’am?” the dealer asked.

Pinkie scrunched up her muzzle, looking between her cards and Gladmane’s. Giving a firm nod, she said, “I’ve got a good feeling about this. Hit me.”

The dealer drew and set the card next to Pinkie’s others. It was the five of hearts.

“You have gone over twenty-one. Gladmane wins.”

Literally deflating, Pinkie watched with eyes of longing as her cards were taken away.

“Seems we’re tied,” Gladmane said, smirking. “Getting rather exciting, isn’t it? This last round will decide everything. But first, to make sure things are still on the straight and narrow, I think a new deck is necessary. Don’t you think?”

“Sure…” came Pinkie’s unenthusiastic response.

The room around the table became a din of energetic conversation as a new sealed deck was brought in and the dealer unpacked and shuffled it. The moment he placed the pristine cards into place, the casino silenced immediately. “Final round.”

Pinkie bounced back, sitting straight in her seat. She stared fiercely at the deck, as though it had insulted her. “Hit me.”

“Of course.” The dealer lifted off the top card and set it down. It was the queen of spades. “Now for the gentlepony.” He set a card down next to Gladmane, revealing it to be the king of spades.

“My, what a showing!” Gladmane said, his smirk morphing into a grin. “Seems the cards have a sense of humor about them.”

Pinkie sniffed. “As if you know anything about comedy.”

“Well, I do leave that sort of thing to the trapeze artists, but we’re getting off track here. Let’s see what your next card is, shall we?”

“Gladly, Gladmane. Hit me!”

“Of course.” So saying, the dealer placed down the next card. It was the eight of hearts. “You now have eighteen, ma’am.”

Behind her, Stardust sucked in a breath and clenched his talons.

Gladmane inclined his head. “Not bad. Kind of a repeat of before, though. Hit me.”

The dealer drew his card, setting down the nine of spades. “You now have nineteen, sir.”

“Indeed, I do!” Gladmane grinned across the table at Pinkie. “Well, this is it. One last card.” He flashed a smile, his teeth glittering in the light.

Unbeknownst to anyone there, a different light lit up under the table where Pinkie was sitting.

Pinkie Pie took in a deep breath, letting it out as though relieved of a great burden. “It sure is. Hard to believe it, right? Well, better get this over with. I’ve got places to be, after all.”

“Yes, as my personal chauffeur,” Gladmane said, too lowly for anyone to hear him.

“Dealer, hit me up!”

Nodding, the dealer reached for the deck, drew, and set the card down next to Pinkie.

Ponies crowded in, desperate to see what it was. A deathly silence hung over the room, broken only when Pinkie leaned away from the table, giving a satisfied sigh. “I win.”

Across from her, Gladmane stared dumbly at the three of clubs that had been drawn. His catatonic state didn’t last for long. He burst out of his seat, jabbing a hoof at the winning cards. “That’s impossible! That deck was rigged for me to win!”

The room gasped, but Gladmane was too incensed to care. Instead, before anypony could react, he reached forward, grabbed up the casino folder, and shoved it back into its safe. A quick twist of the key later and it was locked back up. “Nopony is taking this from me!”

Pinkie pouted. “Aw, but we had a deal.”

“No deal!” Gladmane rounded on the dealer. “And you! You miserable worm! You had one job. Well, not anymore!” Gladmane pointed a hoof at Pinkie, the chocobos, and the now babbling dealer. “Boys, I think these patrons have overstayed their welcome. Throw ‘em out!”

“I think not.”

The room blinked at the disembodied voice. All eyes turned up. Some in the room fainted. Discord lay floating on his side, idly picking through a stack of papers in the air next to him.

“B-boss!” Gladmane blurted out. His previous anger dissipating, he settled down, reclaiming his former professionalism. “You’re right on time. Help me—are those the casino papers?”

Discord summoned a pair of mismatched glasses, with coal instead of glass, and placed them over his eyes. “Yep, they sure are. You kept them in good condition, too.”

“But I put them away!” Gladmane fumbled with his key, but a knock on his head from an eagle’s talon brought him up short.

“Don’t bother, they were never there to begin with.” Discord stepped down from his perch of nothingness, coming to stand next to Pinkie. “Well, my little pony, good show! Your little gambit paid off, and in grand fashion to boot!”

Pinkie edged away from him. “Thanks, I guess.”

“And here’s your prize.” Discord held out the deeds to both the casino and the airship towards Pinkie.

“But, Boss!” Gladmane ran over to their side. “It’s not fair! You said if I cheated to win, I’d get everything!”

“Yeah, but Pinkie Pie here cheated better than you.” Discord crossed his arms, giving a shrug. “So all’s fair, the way I see it.”

Gladmane face fell into confusion. “But… how?”

“She played you for a sucker the moment she walked in here. Testing her powers against the slots first, then deliberately winning and losing at roulette to gain your attention and lure you into a gamble you had no hope of being victorious in. Good show!” The draconequus held down his paw at Pinkie. Pinkie Pie hesitated, slowly reaching her hoof forward to allow Discord to shake it.

“Wait, powers?” Gladmane said.

“Magic, dear boy, do try to keep up.”

“But… but…”

Discord stood tall and spread his arms wide, flashing his misshapen snaggletooth. “Mares and gentlecolts, please give it to your new owner, Pinkie Pie!” When a few ponies in the crowd gave a half-hearted stomp or cheer, Discord rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, forcing the crowd to whoop and stomp. “There, that should do it.”

Slithering down and around Pinkie Pie, Discord whispered in her ear with a forked tongue, “By the way, you may want to talk to that bloke in the corner before you leave.” He pointed his tail towards the bar, where at the far end sat a pony decked out in Imperial armor.

“Wow, I haven’t seen one of those guys in a while,” Pinkie said. “What’s he—want?” When she turned to speak with Discord, she found he was no longer there.

Next to her, Gladmane looked near manic. “What… what am I… going to do…? The casino was all I had and now it’s gone.”

Pinkie stepped up next to him and patted Gladmane on the back. “Don’t worry. I’ve got a special job for you once I get things sorted out.”

Gladmane gave her a dubious look. “What type of job?”

“It’s a surprise.” The wide grin Pinkie wore didn’t help with his stress levels.

Turning away, Pinkie Pie motioned for Stardust and Moonlight to follow. “C’mon, boys. One last thing and we’re out of here.”

She headed towards the bar.

.o.O.o.

Shining Armor wasn’t sure what to expect when he stepped out onto the arena pit. The sights, the sounds, and the smells were nothing like he had experienced while serving in Domare. There, when he stepped out onto a field, stallions stood to attention and saluted. Here, stallions and mares whooped and hollered, uncaring who the fighters were just so long as they got to see a good fight.

As he reached the center of the field with his opponent stoically marching up to him, he figured they might get one.

“I see you’re using your old getup… my lady.”

Mare Do Well turned up her nose and hmphed. “Still no manners, even after all this time. I’ll have you know that I take all the care and attention necessary to mend my clothes any time there’s even a stitch out of place.”

Shining cocked his head as they took positions. “You know, we can just skip all of this. The others are eager to see you again.”

“All in good time, darling. A bet was made and accepted.” Mare Do Well set herself into a stance. “Besides, I can’t be letting a whole crowd of ponies see Mare Do Well just give the win away. I have a reputation to maintain, after all.”

“I see,” Shining said with a sigh. He unsheathed his sword, leveling it out before him. “As you wish, Rar—”

“Not here!” Mare Do Well waved her hoof with finality. “Afterwards. Now, let’s give them a show, shall we?” She led off with a charge, lunging for Shining.

The stallion took a half-hearted swipe at her with his sword, only for Mare Do Well to nimbly side-step, slip under him, and kick upwards. The blow connected solidly with Shining’s barrel, sending him in the air briefly to then crash back to the arena floor. Years of training and instinct allowed him to ignore the pain and lash out with his sword pommel, blocking a hoof aimed for his head.

“You want to play that way?” Shining said through clenched teeth. He shoved forwards, both pushing Mare Do Well away and regaining his footing. “Fine.” Taking the initiative this time, he rushed forward, slashing at the caped pony.

Mare Do Well hopped away, retaliating by summoning a horde of floating, glowing blue needles that rocketed towards Shining with pinpoint accuracy. A pink shield appeared around the stallion, disintegrating the needles before they could reach him. Instead of dismissing the shield, Shining grunted and blasted it outwards, crashing it into an unprepared Mare Do Well. Reeling, but recovering quickly, Mare Do Well reached under her cape and slammed down a smoke bomb.

The immediate area became enshrouded in smoke which Mare Do Well vanished into. Shining cursed, swiping his head around to try and catch any movement. The attack came, but not from the ground. An impact from above knocked him over, forcing him to roll with the blow. He hopped back to his hooves, but Mare Do Well was still hidden from sight.

“Enough of this.” Raising his sword, Shining cut through the very air, dispelling the smoke and revealing Mare Do Well approaching from the side. Acting quicker than she could, Shining pivoted and bucked, catching the approaching pony solidly in the side of the head. Mare Do Well went down, collapsing on her side. She remained there, moaning and clutching her head.

Across the arena, the crowd erupted into both cheers and jeers. “Winner, Shining Armor!” came the announcer.

Shining ignored the crowd, levitating Mare Do Well onto his back and galloping off towards the exit.

.o.O.o.

“Brute.”

“You started it.”

Trixie rolled her eyes and turned to Applejack. “You sure they’re friends?”

Chuckling, Applejack said, “Sure are.”

They were all sitting at empty tables within the Colosseum lobby. Rarity, having taken off the hat and cowl, winced as Twilight fussed over the black eye that now adorned her face. “Am I hideous?”

“Of course not,” Twilight said, shaking her head. She cast another healing spell, reducing the swelling around the eye. “I’m pretty sure you’ve taken worse.”

“Yes, but not to the face.” Rarity shot a dark look over at Shining Armor, who groaned but stayed silent.

“She’s still beautiful,” Spike sighed wistfully.

Spotter bounded up next to her. “You were great out there, Rarity! It’s great to have you back.” He giggled as she rubbed his head affectionately.

Sunset Shimmer looked between the reunited ponies, speaking to each other as long lost friends. The easy camaraderie born from having spent plenty of time together was unmistakable. She shuffled her hooves, unsure if she should introduce herself or just leave.

Luckily, that decision was taken from her as Rarity regarded her and Umaro towering over them. “I see you’ve picked up some new companions. May I have the pleasure?”

“Oh, right.” Twilight blushed and pointed a hoof at Sunset. “This is Sunset Shimmer. She’s a good friend of mine that’s helped me a lot over the year.” She waved to Umaro next. “And this is Umaro, a friend of Spike’s and now ours. Both are helping us deal with Discord.”

“Ohh, not so loud, darling.”

Zecora stepped in and shook her head. “The curse of Discord’s name has run its course. Now we are gathering allies to strike at the source.”

“She’s right,” Trixie said. “We’re getting close to being able to take him on. He knows it, but he’s foolish enough to let us continue anyway. Are you in?”

Rarity frowned, looking away from them. “It would be nice to be rid of that cretin, but there are still things I need to take care of. I have a lead on where Sweetie Belle is but I need the Striker to have the strength to get her. I haven’t seen the poor dear in an age…” A tingle of magic next to her grabbed her attention. She turned, finding the Striker levitating before her in a pink glow.

Shining smiled. “This will get you started.” He let go so that Rarity could take it in her own magic, watching as she inspected it at every angle.

“Yes, this is it…”

“And if you want to find Sweetie, we’ve got an airship now to help.”

“Right, I saw it land earlier today.” Giving an affirmative nod, Rarity sheathed the Striker somewhere under her cape and stood up from the table. “Well, seems like my business here is concluded.” She smiled at them, offering a hoof towards the exit. “Shall we, then?”

.o.O.o.

“Another.”

The casino bartender scowled, coming up to the patron. “Not until you pay your tab. Besides, I think you’ve had plenty.”

“Don’t tell me… hic… how much I can have…”

Shaking his head, the bartender turned to leave to find security but a pink hoof slapped down next to him with a pile of gil. “Don’t worry, I’ve got him covered.”

The bartender followed the hoof to see the perky face of Pinkie Pie. He jerked to attention. “Of course, ma’am! Whatever you fancy.”

“I’ll take a lickety-split sundae and whatever he’s been having.” Pinkie inclined her head towards the armored Imperial blearily looking between them. “Oh, and gysahl juice for my two friends, here.”

“At once.” The bartender scurried off to get the drinks, leaving the soldier with the new casino owner and two chocobos.

The soldier propped himself up on the bar, struggling to keep upright. “What do you want?” he slurred out.

Pinkie took a seat next to him, her bright smile wasted on the stallion’s blurred vision. “Just to talk.”

“Don’t wanna.”

“Ah, don’t be that way. It’s a day to celebrate! I just literally won the house and you’re the first Imperial I’ve seen in a long time.”

The Imperial slumped to the bar again. “Probably the last of ‘em… hic.”

Pinkie cocked her head. “Really? You’re sure you’re not some undercover agent working for a secret organization to plot to bring back the Empire in all its glory and finish your takeover of the world?”

The pony blinked. “No…”

“Shoot, thought I had it,” she said, slapping the bar.

The bartender returned, passing over the drinks Pinkie ordered and taking the generous tip she left for him. Pinkie wasted no time slurping up her sundae, watching with interest as the soldier took a sip of his own drink. Taking a break from her beverage, Pinkie asked, “So, how’s the end of the world been treating you?”

“What do you think?” the Imperial snarled, slamming his drink down on the bar. “The Empire’s gone, all my… hic… buddies from the force are either dead or missing. I have no idea what to do… hic… with my life now and the last I saw of the Emperor was some painting down in Jidhoof.” He took another long swig of his drink, some of it dribbling down his front. He pulled the bottle away, not caring of his soiled condition. “So what do you think?!”

He blinked again at seeing the tears welling up within Pinkie’s eyes. “Oh… um, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make you cry or nuthin’...” He yelped as Pinkie reached forward and hugged him with all her might. The armor he wore creaked under the pressure.

“I’m so sorry!” Pinkie bawled, hanging onto the squirming soldier. “I didn’t know! I didn’t want to make you feel worse! How can I make it up to you?!”

“Let… me… go…”

“Oh, sorry!” Pinkie released him from her grasp, the soldier wheezing for breath. He pulled back as Pinkie got close to his muzzle, her hooves clasped in front of her. “But please, tell me what I can do to help.”

Taking a moment to recover, the Imperial sighed and took off his helmet. A light yellow pony with a crew cut of blue hair was revealed. He set the helmet down on the bar, giving Pinkie a hopeful look. “Well, I could use a job.”

Pinkie’s hoof shot up into the air. “Done! You can be my new chief of security for the casino, Mr… um… ah…”

“Flash Sentry.” He nearly threw up when Pinkie grabbed one of his hooves and shook it vigorously.

“Nice to have you aboard, Flash! Now, would you mind telling me more about this painting?”

In Which Night Falls

Pinkie Pie nodded in satisfaction as Flash Sentry stood before her in a spiffy new security uniform. Dressed in an expertly-pressed black suit, white undershirt, and black tie, Flash’s rigid posture made him look like a pony that knew how to deal with trouble. “You look great!” She reached forward and straightened his tie.

Flash rubbed the back of his head, a slight blush forming. “Thanks again for this. I won’t let you down.”

“I’m confident you’ll do me proud. Now, be sure Gladmane gets his own suit on in time for his appearance, then get to guarding.”

Giving a crisp salute, Flash flashed a smile. “Yes, ma’am!”

Satisfied that everything was in order, Pinkie headed out of the casino. At the entrance, she found Stardust and Moonlight speaking with Steve Magnet. “Leaving so soon?” he was saying. “You chocobos need to learn to stay still for a while.”

“Not when there’s gil to be made,” Moonlight said. He gave a sidelong look to Stardust. “Honestly, I don’t expect to be making any in the near future, either.”

“Aww, don’t be like that,” Pinkie admonished as she came up to them. “There’ll be lots of opportunities, you’ll see!” So saying, she flipped her mane and a bag of gil landed in her outstretched hoof. She tossed it up to Steve who snatched it up with a claw. ”Thanks for all of your hard work. Your replacement should be here shortly.”

Steve gave a deep bow. “It’s going to be far less exciting without you around, Pinkie Pie. Do be a dear and stop by from time to time, alright?”

“Thanks, I’ll try whenever I can.” She turned her head as the casino doors opened, revealing Flash and a pony following after him. “Perfect timing!” The pony following Flash came into view, revealing Gladmane dressed in a red bellhop uniform. “Good to see you’re being a sport about this.”

Gladmane sneered but stayed silent.

Pinkie gestured towards Steve. “Mr. Magnet will show you the ropes. Be sure to take plenty of notes.”

“... Yes, ma’am.”

“Great!” Pinkie turned to smile at Steve and Flash. “You boys take care of this place while I’m gone.” Swiveling around, she gestured for Stardust and Moonlight to follow her. “One more stop, guys, then it’s back to the airship.”

The trio headed towards the entrance of the park, past the line of ponies queued up to get in. Beyond lay her parents' shack, a stark contrast to the glitz and glamour they just left behind. Pushing the crumbling wooden door open, Pinkie quickly found Igneous and Cloudy Quartz sitting at the dinner table. “Hi Mom and Dad!” Before either could greet her in kind, Pinkie slapped a manila folder down. “Sorry, can’t stay, but long story short, the casino is all yours. Sign here, please.”

Pinkie Pie presented a pen as Moonlight nearly choked on his own tongue.

“Daughter, this is most presumptuous.” Igneous looked down at where Pinkie’s hoof was pointing at a dotted line. He smiled. “But not completely unexpected.”

“Truly, something in yonder winds told us that such an occurrence would happen,” Cloudy confirmed. “Also, we saw thine airship fly over.” Taking the pen, she added her name next to where Igneous had already added his.

“Indeed, was not too hard to reason you had a task in mind.”

“You… y-you just gave away what you just won…” Moonlight, his higher brain functions faltering, could only stare.

Stardust shrugged. “I tried to talk her out of it, but her mind was set.”

Moonlight whirled on him. “You knew?!”

“Okay, all set.” Pinkie filed the documents in the folder and hoofed it towards her parents. “Thanks and congratulations. Take care of yourselves until I get back.”

“You as well, daughter.” Igneous took the folder and placed it in a nearby cupboard. He turned and nodded. “Fair tidings on thy quest.”

“Fare thee well, Pinkamena,” Cloudy added.

“Yep!” Nudging Stardust in the side, Pinkie said, “C’mon, stop your squawking and let’s get walking.” With that, she exited the house, heading back towards the park, Stardust trailing close behind.

Moonlight managed to regain his bearings enough to follow, his brow furrowed at the pair the entire time as they headed back to the Paradise.

.o.O.o.

A considerably larger group made its way up the airship gangplank than had disembarked. Rarity wasted no time reintroducing herself to the rest of the Returners, gaining plenty of fond hellos back. “Everypony and creature, a quick word if you please.” Congregating everyone in the center of the deck, Rarity’s horn flared and a spinning display of glowing blue needles appeared above their heads. “I’ve improved my little communication needles. They reach much further than before. With a little more refinement, these could reach half-way across the world.”

Next to her, Twilight practically drooled. “Amazing. I’ll help get these improved. Just tell me what you need.”

“More importantly, these will keep us connected in case we separate or need to split up,” Trixie said. “Go for it.”

“What about Discord, though,” Twilight asked, her jubilant mood darkening. “What if he catches on?”

“Don’t worry about it. If he finds out, he’ll find out. In fact, anything we do, assume he knows.”

Rarity gave Trixie a cross look. “Then how do you expect we beat him, then?”

“Because he’s stupid.”

“Well, that explains nothing.”

“Congratulations, you now speak Discord.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Dear, leave the jokes to Pinkie.”

“Who says Trixie is joking?” With that statement made, she headed down to the cabins.

“Who’s making jokes? I wanna hear!” Pinkie Pie came bounding onto the deck, Stardust and Moonlight trailing behind. She caught sight of Rarity, squealed, and gathered her up in a hug. “So good to see you!”

“Like… wise,” Rarity wheezed out.

Pinkie let go and took a quick head count. “Is Trixie here?”

“Downstairs,” Twilight said.

“Good, then we can head out.”

“To where?”

Pinkie thrust a hoof into the air. “Jidhoof!”

Both of Rarity’s ears raised up. “Really? That’s close to where I think Sweetie Belle is.”

“Great, then it’s decided.” She motioned for her sisters to begin takeoff preparations. The ground crew unbound the ropes securing the Paradise and soon the airship ascended to the sky.

.o.O.o.

“So, this ship is different from what I remember,” Rarity said as Pinkie led her to a cabin.

Pinkie made an affirmative sigh. “It was my good friend’s. The fastest in the world.”

“Is… she still with us?”

“No.”

“Oh. Apologies.”

Pinkie gave Rarity a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. The fact it’s being used to help save the world is everything she could have wanted. Here we are.” Pinkie pushed open a cabin door. The moment she did, a white blur escaped and launched itself at Rarity.

Rather than yelp and defend herself, Rarity opened her hooves and embraced the incoming object. “Opal! It is you!” Both pet and owner cooed and purred.

Next to them, Pinkie grinned like a cheshire. “Yep! Picked her up along with Spotter. You should ask him about his time with her.”

“I think I shall.” Rarity looked up from cuddling her cat, her eyes brimming with emotion. “Thank you, Pinkie.”

“Don’t mention it.” The captain turned to leave the pair to their reunion when Marble ran up to her, panting. “What’s up?”

“She’s… back…” Marble gasped out.

Rarity stopped her nuzzling of Opalescence. “Who?”

.o.O.o.

“Nightmare Moon!”

The cry from Limestone was the only warning they got. Not that it mattered as Nightmare Moon came up from below the airship and landed on deck before anyone could react. Now she stood amongst them, dark mist billowing from her mane and tail.

“Yesss,” she hissed. “As much as it galls me to admit, you worms have proved too cautious to attack head on. But the skies are my domain and that includes the clouds that concealed my approach. Now I’m beyond your shields and wretched cannons and will now finish this farce.” A burst of miasma washed over the deck, causing any Returner unfortunate to be caught within it to hack and cough.

Having gained the initiative, Nightmare Moon selected the pony most likely to cause her trouble, the white stallion shielding himself and a colt. Fast as a gale, she aimed and fired a concentrated bolt of black magic. Her attack struck full force, Shining Armor wincing as his hastily erected shield buckled under so much power. He only lasted a few seconds before cutting off, grabbing Spotter and diving away. Nightmare Moon fired again, her blast on the mark to skewer both when her beam suddenly veered away towards a light blue unicorn holding up an ornate sword. Her magic struck the sword and traveled down to Trixie’s horn. The dark mare sneered. “I haven’t the time for your interference!”

Trixie declined to answer, instead thrusting the sword into the air to send a wave of healing magic throughout the deck. Any Returner suffering from the miasma shook off any lingering sickness and stood to face their foe. Pinkie Pie and the rest of the Returners came up from below, their weapons at the ready.

“You vermin multiply each time I encounter you. No matter! Whether two or two-hundred, none of you are a match for me.” She reared up and neighed, her voice amplified to send a powerful shockwave across the deck. With nowhere to hide, the Returners braced themselves as best they could. Some were knocked off their hooves, but Umaro stood strong against it and charged forward, the yeti gaining speed with each step. Nightmare Moon scoffed and met the attack, Umaro’s full body tackle pushing her back a few hooves.

“If this is the best you can do, this will be easier than I thought.” A twist and a buck sent Umaro flying back, landing with a heavy thud. “Give up, your queen demands it!”

“Is she serious or just bantering?” Rarity asked to no one in particular. Shrugging off her observation, she set herself to enter the battle, but an orange hoof held her back.

“Hold up,” Applejack said, keeping the two back as the rest of the Returners engaged.

Rarity tried to slip around but Applejack was a bit quicker. “Our friends need help! Let me by.”

“Wait, Rarity!” a new voice came next to Applejack. Spotter looked up from behind the farmer, his gaze intense. “I think I know how you two can beat her.”

“Spotter, get down below!” Rarity said, a touch of hysteria entering her voice.

“That’s what Dad said too, but I have to tell you what I saw!”

Huffing, Rarity turned her attention to him. “This better be good. What do you have in mind?” She glanced at the ongoing battle, wincing at how effortlessly Nightmare Moon was tossing around magic and ponies as though they were merely children.

Quickly, Spotter told them both his plan.

.o.O.o.

Twilight Sparkle fell back, her side searing with pain from the hard hit it had taken. She cast a heal spell to dull the sting, clenching her teeth. Nightmare Moon wasn’t giving anyone opportunities to fight back. Worse, Twilight didn’t dare morph in fear of lighting the hull on fire, forcing her to rely on standard magic and her new sword. It fared well in keeping Nightmare Moon at length, but little else.

Nearby, Spike hurled wave after wave of breath attacks that distracted Nightmare Moon, but wasn’t doing any meaningful damage. His new spear fared better, stabbing through her miasma and keeping it contained so that the others could fight without feeling sick. Even so, Nightmare Moon paid no attention to the magic the Returners had, shrugging off their most powerful spells as though they left no impact. Weapons and Big Macintosh’s tools also proved ineffective, the dark mare practically invincible.

The only saving grace that Twilight could see was that Nightmare Moon wasn’t able to focus on one target for long. She gained an advantage against Sunset, only for Derpy to swoop down and zap her, diverting Nightmare Moon’s attention. Shining Armor then blasted her with wind from Sky Render before the black alicorn could target the fleeing pegasus. Pinkie Pie hopped in and flung darts at Nightmare Moon’s face, only for her starry hair to swat them away. Through it all, Trixie was bearing the brunt of their foe’s worse magic, effectively keeping her too preoccupied to join the fray.

It was a stalemate that didn’t last long.

Before Twilight’s horrified eyes, Nightmare Moon grew tired of being constantly contained and charged for Trixie. Ignoring all attacks coming her way, she yelled, “Begone, you parasite!” Twilight watched helplessly as Trixie was caught completely off guard, Nightmare Moon battering Save the Queen away, and lifting Trixie up with her midnight magic. With contemptuous ease, she tossed the general over the railing.

“Trixie!” Casting caution to the side, Twilight morphed and flew with all her might, blasting past a gloating Nightmare Moon and into the open skies. Below her, she caught sight of Trixie tumbling end over end into a patch of clouds. Flapping her fire wings harder, she shot down through the clouds, the nearby condensation evaporating away from her. A flash of pink drew her attention on her right, and she banked hard towards it. The clouds parted for her enough to see Trixie’s horn lighting up, allowing Twilight to beeline straight for her. A small adjustment to her flight plan allowed her to come up from below and catch Trixie in her outstretched hooves.

Trixie grunted from the sudden impact, regaining her bearings enough to see that she was in Twilight’s grasp. She snorted. “I had a fifty-fifty chance it would be you or Derpy, and I got you.”

“You’re welcome, by the way.” Twilight shook her head and flapped to regain altitude.

“I’ll thank you later if we survive this mess.” Trixie looked upwards at the airship, snarling at the lightshow reflecting off of the balloon. “She’s strong. I don’t know what we can do to beat her.”

“We’ll find a way,” Twilight insisted, flapping harder. “We have to.”

Trixie blinked, a thought having entered her head. “Shouldn’t I be burnt to a crisp by now?”

Twilight shook her head. “I can control it for my friends.”

Giving her an odd look, Trixie said, “Whatever, maybe you have friendly fire, or some such junk. We’ll figure it out later.”

Twilight didn’t answer, instead allowing a small smile to form as she flew closer to the ongoing battle.

.o.O.o.

Nightmare Moon cackled as the full force of her magic lashed out at any unlucky Returner unfortunate enough to draw her attention. “That annoying pest of a pony is gone! There is no hope!” She laughed, flaring her wings wide and sending out more miasma to carpet the deck. Ponies stepped away as far as they could, many pressed up against the railings, unable to go any further. Nightmare Moon’s laughter died down as she surveyed the tiny battlefield, her fangs flashing through a wide grin. “Well, my amusement has been spent. Time for you all to die.” She channeled magic to her horn, the signature red flare of magic being cast highlighting her manic face. “Doom.”

“Hey, Queen Meanie!”

Holding her spell back, Nightmare Moon swiveled her eyes towards the small dragon that had been valiantly, and fruitlessly, keeping her poison at bay. Spike reared back and threw his spear like a javelin, its holy power parting the poisonous wasteland between himself and her.

Nightmare Moon caught it in her magical grip inches from her chest, stopping it cold. Her grin morphed into a sneer. “A final desperate attack? Pathetic.”

Spike stood straight, shrugging his shoulders. “Hey, at least it opened up a path.”

“Path?” She looked down past the end of the spear, seeing a single pony dressed in a dark purple outfit leap up at her. Nightmare Moon took a contemptuous swipe at the annoying gnat with the spear, but the pony nimbly flowed around it like water. Her eyes caught sight of something small and glowing white held in the masked pony’s grasp seconds before it slashed across her exposed throat.

Nightmare Moon let out a strangled gasp, both out of pain and shock that something had actually harmed her. Refocusing her magic from her stalled spell to heal the wound, she was instead tackled by an orange blur. The hit barely registered, but it cost precious seconds of concentration.

Applejack used those seconds to the fullest.

Slamming her hooves against the cut that Rarity’s Striker had made, she poured as much power as she could into a point blank aurabolt. The resulting explosion sent Applejack flying back and Nightmare Moon crashing against the deck. Derpy snagged Applejack before she could land in the deadly sea of miasma that still roiled and set her down next to Spike. The trio looked back, a victorious cheer ready to burst through.

Nightmare Moon stood up.

“You… nasty…” She coughed and nearly lost her footing, her legs shaking. Where once had been an ornate silver chestpiece, Nightmare Moon now sported a burned splotch even darker than her midnight coat. “Never… forgive you.” Snarling, her eyes filled with hate, she summoned her magic once again.

There came the sound of a sickening crunch, followed by a wet splash. A gurgled whine escaped Nightmare Moon’s mouth, blood leaking out from her lips. Her senses dulling rapidly, she had enough strength left to look down at Rarity, the pony’s knife sticking through her chest where her armor once was. With one last wheeze, Nightmare Moon collapsed.

All around the deck, the miasma faded away. Seconds later, Twilight landed with Trixie, the two quickly spotting the dark form that lay motionless in the center of the walkspace. The pair looked to each other then back, eyes blinking rapidly. They crept forward, magic at the ready. The rest of the Returners did the same, all slowly surrounding the still form. As they got closer, they saw a red puddle spreading out from Nightmare Moon’s body, soaking into the floorboards.

Rarity ignored the blood seeping into her hooves, her focus on keeping the Striker firmly embedded into Nightmare Moon’s chest. Once she saw everyone else crowd around, she nodded and pulled the knife out. Other than the flow of blood from the wound increasing, nothing happened. “Should we cut off her head just to be sure?”

Trixie rubbed her chin. “Tempting.” She reached forward and prodded at the unmoving body, but no response came. “How’d you do it?”

Flipping her mask back, careful to keep any blood from splaying, Rarity said, “Spotter told us that his sight showed that she was weak to holy magic. So Applejack managed to grant my Striker with temporary magic so I could get an attack in. We improvised from there.” She levitated the Striker up, wiped it off with a cloth and stuck it back under her cloak.

“Impressive,” Trixie replied. She smirked and placed her hook against her chest. “Even though it was Trixie that kept you all alive to come up with a plan.” A dozen unamused stares glared back at her. Trixie huffed and looked away. “You’re all no fun.”

“Anyway,” Sunset said, pointing at Nightmare Moon. “What are we going to do with this?”

Spike, having recovered his spear, leveled it at the body. “Well, I’m all for cutting her up. You all can leave if you don’t want to see.” He reached forward to grab Nightmare Moon’s horn, spear held back to hack it off.

The moment he touched it, there came a flash of blinding white light. A round of startled neighs filled the air as the Returners backed away, blinking away the spots dancing before them. Once they had recovered enough to see again, their jaws dropped.

Spike remained standing as before, his arm still outstretched but no longer clutching a horn. His eyes were glazed over, staring at nothing in particular. “Wha…” He stumbled back, but a flap of his wings kept him steady. “... oh, what a rush.”

“Spike.”

Hearing his name spoken with such intensity by Twilight shook him out of his daze. He looked to her. “What?”

Twilight, staring with wide eyes, pointed at his back. “You got wings.”

“What? I don’t have…” He twisted his head, catching sight of a purple limb with a light green membrane. “... wings?” He tentatively reached for it and pulled, feeling his back tug with it. “I… what?”

“Magicite!”

All eyes turned to see Spotter rushing up to them with an eager smile. He stopped next to Spike and shook his claw. “You got Bahamut! That’s so cool! Autumn’s always saying he was one of the strongest.”

Sunset cocked her head. “Wait, was Nightmare Moon a piece of magicite?” She looked down to where the dark alicorn had fallen, her eyes bugging out. “Umm…”

The rest followed her gaze, blinking at the sight. A pony with wings and a horn lay where Nightmare Moon once lay but the similarities stopped there. This one was much smaller, with a coat of soft light azure instead of midnight black. The mane, once a flowing mass of stars, was now a simple short cut of light blue hair. The pony was breathing through her mouth, revealing the absence of any fangs. The wound in her chest, along with the pool of blood, were gone.

“What the hay?”

.o.O.o.

An hour later, the Paradise landed in an open field a few miles from Jidhoof. As the Pie sisters worked on securing the airship, the Returners convened, Trixie taking the lead. “Our new prisoner hasn’t woken up yet.” She shook her head. “Trixie never thought we’d be taking prisoners.”

“I still don’t think it’s safe,” Sunset said. “It could all be a trick to catch us off guard.”

“That’s why we need to decide who’s staying in case her moodiness wakes up.” Trixie looked to those gathered, her eyes falling on Applejack, Rarity, and Spike. “You three managed to beat her, so it makes sense to keep you here. Trixie will stay, too, to try to keep her magic sealed.”

Sunset huffed. “So I guess that leaves the useless ones to run around to do the errands.”

Twilight jabbed her in the side, earning an indignant yelp. “Don’t be like that. I wasn’t much help, either.” She turned back to Trixie. “I’ll go. Last time I was in Jidhoof I was a bit out of it, so this’ll be like visiting for the first time.”

“That’s the spirit!” Pinkie bounced up to her and patted her on the back. “I’ve got the intel, so I’ll be going.”

Sighing, Sunset said, “Alright fine, I’ll go too.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh seconded.

Stardust raised a wing. “We still got some gil left over, so I’ll see what I can get for supplies.”

When no further volunteers sounded off, Trixie nodded. “Good, it’s decided. Head out when you’re ready.”

Rarity cleared her throat, gaining attention. “If you don’t mind, since they’ll likely take a few hours, is there any possibility that we could stop by the Opera House? It’s just a little ways from here and the airship will make it a quick little jaunt.”

Pursing her lips, Pinkie said. “Well, it’s a hassle to keep taking off and landing, but Limestone could use the practice.”

Rarity’s eyebrow raised as she saw ponies and chocobos alike noticeably pale.

“I’ll leave it up to Limestone to make the call. Talk to her.” With that, Pinkie left to get ready to disembark, leaving Rarity with a scowling group of Returners.

Rarity lifted a hoof, frog up. “What?”

.o.O.o.

“Suddenly, I’m glad I’m going,” Sunset said to Twilight shortly after they headed out for Jidhoof.

Twilight nodded rapidly. “Me too.”

“Oh, come on, she’s not that bad,” Pinkie said from behind them. “She just needs a little more experience.”

The two unicorns shared a look, saying everything they needed without exchanging words.

They continued the trip in relative peace, though Discord’s influence seemed greater here than in other parts they had visited. A random assortment of flowers along the path that sprayed sparks of lightning instead of pollen gave them pause until Sunset set them on fire. A golem made of silver sprang up from the ground and attempted to crush them, but Pinkie simply let loose the Smooze. Half of the golem was eaten before it managed to drag itself away from the ravenous green slime.

“Looks like I’ll need to find something bigger than a bottle to hold him now,” Pinkie commented as she patted the closest thing to a head that the Smooze had. It gave off a gurgling squelch. “You hear that? It’s purring!”

The Returners gave curt nods and pointedly kept moving forward.

Jidhoof came into view soon after, the sight welcoming after the weirdness of the road. Twilight ran the rest of the way, forcing the others to do the same to keep together. Once she entered the open commons of the town, she stopped to look around. There were no obvious signs of Discord’s magic, but the ponies walking by and the buildings still raised her eyebrows. The citizens wore mismatched clothing, ranging from one pony with socks on one hoof and boots on the others, while another seemed to have put on every type of hat they owned, balancing it expertly on their head. The buildings, once simple colored stone structures, were now painted with clashing colors. Multicolored polka dots against a pea green undercoating on one building, while the one next to it was covered in black and red stripes. Looking from one structure to another too fast caused Twilight’s head to spin.

Pinkie Pie saw it differently. “Oh! This place has gotten a lot livelier!” She bounced away, the Smooze following. “I’ll follow up on my lead, but first I gotta get a barrel for this guy.”

“I’ll go with her,” Stardust said. “I’ll get my shopping done at the same time.” He held up one of Rarity’s communication needles. “I’ll tell you when we’re ready to meet up again.”

Twilight nodded and he walked off. Turning to the last of her companions, she said, “Well, guess we can start by asking around. Maybe somepony we know has been through here.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh agreed.

The trio headed deeper into town. The further they went, the more strange the garments the ponies wore grew. A pony with half a suit of armor walked by, only for the next pony behind him wearing the other half. In an open square, an artist with an easel looked at his blank canvas before splashing it with water, then smearing it with mixed paint to produce a muddy mess. No building they passed was spared a color catastrophe, making it hard to know what parts of the town they had been to. Finally, Sunset had enough and confronted a pony splashing buckets of paint against a wall.

“Sir, if it’s not too much to ask, what the hay is up with this place?”

The pony turned to her, taking a second to look her up and down. “You’re new here, aren’t ya?”

“What gave it away?” Sunset sarcastically replied.

“You’re dressed sensibly.” He adjusted the tight corset around his waist, loosening it up. “To put it bluntly, Jidhoof’s newest craze is chaos-inspired art.” He waved his hoof around, indicating the whole of the town. “It’s really caught on.”

“No kidding.” She looked to Twilight and Big Macintosh. “Looks like he did a number on them.”

Twilight sighed. “Yeah.” She glanced at the pony, who had gone back to plastering the wall with his paint. “Let’s keep going, though I’m not sure if we’re going to find anything.”

A few minutes later, Twilight heard the voice of Stardust coming from her saddlebags. She opened them and took out a glowing blue needle. “Stardust, I hear you. Can you repeat that?”

“I said come meet us at Fancy Pants' mansion,” Stardust said from his side of the needle. “It’s the biggest house in town, up on the hill.”

“Gotcha. We’re on our way.” She turned to the others, nodded, then headed north.

Finding Fancy Pants' home wasn’t hard, as it was by far the biggest house in town and would tower over the neighborhood even without being on top of a hill. The fact that it was the only building not to have been plastered with graffiti art made it stand out all the more. No ponies bared their path from the main gate leading into the mansion grounds. In fact, everypony they passed seemed to divert their gaze away from the building entirely. Stardust and Pinkie Pie were already waiting for them as they rejoined at the large oak door of the house.

“Hey guys, got some intel to share!” Pinkie said with a large grin. A barrel was strapped to her back, a squelch emitting from it. “I got some of the locals to open up a bit and some said they saw some fillies heading this way not too long ago.”

“Rarity’s sister?” Twilight asked.

“Not sure. Didn’t get a description.”

Sunset looked unconvinced. “Really? Everypony we saw was too busy making a mess to give us any clues.”

Waving her off, Pinkie said, “You just have to butter them up a bit on their art. Ponies love to talk when you compliment them. Anyway, some also claimed to have seen a rainbow streaking through the sky. That’s gotta be Dash!”

Twilight’s breath hitched. “Let’s hope so.”

A round of agreement later and the group knocked on the mansion entrance. They waited a minute before trying again. Another minute passed but nopony came to answer. Frowning, Pinkie reached forward and tried the doorknob. It turned and the door slid open with no resistance. The inside was pitch black, even with the light from outside spilling in. A cold wind blew past them, causing them to shiver involuntarily.

“I don’t like the feel of this,” Sunset said, having taken a step back. “Something’s not right.”

Nopony or chocobo made a move, the eerie silence that had descended upon them only adding to their unease. With a grunt, Big Macintosh cautiously stepped up to the entrance. He flipped a switch on his backpack and a light bulb popped out from the top. It lit up, casting enough light to see a few hooves in front of him. “Keep close.” With that declaration, he entered, the others filling in after.

Even with the light, the blackness surrounding them as they entered the mansion pressed down on them, almost like it was a physical force. The group caught brief glimpses of expensive looking urns, works of art, and other shiny things, but Big Macintosh only had to take a step for them to be swallowed up in darkness. They took it slow, staying silent as though making a sound would awaken a sleeping evil. A few minutes of wandering led them to a staircase leading up. With no better options, they started to climb.

“Leave…”

No sooner had the whispered words brushed past their ears, an invisible force pushed them all back. Stardust squawked and made to bolt, but Twilight snagged him with her magic. “Don’t run off!”

“You guys go! I’m outta here!” Stardust tried to squirm free of Twilight’s grip, but Sunset joined in and pinned the chocobo down.

“You’ll only get lost and then we’ll have to find you, too,” she said.

Stardust continued to struggle, but the combined might of the two unicorns kept him in place. After several moments, he sagged, breathing heavily against the floor. “No… fair…” Twilight and Sunset let up the pressure, sure that he wouldn’t try to take off again.

With that crisis resolved, Pinkie Pie firmed up her features and climbed the stairs again. The hair on her back raised, just before the same pressure as before forced her back down.

“Leave…”

“Come out and say that to my muzzle!” Sunset cried out. No response came back.

In the center of their tightly packed group, Big Macintosh took a breath. His body shimmered and a duplicate of himself stepped away and headed out into the darkness.

Both Stardust and Sunset shivered at the sight. “Not sure what’s freakier,” Sunset said. “The house or when he does that.”

Minutes passed, Big Macintosh standing stock still. Their only source of light flickered for a second, almost sending Stardust back into a panic attack. He shrieked when Big Macintosh’s doppelganger came back, stepping out of the shadows and as silent as the air around them. The double reentered the stallion’s body, his eyes blinking open a second later. Clearing his throat, he said, “Think I found somethin’.” He moved, forcing the others to follow.

They walked around the staircase, finding a small cubbyhole built under it. Laying on a platinum pedestal within the cubbyhole was an open book. Big Macintosh pointed to it. “Had trouble reading it in the dark. Think it’s some sort of diary. Might give us some clues.”

Nodding, Twilight lit up her horn and stepped up to the book. She spent a few minutes flipping through the pages, stopping occasionally and silently reading its contents. Her breath caught suddenly and she turned to face the others. “Whatever’s going on, I think it has to do with a painting Fancy Pants bought. It’s somewhere in the basement. The book didn’t say where, though.” Her gaze shifted upwards, where the stairs led. “It also said that Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are here, helping him.”

“Tarnation,” Big Macintosh swore. He made to head back for the stairs, but Twilight blocked his way.

“Hold on, let me try something. There should be a light switch somewhere nearby. Help me look for it.” Big Macintosh narrowed his eyes, but didn’t protest. He moved closer to the walls, his light bulb illuminating wallpaper decorated with flowers and stars. The group followed the wall a ways before Twilight called out to stop. Her horn shimmered and a click could be heard somewhere in the darkness.

Immediately, the oppressive blackness disappeared, replaced by bright lights from above. The Returners shielded their eyes against the sudden change, waiting a few moments for them to readjust. Once they could see again, they found themselves next to a grand staircase, made of fine oak and decorated with gold trim. A red carpet lay on the steps, its deep color inviting them to head up.

Twilight blinked, a smile forming. “Wow, that worked better than I thought. The book said something about the lights being really good but I didn’t think it would be that good.” She and everyone else turned to the stairs. “Okay, let’s try this again.”

Cautiously, they put their hooves on the steps, the carpet cushioning their hooves. They climbed a few more but no otherworldly force or voice stopped them. Emboldened, they rushed up the rest of the way, entering a large gallery. Paintings and sculptures even more impressive than the ones downstairs greeted them. Scenes of meadows, flowers, portraits, and mountain landscapes were all depicted. One in particular caught Pinkie’s attention.

“Ha! Flash was right!” She ran up to a pony portrait, everyone but Sunset quickly recognizing Emperor Blueblood posing imperially. He was dressed in the finest robes of the deepest reds, an ornate golden crown perched on his head. He sat on an iron throne, its imposing weight and solid build appropriate for the magitek king. Pinkie got up close, her nose millimeters away from the canvas. “Let’s see if it’s here—found it!”

Pinkie Pie reached up, her hoof brushing against the depiction of the red robes. She slid her hoof across, pushing against something hidden underneath. A white envelope nudged its way out of a hidden slit, falling into Pinkie’s other hoof. She stepped back and opened it, unfolding the piece of paper within. “Alright, it says the treasure is where the mountains form a star.”

Behind her, the Returners blinked. “So what does that mean?” Sunset asked.

Pinkie shrugged. “Dunno! Flash just said he’d heard the painter of this picture hid something in it and I should check it out if I ever found it. Guess we’ll need to be on the lookout for star pointed mountains from now on.”

Sunset huffed. “And why would we even do that?”

“C’mon, where’s your sense of adventure and exploration? Blueblood here thought it was important.”

“It’s just a painting, not a pony.”

While the two were bantering, Stardust came closer to the painting. He brushed his wing against where Pinkie had touched it, something else poking out of the slit. Gasping, he plucked it out with his beak and held it for the rest to see. “Guys, look!”

Everypony looked up and saw Stardust holding a blue feather.

“Rainbow…” Twilight breathed. She held up her hoof, Stardust placing the feather on it. She lifted it with her magic, inspecting it from every angle. “It’s hers. I know it is.”

Sunset came up to stand next to her. “Do you… think she went to that mountain in the letter?”

“Yes, I have no doubt.” Twilight gently placed the feather in her saddlebag. “We definitely need to tell the others. Maybe they know what the letter is talking about.” Her gaze drifted to the portrait. “Are you guys done with this?”

“Uh, sure, why?” Pinkie asked.

Twilight’s answer was to launch a fireball.

The Returners yelped and backed away as Blueblood’s picture lit up instantly, the fire so intense it was reduced to ash in seconds. Twilight sniffed. “Good riddance.”

“Okay…” Sunset edged forward, staring down at the pile of charred paper. “Wasn’t expecting that.”

Twilight blushed. “Sorry. I had… history with him.”

“Hey, look!” Pinkie bounded to where the portrait once hung, wiping away the thin level of dust the fire had created. Her hoof revealed a wooden door, hidden by the picture but now revealed. Pinkie tried the latch and the door pushed open without resistance. A stairway leading down lay on the other side. “Think this leads to the basement?”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh quickly agreed, already heading down. The others followed.

It didn’t take long for the light from upstairs to fade away the further they went down, causing Big Macintosh to relight his bulb. It sputtered but held up. The darkness wasn’t as all encompassing as before, allowing the Returners to see several hooves all around. Once the stairs reached the end, they came into a cellar, where even more trinkets and collections of priceless artifacts were kept.

“Jeeze, how much money does this guy have?” Sunset asked aloud. Her gaze swept over the horde of items that extended past their light.

Stardust rubbed a wing under his beak. “Well, from what I’ve seen, well over a million gil at least. Fancy Pants is one of the richest ponies in the world. He would always offer us chocobos more than others whenever we did business here.”

They continued on, passing rows and rows of shelves filled with all sorts of knick-knacks. One set of shelves contained a line of equine shaped porcelain dolls, no bigger than a dog. As Stardust passed them by, movement caught his eye. He snapped his head to the shelves, gaping as each doll head was looking right at him. “Um—”

His voice was drowned out as each doll let out a piercing wail. The dolls stood up and launched themselves at the stunned party, latching on and biting and kicking them. Stardust flailed around, knocking into shelves that tumbled over and dumped their contents to the floor. The others didn’t fare much better, trying to pry the surprisingly strong dolls off of them. Big Macintosh whirled and bucked, smashing a few but more soon replaced them. Pinkie Pie rolled on the floor, shaking off the ones attacking her and stomping them before they could get back up. Twilight and Sunset both fired off spells, ripping off chunks of porcelain that clattered to the floor. Despite being damaged, however, the dolls continued their assault.

Stardust, overwhelmed and unable to dislodge any of the nasty dolls digging into his feathers, spread his wings and cast whatever spell that came to him. A wave of silver washed over all the dolls, the sound of a clock winding down filling the air. Immediately, the dolls’ movements slowed, becoming more burdensome than deadly.

Taking the chance, the others began ripping the dolls off and smashing them with weapons, tools, and magic. Soon, the last of them was crushed under Big Macintosh’s hoof. With the danger gone, the Returners huffed and groaned, feeling their bodies littered with gashes and bite marks. Twilight focused and cast a healing spell over them, taking care of the worst of it.

“What… the buck… was that?” Sunset said to the room at large.

“Evil,” Pinkie Pie hissed. She cast an angry glare at the broken doll pieces, kicking one away.

Heaving a sigh, Twilight looked up at Stardust. “Thanks. I’m not sure what would have happened had you not did what you did.”

“I’m not even sure what I did,” Stardust said, giving a hopeless shrug. “I can slow and speed things up, but not all at once.”

“Until now.” Twilight smiled and patted him on the side. “You’re getting better, just like all of us.”

“Thanks, I guess. Just wish it wasn’t during a life and death situation.”

“Well, I know personally that some of our best comes out when we’re in the most danger. Speaking of which, we really need to get to the bottom of this.” Shoving aside broken pottery, Twilight marched down the hall they had been following.

Eager to leave the graveyard of dolls, the group followed. They kept a sharp eye out for anything that might jump out at them, keeping their weapons at the ready. The feeling of oppressive darkness continued to grow the further they went. Big Macintosh’s light bulb began to flicker more often, prompting them to hurry. At last, set against a stone wall, a single door stood before them. Sunset didn’t bother being cautious, slicing it through with the Ultima Weapon and blasting the rest with fire. A scream from the room on the other end urged them through the wrecked hole.

Inside, on the opposite end of a plush study, stood Scootaloo, her wings buzzing and ready to discharge. Apple Bloom was next to her, a bottle held in her hoof in preparation to throw it. They held back once they saw who had burst in.

“Big brother!” Apple Bloom set her bottle down and ran up to Big Macintosh, wrapping her hooves around his neck. “I’m so glad it’s you!”

“Me too!” Scootaloo said, though she held back from joining in on the reunion. “But we gotta cut the hellos short! We’ve got a big problem, here!” She turned around, her focus on a painting that took up the entirety of the wall.

It was a portrait of a white unicorn mare. Taller than most ponies, with a slender build and light pink hair, she posed with half lidded eyes, a twinkle within them hinting at both mischief and confidence. She was by far the most beautiful pony any of them had ever seen.

Sunset looked from the portrait then back down to Scootaloo. “I don’t get it. Is the painting causing this house to act all weird?”

“Yes and no.”

The answer didn’t come from Scootaloo, but from another pony in the room that came out of hiding behind a sofa. He was a male unicorn with blue hair and mustache. He wore a tailored blue vest that complemented his mane. A monocle was set into his right eye, the string attached to it leading to a pocket in his vest. “I’m Fancy Pants. I implore you to help, but we can’t risk damaging this painting. It is the most precious thing I own.”

Apple Bloom ran up to join Scootaloo. “It’s a picture of his dead wife, Fleur De Lis. But some stupid demon has haunted it and is trying to switch her out.”

“A demon, am I?”

The new voice came from the picture. Before everyone’s eyes, the image of Fleur moved, her head twisting to fully gaze down at the room full of equines. “Why so quick to hate? I’m only doing my bien aimé a favor.”

“It’s here!” Apple Bloom didn’t hesitate, holding up a cup of green liquid and cocking back her hoof to chuck it.

“No!” Fancy Pants tackled Apple Bloom, sending the cup flying to spill somewhere else in the room. “Please, do not harm it!”

“See?” the voice coming out of Fleur’s mouth said. “My soon-to-be husband has already come around to me.”

Fancy Pants whirled, pointing a hoof up at the painting. “Begone! Leave my precious Fleur alone!”

The voice tsked. “Fleur is long gone, bien aimé. The only name you need to remember from now on is Vignette Valencia.” The image of Fleur shifted, blurring the face and body until only a splotch of indistinguishable color remained. A series of magical pulses illuminated the room, each pulse changing the distorted image to something more recognizable as a pony. However, the pony that reformed wasn’t a white unicorn, but a light yellow pegasus with red hair that faded to white at the tips and with a small beauty mark under the left eye. “I will be your new most cherished possession.” Vignette narrowed her eyes at the others. “The rest of you can die.”

Her proclamation made, Vignette’s form expanded outward from the canvas, becoming one half of a solid pony with the other half remained in the painting. She raised her hooves and spread her wings, phantasmal lightning sparking before lashing out for the Returners. The ponies scattered, though the cramped confines of the room made it hard to avoid the attack and not get into each other’s way. Scorched coats and furniture lay in the wake of the assault, Vignette summoning more power for a second wave.

Scootaloo beat her to it. “Sorry, Fancy, but this chick has got to go!” Gathering her magic within her wings, she unleashed a bolt that struck Vignette in the chest. The ghost staggered, disbelief forming on her muzzle.

“I… felt that…”

“Get her!” Scootaloo fired again, but Vignette flowed back into the canvas, the lightning striking the wall next to it. “Darn. Don’t make us come in there to get you!”

“Uncouth brutes,” Vignette snapped back. The painting distorted again, reforming back into Fleur’s image. “Attack now, I dare you.”

Fancy Pants jumped in between the Returners and the portrait, his hooves spread wide. “Cease this madness and give me my wife back!”

“Don’t worry about a thing, my précieux pony.” The eyes of Fleur glowed and a white vapor appeared around Fancy Pants’ head. His eyes drooped and a moment later he collapsed to the ground, sound asleep. “This will all be over when you wake up.”

“You bet it will!” Sunset roared and let loose a fireball that impacted the painting full on. Once the smoke cleared, portions of the canvas could be seen singed and smoldering.

Vignette grimaced and coughed, a puff of smoke coming out of her mouth. “That’s it. Die!” More vapors phased into existence throughout the room. Instead of putting the Returners asleep, they began to hack and wheeze. “I’ll stuff your corpses and hang them in the guest rooms.”

Her gloating stopped as Big Macintosh, wearing a gas mask, summoned a doppelganger who then ran and jumped into her painting. So caught off guard, Vignette had no chance to react to the savage buck to her rump that sent her material form flying out of the picture and fall flat on the floor. Disoriented and groaning, Vignette looked up in time to see Apple Bloom, wearing her own gas mask, pour the green fluid from before onto her head and body.

The effect was immediate. Vignette screamed as her body dissolved wherever the viscous liquid touched. She tried to get up and run but a punch from Apple Bloom to the cheek sent her back down. Helpless, she cried out as Apple Bloom dumped the rest of her stash of fluid over her. Vignette’s wails continued until all of her corroded away, leaving nothing but a white and red smear mixed with green on the floor.

The vapors surrounding the others dissipated, allowing them to breathe in fresh air once again. A few coughs persisted, but they were soon back on their hooves. Pinkie and Stardust walked up to the smoking puddle that had once been Vignette, staying clear of actually touching it.

“What did you do to her?” Pinkie asked, cocking her head at the sight.

Apple Bloom pointed at a stack of empty bottles, each with a different label of turpentine, acetone, and benzine. “When Scoots and I were helping Mr. Pants figure out what was going on with his painting, I got some supplies from town that might help. They’re all stuff that cleans off paint from easels.” She looked down at the remains of the ghost. “I guess she got too deep into the painting and became one herself.”

“Well, good thinking! Let’s mop this up and we’ll skedaddle. Applejack’s with us and I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.”

Scootaloo joined them, excitement in her eyes. “Totally awesome! You’ve still got your airship, right?”

Pinkie nodded. “Sorta, and it’s faster, too.”

“Sweet! Let’s wake up Fancy and then we’ll get out of here.” She trotted over to the prone stallion and buzzed her wings. A small strand of electricity latched out at Fancy Pants and he sprang to his hooves from the jolt.

“What? Where?” Fancy Pants shook his head to clear it, then turned towards the portrait of Fleur. “Is it gone? Ah! It’s been damaged! What happened?”

Sunset whistled innocently.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Pants, it’s just a little singed on the sides,” Apple Bloom said. “The picture itself is fine and we got rid of the ghost.”

Fancy Pants got as close as he could, inspecting the entire portrait before stepping away and giving a relieved sigh. “Yes, you’re right. Thank you.” He turned to them, a smile creeping on his muzzle. “You have my eternal gratitude.”

“What was up with that thing, anyway?” Sunset asked now that the blame had been swept aside.

Sighing, Fancy Pants said, “Before we married, there was another pony that had her sights set on me.” He looked to the puddle in the center of the room. “Vignette wouldn’t take the hint, though, and swore she would make me her own. She left vowing she would find a way to make it happen, but when she returned, Fleur and I were already married. Vignette didn’t take it well and threw herself off the top of my house.” He shook his head. “It seems her need for me was too much, even in death.”

Fancy Pants took one last look at his late wife’s portrait, then headed for the door. “Sorry for the morbid tale. Let’s go back upstairs so that I may prepare a suitable reward for your deeds.”

Stardust perked up. “Um, yes, and as the designated dealer, I’ll help.” He followed, eager to leave.

The others followed, giving a wide berth to the wet spot. As they headed back through the cellar, Twilight asked, “By the way, girls. Where’s Sweetie Belle?”

Apple Bloom huffed. “Well, she was with us when we got here, but she said she had to get to the opera house as soon as she could.”

“Haven’t seen her since,” Scootaloo added. “Hope she’s okay.”

Pinkie Pie hopped in front of them, her face beaming. “Well, it just so happens that Rarity wanted to go there, too. Perhaps she’s already found her.”

“Or gotten into more trouble,” Sunset growsed. She got a round of dirty looks for her comment. “What? Prove to me I’m wrong.”

“Let’s just finish up here and get back to the Paradise,” Pinkie said, regaining the conversation. “Besides, I’m sure they’re fine.”

.o.O.o.

Further south, looking down from a balcony above the opera stage, Photo Finish struck a pose. “Dirt Dragon! Begin—da magicks!”

Wherein The Fire Burns Deep

“All right, you landlubbers, get ready to disembark!” Limestone yelled over the Paradise's intercom.

Rarity was first in line at the gangplank.

Spike ran up to her, huffing and leaning on his knees. “You… you move fast… when you really… want to…”

“You could have warned me,” Rarity hissed, her muzzle a few shades paler than it normally was.

“I didn’t know, either!” Spike countered. “I’ve only ever seen Pinkie drive the ship.”

“No matter. We’re here and that’s all that matters.” Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Rarity waited for the Pie sisters to lower the plank. They moved quickly and efficiently, a far cry from the ludicrous performance Limestone put on at the wheel. In minutes the ramp was in place and she moved to leave.

“Hold up. How long will you be gone?”

The sound of Trixie’s voice stopped Rarity from descending. Frowning, she said over her shoulder, “I told you, it’ll only be a few minutes. Spike and I will pop in, check around for Sweetie, then be back before you know it.”

Trixie matched Rarity’s frown. “Trixie reminds you that we have a dangerous pony sleeping right under us and we’re already short a few Returners.”

“I know, dear, but I don’t get the evil vibes from her that I did from her other form. You’ll be fine, great and powerful general. Come along, Spike.” Without waiting for a response, Rarity trotted down the ramp, Spike rushing to keep up.

The duo hadn’t traveled far when Spike said, “Nice job, sticking it to her. I’d have done the same but I know we’re in a hurry.”

Rarity shook her head. “Don’t antagonize Trixie. It won’t do us any good.”

Spike sniffed and crossed his arms. “I’m not going to forget that she betrayed us. What if this is all just some plan to get us all together so that Discord can finish us off?”

“From what I’ve seen and heard of the fiend, I doubt he would need Trixie’s help to pull that off. And Spike, neither of us would be here if Trixie hadn’t taken action on the Floating Island. You remember that, don’t you?”

It took a few minutes of traveling for Spike to answer. “... Yes. I still don’t like her, though.”

“That’s fine, she gets on my nerves too. But we’re all working together to make this world a better place. If we can put up with Trixie a little longer, it’ll all work out.”

“I hope you’re right.”

The two continued on in silence, Spike occasionally taking to the air to get used to his new wings. Soon, their destination came into view behind a grove of carefully groomed trees. The Opera House hadn’t changed any from what Spike could see, which he couldn’t decide was a good or bad thing. As they got closer, they could see a line of carriages parked next to the entrance, sparking a twinge of nostalgia.

Rarity took notice of Spike’s long stare. “Something the matter, Spike?”

The drake shook his head. “Sorry, just remembering. The last time I was here was a little… weird.”

“Good or bad weird?”

“A little of both, really.” Brushing his memories aside for now, he and Rarity walked up the steps to the main entrance and pushed open one of the grand double doors.

Nopony greeted them upon entering, though music could be heard coming from further in. The duo headed for the audience entryway but found it locked. They were about to try a different entrance when a pony wearing a sharply tailored suit exited from a door to the balcony seats above and spotted them. He cocked his head at the pair, double blinked, then rushed down a set of stairs to stand in front of them, focusing on Spike.

“Hey, are you a friend of dragons?”

Spike double blinked, himself. “Wha? Well, as long as they’re friendly, I suppose so. Why?”

“We have a problem. It’s the Impresario.”

Scratching his head, Spike said, “Uhh… Photo… Finish… right?”

The pony nodded. “That’s right.”

“What’s the problem? Is she in trouble?”

“Worse. She’s inspired. Follow me.” The pony trotted off, motioning for them to hurry. Sharing a confused look, Spike and Rarity shrugged and ran to catch up.

The pony led them through a series of hallways where actors, actresses, props, and costumes all waited to be called or used for the next performance. Rarity noticed a lot of pent up anxiety and frustration from the ponies she passed, though didn’t have the time to ponder why. Their guide led them up a staircase that opened up to a balcony set over the stage itself. He pointed down, prompting Rarity and Spike to look over the edge.

In the center of the stage stood a large, brown lizard like creature. Its hind legs were long, bulky and powerful, while its forearms were ridiculously tiny. A thick tail twisted and lashed in the air, keeping the other half balanced. Its enormous head, half of it consisting of a wide mouth containing rows of razor sharp teeth, looked out into the audience.

As bizarre as the sight was to see a tyrannosaurus-type dragon in the middle of an opera stage, what caught Rarity’s attention was the little white unicorn standing next to it. Barely coming up to the dragon’s knees, the unicorn was gesturing with its forelegs in grand, sweeping motions. Astonishingly, the dragon was doing the same, looking down at the filly every few seconds to make sure it was following the same motions.

It was only after processing this information that it dawned on Rarity that the duo were each making sounds in accordance to the music coming from the orchestra pit. They were singing.

“What in the wide world of fashion is Sweetie Belle doing?!” She rounded on the pony that brought them here, the stallion backing away from the furious look she was giving him.

“Hey, it wasn’t my idea! It was the Impresario.”

“Where is she, then? I’ll have a word with her.”

The stallion pointed at the opposite end of the auditorium, where Photo Finish could be seen taking pictures of the duet from her own balcony. “It won’t do you any good to talk with her, though,” the stallion quickly got out. “We’ve all tried to get her to see reason but she’s obsessed with doing a show with that thing.”

“You know…” Spike said, rubbing his chin while looking at the performance. “They’re not half bad. The big guy’s got a nice, booming voice and Sweetie’s got some impressive pipes for a filly. A little more practice, maybe, but the potential’s there.”

“Not the time, Spike!” Rarity shouted, turning towards the exit. “I’m going down there and getting her. I don’t care how good their singing is.”

Relief washed over the stallion. “Oh, thank you. Please, anything to get it to leave! The Dirt Dragon threatened to eat the whole audience if they didn’t stay to listen.” He got ahead of Rarity and led her and Spike back down the stairs. Opening a door set beneath the stairs, he ushered them to go through.

Rarity wasted no time, drawing out Striker and stomping her way past a set of curtains and coming out onto the stage. She ignored everything around her, her sights set squarely on Sweetie Belle. Once she got close enough, she reached out with her magic.

~Through the tolls, among the halls, I will find the will to—ACK!” A blue aura pulled on her ear, cutting Sweetie Belle’s singing short.

“Apologies, folks,” Rarity said to the crowd. “Show’s over. Come along, missy.” She began dragging a protesting Sweetie Belle across the stage. They didn’t get far when a brown, scaly tail slammed down, blocking their path.

“Hey, we weren’t done yet!” the Dirt Dragon roared.

Keeping a calm face, Rarity looked over her shoulder at the monstrosity bearing down on her. “So sorry, but this little lady has gone past her bedtime. You’ll have to rebook.”

“Bedtime? Sweetie, you didn’t tell me you had a curfew.”

“I don’t!” Having had enough, Sweetie Belle sparked her horn, throwing off Rarity’s grip. Rubbing her ear, she slipped away before she could be grabbed again, standing next to the Dirt Dragon. “We’re going to finish what we started.”

Rarity gritted her teeth, casting her gaze between her sister and her singing partner. “Sweetie, do you have any idea what that thing is? He’s… he’s…” Frowning, she turned to Spike, who had just entered the stage. “What were these things called again?”

“I’m standing right here, you know,” the Dirt Dragon drawled.

Huffing, and doing her best to ignore the growing restlessness of the audience, Rarity jabbed her hoof up at the dragon. “Fine! Explain yourself! What are you doing here with my little sister?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Sweetie Belle said with a roll of her eyes. “We’re putting on a show. And now you’re ruining it!

“You leave me alone for a year, suddenly barge in, and are trying to take away the one good thing I have going for me. Thanks a lot!”

Rarity recoiled as if slapped. “But… but I’ve been looking for you all this time. I’m trying to save you.”

“Well, I don’t need saving. I’ve got my own magic now and can look out for myself!” She looked up and smiled at the Dirt Dragon. “Right, Mr. Dragon?”

The Dirt Dragon grinned. Nodding and crossing his short arms, he said, “That’s right. I’ve always wanted a chance to sing to a crowd. When I wandered by, the Impresario said I had a voice that could bring down the house. Sweetie was also here, wanting the same thing.” He spread his arms wide, taking in the gaping audience with his ludicrously tiny arm span. “And here we are!”

Rarity stared. She slowly turned to Spike again. “Is this all real or did Nightmare Moon put me in a bad dream?” Spike could only shrug in response.

“Vy are you all standing around like vidiots!”

All attention switched to the pony running to the center of the stage, her glasses skewed across her muzzle. Photo Finish thrust a hoof at Rarity and Spike, snarling, “Get off stage before I call security!”

“Yeah, well your security guy is the one that let us in,” Spike said.

“Bah, I don’t care! You are ruining the show. Begone!”

“Gladly,” Rarity replied, already heading for the exit. “Come along, Sweetie.”

Sweetie Belle shook her head, not moving from her spot. “Don’t you get it? I don’t want to go with you until we’ve finished.”

“What she said,” the Dirt Dragon added. “Begone!” With a stomp of his powerful hind leg, the Dirt Dragon sent a tremor through the stage. The action activated a set of trap doors underneath Rarity and Spike, catching the pair completely off guard. The two fell out of sight, their receding screams silenced when the dragon stomped again, closing the doors. Grinning smugly, he faced the audience. “Sorry for the interruption, folks. Music!”

.o.O.o.

In the depths of the opera house’s basement, a wall panel opened, revealing a smooth wooden slide. Moments later, Rarity and Spike came tumbling out, falling to the floor in a heap. They both groaned, waiting for their eyes to stop spinning in their sockets. Once they were able to stand without toppling over, they took stock of their surroundings. Gowns, suits, and props hung all around them within a small room. A door was located nearby, allowing them to leave without ceremony.

“Sweetie Belle is so grounded,” Rarity muttered as she and Spike made their way back towards the stage. It took minutes of wandering through the labyrinth of hallways and endless storage rooms for them to seek out an opera employee to led them to the lobby. Once there, the large double doors that led to the theatre opened, allowing the audience to exit at a brisk pace.

“Wait, is it over?” Rarity swept her gaze through the throngs of ponies, chocobos, and a few griffons making an orderly, if somewhat hurried, push for freedom. It didn’t take long for the masses to clear out, leaving Rarity and Spike to stare after them. “I think this whole day has been a wash.”

“Sis!”

Rarity whirled around, spotting Sweetie Belle running down the stairs from the balcony seats. The filly wore a wide grin as she stopped in front of Rarity, panting slightly. “I did it! We sang their horseshoes off!”

Letting out a long breath, Rarity patted Sweetie Belle on the shoulder. “That’s wonderful, dear, truly it is. The crowd looked… well, they were kind enough to keep their opinions to themselves.”

“Really? Cool! I can’t wait to do it again! The Impresario said I could audition for a role when I get older.”

Spike crossed his arms, looking between Sweetie Belle and the exits. “Where’d the dragon go?”

Sweetie Belle’s face fell. “Oh, yeah. He said he had to leave to go to some family reunion, or something. Mr. Dragon did say he had fun though, and gave me this.” Reaching into a satchel slung over her back, Sweetie Belle levitated out a large amber gem. “Isn’t it pretty?”

Spike’s arms tightened against him. His efforts to control his carnal urges were for naught when Sweetie floated the gem in front of him. “It’s the weirdest thing, though,” she said. “He said to give it to you and you’d know what to do with it. What did he mean?”

Clenching his fists, Spike replied, “How badly do you want to keep it the way it is?”

Sweetie Belle cocked her head. “Huh? I don’t get it.”

“Here, I’ll show you.” Spike reached out and plucked the gem from Sweetie Belle’s magical grasp. Sucking in a breath, he opened wide and shoved the whole thing in his mouth. Chomping down hard with his tiny teeth, the gem made a sound like glass breaking against stone. Sweetie Belle yelped but didn’t tear her eyes away from the scene. With a determined swallow, Spike gulped down the razor sharp shards, letting out a belch that carried a whiff of dust.

Pupils the size of saucers, Sweetie Belle took a few moments to let what she saw sink in. “That… was… awesome!”

Spike rapped his chest with a fist, his throat undulating as it tried to work down his crystal meal. “Wow… that’s dry…” he croaked out.

“Go find some water, Spike,” Rarity said, ushering him towards the staff room. “We’ll be leaving in a few minutes.” She eyed Sweetie Belle. “Right?”

Sweetie Belle let out a huff. “Look, I had the chance of a lifetime, and you nearly took that away. You show up after a whole year of being away and then tell me to give it all up. Well, I can make my own decisions and take care of myself, you know.”

Closing her eyes and mentally counting to ten, Rarity said, “I’ve been searching for you this whole time. I kept wondering if I had missed you or the worst had happened. So forgive me when I see my baby sister with a potentially dangerous monster and react accordingly.”

The sisterly pair locked eyes, neither one willing to back down. How long the showdown would have lasted was left unknown as Spike came back, gulping down a pitcher of water. “There, feeling better. We done here?”

“Yes,” Rarity said with finality, breaking the test of wills and heading for the door. “The airship awaits.”

“Wait, airship?” Her dour demeanor crumbling, Sweetie Belle rushed to catch up. “We get to ride the airship again?”

“Maybe, if they don’t take off without us.” Rarity gave a half-lidded stare back towards Sweetie Belle. The younger unicorn turned up her nose and looked away.

Spike brought up the rear, blissfully oblivious to the sisters' ire. All that mattered to him was getting outside in case his upset stomach reached his bowels. "The things I put up with to grow stronger."

.o.O.o.

When Rarity, Spike, and Sweetie Belle climbed aboard the Paradise, Trixie was there to greet them. “You actually came back quicker than I expected.”

Rarity flipped her hair, grinning. “Naturally.”

Shifting her gaze to the filly they returned with, Trixie frowned. “Great, one of the munchkins.”

“That’s Cutie Mark Crusader, to you!” Sweetie Belle shot back.

“Whatever. We heard back from Twilight through that needle that they’re all done in Jidhoof. The other two brats are with them.”

“Oh, good. Sounds like they were able to help out that old rich guy.”

Rarity glared down at her, her brow tightly furrowed. “Wait, you came all the way down here, yourself?”

Sweetie Belle huffed. “I told you, I can look out for myself.”

Sighing and shaking her head, Trixie walked off. “I’ll let the Pies know to take off. Keep your family feud to yourselves.”

Sweetie Belle rushed off, ignoring Rarity’s shout that their conversation wasn’t over. Grinding her teeth, Rarity headed back to her room, intent on bolting herself down in preparation for Limestone’s takeoff. She intentionally didn’t warn Sweetie to do the same.

.o.O.o.

Less than an hour later, the Jidhoof team stepped onto the Paradise and where immediately greeted by an animated, if slightly pale, Sweetie Belle. She ran up to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, hopping in place. “You guys won’t believe what I just did!”

“Did it involve taking on a vengeful ghost?” Scootaloo guessed.

“Nope! Singing with a dragon!”

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom exchanged defeated looks. “She’s got us beat, there,” Apple Bloom said.

While the trio of fillies chatted about their adventures, Big Macintosh and Stardust dumped two sacks full of gil in front of Trixie and Moonlight. Stardust, despite breathing heavily, beamed. “Three-hundred… thousand gil. And that’s after getting… new supplies.”

Moonlight gaped while Trixie nodded thoughtfully. “Given what we’ve been through so far, how long do you think it will last?”

Stardust tapped a talon to the deck, taking this moment to catch his breath. “Well, months if we need to keep restocking the cannons. Years, if not. And with Apple Bloom back, we could stretch it out even longer.”

“Good. You three manage that while Trixie talks with the others.” With a flip of her cape, Trixie left the fortune behind with the chocobos and Big Macintosh to speak with Twilight, Sunset, and Pinkie, who were busy unloading their own bags. “Find anything useful besides the kids?”

“Yes, actually.” Smiling, Twilight levitated out the blue feather from her bags and presented it to Trixie. “Look familiar?”

“Rainbow.” Eyes welling with emotion, Trixie took the offered feather and looked it over thoroughly.

“That’s not all,” Pinkie Pie said. “We may have found a clue to where she is.”

Trixie’s full attention shifted to her. “Where?”

Pinkie Pie cleared her throat. “‘The treasure is where the mountains form a star.’”

Cocking her head, Trixie sat down and pulled out her map. She laid out the ever shifting parchment against the deck and began to scan it. It only took a few seconds for her to take in a sharp breath and point the feather at a spot on the map. “There.”

Twilight, Pinkie, and Sunset looked to where Trixie was pointing. Above Trotzen, a mountain formation in the rough outline of a five pointed star lay. Before their eyes, text appeared in black cursive next to a dark patch deep in the mountains, forming the title of "Phoenix Cave".

Stepping back, Sunset said, “This is too easy. And freaky.”

“Why do you say that?” Twilight asked.

Sunset looked to Pinkie Pie. “You said you got a tip, right? Back at the amusement park?”

Pinkie Pie nodded. “Yep! Flash told me about it.”

“And how did you know to even talk to him?”

“Well, Discord—”

“Exactly!” Sunset shouted, startling everypony. “It all leads back to him. He’s sending us there on some wild goose chase which will just end up getting us killed.”

Trixie stood back up, rolling up the map. “Discord doesn’t play the game like that.”

“Tell that to the zebras!”

Trixie grimaced. “Discord doesn’t play that way with us. He’s not done with us yet because we don’t have all the players.”

“And once we do?” Sunset snarled. “He’ll have us all in one place to finish us off.”

“No, he won’t.”

Sunset and Trixie blinked. They twisted their heads, giving Twilight Sparkle their undivided attention. The unicorn blushed a little, but continued on, “I’m sorry, Sunset, but I’m with Trixie on this one. Discord is toying with us but I think there’s more going on than just him. I can’t explain it. Just a hunch, I guess.”

Taking a breath, Twilight pushed on, “We’re going to find Rainbow Dash, then anypony else that we’re missing, and then we’ll confront Discord together. Just like he, and we, want.” Turning to Pinkie, she said, “Phoenix Cave?”

“Phoenix Cave!” Pinkie Pie saluted and rushed off to inform her sisters.

Watching her go with a forlorn expression, Sunset turned to the two former Imperial unicorns. “I don’t know how you two can be so sure of this.”

Trixie gave Sunset her trademark smirk. “What, still doubt the might of the Great and Powerful Trixie and her faithful sidekick?”

“Sidekick?!” Twilight squawked.

Trixie ignored her. “Have faith, Sunset Shimmer. Our day of destiny with Discord is coming soon!”

.o.O.o.

The Returners all looked over the railings, getting their fill of the mountains north of Trotzen. They had made a brief stop at the town, donating some of their money to the citizens for when the chocobo caravan stopped by next. Discord’s chaos magic still permeated the unlucky settlement, his influence seemingly more concentrated on the southern continent than in other parts of the world. The Returners could only guess as to why that was the case, but for now their focus was on finding the cave that Rainbow Dash could potentially be heading for.

Even with Trixie’s map, the cave entrance proved to be a tricky thing to spot. It wasn’t until Derpy decided to take action and fly closer that any progress was made. Using a technique she learned from observing eagles in the Veldt, she narrowed her eyes until they sharpened her vision to pinpoint accuracy. In this enhanced state, it didn’t take her long to find some hoofprints and shed blue feathers leading to the deepest parts of the mountains. She headed back to the airship and reported her findings.

“Leave it to pegasi to go cavorting off without considering the danger,” Rarity said.

“Hey, at least it gives us a lead,” Pinkie Pie piped up from the wheel. “I’ll go a little lower, but I gotta keep some altitude or I might crash.”

While Pinkie Pie navigated, Trixie poured over her map. The marking for the cave grew bigger and bigger the further in the Paradise went. Suddenly, she raised a hoof. “Stop!”

Pinkie Pie cut the engines, leaving the airship hovering over a deep ravine where many mountains converged. Derpy leaned over the railing, thrusting a hoof to a cliff side in the ravine. “There! That’s the entrance!”

Nodding, Trixie made to roll up the map, but stopped as new text appeared below the Phoenix Cave label. “Two parties are needed,” it read. Her face scrunched up.

Shaking her head, she picked up the map and headed towards the center of the deck. “Can Trixie have your attention, please!” Once she had the desired effect, she continued, “According to the map, it seems we’ll need to form two groups in order to get through the cave. Seeing as we still have a prisoner that needs guarding, I’m taking any volunteers.”

Unsurprisingly, Twilight Sparkle was the first to raise her hoof. Others joined in, including Sunset Shimmer, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Zecora, Spike, Big Macintosh, and Derpy. Looking satisfied with the turnout, Trixie said, “Great, Trixie will be going in, too. The rest of you take care of things here.”

“Hold on just a minute,” Rarity called out, her eyes leveled on Sweetie Belle. “What makes you think I’m going to let you go into almost certain danger?”

Sweetie Belle let out an agonized groan. “Pleeeease, can you stop treating me like a stupid foal? The three of us know what we’re getting into.”

“I don’t think you do. In fact, I—”

“Miss Rarity, I’ll go with ‘em.”

Rarity shot Big Macintosh a withering glare. “What? How can you say that? Even your own sister?”

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh flashed a smile at the three fillies before turning back to Rarity. “They have just as much reason ta fight like we do. Their magic’s really good, too.”

“Thanks, big brother!” Apple Bloom raised a hoof which Big Macintosh happily hoof bumped.

Before Rarity could counter back, Zecora stepped up next to them. “These three will be in good care. They will come back unharmed, this I swear.”

Derpy flew in and plopped down in the growing group’s center. “Count me in! We’ve got the loaded team, here!”

Rarity stood staring at each in turn, finally stopping on Sweetie Belle. Scowling, she summoned a bundle of needles and shot each with a bolt of magic. Rarity levitated one to each of them, but held back Sweetie Belle’s. “The moment you think you’re in danger, you use this.” Her ultimatum given, she passed it to her sister.

Accepting the needle, Sweetie Belle smiled. “Thanks, Sis. I’m going to be fine, you’ll see.”

Rarity answered by grabbing Sweetie Belle up into a crushing hug, giving a kiss on the cheek, then dropping her, and rushing away to the lower decks.

Red faced, and doing her best to ignore Apple Bloom and Scootaloo’s giggling, Sweetie Belle shrugged to the others. “She gets a little emotional.”

“Are we all set?” Trixie called out. Not hearing any negatives, she signaled to Pinkie Pie. “Get us down there.”

“Roger!” With a press of a button, Pinkie Pie set the Paradise into a descent. It took some time and careful maneuvering, but she was able to position the airship close enough to drop a rope ladder down to the cliff side.

One by one, the Returners climbed down, Derpy doing her best to keep the ladder steady against the growing winds. All reached the cliff side without incident, the cave entrance looming before them. Taking in a breath and letting it out slowly, Trixie headed in, followed closely by the rest.

The first thing to hit them was the heat. A blanket of hot air washed over them, making Twilight and Spike glad Umaro hadn’t come. The poor yeti would have cooked under his own fur. The second thing of notice was the two split paths that each ended in a wall of stone. Set in the wall between the paths was a wooden lever. Trixie walked up to it, took another breath, and pulled it down. There came a rumble as the stone wall in the left path slowly slid into a hidden recess, opening the way.

Trixie let go of the lever, turning to head for the new entrance, but the moment she did, the lever sprung back into place, and the stone door slid closed. “Huh.” She pulled the lever down again, the door once again sliding open. “Guess that’s why two groups are needed. Some of us will need to stay to let the others go through.”

“Who makes something like that in a place like this?” Scootaloo asked.

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Discord?”

“Even if it was, would that stop any of you?” Trixie said.

“Nope,” came Big Macintosh’s answer. He headed towards the only way forward. The Crusaders, Zecora, and Derpy gave a final look to their companions, then followed after him. Once they were far enough on the other side, Big Macintosh raised a hoof.

Trixie let go of the lever, closing her group off from them. “If Trixie’s guess is right, they should find something to open up the other path.”

Less than a minute later, the right wall opened up. “Y’all see somethin’?” came Big Macintosh’s vice from Twilight’s saddlebags, startling the mare.

Giving a sheepish smile, Twilight levitated out one of Rarity’s communications needles. “Yes, a path opened up. We’re going through now.”

Nodding, Trixie motioned her team onward, leading them deeper into the cave.

.o.O.o.

“They’re good,” Big Macintosh called out.

“Great!” Derpy let go of a button set into the cave wall she had been holding down. The moment she did, distant rumbling could be heard. She flew back down to the others, smiling widely. “We gotta keep our eyes peeled for any more of those.”

“It is lucky for us to have you here,” Zecora said. “This cavern will test more than our might, I fear.”

Scootaloo hopped up and down in excitement. “Oh, like a puzzle!” She felt a hoof tap her back, causing her to stop and turn around. “What?”

Apple Bloom removed her hoof from Scootaloo and pointed it further down the cave. “Looks like we’ll need ta do that might part sooner than we thought.”

The group looked to where Apple Bloom pointed, a motley assortment of monsters heading towards them. Two were nothing but walking pony skeletons wearing tattered, dirty strips of cloth that hung from their bones like rotting flesh. They held canes topped with red crystal balls in their mouths that pulsed every few seconds. Another monster floated above them, this one a humanoid head with no body that grinned impossibly wide. A tightly wound strand of hair from the center of its skull lay down its cheek. It sucked in air using nonexistent lungs, then blew a barrage of needle-like projectiles at the Returners.

“Got it!” Sweetie Belle darted forward before anypony could stop her. Her horn flared and a green barrier surrounded them, deflecting the incoming needles. “Get it before it can do that again!”

“Ha! Say no more!” Taking that as her cue, Scootaloo zipped by Sweetie Belle’s side, buzzing her wings. In seconds, magical electricity built up within them then were loosed at the incoming monsters. The bolt struck the human head right in its open mouth as it tried to ready another attack. It wailed and burst from within, showering magical motes to the floor.

Apple Bloom hadn’t been idle, stomping the ground with her forehooves. The ground cracked underneath the still approaching skeletons, causing them to stumble into the magically created fissures. Rocks broken off from the sudden rupture crawled up the trapped monsters, encasing them entirely. Sitting back, Apple Bloom clapped her hooves once. The stone prisons crumbled and so did the skeletons.

Their labor complete, the three fillies turned as one to the older ponies watching with rapt attention. They each grinned, widely.

Big Macintosh smirked. “Told her their magic was good.”

.o.O.o.

Elsewhere, in a separate part of the Phoenix Cave, Sunset Shimmer reduced a maniacal creature waving around a parasol to ash. The remains floated and dispersed, gently covering the cave floor.

Trixie walked up to her and nudged Sunset with a hoof. “That only took one fireball instead of two. Trixie’s brilliant training is paying off!”

Sunset gave her a half-lidded stare. “Thanks, I guess.”

“You’re welcome! Keep it up.” Trixie trotted on, sword at the ready for any ambushes.

“You’ve been awfully cheerful, lately. It’s freaking me out.”

“What? Trixie isn’t allowed to be excited to see her troops improve?”

Before Sunset could respond, Spike beat her to it. “She’s just looking forward to seeing Rainbow Dash again.”

Twilight tried and failed to stifle a giggle. “It is pretty obvious.” She waved her hooves in a placating manner when Trixie glared back. “Not that it’s a bad thing! I want to see her, too!”

A monster with a demonic head surrounded by purple vines hurled itself from behind a crevasse, hissing and whipping its tendrils.

Twilight cut it down with one stroke from Ragnarok.

Trixie’s glare shifted to one of amusement. “I see a year’s worth of pacifism hasn’t slowed you down.”

Twilight stuck out her tongue. “I don’t do it lightly. Besides, it was icky looking.”

Sniffing in amusement, Trixie continued on, the others trailing behind. The temperature hadn’t lessened, feeling even more sweltering the further in they went. More switches and levers crossed their path, forcing them to stop and coordinate with the other team in order to lower a myriad of spikes dotting the floor, along with sliding doors and other such obstacles. One button opened a staircase leading down, and once the ponies descended, they found the source for the heat.

A lake of lava greeted them in a large cavern. Islands of rocks dotted the rolling and flowing molten material, dispersed close enough that the ponies could potentially hop between them to cross. As they discussed how best to go about this, a bulge in the lake formed nearby. The displaced lava bump moved closer to the unsuspecting Returners, stopping just before the platform they stood on. In a burst of splayed lava, a giant red dragon emerged and stared down at the startled group.

“We meet again, drake,” the Red Dragon rumbled. “I feel you have obtained even more power from my brethren.”

“Oh, crap,” Spike said. He smiled and waved weakly, shooing back the ponies with his other claw. “Um, we’re just passing through. No need to get mad about it.”

The Red Dragon laughed, a deep, dangerous sound. “Mad? If anything, I’m delighted. Now we shall see if you’ve grown in power since our last encounter.”

“Ah, how about we not?” Spike cried out as the Red Dragon swiped at him with a claw twice his size, stumbling backwards. In a spout of fire, he summoned his spear, the rest of the ponies reading their weapons as well. “I’m warning you! We’ve taken on bigger!”

“Good. Now stop talking and fight.” The Red Dragon dove back into the lava, only to reemerge standing on a rocky platform that rose from the depths of the lake. More stone platforms appeared, filling in the gaps and creating a big enough area for the Returners and the Red Dragon to comfortably battle on.

The Returners didn’t get the chance to marvel at the consideration as the Red Dragon opened with a swipe of his tail. Spike and the ponies scattered, Spike taking a stab at the back legs of the Red Dragon, chipping a few scales. The others drew close and slashed with their swords, digging deep and drawing a few trickles of dark blood. The dragon stomped and thrashed, but the Returners proved to be nimble targets. Numerous cuts littered his lower body while his attacks missed their marks.

The Red Dragon backed off, his mouth curled back to show rows of serrated teeth. “Your weapons have improved. But what of your magic?” He raised his front claws, deep red spheres forming above them. “Blaster!” The spheres shot down, striking Sunset and Twilight before they could prepare a defense. They fell to the ground, paralyzed.

“Twilight!” Spike rushed for her but the descending form of the Red Dragon blocked his path. With a cry of anger, Spike spewed a stream of ice. The Red Dragon countered with his own breath attack, the two opposing forces colliding in midair. A clash of power began, the two dragons locked in a struggle to overcome the other. Spike and the Red Dragon were at a stalemate, waiting for the other to buckle first.

Trixie had other ideas.

Running up next to Spike, she charged her horn and added her frosty might to Spike’s own. The shift in balance was immediate. The Red Dragon’s fire was pushed back rapidly, the magical chill reaching his snout. For the first time in a millennium, the Red Dragon felt cold.

The Red Dragon cut off his attack, barely swiveling his head away in time to avoid being encased in ice. Rather than follow up with more spells, he regarded the pair before him. “Very impressive. Your strength has truly grown. Now face my—GRAAAH!”

The Red Dragon violently lurched his body to the side, nearly falling into the lava. He gasped as pain the likes of which he had never felt before flooded his tail. With effort, he fought back the agony and looked to where he stood only moments before. His breath hitched, nostrils emitting black smoke.

Sunset stared back, standing next to a severed tail. The Ultima Weapon levitated in front of her, ready to strike again. The wounded end of the tail twitched but didn’t bleed as the blood vessels had been cauterized from the weapon’s energy blade.

“How…?” the Red Dragon hissed. “You… should not have been able to move at all.”

Declining to answer, Sunset yelled and charged forward, ready to cut off more of the beast. The Red Dragon sneered and rolled, his body plunging into the lava. Sunset stopped and waited, but after several minutes, there was no sign of him returning. She rushed back to where Twilight still lay, unable to move. Trixie and Spike did the same, a healing spell from Trixie at the ready. A few castings later and Twilight managed to stand up, if unsteadily.

“Thanks,” Twilight said, shaking out her limbs. “Think he’ll be back?”

Spike crossed his arms, letting out a puff of smoke. “Dunno. Maybe he got the message and slunk off. But boy, these guys are getting really aggressive lately.” He looked up at Sunset. “By the way, how’d you shake off his spell?”

Shrugging, Sunset said, “Not sure. I guess I just have a higher tolerance to his type of magic. One second I wasn’t able to move and the next I was. Weird, huh?”

“It’s something to keep in mind in case he comes back,” Trixie said. She took in the platform they were standing on, frowning at how far the next protruding rock was from them. “Spike, can you fly around and see if there’s any way to get across?”

“Eh, I can try,” he said. “I haven’t had much practice with my new wings, yet.”

“No better time than now. And if you fall, you have a nice pool of lava to catch you.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Joke’s on you. Lava doesn’t bother me.” Taking a few practice flaps to warm up, Spike ran forward and leapt off the edge of the platform. His wings spread wide, catching an updraft from a bursting lava bubble. Soon, he was gliding in an increasingly widening circle around the cavern.

With Spike occupied, Trixie took out a communication needle. “Let’s see how the others are doing. Maybe they found something to help us get through.”

.o.O.o.

“I hope the others are doing better than we are.”

Derpy sighed. The monsters were a hassle, but nothing they couldn’t deal with. The real frustrating thing was—

“What the hay?! Another empty one!”

—that all the treasure boxes mysteriously littering their path were all empty. It was really becoming a bummer.

Scootaloo slammed shut the red box sticking out of a wall and stomped back over to the others. “What’s the point of putting these things in a secret cave if there’s nothing in them?”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Dunno. I’m just glad they haven’t set off any traps.”

“Let’s just keep going,” Sweetie Belle said. “It’s too hot to worry about it.”

The group hadn’t gone far when they came upon a grotto with pools of bubbling water. Thin pathways threaded through the pools, leading towards a central rock pedestal. Before they could begin traversing the pools, the needle Big Macintosh held began to ping and vibrate. Taking it out, Big Macintosh held it out for the others to listen in. “We hear ya.”

“We’re stuck again,” came Trixie’s voice. “We’re further down and have lava all around us.”

“No wonder it’s so hot,” Apple Bloom commented.

“Anything on your end that looks like it could help?”

“Actually…” Apple Bloom pointed towards the pedestal. “We might.”

Zecora hummed thoughtfully. “Yes, that must be it. Wait here. I’ll be back lickity-split!” She took off, leaping between the boiling water pools with pinpoint accuracy. She reached the outcropping of rock in seconds and quickly found a metal panel rising out of the ground. Zecora pressed down on it.

There came a rumbling from all around. The pools of water churned and sputtered, then began to recede. In moments, the grotto drained of all water, leaving nothing but residual steam drifting through the air. With nothing else of interest around her, Zecora hopped down to her waiting team. “The deed is done. Are you able to move forward as one?”

A few seconds passed before a response came. “... You could have warned us.”

.o.O.o.

Grumbling, Trixie stuffed the communication needle back in her sack and shook her body like a dog. The others were doing the same, droplets of water flying off their bodies. While a refreshing spray of water would have been nice to cool off with, the deluge that washed over them had been near scalding. The bright side was that the lake of lava had receded, revealing a path for them to walk over.

Spike returned only a minute later, gliding down to land next to the steaming ponies. “What happened?”

“The others helped,” Trixie said. “Forget it, let’s just get going.”

“I found an exit on the other side of the cave.”

“Good.” Trixie trotted over the new path, the others following in line. Halfway through the cavern, she heard the patter of little feet waddling to catch up to her. She looked down to see Spike pointedly looking away from her, his arms crossed.

“Thanks,” he muttered under his breath.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “What was that?”

“I said thanks,” Spike said a little louder.

A smirk threatened to form on Trixie’s mouth, but she forced her face to remain neutral with supreme effort. “For what?”

Spike huffed. “For helping with the dragon.”

This time, Trixie didn’t fight the smirk. “Well, Trixie couldn’t allow one of her troops to face it alone. Besides, she wanted him gone just as much as you did.” Spike didn’t respond, focusing instead on walking forward. Trixie did the same, though her smirk stayed in place.

With nothing impeding their way, it didn’t take long to reach the exit that Spike found. It led further downward but no lava flowed here. The tunnel lasted only a few hooflengths before it opened up into a large cavern. A path led down to a small peninsula in the center of the cavern, surrounded by long solidified magma. A pony stood on the peninsula, her back turned to the group, though her colorful mane and tail gave her identity away.

“Rainbow Dash!” Trixie and Twilight both called out. The two unicorns rushed down the path, coming to stand opposite the pegasus.

Rainbow Dash turned, a magicite shard balanced on one of her wings. She waved and smiled. “Hey, guys! I knew you’d get here. Eventually. Slowpokes.”

Trixie and Twilight hesitated for only a second. They ran up to Rainbow Dash, grabbing her up on either side in a hug. Rainbow Dash chuckled, wrapping each in a wing. A moment later, Spike added himself to the pony pile, latching onto Rainbow Dash’s front.

“Jeez, guys, glad to see you too.” Rainbow Dash gave a sly glance to Trixie. “Isn’t this ruining your image?”

“Shut up and let Trixie have this one,” Trixie retorted, not lessening her grip. Rainbow Dash giggled in return.

One pony held back from joining, but even still, Sunset Shimmer couldn’t help from smiling at the sight. She sat back and waited, letting the reunited Returners have their moment.

“Okay, I think that’s enough.” With a gentle but insistent push, Rainbow Dash separated from the group hug. “But seriously, it’s great to see you guys again. I would have found you sooner, but I had some business to take care of first.” Grinning, she held out the wing balancing the magicite. “Check this out.”

The others crowded around to inspect it. Twilight’s brow furrowed. “Um, it looks broken. See those cracks? They’re really deep. The magic in it may have drained out.”

Rainbow Dash gave a deep sigh. “Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of. Still, I have to try.”

Twilight, Spike, and Sunset cocked their heads, though Trixie gained a thoughtful look. “That’s for your friend, isn’t it.”

Nodding, Rainbow Dash said, “I think this is my last chance to help her. I gotta find out.” She flipped the magicite into a brown sack set behind her.

“We can get you to Coltlingen really quickly. Pinkie Pie has a new airship.”

“Yeah, I heard. Looks pretty sweet.” A cocky grin graced her features. “But I betcha I could get there before you could.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “You can’t be serious.”

Rainbow Dash spread her wings wide. “I’ve been traveling all over the world with these babies. I’ve never been able to do that before. Whatever we did a year ago buffed me up really good. So try to keep up, okay?”

.o.O.o.

True to her word, the moment Rainbow Dash and the two teams exited the Phoenix Cave, the cyan pegagus took off with a receding, “See ya there!”

“Wait a sec!” Twilight called out but Rainbow Dash had already cleared the tops of the mountains. Scowling, she plucked out Trixie’s communication needle and called for Pinkie Pie to pick them up.

It took nearly an hour for everpony to climb back onto the Paradise and inform Pinkie of the situation. Pinkie Pie grinned wildly, thrusting a hoof out. “Follow that bird!” Propellers revved to their maximum, the Paradise shot off.

Rainbow Dash was long since gone, but Pinkie wasn’t a slouch in the skies. She found a favorable tailwind and used that to boost the Paradise a few extra knots. The passengers found what they could to strap themselves in as the airship reached speeds they feared would tear the ship apart. After the longest ride of their lives, the Paradise finally began to slow down, Pinkie Pie announcing that they had reached Coltlingen. As soon as their legs stopped wobbling long enough for them to stand, the Returners made a mad dash for the ramp.

A smug looking Rainbow Dash was waiting for them at the bottom. “What took ya?”

Pinkie Pie’s face fell. “Aw, I even had Maud use the rest of our special juice.”

“Trixie doesn’t even care that you won,” Trixie said. She glared hard at Pinkie Pie. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“We were perfectly safe!”

“I don’t care!”

Rainbow Dash raised a hoof to her mouth and blew, creating a sharp whistle. “Guys, I’m kiiiiinda in a hurry.” She turned away, heading towards the dilapidated house towards the back of the village. Trixie and Twilight followed, stopping when Rainbow Dash hesitated at the door. She looked at them over her shoulder. “Um, mind if you wait out here? I’m… not sure what’s going to happen.”

Trixie and Twilight shared a glance, looked back and nodded together. Rainbow Dash gave a weak smile, then headed in. Mr. Greenhooves was there, sitting in a creaky rocking chair and chewing his ever present grass stalk. He looked up and smiled as Rainbow Dash walked up to him. “Dashie! What’s the good word?”

Rainbow Dash pulled out the magicite from the Phoenix Cave. “I got it.”

Greenhooves leaned down to peer at the green and red crystal. “Well, whaddya know. You dun did it.” He pulled away, shaking his head. “Looks kinda busted, though. Think it will work?”

Sighing, Rainbow Dash moved aside to open up the trap door. “It has to. I don’t know what else I can do.” She and Greenhooves stepped down the wooden stairs, into the small, candle lit room where Spitfire still lay on her bed. Rainbow Dash walked up to her, her eyes wavering with each step. When she reached the bed, Rainbow Dash hesitated.

Greenhooves let out a grunt, but didn’t say anything.

Firming up her features, Rainbow Dash swept her wing over Spitfire, depositing the magicite onto her chest.

The two ponies waited. And waited. Grunting again, Greenhooves hung his head, taking off his straw hat and placing it against his chest. “I’m so sorry, Dashie.”

Rainbow Dash hiccuped. She sat back and hung her head, taking long, deep breaths. “Damnit.” Raising her head back up, she took in the form of Spitfire, lying as still as ever. She shook her head and reached forward to take back the magicite.

The moment she touched it, Rainbow Dash’s world went white.

.o.O.o.

“Hey… partner…”

Rainbow Dash groaned, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. “Wha…?”

“Still asleep on the job, I see. Ya bum.”

Bolting upright, Rainbow Dash whirled around, finding herself in a white void with no end. “Spitfire?!”

“Up here.”

Rainbow Dash looked to where the voice was coming, her eyes bulging out. Above her, Spitfire hovered in the air, no longer comatose on a bed. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened further as Spitfire wasn’t alone. Her body was fully encompassed by a giant, red, and translucent bird made of fire that flapped in time with Spitfire’s wings. “Hah…?”

“Sorry, but I don’t have much time,” Spitfire said, her voice seemingly coming from everywhere. “I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks… for being my partner. There was never a dull moment with you around. I don’t regret a second of it.”

“Spitfire!” Rainbow Dash took off, holding out her hooves. However, the distance between them didn’t close, the gulf remaining the same no matter how hard Rainbow Dash flapped.

A sad smile formed on Spitfire’s muzzle. “I gotta go now, Dash. But let me say one last thing. Don’t beat yourself up over what happened. You can’t let it weigh you down, anymore. You have new friends out there that need you.” Spitfire leaned back, her wings and the bird’s taking her farther up the void.

“Spitfire!”

“See ya around, partner. Phoenix, do me a solid and help her out, would ya?” Spitfire spread her legs and wings wide. “Be reborn!”

“No! Spitfi—”

.o.O.o.

Rainbow Dash jerked her body wildly, the force flipping over the bed.

“Spitfire! Spitfire!” She repeated in a wide-eyed panic.

“Dash! Dash!”

Rainbow Dash turned to the voices coming down the stairs, seeing Twilight and Trixie enter the room. Greenhooves was still here, wearing a confused expression. Ignoring the other ponies, Rainbow Dash focused back on the bed, running around it to the other side.

Spitfire was nowhere to be found.

“We felt a swell of magic, so we came running,” Twilight was saying, but to Rainbow Dash, it was though her voice was coming from much further away. “What happened? What’s going on?”

Trixie crossed the room, coming to stand next to Rainbow Dash. She looked at the bed and its lack of occupant, then back at the pegasus. “It worked, didn’t it?”

Rainbow Dash felt herself nod, still staring transfixed at the empty bed.

Twilight stood back, her hooves tapping and her muzzle a frown.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Trixie patted Rainbow Dash on the back, turned, and headed for the exit. “We’ll be up above when you’re ready. And Dash?” Trixie looked over her shoulder, a smile playing at her lips. “Nice tush.” With that, Trixie ushered Twilight up the stairs, leaving only Greenhooves and Rainbow Dash in the room.

It took a moment for Rainbow Dash’s mind to process Trixie’s last statement. Tearing her gaze off the bed, she looked down. Her jaw dropped.

A cutie mark was adorned on her flank: a bolt of rainbow lightning coming from a cloud made of fire.

In Which There Has To Be A Better Way In

Rainbow Dash trotted out of Greenhooves’ shack, coming up to an awaiting Trixie and Twilight. Twilight made to speak but the emotionless look Rainbow Dash gave halted her voice. Even Trixie held back saying anything, watching the pegasus intently.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash then slowly let the air out of her body. “I… I think I’m going to be okay.” She craned her neck, glancing at her new cutie mark. A smirk tickled at her lips. “I never thought things would end up this way. Crazy, right?” Rainbow Dash looked back at the pair, a smile forming. “I should be bawling my eyes out, but… I don’t know… I just feel… free.”

Rainbow Dash's smile grew as she stood a little taller. “Thanks for coming out to get me, even if I didn’t need it. It… it means a lot.”

Twilight smiled back and nodded. “Of course. If there’s anything we can do to help, just let us know.”

“Well, I know where you can start. Care to fill me in on how Pinkie got a rad new airship?”

.o.O.o.

The moment Rainbow Dash boarded the Paradise for the first time, she was beset with a round of warm greetings and hoofbumps. She rounded on Applejack, giving the farmer a much firmer high hoof. “AJ, we’re part of the butt mark group!”

“Cutie mark…” Twilight grumbled.

Applejack grinned, lifting up her genji armor and showing off her trio of white apples. “Darn tootin’! Coulda done with more warning, but it’s been helping a lot.”

“Yeah, can’t wait to see what kind of magic I can pull off.” Rainbow Dash swept her eyes over the deck, a content smile on her muzzle. “So, what’s the plan to deal with Discord?”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “You know that’s why we’re here?”

“C’mon, I’m not that dumb. You guys haven’t exactly been a low profile, lately. Or are there more airships flying around?”

“Nope!” Pinkie Pie chirped. “One of a kind!”

“That’s what I thought.” Rainbow Dash gave a self-satisfied nod. She cocked her head when a pony she didn’t recognize walked up to her, looking resigned. Rainbow Dash blinked when the pony unsheathed a glowing blue sword and put it down in front of her.

“I guess I need to return this to you now,” Sunset Shimmer said. She sighed, looking down at the Ultima Weapon. “Use it well. It’s a heck of a sword.”

Rainbow Dash looked between the weapon, to Sunset, then at Trixie. “Am I missing something?”

Smirking, Trixie said, “Don’t you recognize your prize? It’s what that big beastie on the Floating Island left when we killed it.”

Dawning slowly grew over Rainbow Dash’s features. “Whoa, seriously?! It can grow bigger?”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah, it draws on the life energy of the one who uses it.”

Rainbow Dash squealed and picked it up, grabbing it by the teeth. Her gleeful expression fell as the energy blade shrunk down to half its current length. “Uh…” Frowning, she put it back down and motioned to Sunset. “Could you pick it up again?”

Complying, Sunset levitated the Ultima Weapon before her. The moment her magic touched it, the blade extended.

“Huh. Well crap, doesn’t look like it’ll be much use to me.” Rainbow Dash shrugged and gestured at Sunset. “Keep it, for now.”

A look of relief passed over Sunset. “Really?” she said, even as she sheathed the sword.

“Yeah, I’ll sell it later. Besides, I found this!” With a flick of her wing, Rainbow Dash produced a knife with a blood red blade. “Got it in the Phoenix Cave, along with a few other goodies!”

Derpy gasped. “So you were the one that took those treasures!”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Hey, first come, first served. Anyway, what’s next?”

Trixie cleared her throat. “Trixie feels we are getting close. Is there anypony else that we’re missing that would agree to help us?”

A few moments passed as the Returners talked amongst themselves. While speaking with Shining Armor, Rarity’s eyes widened and her gaze swiveled towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She rushed over to where they were trying to bargain with Rainbow Dash to give up some of the treasure she had found. “Girls! Whatever happened to Fluttershy?”

A look passed between the trio of mounting realization topped with dread. Apple Bloom found the courage to speak. “We, um… don’t really know.”

“She wasn’t with us when the island crashed and we haven’t seen her since,” Scootaloo continued.

Sweetie Belle shuffled her hooves. “Sorry. We thought she would be with you.”

Rarity closed her eyes and mentally counted to ten. “Great. You all make a big speech on how you’re all grown up and then you can’t even take care of your own caretaker.” She leveled a disapproving glare at the fillies before marching off to find Trixie. She didn’t have to look far as Trixie was nearby speaking with Moonlight and Stardust.

“You’re really serious,” Trixie deadpanned, giving a half lidded stare up at Moonlight.

“How could I ever make such a thing up?” Moonlight replied, unfazed by Trixie’s skepticism. “Let’s go there and I’ll show you.”

“Go where?” Rarity asked as she trotted up.

Trixie heaved a sigh. “He says there’s an island where he was imprisoned. There’s some worms of some kind that can lead us to a cave where we can find help.”

“Hard pass,” Rarity said.

Stardust threw up his wings. “Oh, come on! Let’s at least check it out.”

Trixie cocked her head and furrowed her brow. “Why so gung-ho all of a sudden? Usually you chicken out on adventure.”

“That’s before I got magic. And I’ve gotten pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.”

Declining to comment, Trixie turned to Rarity. “Yes?”

“We’re missing Fluttershy,” Rarity began. “I haven’t heard anything on her whereabouts and I’m worried about the poor dear.”

“And Fluttershy is…?”

Rarity let out an exasperated breath. “Don’t you remember? She’s the yellow pegasus.”

Trixie paused to think it over. “Nope. No clue who that is.”

“Oh, for the love of… Let’s just head to Thamaresa. Maybe she’s gone back there.”

“What about the island?” Moonlight interjected.

“Great, from no ideas to too many ideas,” Trixie groused. Grumbling, she pulled out her map and spread it out on the deck.

The appearance of a map triggered Rainbow Dash’s interest and she broke away from the disappointed fillies. She stood over Trixie, her eyes shining with possibilities. “Where’d you get this?”

“One of the gifts Discord gave Trixie,” Trixie replied absentmindedly. She yelped when Rainbow Dash’s hoof came down hard on the middle of the map.

“Whoa, what is that?!”

Trixie batted Rainbow Dash’s hoof away. “Careful or you’ll rip it!” She looked to where the pegasus’ hoof had touched and frowned. “Just a stupid tower. Forget about it.”

“Are you serious? With a name like Fanatics Tower, it's gotta be worth checking out.”

“Or it could be a complete waste of time. Discord nearly killed Sunset and I just so he could show it off.”

“All the more reason to go!”

Trixie felt a headache coming on and rubbed her forehead. “Dash, don’t make me regret coming to find you.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “Really, you thought you found me? More like catching up.”

“If we could get back on track,” Moonlight interjected, holding up a wing. He brought the wing down on the map and traced a path from their current position to the tower, the triangular island, then to Themaresa. “These three places are all fairly close to each other. If we follow the path I just pointed out we’ll be able to visit each of them in the least amount of time. We can even split up again to speed things up. With how many companions we’ve found, that shouldn’t be an issue.”

Trixie sat and stared at the path Moonlight had suggested. Letting out a huff, she said, “Fine. That should make everypony happy. We’ll need more of your communication needles Rarity, and figure out who’s going where.”

“It shall be done,” Rarity said, heading off to get to work.

“Dibs on the tower!” Rainbow Dash announced.

Trixie shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. “Not surprised. We also still need to keep an eye on our prisoner. Trixie suspects she’ll wake up at any time.”

Rainbow Dash cocked her head. “Who’s that?”

“That crazy black mare that called herself Nightmare Moon.”

“Seriously?! You guys beat her? Wow, I always had to duck and hide behind a cloud whenever she passed me. I might be awesome but even I knew she was bad news.” Heading for the cabin door, Rainbow Dash said over her back, “I gotta go see!”

“Don’t wake her up!” Trixie yelled back. “I want the peace and quiet to last!”

.o.O.o.

Pinkie Pie twisted the wheel, swerving the Paradise away from a pink cloud. Navigating the skies was now easier without Nightmare Moon to watch out for but she and her sisters still had to be on the lookout. Discord’s little surprises popped up without warning, forcing the Pies to be mindful of their surroundings. Even with that, the airship made good time, arriving at the tower on Trixie’s map a day and a half later. Clearing the ring of mountains surrounding the structure wasn’t difficult. Finding a suitable place to land more so.

“I think I found a spot,” Limestone called out. She half hung over the railing, making ponies nervous that she’d fall over at any time. “It’s going to be tight, though.”

Nodding, Pinkie Pie began her decent. “Cutie Mark, don’t fail me now.”

The tower was not only very tall, but wide, taking up the majority of the valley it sat within. The dark clouds and harsh winds swirling around it didn’t help with maneuvering the Paradise to a safe landing. One errant gust would be enough for the airship to spin out of control and crash into the tower. Judging by how thick the black stonework appeared on the building, Pinkie was certain she would lose out on the collision. She let out a small sigh when she heard Limestone call out to stop and begin anchoring the Paradise to the ground. They were so close to the tower that the airship was practically rubbing up against it.

“All right, tower team, you’re up!” Pinkie Pie announced through the speakers. The cabin door opened moments later, disgorging the assigned Returners. Trixie, Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash quickly headed for the gangplank. The moment they disembarked and Marble gave the sign, Pinkie Pie revved the engines and pulled up. Leaving the tower proved much easier, allowing the remaining crew to fly away without ramming into anything.

Pinkie Pie wiped her brow. “Phew. Hope they get comfy because I do not want to do that again, anytime soon.”

“It’ll take a day to get to the island and a day to get back, so they’ll be on their own until then,” Maud said.

“Right, so let’s get going.” Pinkie Pie adjusted her course, heading northwest. The dark clouds and even darker tower were soon out of sight. With the hard part out of the way, Pinkie Pie switched the speakers back on. “How’s Black Snooty doing?”

“Still asleep,” came Sunset’s distorted answer. “Did the others get off okay?”

“Yep! They’ll be fine.”

A grunt for a reply came back, with nothing but silence afterwards. Pinkie shrugged, turned off the speakers, and settled in for a cruise.

.o.O.o.

The day and night passed without incident, allowing the Returners to practice their magic in relative peace. They unanimously agreed it was better to train in controlled conditions rather than at a critical point in a pitched battle. An occurrence that had been happening too often as of late to their general agreement as well.

Mid afternoon, Moonlight emerged from below deck and headed for Pinkie Pie. “We should be nearing the island soon. Be on the lookout.”

“Roger!” Pinkie Pie began her decent, passing through a clump of clouds. Once she reached the other side, the wide open ocean lay sprawled below the airship. Only, instead of crystal clear blue waters, an expanse of green soup roiled beneath them. “Looks like Discord’s been here.”

“Actually, this is how it normally looks.” Moonlight ran over to the rail, his eyes scanning across the unnatural phenomenon. After a few minutes, he pointed his wing downward. “There. You should have enough room to land on the east side. I’ll get the others while you land.”

Pinkie Pie watched him go with a quirked eyebrow but shrugged and motioned for her sisters to begin landing procedures. Once the Paradise was secured, the island team emerged from below. Moonlight and Stardust took the lead, followed by Applejack, Shining Armor, Spotter, and Big Macintosh. They disembarked, stepping off the gangplank and onto land.

Moonlight ran out a few paces, his head darting from side to side. He stomped a talon then ran back, his brow furrowed. “We need to get below the ground but the entrance isn’t here. We’ll need to go out a few miles to find it.”

“What should we be looking for?” Shining Armor asked.

“I’ll explain on the way. Let’s go.” Without waiting for the others to reply, he turned and took off at chocobo speed.

“Hey, wait up!” Applejack called after him. She readied herself to chase after him but an outstretched silver wing stopped her.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered,” Stardust said. He spread his wings wide, the flare of magic surrounding them. The sound of clocks ticking faster and faster filled their ears seconds before a tingle spread through their bodies. Stardust lowered his wings, a light sheen of sweat coating his feathers. “There… C’mon.” He turned and ran after Moonlight, his movements more sluggish than before.

“Whatwasthat?” Spotter blurted out in a rush. He gasped and clamped a hoof over his mouth.

Applejack shook her head in a blur. “Morefreakymagic. Move!” She took off, sprinting at a pace that would make even a chocobo envious.

Taking the hint, Shining Armor draped his son over his back and followed, moving at speeds his body couldn’t reach on his best day. Big Macintosh followed, keeping up as well. The ponies soon caught up with the chocobos, nearly ramming into them. They compensated for lengthening their strides, keeping pace without tripping over their own hooves. The group managed to cover ground at a much faster rate, only stopping when Moonlight raised a wing.

“This should be it,” he said, his breathing controlled and even, as he began scanning the horizon.

Next to him, Stardust stumbled to a stop, his breathing labored and heavy. Applejack, feeling the effects of Stardust’s spell fade, walked up to him. “You okay, pard?”

“Yeah… Just… too much magic training.” He sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly. “I’ll be fine. Just need to rest… for a bit.”

“Don’t be overdoing it now, ya hear? Maybe you should take one of your magic potions.”

“Yeah… That’s a good idea.” Setting down his pack, Stardust rummaged around until he pulled out a small red vial. He uncorked it and downed the liquid inside in one gulp. One small burp later and Stardust stood up a little straighter. “Hope that did the trick. It’s hard to make these, even with Apple Bloom’s help.”

“Quiet!” Moonlight snapped. “It’s coming.”

Applejack, Shining Armor, and Big Macintosh immediately readied themselves for battle. Shining swept his gaze over the landscape but didn’t see anything but dried grass. “What’s coming?”

“Our way in.”

No sooner had Moonlight spoken than the ground in front of them crumbled away, leaving a deep impression. A low moan came from the wide hole, followed by a tremor. Before the Returners' wide eyes, a fleshy dark blue worm as large as a house rose up and towered over them. It swiveled its head down and opened its oval mouth, revealing hundreds of tiny sharp teeth. The back of its throat glowed an eerie cyan.

The ponies and Stardust stepped back, but Moonlight didn’t flinch. “Don’t fight it. Just let it take you in.”

“Take us in?!” Stardust cried, his legs stepping in place in preparation to flee. “What do you mean by that?”

“Watch.” Moonlight stepped closer to the worm. He waved his wings high. “Zone eater, let me in!”

The zone eater bent down over Moonlight, letting out a hiss. It opened its mouth wider, the glow from deep in its throat pulsing. A rush of air flowed into the zone eater’s mouth, the suction growing exponentially stronger every second. Scattered leaves and rocks flowed into it and soon the force of the zone eater’s inhalation was strong enough to pull in even a chocobo. Moonlight was picked up and drawn into the worm's eager mouth, vanishing from sight down the zone eater’s gullet.

“Moonlight!” Stardust raised his wings, the beginnings of a spell taking form. However, this only gained the zone eater’s attention. The blue beast turned on the remaining chocobo and once again began pulling in air. Stardust struggled against the suction, but the sheer might of it couldn’t be denied. “Help!”

Applejack and Big Macintosh ran forward, claws and tools ready.

“Wait!” Spotter yelled at the top of his lungs. “I can see it! There’s a door in its mouth.”

“What?” Shining Armor said but didn’t wait for an answer. Stardust was already being lifted towards the worm’s mouth. He rushed forward, his magic yanking on Stardust’s tail while Big Macintosh and Applejack reached up to each grab a leg. “We gotcha!”

The added weight slowed down the pull. The zone eater grunted, its mouth opening wider. The suction increased, gradually inching the group closer.

Stardust screamed, both at the jaws about to snap him up and the pain from his legs being pulled on. Just as he was certain his body would be torn in two, a yelp from behind ended the drawn out battle. Shining Armor lurched forward, crashing into the Apples and sending the Returners tumbling helplessly into the zone eater’s awaiting maw.

.o.O.o.

“I told you not to fight it.”

For Stardust, the words came from a familiar voice. A voice he respected, but it sounded muffled, as though coming from the other side of a wall. Stardust lay still, allowing the fog covering his senses to slowly fade. Something forced its way past his beak, followed by a soothing liquid that traveled pleasantly down his throat. A sudden surge of energy coursed through him moments later and he snapped open his eyes. “Moonlight…” he croaked out.

Moonlight stood over him, placing away a potion bottle. He sighed and shook his head, stepping away and out of sight. Bracing himself against the floor, Stardust struggled to his legs. He winced as he put weight on them, taking a few seconds to walk through the stiffness. Once he felt sure he wouldn’t fall over, Stardust took in his surroundings.

Instead of the pulsing, grotesque insides of a worm that Stardust feared to see, he instead stood in a rocky cave. Vines grew out of the walls and ceilings, creating a curtain of greenery all around. Colorful flowers and mold covered the floors, and the sound of water trickled in the distance. For being sucked into a vile monster, its guts were quite nice.

Moonlight hadn’t gone far. He attended the others that had been dragged in, offering potions to anypony that needed them. Stardust headed over, his legs no longer too sore to move on. “What happened? Where are we?”

“Underground,” Moonlight simply said. “We can’t stay here too long. We need to get moving.”

“Give us another minute,” Shining Armor said. He glared down at Spotter. “I have half a mind to bend you over my knee for that.”

Spotter gulped. “I was helping!” he blurted out. “I knew we’d be all right. I promise!”

Shining Armor stood up, rubbing his posterior with a hoof. “And does stabbing me in the rump with your horn count as ‘all right’?”

“Well—”

“The boy got you in,” Moonlight interrupted. “That’s all that matters. Now, we need to get going.” He turned to head down a tunnel, but Applejack barred his path.

“Now hold up, just what exactly are we going to be facing down here?”

“I told you, my captors. If we want to take them by surprise, we can’t dawdle.”

Applejack huffed and looked away. “I just had to draw the short straw, didn’t I?”

“It’ll be worth it, I swear.” Walking past Applejack, Moonlight took the lead down the tunnel. The vegetation grew thicker as they continued, culminating when the Returners entered a large cavern. Every inch of the cave was covered in some form of plant matter, ranging from grass, moss, vines, mushrooms, and wildflowers. Insects buzzed throughout, landing on one flower and then taking off to pollinate another. Streams of water flowed through the cavern, originating from cracks high up and creating cascading waterfalls. It was the most lush space any of them had ever seen.

“Wow,” Spotter breathed once he entered the cavern. He looked up at Moonlight who stared at the scene impassively. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s gaudy.” With a sniff, Moonlight followed a path worn through the foliage.

Spotter blinked and cocked his head. “What’s up with him?”

“Well, he was kept prisoner here,” Stardust said as he headed after Moonlight. “He’s probably still sore about it.”

The Returners traveled through the underground paradise for several minutes. Nothing but bugs pestered them, though even they were dealt with when Shining Armor threw up a shield around the group. They had almost reached the other side of the cavern when Moonlight stopped and raised a wing to his beak.

“I hear them coming. Quick, hide!” Moonlight abandoned and dove into the brush.

The ponies hesitated until the sound of buzzing, much louder than the insects around them, could be heard in the distance. They rushed to find a place to conceal themselves but the flora, as much as it was, wasn’t very tall. Moonlight in particular stood out due to his midnight black feathers. Realization dawned quickly that there was no place to hide and the buzzing was growing closer.

“Get next to me!” Big Macintosh said as loudly as he dared. “I’ll hide us.” Shadows began to build under the stallion’s hooves. The Returners crowded towards him, bunching together as close as they could. With a swell of magic, the shadows wrapped around the Returners, creating a grey haze to hang around them.

The source of the buzzing entered the cavern only a few seconds later. Three creatures appeared, the Returners at first mistaking them for pegasi. However, as they flew closer, the differences quickly became apparent. While equine shaped, they didn’t have the smooth coat of a pony, or the feathery wings of a pegasus. Instead, chitin exoskeletons and transparent wings composed their bodies, along with a small horn protruding from their foreheads. The creatures were multicolored, ranging from sea greens to pale blues. Their eyes lacked pupils, instead a uniform color that shone like polished glass.

The bug-like equines split apart as they entered the cavern, one collecting water in a pail while the others foraged within the vegetation. After a few minutes they united back together, each holding their foraged goods. They then left the way they came, their buzzing fading until only the normal insects in the cavern could be heard.

Big Macintosh released his magic, dispelling the vanishing spell surrounding the Returners. “Phew.”

“I’ll say,” Applejack said. She looked up at Moonlight. “What were those things?”

“Changelings,” Moonlight said, venom dripping from his voice. He headed towards the opening the changelings disappeared into. “They are the reason we’re here.”

“Huh, never heard of them. Are they something Discord made up?”

“Something like that.” Moonlight held up a wing. “No more talking. We’re going to be getting close to their nest and they’ll hear us. Our goal is to take out their leader. Once he’s gone, the rest won’t put up a fight.”

Shining Armor nodded sagely. “I can appreciate that strategy. But how do you know that will work?”

“Just trust me on this.” Moonlight picked up the pace, forcing the rest to do the same.

The Returners didn’t have to travel far before the loud buzzing of the changelings could be heard further down the cave. Creeping forward, the group rounded a corner and quickly ducked down. A cavern similar to the one they had left loomed before them, dozens of changelings fluttering around. At the far end stood a raised mound, with a throne of wood and vines on top. A changeling twice as big as the others, and sporting a set of amber antlers, sat on the throne, watching its brethren zip to and fro.

“That’s him,” Moonlight said, tilting his head towards the large changeling.

Shining Armor switched his gaze from the leader to the rest of the changelings in between. “If we could go through all that without being noticed, we could end it without any additional fighting.” He looked to Big Macintosh. “Think you could do that magic trick of yours again?”

Frowning, Big Macintosh took in the distance they would need to travel. “Maybe. But if one of them touches us it’ll drop the spe—”

“Too late!” Applejack hissed. A changeling stepped from around the corner and stopped dead, staring at the equally surprised Returners. It screeched, drawing the attention of every changeling in the cave.

“Quick! Before they can overwhelm us!” Moonlight frantically began kicking at the ponies, forcing them out into the open.

Despite Moonlight’s words, the changelings quickly gathered towards the back of the room, surrounding their leader. Both sides, completely unprepared, stared down the other, waiting for the first move. The changeling leader stood up from his throne, a quizzical look on his face. “What? How did you know to get in here?”

“Don’t just stand around listening to him!” Moonlight roared. “Attack!”

~ A mysterious creature with the ability to change into whatever it needs for any occasion… ~

The changeling leader held up his front legs, waving them desperately. “Wait! Wait! Wait! We don’t want any trouble! Please, we can talk this out! My name’s Thorax. Who are you?”

Applejack, Shining Armor, and Big Macintosh looked to each other, uncertainty spread across their muzzles. Applejack cleared her throat, pointing at Moonlight. “Uh, are you the ones that kidnapped this feller here?”

Thorax took in the black chocobo, shaking his head. “I’ve never seen him in my life.”

“Liar!” Moonlight pushed his way past the ponies, his talons rending the ground with each step. “I’ve come here for justice and I will have it!”

Stardust cautiously made his way forward, eyeing the changelings for any sudden movements. Laying a wing over Moonlight’s back, he said, “Hey, we’ll get to the bot—”

In a whirl of movement, Moonlight grabbed hold of Stardust, bringing their beaks close. “If you morons won’t do it, then I will.” Opening his beak wide, Moonlight inhaled. Green mist poured out of Stardust’s eyes and mouth and down Moonlight’s throat.

“The hay are you doing?!” Shining Armor raised his sword and rushed forward. With surprising swiftness and strength, Moonlight tossed Stardust into the oncoming stallion, knocking them both back.

“That should be enough,” Moonlight said to himself. His eyes flashed green moments before his body hovered above the ground and erupted in green hellfire, obscuring his form. Both the Returners and changelings backed away from the intense heat radiating from the chocobo. In a burst of power, the flames dissipated, revealing a new creature in Moonlight’s place.

It touched down, a combination of insect and equine like the changelings, but the similarities ended there. Black chitinous plating covered its body, pocketed with holes through its legs, wings, tail, horn, and sickly green mane. It grinned through a mouth full of carnivorous teeth, two long fangs hanging out. The creature turned towards Thorax and lit up its sickle shaped horn in a flare of green magic.

“Queen Chrysalis!” Thorax cried. He and his changelings dove out of the way of a green blast that shattered his throne into thousands of splinters of wood.

Chrysalis glared at him through large green pupils. “Die, traitor.” She let loose another shot of magic, a concentrated laser that followed Thorax as he tried to fly away. The magic tore through the cavern walls, raining down boulders large enough to crush any changeling unfortunate enough to be caught under them. One managed to clip Thorax on the wing, slowing him down. “Got you.” Sneering, Chrysalis fired.

A glowing pink shield materialized around Thorax, sending Chrysalis’ blast careening away. More shields appeared over the rest of the changelings, removing them from danger. Snarling, Chrysalis rounded on the source of the magic. “You idiots! If you had just done what I said, I wouldn’t have had to reveal myself like this!”

Shining Armor didn’t respond, too busy focusing on his shields. Next to him, being propped up by Big Macintosh, Stardust stared at the monstrosity that moments before had been his mentor. “But… what… how…”

“He’s dead, you cretin,” Chrysalis answered Stardust’s unspoken question. “Moonlight’s been dead for over a year. I took his place and have been feeding on your love and devotion to him the entire time.” She turned and fired at Thorax again, the shield protecting him buckling. “And you were a magnificent feast.” Her horn glowing to near blinding levels, Chrysalis shot off her largest attack yet.

Her laser veered off as Applejack tackled Chrysalis, the beam tearing through the cave instead. Sunlight filtered in as tons of rock crashed to the floor, Shining Armor dropping to his knees as he struggled to keep all his shields from shattering. Chrysalis hissed and shoved the earth pony off of her, throwing up a wall of green fire between herself and the Returners. She twisted to focus on Thorax again, but a swat to the face from a large grizzly bear met her instead.

The bear pounced, raking its claws against Chrysalis' hide. The queen roared and fired off her magic wildly, one blast catching the bear in the shoulder, forcing it to back off. Chrysalis charged up for another attack, but her fire wall being smothered by pails of water from changelings hovering above held her back. With the fire gone, the Returners leapt in.

Applejack and Big Macintosh opened with an aurabolt and auto crossbow arrows, knocking Chrysalis back. With no shields to maintain, Shining Armor lashed out with his sword, driving Chrysalis away from the bear and up against the cave wall.

Chrysalis let out a wail of frustration. “You haven’t seen the last of me! I’ll have my revenge!” Letting loose a blast to the ceiling, more rocks tumbled down on the cavern occupants.

Shining Armor quickly cast a single shield to catch the debris and let it tumble harmlessly to the far side of the cave. Once the threat passed, he and the rest turned back to deal with Chrysalis, but the queen was nowhere in sight. A faint buzzing could be heard coming from the large hole in the cave, the noise receding until it was gone completely.

With Chrysalis gone, attention drifted towards the two remaining groups. Applejack jumped when the bear was surrounded by swirling green fire. The fire only lasted an instant and was replaced by a frowning Thorax. Rubbing one leg over the other, Applejack offered a weak smile. "Well, I guess you guys aren't called changelings for nothin'."

"No kidding." Thorax looked over the ponies and remaining chocobo and sighed. "Look, I saw you fighting back against the queen and you helped protect my people. So… what now?"

Applejack took in the ruined cavern. “Tell ya what. We’ll help clean up if you’re willing to hear us out.”

Thorax started, only now seeing the damage from the fight for the first time. “Um, yeah. That would be appreciated.”

“Then let's get to work. It’s a might long story.”

.o.O.o.

Hours later, the Returners and changelings sat in front of Thorax’s partially restored throne. The biggest of the boulders had been removed or used to rebuild. Spotter sat next to Stardust, keeping the despondent chocobo company. The changelings listed with rapt attention as Applejack finished.

“And that’s about it.” She raised her hoof to her mouth and coughed. “Sorry, not used to talking so long.” A changeling flew up to her and offered a flower cup with sweet smelling nectar. “Ah, thank ya kindly.” She gulped it down, letting out a relieved sigh. “Phew, that hits the spot.”

Thorax sat back into his throne, rubbing his chin. “What you say… it would explain a lot.” Seeing the Returners’ questioning looks, he continued. “We changelings, at least the ones you see here… we weren’t always like this. About a year ago, half of us transformed into what you see now. I kinda took over this half because I was bigger. I don’t know why that is.”

“What about the other half?” Shining Armor asked. “Does it have to do with that queen we fought?” Nearby, Stardust winced and let out a low “kweh.” Spotter rubbed his back, offering some comfort.

Sighing, Thorax nodded. “Chrysalis is what we used to look like. She’s in charge of the changelings that didn’t change. She hates what we’ve become and has been trying to eradicate us since. Looks like she got desperate and tried to get you guys to do it.

“Before, we lived off the love of others. We would periodically go out and slip into pony towns and change into loved ones to soak up what we could. We’ve managed to do this for thousands of years.”

“Whoa, even before the War of the Magi?” Applejack said.

“Yeah. Love has been in slim pickings since then.”

Spotter raised a hoof, while the other continued to rub Stardust’s wing. “Um… I’ve got special sight magic but I couldn’t see through the black chocobo’s. How come?”

Thorax pursed his lips as he mulled it over. “Hmm, my best guess is that our powers are older than esper magic. Maybe that has something to do with it?”

“Dunno,” Applejack said with a shrug. “We kinda just fell into our powers and have been learning as we go.” She stood up, stretching out her legs. “Well, it was nice meeting ya, but we gotta be getting back. The others will be wonderin’ what happened. Good luck, pard.”

Thorax suddenly stood up and walked towards the Returners. “Wait, I want to go with you.”

The Returners collectively blinked. “Say what, now?”

“Chrysalis is still out there. She’ll only come back and try to wipe us out again. Plus, if what you say is true, then she’s not even the biggest problem the world faces right now.”

“Boss, you’re leaving us?!” one of the changelings cried. More distressed questions were asked, the changelings buzzing in unison.

“Hold on!” Thorax lit up his horns, amplifying his voice. “I shouldn’t be gone for long. I need to do this if we’re going to be able to live safely.” The buzzing lessened, but many of the changelings still looked worried. “Ocellus, you’re in charge.”

A young changeling, her chitin a light blue and her tail and mane a see through pink, gasped. The changelings standing nearest her backed away, leaving her in the center of a small circle. “But… b-but why me?”

Thorax walked over to her and laid a leg over her shoulder. “You’re the cleverest we have. If any changeling can find a way to keep the hive safe while I’m away, you’re it. I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

He stepped away, raising his voice. “The rest of you help her any way you can. Watch out for each other. With any luck, our new friends here will get things sorted out and we may not have to hide like this anymore.”

A low murmur swept through the changelings. Though the idea of their leader leaving was still concerning, the prospect of leaving the cave for the wider world held their attention. Soon, a united chorus rose up wishing Thorax well.

Smiling, Thorax turned to regard the Returners. “So, how did you even get here, anyway?”

Applejack grinned back up at him. “Well, I did leave some things out. Reckon it’ll be better to show than to tell.”

Wherein It's Crazy at the Top

The Paradise lifted and pulled away from the tower, quickly disappearing into the swirling storm raging within the enclosed mountain range.

“Well, this had better be worth it since Maud said it would be two days minimum that they would be back,” Trixie said to her fellow Returners.

Rainbow Dash lazily waved a hoof. “Are you kidding? We could be here a whole week exploring this thing. Do you not see the size of this sucker?”

Standing next to her, Rarity craned her neck as far back as she could. Even then, the top of the tower was hidden in the constant maelstrom of winds and clouds. “Somehow that doesn’t fill me with excitement. Who knows what’s waiting up there.”

“Rarity’s got a point,” Twilight said. “We need to be careful. There’s no help coming for a while.”

“You’re all worrywarts.” Rainbow Dash huffed and began trotting for the base of the tower.

The trip was short, the Returners arriving at the bottom of the tower in less than a minute. No ponies or monsters were around to greet them. A set of stairs that wound around the tower like a coiling wooden snake was the only visible means to go up.

“Are we seriously going to climb this thing going up those rickety stairs?” Rarity asked. “My knees are wobbling already from just the thought.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch ya if ya fall,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oh, um. Sorry. That’s not going to work.”

The three unicorns and pegasus yelped and whirled around, drawing their weapons on the source of the voice. The yellow pegasus that had spoken shrieked and cowered on the ground.

“Fluttershy!” Rarity cried and ran up to her trembling friend. She picked her up and hugged her tight. “My dear Fluttershy, thank goodness you’re all right.”

Fluttershy sighed and leaned into the hug. “Nice to see you too, Rarity.” The two separated, smiling to each other before turning to the others. “Um, hi.”

Trixie eyed the newcomer skeptically. “Where did you even come from? You weren’t here when we landed.”

Looking away and pawing at the ground, Fluttershy said, “Well, I kinda was. You just didn’t notice me. Until now. Sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize,” Rarity lightly admonished. “You’re here now and that’s all that matters.” She paused and pursed her lip. “But that does raise the question of why are you here. I thought you would be in Thamaresa.”

Fluttershy frowned, a hint of frustration entering her voice. “I was, until a few weeks after we all got separated on that floating island.”

When Fluttershy didn’t continue, Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Uh, and then?”

Startled out of her thoughts, Fluttershy said, “Oh, sorry. Yes, um, you see, there’s a reason I’m here. And I can’t leave until everypony is back to normal.”

“Everypony?” Trixie repeated.

“She means us.”

For the second time in as many minutes, the Returners spun around to find a line of ponies descending the tower stairs. In the lead was a light purple unicorn with a dark purple mane smiling widely at the newcomers. The ponies formed two lines with the unicorn at the front. “Welcome! I’m so glad to see more ponies interested in our little group.”

“Starlight Glimmer?” Rarity stepped forward and waved over the ponies. “What are you doing? What is all this?”

Starlight smiled and nodded. “Rarity, it’s been a while. Still wearing that costume? Anyway, I’m glad you asked. Welcome to Our Tower, home of the Cult of Discord.”

The Returners stared blankly at her. As the moments ticked by, Starlight coughed into her hoof. “Well, usually I get at least some response.”

Rainbow Dash shook herself out of her stupor. “You’re kidding, right? You guys are gonna drop the other horseshoe any minute, right?”

“There we go!” Starlight exclaimed, pointing a hoof at Rainbow Dash. “That I know how to respond to. Yes, we’re serious. Just look at what our glorious benefactor has granted us.” She swept her hoof up to encompass the tower.

Trixie cocked her head, levitating out her map. She studied it for a few seconds before speaking up. “It’s called Fanatics Tower.”

Starlight blinked. “Excuse me?”

“It’s not Our Tower, it’s Fanatics Tower. It says so right here.”

Raising an eyebrow, Starlight laughed lightly. “Well, I don’t know where you got that thing from, but I can assure you it’s Our Tower.”

Trixie shook her head. “Nope. Got this from Discord, personally. It fills in whatever foolishness his magic thinks up. So your klutzy cult leader says it’s Fanatics—”

“It’s Our Tower, okay?!” Starlight erupted. The ponies behind her and the Returners both took a step back. Starlight ground her teeth, letting out a huff and giving a forced smile. “So, now that we have that all sorted out, why don’t we head up and enjoy some refreshments.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “As lovely as that sounds, we’re just here to collect Fluttershy. So, enjoy doing whatever it is you cultists do and we’ll be on our way.”

“The airship isn’t coming back for two days, remember?” Rainbow Dash said.

Starlight grinned.

Rarity facehoofed. “Thanks for pointing that out so loudly, Rainbow Dash.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug. “I came here to climb this thing. I ain’t sitting around while I could be doing that.”

“I like your attitude.” Starlight gestured towards the stairs. “We can talk all about our wonderful society in the guest room. Sugar Belle makes some fantastic muffins.” A pink unicorn in the front line perked up and beamed.

Before anypony could move, Fluttershy zipped between the cult and Returners, waving her legs frantically. “No, don’t do it!”

“Fluttershy, that’s no way to treat our new friends,” Starlight said with a weary shake of her head. “How many times do I have to remind you?”

Fluttershy turned to Starlight, hovering and holding her hooves held out in front of her. “Please Starlight, you have to stop this. Let’s head back to Thamaresa. We can rebuild just like you said we would.”

Taking in a deep breath, Starlight let it out slowly. “Fluttershy, we’ve had this discussion more times than I can count. My answer is still the same. We’re staying here where Discord can take care of us.”

“How stupid can you be?”

All eyes turned to Trixie. The general stepped forward, a look of disdain on her face. “You think Discord cares at all about any of you? You’re his playthings, and he’ll throw you out the moment he gets bored. There’s no sense to any of this which is exactly what he wants. If you think devotion to him to get treated well ‘makes sense’, he’ll betray you just for a joke.”

Starlight eyed Trixie with equal contempt. “Who do you think you are to speak of him that way?”

“Trixie has seen what he can do when he gets bored. He plays with creatures’ lives and tosses them aside to go to the next thing. He cares nothing for their suffering. And that is why Trixie and her army are going to kill him.”

The two held their standoff, neither backing down or breaking eye contact. The moment ended when Starlight’s cheeks puffed out, then burst out laughing. Her cultists quickly joined in. “You… seriously?” Starlight got out in between guffaws. “Beat Discord? And ponies call me the crazy one.”

Trixie’s cheeks reddened, her jawline clenched. “Our magic is more powerful than you think.”

“Really, now,” Starlight drawled. Smirking in victory, she pointed upwards. “Then show me. Get to the top of this tower and maybe I’ll ask the master to turn you into breezies instead of stone.”

“Discord doesn’t turn ponies into stone. Just zebras.”

“You know what I meant!” Snarling, Starlight turned away, the cultists parting for her, then falling in line behind her. In a well practiced march, the Cult of Discord ascended the stairs until they were out of sight.

Rainbow Dash waited for them to be gone before barking out a laugh. “Joke’s on her. I’ve flown over mountains taller than this.”

“Oh, actually, you can’t—”

Fluttershy’s warning came too late as Rainbow Dash spread her wings and launched herself into the air. She looked down at the receding group, waved, and shot up like a rocket.

The moment she reached the first floor, her wings vanished in a small flash of light. With a cry of surprise and panic, Rainbow Dash plummeted. A magenta aura surrounded and caught her before she impacted the ground. She was set down gently on all fours. She looked at her sides in panic and saw her wings blink back into existence.

The Returners ran up to her, Twilight’s horn dimming. “Rainbow? Are you alright? Fluttershy said to be ready when you fell and I’m glad she did.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t respond, instead inspecting her wings by opening and closing them repeatedly. “What the buck happened?! Nothing like that’s ever happened before.” Her gaze shifted to Fluttershy, causing the other pegasus to shrink away. “Okay, spill it. What’s going on?”

“Sorry…” Fluttershy squeaked out.

“Don’t just say sorry, spit it out!”

Fluttershy “eep!”ed and hid behind Rarity.

Rarity sighed and patted Fluttershy’s head, giving a glare to Rainbow Dash. “Now don’t be yelling at her. You’re the one flying off without waiting for us.” Turning away from a chastised Rainbow Dash, Rarity knelt down and rubbed Fluttershy’s back. “Now darling, just take your time and explain to us what you’ve been trying to say.”

Rarity’s soft voice and continued back rub slowly set Fluttershy’s nerves back to normal. Taking in a breath, she said, “The tower’s cursed. You can only use certain kinds of magic. Nothing else works. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize.” Rarity gave her one last pat and stood up, bringing Fluttershy with her. “In fact, this works in our favor. You just so happen to have a bunch of really strong magic users with you. And if I recall, you have some magic now too, right?”

Fluttershy nodded. “A little, I guess.”

“Don’t be selling yourself short. I saw you when we faced off with the Ultima Weapon and your magic kept us alive. Frankly, we could use more of that type.” Rarity gave a reassuring smile and turned to the others. “Well, are we going or do we stay and wait for Pinkie to pick us up?”

“Heck no!” Trixie and Rainbow Dash cried out at once.

Fluttershy shook her head. “I can’t leave until I talk sense into them.”

“Sounds like we’ve decided, then,” Twilight said, nodding. “And I’ll be honest, I’m curious to see if our magic holds up. We really need to challenge ourselves if we’re going to have a chance against Discord.”

“That’s the spirit!” Rainbow Dash raised up a hoof, grinning when Twilight gave it a firm bump.

Trixie smirked, heading towards the stairs leading up. “Then let’s get going. Trixie’s going to enjoy the look on Starlight’s face when next we see her.”

.o.O.o.

“Trixie’s going to jump off this blasted tower if it’s the last thing she does!”

The Returners had only gone up a few stories before their troubles began. When Fluttershy said only magic worked in the tower, she meant it in every sense of the words. Weapons couldn’t be drawn no matter how hard they were tugged. The wings of the pegasi vanished and so did the horns of the unicorns, much to the irritation of Rainbow Dash and Trixie. Even Twilight’s alternate esper form couldn’t materialize, Twilight saying that it just wouldn’t respond when she called upon it.

For better or worse, magic was their only means of defending themselves in the tower. And the monsters they encountered on the narrow stairway were making that a tall order in such close quarters. A fireball from above blasted within their ranks, tossing the ponies across the walkway. Miraculously, nopony fell off.

“Get down!” Trixie called out, relieved that at least they could still talk. A thin beam of ice shot over the Returners’ heads, puncturing through a small monster wearing green robes a few steps above them. The creature gave a gurgling groan and toppled over the edge of the stairs. Trixie’s victory was short-lived as more monsters came clamoring down to take its place. “Gaah, don’t they know that they’re going to die?!”

“I’ve got this!” Rainbow Dash, seemingly fine from the fiery detonation, charged forward to meet the enemy head on. It was as she reached the first monster, a pink and yellow apparition, that she realized her error.

The ghost wheezed out a cloud of poison as Rainbow Dash struggled to pull out her dagger. The mist enveloped her completely and she fell hacking and coughing in front of the monster. The ghost wheezed again to finish her off, but a stream of fire pushed the miasma away and disintegrated the monster to a drifting cloud of ash.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight ran up to the pegasus, a heal spell at the ready.

The monsters behind the defeated ghost didn’t give her the chance to cast it. Ice, fire, and lightning pelted at Twilight, forcing her to erect a shield to protect herself and Rainbow Dash. “Help!”

“Coming!” Rarity conjured up a set of needles and sent them into the oncoming mob. They pierced through the enemy lines, driving them back, and giving Twilight enough time to pull Rainbow Dash away. Trixie added her own magic to the mix, blasting the last of the monsters. For a few moments, everything was still.

Fluttershy, keeping in the rear, crept her way up and knelt over Rainbow Dash. A soft white glow spread over the fallen pegasus. Soon, Rainbow Dash’s coughing fits ended and she stood up and shook her head.

“Thanks,” Rainbow Dash croaked out.

“Don’t mention it,” Fluttershy said, falling back.

The group took a minute to regroup and recover, though monstrous noises from further up kept them on edge. “Just how far up have we gone?” Trixie said aloud.

Fluttershy peeked over the edge of the stairs. “Um, we haven’t reached the quarter way point yet.”

“Seriously?! All that effort and we’ve barely even started?”

“Sorry.”

Stomping past the others to reclaim the lead position, Trixie muttered, “If I could just use my runic powers, we’d be plowing past these fools. But no, can’t even use that.”

“Sorry.”

Trixie bit her tongue to keep from lashing out.

The Returners continued the climb, fighting increasingly tougher monsters nearly every step of the way. By the time Fluttershy called out that they had reached the halfway point, the ponies were on the verge of collapse. Rainbow Dash in particular needed constant healing spells as her new, unfamiliar magic left her open to counterattack. Literally dragging herself up each step, she called out for a breather.

“How… the hay… do you guys… do so much walking?” she panted.

Twilight and Fluttershy propped Rainbow Dash up between themselves, the thief too tired to protest. “Practice,” Twilight said. “Lots of it.”

Trixie plopped down nearby. “Trixie would say learning by trial by fire has its advantages, but this is getting ridiculous. And it’s so weird casting magic without my horn.”

“And the worst part is still no treasure,” Rarity said.

“Don’t… even… joke… about that,” Rainbow Dash wheezed.

Less than a minute later, their moment of rest was cut short. From above, a thumping noise was heard at regular intervals. The thumping grew closer, less than a flight above them. Trixie and Rarity took up positions a step above the others, magic sparking on their foreheads where their horns used to be. The source of the thumping soon came into view. A clay urn dropped down from the stairs ahead, rested, then somehow hopped up and thumped down to the next set of stairs. There it lay for a few seconds before the lid of the urn tipped up, revealing a grey impish creature peeking out.

“What in the stars above and earth below am I seeing now?” Rarity said.

Trixie’s features hardened. “Trixie is beyond not caring. Blast it.” Her magic alight, she took aim. The imp inside the pot shrieked and hid back inside.

A flash of yellow and pink rushed past them. Fluttershy stood before the duo, frantically waving her legs. “Wait! Don’t hurt it!”

A low growl escaped Trixie’s throat. “Why?”

“Just trust me on this.” Fluttershy gave a weak smile and turned to the urn. “Um, sorry about that. Everypony is really on edge. Please forgive them.”

The pot lid opened slightly, revealing a pair of wide eyes.

Fluttershy slowly walked up to it. She reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a potion bottle. She offered it to the imp. This caused the imp to spring into action, snatching up the potion with tiny hands, and just as quickly retreating back into the urn. Smiling, Fluttershy came back down to stand with the others.

Trixie eyed the urn, then stared at Fluttershy with beady eyes. “And what did that accomplish?”

Fluttershy shushed her. “Just wait.”

Huffing, Trixie stood and watched. A minute went by with nothing happening. Thankfully, no other monsters came by to attack them while the group waited for the creature to respond.

The urn wobbled suddenly, then hopped down the remaining stairs to reach the Returners. Ponies ready and wary watched as the imp peeked out again. It lifted out the potion bottle Fluttershy had given it and offered it up. Fluttershy accepted it gracefully, giving a little pat to the top of the lid. The imp made a sound reminiscent of a giggle.

“Thank you. You have been very patient with us.” Fluttershy turned and lifted up the potion. Where before the liquid inside was a light blue, now it was deep red. Fluttershy uncorked it and took a small sip, then offered it to Trixie. “Here, have some.”

Trixie eyed the bottle then back at Fluttershy. “Trixie isn’t touching that until you explain.”

“Oh, sorry. You see, this little guy is a magic urn. They use their magic to empower alchemy mixtures. They love doing it, but usually don’t have the chance to. They really are fascinating creatures.”

Trixie didn’t budge. Wilting a bit, Fluttershy passed the bottle to Rarity instead. “C’mon, try some.”

Like Trixie, Rarity eyed the bottle skeptically. With a dramatic sigh, she said, “Oh, what the hay.” She grabbed it in her magic, pulled back her mask, and took a dainty sip. The liquid traveled smoothly through her system, creating a tingling sensation all the way down to her stomach. Her eyes lit up and she stood a little straighter. “Oh my.”

Turning around, Rarity brought the bottle up to Rainbow Dash’s lips. “Dash, I think you could use this.”

Rainbow Dash, having silently followed events so far, raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Elixir.”

Twilight and Trixie gasped. Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. “Really?”

Rarity nodded. Needing no further prodding, Rainbow Dash grasped the bottle in her hooves and took a deep drink. Less than a quarter remained when she pulled the bottle away. “Oh, wow. That’s the good stuff.” Rainbow Dash sprang to her hooves, stretching out her limbs, and grinning widely. “Amazing, it is elixir!”

“Gimmie!” Trixie lunged for the bottle, snapping it up and taking a drag.

“Leave me some!” Twilight whined. The moment Trixie pulled the bottle away, Twilight snatched it and drank down the rest.

Refreshed and rejuvenated, Trixie turned to Fluttershy. “Can your little friend make more of those?”

“Oh, sorry, he already left.” Fluttershy pointed at the spot the magic urn once was, now just an empty step. “But he told me to tell you that he’s glad he was able to help.”

“And we are very grateful,” Rarity said before Trixie could get a word in.

Trixie shot Rarity a sideways glare. “Yes. Grateful.” Taking in a breath, Trixie continued, “Well, this has been a delightful rest, but we better get going. If we’re still only halfway, Trixie wants to press on while we’re in top form.” She turned her gaze to Rainbow Dash. “As for you, Trixie thinks it’s best you take the rear. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but you’re still getting used to your new powers. It’s best if you provide support rather than going all out.”

Rainbow Dash pouted, looking to Twilight. “C’mon, I’m not holding you guys back. I’m rocking it!”

Shaking her head, Twilight said, “Dash, we gotta reach the top in as good a shape as we can. Healing you all the time is pretty draining. You can make sure nothing sneaks up on us.”

“I’ll stay with her,” Fluttershy offered, taking her place next to her fellow non-winged pegasus.

Rainbow Dash grumbled, muttering something about babysitting.

“I guess that means I’m center.” Rarity brushed back her cape, looking determined even with her mask re-covering her face.

Trixie gave a firm nod. “Good. Keep an eye on both ends, if you can. Let’s go.” With Trixie and Twilight leading the way, the Returners once again ascended the tower.

.o.O.o.

The last half of the climb proved just as difficult as the first half, but they reached the top in better condition. With Rainbow Dash being more conservative with her magic, the group was able to coordinate their attacks more efficiently. The monsters rammed into them with unrelenting force, but the Returners were up to the challenge. With a triumphant stomp, Trixie took the last step up, coming out on a flat platform. The wind swirled around them with even more force than before, but some sort of barrier kept them from being blown off. A single hut made of the same material as the rest of the tower lay in the center, a metal door decorated with Starlight Glimmer’s cutie mark set in the middle.

The rest came up next to Trixie, fanning out. Rainbow Dash gave a long, low whistle. “Wow, I’m getting Chozo flashbacks from this.”

“Indeed,” Trixie replied back. She stepped forward and raised her voice. “Starlight! We’re here! Come out and face us!”

The door opened, the cultists walking out single file. They lined up in two equal lines before the Returners, their expressions featureless. Starlight exited last, walking through the cultists to stand in front of them. “Well, I’ll admit that I’m a little impressed. Nopony’s gotten this far without my guidance.”

Rainbow Dash gave an exaggerated shrug. “Pshh. Weren’t nothin’.”

“And now that we’re here, you know how serious we are,” Trixie said. “Call off your cult and help us deal with Discord.”

Starlight tried and failed to stifle a laugh with her hoof. “You poor, deluded fools. Just because you made it here doesn’t mean anything.” She smiled, making a point to lift her nose and look down on them. “You will be joining us. Just stand still and I’ll take care of everything.”

“Starlight, please listen to reason!” Fluttershy ran forward, standing between the two opposing groups.

Sighing, Starlight squinted and her bare forehead flickered. A bolt of lightning descended from above, striking the spot just in front of Fluttershy. The pegasus cried out and fell backwards, Rarity catching her from hitting the roof.

“I’m done listening to you. I see now that you just don’t get it. Well, I’m going to fix that right now.” Starlight motioned for her cultists to move back.

The Returners readied themselves, Rarity gently placing Fluttershy back on her hooves. Fluttershy shivered, then stood tall next to Rarity. The caped pony lifted her mask to glare at Starlight. “This is the biggest mistake you’ve ever made.”

“No! The biggest mistake was letting those espers into our village!” Starlight snarled, her breaths coming out in quick bursts. “Why do you think we hid ourselves in the first place? To keep things like that from happening!”

“It was going to happen regardless,” Trixie said, stepping forward. “But Trixie agrees, we’re done listening. So let’s have our magic do the talking.”

Starlight let out a humorless laugh. “Oh, this will be amusing. You’ve had esper magic for what, a few years?” Her forehead lit up a bright turquoise, her brow furrowed. “I’ve had magic my entire life.” With that, she summoned another lightning bolt, blasting it in the center of the Returners.

The Returners scattered, more out of surprise than harm. It still did the trick of breaking them up, which Starlight took quick advantage of. She targeted the closest to her, Trixie, casting and sending out a grey sphere with two smaller spheres trailing it. The magical constructs made contact and completely enveloped Trixie, shrinking down and soaking into her body. Trixie gave a gurgling gasp and fell to her knees.

Starlight readied her magic to finish her off, but was forced to parry a fireball sent her way. Another fireball came at her, bigger than before. Starlight focused and fired a beam straight through the fire, dissipating it and striking its caster, Twilight, in the chest. Twilight cried out and fell back, clutching her chest.

The three remaining Returners came charging in from all sides, Rarity and Rainbow Dash on her left and right with Fluttershy creeping up the middle. Starlight sniffed. “Honestly, I was expecting more.” Raising her head high, Starlight summoned the winds raging around the tower towards herself, condensing them into a single, large tornado. The speed in which she cast outpaced Rarity and Rainbow Dash’s incoming spells which were blown away by the whirlwind. With a flick of her head, Starlight sent the tornado at the befuddled Returners, snatching them up. The mini-cyclone tossed the ponies around for a few seconds, before petering out and depositing them on the tower roof with a thud.

Starlight took stock, her gaze traveling over the downed ponies. “Well, I suppose that wraps this up. Double Diamond, Party Favor, Night Glider, and Sugar Belle, could you help our guests inside?” The four called on ponies nodded and began heading over.

A bright flash from above stopped them in their tracks and forced them to shield their eyes. Peeking over their legs, they saw an angelic figure descend from the heavens. The divine being hovered over the Returners, spread its arms and wings, and released sparkling motes over the ponies. The tiny particles floated into the Returners’ bodies, giving each a gentle yellow glow over their forms. Her labor finished, the angel twirled and shot up into the air where it disappeared in a burst of light.

As one, the Returners stood back up. Fluttershy’s cutie mark flicked briefly before returning to normal. She sighed deeply then stood in line with the rest.

Starlight let out a frustrated groan. “Now I have to start all over again.” Not waiting for them to reply, she began casting a new spell while her followers retreated back towards the shelter. She hopped lightly into the air, cast a gravity spell on herself, then came down with gargantuan force. The shear power rocked the top of the tower, cracks appearing beneath where the Returners stood.

The Returners, feeling more refreshed than when they started the fight, skipped away from the damaged floor. Fire, ice, and glowing needle projectiles homed in on Starlight’s position, hitting her from every direction. The ponies kept the pressure up, casting every attack spell they knew. Once they were finally spent, huffing from their exertions, they waited to see what was left of the cult leader.

Their faces fell when a gust of wind blew away the steam and smoke generated from their attacks and saw Starlight standing perfectly fine in the center of the blast zone. A multicolored field surrounded her body, one that faded away with a toss of Starlight’s head. “Wall Change. All of your elemental attacks are nullified. Not that I needed to use it, but I thought I’d show you just how outclassed you all are.”

Smirking, Starlight stepped forward. “Now, get inside before I get peeved. You wouldn’t like me when I’m peeved.”

“Such language,” Fluttershy muttered, too tired to raise her voice.

The group looked to each other, searching each other’s faces for a plan.

Starlight didn’t give them the chance. “Now!”

“Wait!” Trixie brushed past her comrades, taking center stage. “Before you make us into one of your brain dead followers, want to see one last trick?”

Rolling her eyes, Starlight gestured to continue. “Whatever you’ve got planned won’t work, but fine. This is your last chance.”

“Very well. First, Trixie needs help from her lovely assistants.”

Rainbow Dash whispered to Twilight, “When the hay did she pick up the showmare shtick?”

Twilight shrugged helplessly.

Their confusion only increased when Trixie cast a spell over them, feeling their remaining magic reserves leave them and get absorbed into Trixie.

“Did she just runic us without her sword?” Rarity said.

“Osmosis, my dear,” Trixie answered. “Now watch closely as Trixie performs her greatest feat yet!” She raised up on her back legs, raising her front hooves to the sky.

Starlight looked bored. “Get on with it!”

“Ah, a neighsayer. Trixie knows just how to deal with the likes of you!” Her whole body blazing fiercely, Trixie gave a triumphant roar and shot all her gathered magic into the sky. The ball of condensed power reached its apex then winked out of existence.

All the ponies gathered at the top of the tower watched and waited.

And waited.

“Huh.” Trixie dropped back down to all fours. “Was expecting more.”

“Alright, show’s over,” Starlight said, all traces of patience gone. “Get—”

The sky above tore itself apart, making a noise akin to breaking glass and paper ripping. Clouds and air seeped into the tear like it was a sink drain. The hole widened, revealing a vast expanse of blackness broken up by numerous twinkling stars. The ponies watched in awe and horror at the spectacle, unable to process what they were seeing but powerless to look away. Their reverie ended when giant space rocks suddenly rained down with terrifying speed, landing with pinpoint accuracy on a startled Starlight Glimmer.

Ponies on both sides looked away as armageddon raged in the spot Starlight occupied, meteor after meteor crashing down on the purple pony. The onslaught only lasted a few seconds, the opening in the sky closing back up in a reverse iris. Once the sounds of repeated explosions disappeared and the normal rush of winds returned did anypony dare to move. Hesitantly, the ponies turned back, expecting to see nothing but devastation and the ruins of a pony. Wreckage certainly showed, with the strong stone roof pockmarked with craters and the smoldering remains of blasted masonry. Starlight Glimmer on the other hoof remained in one piece.

Battered, bruised, missing chunks of her coat, with parts of her mane and tail torn, but still alive.

And furious.

Starlight raised her head and screamed, letting out a primal sound of fury at the top of her lungs. The Returners and cult members backed away, more frightened than they were during the meteor spell. Once Starlight expelled her lungs, she took in quick, shallow breaths, her sight locked squarely on Trixie. “You… that… stupid…” Words failing her, she snarled, her forehead lighting up brighter than ever before. The very air seemed to change around the tower, growing thicker and hotter. A cold sweat broke out on the Returners and cultists as the temperature continued to rise.

“Now what’s she doing?” Rainbow Dash asked aloud. “What’s it going to take to keep her down?”

Twilight jabbed Trixie in the side. “Quick! Cast that spell again!”

“Trixie just spent every last drop of magic in her and all of you, Twilight Sparkle!” she shot back. “If I could use my sword, I could runic, but we know that’s not happening.” She lifted her head to the sky and wailed, “This isn’t fair! Trixie just performed the greatest feat known to ponykind, only to get shown up!”

The heat was nearly unbearable, the cultists themselves passing out.

“Starlight!” Fluttershy called out, her hoof outstretched. “Please, stop! You’re putting everypony in danger!”

“She’s too far gone.” Rarity attempted to draw a throwing knife, only to remember that the tower prevented her from doing that. “Oh my, we’re going to die.”

In the center of the growing inferno, her eyes a solid white, Starlight finished her spell. With a cry of hatred, she shouted, “Merton!”

The intense heat reached its peak, washing over the entire rooftop. The cracked and damaged tower, along with the shelter, melted under the all consuming fury. The spell lasted only a moment, but that was all it needed to burn everything to cinders.

.o.O.o.

All was still at the base of the Fanatics Tower. Even the winds that circled endlessly within the canyon that held the tower stilled. The silence, so unnatural for this tiny corner of the world, stretched on. Had anypony been there to experience it and happen to look upwards, they would have glimpsed a red spark shining somewhere far up on the impossibly high tower. Also unnatural, as anything higher than the quarter mark was too obscured by dark, swirling clouds. The stillness stretched on again, like the world paused forever on this moment.

The uneasy calm broke all at once as a ball of fire crashed to the ground at supersonic speeds. Strangely, the impact didn’t leave a crater, nor did the fireball disperse upon landing. The bizarre phenomenon continued as the ball of fire sprouted flaming wings, followed by the blazing head of a bird. The fire bird let out a majestic cry, rising away from the earth with a great flap of its wings, revealing a tail of four long trailing feathers. It rose higher, twirled, then burst into fading motes of sparkling magic.

Where the fire bird had briefly landed now lay over a dozen ponies. The cutie mark of one of the ponies gave off a flickering glow before returning to its normal state. With a pained groan, Rainbow Dash slowly picked herself up, slightly wobbling on her hooves.

“What a rush.”

Shaking off the last lingering dizziness, Rainbow Dash got to work checking on her friends. Some of the Returners were already waking up, just as out of it as Rainbow Dash had been. “Take it easy. Don’t rush it.”

“Thanks,” Twilight Sparkle said, rising to her hooves and stretching out some kinks. She took stock, noticing they were back on the ground and that certain limbs had reappeared. “Hey, your wings are back.”

“Really?” Rainbow Dash twisted her head around, her face lighting up upon seeing two perfectly solid wings. She leapt up and whooped, gliding back down to grin at Twilight. “Nice! Your horn’s back, too!”

Twilight crossed her eyes upwards, spying the tip of her horn. She let out a relieved sigh. “What happened?”

“Um, I’m not entirely sure, but I think that esper I bonded with saved us.” Rainbow Dash grinned, raising a hoof to the sky while hovering off the ground. “I’m so awesome that I did it on instinct!”

“And we’re very grateful,” Rarity said. She looked over her costume, thankful that her mask hid her distaste. “Ugh, I’ve got so much mending to do on this thing. I don’t think I’ll ever get these scorch marks out.”

Trixie and Fluttershy also revived, looking over themselves and delighted to have their missing body parts back. A series of groans nearby alerted them that they weren’t the only ones here. The Cult of Discord members lay sprawled out on the ground, barely aware of their surroundings. They looked out of it but fine, which couldn’t be said for their leader.

Starlight Glimmer, the cult mastermind, lay on her side, her body a blackened and charred husk. Steam wafted off of her, the smell of burnt hair and cooked flesh reaching the others’ noses. Unlike anypony else, she remained still.

Fluttershy ran over to her in an instant. On the verge of tears, she bent down, ignoring the horrid stank Starlight emitted. Holding her breath, Fluttershy listened and waited.

The barest wisp of air tickled her ears.

“She’s alive!” Fluttershy rose up and spread her wings, willing her magic to come forth. The familiar tingle of a healing spell didn’t form. She firmed up her features and tried again, but nothing came forth. “Oh, no. I’m out of magic!” Fluttershy rushed over to Trixie, giving the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster. “Please, let me have one of those magic giving potions.”

Trixie scrunched up her face, looking between Fluttershy and Starlight.

“I don’t have much time!” Fluttershy pleaded. “Please!”

Breathing in heavily, Trixie reached into her pouch and produced an ether. She popped the cork and took a tiny sip. She hoofed over the rest to Fluttershy, drawing her sword with levitation at the same time. “I’m not taking any risks. The moment she tries to cast something, I’m using runic and then ending her.”

Fluttershy swallowed and nodded. She downed the ether in one gulp, then galloped back to Starlight, Trixie right behind her. Flaring out her wings again, her magic at last responded. Pouring every last bit of power into her spell, Fluttershy wished for Starlight to recover.

A single golden mote descended from the sky, tinkling as it went. It touched Starlight’s body, the mote spreading over her in a cocoon of life giving energy. Little cherubs appeared over the cocoon, sprinkling sparkling dust. Within seconds, the spell completed, the cocoon and cherubs fading away with a wave and a giggle.

Fluttershy sighed and pulled back her wings. She lay down on her stomach, reaching out to stroke Starlight’s restored hair. The rest of her body had similarly been healed, though her breathing remained shallow. The cultists had recovered by this point and waited with everypony else for something to happen.

With a cough and sputter, Starlight jerked awake. She took in air desperately, nearly hyperventilating back into unconsciousness. Fluttershy held her and continued to stroke her mane through the entire thing. Once Starlight’s panicked breathing became more regular, her body slacked as though all energy had been drained from her.

“Shh, relax,” Fluttershy said soothingly, holding Starlight close. “Don’t rush it. Take your time.”

Starlight did, letting Fluttershy hold her and whisper comforting words for a full minute. With a deep sigh, Starlight began to rise, Fluttershy helping her the whole time. Starlight looked around, taking note of the Returners, her cultists, and their location. “How are we still alive?”

“Me!” Rainbow Dash waved from her spot in the air.

“We think Rainbow summoned her esper and it protected us and brought us down here,” Fluttershy said.

Starlight blinked, shaking her head. “That… that’s amazing.”

Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest. “I know, right!”

Any further commentary from Starlight was cut short as her cultists swarmed her, hugging and singing praise to her miraculous recovery.

“That was astounding!” Night Glider slapped her on the back.

Double Diamond gave Starlight a light nudge. “I never knew you had such powerful magic.”

“Me neither,” Party Favor said.

“I’ve never seen you cut loose like that before,” Sugar Belle stated.

The good cheer and merriment ended by a simple, but insistent, cough. Fluttershy smiled at them, her face serene. “I’m glad you are all okay.”

In an instant, her expression changed, her features hardening into a deep scowl. She marched up to Starlight, her piercing stare stopping everypony in their tracks. “But how irresponsible can you be?!”

Returners and cultists alike took a step back, letting Starlight take the full brunt of Fluttershy’s fury.

“You nearly got us all killed! Us and your poor friends! Did you even think about what you were doing?!”

Starlight gulped, finding her mouth suddenly dry. “But—”

“No buts! You have a responsibility as mayor to watch out and protect your citizens. This behavior is disgraceful!” Fluttershy pointed at the tower. “Look at what this has made you become. A hateful and inconsiderate bully, nothing like the pony I looked up to in Thamaresa.” Fluttershy backed away but kept her stare fixed on Starlight. “I don’t know what else to say to get through to you, Starlight.”

Completely gobsmacked, all Starlight could do was look away.

“We’ll be leaving once Pinkie Pie comes to pick us up. You’re welcome to join us when she does.” With that, Fluttershy gave one last, withering look, then turned to head back to the Returners.

“D-Discord w-won’t… allow it.”

Fluttershy stopped and regarded Starlight. She started to speak but a motion from Trixie stopped her. The unicorn took Fluttershy’s place in front of Starlight, her expression neutral. “Discord wasn’t there when you needed him most. He isn’t here now. He doesn’t care. He’s probably somewhere laughing his stupid butt off at all the entertainment we just provided him.”

Starlight looked up, some fire reigniting in her eyes. “You can’t stop him.”

“You were certain that we couldn’t stop you, yet here we are. He’s powerful, but not invincible. Discord was made a year ago. He can be unmade.”

Trixie looked past Starlight, to her cohorts watching with unease and uncertainty. “You don’t have to join us. Discord will be focused on us and not you or your friends. It’s probably best you take Fluttershy’s advice and go back to Thamaresa.” Trixie looked Starlight in the eyes. “You have a day to think it over.”

Swiping back her singed cape, Trixie trotted back to the Returners.

Letting out a huff, Starlight walked back to her fellow cultists. “Guys, we need to talk.”

Author's Note

Special thanks to F14m3rz for the idea of Starlight being the MagiMaster.

In Which The Returners Get a Break

Sunset Shimmer tapped her hoof against the airship floor, her eyes wavering over the sleeping form of the dark alicorn. Well, dark would be an overstatement. More like a deep shade of blue. Or perhaps a cyan or indigo. No, more like—

Sunset slapped herself, cutting off her rambling thoughts.

Sitting nearby, Spike looked up from his inspection of his spear. “What was that for?”

Sighing deeply, Sunset rolled over on her side. “This sucks. I am utterly bored.”

Spike frowned, giving his own sigh. “Hey, I don’t like it anymore than you do. Twi’s out there risking her life and we’re stuck here babysitting.” He glanced over at their prisoner. Other than the gentle rising and falling of her chest as the alicorn slept, there was no movement.

“I’m certain that the straws we pulled were rigged.” Sunset heaved herself back up to a sitting position. She withdrew the Ultima Weapon, the blue energy blade springing to life. She gave it a few swings before huffing, deactivating it, and placing it back on her side. “Can’t even practice here.”

The door to the small room that was being used to house their captive opened, Zecora stepping in with a tray of drinks. “Refreshments from Apple Bloom to help ease your gloom.” Zecora passed a cup of steaming brown liquid to each of them, then sat down in an empty spot to begin sipping her own.

Sunset lifted her cup to her lips with her magic, feeling the hot substance trickle down her throat. The concoction had a slightly bitter taste, though the effects couldn’t be denied. A few minutes later and her mind began to clear and sharpen, making her more alert. “Remind me to thank her later. Whatever this stuff is is the only thing keeping me going.”

“I overheard her saying ‘koofie’ or something,” Spike said after taking a drag of his own. “Stardust was trying to get the recipe off of her before he left. Guess he wants to sell it.”

“Big surprise.”

Silence fell over the room. Zecora worked herself into a lotus position, softly murmuring to herself. Spike began looking over his spear again, while Sunset returned to staring at their prisoner.

She only lasted another minute before abruptly standing up and heading for the door. “I need to get out of here for a while.” The others didn’t stop her, Spike only giving a quick nod. Sunset exited the room, closing the door behind her. There was no lock, though she doubted that it would have mattered if the alicorn woke up. She quickly made her way up to the deck, and the moment she was topside, she took in a deep breath. The sun shone down, but the airship balloon prevented any sunshine from reaching the deck.

“Hiya, Sunset!”

Sunset’s ears perked up, her gaze shifting over to where Pinkie Pie was waving at her from the wheel.

“Everything okay down there?”

“Yes, she’s still out cold.” Sunset walked casually towards the railing. “Just needed to get some fresh air.”

“I hear ya. Being cooped up too long makes me go a bit crazy, too. Probably why I like flying so much.”

Sunset gave an affirmative grunt, then looked out over the landscape. There wasn’t much to see, just a grassy plain stretching out to meet an ocean of green. She frowned, the monotony not helping her mood. “How long have they been gone?”

“Only a few hours,” Pinkie Pie called back. “Moonlight didn’t say how long it would take.”

“Great.” With few Returners wandering around on the deck, Sunset withdrew her sword and started going through the forms that Trixie, Shining Armor, and Zecora had shown her. Each of them had their own style, something Sunset couldn’t claim yet. Trixie preferred a more straightforward approach of standard techniques, though often mixing in magic to keep her opponent off guard. Shining Armor’s form was more of a dance, weaving in and out and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Zecora’s was the most brutal, with hard hitting attacks that often ended with overwhelming her opponents.

It was as she was going through Trixie’s set for the second time that there was a shout from the forward bow. “They’re coming back!” Limestone cried out.

Sunset stopped her practice, looking out where Limestone pointed. Sure enough, the unmistakable forms of Applejack, Big Macintosh, Shining Armor, Spotter, and Stardust were galloping towards the airship. What raised Sunset’s eyebrow was the large multicolored creature buzzing above them.

Of Moonlight, there was no sign.

“Lower the plank!” Limestone barked. Maud and Marble complied, lowering the wooden construct to the ground. Minutes later, the returning Returners climbed up onto the deck, along with the newcomer.

“Howdy, all!” Applejack greeted. She waited for the others to crowd around, including the buzzing creature. “Y’all, I’d like you to meet Thorax. He’s a changeling native to these parts and he’s agreed to help us with Discord.”

“Changeling, huh?” Pinkie Pie sidled up the Thorax, giving him a critical eye. “Does that mean you, like, change or something?”

Thorax grinned, his form engulfed in green flames. Pinkie yelped and hopped back as the flames receded and Thorax reappeared, this time as a giant brown bear. It roared and beat its chest, then the green flame flashed again, returning Thorax to his original form. “Yeah, it’s not just a clever name.”

Pinkie Pie blinked at the display. A wide grin spread her cheeks. “That. Was. Awesome! What else can you change into?”

“Lot’s of things. If you name it, I can copy it.”

“Turn into a chimichanga!”

Thorax blinked. “A what?”

“No, how about a parasprite!”

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Thorax’s head. “Uh…”

“Wait, what about—”

Sunset shoved her hoof into Pinkie’s mouth. “Nice to meet you and all, but where’s that other chocobo that went with you?”

The faces of the returned group fell. Stardust sniffled and walked away with his head down, not uttering a word. He headed down below, quietly closing the door behind him.

Now with a worried frown, Sunset looked to the others. “Is… is he dead?”

Applejack took off her helmet and placed it against her chest. “Pinkie, get the Paradise ready for takeoff. We’ll explain on the way back to the others.”

.o.O.o.

Spike looked up as the door to the small room opened, expecting Sunset to enter. Instead, a sniffling silver chocobo plodded into the room and plopped down next to him. “You’re back! What… happened?”

Stardust rubbed the end of his beak with a wing, wiping away a string of snot. “It… it’s…”

Zecora stood up from her meditative post and walked over to him. She hoofed over a handkerchief which Stardust immediately put to use. “I see your heart is heavy with grief. Take your time as that is the only thing that will give you relief.”

“Moonlight…” Stardust moaned.

“Oh, no.” Spike put his spear down and sat on Stardust’s other side. “Is… did he die?”

Taking a shuddering breath, Stardust told the pair what happened after leaving the airship. So engrossed by the story that none of the trio noticed that one of the alicorn’s ears twitched.

.o.O.o.

Landing next to Fanatics Tower proved much easier without the gale force winds constantly blowing around the structure. Lucky for them, since more than twice the number of passengers boarded the Paradise than had disembarked. Pinkie Pie practically vibrated seeing all the new faces coming aboard.

“Welcome! If this is your first time flying, be sure to pick up your barf bags from the crew before heading down to the cabins. If you have any questions, please don’t be afraid to ask me or my wonderful sisters!”

Starlight Glimmer and her fellow cult members were only given a few minutes to gawk at the immense airship before Trixie ordered Pinkie to take off. The newcomers were ushered below by the Cutie Mark Crusaders while the Pies readied the Paradise for flight.

“What’s up with them?” Pinkie Pie asked as she readied the wheel. “They all joining us?”

“No, just dropping them off,” Trixie said.

“Oh, well that’s a bummer and a relief. I love guests but it’s getting kinda crowded down there. Where to?”

“Thamaresa.”

“Oohh, haven’t been there in a while. Onward!”

Soon, the Paradise was airborne and streaking through the skies. As the airship flew farther away from the tower enclosed within mountains, Starlight looked on through a round window. She watched until the tower and mountains could no longer be seen, her deep sighs leaving brief condensation marks on the window. “Discord never showed up.” Forcefully tearing her gaze from the window, she settled down for the flight home.

.o.O.o.

Trixie sat within the main airship lounge, looking up at the newcomer that Applejack’s group had picked up. Thorax grinned back nervously, giving a little wave. Messaging her temples, Trixie said, “So… changelings are a thing.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh supplied. He sat nearby, tinkering with a device Trixie couldn’t identify.

“And who we thought was a chocobo was actually the queen of the changelings who’s flown off somewhere.”

Applejack nodded. “That’s the gist of it.”

Trixie shook her head and stood up. She headed for her room, saying over her shoulder, “Whatever. As long as you know what you’re getting into, welcome to the Returners.”

“Hold up!” Applejack called before Trixie could leave. “It’s nice and all that you’re so acceptin’, but what’s our next move?”

Sighing, Trixie plodded back. She plopped down, her muzzle scrunched up. “Trixie isn’t sure. It might be time we face off with Discord.”

“Yes!” Rainbow Dash hopped into the air, a hoof thrust to the sky. “With all of us together now, he’ll be toast!” A yank on her tail brought her back down to the floor.

“Simmer down, sally,” Applejack said after spitting out Rainbow Dash’s tail. “I want to buck that bozo as much as anyone else here, but are we sure we’re ready?”

“Sure we are! We totally aced that tower!”

“Funny,” Rarity drawled as she looped a needle through her Mare Do Well costume. “Because I remember it differently.”

Rainbow Dash shot her a hurt look. “Oh, c’mon, I legit saved the day.”

“After being nearly roasted to a crisp.”

“Still won, though.”

Twilight cleared her throat, gaining the room’s attention. “It was too close. If we’re struggling to beat a regular unicorn, then Discord will laugh at anything we throw at him.”

“What do you suggest, then?” Trixie asked.

Twilight sighed and looked away. “I don’t know yet. More training, I suppose.”

Rainbow Dash threw up her forelegs. “Boring!”

“But it’s necessary, Dash. Do you want to fail and let Discord have his way forever?”

Scowling, Rainbow Dash huffed and crossed her hooves, grumbling about eggheads and homework.

The room fell silent, each Returner quietly considering their options.

“Um, how about a teeny little break?”

All eyes fell on Fluttershy, the pegasus shrinking back. “I-I mean, we’re going to Thamaresa to drop off Starlight and the others. Um, w-we could just, ah, relax for a bit?” She hid her head under her hooves as everyone continued to stare. “But… whatever you think would be fine.”

A few murmurs between the Returners spread through the group. The murmurings grew louder as more and more of them began to speak. A clap from Derpy’s hooves brought the growing din back down. “Ya know what, I think that’s a pretty good idea. We’ve been running almost non-stop for a while now. Maybe a few days' downtime will let us come up with some plans.”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah, I like that. And it’ll give Stardust some time to mourn. What do y'all think?”

A round of agreement followed. Trixie cleared her throat. “Fine, but two days, max. Any longer and Discord will likely pull something to get us to leave.”

With their short term schedule in place, the team dispersed, each individual taking time to plan out their upcoming weekend.

.o.O.o.

The return to Thamaresa held mixed feelings between the Returners. Starlight and her followers were welcomed back with great enthusiasm from the remaining townsfolk. With their leader and fellow citizens returned a party was planned that night to celebrate. Pinkie Pie was more than happy to help. Even on short notice, the party exceeded expectations and spirits were high for all involved.

Twilight Sparkle excused herself, heading off to a nearby grove of trees with Stardust, Spike, Shining Armor, Spotter, and Sunset Shimmer following her. In the middle of the grove, the memorial for her father still stood. She sat down in front of the gravestone and placed a fresh bouquet of flowers in front of it. “Hello, Father. It’s been some time, hasn’t it?”

Spotter’s horn sparked and Autumn Blaze appeared next to him. The summoned esper walked up to the tablet and read the inscription. Her jaw dropped. “Your dad was Maduin?”

“Yes. Did you know him?”

“Well, not personally. More by reputation. He was the demon that fell in love with a pony. Wow, that’s weird I've been with his half-esper daughter the whole time.”

Twilight looked over her shoulder at Stardust, motioning with her head for him to come closer. The chocobo did so, his eyes still red and puffy. “Stardust, I wanted to ask you if you’d like me to add Moonlight to the tablet.”

Stardust snapped his gaze down on her. “What? W-why?”

“This is more than a grave for one esper, it’s a memorial to all the creatures we’ve lost. We can give Moonlight at least something for others to remember him by.”

“You… you don’t have to do that.”

Twilight turned so that she faced him fully. “I know what it’s like to lose someone special. Moonlight was special to you, right?”

Looking away, Stardust sniffed. “Yeah. He taught me everything. He wasn’t my dad but… I guess I thought of him as one.” He wiped his beak with a wing. “But still, you don’t have to.”

Twilight smiled. “Just because my father was an esper and yours was a chocobo doesn’t mean they both aren’t important. It shows that we share something between us, even though we’re not the same species.” Her smile still in place, she beckoned Sunset to come forward. Sunset came up, a sly smirk on her lips. The two unicorns’ horns lit up and shot out a pair of beams at the tablet. In less than a minute they cut off their magic.

A new epitaph below Maduin’s was now etched into the stone. It read, “Here Lies Moonlight. Inspiring Mentor and Friend. May he rest in peace.”

Stardust sat down, a fresh wave of tears spilling from his eyes. “Th-thank you.”

The group came up and held him as he cried.

.o.O.o.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Fluttershy slept soundly in her own bed. The softness and comfiness were just as she remembered. She could stay like this forever if the world would let her.

The world wasn’t done with her yet, though.

A consistent and nagging prodding on her wings disrupted her pleasant sleep. She flicked them in the hopes it was a fly so that it would buzz off somewhere else. The poking continued the moment she settled them back down. Groggily, she opened her eyes and reached for her blanket to pull it tighter against her. Something weighed down the blanket, thwarting her efforts. Grumbling, she pulled harder, successfully freeing her blanket.

A thump and a pained cry fully woke her up.

Fluttershy jolted awake, pulling up her blanket until only her eyes could peek over. She blinked at seeing Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle at the foot of her bed, staring down at the floor. Fluttershy followed their gaze and saw Apple Bloom picking herself up and rubbing her bottom. “Girls! Wha… what are you doing here?”

“Owwie. Trying to wake ya up,” Apple Bloom said.

Fluttershy looked around, spotting her window. It was still dark out. “What time is it?”

Scootaloo pointed at a nearby clock which read three o’clock. “Early. Sorry, but we couldn’t wait.”

Fluttershy let her blanket fall back down, her voice growing stern. “What could be so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?”

“It’s your brother,” Sweetie Belle said. “He’s injured.”

“What?!” Fluttershy hopped out of her bed, her cross expression being replaced with concern. “What happened to Zephyr?”

“He’s downstairs. We were going to heal him up ourselves, but he insisted you be the one to do it.”

Fluttershy’s face flipped again, her ears flattening and a small snarl forming on her lips. “Of course he would. Is it bad?”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “We don’t know. He wouldn’t show us.”

Sighing, Fluttershy headed for the stairs. “Thank you, girls. Let’s go patch him up so that we can get back to bed.” She and the Crusaders descended to the first floor, coming down into a modest living area. On the other side of the room lay a beige couch large enough to accommodate two ponies. Presently, it was holding one light green pegasus stallion, stretched out far enough to encompass the whole thing.

The occupant looked up as Fluttershy came over, his muzzle spreading wide into a smile. “Little sis! Oh, it's so good to see you. You’ve been gone for so long that I thought you’d never come back.”

“Hello, Zephyr Breeze. What’s wrong?”

Zephyr cringed and fell back on the couch, letting out a loud groan. “Oh, for you to see me like this must be agony. To see your big, strong brother hobbled has got to be the biggest shock of your life.”

Fluttershy, her voice straining, said, “Zephyr, the girls said you were hurt. Please tell me what the problem is so I can heal it.”

“Oh, oh of course.” Zephyr lifted up a bit, spreading out his wings. He pointed a hoof at one of them. “You see?”

Fluttershy did see, her eyes narrowing. “One of your feathers is slightly bent. Is that it?”

“Indeed and it’s unbearable! Please, you must help me!”

Keeping her expression neutral even as she ground her teeth, Fluttershy spread out her wings, sending out a small tendril of white magic. The wisp circled around the damaged feather, spreading its healing power. In moments, the feather righted itself back into its proper position.

Zephyr lept from the couch, gathering up Fluttershy in a tight hug. “Thank you! You’re a miracle worker, you know that?”

“You’re welcome,” came Fluttershy’s muffled response against his chest.

Pushing her away from him, Zephyr sighed and fell back down on the couch. “Oh, if only I hadn’t gotten hurt, then it would have been worth it.”

Against her better judgement, Fluttershy asked, “Worth what?”

Springing back up and grinning wildly, Zephyr pointed a hoof towards the north. “You know that little island just off the coast? I went exploring and found the most amazing cave!”

Fluttershy and the Crusaders gasped. “Zephyr, you’re not supposed to be going off alone like that!”

“You found a cave on Rambling Rock?!” Scootaloo zipped over to Zephyr, her face full of excitement. “Dude, what’d you find?”

“Scootaloo, don’t encourage—”

“Why, just the deepest, darkest caverns anywhere in the world,” Zephyr said, ignoring Fluttershy.

“Tell us! Tell us!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“We need to get back to be—”

Zephyr spread out his healed wings, smacking Fluttershy in the face. “There I was, in pitch blackness, when these horrible figures came out to eat me!”

Apple Bloom cocked her head. “How’d you see ‘em in the dark?”

“Not you too, Apple—”

“I saw their eyes!” Zephyr shuddered, huddling down as if experiencing the encounter all over again. “These pale, pupiless eyes stared at me from all directions. If I hadn’t reacted fast enough, I would be monster chow.”

Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom all looked at each other. An unspoken agreement passed through them, their muzzles lighting up. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Island Expedition!” They reared up and slapped their hooves together.

Fluttershy settled for facehoofing. “No. No, no, no, no.” With weary dread, she watched as the girls ran back upstairs, no doubt to gather supplies. “I just wanted a few days' rest.”

“Ah, don’t worry,” Zephyr said, slapping Fluttershy on the back, causing a pained grunt. “They’re old enough now to take care of themselves.”

Shooting Zephyr with a glare that forced him back a step, Fluttershy heaved in a deep breath. “You just had to get them all riled up. Now no matter what I say, they’re going to go off on a dangerous journey and run into who-knows-what on that island.”

Zephyr chanced a sheepish grin. “But… you’ve got magic now, right?”

“Magic isn’t the answer to everything! It never was!” Fluttershy made to continue, but with a colossal effort, she snapped her mouth shut. Giving one last withering look, she whirled around and stomped up the stairs.

Left behind, Zephyr let out a relieved breath. “Well, at least she only yelled at me this time.” Shrugging, he headed off to the kitchen to raid the pantry.

.o.O.o.

“I don’t suppose you’ve changed your mind?”

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Fluttershy, for the last time, we know what we’re doing.”

Fluttershy pressed on. “At least let’s get one of the others to come with us.”

Apple Bloom sighed. Her two best friends and Fluttershy had just left the house, their destination to the north. She pointed at the remains of the party from the previous night where numerous kegs and pint cups were strewn across the main square. “Reckon that ain’t gonna happen. I think Sugar Belle and Party Favor made their special drink.”

“Oh dear.” Fluttershy shook her head. Of all the times for the duo to bring out the heavy stuff, it had to be now. Anypony who drank it, and with Pinkie Pie involved it was likely everyone, they would be signing merrily during the festivities but out cold for hours afterwards. The hangover that resulted once they woke up would keep them comatose even longer.

“Relax, Fluttershy,” Scootaloo said, an easy smile on her face. “We’re pros at this now. Besides, I’m sure all Zephyr saw were some little monsters that bolted the moment he screamed and ran back here.”

“Oh, good. So it’s no big deal and we can all go back to bed.” Fluttershy stopped and turned around, but hung her head when she realized the Crusaders had kept moving. With a defeated sigh, she rushed to catch up to them. “Can’t we at least wait until morning?”

“You don’t have to come with us, you know.”

“Sweetie Belle, what about Rarity?” Fluttershy pressed. “She’ll be very upset with you.”

If anything, the mention of Rarity hardened Sweetie Belle’s features even more. “I don’t care. I’m not a foal anymore and can make my own decisions.”

They had reached the edge of town by now. Less than an hour’s travel and they’d be at the coast. “You’re not going to swim all the way there, are you?”

That finally brought the Crusaders up short. A look of trepidation passed between them. “Um, I don’t suppose there’s a boat?” Apple Bloom said.

Scootaloo shrugged. “I think there used to be one but I dunno if it’s still there.”

“Oh, good,” Fluttershy said, getting in front of them and herding them back towards the village. “That settles it, then. I’ll go prepare us some nice hot cocoa and—”

“Oh, hello. Am I interrupting something?”

Fluttershy and the Crusaders screamed. The figure standing before them was tall, insectoid, and colorful. It flinched back, folding back its ears. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Once the ponies got over their shock, recognition came back into their eyes. “Wait, you’re that new guy my sis brought back,” Apple Bloom said.

“Oh, good, you remember. I’m Thorax.” He smiled, inadvertently showing off his fangs.

Fluttershy swallowed and gave a tentative smile. “Um, nice to meet you again. But, um, we were just heading back—”

“Wait!” Sweetie Belle rushed up to Thorax, making him take a step back. “You said you were a changeling, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Can you change into a boat?”

Thorax blinked. “Uh… maybe?”

“Oh! Oh!” Scootaloo joined Sweetie Belle. “How about a rad sea serpent?”

“I think that’s a little more doable…”

“I got it!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “A giant bird!”

“What?”

“Girls!”

The Crusaders shank back from Fluttershy’s shout. The pegasus let out a breath, bowing to Thorax. “I’m terribly sorry. They get very excitable. We’ll be on our way now.” Fluttershy nudged Apple Bloom, the trio grumbling as they headed back into Thamarsa.

“Wait, whatever it is you need, I can probably help,” Thorax called to them. “I don’t mind.”

The Crusaders were back in front of him in an instant. “Can you take us to the island up north?” they all said at once.

Thorax thought about it for a minute, then gave a sharp nod. “No problem.”

Fluttershy moaned and buried her head in her hooves.

.o.O.o.

Rambling Rock Island was as ordinary an island as they got. A small plot of land with a hill of rock, its edges rounded down through the years and dead center in the island. With so little land to farm, the ponies of Thamaresa largely left it alone, save for the occasional day trip. It was this unremarkable island that Thorax swam up to as a giant sea serpent, Fluttershy and the Crusaders clinging to his back fin.

With a quick dive and jump, Thorax launched himself out of the water, transforming himself back to his original shape and gliding down to the land with the ponies in his magical grip. “There. Glad that didn’t take too long. Big bodies like that take a lot out of me.”

The ponies shook off the water clinging to their coats before taking in their surroundings. There wasn’t much to see, other than the signature hill of rock and a few scattered shrubs. Apple Bloom pursed her lips. “Thanks for the ride. Now we just gotta find that cave Zephyr was talkin’ about.”

“Should we split up to look?” Scootaloo said.

“Absolutely not!” Fluttershy stomped her hoof, giving a hard stare at the fillies. “If there’s one thing I will not budge on, it’s that. We stick together until we’re done here.”

“Okay, okay. Jeez, it was just a suggestion.”

Sweetie Belle looked from one end of the island to the next. With the hill in the way, all she saw was a thin strip of land wrapping around the center. “Do we just circle around until we find it?”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Might as well. Let’s go.” Deciding to pick the direction she was currently facing, she trotted off, the others following behind.

The morning sun had already risen, giving plenty of light to see by. Even so, their trek around the island proved futile, as they reached their starting point in just over an hour having found no evidence of a cave entrance. Apple Bloom suggested they retrace their steps to see if going in the opposite direction would help. Another hour later gave the same results.

“Well, this has been a pleasant little outing, but we really should be getting back.” Fluttershy gave an encouraging smile at the frustrated Crusaders. “Chin up, girls. Zephyr most likely startled some birds and overreacted.” She turned to Thorax, who had been surprisingly easy and fascinating to talk to, and said, “Thanks for coming with us, Thorax. Sorry we took up so much of your time.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure!” Thorax beamed down at her. “I’ve learned a lot traveling with you.”

Fluttershy smiled warmly. “Me too. So, let’s say we get on our way, girls. Girls?”

Her three young charges weren’t listening. Their heads all pointed upwards, at the central rock hill. “We need to get on top,” Apple Bloom said. She twisted her head towards Thorax. “Can you get us up on top of that?”

Fluttershy leveled a frown at them. “Girls, Mr. Thorax has been extremely generous. Let’s not take advantage of that.”

“We know!” Scootaloo cried, then shrank back at the look Fluttershy gave her. “But we’ve come all this way already. Don’t you want to make sure that we tried everything?”

“Frankly, no.”

“I don’t mind.” Thorax smiled at Fluttershy. “Really, this has been kinda nice. Sure is more exciting than my average day.”

“Oh, thank you!” Sweetie Belle took hold of one of Thorax’s legs and shook it. “We promise to pay you back for this.”

Thorax chuckled. “Naw, that’s alright. Now, let me think of the best way to get up there.” A flash of green fire later transformed him into an osprey. He gave a screech and spread out his impressive wingspan. “Hop aboard.” He knelt down, laying a wing on the ground.

“Sweet!” Apple Bloom scampered up first, followed swiftly by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

Fluttershy shook her head when Thorax offered the other wing to her. “No thanks. I’ll fly on my own.”

“As you wish.” With that, Thorax flapped his giant wings and took off with the three fillies clinging to his back. Fluttershy sighed and followed after them.

It took only a few seconds for Thorax to reach the top as the hill wasn’t very high. He landed on the smooth, rocky surface allowing the Crusaders to slide down his back. A flash of green later and Thorax changed form.

“Okay, I got a good feeling about this!” Apple Bloom declared. “Look for anything suspicious.” The Crusaders scattered, each taking off in a different direction.

Fluttershy landed next to Thorax just as the fillies ran off. “I really really hope they don’t find anything.”

“Good thing they have you to look after them, right?” Thorax said.

Frowning, Fluttershy let out a wistful sigh. “Honestly, they don’t really need me anymore. They’ve taken care of themselves for a while now without me, Rarity, or even Applejack to help. They’ve… grown up, for better or worse.”

Thorax nodded, letting the silence that followed linger as they watched the Crusaders scamper around the hill. A dozen minutes passed with nothing but the cool sea breeze to contend with. At last, the fillies came trudging back, each with their head down.

“Nothing,” Scootaloo announced. Her two friends sighed, confirming the same.

“At least you can say you looked everywhere, not even a stone unturned,” Fluttershy said, wearing a relieved smile.

“I guess,” Apple Bloom grunted.

“Now then, be sure you have everything and then—”

The rock underneath them fell through, plunging them into darkness.

.o.O.o.

Thorax groaned, blinking open his pupiless eyes. All encompassing darkness surrounded him, making it impossible to see even with his highly developed changeling sight. He took a moment to take stock of his body, moving different parts to see if anything was broken. Other than a few pains here and there, nothing came back that he couldn’t deal with. Thorax then extended his ears and nose, falling back on his other senses.

Shuffling, buzzing, and the smell of decay came back to him. Thorax didn’t need to guess where he had fallen. The sounds and smells were all too familiar.

In a flash of green, he morphed into a large bug with lightning crackling between its horns. A bright flash from his abdomen erupted, sending intense light through the darkness. Dark pony-like shapes with black carapaces hissed and snarled back, dropping green pods and flying away to escape from the searing light. Having gained the opening Thorax needed, he morphed back, picked up the discarded green pods in his magic, and took off down an unguarded cavern.

Thorax flew through the cave using his twin horns’ light to guide him, outpacing the creatures he had ditched. He stopped at an indentation in the wall and shoved the pods as deep as they would go. Quick as a flash, he transformed into a solid surface, covering up the pods and blending in with the rocky walls. Seconds later, he heard the telltale sound of buzzing and a breeze brush against him. Thorax waited a full minute before dropping his disguise.

Keeping his ears perked, Thorax turned to the green pods he had stolen. They were squishy and malleable, covered in slimy juices and stank of mucus. They were also partially transparent, revealing unconscious ponies within. His lips curled back into a snarl as he formed a blue blade of magic and stabbed one of the pods. Thorax followed through with a cut across the middle, spilling out copious amounts of slime and the ponies within it. He hurried to the second one, repeating his actions until four sticky, coughing ponies were deposited before him.

“It’s okay if you have to puke,” Thorax said as lowly as possible. “These things aren’t pleasant.”

Fluttershy, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo sputtered and gagged, forcing as much of the vile fluid out of their systems. Thorax kept guard as they recovered, hurrying back as the sounds of buzzing started to echo throughout the cave. “We need to leave. Now.”

“Where… are we?” Apple Bloom coughed out. “I can’t see.”

“We’re in a changeling hive. We need to go before the queen is alerted.”

“It’s too late for that, brother.”

Thorax whirled, his horns sparkling with magic. “Pharynx!”

Black colored changelings beyond count crept out of the cave’s numerous crevices. One changeling, slightly larger than the others and sporting purple eyes and a red crest, stood out from the rest. “You should have stayed in your hidey hole, Thorax,” Pharynx said with a cruel smile. “Now we’ll finish what our queen started.” In a flash of green, Pharynx transformed into a monstrous hornet-like creature. He let out a screech which the other changelings echoed and charged.

Fluttershy and the Crusaders screamed, the fillies throwing out magical attacks at anything in range. Some of the changelings fell back, but that didn’t stop the mass from quickly overwhelming the ponies. At close quarters, the fillies resorted to kicking and bucking at countless adversaries.

Apple Bloom punched away one, seeing Sweetie Belle come close to her out of the corner of her eye. “Sweetie! Put up some kinda barrier!”

Sweetie Belle’s horn lit up, sending out a magic bolt and blasting Apple Bloom in the side. Apple Bloom cried out and fell to the floor, completely dazed. She looked up in time for Sweetie Belle’s form to shift to that of a changeling before its hoof came crashing down on her head.

Scootaloo twisted around multiple strikes, turning in time to see Apple Bloom go down and take a hit to the cranium. “No!” Her wings spread out, sending crackling lightning from her tips. The bolts struck at the changelings closest to her, giving her breathing room to run up to the downed earth filly. With a fierce yell, she body-checked the changeling impersonating Sweetie Belle, sending it flying somewhere into the darkness. With only seconds to spare, Scootaloo knelt down to check her fallen friend and didn’t like the look of the growing knot forming on her temple. “Fluttershy! I need you over here!”

Nearby, somewhere in the chaos, Fluttershy heard Scootaloo’s distressed call. Scrambling away from several pursuing changelings, she flared her wings, magic coming to her command. She sent a wave of healing she hoped was in the direction she heard Scootaloo then resumed her panicked running.

The magic flowed through the air and struck true, covering Apple Bloom’s form. “Yes!” Scootaloo reached down to hold up her groggy friend. “How are you feeling?”

“Never better,” Apple Bloom replied.

She socked Scootaloo in the chin.

Scootaloo recoiled, too shocked to utter a cry. Her guard down, Apple Bloom pounced.

Only for a second Apple Bloom to tackle the first to the floor. “You brute!” Focusing magic into her hooves, Apple Bloom slammed her duplicate down hard on the rocky ground. The impostor’s form shifted back to a changeling. Apple Bloom raised her hoof to strike again, but a surge of black bodies swept her up.

.o.O.o.

On the other side of the cave, Thorax morphed into a peeper, using his smaller mass to duck under Pharynx’s stinger. The moment it whizzed by, he changed again into a buffalax, headbutting his brother to the ground. Another flash of green and he was now a gold bear. Thorax leapt and slashed at Pharynx’s downed form. Pharynx countered with transforming into a boulder and rolling into Thorax’s attacks. Forced to dodge away or be crushed, Thorax changed back into his true form and flew over his brother. Pharynx followed Thorax’s lead, morphing into his own changeling body.

“Well, my little bro finally grew up,” Pharynx drawled as the two circled each other.

“We don’t have to fight,” Thorax said. “Just let us go.”

Pharynx sneered and shook his head. “Can’t do that. You know where our hive is now and we can’t have you go blabbing it to your little pony friends.” His sneer flipped to a grin. “Besides, I want to see how far you’ll go to protect them.” He pointed behind Thorax.

Thorax whirled around, a dozen possible bodies he could change into at the tip of his mind, but stopped as he saw that there was nothing behind him but a stone wall.

“Sucker.”

A direct hit to the back of his head sent Thorax to the ground.

.o.O.o.

Sweetie Belle was beginning to think that coming to Rambling Rock Island was a bad idea.

She screamed as changeling after changeling tried to corner her, forcing Sweetie Belle to stay on the defensive. The constant onslaught didn’t give her much time to think, only react. It didn’t help that, true to their name, the changelings kept changing into seemingly random creatures that threw off any strategy that came to mind. All she could do was keep moving and wait for an opportunity to fight back to present itself.

Her hopes fell as she heard Apple Bloom cry out somewhere in the chaos. With little to go on but sound and a prayer, Sweetie Belle surrounded herself in skin hardening magic and ran full tilt towards her friend’s location. Changelings snapped and struck at her as she passed, bruises and cuts appearing over her coat. She grit her teeth and pushed through, nearly tripping over Scootaloo in her haste.

Sending out a flash of light to buy her a few seconds, Sweetie Belle knelt down next to the pegasus. “Scoots! You alright?”

Scootaloo looked up while rubbing her jaw and saw the concerned face of Sweetie Belle looking down at her. She yelped and pushed her away. “Stay away from me, you monster!”

Blinking owlishly, Sweetie Belle’s lower lip quivered. “But… but it’s me!”

The buzzing and hissing of changelings reminded Scootaloo that they didn’t have time to play twenty questions. “Then prove it! And quick, bug!” Her wings vibrated, gathering up magic to unleash at will.

Sweetie Belle’s hurt look quickly shifted. Her eyes narrowed and she snarled through clenched teeth. “Fine!” Her horn blazing, she let out a primal yell as she cast the biggest dispel of her life. The magic cascaded throughout the cavern room, enveloping changelings and ponies alike. Any changeling disguised was forcibly wrenched back to their base form and fell to the ground, dazed. A sudden silence fell upon the room.

“Whoa. That was so rad!” Scootaloo ran up to Sweetie Belle and nudged her in the chest.

Sweetie Belle winced and rubbed the spot. “Um, thanks.”

“Now to clean up!” Scootaloo whirled around and unleashed her pent up power. The changelings holding down Apple Bloom were blasted off, crackling energy rippling across their carapaces.

Groaning, Apple Bloom picked herself up. “I hate this part of adventuring.”

“Girls!”

The Crusaders looked up, seeing Fluttershy approaching them. Numerous bite and cut marks littered her coat and her breathing was haggard. Before they could demand she was the actual Fluttershy, the pegasus sent a cleansing spell over them, banishing any doubts. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Apple Bloom said. She felt sore but nothing she fretted about.

“Good.” Fluttershy gave them a hard look. “Now do you think we should leave?”

Scootaloo glanced away, idly rubbing the back of her head. “That’s probably a good idea.”

“Not so fast.”

The ponies jumped, turning towards the gravelly voice. Pharynx stood over a prone Thorax, his fangs hovering over the latter’s neck. “If you don’t want him dead, you’ll do as I say.” He sank his teeth deep enough into Thorax’s flesh to draw a trickle of blood.

“Wait! Okay!” Apple Bloom cried out. “Please don’t hurt him!”

Pharynx let go, grinning as changeling blood dripped from his mouth. “See that, Thorax? If only you had been as loyal to the queen as that, you wouldn’t be in this position.” He pointed towards a tunnel. “Get moving. Any funny business and he’s my dinner.”

Other changelings began to stir, shaking off the shock of Sweetie Belle’s dispel. They formed an open path for the ponies to walk through, blocking off the rest of the exits. The Crusaders looked to each other, then to Fluttershy. The older pegasus gulped and began walking. “Come along, girls.”

The Crusaders’ faces fell. Exchanging one last look between them, they fell in line. The changelings closed in on them as they walked, only keeping the way forward open. Behind them, a few changelings forced a groggy Thorax to his hooves and prodded him forward as Pharynx buzzed above. A tense silence, save for the occasional hiss or chitter, followed as the ponies were led deeper into the cave.

The ponies didn’t know how long they traveled before stepping into a cavern larger than the rest. Glowing green vines and pods hung everywhere, providing dim light. At the center was a raised platform of rock that at one time had been a stalagmite. The tip had been broken off and discarded, allowing for it to be used as a makeshift podium for the changeling standing on it.

“Thorax!” Chrysalis snarled. Her sneer only grew as the ponies and changeling were herded into the cave. “What is the meaning of this?!”

“I’m sorry, my queen,” Pharynx said, flying up to her. “They were snooping around topside, so we thought it best to capture them.”

“Idiots!” Chrysalis roared. “They have cutie marks! Their despicable Returner friends are going to come looking for them now!” She shoved Pharynx aside and stomped up to the cowering ponies. “And despite their puny looks, they’ve got powerful magic.”

One changeling guard rubbed the side of his head. “Yeah, kinda found that out the hard way.”

Chrysalis kicked him across the cave.

“Cocoon them!” Her orders given, she roughly pushed the ponies aside to stand before Thorax. “But you. I have no problems tearing your head off right now. I’ll deal with the Returners later.”

“No!” came Fluttershy’s frantic cry. Changelings quickly swarmed around her and the Crusaders, green spit already leaking from their mouths.

“This is for ruining my hive!” Chrysalis’ horn flared, her eyes lighting up upon seeing Thorax’s terrified face. She cackled as she let loose a powerful blast.

The shot passed through Thorax as though he weren’t even there, exploding against the far wall.

“What?” Chrysalis stepped back as Thorax’s form disappeared in a flash, only to reappear across the cavern looking confused but no worse for wear. “You can teleport? What is going on?!”

A deep sigh filled the cavern. “Really, Chryssy, you have no one to blame but yourself.”

Chrysalis paled. “Discord?”

The draconequus himself appeared in a flash of white light above her, laying on his side and looking bored. “Hello honey. I’m home.”

“What is the meaning of this?! We had a deal!”

“Yes, a deal you broke when you jumped the gun.” He snapped his fingers, freeing the bound Returners and depositing them next to Thorax. “You’re really taking all the fun out of this.”

“Liar!” Chrysalis screeched. “I did everything you said!”

Discord rolled his eyes. They popped out of their sockets, forcing Discord to catch them before they fell to the floor. He shoved them back in, appearing in front of Chrysalis with his arms crossed. “And you did a terrible job of it. Really, some master infiltrator you are.”

Chrysalis fired the most powerful magical attack she could muster, blasting Discord at point blank range. The resulting explosion threw her back but her changelings caught her before she could make impact with the cavern. Winded, she tilted her head up and smiled at seeing the smoldering remains of Discord’s neck.

That smile fell when Discord’s eagle talon was casually held out, palm up. “You done?” The smoking neck top wiggled and writhed, white stone forming out of it. The stone creaked and cracked until it fully remade Discord’s head. The eagle talon came up and flicked the stone, causing it to crack and fall like a sculpture’s mold, revealing a restored draconequus underneath. “Sorry, that was a little dramatic, but I just can’t help myself sometimes.” He giggled.

“You despicable cretin.” Chrysalis pushed away her minions, standing a little wobbly on all fours. “You promised my hive back if I impersonated that chocobo.”

Discord leveled a cool stare at her. “I did, but then you got all trigger happy and look where that got you. If you’d been a little more patient I could have thought up something to get those other changelings to rejoin you.”

“I don’t want them as they are now!” Chrysalis gathered magic, preparing for another attack. “I’d rather they all die! I have enough love from that silver chocobo to rebuild my hive on my own. I don’t need you anymore!”

Discord placed his lion paw to his chest, looking crestfallen. “You… you don’t need me?”

“Yes! Is air all that’s in that ugly head of yours?”

“Oh, such cruel words!” Discord fell backwards, his eagle talon pressed to his forehead. He stopped halfway, his body prone and a daisy held between his hands.

Apple Bloom watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow. “I swear, I don’t know what’s going on anymore.”

“Oh, it’s quite simple,” a second Discord said from behind them.

The Returners yelped, backing away from him.

“It was all just some simple espionage work,” Discord said, leaning up against a stalagmite and filling his lion claws. “You know, tossing in a monkey wrench, a spanner in the works, that sort of thing. Just to sow a little chaos into your ranks.” He shrugged, standing upright.

“But it’s all been a bust. May as well cut my losses. Have fun my dear little ponies.” With a sly grin and a snap of his fingers, Discord flashed and disappeared.

The Returners and changelings waited to see if he would come back. After a minute of nothing, Chrysalis turned her angry gaze on the intruders. “Kill them.”

Pharynx zipped up next to her. “What about the other Returners?”

“We’ll set a trap for them when they come looking for their friends. They’ll never see it coming.”

“Understood.” With a shrill screech, he flew at them, the rest of the changelings following.

“Oh no, not again!” Scootaloo’s wings buzzed, gathering up her magic.

“Discord!” Sweetie Belle called out as she too prepared a spell. “Did he just ditch us?!”

The changelings closed in, fangs gleaming in the dim green light.

Thorax jumped in front of them, transforming into a huge wall of stone. The changelings crashed against it, buckling the improvised barrier. “Go while I hold them off!”

“B-but what about you?” Fluttershy said, her ears pinned back from the horrible hissing and screeching.

“Just go!”

“Oh, no you don’t, mister!” Scootaloo, using Apple Bloom’s head as a springboard, hopped up on top of the hunk of changeling rock. Some of Chrysalis’ changelings spotted her and changed course to dive over the top. “This ain’t a time for runnin’!” Firming up her features, Scootaloo jumped and spread out her limbs as far as they would go. Lighting erupted from every feather, but instead of lancing down at the changelings, it coalesced above her.

Pony and changeling alike stopped to watch as a form began to take shape within the maelstrom. A piercing, otherworldly cry heralded a serpentine body with giant wings of electricity sprouting from its back. It shrieked again, its open mouth spewing forth torrents of lightning that crashed against the astonished changelings like a flood. Swept away by the relentless current, the changelings were strewn across the cavern, their bodies twitching uncontrollably.

The flying snake gave one last hiss, then exploded into white, sparkling particles.

Scootaloo held her position, her gaze wide and reverent. “Whoa.” Her eyes rolled back and she fell.

Fluttershy reacted quickly, flying up to the filly and catching her before she struck the floor. Thorax shifted back, his expression just as surprised as the rest.

A scream of pure rage and hatred filled the cave. “How do you ponies keep getting so strong?!” Chrysalis roared. Forgoing any strategy, she lept and dove for them, her holed horn firing bolt after bolt of green magic.

This time Sweetie Belle jumped forward, a green barrier forming around her just as the first bolts came rocketing in. “Fluttershy, keep me healed!”

“What?!” came the horrified response.

Apple Bloom took hold of Scootaloo and pushed Fluttershy towards Sweetie Belle. “Just do as she says!”

Utterly bewildered and terrified, Fluttershy nonetheless did as she was told, sending wave after wave of healing magic Sweetie Belle’s way as she took the brunt of Chrysalis’ attacks. Wincing and gritting her teeth against the non-stop onslaught, Sweetie Belle willed her remaining magic within her horn.

Chrysalis bore down on her, lifting a jagged hoof for a more direct strike. The moment Chrysalis’ blow struck against Sweetie Belle, the world went white.

The changeling queen yelled as she was blown back, raising a leg to shield her eyes from the blinding light. “Now what?!”

Swirling white mist hovered over Sweetie Belle, dispelling a gentle light that outshone the glowing green slime. The mist swirled faster, contracting in on itself then bursting outwards like a supernova. The wave of power swept over the room, enveloping the changelings with a sheen of white magic. Their black carapaces and tattered wings fell away, revealing a rainbow of colors underneath.

“No! Stop this!” Chrysalis bellowed. She charged her horn, forcing back the purifying power that threatened to consume her. “I won’t let you take them from me again!”

“Do you not wish to be converted?”

Chrysalis looked up where the deep, aged voice spoke from. A white unicorn much larger and purer than anything she’d ever seen stood over Sweetie Belle. A tuft of hair dangled from its chin.

Struggling to keep back the magic, she managed a strangle cry. “I. Would rather. DIE!”

The unicorn bowed its head. “So be it.” It lifted its horn high, the light from the magical construct sending a new surge of power throughout the cavern.

Chrysalis couldn’t force the magic back this time. A defiant roar ripped from her throat as white mist covered her, Chrysalis’ body disintegrating into fading spots of black.

With a sigh, the unicorn dissipated into a wispy cloud. It blew away on an unseen wind.

Below, Sweetie Belle collapsed.

Fluttershy and Apple Bloom were at her side in an instant. The unicorn filly’s breath came out evenly, gaining a sigh of relief from the others.

As the two fussed over both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, Thorax walked over to the recovering changelings. Gone were the jagged edges and holes, replaced with sleek curves and glittering wings. Each sported a different array of colors, contrasting to the uniform black and green from before. The new designs did not go unnoticed for long, creating a cacophony of chatter between them.

“Everyling, please, take your time,” Thorax said, keeping his voice level. “It took me a while as well to get used to it.”

“We’re… we’re just like you,” one of them stated. “How?”

Thorax looked over his shoulder at the ponies, then back at the changelings. “A miracle.”

A changeling larger than the others, his colors darker than the rest, ran up to Thorax and shoved him. “Why would you do this to us?!”

Thorax caught himself and peered closely. “Pharynx?”

“What happened to the queen?”

Swallowing, Thorax pointed to a black mark on the floor. “Gone.”

Pharynx ran over to the indicated spot. He stared blankly at it.

Bowing his head, Thorax said, “I’m sorry this was forced on you.” When he didn’t get any response, he sighed and walked over to the ponies. “We should go.”

Fluttershy and Apple Bloom nodded eagerly. Fluttershy took hold of Sweetie Belle while Thorax laid Scootaloo on his back. Risking one last thing, Thorax said to the changed changelings, “If any of you ever want to join the rest of us, the old hive is still there.”

Pharynx didn’t reply, his body rigid. The remaining changelings looked between him and Thorax but didn’t make any moves. With his head held high, Thorax led the ponies out of the cavern.

.o.O.o.

By the time the group made it back to Thamaresa, night had fallen. A few ponies were still awake and sober and led them straight to Fluttershy’s house. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were laid to bed, their soft snores music to everyones’ ears. Apple Bloom took a bed of her own and was asleep before her head hit the pillow. Thorax bid a good night and headed out to find his own place to sleep. Fluttershy trudged downstairs and flopped on the couch, barely needing a second to fall into a deep slumber.

It didn’t last.

“Sis! Sis!”

The insistent prodding and shouting from Zephyr Breeze made Fluttershy wish she knew spells to shut him up. Forcing her eyes open was the single most difficult thing she had done all day. “What is it?”

“I just heard that you got back. How did it go? What happened? Did you vanquish the monsters?”

“Zephyr, can we talk about this tomorrow? I’m not up for it.”

Huffing, Zephyr turned and stomped away. “Sure, you spend all day with your new friends but can’t spare a minute for your brother.”

Letting out a disgusted groan, Fluttershy propped herself up. “Fine. You get one minute.”

“Ah, perfect!” Zephyr grabbed a chair and set it up next to the couch. “Now, you gotta start with how you got there. It was that garish moose beast, wasn’t it?”

Fluttershy held her head in her hooves, bemoaning her fate.

.o.O.o.

With a start, Sweetie Belle jerked awake, her breathing labored.

A hoof came down on her back and began to rub. A soothing voice soon followed. “Easy there, Sweetie. It’s alright. You’re safe.”

The calming words and pleasant touch gradually brought Sweetie Belle’s breathing under control. She lay back against her pillow, giving a pleasant moan. Things stayed like that for a few minutes, Sweetie Belle breathing regularly and the pressure on her back staying constant. “Sorry, Rarity.”

Rarity, not letting up her back rub, cocked her head. “Sorry for what?”

“We… Scoots and Apple Bloom and me, we… kinda nearly died.”

Not faltering in her motions, Rarity made a thoughtful hum. “Yes, I got some of the story out of that Thorax fellow. You girls had quite the adventure.”

Sweetie Belle squirmed. “Are you… mad?”

Rarity pursed her lips, letting the silence stretch. Letting out a sigh, she said, “Not as much as I probably should be.” Seeing Sweetie Belle’s anxious look, she continued, “Mostly, I’m just glad that you and the others are alright. Frankly, I’m more disappointed that you dragged poor Fluttershy along with you.”

“We told her she didn’t have to come,” Sweetie Belle retorted.

“But she did. You know why? No, don’t answer, I’ll just tell you.” Rarity stopped her rub and sat back into her wooden chair. Folding her arms and narrowing her eyes, she said, “It’s because she was worried sick that you would get hurt and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if that happened.”

Sweetie Belle looked away, swallowing against a dry mouth.

“You go on that you and your friends are grown up now and can take care of yourselves. That doesn’t mean you can just throw away consequences and responsibilities. I’ll concede that you three are capable, but that doesn’t mean you’re invincible. Just look at these.” Rarity held out a pristine white leg, pushing aside its fine hairs with the other.

Glancing up at Rarity then down at the leg, Sweetie Belle drew closer until her breath tickled Rarity’s hair. She blinked at seeing that the skin showing underneath wasn’t as flawless as it first appeared. Harsh, jagged red lines crisscrossed the leg with more hidden underneath the rest of Rarity’s coat.

“Those are the close calls I’ve had since becoming Mare Do Well. And there are plenty more where that came from.” Rarity lowered her arms, her face stern. “In fact, if it weren’t for Applejack, Shining Armor, or even Derpy, I probably wouldn’t be here sitting with you right now.”

Sweetie Belle huffed, turning her head to look the other way. “So what are you saying? We can’t go on any more adventures?”

“That’s not what I’m saying at all.” Rarity laid her hoof over the filly, resuming her rubbing. “I just want to make sure you understand that we’re in a dangerous world. Jumping into things without thinking is a sure way to get into the trouble you have just been through.

“I… I can’t stop you. I’m done trying to stop you. But, please, be a bit more careful?”

Twisting her head back, Sweetie Belle saw only the misty, loving eyes of her big sister. With a surge of strength, Sweetie Belle lunged forward, grabbing Rarity into a tight hug. “I will! We will!” She buried her head in Rarity’s chest, sniffling.

Rarity draped her arms over her little sister. “That’s all I ask for.”

.o.O.o.

The morning sun shone brightly down on Thamaresa, greeting the awakening ponies with refreshing, golden light. The Returners slowly gathered together in the square, some more alert than others. Trixie stood in the middle, inspecting them. “Well, did everyone get a good rest?”

Fluttershy snored atop Umaro’s shoulder, drawing a few snickers.

“Most everyone. So, let’s not dally. Discord won’t wait for us much longer.” Several nods and murmurs of agreement followed. The Returners gave their goodbyes and thanks to the citizens and marched for the airship. The Paradise was right where they left it.

The dark alicorn waiting for them at the bottom of the gangplank was not.

“Salutations. My name is Luna. I need your help with finding my sister.”

Wherein The Deep Depths Delight

"Who was supposed to be watching her?!"

Trixie’s indignant cry caused a frantic flurry of Returners to quickly draw their weapons and point them at the escaped prisoner. Spike, Zecora, and Sunset Shimmer in particular averted their eyes from Trixie’s sweeping glare.

“Please, we come in peace!” The self-proclaimed Luna sat back and raised her forelegs in a placating manner. “The foul magic that did consume us is no more. We merely seek thy help!”

“Oh, yeah?” Pinkie Pie countered. “If you’re a goody four-hooves now, where are my sisters?”

“Right here.”

All eyes raised up to see Maud, Limestone, and Marble Pie descend the Paradise's gangplank. The three crew members took positions next to Luna. Maud blinked. “We found her waiting for us yesterday when we came back to get the airship ready. She’s really nice once you get past the homicidal tendencies.”

Luna nodded rapidly. “TIS TRUE!”

The Returners dropped their weapons in favor of covering their ears. “Turn down the volume, lady!” Sunset shouted over the ringing in her head.

“Apologies.” Luna looked away, red faced. “We are still adjusting from our thousand year imprisonment. The Royal Voice was common when speaking to our subjects.”

Once she no longer heard bells clanging within her skull, Trixie walked forward, her sword held up. “How do we know that this isn’t a trick? That you won’t wipe us out when our guard is down?”

Luna sighed, her head hanging low. “We understand your hesitance. The wild magic that released me also corrupted me, making me a terrible pony. We don’t know if you can tell, but my magic is barely strong enough to lift a feather, let alone fight any of you.”

Trixie kept Luna in her peripheral vision, turning towards a particular colt in the group. “Can you tell if she’s lying, Spotter?”

Blinking at being singled out, Spotter pushed forward until he was able to see Luna completely. Shining Armor hovered over him, his horn ready to raise a shield at a moment’s notice. Swallowing, Spotter stared at the dark alicorn, his horn sparking. He narrowed his eyes, seemingly peering through Luna rather than at her. “I… sense that she’s very tired. I don’t get the same bad feeling like I did when she attacked us. Just tired.”

Trixie placed her full attention back on Luna. “I guess we’ll hear you out. What’s this about a sister?”

Luna sagged in relief. “There is much to say. Perhaps thou wouldst feel more at ease in thy flying vessel?”

.o.O.o.

Within minutes, the Returners escorted Luna to the main lounge of the Paradise. Despite Spotter’s analysis, they kept their weapons and spells at the ready. The group directed Luna to sit in the center, every pair of eyes fixed on her. Luna didn’t object.

“So then,” Trixie began as an opener. “Start talking.”

Luna closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “We are one of two ponies that used to rule the world. Our wisdom and powerful magic made us the prime choice to do so. So great was our power that we controlled the very sun and moon.”

“Wait,” Twilight interjected. “How could you do that? Why would you do that? The sun and moon work on their own.”

“They do now, but didn’t then. It was part of the sealing spell my sister and I cast when we attempted to end the War of the Magi once and for all.” Luna paused, collecting her thoughts.

A twinkle entered Twilight’s eyes. “Wait. This is sounding familiar. I know I read this somewhere…”

“We turned ourselves into statues, sealing up as much magic as we could to keep our foe contained for all time.”

“That’s it!” Twilight's sudden shout startled the ponies near her but she paid them no mind. “Oh. My. Gosh! You were one of the statues!”

Luna looked up at her, cocking her head. “Correct. We gave orders for the espers to hide us away so that there would be no chance for us to be disturbed.” She sighed. “It appeareth we ultimately failed.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Applejack said, her gaze growing distant. “Reckon it would still be working if Blueblood hadn’t stuck his snout where it wasn’t welcome.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, the espers did what you told them, but some ponies were able to find you anyway. We… did our best to stop them, but it wasn’t enough.” Twilight looked away with downcast eyes.

“We see,” Luna said. “You have our sincerest gratitude. We haven’t failed to notice the cutie marks adorned on many of your flanks.” She stomped a hoof. “That accursed war still lingereth to this day.”

An uncomfortable silence followed, only broken by Trixie coughing into her hoof. “Let’s stay on track. How are you going to help us now?”

“Right.” Luna drew herself back up, regaining some semblance of imperial bearing. “We need to find my sister so that we can cast the sealing spell again. The creature we sealed up hath escaped and morphed into something potentially even more dangerous.”

“You mean Discord.”

“In our time, it went by the name Kaiser. But yes, that is whom we mean.”

“That’s who it was!”

Spotter’s horn sparked and Autumn Blaze lept out, smiling widely. “I’ve been racking my brain trying to remember that. Thanks!”

Luna regarded the newcomer, tilting her head. “And thou art?”

“Oh, sorry. Popping out like that is kinda my thing. I’m Autumn Blaze, Spotter’s esper.”

“We see.” Luna hummed thoughtfully, nodding her head. “It appeareth to be a most fruitful pairing. Congratulations.”

“Ahem,” Trixie said. “Your sister?”

“Yes, apologies. During your travels, have any of you encountered an alicorn like myself, but white, taller, and an aurora mane?”

The Returners looked among themselves, some shaking their head, shrugging, or verbally answering in the negative.

Luna sighed. “A pity. Though, perhaps fortunate, now that we think upon it. Her presence would undoubtedly draw Discord’s attention. I can only hope she isn’t in his clutches.” Frowning, she took in a deep breath. “There is one place she might be. Our home, the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters. Pray, tell us that it still exists.”

More murmurings passed through the Returners, though like before, no one had an affirmative answer. Luna’s face fell, laying herself onto the floor. “Then we are aimless.”

“Now hold on there, Lunie, don’t be moping on my ship.” Pinkie Pie walked up to her and propped the larger pony back into a sitting position. “The Paradise can travel the world like the wind. We’ll find your sis sooner or later.”

A hint of a smile graced Luna’s lips. “We thank thee.”

With that taken care of, Pinkie turned to Trixie. “Think that weird map of yours may have a clue?”

It took considerable effort on Trixie’s part not to smack the side of her own head. Settling on an awkward grimace, Trixie levitated out the map and spread it on the floor. “Trixie’s sure there was something like—”

“There.”

Trixie reared back as Sunset Shimmer’s hoof came out of nowhere to stab down on the map. Narrowing her eyes at the treatment of her magical relic, Trixie looked to where Sunset’s hoof was pointing. Next to Fillygaro Orchard, in big cursive letters, was written "Castle of the Two Pony Sisters".

Other ponies leaned over to get a look, Applejack grunting when she got to see. “What? There? Ain’t nuthin’ but desert for miles around them parts. I would know if some fancy castle showed up.”

“It’s there,” Sunset insisted.

Applejack gave her a sideways glance. “You okay, hon?”

Blinking, Sunset started, stepping away from the map. “Huh? Whu?” Shaking her head, Sunset let out a low growl. “I did it again, didn’t I?”

Luna regarded Sunset with a raised eyebrow. “Dost thou lapse into trances often?”

“No!” Sunset heaved out a breath, staring hatefully at the map. A chance glance at the room showed that everyone was staring at her. Blushing, she let out a long sigh. “Sorry. I don’t like it when that happens.”

Trixie scooped up her map before Sunset ended up incinerating it. “Okay, then if anyone else has any better ideas, we go to the spooky castle.”

Luna pouted. “‘Tis not ‘spooky’.”

“Trixie will be the judge of that. And I want at least three of us watching over you at all times. For all we know you could be another changeling or some sick joke left by Discord.” She stared hard at her fellow Returners. “And no slacking on the job this time!”

.o.O.o.

“Fillygaro! Dead ahead!”

The moment those words left Limestone’s mouth, Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom rushed to the railings. Looking out over the expanse of desert speeding below them, they spotted a tiny black dot in the distance. The dot grew larger with each passing second, details becoming clearer the closer they got. Soon, the dot became a vibrant green, totally at odds with the dry sands surrounding it. Fillygaro’s stone ramparts came into view, circling around a small forest kept fertilized and watered by the complex irrigation system hidden underneath. As the Paradise began to circle the orchard, ponies below whooped and hollered.

“Howdy, y’all!” Applejack called down to them, waving a hoof. Next to her, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom added to the welcoming cries. Turning towards Pinkie Pie, Applejack hollered, “Get us as low as ya can!”

Pinkie Pie saluted. “Roger!” With a deft hoof, Pinkie lowered the Paradise until it was a mere hundred hooves above the orchard. “Lower the ladders!”

Limestone, Maud, and Marble Pie rushed to fulfill the order, throwing rolled up rope ladders over the side. They unfurled far enough for a pony to climb down and hop onto Fillgaro’s highest towers. The Apples were the first to start the trip down, everypony else waiting their turn.

“You ready, Rainbow Dash?” Trixie asked as she joined the line.

Rainbow Dash gave a crisp salute. “Ready and willing!” She sprang over to where Derpy and Fluttershy stood next to a fidgeting Luna.

“This is undignified,” Luna grumbled.

“Hey, if you wanna take the chance to fly, be my guest,” Rainbow Dash said as she took her position.

Luna huffed but offered no resistance as the three pegasi grabbed hold of the alicorn and hoisted her up into the air. Letting out a girlish squeal, Luna was slowly brought down to the orchard. There, the flying ponies set her down on solid stone with the rest of the Returners. Luna’s knees wobbled a few seconds before regaining her poise. “Thou shalt never speak of this again.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes then immediately covered her face as Umaro landed next to her, his impact throwing up crushed rock and masonry. “Careful! You almost squashed me you… sasquatch!”

The yeti shook himself, bits of sand and pebbles raining off from his thick hair. “Desert hot. Not good for Umaro. Going down where it's cool.” So saying, he jumped off the wall they were standing on to land somewhere in the thick trees of the orchard.

“Jeeze, that guy is something else.” Shrugging off the encounter, Rainbow Dash pointed Luna and the others to the stairs leading down. “Trixie said to meet in the throne room, so let’s get going.” Keeping one eye on Luna and the other straight ahead, Rainbow Dash led them further down.

Soon, all the Returners that had disembarked from the airship stood mingling in Fillygaro’s seats of power. Applejack sat in the left throne while Big Macintosh had taken the right. The big stallion squirmed in his throne, twisting and readjusting to try to fit in it.

“Sorry, Big Mac,” Applejack said, trying and failing to contain a smirk. “Looks like we’re gonna need to get that resized for ya.”

“Eeyup.”

“I could think up a potion for you to grow smaller,” Apple Bloom offered.

“Nope!”

“Aww…”

The sound of clapping hooves from just below the thrones drew the room's attention. “Okay, let’s get this started,” Trixie said. “We need to decide who’s going and staying.” Her eyes fell on Luna. “Trixie assumes you’ll be coming.”

Luna nodded. “Thou assum'st correctly.”

“You’ll be with me, then. Who else is going?”

To the surprise of no one, Sunset Shimmer raised a hoof. “If there’s something down there that can tell me anything about my past, I want to find it.”

Twilight laid a hoof over her shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ll help.”

“Thanks.”

Spike came up next to Twilight, puffing out his chest. “Count me in.”

“I’m definitely coming!” Rainbow Dash swooped up, grinning widely. “A long lost moldy castle from the War of the Magi? There’s gotta be some awesome treasure down there.”

Luna’s eyes flashed briefly. “Do not defile our home.” She turned away and pouted. “And ‘tis not ‘moldy’.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Anyone else!” Trixie raised her voice to stop a potential argument.

Applejack looked to Big Macintosh, the two sharing a silent conversation, then nodded as one. “We’ll be staying here. Mac and I will work with the engineers to move the Orchard so you guys can get in.”

“And I wanna show Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo around!” Apple Bloom added in.

Zecora stepped forward and bowed. “To help my village recover from their stone sleep, I would like to explore this realm of the deep.”

“Sounds fun!” Derpy flew up, sprawling her hooves wide.

When on one else spoke up, Trixie said, “Then it’s settled. The rest of you help Applejack and—”

The throne room doors flew open, Umaro trudging his way in. “Still hot.”

Derpy smiled and flew up to him. “Good timing! We’re gonna go way down underground. I’m sure it’ll be cool there.”

Umaro brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it thoughtfully. “Good. Will come.”

“Heaven and stars help me,” Trixie muttered. “Fine. As soon as this place is ready to move, we’re heading out. Be ready.”

.o.O.o.

Moving Fillygaro Orchard was normally a seamless and uneventful journey due to the rail system designed to keep it on track. Maneuvering it so that it came as close to the spot on Trixie’s map was another matter entirely.

“The engineers say we drifted too far again,” Applejack reported from her spot in the control room.

“Fillygaro wasn’t made to stop on a dime,” Big Macintosh said, looking over the display readings.

“Right.” Sighing, Applejack tapped a glowing needle set in her hair just above her ear. “We’re still off. Sit tight while we try again.”

“Forget it,” came Trixie’s voice from the needle. “We’ll just walk.”

“But you’ve got a mile from here to the castle.”

“By the time you get it right, we could have been there and back. Just let us off and be ready to pick us up when we get back.”

Frowning, Applejack turned to Big Macintosh. “Think that’s a good idea?”

“Nope, but it may be our only one.”

“Great. Alright Trixie, head towards the main entrance.”

.o.O.o.

Trixie stabbed her needle into the back of her cape and faced the gathered Returners. “They’re going to let us off. We’re going to need to walk there and back so last chance to back out.” No one spoke up, drawing a tiny smirk. “Then let’s go.”

The Returners made their way to the main entrance, the Orchard workers opening the doors for them the moment they arrived. Being within a tunnel rather than directly within dirt, the ponies stepped out into a wide open space rather than being blocked by earth. The air was humid but cool, Umaro grunting his approval. Electric lights from the Orchard illuminated multiple caverns stretching on into darkness.

Trixie levitated up her map. “Stay close. Who knows what’s down here and we could easily get lost. This way.” Taking the lead, Trixie headed off down one of the dozens of caverns worn down by water throughout the millennia.

The unicorns lit their horns once the Orchard’s lights no longer reached them. Luna tried to as well but only a few sparks sprung from her horn. “Intolerable.”

“Hey, no magic from you or Trixie will drain you of what you have left,” the general warned.

“Ah, ease up, would ya?” Rainbow Dash said. “She can barely walk let alone cast anything.”

Luna frowned. “Thank you, but we do not need thee defending us.”

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s with the weird way you talk?”

“We don’t know what thou mean'st.”

“That!” Rainbow Dash pointed accusingly. “The ‘we’ and ‘us’. Also, the ‘thees’ and ‘thous’. I’ve only ever heard Pinkie’s parents talk like that.”

“Then they are sophisticated ponies to be sure. But to answer your question, our speech is the proper way to address our subjects. Tis the ‘Royal We’ as our followers call it.”

“So your sister would be the other ‘we’?” Twilight asked.

“Verily.”

Any further conversation halted as Umaro stopped and gave a low growl. He pointed further down the tunnel they had been traveling. “Monsters. Coming.”

The Returners drew their weapons just as slug and goblin monsters came into their horn light. Without preamble, they screeched and charged at the intruders to their domain.

.o.O.o.

Minutes later, a pile of dead bodies and bloody swords remained after the battle.

“Keep alert,” Trixie said as she cleaned off her blade. “Trixie is sure there will be more of them.”

Zecora waved them on. “The back I will take so that there will be no mistake.”

Nodding, Trixie continued down the cave, the rest following. Trixie’s premonition proved correct, more monsters sliding or crawling out of dens carved into the caverns. Their presence merely slowed the Returners down as the proper application of magic and sharp weapons dealt with them quickly. Keeping within the middle of the Returner pack, Luna could only watch as they cut through the denizens of the deep as they continued on.

“We must say, we are impressed by your skill. Nary a scratch on any of you. Your prowess matches that of the Pillars. It maketh us hopeful that Discord’s threat will be over soon.”

“That makes two of us,” Twilight said. She sighed as she wiped off Ragnarok and sheathed it. “I’d rather be reading in a corner at a library.”

“It is fortuitous then!” Luna graced her with a smile. “Our home hath the most extensive library in the world.”

Rainbow Dash made a face. “Boring.”

“Oh, hush,” Twilight admonished. She turned back to Luna with hopeful eyes. “What kind of subjects?”

“All sorts, from magic, to old legends. 'Twas a delightful way to spend time when not governing.”

Twilight, unable to contain herself, hopped in the air. “I can’t wait then!” Her gait slowed as she gained a thoughtful look. “Who are the Pillars?”

“Great warriors and leaders that spearheaded the fight against Kaiser.” Luna heaved a deep sigh. “Alas, they would all be long dead by now.”

With more urgency in their step, the Returners continued on through the underground tunnels. Trixie’s map showed the location to be getting closer, prompting them to look for anything that seemed unnatural in the smooth, water swept caves. Their search came to an end as the path they traveled turned slightly upwards, opening up into a cavern so large their horn lights couldn’t reach the ceiling. The tips of stalactites could be seen poking through the darkness, like teeth about to devour anything beneath it. However, the lights did illuminate the gargantuan castle that occupied the base of the cavern.

The Castle of the Two Sisters both rose high with tall spires and sat low as most of its walls had crumbled during the millennia. Composed entirely of stone masonry, the castle was slowly being eaten away by small trickles of water that wormed its way through cracks and tiny abrasions. Despite the dilapidated appearance, the castle still held a grand presence, hinting at its once glorious past.

Luna gazed upon it, her eyes heavy with emotion. She forcibly tore herself away from the sight, rubbing a hoof harshly against her eyelids. The Returners tactfully didn’t comment.

Just as the group made to move, Sunset Shimmer stepped forward, her eyes glued to the castle.

“Sunset?” Twilight called out to her, but the other pony didn’t respond.

“A battle was waged here…” Sunset said aloud, though to no one in particular. She stopped when she reached a collapsed bridge that once led into the main castle doors. “Over a thousand years ago. A last stand against Kaiser’s forces…”

“Sunset!”

Sunset started, her gaze coming back into focus. She gasped and quickly backed away towards the others. “Smack me if I do that again!”

At a loss for words at Sunset’s behavior, Trixie turned to Luna. “Where to?”

Luna eyed Sunset curiously before answering. “We start in the main hall. This way.” Taking the lead this time, Luna carefully stepped over the shallow creek that the bridge had once arched across. The Returners trailed behind, keeping an eye out for anything that didn’t want them there. Several times they had to stop to maneuver around fallen debris, but after the third time, Umaro began shoving heavy stone and boulders out of the way.

“I like your gusto, but you may want to make sure you don’t bring the rest of the place down on us,” Spike said as the ancient castle seemed to groan under its own weight.

Umaro grunted, but did start taking more care of what he moved. A few minutes later and the Returners finally pushed through the wreckage to enter into the castle itself. They found themselves within a passage that back in its prime would have been an impressive site. Instead, ragged and tattered banners hung from the walls and ceilings, many almost completely decomposed. A grand staircase that was once lined with gold trimming and red carpets was now a rusted pile covered in mold. Statues of pony armor lay strewn and discarded next to their crumbled pedestals.

Luna hiccuped against her will.

“The march of time has not been kind to this place,” Zecora commented. She poked at some of the rusted armor and frowned as her mere touch was enough for it to collapse in on itself. “Not too much longer and it will be gone without a trace.”

“Then let's get what we need before it falls on top of us.” Trixie gave a pointed look at Luna. “Are you going to be able to keep it together?”

Face contorting into a scowl, Luna walked on. “We do not like thy tone.” She headed up the staircase, mindful of her step. Trixie and the others followed.

At the top, a set of heavy double iron doors blocked their way. Covered in rust, it didn’t take Umaro much to push them open, but the high-pitched squeal of the hinges protested otherwise. The sound echoed deep into the castle and it took several seconds before the ambient silence returned. Beyond the doors lay a large conference hall and it was as equally dilapidated as everywhere else they had been. The broken pieces of statues and stained glass windows littered the floor along with parts of the ceiling. The stone walls were cracked or crumbling, barely holding up the weight above them.

The room did have one unique feature that the Returners hadn’t seen yet, though. Two thrones sat on a raised dais, one golden and one silver in color. The golden seat had a seal of a sun carved into it while the silver one was adorned with a moon. Both were equal in size and didn’t appear to be damaged in any way. They were as pristine looking as though they had just recently been sculpted.

Standing before the thrones were a pair of statues facing the entrance, one of a pony decked out in combat armor and the other of an armored human riding a horse with more than four legs. Both were fully intact like the seats behind them and both sported combat ready stances. The human had a large scimitar raised to attack while the pony reared up on its hind legs as though to strike out at anything near it. As the Returners journeyed closer however, there was one blemish to the otherwise flawless sculptures. The pony depicted was a unicorn mare, her horn broken off.

Luna stopped and stood in front of the mare, its size nearly as large as herself. “Tempest Shadow. To this day thou still guardest our home.” Her gaze shifted to the horse and human. “And Odin, our realm’s greatest ally.”

Zecora came up next to Luna, studying the statues intently. “Am I to assume they were once flesh and bone before they were turned to stone?”

“Verily. They elected to stay behind and draw attention to Kaiser’s forces while the rest of us fled. 'Twas a dark day that saw many a good pony and esper perish.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out through her nostrils. She raised a hoof and traced out a pattern into the air that the others didn’t recognize. Luna mumbled some words under her breath before nodding and opening her eyes again. “Fare thee well in the next life.” She turned, drawing back at the stares the Returners were giving her. “What?”

“What was that all about?” Rainbow Dash asked, waving a hoof at the statues.

Luna’s cheeks puffed out in indignation. “Thou dost not recognize a marriage blessing when thou seest it?”

“WHAT?!”

The combined cry was louder than the rusted doors.

Wincing from the force to her ears, Luna idly wondered if the Royal Voice sounded like that on the receiving end. “Yes, they were due to marry before this terrible tragedy unfolded. I was asked to preside over it.”

Twilight directed her stare to the two petrified guardians, her eyes roving from one to the other. “They were… in love? A pony… and an esper?”

Luna nodded. “Yes. It was very unconventional, but the two were inseparable. My sister and I encouraged it, thinking it would help bridge the gap between ponies and espers. We were once all the same so what doth it matter?” Still seeing the stunned looks, she shook her head and walked towards them. “We don’t have time to explain. There should be an entrance nearby that leadeth into the library. Look for a switch to open it.”

That got Rainbow Dash’s attention. “Really? You guys built secret entrances and booby traps into this place?”

A light blush flushed over Luna’s muzzle. She looked away awkwardly. “In our… youth… my sister and I liked to play pranks. It drove Star Swirl mad but kept us amused.”

“That’s awesome!” Rainbow Dash flew up into the air, already sweeping her gaze over the hall. “This is what I was born for. I’ll find all your little buttons and knobs before anypony—”

“Like this one?” came Derpy’s voice off to the side. She pointed to a small indent in the floor only a few steps away from the thrones.

“Pshaw.” Rainbow Dash waved her off. “Yeah, c’mon, it wouldn’t be that easy.”

“That’s the one,” Luna confirmed.

Rainbow Dash visibly deflated. She dropped back down to the floor, folding her legs and pouting. “Beginner’s luck.”

Twilight reached over and patted her on the back. “Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s more secrets to find.”

Doing the honors, Derpy pressed a feather down into the indentation. Something clicked and a loud noise and a small tremor rocked the castle.

“Come, we are nearly there,” Luna intoned, heading towards an arched exit behind the thrones. Leaving the main hall and the silent but brave guardians behind, Luna led them through a wide hallway that didn’t bear any fancy decorations or flair. In fact, it appeared that anything that wasn’t directly built into the walls had been stripped down, leaving little trace other than some strips of deteriorating cloth and rubble.

“If I was a betting mare, and if I’m ever in Chozo I could be, I’d say somepony got here before we did,” Rainbow Dash said. “And whoever it was wasn’t being careful.”

“Got some experience in that area, don’t we Dash?” Trixie said teasingly.

“Hey, I’m totally legit! If I break something it won’t sell, so I only take what I can carry. I have respect for old stuff.”

“As long as the price is right.”

“You wanna talk right and wrong? How about when you stabbed the guy that gave you that sword?”

“You would have done the same thing!”

“More Rarity’s thing, but hey, as long as the price was right.”

“ENOUGH!” Luna’s Royal Voice shouted above the pair’s bickering and nearly deafened everyone around her. “You squabble like foals!”

Spike patted one side of his head as though trying to dislodge sand. Once he was certain he could speak without shouting, he said, “Actually, they’ve been pretty well behaved lately. Must have been bottled up.”

“Whatever it is, it stoppeth now,” Luna said with authority. She continued on as though the conversation was over.

Trixie watched her go with narrowed eyes. “Just remember who’s in charge here! And I’m going to find a way to runic that voice to shut you up!” Huffing, she stomped after Luna, the rest sharing a glance before following.

They didn't have to travel far when Luna took a passage off the hallway that led downward. A set of stairs descended into a large room, horn light illuminating rows and rows of empty stone shelves. Broken and petrified wood was all that remained of any furniture. In the far corner of the room was another stairway that led further down.

Luna took in the scene with a slack jaw. “Where… where are all the tomes?”

The Returners filed in, spreading out and searching the area. It didn’t take long for one of them to notice a recurring detail.

“There are claw marks all over everything,” Derpy said, pointing a hoof over the floor and shelves. Deep, parallel grooves littered the places she highlighted. “And they don’t look like any monster or animal I’ve ever seen.”

“Do you think whatever it was took the books?” Rainbow Dash asked the group.

“Maybe. But I can tell you one thing.” Derpy hopped over to the stairs leading down. “The marks came from and then went back down here.”

Derpy’s words knocked Luna out of her catatonic state. “Impossible. Those stairs are sealed unless the button from the throne room is pressed.”

Shrugging, Derpy said, “Hey, I’m just telling you what I see.”

Sunset growled under her throat, unsheathing her sword. “Then we go down there and kick the flank out of whatever did this.” She bolted down the stairs without waiting for a response.

Trixie sighed and shook her head. “After her before she ends up killed.”

One by one the Returners descended the staircase, each readying their weapons. The path wasn’t long, leading into a room the size of the throne room. A dull-bluish light emanated from the far end of the room, illuminating a treasure hoard that stretched from wall to wall. Coins, gems, and discarded books made up the pile, with several murals and vases thrown in haphazardly. A whole castle’s worth of treasure crammed into one room.

A distant memory tickled the back of Spike’s mind. “Uh, I think I’ve seen something like this before. It didn’t end well.” His eyes followed the mound of treasure to the back of the room, quickly spotting the source of the blue light. “Yep, we’re definitely in for it.”

Laying atop the piled up treasure, its scales giving off a pale blue glow, was a coiled up, serpentine dragon. A mane of rigid dark blue hair with streaks of white stuck out of the back of its head. Two stubby arms located several hoof lengths from its head idly pawed at the treasure beneath them. The tip of the tail twitched, jingling coins with every movement. The mouth was beaked shaped, a long red tongue occasionally flickering out.

Derpy leaned over to Trixie and whispered, “Maybe if we’re quiet it won’t notice us.”

“I’ve heard everything you’ve done since stepping into my domain.” The dragon cracked open an eye, lazily sweeping it across the intruders. “You’re louder than my dimwit brother, the Dirt Dragon, and he at least has the courtesy to knock first.” The dragon sighed and raised itself up from the treasure, yawning and showing off an impressive set of teeth. “How’d you even get here?”

Luna and Sunset both stepped forward, pointing at the dragon and saying in unison, “Vile creature! Begone from our home!” The two blinked and stared at each other.

A chuckle escaped from the dragon. “Your home? You’ve got it all backwards. I’ve lived here for over a thousand years.”

“And I was here before that!” Luna countered. “We designed this castle with our own hooves. And now you sit upon my property with your despicable hide!”

The dragon snorted, crawling its way down the treasure pile and disturbing the delicate items with every step. “Ever hear of squatter’s rights? I think this more than qualifies.”

“The squatter has to defend the right if challenged.” Sunset leveled the Ultima Weapon up at the dragon’s snout. “We challenge.”

Quirking an eyebrow and smirking, the dragon said, “Accepted. Prepare to face the might of the Blue Dragon!” It roared and slithered towards them faster than they were prepared for. Its tail lashed out, catching half of them in the side and flinging them away like toys. The tail whipped out again, but Umaro caught it and held fast.

With the dragon distracted, the Returners still in the fight rushed forward. Rainbow Dash came down, slashing at the Blue Dragon’s head. It rose to snap at her but a fireball to the chin sent it reeling back. The opening gave time for Zecora and Sunset to dart in and hack away at the underside of the beast. The Blue Dragon roared and spewed highly pressurized water from its mouth, knocking Umaro away and freeing its tail.

“You’ve got more bite than I expected,” the Blue Dragon said, rubbing its chin. It grinned. “This will be fun.”

As the fight raged, Trixie and Twilight got busy healing themselves and the others caught by the tail attack. Just as they were satisfied and ready to join the melee, Luna reached out and grabbed Trixie by the cape. “The books! Save the books!”

Trixie let out a put-upon sigh. “As if we don’t have enough problems already.” She yanked her cape from Luna’s grasp. “Twilight, see if you can gather them up. Luna, find a corner and stay low. Spike and Derpy, you’re with me.” Her orders given, she charged into the fray.

Twilight silently thanked the stars and set about her new task.

Fresh reinforcements came in, Trixie joining Sunset and Zecora with her own sword while Derpy and Spike went high. Spike, with his newly sprouted wings, spewed breath attacks at the dragon’s head, giving Derpy openings to shock the monster with a plethora of lightning strikes. Umaro also rejoined the fray, body checking the colossal dragon in the side and sending it reeling. The Blue Dragon, now surrounded, let out a piercing roar that flattened the ears of the ponies and stopped their assault.

“Okay, since when did mongrels like you get so strong?” The Blue Dragon asked no one in particular. It slithered back towards the rear of the room, facing all of its assailants at once. “No matter, as this will deal with you all.” It rose off the ground, even though it didn’t have wings, and thrust out its tiny arms. “Clean Sweep!”

A rush of water materialized out of thin air behind the Blue Dragon, crashing through the treasure trove and rushing towards the Returners. With only seconds to act, Trixie and Spike cast ice spells against the oncoming deluge, freezing half of it before it could reach them. Zecora twirled her sword, creating a shock of hot air that evaporated most of the remaining water. Umaro gathered up the others and turned against the rest of the flood, his powerful body taking the brunt of the water but keeping the ponies safe. He grunted and fell to his knees, dropping his precious cargo to the floor. Twilight quickly rejuvenated him with a healing spell.

The Blue Dragon stared at them, each of its opponents still alive and well. “What… how is this possible?”

Spike flew up to it, his arms crossed and giving a smug look. “Ha! You’re the easiest dragon we’ve dealt with so far! Even your other siblings put up more of a fight than—”

A glob of gunk impacted his face from the Blue Dragon’s spit. It grinned. “You were saying?”

Muffled cries came from Spike’s covered face. He fell to the floor, tearing at the goop stuck to him but unable to pry it off.

“Spike!” Twilight ran up to him, her voice quavering. “Spike! Are you okay?”

Spike turned towards her voice, frantically clawing at his face. “Get it off!” he managed to get out through the covering, though it was like he was speaking underwater. “I can’t stand it!”

“Hold on, Spike!” With desperate energy, Twilight shot a fireball directly at his face. The spell engulfed his head, knocking him back. “Oh no, Spike!”

The tiny dragon wobbled to his feet. To Twilight’s immense relief the fire dissipated along with the spit covering him. She grabbed him up and looked him over like a fussy mom. “Spike, speak to me! Are you alright? Were you suffocating?”

“My nose itched.” Spike raised a claw and scratched the spot that had tormented him.

Twilight smacked him over the head. “Don’t ever scare me like that again!” Heaving a relieved sigh, she put him down. Face contorted with fury, she looked up at the beast that had done this to her best friend.

She and the rest of the Returners blinked. The Blue Dragon was on its side, laughing its scales off. It rolled around on its treasure, completely oblivious to them. Its laughter died down enough for it to look at Spike, then immediately erupted into a second wave. The Blue Dragon pounded the pile and held its side, gasping for breath.

The Returners stared, too flummoxed to attack.

After a minute of continuous laughter, the Blue Dragon finally managed to keep its mirth under control. With tears streaming down its snout, it let out a sigh. “Oh, you guys are too much.” Water leaked out of its mouth, but instead of heading towards the Returners, it cocooned the Blue Dragon. With a ripple of power, the cocoon shrunk down until it was no larger than Umaro. The aqua container began cracking like an egg, shattering and releasing a form that dropped down to the treasure hoard.

The new body was blue, but unlike the serpentine form it once wore, the Blue Dragon was now a bipedal creature like Spike. Two white horns curled around the head and a set of wings flared out from its back. Taller, brawnier, and with a more pronounced snout, the Blue Dragon flexed its arms and grinned down at the Returners. “There, that’ll do,” it said in a much more feminine voice.

Spike cocked his head, scratching his green spines. “Wha? What’s going on?”

A giggle escaped from the Blue Dragon. “Why so shocked? You didn’t think I could get around this place at my normal size, did you? How else would I carry all this stuff down here?

“But anyway, I’ve decided to let you live. That was the most fun I’ve had in over a millennium. Kinda boring down here, if you know what I mean.” The Blue Dragon thrust a clawed thumb at her chest. “I go by Ember in this form, by the way.”

Spike’s head cocked the other way. “You use water, but your name is Ember?”

“You got a problem with that?” A hacking sound came from the back of Ember’s throat.

“Nope!” Spike threw up his arms defensively.

“Good, because otherwise I wouldn’t give you this.” Ember clasped her claws together, then slowly spread them out. Streams of water gathered between them, forming a sapphire. With a wave of her hand, she sent it towards Spike, stopping in front of him. “I’m sure that’s what you’re looking for. I sensed my brothers’ and sister’s powers in you the moment you got here.”

Rubbing his arms, Spike said, “Well, not particularly, but I’m not gonna say no.” His mouth watering, Spike grabbed the sapphire and gobbled it down, followed by a burp. He sighed and rubbed his belly. “Wow, that never gets old.”

Smirking, Ember turned to the other Returners who watched on. “So, since I’m in a good mood, what else do you need?”

Trixie walked forward, keeping her sword at the ready. “Why help us? We’re here to find a way to stop Discord.”

“Good. That… thing may have been my master once, but it has to go. He nearly dried me out by turning all the water around here to sand and only turned it back when he got bored.” Ember scowled and slammed a fist into her palm. “Any enemy of his is an ally to me. So I ask again: what do you need?”

.o.O.o.

Twilight, Sunset, and Luna sat within the library a few minutes later, each eagerly devouring the books Twilight managed to save. Despite the messy battle with the Blue Dragon, there was a sizable stack of them that would take hours to go through. Trixie and Rainbow Dash were already communicating with Applejack using Rarity’s needles to coordinate their safe transport. Derpy, Zecora, and Umaro were down below, sifting through the treasure trove for anything useful.

“So…” Spike said as an opener. He and Ember were helping the latter group with sorting out the treasure, Spike shifting from one leg to the other. “Uh…”

“You’re going to swallow a slug with how wide your mouth is,” Ember warned. She grabbed a rusted pony helmet, shrugged, then tossed it in a growing pile of junk. “Just say what you want to say.”

“Ah, right. I mean… what’s the deal with you and the other dragons?”

“What’s there to get? We all live in our own spot in the world, waiting for the time our master returns.”

“Yeah, but that’s the thing. Discord is your master now. What are you gonna do once he’s gone?”

Ember didn’t reply immediately. She busied herself with pushing aside mounds of gil and gems, occasionally putting something aside that looked interesting. “Don’t know, kid. I guess I’ll deal with that once I get there.” She stopped in her sorting and stood up, rubbing her chin. “I suppose there’s one thing I can tell you, though. Our master once said that he managed to seal away a power that could remake the world. He wasn’t strong enough to contain it on his own, so he created us to help with the seal.” Shrugging, she went back to her task.

Spike waited for her to go on. When Ember didn’t, he said, “And then?”

“He didn’t really tell us much more after that. He was kinda a jerk in that way.”

“Seems like something that could remake the world would be a big deal to know about.”

Further conversation was cut off as Umaro suddenly stood up from his spot in the room, yelling and holding up something in his hand. “Ungahaa!”

“Unga what?” Derpy asked.

Umaro lowered his hand, displaying his find. A deep blue orb rested there, its core a swirling mass of clouds.

Derpy cocked her head. “What is it?”

The sound of hooves against stone from above stopped any answer. The rest of the Returners and Luna rushed into the room. “We heard yelling,” Trixie said. “What’s going on?”

Zecora waved her hooves in a placating manner. “No need to fear. Our fellow yeti just found a unique relic, my dear.”

“Oh really?” Rainbow Dash eagerly swooped up next to Umaro. “Whatcha got?”

Umaro held out his palm for all to see, his squashed face beaming.

Luna hummed thoughtfully. “If we were to guess, that looks like something Star Swirl created. He would often leave his experiments laying around like a child would a toy. Clover the Clever spent most of his time picking up after him.”

“Nice find!” Rainbow Dash nudged him in the shoulder.

“You guys find anything?” Spike asked, now that the excitement was over.

Twilight shook her head. “Lots of interesting history but nothing on that sealing magic.” She turned to confirm with Luna, but noticed a missing pony amongst them. “Uh, didn’t Sunset come down with us?”

There was no sign of the fiery maned unicorn, prompting the party to head back into the library. Their search was short lived as Sunset was seated where they left her at a stone table. Her face was glued to a book, her mouth hung low and eyes wide.

Walking up to her, Twilight shook Sunset lightly. “Hey, you okay? Did you find something?”

Sunset didn’t respond. She continued to stare at the open book.

Twilight frowned and looked at what she was reading. The book was open to a page lacking text, but a symbol of a sun was emblazoned there. “What’s that?”

Taking a position opposite them, Luna managed to glimpse what had Sunset so engrossed. She signed and looked away. “That is our sister’s cutie mark.”

“Celestia…”

Luna and Twilight snapped their attention back on Sunset. The unicorn was shaking.

“Sunset, what’s wrong?”

“How dost thou know that name?” Luna rounded the other side of the table to stand next to Sunset. “We've never spoken of it.”

As though the book would attack her, Sunset screeched and backed away against the wall. Her breaths came short and quick but her eyes never left the page. “Celestia! I’m…” Sunset howled again, grabbing her head in her hooves and collapsing to the floor.

Twilight was at her side in an instant. She pushed away Sunset’s hooves, grasping her head and forcing her to face Twilight. “Sunset! Look at me! You’re safe. Please, breathe.”

The soothing sounds settled Sunset down enough that her eyes came back into focus. She still trembled, as though any little thing might set her off. “I… Twilight…”

“I’m here. I’m here. Keep looking at me. I’m here.” Twilight kept up her gentle mantra, risking raising a hoof to stroke Sunset’s mane. The pony in her hooves took deeper and more measured breaths. “That’s right. Just relax. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it.”

Twilight felt the presence of another pony next to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luna sit down and stare at Sunset. “Sister…”

Sunset broke eye contact with Twilight, looking up at the awe-filled eyes of Luna. “Dear… sister?”

“Celestia!” Luna cried and threw her hooves around Sunset, tears streaming down her muzzle. “Oh, we were so scared you were lost.”

“Luna…” Now calm, Sunset gently extracted herself from Twilight and returned Luna’s embrace. “Yes. It is me. We missed you, too.” Sunset reached out and brought Twilight into the hug. “Thank you, Twilight.”

Watching on with looks ranging from elated to confused, the Returners and one Chaos Dragon settled for giving the ponies their space.

A sound began to build around them. It came from everywhere and nowhere at once. The Returners looked around but could not find the source. However, they easily identified what it was.

Laughter.

The mad cackling grew louder, drawing the trio of huddled ponies’ attention. Soon the maniacal laugh filled the room, followed by a flash of light. Discord hung in the air above them, holding his sides as he guffawed with wild abandon. “You… you…” He managed to get his laughter under control to look at Sunset, then relapsed.

“Trixie fails to see what’s so funny!” Trixie withdrew Save the Queen, her horn lighting up next.

“You… I… No idea!” Discord managed to get out between chuckles. He wiped his eye with an eagle claw and sighed. “Oh, this is too rich.”

With a twist, he positioned himself to leer down on Twilight, Luna, and Sunset. Two mismatched hands wrapped their fingers together. Discord's grin no longer contained any mirth, just barely contained malice. “Hello, Celestia. We meet again.”

In Which the Returners Reach the Endgame Part 1

Discord chuckled as he lazily floated across the room, his form passing through shelves and walls as though they weren’t even there. He buffed his lion paw against his chest and casually inspected the claws. “I was worried about you, you know. For over a year you never once showed your face. I kept thinking you were staying hidden, working on a way to stop me. I thought of so many ways to lure you out. Corrupting your sister, causing chaos, even going so far as to leave parts of the world completely alone. I figured you’d slip up at some point and I’d be ready.”

Dropping down to the floor, Discord smiled and loomed over Sunset Shimmer. Luna and Twilight held her fast, Twilight reaching for her sword. Discord ignored them. “But it looks like I was worried over nothing. Little Sunset Shimmer was Celestia all this time, right in plain sight. And with no memory to top it off!” He drew back and laughed, a mindless mirth that no one in the room shared.

“There’s still… a way... to stop you…”

Discord’s cackles ceased, his body rotating so he could sneer down at Sunset. “What, that sealing magic? You and your sister are in no shape to cast it. None of you are.

“The only thing I want to know is how you ended up this way.” He thrust his arms to the side, an invisible force pushing Twilight and Luna away, leaving Sunset alone. With a single talon, he jabbed at Sunset’s horn, a bright light igniting at the touch.

.o.O.o.

...

…

… I

I’m... awake?

Something’s not right.

Am I… being pushed?

Oh. Oh no.

No. No, stop. Please. You don’t know what you are doing.

The magic. It’s being undone. He’ll escape.

Please. Please stop.

Ah! Wild magic. I can’t do anything like this.

Another. Pushing me. Please, put me back.

He’s waking up. I can feel it. Whoever you are, hurry.

Someone else is channeling our power. Fight against it. You must.

Yes. That’s it. Savior, do not lose hope.

Back in position. Good.

Is that… a breeze?

My statue. It’s falling apart.

What’s happening? What’s—

.o.O.o.

Sunset gasped, drawing in and letting out several shaky breaths. Through bleary eyes, she saw Discord pull back, a contemplative look to his mismatched face. She coughed and shook her head, barely managing to remain conscious.

Above her, Discord stroked his tiny tuft of beard. “So, you bonded with an esper right as you were being released. Ifrit, if I remember correctly. With all the wild magic going around, I’m guessing the shock of bonding did something that made you the way you are now.” He shrugged, stepping away. “Whatever the reason, you can’t—”

A sharp pain blossomed in his chest, bringing him to his knees. A strangled gasp escaped his mouth, followed by choking noises. Above the sounds of his asphyxiation, he heard a feminine voice next to his ear.

“This is for Whooves.”

Trixie’s voice. Discord looked down, seeing her sword tip piercing through his chest. Ice covered the blade, her magic seeping into his body.

“Did you think I was stupid? That I wouldn’t figure it out? You kept him alive long enough for me to wake up, then killed him.” Trixie snarled and focused more magic into Save the Queen, expanding the ice and snuffing out Discord’s magic at the same time. “I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since we met. Now die.

“Rasp!”

Her horn flared, bubbles of purple energy seeping into Discord’s body from every angle. The magic of rasp collided in his center, then emitted outwards, taking the draconequus’ magic with it. Slowly, flecks of Discord’s body began to peel off and dissipate. Trixie cast and recast rasp, using the power her runic drained to charge her spellcasting in a continuous loop. Distantly, she heard someone cheering her on but she couldn't tell who. She ignored it to focus on her task. More and more of Discord’s body disintegrated, evaporating into the air. Her perched on his back fell away, Trixie and her sword passing through to the floor.

But her casting didn’t stop. Drawing the last wisp of magic within her, Trixie targeted every bit of Discord that remained, even if they were no larger than a speck of hair. At last she could cast no longer. She collapsed to the floor, utterly exhausted.

A deathly silence fell over the room. The awestruck Returners looked from one end of the room to the other, waiting for Discord to pop back in. Only the sounds of Sunset’s groans and Trixie’s heavy breathing were heard.

Spike broke the silence “Is… is that it? Is he really gone?” He walked up to Trixie, pushing back her sweat strewn mane. “You… did it. I can’t believe it.”

Sucking in a breath, Trixie smirked. “Wasn’t... so hard.”

“That hurt.”

Trixie spat out a curse. With weary eyes, she watched as Discord came strolling from behind a stone bookshelf, looking no worse for wear. The Returners stared, but were quick to crowd around Trixie and face the being of chaos.

Discord regarded them, an unreadable expression on his face. “You managed to take out my shadow. A little trick I picked up from our mutual pal Gilda. I hate to say it, but I’m rather impressed. Neat.”

He folded his arms behind his back and began to pace. “Sad to say, but our game is almost over. You found all your friends just like I asked and have gotten pretty strong while you did it. Celestia has been accounted for and now all that’s left is... well… me.”

Discord stopped his pacing, looking off into the distance. A grin began to tug at the sides of his mouth. “What say we end this in grand fashion?” He raised his lion paw and snapped his fingers. Nothing around the Returners seemed to change, but that didn’t mean something hadn’t somewhere else.

“What... did you do?” Trixie managed to say, struggling to rise.

“Just getting some of my pieces in play. And now that I don’t have to worry about Celestia anymore, I can stop being mister nice draconequus.” With crossed arms, he smirked and rose off the floor. “Find me where we first met, Beatrix. Our game will end there.” He faded away, dark laughter all he left behind.

Even after the malicious cackles died away, the Returners waited. When no obvious signs of evil mischief revealed itself, they headed over to where Twilight and Luna were attending to Sunset. “How is she?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I’m fine,” Sunset answered, her voice steady. With Twilight and Luna’s help, she got to her hooves and heaved a sigh. “At least, I hope so.”

Luna swallowed against a dry mouth. “Do you... remember anything?”

Sunset took her time answering. She looked between Luna and Twilight, then settled her gaze on a spot on the floor. “A little. I... I don’t know how much of Celestia is left. Sorry.”

A dark wing settled over her back and gave a gentle squeeze. “We admit, this will take some getting used to. I hope you will let me help in what ways I can.”

“Me too,” Twilight said, giving her own hug.

Sunset leaned into their embrace. “Thanks.”

A gagging noise from the other end of the room interrupted the tender scene. “Gah, you ponies are so schmaltzy,” Ember said.

Derpy frowned and crossed her legs. “Hey, there’s no need for that. Let them have this one.”

“Fine, but do it somewhere else. You got what you came for so scram.” She headed for the stairs, waving them off. She stopped short, her claws clenched. Huffing, she spewed a small ball of water that morphed into a bound scroll. Ember tossed it over her shoulder. “Oh, and uh, good luck.” With that, she ran down the stairs, hitting a button on the way down. The stairs rumbled, lifting themselves up and sealing closed.

Spike scratched his head while Rainbow Dash swooped down to pick up the scroll. “What was that all about?” He shrugged it off, turning to his companions. “Well, is she right? Do we have what we need?”

Twilight looked over the books that they had yet to go through. “I don’t know. But I don’t think we have much time.

“Trixie, do you know what he was talking about?”

Trixie nodded, her body leaning heavily against Zecora’s side. “Vectorlot.”

Twilight grimaced. “Then we better get these back to the others. Perhaps we’ll find something before we get there.”

.o.O.o.

Returning to the Orchard took time, now that there were two tired unicorns and a cartload of books and scrolls to carry back. Continuous monster attacks didn’t help, though they proved more of a hindrance than a threat. It wasn’t until they nearly reached Fillygaro that relief came their way. The rest of the Returners were already out and waiting for them, giving the exhausted spelunking team help on carrying their cargo and fighting off any persistent beasts. Only once they were safely tucked away into the Orchard and on their way back to the surface did any of the returning group get a chance to relax.

Their respite was brief. Fillygaro Orchard broke the surface in textbook style, all systems normal. The landscape the ponies beheld once they exited the interior was anything but normal.

“What in tarnation?” Applejack breathed.

Instead of a seemingly endless expanse of sand, the desert now more closely resembled the inside of a bowl of chili. Bits of vegetables, pasta, and other things Applejack dared not contemplate on all floated within a sea of red sauce. The sides of the Orchard, built to effortlessly repel the coarseness of sand, were drenched in the red icor. Applejack held her nose as the smell of rotten food assaulted her.

“Keep everything sealed shut! And get the gas masks!” Applejack yelled out then clamped her mouth shut before more of the foul odor could seep in. As her workers rushed to fulfill her orders, she ran back inside to deliver the grim news.

.o.O.o.

“As if this headache wasn’t bad enough,” Trixie moaned. She took a sip of ether, provided by Stardust, as she listened to Applejack’s report. “Any word from Pinkie Pie?”

“Nope,” Big Macintosh said.

“Give it an hour then try again.” Messaging her head, Trixie turned to the group gathered in the throne room. Ignoring the pounding in her skull, she raised her voice and said, “This is it. Discord’s had enough. As soon as Pinkie gets here, we’re heading to Vectorlot to end his game.”

A low murmur spread through the Returners, too many voices speaking at once for Trixie to pick out any single phrase. Slowly, the din died down, no one willing to speak up.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? Trixie was expecting a little more spunk.”

One dared to speak their mind. Shining Armor sighed. “Do… you think we’re ready?”

Trixie didn’t answer. She swept her gaze over the assembled ponies, dragon, chocobo, zebra, yeti, and changeling. A variety of races stared up at her, united in one thing. To stop Discord.

There was one other thing they all had in common. Uncertainty.

“Trixie doesn’t know. But we made this far, haven't we? That has to count for something, right? Trixie chooses to think it does. We’ve survived espers, dragons, and ancient monsters we had no chance against but we’re still alive to talk about it.”

She paused to collect herself. “I’m seeing this through to the end. Discord started this game and I intend to finish it. If you’re still with me, great. If not, Pinkie can drop you off on the way.

“Just one last thing before I go find a bed and crash. You can either fight and die or live with that for the rest of your life.” Trixie pointed a hoof towards the ceiling. All eyes trailed up. A line of kitchen utensils from forks to plates were jovially dancing in the air to an unheard tune. Grimacing, Trixie rubbed her head and made her way to the nearest guest room.

With the general gone, the rest of the Returners looked up at the utensils that had now grown to include mops and dustpans then back to each other.

“Ah, heck, as if I would quit now,” Rainbow Dash said. “Just try and stop me.”

Twilight Sparkle’s features firmed up. “The zebra village will never be cured until Discord’s gone. And I’m not going to let their children live in a world where he’s a constant threat. I’m going to the library to read those books we found cover to cover.” She softened up, giving a hesitant smile. “It would really help to have everyone go through them with me.”

“I hope you know that you can always count on me,” Spike said. He gave a thumbs up at Twilight. The unicorn smiled and gave him a quick nuzzle.

“The empire I used to serve is no longer around.” Zecora paused as a frown formed. “I intend to do the same to Discord by burying him in the ground.”

“Hear, hear!” Derpy Hooves chirped.

Sunset Shimmer, standing under her own power, sighed and nodded. “I’ve got a lot of things to sort out now, but I think taking him down will be a good start.”

“Well said.” Luna, staying near Sunset, nodded her approval. “Our labor from one thousand years ago will not go to waste.”

“Rainbow and Twilight are right,” Shining Armor said, draping a hoof over Spotter’s shoulder. “If there’s ever going to be a chance to get Domare restored then Discord has got to go.”

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo looked at each other and grinned. They zipped behind Fluttershy and Rarity and pushed them forward, earning an indignant squawk from the older ponies. “We’re all in!”

“Girls, don’t be rushing into things again,” Fluttershy admonished.

“We’re not,” Scootaloo said. “We’re crashing right into it.”

Rarity gave them a calculated stare. “Not sure I like how you worded that, especially with an airship involved.”

“Then you better come along to watch our flanks.” Sweetie Belle gave a cheeky grin up at her sister.

“The thing is, I know you’re hustling me, but you’re right.” With a sigh, Rarity faced the room. “Fine, we’re in.”

Applejack and Big Macintosh shared a glance. In unison, they nodded. “Ain’t no way we’re staying out of this, either.” Applejack looked out over the room, doing her best to ignore the apples now joining the party above their heads. “Mayor Mare started the Returners to protect the world and that hasn’t changed. Would be a shame to disrespect what she started just because the enemy is different.”

“Eeyup!”

Umaro grunted his approval.

“I know I’m new here, but I’m determined to help any way I can,” Thorax said.

One voice was left that hadn’t spoken. A few eyes traveled to where Stardust stood in the corner, the chocobo staring up at the impromptu dance number occurring above everyone’s heads. He snarled and waved a wing. The sound of a clock coming to an abrupt stop drifted in the air and all the animated objects twirling above suddenly ceased all movements. The next second there came a crash and a few pony shrieks as the utensils and cleaning instruments plummeted to the floor. Stardust met the eyes of everyone now staring at him.

“Screw Discord.”

.o.O.o.

The Paradise arrived a few hours later. It had seen better days. Covered in cotton candy, the airship looked more like a cancerous tumor than a vehicle. It was a miracle it could still fly.

With the airship hovering just above the Orchard, multiple ladders were lowered to the highest walls. The Returners were ready, heading up and back onto the airship where the Pie sisters ushered them down below deck. The foul smell of the chili desert followed them the entire way. Only when the Paradise sped away did the horrid stink begin to recede. Soon after, Fillygaro Orchard sank back into the ground.

Once Pinkie Pie had the airship at cruising speed, she locked the controls in place and met up with her returned friends. “I swear, after the past few days I may never look at cotton candy again. Please tell me you guys found something.”

“Maybe,” Trixie gave as an answer. “Twilight and the others are going through some old books that we found. There may be a spell that can stop Discord.”

“Hallelujah!” Pinkie Pie sang to the heavens.

Trixie winced, her head still tender. “Trixie is almost afraid to ask. What’s the situation?”

Pinkie Pie sighed. “Well, everything was fine up until yesterday. We stopped by South Fillygaro to restock. The town still had oddball chaos stuff happening but they were getting the food bonus so things were normal… ish. But all of a sudden, their unlimited food all turned to ash and the town literally turned upside down!” She flipped, balancing on her head. “Things only got worse from there! All these pink clouds appeared and started raining chocolate milk. It was neat at first but then all the normal animals turned huge and began stomping all over the place. South Fillygaro had to be completely abandoned!

“And then—”

“You can stop there,” Trixie interrupted. “Things are bad and are getting worse.” She turned to the others in the room as Pinkie Pie righted herself. “Well, what’s it going to be? It’s either this or Discord.”

The gathered Returners, even Sunset Shimmer, didn’t hesitate. “Discord!”

Trixie smirked. “Good.” She looked back at Pinkie Pie. “Head to Vectorlot.”

Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow. “Really? I heard there was nothing there anymore.”

“Trixie believes that will change once we get there. How long do you think it will take?”

“Hmm, probably less than two days.”

A shiver went down Trixie’s spine. Whether it was from dread or excitement, she couldn’t be sure. She looked over the group that had come together in such a short time. These were the creatures that would decide their fate going forward. “We have two days to get ready.” Trixie set her sights on Stardust. “Start brewing. Don’t hold back on the ingredients. Use them up now since I doubt you’ll have time to do it later.”

Stardust nodded grimly. “I’ll get to it.”

Trixie next locked eyes with Twilight. “I hope this gives you the time to find something.”

Twilight took in a breath. “I hope so, too.”

Sweeping her gaze over the room, Trixie said, “The rest of you: practice, rest, then practice again. We have to be at our best. Understood?”

“Yes!” the roomful responded.

“Then let’s get started.” Trixie unsheathed Save the Queen. “Who’s first?”

.o.O.o.

“Maud? Could you come over here? I want to make sure I’m not going crazy.”

Maud Pie finished tightening a rope securing the Paradise’s balloon and headed over to where Limestone Pie stood at the forward of the ship. “What is it?”

Limestone answered by pointing a hoof at the horizon. Maud followed her gaze. Her eyebrow raised. “Huh.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

“Would you rather I say you’re crazy?”

Throwing up her hooves, Limestone turned and stomped away. “Forget it! I gotta go tell Pinkie.”

Maud watched her go with a flat stare, then casually looked back over the railing where several tons of debris floated in the open air.

.o.O.o.

“Just got word from Limestone,” Pinkie Pie’s voice said over the airship intercom. “We’re here.”

An unnatural silence fell over the ship’s passengers. Everyone stopped what they were doing, remained still, and stared ahead. In unspoken agreement they remained that way for several minutes. It wasn’t until the Paradise jolted a bit that they spurred into action, heading up to the upper deck.

Outside, they beheld the same sight as Limestone first did, a growing collection of seemingly random objects slowly drifting over the landscape that Vectorlot once occupied. Entire sections resembled old buildings and laboratories that used to reside within the capital. Huge chunks of land that looked like they had been scooped out of the earth floated with eerie silence. Uncomfortable memories from the Floating Island debacle began stirring within them. More and more objects came in, crashing against each other but their broken bits never fell to the ground, only continued inwards. The scale was too immense for anyone to compare to.

Once all were out in the open did anyone dare to speak. “What were you able to find, Twilight?” Trixie asked.

Grimacing at being put on the spot with everyone watching, Twilight shuffled her hooves. “We went through the whole collection. Twice. We couldn’t find anything about the sealing magic.”

A collective murmur spread through the Returners.

“The best we were able to find was something about ultimate magic. But I don’t know how to cast it or if there’s even an esper that could pass it on.”

Spike and Sunset, standing on either side of Twilight, laid a claw and leg over her shoulder. “We did what we could,” Spike said. “It was a long shot anyway.”

Sunset gave a sheepish smile. “Well, maybe a memory from Celestia will suddenly come back at the most improbable time and will save the day at the last second.” She gasped as Twilight none-so-gently nudged her in the ribs.

“Don’t even joke about that.”

Trixie sighed. “So. We’re on our own, then.”

“We are all that stands between Discord and the world, that much is true,” Zecora said, favoring Trixie with a smile. “But we wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you.”

“That’s right!” Rainbow Dash zipped up next to Trixie, slapping the unicorn on the back. “You said it yourself. We managed to get this far, sometimes without all that hocus pocus crap. I say we’re ready to take him on with or without any fancy schmancy magic.”

Taking a moment to adjust her now rumpled cape, Trixie allowed a lopsided smirk. “We are pretty great, aren’t we?”

“And powerful!”

A cheer sprang up amongst the Returners, chanting Trixie’s name. Trixie only had a moment to take in the praise when she felt a hoof prod her side. She turned to see Twilight next to her, giving a hopeful smile.

“When my memories returned, I knew we didn’t get along much when we were both growing up in the Empire. But, there’s nopony else I’m more glad to have leading us now.”

Trixie silently regarded Twilight. Her previous smirk transformed into a full grin and she inclined her head upwards. Twilight returned the grin and nodded. As one, the two lit up their horns and shot out a crackling ball of ice and blazing sphere of fire. The two opposing forces collided outside the airship, creating thousands of glittering particles. Within the drifting sparkles, Returners was spelt.

“Whoa, didn’t know they could do that,” Spike commented.

The cheering heightened as the Returners shifted to chanting their own name. The noise drowned out all else, even the Paradise’s engines. The collected group of creatures sang for all they were worth, letting the world know of their commitment to their goal.

“Glad to see you’re all feeling so spunky.”

The voice, barely above normal speaking volume, still managed to overpower the Returners’ cheers. They started and looked out at the levitating pile of junk nearby. The different pieces stopped idly floating and began to move with purpose. It didn’t take long for the gargantuan collection of debris to form a head. A snout larger than Fillygaro Orchard itself and composed of boulders, magitek armor, chunks of land, and countless other things smiled maliciously at them.

Discord laughed.

“Welcome, friends.”

Wherein the Returners Reach the Endgame Part 2

Trixie’s half-lidded stare traced over the impossible sight floating before her. A small, rational part of her said that she should have been intimidated and overwhelmed. That what she and the rest of the Returners vowed to stop could not be overcome. They should all flee back into the cabins of the Paradise, turn it around, and fly away as fast as possible.

The majority of her just felt annoyed. “Are you done posturing or are you ready to fight?”

“Oh, somepony is feeling confident today,” came Discord’s amused reply. The monstrosity that composed Discord's mouth grinned. “That’s what I’ve come to like about you, Beatrix. No matter what I’ve thrown at you, you’ve always soldiered on through. It makes me a little sad that our game ends today.”

As one, the Returners drew their weapons. Unicorns’ horns began to glow. Pegasi unfurled their wings. Earth ponies stomped their hooves. Spike readied his spear. Stardust scraped his talons against the deck. Zecora withdrew her sword with a flourish. Umaro slammed his fists together and Thorax’s horns lit up.

“It will end for you,” Trixie promised.

“Now, now, now. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Discord’s animated head drifted back from the airship. “I have one more game for you to play before the big finale. And just like before, the rules are simple. All you have to do is make it to the center of this mess. How you do it is up to you. I’ll be waiting for you there.” The snout acting as Discord’s mouth collapsed into the mass, forming a sphere of floating materials.

“Don’t keep me waiting long.”

With those final words, the oppressive silence returned.

The Returners waited a minute before relaxing their guard, sheathing weapons and powering down magic. “Trixie supposes that she shouldn’t be surprised.” Whirling around, she faced Pinkie Pie, a hoof pointed back towards the sphere. “Think you can get us through all that?”

Pinkie Pie looked up at the chaos floating in the sky, then down to her ship, then back up. “Nope.”

“Ponyfeathers.”

“I see a few places where I could drop you off, but there ain’t no way I can get this through all that. I doubt Discord would allow it, anyway.”

“More than likely,” Sunset Shimmer said.

Twilight Sparkle scrunched up her face. “Should we all go in as one? Or should we split up?”

“I say we split up,” Shining Armor spoke up. “Too many of us together will only cause us to get in each other’s way. We’ve done pretty well with four or five at a time, so let’s stick with that.”

Zecora nodded. “I agree, this seems the most logical step to take. It will keep Discord’s attention divided and he might make a mistake.”

Trixie waited to hear from anyone else. When nobody raised any objections, she said, “Fine, then we’re going with that. We need to decide on what parties to make.”

The next few minutes saw the Returners forming and reforming groups. While they debated on party structure, Stardust and Apple Bloom passed around bottles and salves. Once they were out of stock, they migrated towards their assigned party. There were a few grumblings about balance but most agreed on whom they were paired up with.

Luna and the Pie sisters, minus Pinkie Pie, stayed on the sidelines. They were to stay aboard the Paradise and be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Luna looked over the assembled Returners and cleared her throat. “It pains us to remain behind while you all go off and fight.”

Breaking off from her group, Sunset ran up to her and threw her legs around the larger pony’s neck. “I don’t know what kind of chance we’ve got, but I want to come back. We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”

Luna wrapped one of her legs around Sunset, returning the hug. “Indeed. Fight well, Sunset, my dear sister.”

Sniffling, Sunset gave one last squeeze, then broke off to trot back to her party members.

“Before we go, please let me say this to all of you,” Twilight Sparkle said to the crowd. Once she had everyone’s attention she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Thank you. Thank you so much for being here. I’m blessed to have gotten to meet all of you.

“Please, keep each other safe. I don’t want this to be the last time we see each other again. Some of you I barely know, but I’d like to, once this is over.”

Her words hung over them, some tearing up. Trixie cut through the silence. “Listen to what she said. Who knows what we’ll find once we enter that thing but we have each other. Don’t be stingy with your potions and ethers. There’s no use holding back now.”

“Yeah, let loose!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “We gotta be in tip-top shape once we reach Discord.”

The sentiment was shared among the rest, another cheer rising above the airship’s engines. Trixie smirked and nodded to Pinkie Pie. “Take us in.”

Pinkie Pie smiled, giving a crisp salute. “You got it!” She grabbed hold of the Paradise's wheel and gave it a spin. “Here we go!”

.o.O.o.

The sheer enormity of Discord’s cobbled-together domain became apparent the closer the Paradise flew in. It was like flying close to a moon that had gotten trapped in the sky. The airship jerked as it neared a drop-off point and ground based creatures felt a little lighter.

“As though such a thing could be more of a depravity,“ Zecora said. “This blight on the world has its own gravity.”

“Hold on!” Pinkie Pie held the airship’s wheel in a steel grip, fighting against the pull. “I’m going to dip in real quick then skedaddle! First team, get ready to hop off!” Lurching the Paradise into a forty five degree angle and causing the passenger’s stomachs to drop, Pinkie Pie yelled out, “Now!”

A group of ponies swung themselves over the rails and dropped down onto the nearest solid surface. At the same time Pinkie Pie yanked on the wheel, skimming over the surface and pulling back up into the sky. The remaining Returners held on to whatever was nailed down, clinging for dear life.

“Don’t get comfy,” Pinkie Pie’s voice carried over the whine of the airship’s engines. “Gotta do that four more times. Next team, you’re up!”

Thankful that they wouldn’t need to experience these aerial stunts a third time, a second group of Returners prepared to fling themselves off. As before, the Paradise dove down close enough for them to jump for the sphere and get taken in by its gravitational pull. Unable to tell if they landed safely or not and too busy to think about it, Pinkie Pie pulled the airship up and over a bent radio tower, barely avoiding ramming into it.

“Wish there was a better way than this,” Pinkie Pie grumbled before focusing on the next drop-off. “Cutie mark, don’t fail me now.”

.o.O.o.

Applejack landed deftly on a steel girder, skipping from one hoofhold to another until her momentum tapered off. She spun around to see how her companions were faring, just in time to have Apple Bloom come flailing into her. The pair of sisters tumbled backwards, Applejack rolling with the impact. A quick and precise kick off the ground sent Applejack into a somersault and flinging Apple Bloom back into the air. Applejack touched down on her back hooves, her front ones catching Apple Bloom as she came back down.

Her eyes rolling in their sockets, Apple Bloom drunkenly said, “Golly…”

“I hear ya.” Applejack set her sister down. “Good thing this Genji armor or whatever it’s called cushions me against a lot of tumbles like that.” She looked up to find the rest of her team, spotting Derpy simply flying down, landing next to her a moment later. “Glad ya made it. You see Big Mac?”

Derpy waved her off. “Oh, don’t worry. He’ll be here—”

A roar of heat and air came from above. Big Macintosh descended, his four hooves belching fire. He came to a stop a few hooves away, the thrust and whine of engines cutting off. He shrugged his shoulders and a tank strapped to his back came loose. It fell to the floor with a hollow clang. Next, Big Macintosh stepped out of metal boots that were steaming from exhausting so much fire.

"—in no time,” Derpy finished.

“Gonna need to refine these,” he said casually as he trotted up to his team. “Used way too much fuel.”

Applejack gave him a flat stare. “Now yer just showing off.”

A tiny smirk played at his lips. “Maybe.”

“I thought both of your landings were cool!” Derpy said. Apple Bloom nodded her agreement.

Shaking her head, Applejack turned away, though all present noticed the smile gracing her features. “Well, let's hope you got enough gadgets to get us through this.”

“Eeyup.”

Now on the surface of Discord’s mini-moon, the random assortment of objects that it was composed of made it difficult to tell which direction to go. Anywhere they looked was a mess of rocks, crystal spires, metal plating, dirt, and broken glass. “Any ideas on how to get to the center?” Applejack said aloud.

Derpy placed an ear to the ground, scrunching up her face. After a few seconds she raised her head up, trotted to a different spot, then repeated her first action.

Apple Bloom cocked her head at the sight. “What is she—?”

“Ssshhh!” Derpy hissed. Letting out a huff, she moved to a new location. After the fourth time her eyes widened. She stood up straight and pointed at a section of collapsed steel walls and wiring. “Here!”

The others walked up to her. “Here what?” Applejack asked.

“Break this down.”

Shrugging but raising no objections, Applejack extracted her tiger claws and slashed through the feeble webbing of busted machinery. In seconds the fragile pile fell apart, revealing a tunnel large enough for them to walk through.

“I listened for vibrations, or a lack of, really. Just like a hoover that travels through the ground with only its hearing.”

“Well, can’t argue with the results,” Applejack commented as she retracted her claws. “Let’s just hope it takes us somewhere useful.” She went in first, the others right behind her.

They had only gone a little ways in when the tunnel filled with light. Bulbs set into the ceiling and walls illuminated a steel hallway, a dull hum permeating the area. The ponies hesitated, but when nothing else happened they continued on. The hallway didn’t last long, exiting out to a much larger room. A room as large as a factory.

“Holy horse apples,” Applejack breathed.

The ponies came to a stop on top of a metal walkway. All around them machinery whirred, cranes and hooks passed by on pulley systems, engines cranked and spun, and conveyor belts carried half-finished equipment to parts unknown.

“The Magitek Factory,” Big Macintosh said with a huff. “Ain’t got no good memories with this place.” He cocked his head and reached back into his pack. A diamond tipped drill came out and he gave it a few revs. “Well, maybe a few.”

Applejack nodded. “Probably why Discord set it up.” Her eyes tracked the walkway, seeing it lead over most of the factory floor and down towards a metal door. “Follow me. And keep yer eyes peeled.” She took the lead again, Apple Bloom and Derpy next with Big Macintosh taking up the rear.

With so many moving parts and noise surrounding them, Applejack missed movement from above. Derpy didn’t. The pegasus cried out a warning the same time she darted forward and tackled Applejack to the walkway. A metallic clang and metal scraping against metal assaulted their ears. Applejack rolled herself and Derpy to their hooves, facing off against whatever had dropped down.

A large, bulky mechanoid stood up on legs as thick as tree trunks. Two muscled arms ending in wicked blades scraped against the walkway railings. A humanoid head attached to an elongated neck looked down at them with two unblinking white eyes. It opened its mouth, revealing two rows of long needle-like teeth, and let out a low hiss. Written on the side of one of its blades was the word Inferno.

The monstrosity lurched forward, swiping at the ponies with its left sickle. Applejack reacted on instinct, kicking out and deflecting the strike and flipped away to avoid the follow up attack. Derpy flew upwards, her wings shimmering with gathered magic. She let loose a torrent of lightning bolts down on the Inferno, but the beast simply lifted a blade. Instead of shocking it to oblivion the electrical attack veered towards the blade like a lighting rod, flowing into its main body. The Inferno made a sound Applejack could only assume was a laugh before renewing its onslaught.

On the other side of the walkway, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom rushed towards the battle. Big Macintosh threw his considerable bulk into jamming his drill as deep into the Inferno’s back as he could. The machine jerked and hissed, breaking off its fight with Applejack to take a swipe at him. Big Macintosh wrenched loose his drill but wasn’t fast enough to avoid the attack. The blunt end of the blade struck him in the chin, sending him back and down on the walkway, nearly colliding him with Apple Bloom.

“Big brother!” Apple Bloom was at this side, already taking out potion bottles to apply to his wound. The Inferno didn’t give her the chance, raising a sickle for the finishing blow. She shrieked as it descended.

“Coming through!” Derpy swooped down in front of the Inferno’s head, arcs of lighting crashing into its face. The Inferno pulled back and aimed for the pegasus instead, but a collision on its back threw its aim off.

Applejack, her claws extended, pummeled the hole her brother’s drill left behind. Sparks and electronics flew from its back, emitting an enraged roar from the Inferno. It tried dislodging the pony, twisting its body and flailing with its bladed arms but couldn’t quite reach her. With a grunt, the Inferno fell backwards in an attempt to crush her, but Applejack disengaged and darted out from under it. She ran back towards the others, turned, and faced off with the recovering Inferno.

Damaged and furious, the Inferno charged the Apples and Derpy, oil splaying like spit from its gaping mouth. Applejack tensed her muscles, ready to move, but a shrill cry from behind her flubbed her step.

“You hurt my brother!”

Apple Bloom sprinted past a bewildered Applejack and straight for the oncoming Inferno.

“Apple Bloom, no!” Applejack cried and took after her. However, Apple Bloom’s lead meant she was going to reach the Inferno before she could.

With a defiant cry, Apple Bloom leapt up at the lunging monster, its blades crossing like scissors to cleave the pony in two. A flash from Apple Bloom’s flank filled the area with a bright light, blotting out the two combatants. When the light subsided, Apple Bloom was dangling from one of the blades with her hooves, staring with wide eyes as the other blade rose up in preparation to pierce her.

Applejack, too far back to do anything, watched with dread as a single, red eye opened up behind the Inferno. The unsuspecting creature never saw it as a red beam shot out of the eye and struck its exposed back. The Inferno jerked, a strangled gurgle escaping its mouth. The eye passed through the Inferno like a ghost, a goat’s body with a green coat forming around it. The esper Shoat grabbed hold of an astonished Apple Bloom and floated the pair away from the convulsing Inferno, its center taking on a stone texture. The stone spread, enveloping the monster in seconds. It took one last swipe at the retreating pair before all movement ceased, its viscous grin locked in place.

Shoat set Apple Bloom down next to Applejack, grunted, then disappeared in a flash of red light.

“Apple Bloom!” Applejack snatched up her little sister and squeezed her to her chest. “Oh, don’t ever scare me like that again.”

“Sorry,” Apple Bloom said.

Applejack fussed over Apple Bloom for a few more minutes before relenting and letting her go. Big Macintosh came up next to them, a bruise forming under his jaw. He bent down to ruffle Apple Bloom’s mane.

Derpy smiled at the scene, trotting away to give them some space. She stopped next to the petrified Inferno, regarding it with a sneer. Flying up next to its head, Derpy punched it. She yelped as the statue toppled over, crushing the walkway railing as though it were tinfoil. The Inferno enjoyed a few seconds of airtime before crashing onto the machinery below, shattering into hundreds of tiny shards. Those shards were sucked into the nearby gears and pulleys, creating a cacophony of rending and shredding machinery. Parts popped off, sparks flew, the trolleys ground to a halt, and smoke rose up from small fires ignited by the sparks.

Looking back at her blinking companions, Derpy offered a shrug. “Oops?”

.o.O.o.

“Are we sure Pinkie Pie didn’t just dump us off at some random point?” Rarity asked aloud. She kicked open a metal door, a holdover of Vectorlot, and found only piled up junk in the room beyond.

“Well, um, to be fair,” Fluttershy said, hovering above and peeking through a large hole in the ceiling. “I don’t think it really mattered where we landed.”

Nearby, Sweetie Belle nodded as she turned over an urn and found nothing underneath. “Yeah, this whole place just seems smooshed together. I’m surprised we got this deep.”

Zecora came trotting in from an adjacent room, shaking her head. “Nothing beyond here but old and broken relics from the Empire. I think it best we move on before we expire.”

Rarity shook her head. “Yes, sound advice, but if that way leads nowhere then there’s nowhere else—”

A click sounded above. The group looked up and saw Fluttershy pull her hoof away from the hole she had been inspecting, looking mortified. Nearby, a stone wall began to move, grinding against stone and rust. A stairway leading down revealed itself, lit lamps illuminating the way.

“Sorry!” Fluttershy squeaked.

Zecora chuckled. “This way friends, to our new ends.” Zecora headed towards the new entrance way, standing guard as the others caught up to her.

Sweetie Belle nudged Fluttershy as she descended. “Nice going.”

The pegasus shrunk behind her mane. “I didn’t mean to.”

Rarity lifted up her Mare Do Well mask, giving Fluttershy a flat look. “Darling, really, we’re here to dispose of Discord and you’re worried about breaking his stuff?”

“Well, we are kinda guests here and I don’t want to be rude…”

Sighing, Rarity declined to comment, setting her mask back into place, and followed Zecora. They reached the bottom of the stairs quickly, exiting out into another room filled with junk and multiple wooden doors. “Wonderful. More time for us to waste trying to find the right way to go.” Before Rarity could comment further, Opalescence sprung out from under her cape and scampered towards one of the doors. “Opal! Don’t go wandering off!”

Opalescence didn’t go far, stopping and sniffing at one of the doors. She howled and hissed at it as though it had offended her. Turning, she scuffed her feet at the door, stuck her nose up in the air, then walked back to Rarity.

Rarity lifted her cape so that Opalescence could climb back up. “You’re such a drama queen.” With her cat back in place, Rarity faced the door. “Well, should we try that one?”

“I’ve got it!” Sweetie Belle ran up to it, ignoring the panicked looks from the others. She grabbed hold of the door handle with magic and pulled. The door slid open with ease. Sweetie Belle had only opened it by a few hooves when the smell hit.

A rancid air of decay spewed out from the door crack, assailing the ponies’ and zebra’s noses. The smell was so awful that Sweetie Belle fell back into a faint. Fluttershy dared to zip in and catch her then dart back, holding her breath the entire time. The door creaked open further, spilling more of the foul odor. The Returners began to retreat back up the stairs when a noise on the other end of the door stopped them.

“Gah!”

The wooden door flew open the rest of the way, a dark green bone spilling out.

“Finally! Fresh air!” More bones tumbled out from the door, ranging from ribs to femurs. The small room was quickly filled up, a large skull the last to fall out and on top of the pile. The skull, twice as large as the ponies and with an elongated snout and jaws filled with decaying teeth, gave a sigh. A cloud of putrid green air wafted out of its mouth, adding to the pungent stench. Two glowing red orbs filled its eye sockets which rotated to point at the Returners staring at it as they covered their noses. “Oh, didn’t see you there. Mind if I open a window?”

The Returners rapidly shook their heads.

“Thanks.” Taking a deep breath, despite the absence of lungs, the bone dragon spit out a glob of green mucus that impacted a nearby wall. Within seconds, the mucus dissolved through the metal plating and the rubble behind it, revealing the clears skies beyond. A strong breeze wafted through, pushing away some of the pervasive stink. “There, that’s better. Any of you happen to have an air freshener on you?”

Another shake of the Returners’ heads.

“Drat. Well, going to have to live with it.”

Sweetie Belle spoke up, keeping hold of her nose and adding a nasal quality to her voice. “Um, who are you?”

The skull twisted itself around to face her fully. “Ah, sorry. The name’s the Skull Dragon, one of the eight Chaos Dragons. And you are?”

“Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie Belle motioned towards the others. “This is my sister Rarity, Fluttershy, and Zecora. We’re trying to get to the center.” She cocked her head, staring more intently at the Skull Dragon. “You wouldn’t happen to be related to the Dirt Dragon, would you?”

“Oh, you’ve met my brother?” The group got the distinct impression that the Skull Dragon was smiling even without the presence of lips. “How’s he doing?”

Sweetie Belle chanced moving forward, fighting down her urge to gag. “He’s good! I got to sing with him at the opera.”

The Skull Dragon’s eyes glowed more brilliantly. “Fabulous! He’s always wanted to sing on stage. It’s a shame I missed it.” The scattered bones formed a more cohesive skeleton and moved closer. “Did he get a standing ovation?”

Rarity rushed forward to put herself between her sister and the dragon. “Not exactly. More of a polite sendoff. And as much as we would like to stick around and chat, we do need to be going.”

“Oh.” The Skull Dragon’s bones sagged across the floor. “Yes, of course. I don’t want to be keeping you.” He shuffled his bones against a wall, leaving plenty of space for the Returners to cross to the door he came from.

A pall fell over the room, one that even in her haste to leave Rarity couldn’t ignore. She glanced back at Fluttershy and Zecora, their faces wearing concerned frowns. Fluttershy in particular looked like she was ready to fly over and give the Skull Dragon a pat on the head. Sweetie Belle fidgeted on her hooves, her gaze not once leaving the dragon. Sighing and immediately coughing on the acrid taste of the air, she cleared her throat and said, “Sir, is there something wrong?”

The Skull Dragon pressed himself further against the wall. Rarity marveled at how well he pulled off sulking for having no lips to pout with. “You want to leave me because I smell bad.” He grunted and turned his red eyes away. “I get it. My brothers and sisters keep away from me too. Not my fault I’m like this.” A femur waved in the air. “Just go. The tunnel through the door leads further down.”

Rarity ground her teeth together. “I’m going to regret this,” she hissed under her breath. Taking on a more airy tone, she said, “Nonsense! We’re not going to just leave you after you’ve been so generous to help us.” A small red box levitated from under her cape. A click and a pop later, it opened to reveal a make-up case which she showed off to the others. “Ladies, shall we?”

Fluttershy and Sweetie Belle both nodded eagerly and trotted up to her. Zecora lagged behind, quietly observing the scene. Hushed voices and whispers wafted from the pony huddle until Fluttershy and Sweetie Belle broke away to stand on either side of the Skull Dragon. He watched them, his red orbs shifting between them with curiosity.

“Okay, Mr. Dragon, please stay still until we finish,” Sweetie Belle said with a grin.

Fluttershy hovered off the floor, smiling. “Yes, you’re going to have to trust us.”

The Skull Dragon looked at them, then to Rarity. “If this is a trick, I’m going to be very upset.”

Waving a hoof, Rarity said, “No tricks. You sir are going to be my crowning achievement once we’re finished.” She pushed back her hat and cowl, revealing her pretty face to the Skull Dragon for the first time. “Now then, let’s get to it.”

Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s horns lit up while Fluttershy’s wings began to glow. The three ponies’ magic swirled around the Skull Dragon then came together at a single point above his head. The dragon winced from the intense light, the action costing him as the three ponies took the opportunity to pounce on him.

The Skull Dragon emitted a pathetic “eep” and then it was too late for him.

Standing back, unsure if she should be helping the Returners or the Skull Dragon, Zecora settled for observing this bizarre sight. Tiers of magic she had never encountered before were being flung around, a constant white light obscuring what was happening across the room. Zecora suspected she would never behold a spectacle like this again, so kept her eyes fixed to see what the final outcome would be. Barely a minute passed and then it was over. The magic died down and Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Fluttershy broke away and gathered together in the center of the room.

Of the Skull Dragon, well, in Trotzen they say that the Chaos Dragon’s charisma grew three levels that day.

He still resembled half a skeleton, but his bones were bleached white instead of sickly green. The skull shone with a brilliance that sparkled against the light beaming in from the acid hole. The ever present stench that the Skull Dragon gave off was long gone, replaced with a refreshing fragrance of flower fields. A flowing blue cape extended out from the back of the skull, flittering gently in the breeze. The capper was a blue beret laying on top of the Skull Dragon’s head, worn slightly askew.

Rarity flashed a winning smile, putting back her make-up case and taking out an ornate hand mirror. She levitated it up towards the Skull Dragon. “Well, what do you think?”

The Skull Dragon’s red eyes stared at his reflection, the creature not saying a word. He twisted to and fro, getting a good look at his new hat and cape. Finally, after a few moments, a sound not unlike a sob bubbled up in the back of his non-existent throat. “I… I don’t… this…” Unable to contain himself, he let loose a roar and slithered around the ponies before they could react. He gathered up his bones as tightly as he could and squeezed the fleshy beings together.

“This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for meeeeeee!”

Squished together but otherwise unharmed, the three mares let out a content sigh. Sweetie Belle reached up and stroked the pristine side of the Skull Dragon’s head. “There, there. There’s no need to cry.”

“I physically can’t but I’m just soooooooooo happyyyyyyyyy!” He then proceeded to wail like a newborn drake.

The ponies sighed and waited for the Skull Dragon to calm down. After a time, he finally wound down and let the mares go. With no sinuses or tear ducts, there was no need to blow his nose or clean up. That didn’t stop him from sniffling. “I… don’t know how to thank you enough. This is all I have to give.”

The Skull Dragon puffed out a small green cloud of gas. It collapsed in on itself, condensing down into a dark green gem. It floated over to them, Rarity taking it in her magic and placing it under her cape.

Fluttershy flew up and patted him on his blunt snout. “Thank you, but you being this way makes it all worth it. Tell you what, once we’re done here, do you want to join us for a picnic?”

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle piped up. “A picnic to celebrate getting rid of Discord!”

“I… would like that a lot.” The Skull Dragon shuffled away to let the ponies pass. Using two bones like pincers, he tipped his new hat to them. “Good luck to you.”

The Returners smiled and waved, heading towards the door the Skull Dragon exited from. Once past, Sweetie Belle nudged her sister in the side. “I was not expecting something like that out of you. Way to go, sis!”

Rarity, re-donning her mask, lifted her nose into the air. “There are hidden depths to me even you can’t fathom.” She reached down and draped a hoof over Sweetie Belle’s shoulder. “Just like I’ve learned about you.”

With a squeal, Sweetie Belle latched onto Rarity, giving a crushing hug. Rarity gasped under the pressure but didn’t pull away. The sisters held their embrace while continuing on through Discord’s maze.

.o.O.o.

Elsewhere, another group of Returners had worked their way down through the floating labyrinth, stepping into a room that held all the furnishings of the long gone Empire. Metal plating covered the floor, walls, and ceiling, with a large raised area draped in a deep red carpet. Nothing else stood out in the room, though the Returners crossed it cautiously.

“Trixie is glad she spent most of her time outside the castle,” the former general said as she surveyed the room. “Even the better rooms like these looked like metal boxes.”

Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie trotted up on either side of her with Rainbow Dash hovering just above them. “Yeah, it’s kinda cold and boring,” Rainbow Dash said.

“And so lifeless!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “No wonder whenever I hosted a party, the Empire’s people always looked forward to them so much. Living in places like these would make anypony a Danny dullard.”

Scootaloo scampered up the stairs to the raised platform, stepping on the carpet. Her hoof sank down a few millimeters. “Wow, at least these are plush. You could curl up and take a nap easily.” She ran to the edge and lifted up part of the carpet with her mouth. “Fink we could take fiths with us?”

Trixie shook her head. “Leave it. If you want one so bad, go buy one.”

“Aw.” Ears tucked in, Scootaloo set the edge of the carpet down. “Where will I find the gil for that?”

Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof just above Scootaloo’s head. “Well, he’d be a good start.”

“What?” Scootaloo turned around, coming snout to snout with a shiny head.

“Boo.”

Scootaloo yelped and scrambled backwards, tumbling down the stairs. She flipped herself back up and came to stand with the rest of her companions. Now with a better view, Scootaloo was able to take in the entirety of the creature standing on the raised floor.

The beast was large, twice the size of magitek armor and the shape of a brachiosaurus. Its neck and tail stretched out farther than any other monster they had encountered, both double the length of the main body itself. It stood on four short, but thick, legs. Its head was tiny compared to the rest of the body, though the look in the monster’s blue eyes showed that it was quite intelligent. Hairless, its hide glistened with a golden hue.

“So, you are the ones Discord said would arrive,” it said, a surprisingly mellow voice from something so large. “I am the Gold Dragon. You will not go any further.”

Rainbow Dash let out a laugh. “You? One of those dragons? You must be the runt of the litter.”

Despite the insult, the Gold Dragon smiled. “No, that would be my brother, the Ice Dragon.” It raised its head and lifted up a leg, as though displaying itself at a fashion show. “I like to think of myself as the pretty one.”

Pinkie Pie raised a hoof to her chin in consideration. “Eh, I think I prefer the White Dragon. She had class and sass!”

“Her?!” the Gold Dragon spat. “She’s plain, copies Red Dragon’s look, and doesn’t even bother to preen! I’m five times the looker she is!” Snarling, the Gold Dragon lowered his head and crouched low. “Just for that, you’re going to suffer my wrath until you learn my beauty is superior.” He roared, yellow electricity gathering within his mouth. He shot a bolt of lighting at the group, forcing them to scatter. The bolt cut through the metal flooring, leaving molten jagged edges behind.

Rainbow Dash zipped to the side of the room, readying her knife. “Oh, yeah, time to finally try this out.” She dove down, weaving through a storm of electric balls forming all around her. One clipped her wing, causing it to seize up, but she pressed on with the other wing, closing the distance. Her first attack slashed the Gold Dragon’s neck, leaving a red welt against the thick hide. Rainbow Dash was far from done, her form a blur as she weaved around the dragon with deadly precision. Three more strikes hit home before she broke off to survey her handiwork. Where her weapon struck, trickles of red blood oozed out. “Ha! It worked!”

“My… my precious body…” The Gold Dragon stared at the gashes that leaked blood over its golden skin.

“Awesome work, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo called out. “How’d you do that?”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “That scroll Ember gave us described a special technique to attack multiple times in one go. Neat, huh?”

“Trixie is impressed,” Trixie said, mimicking Rainbow Dash’s smirk. “You’ll have to show Trixie that once we’re done here.”

“NEVER!” the Gold Dragon screeched. “You’ll die before that!” It reared up and slammed its considerable weight down on the floor. The area rocked savagely, knocking Trixie and Pinkie Pie to the ground.

Being in the air, Rainbow Dash scoffed. She readied for another round when Scootaloo hopped in front of her.

“My turn!” With a buzzing of wings, Scootaloo let loose her own lighting attack, striking the Gold Dragon in the center of its chest. “You’re so big I don’t even have to aim!”

Instead of recoiling, the Gold Dragon let the magic flow over his body. He sighed, as though he had received a rejuvenating massage. The cuts left by Rainbow Dash closed up, his hide flawless once again. “Ah, that felt marvelous. Please, do that again.”

“Ah, oops.” Scootaloo gulped and zipped behind Rainbow Dash. “Uh, he’s all yours.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and readied to fly in.

“Not this time!” Whirling faster than the pegasai expected, the Gold Dragon’s tail whipped out and caught both ponies, flinging them into the wall. They crumpled to the floor, dazed. Opening its mouth, it shot out a lightning blast much larger than before.

The bolt arced unnaturally away from them, striking an upraised sword instead.

“Now, Pinkie!” Trixie yelled out.

A pink form hopped up from seemingly nowhere on top of the Gold Dragon’s back. “Hey, mister. I’ve got a friend who’d like to meet you.” Pinkie Pie flipped her mane, a jar containing the Smooze popping out. “Or rather—eat you!” She uncorked the bottle and tipped it over, allowing the Smooze to ooze all over the Gold Dragon.

“What?” The Gold Dragon tried to smack Pinkie Pie off of him with his tail, but she bounded away. He craned his head down at the sickly green goop spreading across his back. “Ew, what is it?! The Skull Dragon’s illegitimate offspring?” He shook himself violently to dislodge the Smooze, but the green blob with a mouth refused to leave.

“Get off!” The Gold Dragon discharged electricity all over his body, filling the room with an ozone smell. The Smooze didn’t even notice. It now encased the entirety of the Gold Dragon’s bulbous body and was working its way down the tail and up his neck.

The Gold Dragon shrieked, slamming himself into a wall in an attempt to smear the Smooze against it. The grip the Smooze had was stronger. The slime creature oozing closer to his head, the Gold Dragon looked for any means to escape it, his eyes wide with panic. “Get it away! It’s so gross! Do something!”

Pinkie Pie bounced in front of him, giving a cheeky smile. “Aw, but it really likes you. It has a thing for gold, after all.”

“I don’t care! Make it go away!” His eyes started to see nothing but a green, watery filter. He wailed as though living a waking nightmare.

“Maybe I will, but I haven’t heard a single please yet.”

“PLEASE!” The Gold Dragon snapped his mouth shut just before the Smooze engulfed it.

“Okay, but you better be nicer when I get you out.” Pinkie Pie gave a shrill whistle. The Smooze stopped expanding, its mouth wrapping around and stopping over the Gold Dragon’s chest. Pinkie Pie held up the bottle in one hoof and dropped a hoofful of gil into it with the other. She gave the bottle a shake, rattling the gil inside. “Here, Smoozie! Come and get it. This stuff’s better for you anyway. He’ll only give you indigestion.”

The Smooze slurped and detached from the Gold Dragon in one big splash. The Gold Dragon staggered back, coughing and spluttering. The Smooze leapt from the floor in a reverse waterfall and poured itself back into the bottle. Once it was all safely contained, Pinkie Pie re-corked the bottle and stashed it away.

“What was that?!” The Gold Dragon kept his eyes peeled, remnants of the Smooze still dripping off his body. “Keep it away from me!”

“Gladly, but you have to do something for us in return,” Trixie said, walking up next to Pinkie Pie. “Lead us to the center and leave behind your special gem. Do that and we can part ways.”

The Gold Dragon sneered at the ponies, gritting his teeth. One look at Pinkie Pie’s innocent smile though dashed whatever plans he had of retaliating. “Fine. Here.” He opened his mouth, a thin beam of electricity lancing out in front of him. The beam curled in on itself, circling around and forming a perfect sphere of lighting. In a flash, the electricity solidified, leaving behind a flawless nugget of gold. Rainbow Dash’s mouth watered as it floated towards them.

“I can’t leave this spot, but the way down is there.” He stepped back, his tail snaking under the red carpet and lifting it up to reveal a trapdoor.

Trixie pocketed the gold before Rainbow Dash could nab it. “A pleasure doing business with you.” She trotted forward, the others following. The trapdoor was unlocked so it was a simple matter of pulling the handle to open it. Stairs leading downward greeted them and they wasted no time descending.

Once the ponies were gone and the trapdoor closed, the Gold Dragon grinned widely. “Perhaps not as pleasurable as you think, pests. We shall meet again, soon.”

.o.O.o.

Shining Armor wasn’t sure what to expect when he, Spotter, Umaro, and Sunset Shimmer landed on Discord’s floating sphere of junk. What he certainly didn’t expect was how quickly they made progress, with Spotter pointing out hidden passages and Umaro knocking away debris with relative ease. Any monsters they encountered were similarly dealt with as Sunset blasted them before they could pose a threat.

It made him wonder what good he was to the team when everyone else was so efficient. He kept such thoughts to himself, content to bide his time for his chance to contribute. Maybe a random missile would pass overhead that only a well placed shield could stop—

"Watch out!"

Acting without thinking, Shining Armor summoned a pink shield above the group’s head just in time to intercept a warhead streaking down. A fireball erupted from the impact, the heat reaching them even through the shield’s protection. Years of drilled in discipline came rushing up within him as he called out, “Get close to me in case there’s more!”

Shining Armor’s command brooked no argument. Spotter, Sunset, and Umaro huddled together in the narrow passage they were currently in. Just in time too as a gout of flame funneled down the passage, concentrated by the tight confines into a condensed wall of physical force. The fire slammed against a hastily constructed barrier, superheating the surrounding walls into liquid slag. Shining Armor gritted his teeth in channeling his magic to maintain their only means of protection. The stream of fire continued for several seconds, far longer than any monster he had encountered could keep up.

As abruptly as it started, the fire receded. Shining Armor kept his shield up, partly in case the attack resumed and partly because the passage now resembled the insides of a volcano. The heat bore down on them savagely, the shield doing little to keep it at bay.

“We’re going to be cooked alive if we stay here,” Sunset said, her coat taking on a glossy sheen as sweat built up. “Does anypony—”

Umaro stomped forward, taking out the blue orb he plundered from the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters and holding it out before him. It shone with a blue light, responding to Umaro’s command. From deep within the orb, a wave of cold washed outwards, expanding to encompass the entirety of the passage. Within seconds, the unbearable heat was replaced by a refreshing cool air, all the molten debris solidifying into hissing and smoldering piles.

“Or anyyeti…” Sunset murmured.

Grunting in satisfaction, Umaro lowered the orb but kept it out.

“That was literally the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” Spotter exclaimed.

Shining Armor trotted by Umaro, nodding up at the yeti. “Good job.” He unsheathed his sword and pointed it down the wrecked passage. “But whatever caused that is still a threat. We need to stop it before it does that again. Move!” He ran forward, keeping alert in case a new shield needed to be created again. The others followed behind, Sunset drawing her own weapon.

The passage exited into a spacious room lined with thick metal plating. Red banners adorned with the Empire’s symbol hung from the ceiling. Stairs led up to a raised podium that supported a heavy metal throne.

“Emperor Blueblood’s throne room,” Shining Armor breathed. “What is—”

He never got to finish his thought as a machine concealed by the banners dropped down in front of them. The metallic behemoth stood on two thick legs to support a massive cannon. Two large guns attached to its sides like arms trained its sights on the newcomers.

“A Guardian!” Shining Armor wasted no time and sliced the space in front of him. His sword rended the air, launching a thin wind-blade. The blade swiftly crossed the distance and cut through one of the arms before it could fire. The gun arm crashed to the floor, leaving a sizable dent.

The Guardian didn’t seem to care as its remaining gun arm unleashed a slew of bullets. Shining Armor countered with a shield, blocking the incoming projectiles. “Attack it while its sights are on me!” he called out.

Sunset dashed from out of cover, flanking the Guardian on its severed gun side. Her magic gathered and she let loose a fireball into the machine’s side. The impact splattered against the Guardian’s plating, only leaving a small scorch mark. Sneering, Sunset charged in, the Ultima Weapon raised to strike.

“Running counter program,” came a robotic voice. The Guardian lifted up a leg and brought it down hard on the floor. The area shook with the impact, knocking Sunset off her hooves. The Guardian broke off its attack on Shining Armor, aiming its central cannon on a recovering Sunset. Cries from the others for her to move came too late as the Guardian fired.

A figure appeared in front of Sunset, obscuring her vision of the incoming missile. A twirl and a pin-point buck later, the missile was deflected away, impacting against the throne and blowing it to bits. Sunset felt herself being hefted back to her hooves by a familiar kirin.

“I’m sure glad we espers have magic hooves!” Autumn Blaze said with a wide smile. “That would have really hurt, otherwise.”

“Thanks for the rescue, but move.” Sunset, her eyes afire, rushed in before the Guardian could fire again. She swiped up with her sword and lopped off the main cannon, sparks and broken parts raining down on the floor. The dismembered cannon rolled down the stairs, coming to a stop at Umaro’s feet.

The yeti grinned and picked up the cannon, wielding it like a baseball bat. With a bestial cry, Umaro charged up the stairs and began pummeling the last arm gun, smashing and crushing the weapon to useless slag. The Guardian attempted to shove Umaro away, but its bulk wasn’t enough to stop the yeti’s rampage. On the opposite side, Sunset joined in, hacking away at the Guardian’s underside.

Between the two savage beatings, the Guardian crumpled to the floor in a heap of exposed circuitry and sparking wires. “Pro...gram te...minate...d…” With a final slump, the machine lay still.

Umaro and Sunset backed up, their weapons still raised. Shining Armor trotted up the stairs, his own sword poised to strike. “I really hope that’s the last of these things.”

Meanwhile, Spotter jumped into Autumn Blaze’s awaiting arms. “Thanks, Autumn! You did great.”

“Hey, you’re the one that summoned me in time,” Autumn replied, ruffling his mane. She looked up and around the room, her gaze settling on the smoldering remains of the throne. “If you guys want to keep going, there’s a tunnel up there.”

Sunset, satisfied that the Guardian was down for good, sheathed her sword and nodded. “Thanks. I owe you one.”

“Just get Spotter a new toy and we’ll call it even.”

Spotter craned his neck to give Sunset an excited smile. “I want a super ball!”

“You’ll knock your eye out, Spot.” Shining Armor put away his own sword and headed for the throne. “Let’s go. We’ve still got a ways to go.”

.o.O.o.

Stardust scratched the ground, cleaning the dirt off of a section of flooring. He sighed as nothing was uncovered. “Zilch. How are you guys doing?”

“Not good,” Spike replied on his end of the room, brushing away grime covering a control panel. None of the buttons or screens were responsive to his claw presses.

Fluttering above them, Thorax looked down and said, “A dead end?”

“Looks like it. Unless Twi found something.” Spike ran over to an entrance way, cupped his claws to his mouth, and shouted, “Anything?!”

His voice echoed down the pathway. It was a minute before a “Nope!” came back.

Spike let out a frustrated grunt. “Great. Well, that was a lot of wasted time.” He looked to the others. “Gonna have to double back and look for a new way. Jeez, why did Discord have to make this place so random?”

“Probably to watch us squirm,” Thorax commented.

A few moments later, Twilight trotted back in the room. She shook her head. “Nothing down that way. Any luck with you?” A unanimous round of head shaking was her answer. “Darn. Well, looks like we’ll have to go back.”

Stardust looked around, shuffling his wings. “Can’t you just use magic to make a new path?”

Twilight opened her mouth, stopped, then closed it, a contemplative look on her muzzle. “I… guess so.”

“We should be far enough away from the others,” Spike added, his voice rising in excitement.

“I’ve no objections,” Thorax said. He flew down to rejoin them.

Stardust shrugged. “I’m fine with it. My magic probably won’t help much, though.”

Spike grinned and nudged Twilight in the side. “Whaddya say? The two of us can blast our way through. And we get to break Discord’s stuff too!”

Her lips pursed, Twilight sighed and nodded. “Let’s do it.”

“Yes!” Spike scanned the room, pointing to a section that didn’t have any hard substances embedded in the wall. “We’ll both fire there. Okay?”

Twilight nodded again, taking a spot next to Spike.

“And a one… two… three!” Taking a deep breath, Spike unleashed a steady stream of fire. Twilight did the same from her horn. The combined living flamethrowers plowed through the wall like scissors through paper, tearing through it and incinerating huge chunks of debris. They kept up the pressure until both sagged, their flames spent.

Thorax and Stardust gave a low whistle. Where once stood a solid, if jumbled, wall was now a tunnel of burnt cinders. Some parts had burnt so hot that glass littered the floor. The new pathway stretched on farther than either could see.

Admiring their work as they caught their breath, Spike and Twilight gave each other a smile and a hoof bump. “You know, that was kinda fun,” Twilight admitted.

Spike wiped his brow. “Yeah. Now, let’s see if this leads anywhere.”

The group headed down the created passage, walking two abreast. For a few minutes they took a leisurely walk, occasionally tossing debris aside. Eventually the tunnel ended, but not as a dead end. The fire had taken out a support beam that collapsed the floor above. A few choice steps later and the Returners climbed up into a circular, metal room. A quick glance around showed little except for a solid steel cube that hung from the ceiling by a chain. With cautious steps, they walked towards it.

“Hello?” Spike called out. “Anyone in there?”

No response came.

Spike looked to Thorax and jabbed a thumb at the cube. “Wanna go check it out?”

“Maybe we should just continue on,” Stardust said. He eyed the cube warily. “I don’t think I want to know what’s in there.”

“I’m with Stardust,” Twilight was quick to agree. “Something’s not right. I have a feeling we won’t like it.”

Spike sighed and shrugged. “Fine. We’ll—”

Leaving so soon?

The Returners’ heads jerked. The voice had not been said allowed but directly into their minds.

I have spent an eternity waiting for you. I will not have our meeting cut short.

The cube hanging from the ceiling darkened, as though light was being absorbed into it. It became pitch black within seconds then collapsed in on itself until it was a tiny dot of darkness hovering in the air. There came a tearing sound as a gigantic wing ripped its way out from the splotch of black. Another wing followed, the feathers shaped like daggers. Four legs and a flowing tail followed, the center dot expanding to accommodate the new appendages. A bulbous blob of darkness grew to form a horse-like head with bright, pupil-less white eyes, a rippling mane, and a sharp horn. It let out a roar, completing its transformation by wrapping its torso in smoke-like armor. Alicorn in shape and twice the size of Nightmare Moon, it dropped to the floor. It tilted its head towards the Returners, its mouth opening into a grin and showing off rows of jagged teeth.

“At last, I’m free again,” it said in a deep, raspy voice. “Discord pulled me from the X-Zone so that I could bring terror to your world once again. Consider it an honor to be the first to die under my hoof, for I am the Pony of Shadows!”

Twilight and Spike had already drawn their weapons while Stardust and Thorax readied themselves to assist. Spike, keeping the Pony of Shadows in his sights, said to Twilight, “Ever hear about this guy?”

Twilight gave a slight nod. “I read a passage from one of the books we took from the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters. Right before the statues were created and hidden away, this thing appeared to threaten the world. Nopony knows where it came from, but a group of ponies managed to seal it away.”

“My, my, it’s nice to hear that I haven’t been forgotten,” the Pony of Shadows said. “Just for that, I’ll kill you last.” He reared his head back and gave a mighty neigh. He dropped back down and fired black lightning from his horn.

Stardust reacted faster, his magic fanning out over the group. Each of them bolted out of the way of the attack, moving far more quickly than was natural. Twilight and Spike took advantage of the boost, rushing past the Pony of Shadows and lashing out with their sword and spear. Twin gashes appeared on opposite ends of the monster, releasing grey vapor and drawing a roar of pain.

“That… that hurt!” Whether he was more angry or shocked was anyone's guess, but Twilight and Spike didn’t waste time debating. They circled back to parallel strike again, their magically enhanced speed still in effect. The Pony of Shadows roared and splayed out his wings, the dagger like feathers expanding outwards and repeatedly impacting the area around him. Twilight and Spike stopped their advance to avoid getting skewered.

The Pony of Shadows roared again, an obsidian orb of magic gathering above his head. “How did you hurt me?! I am the ultimate form of evil! You puny ants can’t be allowed to have this power!” The orb grew larger, becoming twice the size of the Pony of Shadows. With a grunt, he heaved the orb at the ground.

The moment it made impact the orb shattered, spilling its dark power across the floor. A tidal wave of magic washed over the Returners, slamming them into the walls. The steel creaked and groaned under the pressure to keep the malevolent power contained until at last the onrush subsided. The Pony of Shadows grinned as he saw them struggling to get back up, little jolts of black lightning rippling over their bodies.

The Pony of Shadows threw back his head in malicious laughter. “So ends you all! This is what will happen to all that oppose me.” He dropped his head back down, inky drool spilling from his mouth.

He blinked. A bearded stallion in blue robes stood defiantly in front of him. More shocking than that was that the Pony of Shadows recognized him. “Star Swirl?”

The stallion lifted a white hoof up at the monstrosity. “Villain, you will stand down, now. Resist and I’ll be forced to stop you like I did last time.”

The Pony of Shadows sneered. “What is this? Did Discord bring you back when he released me?”

“No more questions! Do as I say.”

A standoff between the two opposing forces began. The Pony of Shadows stared balefully at the pony while Star Swirl looked defiantly back. The hum of gathering power surrounded the Pony of Shadows in preparation for an attack. Star Swirl responded by lighting up his horn with a soft white glow. The Pony of Shadows shifted into a ready stance while Star Swirl stood tall.

Abruptly, the Pony of Shadows’ magic faded. He relaxed his posture and smiled down at Star Swirl. “Nice try.”

Star Swirl furrowed his brow in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“Very convincing, but you forgot the bells.”

Blinking, Star Swirl looked down at his robes and the distinct lack of ringing as he moved. “Drat.” A column of green fire engulfed him, reverting him back to his true form. Thorax gave a nervous smile. “Uh, you should still give up.”

The Pony of Shadows lunged forward to bite the changeling in half.

An impact to his side sent the Pony of Shadows careening into the far wall. A terrible burning sensation tore at his black form, but he was unable to appreciate that as he was lifted up by flaming hooves and then slammed back down to the floor. A whine of pain seeped out of his mouth, followed by a whoosh of air as a goddess of fire stomped down on his midsection. Completely unprepared for these new unpleasant sensations coursing through his being, the Pony of Shadows lay helpless on the ground.

“Now, Spike!”

Weakly, the Pony of Shadows cracked open an eye to see the little drake fly up to him and impale his holy spear through his head.

Twilight let out a sigh, her esper form evaporating. “Good job.” She nodded at Thorax. “Thanks for the distraction. How did you know to change into Star Swirl?”

Chuckling, Thorax said, “Well, kind of a guess. I saw an entry on him in those books you brought back and figured he’d be someone that would do something like that.” He pouted. “Though, it looks like I missed a detail.”

“Don’t worry. It was enough.” Twilight trotted over to check on Stardust who was guzzling down an x-potion. “You okay?”

Stardust gasped for air as he finished his drink. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good now.” He put the empty bottle in his bag, wincing at the loss of so many potions.

“Hey, that’s why we brought them,” Twilight assured the chocobo. “I don’t think even my healing spells would have worked as well.”

“No, it’s fine. Just… the merchant in me is all.”

Twilight smiled and patted his side. She then made her way over to Spike, who stood vigilant over the downed form of the Pony of Shadows. She looked the beast over, mindful to keep watch over any movement. “Think we got him?”

Spike poked at the monster with the tip of his spear. The sacred power seemed to repel the smoke emanating from its wounds. “Looks like it.” He turned his head to look up at Twilight. “What now?”

A minute passed as Twilight regarded the body. “I’m not sure. If it’s not dead and we leave it here, then it will attack us again when our guard is down. Maybe—”

All at once, the dark form of the Pony of Shadows evaporated in black steam, causing Twilight and Spike to yelp and jump back. However, no new attacks came their way. Instead, a much smaller body now replaced the Pony of Shadows’. Twilight and Spike inched closer to get a better look.

It was a young unicorn stallion with a light grey coat and blue mane. He was dressed in a dirt brown cloak and was breathing shallowly. He coughed, a ragged and retched sound. One eye peeked open, falling on Twilight and Spike. “Wha…?”

Twilight put a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Back me up.” Receiving a nod, Twilight came forward to stand above the stallion. Her horn glowed and a small bit of healing magic spread over him. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle. Who are you?”

A grateful sigh came from the stallion as the magic did its work. He coughed again, though much cleaner than before. “My name’s… Stygian.” He fixed Twilight with an intense stare. “Listen to me. You can’t kill Discord.”

In Which the Returners Reach the Endgame Part 3

Stygian groaned as he struggled to move himself into a sitting position. “You… wouldn’t mind using more healing magic, would you?”

Opposite him, Twilight eyed Stygian critically. “I will, but if I see any magic from you, Spike and I will attack again.”

“Fair enough,” he said with a groan.

Twilight’s horn glowed and a green sheen spread over Stygian. The stallion let out a pleasant sigh. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now, what do you mean we can’t kill Discord? Do you know something we don’t?”

Stygian shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t mean to sound as though he can’t be killed. I guess I should say you shouldn’t kill him.”

It was Twilight’s turn to shake her head. “Too late. He’s far too dangerous. I’ve tried the peaceful route and he’s made it clear he won’t accept it.”

“Even if it means bringing someone even more dangerous back?”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Explain.”

Instead of speaking, Stygian reached back and pulled aside his cloak. His flank was bare. “I was never able to bond with an esper. I wanted to help with the war but all I could do was watch.

“I had friends I never saw again after they were enlisted. It… drove me to find any means I could to keep the ones I still had from being killed. That’s when he appeared before me. The Kaiser Dragon.”

Stygian paused, looking away. “I didn’t know it was him. He claimed to be an esper that was willing to grant me his powers. I agreed, even knowing it would take the esper’s life. The Kaiser Dragon granted me magic, turning me into that shadow demon. But the power he gave me caused me to lose my mind and I ended up fighting against the same friends I wanted to protect.”

Stygian stared back up at Twilight, his expression fierce. “The Kaiser Dragon is currently a part of Discord. If he dies, then Kaiser could be released and the War of the Magi will begin all over again.”

Stardust and Thorax inched up next to Spike, taking positions on either side of him. Thorax arched an eye, speaking up, “So what are we supposed to do? Live the rest of our lives with Discord breathing down our necks?”

No answer came from Stygian, the stallion’s mouth clenched.

Shaking her head, Twilight twisted so she could face her friends and still keep Stygian in her peripheral view. “Let’s go. We’re wasting time.”

“At least let me come with you.” Stygian gritted his teeth and hauled himself up to a standing position. He then swayed unevenly and flopped back down to the floor. “Ow.”

Twilight sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Stardust, do you think you could carry him?”

The chocobo warked and threw up his wings. “No way! I don’t trust him!”

“I’ll do it,” Thorax said. In a flash of green light, he became a giant beige tortoise, the shell covered in spiky protrusions. “It takes a lot to pierce through an adamantoise shell. And if he tries anything, all I have to do is bounce.”

Stygian looked between the soft back of Stardust and the living deathbed of Thorax. “Uh, do I get to choose?”

“No,” came four voices in unison.

“Shades…”

.o.O.o.

Trixie and her three companions all stood around a glowing panel on the floor. It contained a convoluted etching composed of thin lines that glowed with alternating colors. The panel was large enough for all four of them to stand on.

“Well, how about it?” Rainbow Dash said.

Scootaloo risked tapping her hoof on the panel, then yanked it back as though expecting a trap. Nothing happened.

Emboldened, Pinkie Pie hopped onto it. The panel continued to shift colors as before. Pinkie Pie beckoned the others. “C’mon. I think we’re all meant to be on it.”

Wrinkling her nose in distaste, Trixie stepped forward. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo soon followed her lead.

.o.O.o.

In another part of the dungeon, Spotter jumped up and down on a similar panel. “Do something!”

Shining Armor made to grab his son but Sunset Shimmer held out a hoof. “Hold on. I think he’s onto something.”

Lumbering over, Umaro took an empty spot on the panel. He rubbed his chin as the colors in the etchings sped up their pace.

“See!” Spotter stood still so he could wave the others forward. “I knew there was something going on with this thing.”

Sunset shared a glance with Shining, shrugged, then stepped on the panel herself. The panel practically shimmered with how fast the colors shifted. “You’re last, Captain.”

Making a silent prayer to his dearly departed wife, Shining Armor drew in a breath and joined the others.

.o.O.o.

“Hey guys! Look what I found!”

Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom trotted over to see Derpy Hooves standing on a panel with multicolored etchings set in the floor.

“Whaddya suppose it is?” Applejack asked.

Big Macintosh circled the panel, inspecting every inch. Once he finished, he nodded and addressed the group. “No idea.”

Groaning, Apple Bloom joined Derpy. The panel’s colors sped up. “I think we’re all supposed to stand on it.”

“More of Discord’s freaky magic, I bet,” Applejack grumbled. Despite that, she and Big Macintosh each took an empty spot.

.o.O.o.

“Fluttershy, dear, if you don’t join us now, I’m going to be very cross.”

Fluttershy cringed at Rarity’s tone, but that wasn’t enough for her to move. Her shaking knees were movement enough.

“C’mon!” Sweetie Belle called out. “It’ll be fine!”

Fluttershy looked down on the panel Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Zecora stood on, its wildly shifting colors dizzying to watch. “Um, um…”

“Fluttershy, you are a braver soul than this,” Zecora said, her expression calm. “We cannot afford to back out now. Anything less would be remiss.”

Rarity nodded. “Listen to Zecora, Fluttershy. You’ve come all this way so why stop now?”

With a heavy sigh, Fluttershy scrunched up her face. With colossal effort, her knees stopped shaking. “I… I know. It’s just… once I do this…” She looked to her friends, her eyes welling up with unshed tears. “This is it. There’s no going back.”

Rarity lifted up her mask, revealing her own watery eyes. “Yes, you’re right. But that doesn’t mean this is the end. We’re going to go back home after this, you hear? We’ll have a big party at Thamaresa and everypony will be there. You, me, Sweetie, Zecora and everyone else. It’s going to be the most fun any of us have ever had.”

She smiled, tears leaking down her face. “There’s just one more chore for us to do. I’m a professional, darling. I hate to see a job go unfinished.”

Fluttershy sniffled, wiping her runny nose with a hoof. “That sounds… nice.” Closing her eyes, she stepped forward.

.o.O.o.

“Well, this is it, boys.”

Twilight Sparkle stood next to a glowing panel set into the floor. She looked over to Spike, Stardust, and Thorax, giving a small smile. Stygian grimaced back, his body wedged awkwardly between Thorax’s shell spikes.

Spike walked over to stand opposite Twilight and peered down at the panel. “You think so?”

Twilight nodded. “Pretty sure all we have to do is step on this and we’ll be taken to Discord.”

Stardust’s whole body shuddered.

“Well, I’m ready.” So saying, Spike stood on his side of the panel.

“Me too.” Twilight took her own position.

Moving faster than his current stubby legs let on, Thorax shambled over. Every movement caused Stygian to wince. “For my hive.”

All eyes turned to Stardust.

The chocobo let out a huff. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m coming.” He took a moment to straighten out his feathers, then moved onto an open spot.

The panel gave a low whine as its rotating colors blended together into a solid white. All noise ceased, save for a high pitched whistle coming from above. The group looked up in time to see a bright white light descend on them.

.o.O.o.

Elsewhere, four other teams of Returners experienced the same thing. A column of pure energy consumed them and then winked out. No one remained as the light receded.

.o.O.o.

Twilight blinked her eyes rapidly. The light that shone down upon her and the others was gone, causing her sight to be impaired as they adjusted. A few more blinks allowed her to make out her companions, also recovering from the light. “You guys okay?”

“Yeah, just trying to clear out the ringing in my ears,” Spike said as he slapped the side of his head as though trying to dislodge a pebble.

More details began to emerge around them. They stood on a cushion of dark clouds that circled them from all angles. An occasional bolt of lighting would streak by, briefly illuminating the turbulent storm around them. However, there was no accompanying thunderclap, and despite how fast the clouds churned, there was no feel of wind blowing by. Without a frame of reference, Twilight couldn’t tell how large the space they were in was, but a niggling feeling in her gut told her it was much larger than it appeared.

“I think we made it to the center,” Twilight said, her voice easily heard over the still air.

“Twilight?”

The group turned their heads towards the direction the voice came from. Rainbow Dash flew into view, her face breaking into a smile. “Hey, you guys made it!” Behind her, Trixie, Pinkie Pie, and Scootaloo appeared.

“I think I heard them over there!”

Everyone’s heads swiveled to see Sweetie Belle galloping up to them, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Zecora close behind.

“Looks like we’re right on time.”

Twilight yelped, jumping away from the voice right next to her ear. She fumed upon seeing Sunset Shimmer’s smirking face.

“Relax, Twilight, or you’ll combust.”

Before Twilight could retort, Shining Armor, Spotter, and Umaro came up from behind her. Spotter waved and Twilight reflexively waved back.

“Well boy howdy, this sure is turning into a reunion.”

Applejack trotted up to the gathering of Returners, followed by Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, and Derpy. “Well don’t this beat all. We all made it!”

“Indeed,” Trixie said, taking a spot near the center of the gathering. “Good work, everyone. Trixie was certain that you would make it. Oh, before I forget.” She levitated a gold nugget from under her cape and tossed it to Spike. “Don’t say Trixie never did anything for you.”

Spike blinked owlishly, looking from the nugget and back to Trixie. “What is it?”

“We ran into one of those dragons. That’s his gem.”

“Ooh, ooh!” Sweetie Belle hopped up and down, grinning widely. “We got one too! Show him, Rarity.”

With a flourish, Rarity swept back her cape, revealing a green gem floating underneath. Like Trixie, she levitated it over to Spike who took it in an unoccupied claw. “We hope this helps.”

Spike gaped at both treasures, each one lightly pulsing with magic. He nodded towards the pair of unicorns, puffed up his chest, and shoved both into his mouth. With a titanic crunch, he bit down on the gems, shattering them into tiny pieces. One colossal gulp later, he downed them and patted his stomach. “Wow, sweet and sour at the same time.”

A massive burp erupted from his mouth, expelling a sickly green gas laced with crackling lighting.

“Charming.”

The Returners started, searching around for the source of the voice. A dark chuckle reverberated throughout the space they were enclosed in. A flash from above drew their attention, spotting Discord descending towards them. He stopped a short distance away, a twisted smile splitting his features.

Bringing his mismatched hands together in a slow clap, he said, “Bravo. You all made it here just like I asked. Hardly a hair out of place, too. You continue to exceed my expectations.” He placed his hands behind his back and leaned down to leer at the Returners. “So, now that we’re all here, I suppose you’re all champing at the bit to take me on. Well, I have one last test for you all to pass before you get to fight moi.”

Discord brought forward his eagle hand and snapped his talons. A series of flashes appeared below him, each flash resolving into a pony. Six new figures hovered about the Returners, half of them stallions and the other half mares. The gathered Returners looked up at these new arrivals with confusion, unable to puzzle out their purpose. Twilight, Spike, and Thorax gasped upon recognizing one of the stallions but the others were a mystery to everyone.

Everyone, save Stygian.

“The Pillars,” he breathed. Stygian reached over with a hoof, wincing as one of Thorax’s spikes dug into his neck, and managed to tap Twilight on the side. “Please, heal me. I… I’ll try to speak to them.”

Twilight pulled her gaze off the ponies floating above to focus on the struggling stallion. She pursed her lips for a moment, sighed, and lit up her horn. Green healing magic spread over his body. “They’re probably under Discord’s control. You think you can really get through to them?”

“I have to try,” Stygian struggled to say as he tried to extract himself from Thorax’s back. Fortunately, he didn’t have to strain much when Thorax transformed himself back to his changeling form, allowing Stygian to slide off. Taking a breath, Stygian trotted out until he was right below the Pillars.

“Star Swirl! Flash Magnus! Meadowbrook! Mistmane! Rockhoof! Somnambula!”

Six ponies all looked down upon the single stallion. One of them, a grey unicorn stallion dressed in a blue magician robe and hat and sporting a curly white beard, sneered. He gave a sniff, ruffling his clothes and causing the bells hanging from them to jingle. “Stygian. How did you manage to get out of the X-Zone?”

“Just like you, I was pulled out by Discord!” Stygian waved a hoof in the Returners’ direction. “But as you can see, they returned me to normal. Please let them help you like they helped me. We can seal Discord together and finally be done with the war!”

Star Swirl shared a look with his fellow Pillars. An unspoken agreement passed between them. Turning back to Stygian, Star Swirl said, “We do not associate ourselves with traitors.” Magic surrounded the six ponies, each aglow with a color from a rainbow. “And traitors need to be eliminated.”

“Stygian, run!” Twilight cried, leaning forward to run towards him.

The Pillars acted faster, their power combining and shooting down a fully formed rainbow. Stygian only had time to widen his eyes in shock before being slammed by the multicolor beam. His mouth opened in a wordless cry as his body began to disintegrate into ashes. A final wail of anguish burst from his lips before one last burst of power blasted his body apart, his ashes scattering in all directions.

Their task done, the Pillars stopped the attack. Star Swirl scoffed. “Good riddance.”

Above them, Discord fell to his side in a fit of overwhelming laughter.

Below, the Returners recoiled in a mixture of confusion and horror. Twilight Sparkle stared at the spot where Stygian stood moments ago, slacked jawed and wide eyed. She snapped her mouth shut and glared up at the Pillars. “How could you?! He was your friend!”

“‘Was’ being the optimal word,” Star Swirl said. “Even so, friends are not necessary to govern the world, as we shall do once we deal with the rest of you lot.”

“Oh no, you don’t!” Rainbow Dash took off at top speed towards the Pillars, a rainbow contrail following in her wake.

Flash Magnus swooped down faster. The amber coated pegasus, dressed in Genji armor, intercepted Rainbow Dash before she could withdraw her knife. A hoof to the muzzle sent her careening back down. He laughed, watching her fall.

Magic from three separate angles bombarded him, knocking him out of the air. Fluttershy caught Rainbow Dash before she could crash and cast a small healing spell over her muzzle. With a quick thanks, the two pegasi separated to engage in the fight already in progress.

The attack on Flash Magnus prompted the rest of the Pillars to act. They dropped down to reform with Flash but a cloud of spewed noxious gas from Spike prevented them from reaching their comrade.

“Keep them separated!” Trixie called out. “Don’t let them use that rainbow thing!”

“Such bothersome children,” Star Swirl grumbled. He swept a hoof over the Returners. “Deal with them.”

A grin spread wide across Somnambula muzzle. “With pleasure.” The beige pegasus selected a group of ponies and swooped down, her fellow Pillars splitting up to do the same. She swept a wing, shooting off a hail of razor like feathers and laughing as the ponies below scrambled out of the way. Somnambula twirled and sent off another flurry of feathers, then dipped and rose back into the air to begin a second round of attack.

Nearby, the hulking and grayish blue form of Rockhoof slammed down onto the ground, sending out a massive shockwave. Despite the floor being a bed of clouds, it transmitted tremors like any hard surface, knocking any Returners too close off their hooves. In a flash of light, the ancient earth pony summoned a square-headed shovel. He swung it like a giant warhammer at the recovering Returners, the single blow hammering against their defenses.

On the other side of the battlefield, Meadowbrook and Mistmane touched down together, the blue earth pony and elderly dull purple unicorn standing back to back. They were surrounded by Returners, though neither seemed that concerned.

“They believe they have us cornered,” Mistmane said, eyeing her adversaries.

Meadowbrook reached up and pulled down a yellow mask in the shape of a bird over her face. “They believe wrong.” The mask began to glow, summoning a swarm of glowing bees from thin air. Meadowbrook lazily waved a hoof, ordering the bees to attack. The bees’ buzzing grew to a high pitch before lightning lanced out from the center of the swarm. The electrical discharge struck near the Returners, knocking some away while others whinnied and drew back.

Beside Meadowbrook, Mistmane’s horn lit as a spell formed above her. A dazzling translucent blue serpentine dragon formed above her. Like Meadowbrook, Mistmane pointed a hoof at the Returners and it screeched before diving down. The phantasmal dragon flew down faster than the Returners could react, swatting them like ants with its tail.

Star Swirl touched down on the raging battlefield, selecting a trio of unicorns. “The next generation of magic users leaves much to be desired.”

“You want to repeat that after I’m done roasting you?!” Sunset hollered back.

“No need, as this battle has already been won.” With a sniff of contempt, Star Swirl lit up his horn.

Sunset acted faster, yelling out and firing a concentrated stream of flame. The blaze crashed against an invisible barrier around Star Swirl, dispersing the attack harmlessly away.

“As I said, it’s over.” Star Swirl released his magic, a pure white beam of holiness spearing towards Sunset.

The beam redirected mere inches from penetrating her, instead striking Trixie’s sword. The siphoned magic traveled down the blade and into Trixie’s horn, slightly illuminating her body but otherwise unharmed.

Star Swirl lifted an eyebrow. “My word, I may have to put a little bit of effort into this after all.” He frowned at Trixie’s unnerving grin. “Do not think that trick of yours will be enough to—”

Decades of hardened battle training was the only thing that saved him from the attack from behind. He dove out of the way just as Twilight’s sword split through his barrier as though it weren’t there, splintering the cloudy floor where he once stood. Star Swirl rolled to his hooves, the aloof and bored expression he wore before long gone. “An underhoofed sneak attack! Have you no honor?”

Twilight readied her sword, her muzzle set to grim determination. “I didn’t know Stygian for long, but you had no right to do that.”

“Bah! You know nothing of what he has done. The world is a better place without him.”

Trixie and Sunset took up positions around the lone stallion, forming a trifecta of unicorn power. “Trixie isn’t going to shed tears for a pony she doesn’t know, but don’t you think you could be helping us with the real threat here?” She tilted her head upwards, indicating Discord who watched from above as he ate from a bag of popcorn.

“Him? He’s of no consequence. We shall seal him up once we deal with you rabble. Once both of you are gone, we Pillars will be the only ponies in the world that can wield magic. As it should be.”

Sunset closed her eyes and sighed. “Welp, I’ve heard enough.” She rushed in with the Ultima Weapon, the other two doing the same with their own swords.

Star Swirl raised his barrier again, summoning forth as much magic as he could. The trio of attacks slammed against his defenses, the impacts sending painful feedback to his horn. The three repeated the action, each slash hammering Star Swirl, sending him to one knee. “Magnus!”

Up above, an elaborate and deadly aerial battle took place. Rainbow Dash and Flash Magnus twisted and twirled amongst the churning dark clouds, each trading blows at speeds few ponies could match. Rainbow Dash held a grin, finally getting a feel for her opponent's movements. The rush of battle filled her veins as nothing else ever had since Spitfire’s passing. Numerous cuts crisscrossed her coat but they were ignored as she parried a vicious thrust from Flash.

“Not bad, old timer,” Rainbow Dash said, breaking away to ready a new attack.

Flash Magnus smiled back, gathering himself to swoop in again. That is, until he heard Star Swirl’s command from below. Letting out a grumble, he saluted to Rainbow Dash. “Be right back. I need to take care of something.” He flipped and dove down towards his companion.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Rainbow Dash shot after him, her wings pumping furiously to catch up. She gained inches with every flap but she could already tell she wasn’t going to make it. “Trixie! Watch out!”

Trixie never saw it coming. Either too busy with her own fight or Rainbow Dash’s voice didn’t reach her in time, Trixie had her back to the oncoming Flash Magnus. The descending pegasus brandished a knife and thrust the tip at Trixie’s exposed neck.

Rainbow Dash’s mind whirled. There's no way for me to reach Trixie. Trixie is going to die. I'm not fast enough. Maybe Twilight or Sunset can save her. Somepony can heal her. Magic. Magic can save her! Magic, save her!

Rainbow Dash’s wings glowed.

Four little cherubs, paired in twos, appeared out of thin air above Trixie. They held hands with their partner and twirled, a pleasant chime ringing out as they descended and disappeared into Trixie’s body.

Flash Magnus’ knife plunged deep into Trixie’s neck. The general spasmed, unable to let out a gasp. The next instant, she fell, Trixie’s eyes staring blankly at nothing. Blood gushed from her wound as Flash Magnus pulled back his weapon, readying it for another attack if necessary. He only had a split second to admire his work before Rainbow Dash tackled him with bone crushing force.

A wordless cry forced its way out of Rainbow Dash’s throat. She beat on Flash Magnus with everything and anything she had. Ignoring the retaliatory strikes from her opponent, Rainbow Dash snapped her wings out wide, her feathers erupting in fire. With a feral snarl, Rainbow Dash brought her wings down, wrapping them around Flash Magnus in a tight and blistering grip. Flash Magnus hollered, the flames surrounding him so hot that they burnt through his genji armor like cardboard and quickly reached his exposed body. He beat, bit, and thrashed against his tormentor but Rainbow Dash didn’t loosen her grip. A piercing wail split the battlefield as his wings became consumed by the unrelenting blaze. Soon, his entire body became engulfed and his screams became a gurgled mess. The fire only became more intense, burning away life and limb.

Rainbow Dash finally opened her wings, a cloud of charred ash billowing out and drifting away. Heaving a shuddering gasp, Rainbow Dash let her flames recede until only her normal wings were left. She dropped to the ground and fell to her side, sobs and hiccups racking her body.

The battlefield came to a momentary pause, everyone processing what they just witnessed. The brief calm came to an end as a shriek of fury burst out of Somnambula. The pegasus rose up, spreading her wings wide, and sent a cascade of bladed feathers down towards Rainbow Dash’s unaware form.

The deadly attack would have been the end of Rainbow Dash had Pinkie Pie not hopped in between the oncoming feathers, holding up a hoof supporting the Smooze. The green slime gurgled and took in a deep breath, sucking in the projectiles and swallowing them into its translucent body. Undeterred, Somnambula tucked in her wings and dove for her target of ire instead.

“Mind giving me one of those feathers, Smoozie?” Pinkie Pie asked.

The Smooze hiccuped, a single beige feather flopping out onto Pinkie Pie’s other hoof. Giving a twirl, Pinkie Pie launched the feather just as Somnambula rushed past. There came a thunk as the feather lodged itself right between Somnambula’s eyes, burying deep within her skull. The final pegasus Pillar dropped dead, inches from Rainbow Dash.

“Bullseye!”

Only a few yards away, Star Swirl watched with wide eyes and his mouth hung slack. “Impossible…” He swept his gaze across the expanse, his fellow remaining Pillars renewing their assault. However, with their numbers now dwindled, the tide was steadily turning against them. “This…” He clenched his jaw, baring his teeth. “I will not let this stand!” A surge of power knocked Sunset and Twilight away, giving Star Swirl room to prepare.

“You will know my wrath! I will end this now!” A beam of pure white shot up from his horn, forming a giant ball of concentrated holiness. The sphere began to spin, spears of light lancing out in all directions. Friend and foe alike were pelted by an onslaught of heavenly judgment, tossing them aside like a foal kicking away pebbles. Star Swirl’s horn pulsed again, sending another volley of holy death on the prone Returners and Pillars.

Star Swirl’s face fell again, watching his attack change course and hone in on a single source. An ornate sword, held high, absorbed the magic meant to end the battle. Star Swirl followed the sword down to its owner, beholding a gasping, but still alive, Trixie.

“This… it can’t be.” Star Swirl blinked his eyes and shook his head, but the vision of a moving, breathing unicorn wouldn’t go away. Pale and gaunt, but very much alive. “I saw it. Nopony could survive that!”

Trixie coughed up a glob of blood and wiped her mouth with a hoof. “You’re right.”

“Then how could you possi—”

Star Swirl was so flummoxed by Trixie’s survival that no amount of training saved him. A choked gasp left his mouth, his vision swimming before him. He had enough consciousness left to look down and see the tip of Ragnarok sticking out of his chest. Blood leaked out of his mouth, staining his pristine white beard.

“And neither can you.”

Those were the last words he would ever hear. With one final groan, Star Swirl the Bearded collapsed dead to the floor, his bells falling silent.

Twilight Sparkle sighed and pulled her sword out of the body. A burn mark ran down the side of her barrel where Star Swirl’s last attack had grazed her. She took a few steps away to sit and stare at her defeated foe.

The other Returners began to stir, also sporting wounds similar to Twilight’s. Stardust and Apple Bloom began the task of applying salve to the Returners hurt worst, ignoring their own pains for now. It was as they slowly began regaining their strength that they realized that there were three Pillars still left.

The Pillars quickly came to this conclusion as well.

“I yield!” Rockhoof tossed away his shovel and bowed his head.

Nearby, Mistmane sighed and did the same. Meadowbrook lifted her bird mask, her face long and sorrowful.

“Well, this won’t do,” came Discord’s voice from above. He tsked, tossing away his empty popcorn bag. “If you’re not going to fight, I don’t see a reason to keep you around.”

“Discord, no!” Twilight came out of her stupor to call out to him. “It’s over! You have to stop this!”

“Oh, I intend to in good time, Twilight.” He snapped his fingers. “Back to the X-Zone for you.”

A portal opened beneath the three remaining Pillars, an infinite landscape of blackness and stars. Mistmane and Meadowbrook were sucked in immediately, their cries swallowed up as the portals closed. Rockhoof managed to grab hold of the edge of his portal, using his great strength to keep from being pulled in.

“Hang on there, partner!” Applejack rushed in to grab hold of the struggling Rockhoof, but she collided with a wall made out of stale toast that appeared out of nowhere. She drew back and bucked the toast for all that she was worth but the breaded obstruction bent like rubber and tossed her back.

A desperate cry for help sounded beyond the wall before abruptly cutting off. The wall of toast crumbled away, revealing no sign of Rockhoof.

Discord dusted off his hands. “Well, I guess that takes care of that. Not a bad showing all around, I say.”

“You’re a monster!” Applejack spat up at him. “Have you no heart at all?”

“Hmm, let’s see.” Discord flicked a talon on his chest, opening up a hidden panel. Inside, gears and dripping black fluid all spun and mixed together. He reached in, fumbled around, in the process creating a cacophony of screeching metal and sloshing water, then pulled out a bright yellow and floppy rubber chicken. A Roman numeral one was painted in black on its front. “My, how did this ever get here? Oh well.” Discord tossed it over his shoulder where it promptly exploded into a shower of eggshells. He flicked his chest panel closed. “Guess that’s a no.

“Well then, I suppose we should move on to the main event.” He descended, floating over them with a mad grin on his face. “Alright, my little ponies. Let’s dance.”

In Which the Returners Reach the Endgame Part 5

Seven dragons touched down, forming an incomplete ring. The Gold Dragon chuckled and joined his brethren, finishing the ring around the Returners. The Kaiser Dragon hovered above, closing off any escape routes.

The Kaiser Dragon pointed a claw down on the Returners. “Go, my children. Kill them in whatever way you wish. Once they are gone, the War of the Magi will finally be over.”

Dragons on all sides sneered and snapped their jaws, some already eyeing intended targets. The Returners held their weapons and magic ready, forming a tight circle. Some looked ready to fight while others sagged with weariness.

One such tired pony moaned and held her head. “Trixie swears that if she somehow manages to live through this, she’ll never use magic again.” A lance of pain stabbed its way through her brain, forcing an undignified wail. “Someone get me a potion or kill me! I don’t care which!”

“Now, that’s not a very nice way to start things out,” said the Dirt Dragon. He lumbered forward, his gaze briefly stopping on Sweetie Belle, before addressing the entire gathering. “I say we get things on the right note. In fact, I have a new song for just the occasion!” Taking a deep breath, he began to sing. The deepest bass that anyone had ever heard flowed out of the Dirt Dragon, his voice easily reaching everyone.

The Ice and Storm dragons swiftly covered their ears. “Dirt!” the Ice Dragon bellowed in his squeaky voice. “You’re ruining the mood!”

“I’ve waited years for his moment!” the Storm Dragon joined in. “If you make me regret it, I’ll find a way to kill you!”

Sweetie Belle sidled up to Rarity, stage whispering, “Actually, he’s improved since the opera.”

“I think we have bigger issues than his performance, Sweetie. And why does it suddenly smell like a meadow?”

“Psst! Little ponies.”

The quarter circle of Returners Sweetie Belle and Rarity occupied looked up to see the Skull Dragon only a few hooves from where they stood. A wild neighing sprung up as Returners scrambled to fend him off.

“No! Keep it down, or the rest will notice.” The Skull Dragon glanced over, letting out a small, relieved breath upon seeing all attention was still on the Dirt Dragon’s solo. Using a disembodied bone, he motioned towards his mouth. “Quick. I need as many potions and herbs as you’ve got. Put them in my mouth.”

“What?!” Trixie shrieked, wincing at making her headache worse. “Why would we do that when I need them more?”

“Please, there’s no time to explain.” The Skull Dragon leveled his red eyes down at Rarity. “You have to trust me.” He tilted his polished ivory head, the little blue beret still laying on top of it coming into view.

Rarity looked to Sweetie Belle then to Fluttershy sanding on her other side. The pegasus shrugged, giving a hopeful smile. Huffing, Rarity lit her horn and lifted up as many bags, potion bottles, and saddlebags off of the nearby Stardust, earning a squawk. “I haven’t regretted helping you so far. Don’t make me start now.” With a shove, she threw the levitating supplies at the Skull Dragon, much to Stardust’s kweh of distress.

The Skull Dragon opened his skeletal mouth and sucked in the offered goods. With a snap, he closed down on them and began to chew. The Dirt Dragon’s singing reached a crescendo, prompting the Skull Dragon to munch faster. As the final note belted out, the Skull Dragon spit up a large, clear flask of shimmering liquid that emitted rays of rainbow light.

This did not go unnoticed. Some of the dragons and a fuming Stardust’s jaw dropped upon seeing the flask. “A megalixir,” Stardust said in awe.

“Skull, what the heck are you—” the Gold Dragon began to say then flinched as the Skull Dragon shot a red beam from his eyes, shattering the flask.

Stardust held a wing to his head and fainted.

The bottle burst with the light of a small sun, forcing dragons and Returners alike to shield their eyes. Instead of being incinerated, the liquid of the megalixir scattered across all creatures present, soaking into their bodies. A brief, pale glow emitted off of everyone, then everything became still.

The Kaiser Dragon let out a relieved sigh and stretched out his limbs. “Ah. I do not know what that was all about but I will not complain. I can already feel my power returning.”

Below, the comatose forms of Blueblood, Gilda, and Tritoch also began to stir. Twilight and Trixie blinked away their grogginess. The weariness weighing down the Returners faded away, a new surge of life welling within them.

“Skull, you idiot!” the Ice Dragon bellowed. “They were easy pickings! What were you thinking?!”

The Skull Dragon gave his best impression of a shrug. “I figured the master was feeling a little under the weather and thought to help out. He certainly doesn’t seem to mind.”

“That’s not the point! Now we have—”

The Red Dragon pushed the Ice Dragon aside, interrupting his rant. “No, I prefer it this way. If this is to be our final battle, I want it to be worthwhile.”

“Says the drake who’s missing almost half his tail,” the Gold Dragon stated.

“Battle damage.”

The Kaiser Dragon chuckled, a deep rumble that carried over the battlefield. “My, how my children have changed.” He looked down at the Returners who were watching the back and forth while discussing amongst themselves. “It seems we now have an even playing field. Not that it will do any of you any good.”

A large form near the Returners rose, spreading its grand wings wide. “That is where you are wrong!” Tritoch declared. “I saw your mind while we were a part of Discord, Kaiser. You are not as invincible as you think. Why do you think I led things to this point? It was to finally have a chance at ending this pointless war.”

The Kaiser Dragon snorted. “Do not think you were the only one working to escape, esper.” He beckoned with a claw. “But, if you are so set on finishing our thousand year conflict, then by all means, come.”

“Twilight Sparkle!” Tritoch called out. “You are with me. The rest of you, use what you have learned to win. I have faith in you.” With a high pitched screech, Tritoch launched himself up at the Kaiser Dragon.

Twilight grimaced and turned to Trixie. “He needs my help. We’ll keep the big one busy so you can focus on the others.”

Trixie flipped her mane while simultaneously flaring out her cape. “Normally, I’d be annoyed you’re taking on the leader instead of the Great and Powerful Trixie, but I’ll allow it since I can’t fly. I’ll content myself with a higher body count than you.

“Give him Tartarus.”

With a half-smirk, Twilight concentrated and her body became engulfed in flames. She fanned out her fire wings and took off after Tritoch.

Trixie raised her sword. “This is it! Give it your all! Trixie will put on a show the likes you’ve never seen when we win!”

A rally cry erupted from the Returners. The Chaos Dragons answered with a deafening roar. The two sides closed ranks and the battle was joined.

The Red Dragon bounded forward, outpacing his brethren. His sights locked onto a single target and he completely ignored the spells and auto-crossbow bolts slung at him. He bulldozed his way through the Returners, earning himself multiple cuts and cracks to his scales for his trouble. The Red Dragon pushed through and thrust out a claw at the opposing drake on the Returners’ side.

Spike raised his spear to intercept the attack. The force of the Red Dragon’s lunge pushed Spike back, but the smaller dragon dug in his claws, skidding back, creating a sound not unlike nails on a chalkboard. The two opposing forces pushed against each other with neither losing ground.

“This is the third time we’ve done battle,” the Red Dragon said. He swiped with his other claw, forcing Spike to fly over it. “You are at your strongest. I will no longer be holding back. Don’t disappoint me.”

Spike came in with a counter attack, coating his spear with both ice and water. “Sounds good to me.” He thrust forward, a wave of bitter cold water flowing off the spear and towards his opponent. The Red Dragon unleashed the strongest fire breath he could muster and the two opposing forces collided. A small explosion sent droplets of water and licks of fire in all directions. A small cloud of water vapor was all that remained.

The Red Dragon failed to anticipate Spike flying out of the obscuring mist, his spear primed to strike. The Red Dragon only had enough time to tilt his head to avoid being skewered, but received a piercing blow to his shoulder. Roaring in pain, the Red Dragon used the opportunity to twist his head and chomp down on the end of the spear. The rush of battle superseded the agony in his side, allowing him to rip the spear out of his shoulder and fling it away. Keeping his momentum going, the Red Dragon swung his shortened tail, catching a stunned Spike and sending him crashing to the ground.

Spike bounced once, tumbling end over end before coming to a stop. His vision spun as he tried and failed to regain his feet. He let out a gasp as a weight pressed down on him, pinning Spike to the floor. Grimacing, he looked up in time to see the Red Dragon’s good claw holding him down while smoke and flames licked out of the dragon’s mouth.

“Farewell, worthy foe.” Taking in a breath, the back of the Red Dragon’s throat glowed as fire built up from his core. At the same time he pushed against Spike’s stomach, forcing air out and preventing him from countering with his own breath.

With no fresh oxygen coming in, Spike’s vision swam and his lungs burned. He flailed wildly with his claws but they weren’t enough to puncture through the Red Dragon’s scales. The sounds of fighting all around him drifted away, replaced with a dull roar that grew fainter by the second. Spike sensed more than felt that the Red Dragon was ready to fire and incinerate him to ashes.

“So long, Twilight,” Spike thought to himself. “We had a good run of it.”

You give up that easily? I expected more.

“Huh? Wha…?”

I did not give my life and bond with you to then be beaten by a lowly worm. Where is your pride, boy?

“Pride? But I’m stuck!”

Excuses. You faced down Nightmare Moon with naught but a stick and yet you fall to a lizard.

“I can’t breathe!”

More excuses.

“What do you want me to do?! My magic won’t work!”

You don’t need to breathe to use esper magic, boy.

“Esper—?” Cutting himself off, Spike would have smacked himself in the head if he were able. He had practiced a little on the airship but his breath powers came so much more naturally that he hadn’t bothered. Now, it may be the only way out of this.

Above and oblivious to the exchange, the Red Dragon let loose his attack.

Spike’s green spines glowed briefly.

A black wing snapped out from behind Spike’s back and curled around him, blocking the incoming stream of fire and letting it splash harmlessly against the ground. The wing extended upwards, smashing into the Red Dragon’s face. The Red Dragon reared back, more surprised than hurt, releasing Spike and allowing the smaller dragon to take in several haggard breaths.

“What?” The Red Dragon reached down to grab at Spike again, but the wing pulled away and a large, black claw thrust up to grasp the Red Dragon instead. Holding the struggling dragon by the neck, the claw rose up higher, a body materializing out of Spike’s prone form after it.

“Bahamut…” the Red Dragon gasped out as the King of Dragons held him up, his full height towering over the Red Dragon’s. “How… appropriate.” Despite the constricting flow of oxygen, the Red Dragon managed a smile. “And pathetic.”

“Say that to my snout again when you see me in Tartarus.” Without another word, Bahamut launched the Red Dragon into the air in one swing of his arm. Power gathered within Bahamut, unleashing a piercing Mega Flare from his mouth. The final attack of the esper fully engulfed the Red Dragon, his form fading away into tiny specks of flickering embers. With his task accomplished, Bahamut’s body dispersed into small white motes of magic. These winked out, leaving a tired but content Spike behind.

“Okay…I’m definitely going to have to practice more often.”

.o.O.o.

Gilda stretched out her body like a cat, the sensation a welcome experience after a year of quasi-existence. She flapped her wings, a sensation that she hadn't felt since joining the Empire. Unfortunately, her brief bout of pleasure got cut short as the Kaiser Dragon’s whelps began their assault. With no sign of Blueblood anywhere, Gilda made a mad dash towards the edge of the platform they were on, spreading her wings in preparation to take flight for the first time in years.

Her poor luck continued as the Storm Dragon landed right in front of her, shaking the ground. “You are not going anywhere. At last, I have you right where I want you.”

“Stick it up your thousand year-old ass!” Gilda snapped back. She summoned a gust of wind below herself, launching herself up and over the Storm Dragon.

A counter wind blew her back down, landing in a heap of dislodged feathers.

“I wish I could say this pains me to do this,” the Storm Dragon said, his tone conversational. “Taking care and watching over my little griffons is one of the few pleasures granted to me.” His eyes flashed and he stomped a claw. “But your audacity to leave and take others with you has eroded any sympathy! You will know suffering!”

Gilda scoffed, wiping a fleck of blood off her beak and stood up before the Storm Dragon. “I’ve already suffered under you. I’d rather go back to being trapped in Discord than be ruled over by you. My time in the Empire were the best years of my life.” She crouched down into a pouncing position. “So stop your posturing and let’s get this over with.”

The Storm Dragon let out a hiss. “For once, we agree on something.” He lunged forward, his jaws wide to snap up Gilda in one gulp.

A prismatic bolt slammed into his cheek, sending him stumbling a few steps away. A thin line of red spread across his snout as a trickle of blood leaked out. The multi-colored streak came in again, but the Storm Dragon was ready this time, forming a small wind barrier that sent the colorful contrail off course.

Rainbow Dash landed next to Gilda, her knife held firmly in her mouth.

“Get lost,” Gilda said, giving a sideways sneer at the pegasus. “This isn’t your business.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “You’re crazy if you think you can take him on alone.”

“Since when did you care what happens to me?”

“Look, can we deal with that later? Kinda got bigger things to deal with here.”

The Storm Dragon watched the exchange, his eyes boring holes at the newcomer. “You. I send you and your pitiful friends to do one job and you fail.” His nostrils flared as winds began to churn around him. “Our deal is over. You all die.”

“Yeah, I figured that,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug.

Not wasting time with any more words, the Storm Dragon built up his winds and launched them at the pair. The two separated in a burst of speed, flanking the Storm Dragon on either side. They rushed in, claws and blades slashing. The Storm Dragon ignored their assault, instead spreading its wings and taking to the skies. Gilda and Rainbow Dash quickly followed.

“Don’t let him get too far!” Gilda called out. “His powers aren’t as great up close!”

“Got it!” Rainbow Dash yelled back. She pumped her wings as hard as she could, closing the gap on the Storm Dragon in seconds.

Seconds were all the Storm Dragon needed. A powerful downdraft buffeted Rainbow Dash, flinging her off course like a leaf. She flapped and strained, but the winds were too much. Banking sharply, she managed to pull away from the gale even though it put her at a greater distance from the Storm Dragon.

With the Storm Dragon’s attention elsewhere, Gilda used the opportunity to rise up and rake through the dragon’s leathery wings. Screeching in pain, the Storm Dragon whirled and slapped Gilda away with his good wing, sending the griffon back down. Rainbow Dash came up from below to stop Gilda’s freefall and the two hovered in place.

“That… took a lot… out of me…” Rainbow Dash said between panting breaths.

Gilda nodded grimly. “He’ll outlast us at this rate.”

“Don’t worry! I got him!”

The pair of unconventional allies looked to see Derpy Hooves flying past them, her wings sparking with pent up electricity.

“Not this time.” The Storm Dragon pulled in his wings, dropping down quickly and lashing out with his tail. The unexpected move took Derpy by surprise, the tail slamming into her and sending her back down.

“Oops! Looks like I don’t!” Derpy yelped as she tumbled end over end past Gilda and Rainbow Dash.

Despite the failed attempt, it had bought them precious seconds to recover. Gilda took a calming breath. “Hey, doofus, I got an idea.”

Rainbow Dash gave her a sideways glare. “What is it?”

“We’re going to go at him again, but I’ll counter his winds with mine. You get in there and cut his throat.”

“Sounds good to me. Let’s do it.” With a grunt, Rainbow Dash took off, Gilda right beside her.

The Storm Dragon saw them coming. “I tire of this.” Gathering his power, he sent hurricane force winds down on the duo.

Gilda clenched her beak, violent winds tightly circling around her. A small but powerful jet of air sent her rocketing past Rainbow Dash and right into the onslaught of wind bearing down on them. Raising her claws, Gilda roared and let go of her control. Two monstrous magical weather systems collided together, the energy thrashing violently. Neither side could overcome the other, instead combining and swirling together into a furious tornado. Gilda stared at the phenomenon, her jaw slack with awe. So caught up in her fascination that she didn’t notice the pull until it was too late.

Nearby, Rainbow Dash only spared a quick glance at the sky tornado, her attention focused on the larger form of the Storm Dragon above. The combined system threatened to drag her in, but she managed to catch an updraft and use it to slingshot her way around the twister. Flying faster than she’d ever managed on her own, she felt something behind her give and suddenly she blasted upwards at even higher speeds. The point of breaking past the sound barrier created a boom that rattled the sky and a kaleidoscope of colors that spread out in a ring that circled the globe. The sheer magnitude of the event blew away the magical twister as though it were an errant breeze.

Rainbow Dash felt more alive than she’d ever felt before. Riding the high and her knife ready, she zipped past her target, the Storm Dragon barely able to track the speeding rainbow contrail. A wet gurgle burst from his throat, blood and saliva leaking from his mouth. A thin line of red appeared across his long neck moments before his head separated from the rest of his body. The Storm Dragon fell, two separate pieces eroding away into grey ash, dissipating completely before they reached the ground.

Carried forward by her new speed, Rainbow Dash banked around and shot down where she left Gilda. Her heightened senses found the griffon freefalling, her body battered and broken. Rainbow Dash reached her in less than a second, carefully cradling Gilda in her forearms. The next second they landed, the rainbow speed fading away.

Rainbow Dash grimace at seeing multiple body parts on Gilda twisted in ways they shouldn’t be. She looked around but no one was nearby to help, too busy with their own battles to lend assistance. “Hey,” Rainbow Dash called out, resisting the urge to shake Gilda. “You still alive?”

One eye weakly blinked open, the other too puffy to see through. “D… de…ad…?”

“Yeah, he’s gone. Your plan worked.”

Gilda chuckled, immediately regretting the action. “Sweet…”

“Hey, hold on. I’ll find Fluttershy and get you healed.”

One of Gilda’s claws gripped Rainbow Dash’s legs, holding it with more force than the pegasus expected. “Don’t. I… did what… I wanted… The griffons… are… free.” Sighing, Gilda released her grip, her arms going slack. She took a few more shuddering breaths, letting her body relax.

Seconds later, Gilda lay still in Rainbow Dash’s arms.

Rainbow Dash stared at Gilda’s body, her eyes tightening and ears flattened. No tears fell, though she did set Gilda down with care and crossed her arms together. She took one last look over the dead Imperial, saluted, then turned and headed back towards the fighting Returners.

.o.O.o.

The Gold Dragon admired beauty when he saw it, just as everyone else admired his pristine and flawless body. The light show that had just occurred in the sky had been quite a sight, even if it had ended with the Storm Dragon’s death. Oh well. Some sacrifices had to be made.

What didn’t need sacrificing was his time and patience, as the Blue Dragon lunged for a group of Returners just as he took aim at them with an electrical attack. “For crying out loud, Blue! Go find your own, there’s plenty of them!” He screeched as an ice attack collided with his side, temporarily numbing him.

“They are more dangerous than you realize,” the Blue Dragon shot back, whipping her tail across the ground. The attack came out slow and clumsy and any Returners nearby were able to hop or dodge out of the way. “We need to come up with a plan to deal with them.”

“The plan is to exterminate them like the pests they are!” The Gold Dragon stomped on the ground, creating a tremor that staggered a few ponies coming in for an attack. The seconds it took for the Returners to regain their footing was enough for the Gold Dragon to take aim with another blast.

“Hey! Don’t be stealing my forte!”

The Dirt Dragon came barreling through, each step he took shaking the ground so much even the Gold Dragon lost his footing and fell over. “There, that’s how you do it!”

“You idiots!” The Gold Dragon scrambled back to his feet, lashing out with his long neck and tail to fend off any Returners that tried to take advantage of his prone position. By the time he clambered back up, several cuts and bruises marred his golden hide. “Are you trying to get us killed?!”

“Never fear, brother!” the Dirt Dragon proclaimed, raising a tiny arm to the sky as high as it could go. “I will sing for our victory. Behold!” The Dirt Dragon took in a deep breath.

A wave of super chilled magic enveloped his jaws, slamming them shut in a prison of ice.

The Ice Dragon waddled forward, a surge of cold air keeping Returners a bay. “No! No more singing! For Kaiser’s sake, you’re Chaos Dragons. Act like it!”

By now the Returners had backed off, watching the exchange with more than a few raised eyebrows.

The Ice Dragon’s eyes narrowed, alternating between the Blue Dragon, the Dirt Dragon, and the Skull Dragon who had slunk off into a corner and wasn’t doing much of anything. “Or is there more going on here? The three of you have barely used any magic or even attempted to kill these creatures.

“And where the heck is White?! I haven’t seen her since—”

Three pure white orbs of holiness descended from above and surrounded the Ice Dragon, exploding around him. The resulting flash forced those watching to shield their eyes. A sense of peace and contentment washed over them as the spell reached its climax. Once free to see again, the Returners found the Ice Dragon exactly where he was, unharmed. No burn marks or rents in his blue scales could be seen, though the vicious snarl he wore, showing rows of sharp fangs, was new.

“White!” The Ice Dragon raised his head, searching for the offending dragoness. “Are you seriously siding with them?! Show yourself!”

“Gladly.”

The White Dragon’s voice came directly from above, but when the Ice Dragon searched for her, nothing could be seen. However, he did hear the unmistakable sound of large wings flapping along with displaced air falling around him. The Ice Dragon stared, spilling his thoughts out. “You don’t know illusion magic. What? How can… wait, you can’t…”

A patch of sky shimmered and faded, revealing the White Dragon hovering above. On her back, sticking out due to his bright red coat, stood Big Macintosh. The stallion waved, a pleased smile on his muzzle. Behind him, a much larger form knelt down, partially covered up by the White Dragon’s wings.

The Ice Dragon’s snout scrunched up in fury. “Traitor!” He gathered his magic, intent on encasing the entire area in subzero temperatures.

A white bone smacked him on the forehead, canceling his concentration. The bone returned to its point of origin like a boomerang, reattaching itself to its owner’s rib cage.

Stunned but unhurt, the Ice Dragon whirled on his assailant. “Skull! Not you too?!”

The Skull Dragon didn’t answer, his red eyes drifting upwards.

Above, the figure riding behind Big Macintosh gathered itself then leapt off. Umaro’s bulky form dropped feet first. His aim was true, impacting his target: the Ice Dragon’s back. The smallest of the Chaos Dragons felt his body collapse in on itself, the suddenness of the attack preventing him from making a sound. The ground shook as Umaro flattened the Ice Dragon, popping him like a blue balloon. Many Returners looked away, missing the sight of thousands of pieces of snow and icicles scattering everywhere. When they dared to look back, nothing remained of the Ice Dragon other than a few errant snowflakes.

The White Dragon landed nearby, Big Macintosh hopping off from her back. The two shared a nod then came up to where Umaro was standing, the yeti dusting himself off of tiny flecks of snow. Big Macintosh raised a hoof. “Nice work.”

Umaro grunted and fistbumped his fellow Returner.

Nearby, the Gold Dragon watched this all unfold, his jaw dropping with each passing moment. So stupefied by the events that transpired, he failed to notice the zebra and pony creeping up to him. Zecora got as close as she dared, then unleashed a complex series of movements with her sword. A pillar of red energy surrounded the Gold Dragon, shocking him and sending him to the ground. With the dragon momentarily stunned, Sunset Shimmer took the opportunity to rush in and swipe hard at his long neck with the Ultima Weapon, lopping it in half. Both head and body dissolved into liquid gold moments later, forcing Sunset to jump away or be covered in metallic gunk. Soon, even that evaporated, leaving no trace left of the Gold Dragon.

With half of their numbers gone, the Blue Dragon sighed. “White. Dirt. Skull. It’s time.”

The White Dragon, the Dirt Dragon, and the Skull Dragon all marched over to the Blue Dragon and began conversing in hushed tones. The Returners gathered together themselves, many murmuring on what was happening. Trixie glanced at where Big Macintosh and Umaro stood, then trotted over to the group of dragons, her magic ready to draw her sword. “Trixie will assume you four are up to something. She hopes you plan on sharing.”

The dragons stepped back from their discussion to put Trixie and the rest of the Returners in their line of sight. “We do,” the Blue Dragon said.

“Right before we got here, we got together and… came to a decision,” the Dirt Dragon said.

The White Dragon sighed and looked down. “We think we know a way to defeat our master.”

“That’s great!” Spike exclaimed. Sore but still healthy from his fight, he plodded up to the White Dragon and wrapped his arms as far around one of her legs as he could. “It’s great to see you again, Pearl.”

The Blue Dragon raised an eyebrow. “Pearl?”

A red hue formed over the White Dragon’s snout. “Don’t you look at me that way, Ember!”

“Point taken.”

Trixie coughed loudly into her hoof. “Can we please get back on topic here?”

“Right, sorry. We think there’s more to the master creating us than just to have a bigger army. Individually, he told us bits and pieces of a power so great that even he couldn’t stand against it.”

The Skull Dragon took over. “Since we’ve been separated for so long in our own areas of the world, we only knew part of the story. But now, after comparing what we’ve been told, we’re certain.”

“This power exists, and there’s a way to release it,” the Dirt Dragon continued.

The four remaining Chaos Dragons fell silent, the Blue and White Dragons not meeting anyone’s gaze.

Trixie huffed and stomped a hoof. “Well?! If you know you need to tell us!”

“Yeah,” Spike seconded. “Twilight and Tritoch are still up there fighting. We can save them!”

The Dirt Dragon sighed and cleared his throat. “The only way is for all of the Chaos Dragons to die. Four are now gone, but four remain.”

“And not only that,” the Skull Dragon said, his eyes falling on Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Fluttershy. “Once this power is released, it will destroy all who remain.”

.o.O.o.

Twilight Sparkle flew past the Kaiser Dragon’s backside, Ragnarok leading her attack. She struck hard and true, slicing through black scales and hide. She darted away before the Kaiser Dragon could retaliate. Each time, the Kaiser Dragon halfheartedly swiped at her. It marked the fifth time this exchange had occurred since the battle started.

She began to wonder if she was even contributing.

Opposite her, Tritoch unleashed wave after wave of magic, launching ice, thunder, and fire in intricate ways. Twilight marveled at how the esper could chain attacks together, setting up spells that activated after others. Lighting arced around the Kaiser Dragon like a net, encasing him while ice spells froze his wings. Fire exploded on either side of the Kaiser Dragon’s head, creating a temporary sun. Ice and fire combined into water that seeped into the dragon’s scales, making it harder for him to move.

Through it all, the Kaiser Dragon retaliated with the occasional spell of his own. Each spell cast was different from the last, Twilight having already seen wind, fire, miasma, and even holy. The breadth of his repertoire seemed endless. Worse, she was certain he was holding back.

In fact, Twilight swore that the Kaiser Dragon appeared bored.

Tritoch broke away from his latest series of attacks and flew next to her. The two circled their foe, not taking their eyes off of him. “We… are not getting… far,” Tritoch said, his voice strained and his breathing uneven.

“I’m getting through, but he doesn’t seem to care.”

“Then… don’t hold back. Make him… regret underestimating you.”

Twilight frowned, but nodded. “Fine. I want this to end.”

Banking sharply, Tritoch angled himself for a direct course at the Kaiser Dragon. Twilight followed, her sword at the ready. Tritoch focused his magic in front of him, gathering fire, ice, and lighting into a tight, compact space. The Kaiser Dragon sneered at the display, coiling in on himself as dark mist swirled around him. In the span of an eye blink, Tritoch closed the distance and unleashed his attack from only a wing beat away, detonating all the magic at once. The violent explosion tore at the Kaiser Dragon’s mist and flung Tritoch away.

Twilight came in like a meteor, piercing her way through the hole left by Tritoch’s efforts and slashed at the Kaiser Dragon’s head. Ragnarok punctured through dark scales and bone alike. Keeping her momentum going, Twilight flew for the bulbous body, sword point first.

A muscled claw snagged her out of the air. The iron grip was too much for her to squirm away. Even her flaming body wasn’t enough to release her. Struggling against her capture, Twilight was raised upwards, coming muzzle to snout with the Kaiser Dragon. A large gash ran down his forehead to his jaw, dark red blood dripping out of it.

“That hurt.”

The Kaiser Dragon opened his bleeding maw, drawing Twilight in to be swallowed whole.

“Kaiser!”

The large body of Tritoch rammed into the Kaiser Dragon, the esper gnashing and raking with beak and talon. Twilight’s world tumbled as the Kaiser Dragon flung her away, only catching glimpses of the savage conflict going on above. She strained her wings to right herself, losing her hold on Ragnarok in the process. Precious seconds were lost as she managed to slow her descent and finally bank herself back upwards.

She narrowly avoided colliding with Tritoch’s limp body.

Crying out, Twilight banked again, and dove down after him. She reached out with her magic and caught the esper before he impacted the ground. Gently placing him down, Twilight quickly searched for any injuries. Her heart skipped a beat at finding the gaping hole in Tritoch’s chest.

A second later, his body flashed. The light faded away to reveal a single magicite crystal.

“No…” Twilight’s esper form faded away. Her normal hooves reached down and picked up the magicite, cradling it to her chest. “No… no… no…”

Twilight Sparkle.

With a start, Twilight jerked her head around to find the voice, but no one was in her immediate vicinity.

I’m sorry, Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight slowly looked down, the magicite in her hooves giving off a faint glow.

I did what I could to bring things to this moment. I wish I could do more, but the rest is left up to you and your friends. May the princesses be with you.

The glow around the magicite receded, the voice fading away as well. Twilight choked back a sob and stomped the ground. With a heavy sigh, she stored the magicite in her pouch, stood up, and headed for her friends.

.o.O.o.

“So, lemme get this straight,” Rainbow Dash said. “Either we kill you all or we all die. If we kill you all, we all die. Do I have that right?”

The Dirt Dragon nodded. “That’s the gist of it, yeah.”

“Great…”

Trixie rubbed at her forehead. “Then what are we supposed to do? Sacrifice all our lives for the sake of the world?” She glared up at the four dragons. “And what reason do we have to believe you? Why are you even doing this?”

“I believe them,” Rarity said. “They’ve done nothing but help us.”

Spike, standing next to the White Dragon, nodded. “I believe them, too. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stand here and watch you all die. Especially you, Pearl.”

The White Dragon looked away. “If it means an end to this war, I want to do it. I’m tired of fighting.”

Flaring out his cape, the Skull Dragon said, “I’ve experienced more joy this day than I ever have in my entire life. It’s all thanks to you ponies. I’m content.”

Fluttershy gasped and flew up next to the Skull Dragon. “But what about our picnic?”

The Skull Dragon sank into himself. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to cancel. Thank you for the offer, though.”

The Dirt Dragon grinned, flashing rows of large teeth. “And I’ve gotten the chance to perform like I’ve always wanted to. It’s everything I hoped it would be. Even got the chance to sing a duet.” He winked at Sweetie Belle. “By the way, Skull, you look good in white.”

“Thanks.” The Skull Dragon tipped his hat.

“And even though I’m a Chaos Dragon, ruling isn’t much fun,” the Blue Dragon said. “You saw how bored I was.

“Anyway, listen, we don’t have time to debate this.” The Blue Dragon pointed a claw up to where the Kaiser Dragon hovered, casting magic over his ruined snout. “You don’t have the power to beat him. He’s going to realize what’s going on and then he’ll force us to fight. We need to act now.”

Trixie’s eyes narrowed. “If you’re so set on doing this, then just do it. Why even ask us?”

The four remaining dragons shuffled uneasily in place, the Blue and Dirt Dragons fiddling with their claws while the White Dragon covered her snout with her wings.

Seeing the others wouldn’t answer, the Skull Dragon sighed and said, “We can’t harm ourselves or each other. The master’s control over us won’t allow it. You will need to do it.”

“No way!” Spike exclaimed. “No how!” He summoned his spear and pointed it up at the Kaiser Dragon. “It’s all of us against him. We can do it if we work together!”

“It’s not that simple, Spike,” the White Dragon said. She uncovered her face, her eyes wet with tears. “He can make us do whatever he wants. He’ll force us to attack you. We aren’t just his children, we are parts of him broken off.”

The Blue Dragon huffed. “She’s right. He’s—” Her eyes glazed over mid speech, the air around her becoming saturated with humidity. With a screech, the Blue Dragon slithered away, opened her mouth, and fired a pressurized gout of water at the Returners.

.o.O.o.

The Kaiser Dragon lifted his claws off of his head and felt the area where the little flaming pony pest had struck him. His cheek still felt tender, but was no longer bleeding. It would have to do for now.

Letting out a yawn, he peered down and searched for his minions. His eyes narrowed and brow creased upon seeing half of his forces gone. Surprising. Even more concerning to see were the rest of the dragons conversing with the puny creatures that called themselves the Returners. This wouldn’t do.

Reaching out with his mind, he touched his children’s consciousness, awakening the parts of himself embedded within. Perhaps granting them free will and personality had been presumptuous on his part. It was just so entertaining to see them bicker amongst each other, provided they followed his orders.

Time enough to dwell on that later. There were chores to be done before the fun could begin.

.o.O.o.

The Returners scattered as the Blue Dragon’s attack cut through their ranks. Around them, the other dragons let out matching roars, their eyes losing recognition and sentience. As one they unleashed their own breath attacks on the disoriented Returners.

Shining Armor managed to act faster. A pink dome surrounded the group in time to deflect sacred, poison, and mud from obliterating them. This didn’t deter the dragons as they came up to the barrier and wailed on it with bone, claw, and jaws. Wincing, Shining Armor called out, “I can’t keep this up forever!”

“Pearl!” Spike called out to the White Dragon. “Please, you have to stop! Fight him off!” His cries went unheeded as the White Dragon continued her assault.

Trixie scowled and yanked a panicking Stardust over to her. “Start casting your fast magic on as many of us as you can. Got it?!”

Stardust gulped but nodded.

Releasing him, Trixie yelled, “Everyone, split them up! Take the one nearest to you. Shining Armor, get ready to drop your shield… NOW!”

The dome faded and the Returners rushed to their dragons. Pinkie Pie hopped on the Dirt Dragon’s head and performed a tap dance. The enraged dragon couldn’t reach high enough with his claws to stop her, instead shaking his broad head to and fro to dislodge the pink menace. His constant head flailing left the rest of his body wide open. Shining Armor took the opportunity to dart in, his sword swirling with wind magic, and stabbed up. He punctured through, Sky Render sliding in to the hilt. The Dirt Dragon gave a thunderous roar to the sky, then toppled over. Pinkie Pie landed next to Shining Armor and the two watched as the dragon disintegrated into sand and rocks.

“Must I do everything myself?”

The pair of Returners looked up to see the Kaiser Dragon above them, a dark sphere of magic held in a claw. He tossed it down, its obsidian surface devoid of reflected light.

A sword raised up and the magic diverted to it. The sword absorbed the ball of darkness, its energy being transferred to the sword’s owner.

The Kaiser Dragon twisted his head, spotting Trixie and Save the Queen standing below him. “You. I have half a mind to keep you alive so I can find out how your powers work.” He bent down, his snout inches from Trixie. “Perhaps I’ll start with tearing your horn off. I could try attaching it to a new Chaos Dragon.”

Trixie’s hooves shook, but she didn’t back away. She pointed her sword at the Kaiser Dragon, the blade smaller than one of his fangs. “A-assuming you even live to try.”

The Kaiser Dragon chuckled. “I see why Discord kept you around. Too bad for you that I’m no longer him.” He lunged forward, his jaws opened wide to snap the pony up.

Esper Twilight Sparkle slammed into his head, slashing with Ragnarok. A gouge to match his opposite side appeared, causing him to rear back.

“Blast you!” the Kaiser Dragon roared. He covered his snout with a claw but it was unable to stop the blood from leaking through. “I am done!” He fired a beam of unfocused power at the pair, but Trixie’s runic sucked it in.

Twilight flew in, the Kaiser Dragon open for retaliation. Her sword sung and she hacked away at his twisting hide, more deep cuts added to his injuries. The Kaiser Dragon backed off, reevaluating the two.

Landing next to Trixie, Twilight asked, “So what’s the plan?”

“We keep him busy so the others can finish,” Trixie said.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll check his magic while you keep attacking.”

Twilight huffed but nodded, readying her weapon.

No further words were exchanged as the Kaiser Dragon swooped down to resume the battle.

.o.O.o.

The battlefield once again rang with the sounds of conflict. The Returners managed to corral the remaining dragons away from each other, a feat made easier due to their mindless need to kill. They no longer responded to pleasure or even pain. Their only goal seemed to be the deaths of those the Kaiser Dragon deemed a threat.

Derpy Hooves corkscrewed away from the jaws of the Blue Dragon, narrowly avoiding being bitten in half. She retaliated with a barrage of lightning, striking the dragon in several places. The Blue Dragon paid her injuries no mind, catching Derpy with the back end of a claw, sending her toppling down. Derpy’s tumble ended abruptly with the appearance of a puffy white cloud that turned a painful drop into a delightful cushion. The cloud’s mission over, it flashed with green fire, replacing it with Thorax who brought Derpy down to the ground in his arms.

“Okay?” he asked her, setting her on her hooves.

“Yeah. Watch out!” Derpy shoved him away seconds before the Blue Dragon’s tail smashed down where they last stood.

No reprieve came as the Blue Dragon twisted herself around, aiming her mouth again at Derpy. Water magic built up, but a charging Scootaloo beat her to it, unleashing her own lightning magic and catching the side of the Blue Dragon’s head. The attack was enough to tilt the Blue Dragon so that the highly pressurized water blasted the ground instead of Derpy, tearing up rock like it was paper.

“This is nuts!” Scootaloo stopped to help Derpy up, but quickly directed her attention to their enemy. “We’re blasting it but it just won’t stop.”

Derpy gave a weary nod. “I can try summoning, but I’m not sure if I’m up for it.”

“Summoning? Oh yeah, our esper! Duh!”

“You know how to do it?”

Scootaloo rolled her head, several pops and cracks sounding out of her neck. “Yep. Learned how when traveling with Sweets and Bloom. Just give me a sec.”

By now, the Blue Dragon had recovered and was setting her sights on them. Derpy rushed past Scootatloo, shouting back, “I’ll give you that sec!” Gathering up as much magic as she could, Derpy let loose tendrils of crackly lighting from her wings, each lancing out and punching holes in the Blue Dragon’s scales.

Multiple attacks of this magnitude seemed to catch up with the Blue Dragon, her movements sluggish and pained. Still, she battled on, thrashing and blasting water at any Returner she saw. Even in her mindless rage, she caught sight of Scootaloo glowing and the more rational part of her mind knew something big was coming. The Blue Dragon stopped her attacks and surrounded herself in water, forming a barrier that even Derpy’s magic couldn't penetrate.

“Here it comes!” Scootaloo announced. “Go get it, Quetzalcoatl!”

A lightning bolt larger than anything before it struck the ground. A figure of swirling green and yellow rose up, its body sleek and birdlike. It hovered over the Blue Dragon’s water sphere, spreading out its wide wings. Lightning gathered at its beak then spread around the sphere in a dome of electricity. Sparks from the dome struck the sphere on all sides, ripping out some of the barrier. However, the water replaced itself faster than the lighting could destroy it.

“Crap, it’s not enough!”

Scootaloo ran up to the dome to throw more magic into the attack, but was stopped short when a second Quetzalcoatl rose up opposite the first. The two beings combined their efforts, the thunder dome lashing out more energy than before. The Blue Dragon’s barrier couldn’t withstand the onslaught. Within seconds, the water chipped away, leaving the Blue Dragon exposed. She roared as lightning tore at her form, the pain too much to push away. Soon, her form exploded into softly drifting water bubbles, each one popping into nothingness.

The first Quetzalcoatl vanished in a burst of sparks while the second collapsed down to the ground. Derpy and Scootaloo rushed over in time to see changeling fire engulf the clone, revealing a panting Thorax. “That… that was… a lot…”

“That was awesome!” Scootaloo said, patting the gasping changeling on the back. “How’d you do that?”

“Didn’t know… I could… Thought… I’d give it… a try.”

“Well, you did it, so good on ya.”

Derpy offered a potion to Thorax, who drank it greedily. “Too bad this isn’t over yet.”

Snorting, Scootaloo said, “Yeah. This is worse than doing homework.”

.o.O.o.

Elsewhere, Applejack bounded away from a glob of green goo that sizzled the instant it touched the ground. She galloped across the battlefield, minding many other puddles of green acid strewn across the growing wasteland. Gathering speed with each step, she launched herself, back hooves first, into the large cranium of the Skull Dragon. A large crack formed, adding to the numerous fractures Applejack and the others had already inflicted. Each time, noxious fumes spewed out and into the air. Applejack didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing.

What Applejack did know was that the dragon kept fighting no matter how many times she struck it. She wondered if he was even alive. Bounding away, she readied herself to charge again.

“Applejack, let me get that off of you.”

The farmer turned to see Fluttershy hovering nearby. The pegasus fluttered her wings, sending healing magic over Applejack and wiping away the specks of acid that had landed on her armor. Some droplets had nearly eaten away the Genji material, now that Applejack took a moment to inspect her gear.

“Wow, thanks,” Applejack said. She inclined her head towards the Skull Dragon’s attempts to chomp down on any nearby Returners. “No luck with him, huh?”

Fluttershy sniffed, landing next to Applejack. “No. He… he doesn’t even…” She sobbed and curled up on herself, hiding her muzzle in her hooves.

Applejack was at her side in an instant. She sat down next to her and rubbed her back. “Hey, I’m sorry this had to happen. He seemed like a swell guy for the brief moments I knew him. I’d be pretty down too if something like this ever happened to my dog.

“But… he ain’t the same. We gotta get up and do the job, no matter how much it hurts.”

Fluttershy cried for a few moments longer. She peeked her eyes out, each one puffy and red. “All I wanted was a picnic.” She wiped at her nose with a hoof before a small red handkerchief was levitated over to her. Fluttershy looked up to see Spotter offering it. She took it with a quick “Thanks” and blew hard.

“Um, Applejack,” Spotter spoke up, keeping his vision away from Fluttershy and her mess. “I… I’m not sure if this is a good time or not—”

Applejack stomped a hoof. “Spot, spit it out, we ain’t got time.”

“Sorry! Sorry. Um, I see that the dragon over there is weak to holy. And, since you can use holy magic—”

“Yes, yes, I’ve already blasted him with several aurabolts. Hasn’t slowed him down, none.”

“Have… you tried hitting him harder?”

Applejack eyed him suspiciously. “That sounds like something Dash would say.”

“Well, it’s worth a try, right? You can also try summoning your esper.”

As if called, Autumn Blaze flew out of Spotter’s horn and gave a mighty grin. “Yeah, Alexander will send that creep packing! Give it a shot.”

Applejack looked from Spotter, to Autumn Blaze, then down to Fluttershy. “I’m not sure how to do it.”

“It’s easy!” Autumn said. “Just think of how you cast magic, then call to the one that granted you that magic. The esper will come to you, no sweat.”

Shaking her head, Applejack took a breath and turned to head towards her target.

A hoof to her side stopped her. Fluttershy was next to her, despondent but resolute. “Please… make it quick.”

Applejack smiled and nodded. She turned once again and galloped. It didn’t take long for her to reach the Skull Dragon, who was spitting out a never ending tide of toxic phlegm at Returners. “Hey! Mister Skull! I’ve got someone I want ya to meet!”

The Skull Dragon continued his assault, completely ignoring Applejack.

“Well, don’t say I didn’t try being neighborly.”

She closed her eyes, concentrating on the growing familiarity of calling up her magic. A silent plea for aid was made, a cry for help in ending this battle. Applejack received a response, otherworldly organ music playing within her head. Her form flashed pure white, the light rising up from her body to form a large castle-like structure. The light receded, revealing heavy plated armor covering a massive body with two colossal arms propped against the ground. A close helmet topped the beast, the head tilting downwards and locking onto its target. The bottom half of the helmet dropped down, exposing a single pale orb. The orb glowed red then shot a concentrated beam of white light at the Skull Dragon, piercing through his center. The Skull Dragon gave off a roar that got cut off as his body melted into sludge. The dark goop then evaporated into wisps of rancid mist.

Its task done, Alexander released steam from vents in its arms before fading away into tiny motes of white energy.

Applejack sighed and opened her eyes. Fluttershy, Spotter, and Autumn Blaze came up to her a few moments later. Fluttershy crossed her heart while Spotter and Autumn Blaze shared a hoof bump.

Taking stock of the battlefield, Applejack hung her head. “We’re almost done. One more to go.”

.o.O.o.

“Gahhh!”

Spike fell back, clutching his shoulder. A deep gash ran down his side, spilling his blood at an alarming rate. He had no time to dwell on it as the White Dragon lunged, intent on finishing the drake off.

A small pouch struck her snout and exploded into a black cloud of ground pepper. The White Dragon snorted and pawed at her nose, trying to dislodge the irritating substance. This gave Sweetie Belle the opportunity to run up to Spike and heal his wound.

The moment the gash closed, Spike got back to his feet and ran back up to the White Dragon. “Pearl! I’m not going to fight you! Please, snap out of it!”

“Get away, Spike!” Apple Bloom cried, another pouch balanced on her hoof ready to be thrown. “She can’t hear you!”

Spike either didn’t listen or didn’t care. “Remember our time in the caves! How we'd explore and play hide ‘n seek. Remember that time we found a hole that led to a bunch of gems. We ate there all day!”

The White Dragon sneezed, dispelling the last of the pepper. She peered down at Spike, hissed, and unleashed a beam of purity at him. Spike made no effort to get away.

A pair of hooves wrapped around him and bounded away, the attack meant for him impacting the ground. Rarity settled down a few hooves away from the action, placing herself between Spike and the White Dragon. “It’s no use, Spike. Sit this one out. We’ll take care of it.”

“No—”

“Spike! Twilight will be very cross with me if something were to happen to you and I could have prevented it.”

The White Dragon swiveled around, finding them standing nearby, and readied more magic. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle intercepted her, drawing her attention. The two darted in opposite directions, circling around the White Dragon and firing their own magic.

Spike watched, his claws clenching together even as his vision swam with tears. “But… she’s my sister…”

Sighing, Rarity readied the Striker. “I know, Spike. I know all too well. I’m sorry.”

She charged into battle, summoning three needles from thin air and flinging them at the White Dragon. They impacted her bulky side but bounced off as though hitting stone. The attack did gain the dragon’s attention, the White Dragon turning and firing holy breath at her. Rarity slipped to the side, the beam sailing past her, and came in close to stab at the underbelly. The blade sank in, a spurt of blood her reward.

The White Dragon howled and slammed the ground, knocking Rarity off her hooves. The dragon whirled and caught Rarity with her tail, sending her flying back. Sweetie Belle caught her with levitation, quickly healing Rarity from her dazed state. Apple Bloom took up interference duties while the two recovered.

“Her scales are really hard to get through, even with magic,” Sweetie Belle said, gently placing Rarity down. “Your knife seems to work, but it’s going to take a lot more to beat her.”

Rarity shook her head to clear the last of her dizziness. She looked at Sweetie Belle, then back at Apple Bloom, her brow furrowing. “Sweetie, when I give the signal, get her to face me then get out of the way.”

“You got a plan?”

“Yes, but it’s going to take timing and careful aim. Be a dear and get her ready for me.”

Sweetie Belle beamed and snapped a salute. “Yes, ma’am!” She bolted to join Apple Bloom, grinning the whole way.

Rarity took a breath and closed her eyes, letting her heartbeat slow and her mind to calm. Just like when creating a new outfit, she entered a state where outside distractions came to a halt. All she needed to be was in this moment, letting her instincts guide her to the perfect design. Her instincts were rarely wrong and so she let herself be led to whatever came next.

Her eyes snapped open and she shouted, “Now!”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle zipped together, standing side-by-side. They stuck out their tongues and blew a raspberry at the White Dragon. Whether the gestures were lost on the dragon or not would be left up to the makers to sort out. Regardless, the White Dragon whirled around to face them and rose up to squash the pair under her hefty weight. The bleeding stab wound came in sharp contrast to her pristine scales.

Rarity focused her magic into a single spell. A small green figure in the shape of a cactus popped out of the ground, its arms and legs like branches twitching to an unknown dance. The esper Cactrot made an unintelligible sound from its oval mouth and pointed its stem at the rearing White Dragon. In a flurry of flailing limbs, Cactrot launched hundreds of tiny needles at the small opening Rarity had inflicted. The pinprick projectiles poked through the weak spot at an astonishing rate, each needle digging in a little deeper. The White Dragon spasmed, too overwhelmed to react or roar. At last the hailstorm came to an end, the last of the thousand needles piercing through the White Dragon’s heart.

With a final wail, the White Dragon collapsed to the ground. Her body lay still for several seconds, then dissolved into tiny white particles in the shape of doves. These drifted and faded away. The last of the Chaos Dragons was dead.

Cactrot turned and gave a wave to Rarity before digging himself back into the ground.

Sighing, Rarity pivoted to face Spike, who had his eyes closed and claws covering his ears. She walked up to him and laid a hoof on his shoulder. “It’s over, Spike.”

Spike lowered his claws, his body sagging forward. “I… I still heard. She…” He sniffed and rubbed furiously at his nose.

Rarity made to reach forward and comfort him. She only made it halfway when the world went haywire.

.o.O.o.

The Kaiser Dragon had never felt more frustrated in his life. Even those irritating princesses had never infuriated him to this extent. And it was all due to that blasted blue unicorn.

He had severely underestimated Trixie’s runic powers. All his life, if there was an obstacle for him to overcome, he threw magic at it until it went away. The Kaiser Dragon rarely got physical as magic was just so much faster and convenient. Now, those skipped days meant to sharpen his claws were coming back to bite him as his major advantage was being denied.

Worse, the pesky half-esper’s sword had left numerous deep cuts on his body, to the point where he couldn’t just ignore them. Whatever the blade was made out of, it penetrated through his blacks scales like no other weapon had before. It was… concerning.

Unfortunately, pinning the two ponies down and crushing them to bits proved to be more difficult than it should have been. Each nimbly danced away from his claws, jaws, and tail, and anytime he did manage a glancing blow, they would heal it up. The two matched each other well, covering for each other’s weaknesses. It had become a battle of attrition, their stamina against his. The Kaiser Dragon would have admired the duos’ tactics had it been used against anyone else but himself.

He snaked his body around, trying to trap Trixie in a coil. The unicorn saw it coming and fired ice spells into one of the many bloody patches that littered his body. His joints locked up for a second, giving Trixie time to hop over him. The Kaiser Dragon shot off a parting ice spell of his own at her fleeing form, but the magic diverted into her sword like so many before. He forced his body to move after her, but Twilight dove down and slashed another gash into his hide.

“When I get you, I’m going to filet your flesh one layer at a time!” His voice came out strained, his breathing quicker and more shallow each time one of these exchanges ended. “I’ll bring you back to life and do it all over again until your sanity is as shattered as Discord’s!”

“At least Discord had style going for him!” Trixie shot back. “The worms in the ground would call you boring!”

The Kaiser Dragon made to chase after her, unwilling to let the unicorn have the last word. That’s when the area around him flashed a bright red. He growled, looking around for the source of whatever irritant he would need to deal with next. The brief pause in his fight brought certain things into focus, things that had been deemed unimportant while wasting time with the ponies.

He could no longer feel the minds of any of his Chaos Dragons.

Another, more intense flash of red lit the world, followed by a shaking that rattled the very air.

A sinking feeling began to form within the Kaiser Dragon’s breast.

Completely abandoning the battle, the Kaiser Dragon rose up into the sky. He didn’t make it far as now the red flashes and shaking became more frequent, assailing his senses in all directions. Blocking out the painful backlash of the world by sheer force of will, the Kaiser Dragon took stock of what was left of the large platform the Returners and his dragons had used for their battleground.

His jaw dropped. The Returners still stood. There was no sign of his children.

“No…” The Kaiser Dragon reached out with his mind, commanding his dragons to respond. Not one answered back.

“No. No! How? You are nothing to my might! How could they all have been killed by the likes of you?!”

By now a constant kaleidoscope of flashes and rumbling consumed everything. It was hard to think, let alone stay afloat. Roaring at the heavens for all the injustices piled upon him, the Kaiser Dragon let out one last bellow. “You have doomed us all!”

.o.O.o.

Rainbow Dash would readily admit that she wasn’t the most knowledgeable when it came to magic. She had her strengths elsewhere and let eggheads like Twilight and Trixie deal with it. Given that, even she knew something bad was happening. “Oh crap. They were telling the truth.”

Rocking from the constant blasts and thrums of reality seemingly tearing itself apart, Rainbow Dash set her sights on one individual in particular. Flying eased her forward progression, though a few times she almost tumbled out of the air. Fighting against the pressure, she reached Stardust and hauled the stupefied chocobo to his talons. Placing her mouth directly over his ear, she shouted, “I need every last one of those magic restoring potions you have!”

Even with Rainbow Dash right next to him, her words came in muted. “Magic potions?! You mean ethers?!”

“Yes! Those!”

“Why?!”

“I don’t have time to explain! Just do it!”

Stardust saved time from grumbling a response to doing as he was told. Privately, he hoped whatever Rainbow Dash had planned stopped this awful phenomenon. His packs were gone, no thanks to Rarity, but he reached under his wings where a tightly strapped pouch still hung. He fumbled in opening it, nearly dropping the vials contained within. The moment they came into sight, Rainbow Dash snatched them up.

Spreading her wings, Rainbow Dash cast a spell Stardust didn’t recognize. He heard the soft sound of chimes and felt something entering his body. A warm sensation welled within his breast, leaving a reassuring feeling in his spirit.

Rainbow Dash sped off without explanation. She reached the next Returner and repeated the same spell. Chugging down the contents of one of the vials, she pushed through the increasing deterioration of space and time to find another Returner.

.o.O.o.

The relentless cacophony and violent tremors of the world around them left the Returners unable to do anything but cover their ears and brace themselves. Many thought the world was ending and that this would be their last moments. Sun and moon willing, they would all be together for the train ride to the afterlife.

All at once, it stopped.

A deathly calm followed. Returners cautiously peeked their eyes open and uncovered their ears. A silence unlike anything they had ever experienced engulfed them. It was like the world was holding its breath.

A tearing sound shocked them out of their stupor. They looked up to behold the point of a sword stabbing out of reality itself, white cracks forming around where the sword penetrated. The blade cut through more space then retracted, only to be replaced by two giant golden hands. The ends of each finger contained sharp red claws that dug into the split in the sky and forced apart a bigger opening. Out stepped a gargantuan humanoid completely covered in skin tight golden armor, its size twice that of the Kaiser Dragon. A pulsating purple orb was embedded in its chest and twin red eyes peered out of its helmet slits. The giant summoned the sword from before and bellowed its might to the world.

On the opposite side of the Returners, another round of tearing was heard. This time a silver lance pierced through and dissolved the space around it. A white portal formed, allowing a creature to walk out. This one was also humanoid, though its legs ended in talons rather than feet, and a tail extended from its back. Thick corded muscles under tan skin made up its physique, its body covered in grey Genji-like armor. What appeared like a lance at first was really a larger mechanical claw that protruded from the back of the creature like a wing. Half the size of the first humanoid, it still exuded malice and respect.

The Kaiser Dragon had seen enough. He twisted around and flew as fast as he could away from the otherworldly monsters. His escape became blocked when a third rip in reality appeared above him.

This time, a humanoid woman smashed her way into the world with a golden staff. She wore golden armor over purple skin and yellow hair, a long flowing amber cape billowing behind her. Flying out using a platform-like device made of gold and a red cushion, she beheld the Kaiser Dragon with utter contempt. Despite being even smaller than the last creature, her ferocious visage made the Kaiser Dragon flinch.

“Kaiser!” the woman screeched. “You who imprisoned us will now face our judgement.”

The Kaiser Dragon answered with a powerful beam of magic from his mouth. The woman flew forward and twirled her staff at inhuman speeds. The breath attack shredded under her assault, dispersing like waves against a cliff. She followed up by slamming into the Kaiser Dragon with her flying platform, sending him crashing amongst the gobsmacked Returners.

The giant stepped forward and thrust out his sword. “I, Devil, condemn you.”

“I, Demon, purge you,” the tan creature decreed.

The woman rapped her staff against her platform. “And I, Goddess, cleanse your soul.”

As one, the three beings raised up their sword, lance, and staff. “Purifier!”

The command of the three beings drowned out the pleas of the Returners caught in the middle. A red orb launched from Devil’s chest, impacted the ground, and exploded in an all consuming inferno. Demon’s eyes flashed, thin threads of light piercing through everything, no matter how well armored. With a battle cry, Goddess flew forward at lightning speed, her staff passing through flesh and bone.

The Kaiser Dragon, the center of the carnage, roared in impotent fury. No amount of magic he called forth could hold back the tide. His body became ravaged on all sides, disintegrating and torn apart in equal measure. His final cries echoed across the world.

The Returners fared no better. Many were killed immediately from Devil’s initial blast while others died from their hearts being struck by Demon’s light. Any that managed to survive met their end as Goddess swept through, her weapon reaping the life force from all living things.

So catastrophic was the Purifier attack that the three beings themselves became consumed, meeting their end with stoic acceptance. In the aftermath, all had perished. None witnessed a magicite crystal blink into existence and fall to the ground. It landed with a soft tink and rolled away, forgotten.

All remained still. The war was over.

Wherein Credits Roll

A soft wind quietly howled through the remains of the battlefield. Fur and feathers alike ruffled in the breeze while strewn weapons clanked against each other from the mild jostling. The wind passed through armor openings and sword grips, creating a low moaning sound that seemed to mourn the bodies it caressed.

Stardust lay in a heap next to Scootaloo, his wings splayed out after shoving the pegasus away in an attempt to save her from Demon’s piercing rays. It did little good, for seconds later Goddess’ sweep snuffed the life from Scootaloo just as easily as Demon’s light did to Stardust. Now both lay still, save for the gentle sway of Stardust’s and Scootaloo’s feathers against the wind.

Above the wind’s murmurs, a new sound emerged from above. A tinkle and chime followed after a small glowing yellow mote descending from the sky. The little speck drifted lazily down, completely unconcerned with the carnage it slowly fell towards. Though it bore no discernible form, its destination was clear. With pinpoint accuracy, it passed through Stardust’s back as though dipping into a puddle of water and stopped at his punctured heart. The light inside of him grew and expanded, taking on the form of a cherub. The tiny angel waved its hands, spreading out golden dust that seeped into his heart. Moments later the blood pumping organ mended itself, sealing up the wound without a trace of a scar. It beat once, twice, then continued at a steady rhythm. The cherub faded away, its task complete.

With a heaving gasp, Stardust took in a breath. He coughed and sputtered, his body spasming as it relearned how to live. Stardust rapidly sucked in heaps of air until finally slowing down to a normal level. An eye peeked out from behind his lids, slowly adjusting to the light of the world. Taking in a lungful of air, he pushed off the ground with his wings and folded his legs underneath him, settling himself into a perch. With his new vantage point, Stardust looked around and nearly threw up at all the death surrounding him.

Scootaloo sprawled out before him, her body a greyed out husk. Nearby, Derpy lay on her side with a hole in her chest where her heart used to be. Beyond her, Stardust caught a glimpse of the lower half of a pony but with no upper half. He wrenched his eyes away before he saw more. Tears began leaking out of his tightly shut eyes, a few choked sobs escaping his beak.

A tinkle from above cut through his growing sorrow. His curiosity won out against his seeing more of the morbid surroundings and he looked up through watery eyes. Stardust blinked, clearing his vision. His lower beak dropped.

Over a dozen little yellow dots floated downwards from the sky, like snowflakes. He watched, transfixed, as each light sought out a body on the ground and disappeared within. Stardust’s eyes widened further as those bodies began to twitch and struggle. He warked in surprise when Scootaloo sat up without warning and gave a giant yawn.

“Wow. Did I sleep wrong on my side or what?”

Stardust gaped further as Derpy, the hole in her chest miraculously sealed, stretched out like a cat and let out a pleasant groan. More and more Returners began to stir, some appearing out of thin air. Missing parts or even complete halves of ponies materialized, leaving behind a fully alive and aware Returner. Soon, the deathly quiet from before was replaced by movement and conversation.

Rubbing at his eyes, Stardust watched the impossible happen before him.

A slap to his back nearly toppled him over.

“It worked!” came Rainbow Dash’s exuberant voice. “Holy moley, was that a rush!”

Stardust groaned and looked up at the grinning pegasus, along with the rest of the Returners. “What are you talking about?”

“My life spells! I figured something bad was coming when we were talking with those dragons but didn’t know what. I didn’t want to take any chances so I flew around to everyone and cast something to bring us back in case the worst should happen. It was the same spell I used on Trixie when we were fighting those creeps Discord sicced at us.” Rainbow Dash landed next to Stardust and wrapped her hoof around his neck. “Thanks to Stardust’s magic potions—”

“Ethers.”

“Whatever. I had enough to get everyone. And it looks like I didn’t miss a single one!” She jumped up, thrusting a hoof to the air. “God, I’m so awesome!”

It took a few moments for everyone to process her words. Pinkie Pie ended the awkward silence with enthusiastic stomping. “Woohoo! Let’s hear it for Rainbow Dash!

“Strike that, let’s hear it for all of us! We did it, guys!”

Spotter quickly followed Pinkie Pie’s lead. It didn’t take long for others to join in and soon all the Returners whooped for joy and pounded the ground. The still intact platform they stood upon rumbled from their enthusiasm.

A piece of metal crashed next to them, nearly crushing Sunset.

All at once, the impromptu celebration ceased as a deep and all encompassing shaking began all around them. Parts of Discord’s sphere started to vibrate and crumble, the debris falling to the earth far below them.

“Ah, I vote we save the celebrations until we get out of here,” Applejack said.

“Seconded!” Rarity cried.

Their cries of agreement became cries of panic as the makeshift battlefield started to tilt. They all raced for the edge of the platform, but the magical integrity didn’t last. With little aplomb, the structure dropped like a stone, taking the screaming Returners with it.

In a flash of magic and fire, Twilight morphed. With speed that Rainbow Dash would have been proud of, she flew below the platform, gathered her magic, and heaved. Crying out in both strain and success, Twilight caught the falling slab of stone, slowing its descent. Calling on all the last drops of magic within her, Twilight brought the platform around herself and set it on a stable patch of floor. Her labor completed, she collapsed to the ground.

Sunset and Trixie were at her side in an instant, casting heal spells over her still flaming esper body. With their help, Twilight wobbled to her hooves. “We… we can’t stay…” she gasped out. “Whatever… magic Discord used… is fading…”

Trixie nodded and grabbed her sword, pointing it at a small opening letting in light from outside. “To the airship! On the double!”

The Returners didn’t need to be told twice. As one, they ran for the exit.

.o.O.o.

Shining Armor

Cyan Garamonde

Spotter

Owain Garamonde

“I’ll take the lead!” Shining Armor declared. He raised a pink shield dome in front of him and plowed through metal and rock alike, pushing them aside like water against rock and paving a way for the Returners to follow.

Riding on his back, Spotter raised a hoof and hollered, “Go daddy, go!”

Their jubilation was short lived as a section of floor collapsed under them. Shining Armor made a mad grab for anything to stop his fall and snagged a support beam sticking out of the wreckage. Spotter latched onto his father’s neck, both stallions hanging on for dear life.

“Spot…” Shining Armor wheezed out. “Can you… climb up?”

“No. But I can fall.”

“What?!”

Spotter loosened his grip and dropped.

“Spot!”

Shining Armor twisted in preparation to jump after his son, but the sound of working machinery directly below him caused him to hesitate. Moments later, a solid platform came up from below and lifted him up to the passage he had fallen from. He whirled around in time to see Spotter scamper up the top of a crane arm. Shining Armor held out his arms, allowing Spotter to jump into them.

“Did you see, Dad?! Didja?!”

Chuckling, Shining Armor ruffled Spotter’s mane. “I sure did.”

“Ahem.”

Shining Armor and Spotter looked over, seeing Trixie and the others waiting on the other side of the collapsed passage.

“As touching as this is, we’re on a deadline,” Trixie said.

“Oh, right.” Grinning sheepishly, Shining Armor cast another shield spell, this time flattening and lengthening it to form a makeshift bridge. Trixie stuck a hoof out, placed weight on it, then turned back and nodded to the others. Soon, she and the rest of the Returners crossed. Once everyone passed by, Shining Armor dispelled his bridge, placed Spotter back on his back, and raced after them.

Pinkie Pie

Setzer Gabbiani

The Returners emerged from a tight corridor into a large room with two heavy iron doors for exits. Applejack ran to the left one while Trixie headed for the right.

“Wait!” Pinkie Pie called to them. “Stuffy nose!”

Applejack looked back at her with a cross expression. “What does that even—?” She yelped and ducked as a cupcake soared past her and impacted the handle of the door she was heading for. The door flung open and belched a stream of flame. Applejack scrambled back from the intense heat.

Pinkie Pie helped her up. “Glad I haven’t lost my touch.” She pointed at the door Trixie had now opened and its lack of fire spewing. “Let’s go that way.”

Not needing to be told twice, Applejack threw a quick thanks and ran off. Pinkie Pie followed. “Some surprises are fun, some aren’t, ain’t they Surprise?”

Applejack

Edgar Roni Figaro

Big Macintosh

Sabin Rene Figaro

“I think this place is messin’ with us,” Applejack said. “I don’t remember any of this on the way in.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh replied.

The Returners found themselves going two by two over a metal platform suspended over a dark chasm. Light spells couldn’t see the bottom and they were in too big of a hurry for the few flyers to carry everyone down. The only way forward was another large iron door set on the end of the platform. Big Macintosh reached it first, placed a hoof over the metal, and nodded at the cool feeling.

Applejack returned his nod. “Good to see this ain’t busted.”

The stallion gave the door a push but it didn’t budge. “Spoke too soon.” Big Macintosh looked closer at the door. “Hinges are busted. Gonna need to take ‘em off.” He produced a welder’s mask and blowtorch from his pack and set to work.

The room trembled, creating a racket of screeching metal. A large girder from above wrenched out of place and began clanking down, right where Big Macintosh was standing. The noise from the blowtorch drowned out the incoming peril.

“Big Mac!”

In a flurry of speed, Applejack reached him before the girder, braced her front hooves against the floor, and kicked up. The steel beam bounced up but Applejack was able to catch it on the way back down. This managed to get Big Macintosh’s attention, but Applejack shook her head. “Keep working!”

The eldest Apple nodded and turned back to the door. “I knew I was leaving the Orchard in good hooves when I left,” he said as he fired up his blowtorch. “I wanted to help in my own way by learning as much about technology as I could. Guess I now know why I’ve got all these gadgets of mine.”

“Can you save the fancy sentimentality for later?!” Applejack cried. With a mighty heave, she shoved off the ground, sending the girder tumbling down the dark pit. It landed with a crash many seconds later.

The door soon followed as the last of the hinges burned off. The Returners continued with their escape.

Sunset Shimmer

“How’re you holding up, Twilight?” Sunset asked as they passed through a cavern. “Shouldn’t you demorph?”

Twilight shook her flaming head. “I need to be ready in case anything happens.”

Sunset held up the Ultima Weapon, grinning. “Then I’ll deal with what I can so you can conserve energy.”

The cavern wall ahead collapsed and a behemoth burst out, snarling and lashing in a berserker rage.

“Perfect timing!” Before anyone could stop her, Sunset charged for the thrashing monster. She cast a spell ahead of her advance, siphoning life energy from the creature. The overflow of power transferred into her sword, making it lengthen to over half its normal size. With a cry, Sunset brought the blue blade down on the behemoth, aiming for the head.

The weakened behemoth still had strength enough to attack back, taking a swipe at the pony with a large claw. The two opposing forces collided, each finding their mark. Sunset’s sword sliced through one of the behemoth’s twisted horns while the claw smacked the equine’s side. Both combatants fell back, Sunset losing her grip on the Ultima Sword. The blade careened away, sliced through a wall, and cut through a thin section of floor. In seconds, the sword disappeared from view.

Sunset cursed, now favoring her left leg. “You think that’s enough to stop me?! I’ll have you know that I’m practically the sun!” Gathering her magic into the tip of her horn, Sunset blasted a stream of flame, punching through the behemoth’s chest. The monster gave a defeated wine and collapsed.

Twilight was at her side in an instant, casting a healing spell. “Now who’s looking out for who?”

Smiling sheepishly, Sunset gave a weak chuckle. “Well… you know…”

“Save it. We need to find your sword.”

“Forget it,” Sunset said, already leading the way down the cavern. “We’ll find it later. Let’s just get out of here.”

Spike

Mog

Spike flew above the retreating Returners, his eyes darting to and fro for any obstacles. With a twirl of his spear, Spike knocked away debris falling from the crumbling ceiling. Nearby, a discarded esper container burst, sending shards of glass and contaminated fluid flying everywhere. A quick application of wind breath blew it away to harmlessly splash against the wall.

“This place doesn’t have much longer,” Spike said to the Returners below.

“At least you still have your magic breath!” Derpy chirped as she flew beside him. “It’s been really helpful.”

“Yeah…”

Derpy tilted her head, unconsciously flapping out of the way of a support pillar. “It’s strange how their power still exists now that the dragons are gone. Lucky you, huh?”

Spike declined to answer. He swatted a falling piece of plaster out of his way.

His lack of response didn’t go unnoticed. “You don’t think so?”

“I don’t know what to think.” Spike took a breath and belched out a cloud of toxic gas that quickly dissolved through a boulder obstructing the passage the Returners followed. His features fell. “What if… what if I… become one of them?”

“What do you mean?”

“I ate each of those dragon’s gems. They’re all tied to the Kaiser Dragon. Am… am I going to become him?”

“No way!” Derpy flew in front of him, keeping pace despite flying backwards. Any structures that they flew past she deftly flew around. “You’re nothing like them! In fact, you’re the opposite of them!”

Spike blinked as Derpy maneuvered around obstacles without looking. “How are you doing that?”

“Echolocation. Don’t try to change the subject.” Her mismatched eyes stared hard at the drake. “We didn’t hang around each other much but I’ve seen enough to know you’re no Chaos Dragon. In fact, with all the powers you ate, you’re probably a Harmony Dragon!”

“Harmony Dragon…” Spike repeated, his gaze losing focus.

She pumped a hoof into the air, partially covering an ear. “Yep! So think on that and let’s get out—”

Derpy smacked into a low hanging ceiling.

Umaro

Trixie ran up to the next door in their path and yanked on the handle.

With a clunk of rusted metal, the handle ripped off.

Scowling, Trixie tossed it away. “Is Discord still alive, because it feels like this place is messing with us.

“Big Mac! Open this one too!”

A large male lumbered forward, but it wasn’t Big Macintosh. Umaro peered at the door Trixie attempted to open, then let his gaze linger on a nearby wall.

“Are you going to stand there or he—?”

“U’ghaaaa!”

Trixie shrieked as Umaro ran at a speed belying his girth and crashed into the wall. The patchwork structure couldn’t withstand four hundred and thirty six pounds of solid muscle slamming into it and crumbled. Umaro backed up and did it again, and again, each time toppling more of the wall. With one final ram, he burst through the other side.

The Returners cautiously made their way through, spotting another door. When Trixie tried this one, it opened without a fuss.

“Well, Trixie isn’t going to argue with the results.” She inclined her head towards the new exit. “Everyone hustle!”

“U’ghaaaa!”

“That means you too!”

Thorax

Gogo

The next room the Returners found themselves in contained a huge iron bulkhead against the far wall. Some Returners readied their magic to blast through, but Trixie jumped in front of them with raised hooves.

“Wait! Trixie knows this place! It leads to Blueblood’s personal bunker. It was built to withstand almost anything.”

Pinkie Pie smiled and clapped her hooves. “Perfect! We can hide out in there and let it take us to the ground.”

“I said almost! If you’re willing to risk falling from this high up, then be my guest. Trixie’s died twice today and she’s not looking forward to a third! Besides, only Blueblood can get in there.” Whirling around, Trixie stomped up to a control panel. She pushed a button and let out a relieved sigh as the power still worked and a set of panels flipped around. Trixie stood next to one of the panels, keeping her eyes wide open. A few seconds later, the dashboard showed a red warning sign. “Shoot! Two sets of Imperial retinas are needed.”

The Returners stepped aside to let Twilight and Zecora trot up to the scanners. They too got the red screen.

“Blast it!” Trixie stomped a hoof. “Uncle didn’t program either of you into the system.”

“Would two pairs of your eyes work?”

Trixie turned back to see Thorax standing next to her with a hopeful grin. “I mean… if you don’t think it will wor—”

The room shook, nearly knocking everyone to the floor.

Trixie jabbed a hoof at a scanner. “Try it!”

Nodding, Thorax stepped forward, his body becoming engulfed in green flame. The flame receded as fast as it came, revealing a second Trixie. The pair faced their scanner and waited. A beep and a green affirmative preceded a set of doors next to the bulkhead springing open. With time running out, the Returners ran through the new opening.

Thorax dropped his disguise, grinning at Trixie. “We did it!”

Rolling her eyes, Trixie thrust a hoof at the door. “Great. Wonderful. Move it!”

Derpy Hooves

Gau

Light that wasn’t artificial streamed through a thin crack in the wall. The sliver of daylight pushed the Returners to move faster.

The constant rumbling of the sphere spurred them on even faster.

Without warning, Derpy Hooves flew to the front of the group and blocked their path. “Stop!” The lead Returner screeched to a halt, nearly being thrown off the thin catwalk that overlooked a portion of the Magitek Factory. “I think I see a shortcut!”

Somewhere near the back, Trixie shouted out, “Why are we stopping?! Are we stuck again?”

“It’s Derpy,” Applejack called back. “She says she has a shortcut.”

With all attention on her, Derpy grinned and pointed at the beam of sunlight peeking through the machinery below. “We need to get to the surface, right? So the fastest way is to drop down where that light is.”

Applejack looked down, squinting at how far down the light emanated from. “Yeah, it’ll be fast, but it’ll probably be painful, too.”

“Oh, right. Duh.” Derpy flapped over to Applejack, smiled, and shoved her.

Applejack screamed as she fell over the edge, flailing her arms in a futile effort to slow herself. The Returners, too stunned to move, watched as Applejack plummeted to her doom. She had barely fallen a few hooves down when her body slowed and she gently glided down.

“Wha?” came Applejack’s response.

Derpy grinned and clapped her hooves. “Just like a hummingbird, I felt the air currents below. They’re strong enough to carry us down!” With a pleased smile, she pushed an unsuspecting Rarity off next, the unicorn’s shrieks echoing throughout the room. Derpy happily began working her way down the line.

Rainbow Dash raised up a hoof when Derpy got to her. “I’ll do it on my own, thanks.” With a huff, she dove and helped the non flyers work their way down.

Stardust

Stardust Silverlight

Derpy’s plan to speedrun out of the sphere was working as intended, but had one major hiccup. The little stream of light was surrounded by jagged scrap metal and the winds keeping them aloft were losing their strength. The flyers frantically darted from one Returner to another in a desperate attempt to maneuver them to fall into the tunnel containing the light instead of into the deathtrap. Their efforts, while admirable, still managed to miss a few.

“Help!” Sunset cried out. “I don’t want to be shishkebab!”

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo also drifted off course despite Scootaloo’s best efforts to push them back. “I can’t believe this is how it ends!” Apple Bloom lamented.

The wind keeping them from dropping finally dwindled to nothing. The ponies screamed as they plummeted towards the deadly sharp ends of the scrap metal.

Their descent came to a halt mere inches from being skewered. A magical force kept them floating over their impending doom despite no obvious means as to why. Their answer came when Stardust awkwardly flapped his way towards them, his wings encased in a white glow.

“I… got you…” The chocobo perched himself atop a long pipe sticking out of the junk and used it as leverage. With a single shove, he launched himself up and past the ponies. They took the hint and grabbed hold of the large bird as he glided by. Their unnatural weightlessness allowed them to drift towards the others.

“Moonlight… always did say… to keep as many customers… as you can…” Stardust strained. He let out a relieved sigh as Spike and Thorax came down to take his passengers. “There are only so many of them in the world, after all.”

Rainbow Dash

Locke Cole

The Great and Powerful Trixie

Celes Chere

They were getting close. Twilight could feel it. Just a little more and they would be out. She broke from the group to scout out ahead.

Behind her, the rest of the Returners navigated across an uneven metal walkway. Drop offs to parts unknown surrounded them on both sides, forcing them to take care of their footing. It was slow going, but they were making progress.

Trixie brought up the rear, keeping one eye on her hooves and the other on her companions. They were too close to the end and Trixie would be damned if she lost a single Returner now. It was as she carefully picked her way across the treacherous floor that she caught a flash of blue to her right. Chancing a glance, Trixie quickly whipped her head to the side and back. Her eyes widening, she looked back and kept her gaze locked on what she saw.

Perched precariously on a ledge only a few hooves away lay the Ultima Weapon. The sword’s pommel rocked back and forth on the thin edge it had fallen on, small sparks shooting out whenever the energy blade touched the metal flooring. Given how much the blade had eaten through already, it would only be a few more seconds before the weapon fell into the void.

Trixie reached out with her magic, probing for a grip on the pommel. Her grasp slipped, rocking the sword even more. The tenuous balancing act that kept the weapon somewhat stable came to an end and the Ultima Weapon began to fall.

Throwing all logic and reason aside, Trixie launched herself towards the sword. She skipped across the unstable floor, screws and panels falling behind her. With a desperate jump, she landed on the ledge and focused all her magic into a single point. The Ultima Weapon stopped its fall, a ring of magic surrounding the pommel. Trixie let out a relieved sigh.

The sigh became a scream as the ledge snapped.

Trixie fell face first towards complete darkness with no chance to twist and catch herself. She maintained her grip on the Ultima Weapon even as she plummeted to her doom.

She nearly lost her focus when a tug on her tail stopped her fall. Trixie craned her head up, spotting Rainbow Dash with her tail in her mouth and her wings flapping at hummingbird speeds.

“Ah whont hweet gwo!” Rainbow Dash said through grit teeth. A snap of her head tossed Trixie up and over to a stable patch of floor. Rainbow Dash landed next to her a second later. “Jeeze, you nearly died for that stupid thing! What were you thinking?!”

Trixie deactivated the Ultima Weapon’s blade and stuffed it under her cape. “Once we’re out of here, I’ll tell you everything.” She winked and ran off. “Thanks for saving me!”

Blinking, Rainbow Dash just shrugged and chased after her.

Twilight Sparkle

Terra Branford

Tubes.

Twilight Sparkle ground her teeth as she galloped through the very last place she wanted to be in. Large glass tubes lined the hallway she had entered. Many were smashed through. Some were not. All of them never should have been created in the first place.

Her cutie mark pulsed as though agreeing with her sentiment.

Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight stopped in the middle of the corridor. The Returners that had followed after her also came to a halt, alert and ready for any threats.

“What is it, Twilight?” Spike asked as he brandished his spear.

In answer, Twilight reached into her saddlebag and brought out a piece of magicite. The magicite glowed then floated up on its own. The red core pulsed as it spoke.

This is where we part ways, came the voice of Tritoch. I don’t wish for my powers to be used for destruction. Too many have died ever since you found me in that mine.

Know this, Twilight. When I’m gone, you will be one of the last of our kind. If you ever meet another esper, please show them a world without fear. The dream of coexisting still lives with you.

Twilight sighed and looked away. “I’m proof of that, aren’t I?”

Indeed. Fare thee well. The magicite gave one last sparkle, then dissolved away into tiny white motes.

Lifting her gaze back where the magicite disappeared, Twilight said, “I’ll do what I can. Good-bye.” She turned and faced her friends. “C’mon. We’re almost out.”

Zecora

General Leo

The Returners burst their way through more rooms with tubes, doing their best to ignore the increased regularity of tremors. Thorax had transformed into a copy of Umaro and the two bulky yetis crashed through broken doors and fallen debris with wild abandon. The two came up against a metal wall decorated with ragged Imperial flags and banners but the rust covering the wall suggested they could bust through it.

“Halt!”

Umaro and Thorax stumbled to a stop, inches from the wall. With confused looks, they saw Zecora trot past them and look up at the decorations.

“Now what’s the holdup?!” Trixie’s voice rang out.

Zecora held up a hoof, pointing at an ornate red mask that hung just above the Imperial paraphernalia. “This will not take long. I wish to claim something that does not belong.”

Unsheathing her crystal sword, she flung it upwards, expertly knocking the mask off the wall. The mask fell into one hoof while she caught her sword in the other. “This mask belongs to my tribe. It is important to me in ways I cannot describe.”

Zecora set her mask to the side, then faced the wall. In a flash of movement, a thin oval line appeared at its base. The zebra calmly walked forward and tapped the wall in the oval center. The cleanly cut metal fell forwards, forming a new doorway. Zecora backed away and gestured for the Returners to enter.

They took the invitation, running into the next room. Once the last one passed, Zecora took up her sword once more and jabbed it into the floor. The crystal blade sank halfway down. Nodding once, Zecora saluted the sword, picked up her mask, and followed her companions.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo

Relm Arrowny

They felt cool air.

No longer constrained by the amalgamation of the Empire’s old facilities, the Returners found themselves in crumbling rocky corridors. The feel of clean, chilly wind upon their coats was the most wonderful feeling they had ever experienced. A trio of fillies literally bounced with anticipation.

“What are we going to do once we’re out of here?” Scootaloo asked.

Apple Bloom grinned. “I wanna check out the zebra village! Hopefully they’re not stoned anymore and they can teach me all about their potions.”

“I wanna head back to the Opera,” Sweetie Belle said. She looked up at Rarity who was keeping pace with her. “This time you can watch the whole performance!”

Scootaloo cocked her head. “Ya know, I think I want to travel the world some more. Things are just going to be so boring back at Thamaresa.”

“Even after all you’ve been through?” Fluttershy asked from behind her.

Nodding firmly, Scootaloo said, “Yeah, I think that’s what I’ll do. Maybe Rainbow Dash would let me tag along.” She caught the eye of her friends.

Apple Bloom smirked back. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Uh, girls?” Fluttershy looked nervously between them.

Rarity frowned behind her mask. “Perhaps this isn’t the time—”

“Cutie Mark Crusaders World Traveling Mercenaries!”

Fluttershy lowered her head in defeat. “I’m never going to get my vacation…”

Rarity

Shadow

With a blast of magic and some yeti muscle, the Returners smashed their way through a wall of rock and out on the sphere’s surface. Open skies and blinding sun greeted them. They made it.

“Um… where’s the airship?” Stardust asked the group.

Pinkie Pie hopped over to an outcropping of rock and scanned the skies. “Limestone probably doesn’t know where we are. We need to find a way to signal her.”

“Fire off some spells,” Trixie said. She took a position with a straight shot to the open air. “Don’t hold back.”

Following her advice, the Returners cast their magic out into the sky. A booming fireworks display resulted, loud and flashy enough that the citizens of Trotzen got quite a show. Within minutes, the Paradise came into view above them and rope ladders were dropped down. Soon, Returners began to grab hold of the ladders and climb their way up.

One ladder drooped close to Rarity but was several hooves away from her grasp. Trying to catch it in her magic as it flailed in the wind proved to be a difficult task. “Blast it! We’re so close!”

“Um, I could try flying up to it,” Fluttershy said.

Rarity pulled back her cowl, her features firming up. “No. I’ve got this.” With a flourish, she stripped herself of her Mare Do Well costume, leaving her white coat exposed. Opalescence tumbled out, hissing up at her. “Sorry, dear.” Rarity looked down at her cat and smiled. “But I know how I can make it up to you.” She held out her outfit. “Shred it.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders and Fluttershy gasped.

“I won’t be needing this anymore. Might as well put it to good use one last time.”

Opalescence didn’t need any further encouragement. She yowled, brandished her claws, and tore into the fabric as though it had personally offended her. Within seconds, Opalescence reduced the Mare Do Well costume into ribbons.

“Perfect.” Lighting up her horn, Rarity took the shredded strips and began to tie the ends together. Soon, she had a makeshift rope that she levitated up to the ladder, wrapped it around the bottom rung, and tugged. The ladder stopped twisting around and was pulled close enough for Rarity to grab it. She smirked and offered it to her friends. “All aboard!”

Fluttershy

Strago Magus

Fluttershy held back, making sure each Cutie Mark Crusader made it up the ladder. The ground shook more violently than ever before but she remained resolute in getting every Returner off the sphere. At last it was her turn to make the climb. She reached up for the bottom rung—

The ground below Fluttershy fell away and she plummeted into darkness. She screamed but there were no remaining friends to hear her. In her panic she flailed her wings and legs but it did nothing to slow her fall. She didn't know how long or how far she fell, but her unfortunate descent ended when she landed on something soft, warm, and slimy.

Fluttershy groaned and spat out some mucus that had slipped into her mouth. Attempting to get up proved difficult as she felt multiple thin and slippery things wiggle around her. Her breathing became accelerated as whatever she fell upon began to move, nearly sending her tumbling to the side. Something grabbed her by the midsection and yanked her downward. A terrible, putrid smell wafted over Fluttershy, a stank so pungent that it almost knocked her unconscious then and there. A vision of the Skull Dragon flashed in her mind.

Snapping her eyes and wings open, Fluttershy let white magic radiated off of her feathers, illuminating the suffocating darkness. The light revealed a creature made up almost entirely by a large, veiny mouth. Writhing tentacles protruded from underneath the giant mouth to keep it upright while dozens of smaller buds squirmed atop its “head”. One of its tentacles currently held Fluttershy tightly as it brought her closer to its gaping maw.

“Oh! A malboro!” Fluttershy said with a squeal. “I’ve never seen one this close before.”

The malboro halted in bringing Fluttershy closer to her doom. A series of squelches and low belching noises came from its saliva filled jaws.

Fluttershy patted the tentacle holding her. “Oh, I’m very sorry about that. I didn’t mean to land on you and ruin your safety hole. Here, let me make you feel better.” Releasing the magic she had been holding back, Fluttershy sent out a gentle white glow that enveloped the malboro. The giant tentacle monster shook and let out a low hiss.

“You’re very welcome.” A tremor rocked the cavern she had fallen into, dislodging some rocks that tumbled down next to them. “Oh dear. Mr. Malboro, I’d love to stay but this place isn’t safe and I have to go. I can take you along with me if you’d like.”

The malboro swiveled its head from side to side.

“I see. Well, good luck to you.”

The tentacle holding Fluttershy jerked, flinging the pegasus up and out the hole she had fallen into. Luck was on her side as her boosted flight sent her on course to pass one of the Paradise’s ladders. She reached out a hoof and snagged a rung just as the airship pivoted away from the collapsing sphere.

And Our Readers...

.o.O.o.

“Is everyone on board?!” Trixie called out.

The Pie sisters pulled up the last rope ladder, dumping a soggy Fluttershy on the deck. They gave the hooves up.

Above them, the magical sphere cracked and shuddered, sending huge chunks of debris falling to the ground below.

“In that case, Pinkie Pie, get us out of here!”

“Roger!” Pinkie Pie took hold of the wheel and gave it a whirl. “Hold on tight!” The Paradise banked hard as the engines revved to their maximum output.

Trixie grimaced, feeling her body being pulled in multiple ways as she grasped the guardrail. She winced as a boulder half the size of the airship whizzed past. “Shining Armor! Get a shield around us!” From somewhere on the deck, she heard the stallion call out an affirmative and shortly after a pale pink glow surrounded the Paradise.

Seconds later, the airship rocked from an impact.

“I can barely see with that thing up!” Pinkie Pie yelled, straining her muscles against the controls to keep the Paradise level.

Twilight Sparkle flapped her way to the bow and took a deep, slow breath. “Follow me!” With that, she launched herself forward, passing through her brother’s shield and causing a ripple like a pebble breaching a lake. Twilight extended her flaming wings and shot out into the open air. Her esper form blazed with bright, fiery light, creating a shiny beacon against the turmoil around them. Her magic lashed out at anything that might impede their way, disintegrating and blasting apart stone and metal alike.

With a guiding light to follow, the Paradise weaved itself through an onslaught of falling wreckage. The Returners on the deck weren’t idle, firing off magic and cannons alike to keep the path clear. In a final burst of speed, Twilight blasted through a chunk of rock large enough to be a town and came out the other side into a bright blue sky.

“We made it…” she whispered. Twilight closed her eyes and took in the fresh air.

Her form flickered and dissipated, leaving behind a normal unicorn. With her eyes still closed, Twilight fell.

The Paradise emerged from Twilight’s destructive wake a moment later. The battered pink shield around it flashed and disappeared. Behind the airship, the remnants of Discord’s makeshift planet crumbled and crashed to the earth below. A huge plume of dust and smoke rose from the impact point, creating a rising cloud that stretched for miles.

The spectacle was lost on the Returners who were too busy scanning the skies. “I don’t see her!” Spike cried. “She was right in front of us!”

“There!” Rainbow Dash said, pointed a hoof over the railing. She made to jump but Pinkie Pie was faster.

The airship nosedived, rocketing towards the ground at an alarming rate. The Returners held onto whatever they could, the wind rushing past them threatening to tear them away. Twilight’s falling form grew closer but so was the unforgiving earth. Pinkie Pie wrenched the Paradise’s nose back up before it was too late. The Paradise’s engines whined and strained as the whole ship shook from the massive forces pressing against it. The very bottom of the hull scraped against rock and dirt, creating a long, shallow scar against the ground. Using every bit of strength in her hooves, Pinkie Pie yanked the wheel back and tilted the nose up to the sky.

.o.O.o.

Trixie stirred from her spot at the starboard. She let out a heavy groan as her body reminded her what being flattened like a pancake felt like. Everything ached, even her horn. Similar moans of pain came from all around her. Slowly, as every move twitched a nerve, she pushed herself to her hooves. Other Returners were doing the same and a quick headcount identified that they had all made it. Except…

“Twilight!” Ignoring her body’s protests, Trixie galloped towards the bow. At the very tip of the airship’s deck lay an unmoving purple unicorn. Trixie rushed over and held a hoof to Twilight’s throat. A moment later a weak heartbeat was felt.

Too drained to levitate her, Trixie draped Twilight over her back and made her way back to the center of the deck. Each step caused a grimace to Trixie’s face but she didn’t stop until she reached Stardust. Carefully placing the little pony down next to the chocobo, Trixie said, “Got anything left?”

In response, Stardust lifted a wing and reached into his feathers with the other. A small potion bottle was pulled out which he uncorked. With Trixie’s help, they poured the contents into Twilight’s mouth. The other Returners crowded around, silently watching.

Twilight coughed weakly, letting out a haggard sigh. With effort, she opened her eyes, taking in all the creatures crowded around. She smiled. “Thanks… everyone.”

The Returners cheered. Whoops and hollers were made, high hooves were given, and hugs were passed around.

Pinkie Pie, the loudest of them all, proclaimed, “Didn’t I tell ya? This is the fastest airship in the world!”

.o.O.o.

The land where Vectorlot once stood and ruled the continent was now an impact ladened wasteland. Tons of destroyed boulders, busted Imperial technology, and countless other oddities that had once been pony belongings now littered the ground. Low hanging dust clouds obscured the sun and would continue to do so for months to come. Anything that had survived the destruction of Discord’s patchwork planet had moved on to more fertile regions. All was still and quiet in this forsaken area of the world.

The sound of metal grating against metal broke the silence. A piercing screech split the air as barely functioning machinery ground for all it was worth. The cacophony came to an end with one final bang and clang. Once again silence reigned, but nopony was around to hear it.

Nopony, except one.

Blueblood heaved himself out of his personal bunker, tasting fresh air for the first time in hours. Cuts and bruises covered his body and he favored his front left leg as he dragged himself past the bulkhead. He took in great gulps of air, gasping as though having run a marathon, but he did not stop pulling himself forward. Finally, his body couldn’t take anymore and he collapsed only a few hooves from the bunker entrance. How long he lay there, Blueblood couldn’t say and didn’t care. He was alive and this was all that mattered in this moment.

After a time, Blueblood tried moving again. His body protested the movements but he struggled to his hooves regardless. Keeping his bad leg held to his chest, he half walked, half hopped across the ground.

He made it only a few more hooves when something bright and shiny caught his attention. Blueblood turned, expecting to see junk glinting in the weak sunlight, but instead he stopped fully and stared. A short distance away, laying next to two twisted hunks of magitek armor, was a shard of magicite.

Blueblood hurried over to it, a surge of strength forcing away his pain. He reached out with his good leg and touched the glowing green rock. Immediately, he felt his body lifting and all his injuries fading away. A bright light briefly engulfed his form before being set back down to the ground. The magicite was nowhere to be seen.

Focus came back into Blueblood’s eyes. He stood on all four legs, each properly supporting his weight. His white coat was once again pristine and his mane properly coiffed. Blueblood’s chest rumbled and he threw his head back in a long, exhilarating laugh.

Upon his once blank flank was now adorned a purple, gray, and gold compass rose cutie mark.

.o.O.o.

The Paradise cruised through the sky, a pair of vapor trails expelled in its wake. Below them the citizens of South Fillygaro waved back. Miles later a flock of chocobos ran across the desert to Fillygaro. A flyby over the zebra village saw Bon Bon, Lyra, and the zebras, both young and old, rebuilding their shacks and brewing new potions. The ponies of Mareanda cheered as they passed by, their crops growing even faster than before. Big Daddy McColt ventured out of his home to find the citizens of Neighshe had reappeared as quickly as they had vanished. Domare, though empty of ponies, was surrounded by bright and colorful flowers. Two groups of changelings came together over the lands of Triangle Island. Starlight Glimmer heaved a relieved sigh and shared a round of freshly baked muffins with her fellow villagers in Thamaresa. The ports of Nikhay and Albuck were alive with activity now that there were no more random chocolate seas to navigate. Gabby and the other griffons of Mount Chozo ventured out of their home for the first time in their lives. Discoland remarkably remained as it was.

Looking over the world as it sped by, Princess Luna gave a satisfied nod. “Tis a good world to wake up to.”

Next to her, Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Looking to rule over it again?”

“Nay, Sister. We are content to let things remain as they are.

“Though we did overhear dear Fluttershy talk about something called a ‘vacation’. I am… tempted to give that a try.”

Sunset smirked. “Sounds good to me.” She turned away from the railing, sweeping her gaze over the deck. Returners were animatedly talking about all the things they were looking forward to do once they disembarked. Sunset heard things ranging from “settling down” to “going on the next adventure” and everything in between. Rainbow Dash in particular was pestering Trixie to go looking for treasure.

Sunset’s eyes stopped on Twilight who stood once again at the bow. Her mane whipped behind her in a wave of dark blue and pink. Her eyes were closed as she let the cool wind pass by her. Sunset trotted up to her and gave her a small nudge. “Whatcha thinking about?”

Opening her eyes, Twilight looked over to Sunset. She smiled, a sereneness in her voice. “Peace.”

THE END

In Which the Loop Closes (April Foals)

Twilight Sparkle gave a content sigh as the credits for Pony Fantasy VI played out on her monitor. Joyous and triumphant music came out of the speakers as though reaching out and patting her on the back for a job well done. Once the final THE END screen came up, she trotted over and switched off the Super Fillycom Entertainment System console. With practiced ease, she took out the game cartridge, slipped it into its box, and placed it on the shelf with her other games.

“Finally!”

Twilight’s wings flared out and she spun around to see Rainbow Dash waltz into her room. “Rainbow! Stop barging in like that!”

“Sorry,” Rainbow Dash said in a way that made it clear she wasn’t sorry. “But seriously, it’s about time you finished.”

Shaking her head, Twilight put the rest of the SFES away. “Look, I just don’t have the time to play these things now that I’m a princess. I have a lot more responsibilities to take care of now. I’m just glad I was able to salvage my system at all when the library exploded.”

Rainbow Dash threw up her hooves. “But you did save it and you’re still so far behind! You’ve taken so long, the remake to the sequel is out!”

“Well, at least I’ll have something to look forward to once I get to it.” Closing up her drawer with the SFES console contained within, Twilight regarded Rainbow Dash fully. “Was that all you came here for, or was there something else?”

Rainbow Dash scrunched up her face and began tracing circles in the carpet. “Well… now that you’re done, I was kinda hoping you’d chip in for the newest Pony Pegastation.”

Giving her friend a curious stare, Twilight said, “But you’re a Wonderbolt now. Surely they pay enough for you to buy your own stuff.”

“It’s not the bits that’s the problem. It’s… well… kinda hard to come by, what with the recent outbreak of the feather flu and all. It’s slowed down production and nopony can get one.”

“And what makes you think coming to me will help?”

Rainbow Dash raised her forearms, taking in the opulent room surrounding them. “You said it yourself! You’re a princess now, so surely you can order Pony to get you one.”

“RAINBOW DASH!”

The pegasus flinched back from receiving the full force of the Royal Canterlot Voice.

Twilight Sparkle advanced on her friend, her eyes creased with anger. “I am not going to use my position to force others to give me things!” Her ugly visage wavered as she saw Rainbow Dash cowering on the floor like Fluttershy taking center stage at a Ponytones concert. Taking a deep, calm breath, Twilight let it out slowly and sat down next to her. “But… I wouldn’t mind going out to help you find one.”

Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up. “Really?”

Twilight nodded. “Really.”

Launching herself up like the last few seconds hadn’t happened, Rainbow Dash grabbed Twilight and gave her a great hug. “Thanks best buddy! You won’t regret this!”

“I… kinda… already… am…” Twilight gasped out.

Rainbow Dash let go and ran to the door. “Come on, daylight’s a wastin’!” She bolted out, her trademark rainbow contrail trailing behind.

Sighing and picking herself off the floor where Rainbow Dash had dumped her, Twilight headed after her. “You’d think with being a Wonderbolt she wouldn’t have time to play either.”

Author's Note

Okay, now we're done.

In Which History Repeats

Three metal beasts trekked up a frozen hillside, spewing dirty smoke that fouled the pristine evening air behind them. They were vaguely equine in shape, but where the head should have been located, an open cockpit cradled a living pilot. The pilots maneuvered their machines with a series of levers and pulleys, easily traversing the snow-covered terrain where other creatures would have struggled.

As the armored walkers crested the hill, the shining lights of a town nestled within a rocky mountain came into view. The three war machines formed a line abreast and came to a halt. Warmed by the heat of their iron steeds’ engines, the pilots took in the panoramic vista of their destination below.

“There it is, Snips,” said the first pilot, a thin orange unicorn stallion. He looked over the bright, but quiet, settlement below. “Neighshe. Our target’s in there, somewhere.”

“I’ll be glad when this mission is done, Snails,” the other male pilot, a stout cyan unicorn stallion, replied. “I could be back in the warm barracks in Vectorlot. If you ask me it’s just a matter of time before this whole continent falls to Emperor Blueblood.”

Snails nodded. “Yep. These miners might be tough, but they’re no match for magitek.”

Snips moved his magitek armor closer to the cliff edge. He narrowed his eyes as he gazed over the still and silent landscape. “Do you really think there could be an esper down there, after all this time? It’s been a thousand years! I thought the war wiped them all out, or drove them away, or whatever…”

“All I know is the intel I got from the general,” Snails said. “Her report claims that the miners here found an esper.”

“Yeah, but it’s probably just another wild goose chase, right?”

“I don’t know…” Snails said with a shrug. “There has to be a reason we were given the special resource for this mission. The boss must believe the rumors are true.”

The smaller unicorn nodded, asking with only a slight tremble, “If there is an esper, you don’t think it’s still… alive, do you? I mean, it’s been a thousand years ...”

“I don’t know!” Snails snapped, slamming his hooves against his control panel. “That’s why we have her.” He gestured to the third rider, who had remained still and silent in her magitek armor.

A young unicorn mare with a lavender coat and dark purple mane shot through with streaks of pink and royal purple sat within the third machine. Most strikingly, an iron band embedded with red, green, and yellow gems encircled her head. She stared blankly ahead, saying nothing.

“I dunno, Snails,” Snips said, a shudder running through his body. “She gives me the creeps.”

“That’s no way to talk about our secret weapon,” Snails replied. “Besides, as long as she is wearing that slave crown she’s ours to control. She can’t even breathe unless we say so. We’ll have that esper and be out of here in a snap. Now let’s move.”

Snips nodded. “Okay! But uh, can we put her on point? No sense in taking risks, right?”

Snails closed his eyes for a moment before nodding. “You’re right! Good idea.” Turning to the taciturn mare, he said, “You, we’re heading out! You’ll be taking point! If anypony comes to talk peacefully, let me handle the talking. If they’re aggressive, well then, I guess I don’t need to tell you what to do, right?”

The lavender mare nodded her head, staring with hollow eyes back at Snails. As her magitek armor lurched forward and down the hill towards Neighshe, Snips and Snails both shivered, though not from the cold.

“L-let’s get this over with swiftly, yeah?” Snips said. “I don’t like being around her.”

Snails quickly agreed, the pair engaging the servos of their walkers to follow the mare towards the waiting town.

.o.O.o.

With servos whirring, engines whining, and exhaust billowing, the armored walkers did not slow as they thundered across the snow towards the shuttered Neighshe city gate. The metal gate was broad and thick, able to repel attacks from monsters and ponies alike. Revving their engines, the walkers charged through the gate, sending sharp, metallic shards flying in every direction. The booming reverberations of the impact echoed throughout the frozen mountain vale.

“No way anypony could sleep through that,” Snips called out. “They’ll be on us any minute now!”

“So?” Snails said. He flicked a switch and a low hum filled the air. “Ignore them, the esper is all that matters.”

Their magitek armor clanged down the main thoroughfare. Within seconds, Snips was proven right as a motley group of four guardsponies rounded a corner, blocking their path. The guards were wrapped from head to hoof in tightly adhering cloths and furs to keep out the bitter cold. The lead guard whistled, and a pack of three snarling grey canines leapt out of the darkness to interpose themselves between the Imperials and the Neighshe guards.

Snips recognized them immediately. “Lobos! Don’t let them get close.”

“No kidding,” Snails said. “We won't have to. Now let’s see what our little friend here can do.” He turned to the taciturn unicorn in the third walker and pointed at the incoming lobos. “Kill them all!”

The mare nodded and stepped forward, leaving Snips and Snails safely behind her. She pressed a button in the console in front of her. The unicorn’s magitek armor leaned forward in an aggressive posture and a panel on the “chest” of the walker lifted open, revealing a rod sparking with electricity. A blinding torrent of lightning unleashed at the charging lobos. In the wake of the blast, the air reeked of ozone and burnt flesh. The ponies present could see that one of the beasts had been reduced to a black stain on the snow. With a shrill yelp of shock, its companions turned tail and fled into the night.

One of the guards growled and stepped forward. “Get out of our town, you scum!” he said, his voice slightly muffled by his wrappings.

“We won’t let Blueblood set his dirty hooves on Neighshe!” another yelled.

The unicorn mare remained impassive and did not acknowledge the guards’ defiance. With an enraged shout, the four guards raced forward to engage, swinging bladed cudgels. Their weapons paled in comparison next to the deadly magical machines looming over them, but still they came.

“Quick!” Snails shouted. “Take them down.”

Obediently, the unicorn placed a hoof against the console in front of her, the portal in the chest of her magitek armor opening once again. This time, a sickly green, undulating cloud of energy poured forth to envelop the charging guards. They fell as one to the snow, writhing in agony before their gurgling breaths fell silent.

“Messy work,” Snips said. He overlooked the fallen ponies, grimacing at the scene before him. “We better move before more come. I didn’t want to have this many deaths on my report.”

Snails stepped ahead and pointed a hoof down the street. “The new mine shaft should be just ahead. Let’s go.”

The trio advanced through the town without encountering any more resistance and soon found themselves approaching the entrance to the mines. They maneuvered their magitek armor through, the mare taking the lead once again. The tunnels were silent save for the clanging coming with each step of the magitek armor. Nothing came out to challenge them.

Snips smiled, looking pleased with their progress. “I guess we scared `em off. Ha!”

“Maybe,” Snails said, his voice hesitant. “Or maybe they've got something planned for us in the tunnels. I don’t trust these miners.”

“You’re such a spoilsport! Can’t you just think positively for once? I mean, every single time you say something like that, som—”

The cavern they found themselves in rumbled. Snips and Snails whipped their heads back and forth, their eyes scanning the walls and floors for possible traps, before they saw a small avalanche of dust fall from the ceiling in front of them. As they moved their magitek armor backwards, a massive spiral-shelled creature fell down through the new opening in the cavern ceiling and landed with a booming thud.

A guardpony poked his head down through the hole, yelling, “We aren’t about to hoof the esper over to the likes of you! Whelk! Crush them!”

The snail-like monster growled, its bass tones reverberating through the cavern like thunder. It inched inexorably towards the Imperials.

Snails snarled, positioning his magitek armor for battle. “You just had to go and open your muzzle, didn’t you?! We had a good thing going and then you ruin it!” He turned to the mare and said, “You, hit that thing with everything you got!”

The silent unicorn flipped a glass casing open then slammed her hoof down on the red button hidden underneath it. She watched without emotion as a panel in the shoulder of the magitek split open and a shining silver spike rocketed from the walker and slammed into the snail’s shell, exploding in a burst of sparks and flame. The snail squealed in pain before its shell started to glow, followed by a continuous flashing. Thick strands of lightning shot forward, striking against the Imperials’ machines.

The magitek armors started smoking horrendously from the damage, some of the joints fusing together from the searing heat. The walkers nearly fell over, their legs stiff and slow. Snips and Snails worked frantically to get their self-repair modes engaged, but the mare was forced to jump from her magitek. She disappeared in a flash of purple sparks, reappearing a short distance away as her machine erupted in gouts of flame, damaged beyond magical repair.

Snips stared at the destroyed wreck of the former mech, his mouth slack and his eyes wide. A growl from the Whelk roused him from his shocked state. “That’s it! You, whatever your name is, use all of your magic on that monster’s head! Bring that thing down!”

“And avoid hitting the shell!” Snails added, his hooves moving at a frantic pace to repair his machine. “I forgot about these types of monsters. We can’t take another attack like that!”

“Gee, ya think?!” Snips snapped, gritting his teeth. “Why didn’t you mention that before?!”

“Because you didn’t give me time!” Snails said, his focus still on his control panel when he noticed the mare’s horn glowing. “What does she think she’s doing? She’s not going to be able to levitate something that large, is she?”

Both stallions fell silent as they witnessed an act few ponies had ever seen. The mare chanted to herself quietly, her horn glowing a bright magenta before a radiant red glyph exploded from her body. The summoned power coalesced into an inferno under the snail monster, bathing it with flames. It writhed in agony, screaming tones alternating between guttural and a screeching falsetto, before trying in vain to seek sanctuary in its armored shell. The merciless flames didn’t recede, instead cooking the Whelk alive inside of its shell. Moments later, the monster simply dissolved into a puddle, the shell crumbling into dust.

Snips and Snails gaped, staring with unblinking eyes at the sight before them. Snips was the first to recover his ability to speak, asking, “Umm... i-if she can use magic that powerful, then... why would she be given a weaker magitek to use?”

“Err, maybe because of the better mobility?” Snails answered. “These can move faster than a pony could run, and longer too. Now we’re down a tek, and we still have to escape after all of this! How are we going to get her and the esper out of here?”

Snips sighed, before punching his console and snarling through his teeth. “We’ll worry about that when the time comes. We should keep moving before they can find another one of those monsters to throw at us.”

“Why worry about that? We’ve got her!” Snails said, pointing at the unicorn mare, who was lying on the ground, her chest heaving for breath. “Oh. Yeah, okay, good plan! Hey lady, are you hurt?”

The mare shook her head, though staggered slightly when she made to stand back up. She stood still, once again doing her best impression of a statue.

Snips shrugged at the display, moved his magitek armor forward and said, “Alright, Snails, you take point, just in case. Lady, you’re going to follow him and make sure nothing catches us off-guard. I’ll be taking the rear. Let’s move out! We have to be getting close.”

.o.O.o.

After several tense minutes of navigating the mines and their dead-end paths, the Imperials finally found the cave that contained what they had been searching for. In the center of the chamber was an enormous hunk of jagged ice. Snips and Snails both gasped, the sound echoing in the cavern. Inside, barely visible through the ice, was a strange creature unlike any they had ever seen before. It was three times their size, made even larger by its frozen prison. The gigantic proportions of the esper were hard to fathom, thrown off by the light manipulation the ice caused.

Snips looked to the mare, who, for the first time, showed the slightest hint of emotion, though he couldn’t tell what it was. Her eyes had focus where before they stared blankly ahead. “You stay put. Snails, come on, let’s go see what we can find out about this esper.”

As they approached the esper in their magitek, Snails stopped when he heard a small noise come from the mare. Turning, he saw her slowly take a half-step forward. He blinked, then asked, “Hey, what’s with you? Do you know something we don’t?”

Snips and Snails felt a lump form in their throats as they saw a flicker of confusion cross the mare’s face, the most emotion she had shown the entire trip. Snips flinched from a pulsing light in his peripheral vision. “Hey, where’s that light coming from?” He looked towards the esper, and felt like a stone had settled in the pit of his throat and stomach. The world around him faded away as the glowing esper took up the entirety of his vision. “Uwaaa—!”

Snails whirled around but his partner had disappeared without a trace. “S-Snips? Where’d you go?! C-come on, this isn’t funny!” He whipped his head from side to side, his eyes wide, but all he noticed was the pulsing light radiating from the frozen esper. There was no trace of his partner or his magitek. “W-what’s happening?! Aughhhh!”

The mare blinked and Snails was gone.

For the first time in her life, she was without somepony else to tell her what to do. She stood stock still for several moments before the esper started glowing again, though with a softer intensity than before. Slowly, she raised her front hoof and took a small step forward, an invisible force compelling her to get closer to the frozen creature. Barely conscious of her movements, she made her way to the esper at the pace of a snail, her eyes full of curiosity. As she neared it, it began glowing steadily, rather than in pulses, and the mare unknowingly glowed as well. She opened her mouth, though no words came out. The air crackled and sparked as electricity arced out from the esper to the mare. Her head and horn exploded in pain as energy lanced through her and to the slave crown. Finally, the sweet embrace of unconsciousness gripped her tightly and she fell to the ground, unaware of the world around her.

.o.O.o.

The first thing that the mare was aware of when she awoke was that she was warm. This was a significant change from the feeling of cold she last remembered. She almost started panicking, worried that it was a fire, when she realized that there was no searing, painful heat, but rather a low, comforting warmth that seemed to radiate from all around her. She moaned softly as she felt the ache in her legs and body and started to curl up so that she could rest more comfortably. She froze, however, when she heard movement just a dozen hooves away from her. After a second, she jumped from her position, only to get tangled in a heavy blanket and fell to the ground. She righted herself in a heartbeat, taking the room in a glance, before sagging to her knees as her vision got blurry, her skull pounding with every heartbeat.

As she tried to blink the light-headedness away, she felt another body press up against her, helping her to support her weight. “Whoa, take it easy! I only just removed the crown, too!”

From what she could tell, the voice belonged to an elderly stallion, though it had a gentle, caring timbre. She blinked a few times, her vision coming into focus, and she turned to look at the equine next to her. He was an earth pony with a light brown coat and grey mane. After a moment to make sure she wouldn’t get light-headed again, she said, “Wh-where am I? Head... hurts.” She grunted, wincing from a throbbing pain in her head that prevented her from being more loquacious.

The stallion gently held the mare down, preventing her from making any further movements. “Take it easy now, okay? No sense in hurting yourself.” He eased up on the pressure when finally she stopped squirming.

Content that she wasn’t going to try moving again, he pointed to a metal device sitting on the table against the far wall of the house. “That’s a slave crown. The others you were with had complete control of you because of it.”

“But... why can’t I remember anything?” the young mare asked, her voice weak and thick with confusion.

“Don’t you worry yourself about that, okay? It’ll all return to you eventually. Well, at least in time, it will...”

~ A mysterious young mare, controlled by the Empire, and born with the talent of Magic... ~

The unicorn’s face scrunched up, her eyes tightly closed, before saying slowly, “M-my name is... Twilight Sparkle,” she said in a hesitant tone.

To her surprise, the stallion seemed pleased with her answer and gave a low whistle. “Wow! Never heard of anypony recovering this quickly before! Now you just take it easy, okay? It takes time for you to remember things, and that’s not important if you can’t remember something immedi—”

Something pounded against his front door, making the stallion jerk his head towards it.

Twilight squeaked, jumped into the air, and hid behind the stallion, shivering at the noise. The stallion turned to comfort her, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder when they heard shouting.

“Open up!” a rough voice yelled from outside of the house. “We know you have that witch from the Empire in there! She’s an officer of the Empire and must pay for her crimes! Hand her and the magitek over right now!”

“Oh no, I have to get you out of here! Hurry!” the stallion said, leading Twilight to a door further back in the house. He reached down to pick up a saddlebag lying on the floor and set it on her back. “There’s no time to explain! Just run, okay? Make your way out of here through the mines! I’ll keep them distracted!”

Twilight gave a helpless look towards the stallion, her eyes wide with fright. “B-but who are you? Why are you helping me? I don’t know what’s going on!”

The stallion sighed. “Look, there’s just no time. I’m sorry! I’ll send somepony along in a little bit to make sure you get out alright. None of this was your fault, and I’m just doing my best to make sure you aren’t punished for something that you had no control over. Good luck... now go!”

Twilight swallowed even as she was shoved out the back door, hearing it slam behind her. She took a few deep breaths before charging forward, stumbling a little in the deep snow. Twilight saw a bridge up ahead and started to cross it, the wood creaking underneath her hooves. She was most of the way across the rickety old bridge when she heard voices yell beneath her.

“There she is! She’s heading for the caves! Cut her off!”

Twilight shrieked and started galloping as fast as she could off the bridge and into an opening in the mountain ahead, her hooves echoing against the walls as she charged down the path. Her breath came out in ragged gasps, the cold air cutting at her throat, making it more sore than her throbbing muscles. She slowed down to turn a corner, but saw guards pouring out of a side shaft ahead of her. Twilight slid to a halt, almost sitting down in her haste to turn around. Shouts from behind alerted her to more guards, forcing her to duck into a corner.

Her face fell upon coming to a dead end. Twilight’s whole body shook, her ears pinned to her head. There was nowhere to go and the guards’ voices were coming closer. She whimpered and backed up against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible. She gave a quick plea that whatever was about to happen would occur swiftly.

There came the sound of cracking rock underneath her body and before she could react, Twilight felt herself falling. Darkness surrounded her, making it impossible to tell how fast or how long she fell. Something struck against the back of her head and her mind spun with a small memory from the lockbox of her past.

.o.O.o.

A female griffon with wild head-feathers approached Twilight, who was strapped to a metal table. She couldn’t see anything around her as her head was bound and forced to look up. The griffon lifted a talon, revealing a gleaming metal band.

“Well, well, well,” the griffon purred. “How fast you’ve grown, Twilight. It seems like only yesterday that you were a little foal trying to pick up a pebble. Now you’re roasting our soldiers alive, without our orders.” The griffon reached down and traced a talon against Twilight’s face. “We can’t have that, can we?”

The other claw placed the crown around Twilight’s head and snapped it into place.

“There, now you’ll follow us without question.” The griffon chuckled, her beak splitting into a wide grin. “You’re ours once again, Twilight Sparkle.”

.o.O.o.

Twilight distantly registered her body impacting against the ground and remembered nothing more.

.o.O.o.

The old stallion sagged against the front door, having finally convinced the guards that he had been forced to help the “witch” in return for his life. The last guard had just left when he thought he heard something move in the back room. His eyes widened.

“The slave crown...” He rushed in towards the back, his body tensing for a fight. Upon his arrival however, he found his worries only half confirmed. There was somepony examining the slave crown but it was not one of the city guards.

The old stallion let out a breath and said, ”Hey! What took you so long?! You were supposed to get back a day ago!”

A cyan-hued pegasus with a rainbow-streaked mane and tail looked up, rolling her eyes as she replied, “You seriously need to have more faith in me! I mean, come on! This is me we’re talking about!”

~ Treasure hunter and trail-worn adventurer, searching the world over for lost relics of the past... ~

“Riiiiiiight, Rainbow Dash,” the stallion drawled, giving her a half-lidded stare. “That’s why it took you a week to go to those old ruins to steal th—”

“Hey! That’s Professional Treasure Hunter! And no, some jerk got there before I did. Luckily, it wasn’t what I was looking for, so it’s no big deal.” She waved a hoof and leaned against the wall. “So what did you need me for? You’re the one who called for me, right?”

“Yeah, there’s this unicorn I want you to meet from the Empire. Sh—”

“You what?!”

Rainbow Dash was in his face in a second, thrusting her nose against his. “This better not have something to do with that Imperial... witch I’ve heard about! You know th—”

“I know!” The old stallion pushed the pegasus out of his personal space. “There’s already been word about Imperial troops being sent here after her right now. We couldn’t even stop three magitek from doing whatever they wanted, so what makes you think that we’d be able to handle the Empire itself?”

Rainbow Dash scowled but didn’t interrupt. The stallion turned away and continued. “Right now, there’s no way that we can stand against the Empire. The only way that we can remain independent at this point is to join the underground resistance movement, a group called—”

“The Returners,” Rainbow Dash said. She rubbed a hoof against her chest, adopting a casual tone. “Yeah, I’ve heard of them. I even know a few. But what does this have to do with that witch? If you want an assassin, you know that I don’t do that kind of stuff.”

“Exactly,” the stallion replied, nodding his head. “You know that metal band you were playing with when you came in? That was a slave crown so she wasn’t in control of herself. If we could get her on our side, we might have a fighting chance against the Empire. We just need to convince her to help.”

Rainbow Dash remained silent, her eyes narrowed. “So, basically, you’re saying that she had no freedom at all whatsoever? Even if she really, really wanted to, she couldn’t do anything herself?”

He held the crown out, raising an eyebrow as he asked, “Do you want to find out for yourself?”

Rainbow Dash backed away, waving her hooves before her. “N-no! I believe you!” She took a deep breath, released it slowly and said, “All right. I think I’ll help her out, but I swear, if she acts even the least bit evil, I’m going to take her to the guards right away!”

Leaving before he could say anything else, Rainbow Dash rushed out of the house, heading for the caves at top speed, leaving a faint rainbow-hued contrail following her. Neighsheians looked up to see what was flying so fast, but all they saw was a fading rainbow heading towards the mines. As she drew closer to the entrance, Rainbow Dash slowed down and took in her surroundings. She saw a small shaft sticking out of the face of the mountain, meant to help with the ventilation of the mine to provide fresh air for the miners. Grinning, Rainbow Dash flew over to the entrance and glided inside, working her way down the mine in search of the mare with the strange magical powers.

Wherein We Start With the Longest Frickin Scenario

On a sandy beach where the Lete River met the blue ocean lay an unconscious earth pony. The cool breeze gently fluttered the hairs on her blonde tail while the water lapped at her toned hind legs. A few seagulls landed next to the orange mare and curiously pecked at the stray strands of hair that fell out of the brown Stetson hat that had somehow managed to stay in place during the pony’s journey. The seagulls continued to peck at her mane, growing more and more bold as they pecked closer and closer to her head.

Without warning, Applejack shot to her hooves and lashed out at the birds surrounding her. “Scram, you flying varmints! My mane ain’t no worms, ya hear?” The seagulls shrieked in surprise and flew away in a frenzy of feathers.

Once all the birds were gone, Applejack shook herself like a dog, shaking off as much water and sand as she could. Seconds later she took stock of her surroundings. The wide open ocean lay before her in one direction and plains that stretched as far as her eyes could see lay in the other. The river that had brought her here poured hard and fast into the open waters. Following its source revealed that the flow came from between two steep, high cliffs.

Applejack sighed. There was no way she’d be able to go back the way she came. That meant crossing the plains and hoping a settlement could be found that would lead her to Neighshe. Figuring that there was no sense in wasting time, Applejack stretched out her legs and then galloped off towards the east.

.o.O.o.

“Landsakes! There ain’t nothin’ out this way except monsters, plains and more monsters!”

A crushing kick impacted against the head of a beakor—an ostrich-like bird with feathers that drooped over its frame as though it were draped in seaweed—and fell to the ground in a heap. It gave a pitiful whine before closing its eyes and remaining still. Applejack didn’t stay to admire her hoofwork as she ran off before another set of monsters popped up to ambush her. The tall grass of the plains made it nearly impossible to spot upcoming dangers until she was nearly on top of them. Bites and scratches covered her body from when she had stumbled on a pack of stray cats and the nasty little things had fought like demons to protect their den. Needless to say, Applejack was more than ready to quit this place.

Gazing ahead, the displaced earth pony spotted a structure sticking up from the endless green around her and gave a whoop. Applejack doubled her speed, racing for the house and her possible salvation or at least a chance to rest for a while. The latter sounded especially good to her right now.

With a final push of her hindlegs, Applejack burst through the grass and into an open field—

—and slammed headfirst into a stone well.

A pained groan escaped from Applejack’s mouth as she slid down the unyielding surface until she laid splayed out on the ground.

“My goodness. That certainly looked painful.”

Slowly and wearily, Applejack opened her eyes to stare up at the source of the voice.

A purple face with blank blue eyes stared back at her.

“Holy horseapples!” Applejack shrieked. All her pains and grogginess vanished in an instant as she sprang to her hooves and kicked out against the strange creature standing before her.

With surprising nimbleness, the creature jumped back and out of range of the attack. “What’s the big idea?! How dare you attack me!”

Applejack shook her head, clearing her senses and managed to get a good look at her opponent. The figure was a pony but a purple jumpsuit completely covered its body. A purple cape, wide-brimmed hat, black wrapping around its hooves and a black mask with two blue eyepieces completed the ensemble. It was impossible to tell whether the pony was an earth pony, unicorn or pegasus. The only thing Applejack could tell, given the light voice and small size of the figure, was that she was a mare.

Applejack eyed the masked pony warily and asked, “And who might you be?”

The figure scoffed, a high pitched sound that Applejack had heard coming from one of the rich snobs from Jidhoof once. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” the mystery pony said. “Haven’t you ever heard of the Mysterious Mare Do Well?”

“Mare Do Well?” Applejack repeated. “Can’t say that I—” She stopped herself, her jaw hanging open and her eyes widening. “Wait. I do know ya! You’re that weirdo that goes around selling yourself to the highest bidder!”

“You make me sound like some cheap harlot.”

“Ain’t that what you are?”

“Absolutely not! I am a very expensive harlot!”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Right...” She turned away from the costumed pony and took stock of her surroundings. The stone well she was acutely aware of and beyond that lay the house she had seen on her way here. It was a simple wooden building with a shingled roof and stone chimney. Two vegetable gardens could be seen behind the house, each looking as though neither had been attended to properly for some time. Nothing else of interest could be seen so Applejack rested her gaze on the only other sentient being nearby. “So, um, any idea how I can get to Neighshe from here?”

“Neighshe?” Mare Do Well asked, a small peel of laughter following her statement. “You must be joking.”

“I ain’t. I have friends waitin’ for me there and I need to get there as soon as possible.”

Mare Do Well shook her head. “Honey, I don’t think you realize just where you are. You’re on the eastern side of the continent. The nearest civilization is Domare to the south and last I heard no ships are going there. Especially now that the Empire is laying siege there.”

“So it’s true then,” Applejack sighed and stomped the ground. “They’ve been our best supporter and now the Empire’s going to crush them to get to us.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothin’. Is there no way to get to the west?”

The caped pony seemed to mull the question over. “A landslide cut off the path that I took to get here from Nikhay but there may still be a way to get to there. You’ll have to go further south though, past Domare. If you can reach Nikhay there should be ships still sailing out that can take you to Neighshe.”

“Shucks. That’s quite the round trip. Well, I better get a move on then. Thanks for the help.” Applejack made to move but stopped when Mare Do Well stepped in front of her.

“Dear, you can’t be thinking of heading off on your own. You look like a wreck as it is.”

Applejack snorted and moved around the other pony. “Thanks for the concern but I’ve got no time worryin’ about that. Time’s a-wastin’ and I’m going to be late as it is.”

“Need a hoof?”

The farmer eyed Mare Do Well skeptically. “You wanna help me?”

“I’m on my way to Domare myself. There should be plenty of opportunities for me to offer my services to the poor ponies there. Traveling alone is never much fun and two sets of hooves are better than one. What do you say?”

Applejack still didn’t look convinced. “And what can you do ta help?”

Mare Do Well sauntered away. Applejack had the strange impression that if the pony’s mane wasn’t concealed by the mask, Mare Do Well would have flipped it in derision. “Come with me and find out.”

“Give me one good reason to.”

Suddenly, the door to the house burst open and a blue mare with a wild grey mane jumped out. “You there! If you’re not here to fix that stupid lawn mower out back, get off my property!”

“Reason enough!” Applejack yelped and ran after the masked mare.

.o.O.o.

“What do you think of my new duds?”

“Other than they are the most garish things I’ve ever seen? Really, you have no sense of style.”

“Comin’ from somepony dressed in pajamas.”

“My costume is not pajamas! I designed it to be a terror that dashes into the night. I am the mare that makes grown stallions quake in their horseshoes! I am Mare Do Well!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Applejack waved off Mare Do Well’s speech and inspected her new horseshoes adorning her hooves. The dull grey metal glistened in the sun and their sturdiness were a blessing through the long trek of the plains. Simple workhorse hoofwear but they certainly did their job. And bucking monsters in the head became its own sport! She couldn’t wait to tell Rainbow Dash about the three-hundred yard punt that she gave to a rampaging rhobite.

“Really, I can’t believe you spent your money with that chocobo on those and... that.” Mare Do Well pointed a hoof at the lasso looped around Applejack’s neck.

The earth pony smirked and grabbed the end of the rope in her teeth. A quick flick of her head sent the lasso into the air where Applejack expertly twirled it above her in greater and greater circles. “Hey,” Applejack said through the rope. “Ya never know when a little rope will come in handy.”

“If you say so.”

The two traveling mares grew silent after that exchange, content with their own thoughts as they moved further south. They passed several farms on their way and many ponies working in their fields but didn’t stop to visit. The brief encounter they had with the traveling merchant chocobo allowed them to stock up on supplies and gear, enough to get them to Domare. Both ponies were anxious to arrive for their own reasons, leaving no time to dawdle and chat with the locals. Still, even with the decent pace they were setting, nightfall came before they had reached Domare lands and were forced to make camp. Mare Do Well had come prepared and produced a tent for them to sleep in from her saddlebags, although the method in which the vigilante set it up raised Applejack’s eyebrow.

“So you’re a unicorn,” the farmer stated upon witnessing the sparkling blue magical aura surrounding the white tent canvas and retractable support poles.

“Why, yes,” Mare Do Well responded as she thrust the poles into the ground and draped the canvas over them. “Is that a problem?”

“Nah, jest making an observation. I’m more curious as to why your tent’s white. Doesn’t seem to match your costume very much.”

“Well, my outfit is best worn when I’m on assignment and helps me blend in during the night. However, I have a fondness for the purity of white, so allow me my indulgences.”

Applejack shrugged. “If you say so. I do appreciate a roof over my head in case it rains, so thank ya kindly.”

Mare Do Well stopped her work, her magic dissipating from the tent and craned her neck around to stare at Applejack’s hooves. “You are not stepping in here with those muddy things.”

Applejack blinked and followed the other pony’s gaze. “Wha? These?” She held up a forehoof and the dirtied horseshoe attached to it. “I can’t exactly just take ‘em off. Besides, a little mud ain’t gonna hurt your tent.”

Mare Do Well shook her head. “My tent. My rules.” She turned away and resumed her work. “Go find a stream or something to wash up. Otherwise, you aren’t stepping one hoof in this.”

“Oh, c’mon! We’re outdoors! How the hay am I supposed to keep dirt offa me?”

“Find a way.”

A low growl emanated from the back of Applejack’s throat as she sat back on her haunches and raised a forehoof to her mouth. “Fine. How about this?” She pursed her lips and spat over the horseshoe and rubbed it against the other forehoof. Once she was satisfied she presented them forward for Mare Do Well to see. “Now that’s a spit-shine!”

“EWWW!”

“Not the reaction I was hoping for...”

.o.O.o.

“Stupid, fussy, clean-freak unicorn...” Applejack groused as she made her way back to the camp. Her hoovers dripped with water from a brief dip in a nearby stream, leaving a trail of droplets behind her. But, they were clean and so help her, if Mare Do Well didn’t approve, then somepony would be getting a wallop that would end all discussions for the night.

By the time Applejack returned, the tent was set up and Mare Do Well sat in front of it on a blue quilt. The masked pony was busy trying to get a fire started with some dried sticks and grass collected nearby by striking two stones together with her magic. The pony seemed to be having a tough time of it, as no matter how many times Mare Do Well struck the stones, no spark could be produced.

“Hey, need some help there?” Applejack asked once she reached the camp.

“Not... necessary...” Mare Do Well answered, her voice strained. “I’ll... have this... fire... up... momentarily.”

“Maybe, but I’d like to be warm without havin’ to wait for the sun ta come up.” Picking up two rocks laying on the ground, Applejack smacked them together, producing a small spark that landed on the grass between the sticks and quickly lit a fire. With a satisfied smirk, Applejack tossed her rocks away and presented her hooves. “Barely even got my hooves dirty. See?”

Mare Do Well turned her head at the earth pony, seemingly glaring at her through her mask. “Indeed.” She tossed her own rocks away and settled herself on her quilt.

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the two ponies, each ignoring the other and concentrating on warming themselves up by the fire. After a few minutes, Applejack looked over at her companion. Mare Do Well seemed quite content with the quiet atmosphere, though it was hard to judge anything about the caped pony with her face covered up. Unable to stand the silence anymore, Applejack cleared her throat. “I, uh, um... was wonderin’... ah somethin’. Do ya mind?”

“What is it?” Mare Do Well said curtly.

“Well, I was just wonderin’ why it is... you wear a mask and all.”

“Hmph. Is that all? From the way you were stuttering, I thought you were going to ask me if I was into mares.”

“Are ya?”

“No!”

“Sorry. But you brought it up.”

Mare Do Well shook her head and groaned. “Honestly, I don’t know why that’s the first thing others ask of me. As if wearing a costume automatically makes me butch or something.

“Anyway, to get back on topic, I wear this fabulous outfit to protect myself. I do a lot of things for my employers that make other ponies, griffons, chocobos or whatever angry at me. I wouldn’t be able to walk down the street without somepony that I offended seeing me and trying to end me. A girl likes to let her mane down and enjoy the simpler things in life from time to time without having to watch her back.

“Not to mention I get to look spectacular while wearing this.”

Applejack nodded. “Okay. Sounds legit. Well, as legit as a pony wearing pajamas can get anyway. But... why do you do it? Money? Fame?”

“I have my reasons,” Mare Do Well answered simply.

Applejack made to respond, but stopped herself. The way Mare Do Well said that made it clear that she wasn’t going to elaborate further and the earth pony wasn’t in the mood to try and force it out of her. Shrugging it off, Applejack opened her mouth to ask something else, but movement from behind Mare Do Well caught her attention. Jumping to her hooves she cried, “Watch out!” and dove forward.

Something white burst out underneath Mare Do Well’s cape and attached itself to Applejack’s face. The farmer only had a moment to wonder what it could be before the biting and scratching started. Applejack gave a strangled cry and ran around in a panic, bucking and shaking her body to dislodge the thing attacking her.

“Opalescence!”

The thing screeched once and sprang away from Applejack’s face. The earth pony fell to the ground and held her scratched and bleeding muzzle in her hooves. She timidly peeked out through her hooves to see a white cat sashay towards Mare Do Well and sit next to her. The cat lifted her paws and licked off the blood coating her claws as though nothing had happened within the past minute.

“Wha... what in tarnation?”

“Opal, that’s no way to treat a pony,” Mare Do Well chastised the cat still grooming herself. “She was just being protective. Now, say you’re sorry.”

Opalescence hissed towards her newly bloodied victim before climbing atop Mare Do Well’s cape and settled in for a nap.

“Opal says she’s sorry.”

Applejack let out a pained breath and gingerly dabbed at her fresh wounds. “What kinda beast do you have there?”

“This is my partner, Opalescence. She’s been with me since I started. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for her.”

“Well, keep that fleabag away from me. I’ve had enough of cats today to fill a lifetime.” With that, Applejack headed for the tent, giving Mare Do Well and her cat a wide berth. “I’m heading to bed. This day has been one disaster after another.” She disappeared through the tent flap and minutes later there came the sound of light snoring.

“What do you think, Opal?” Mare Do Well asked the cat on her back. “Think it’s worth our time traveling with this country pony?” Opalescence merely yawned in response. “I suppose we can put up with her for a little while longer. Once we reach Domare, I’m sure we’ll be going our separate ways.”

.o.O.o.

Noon the next day found Applejack and Mare Do Well climbing a grassy hill as they continued their journey south. According to Mare Do Well, on the other side of this hill marked the beginning of Domare lands. Applejack brushed a hoof across her face, wincing slightly as sweat rubbed into the scratches from last night, and rushed ahead of her companion to reach the top. Moments later she finished the ascent and stared out at the scene before her.

More grassy plains stretched out in the valley below but the sight that caught her attention was the Imperial camp set up like a patch of dead grass within a field of green.

The camp was massive, and by Applejack’s quick estimate, around three thousand troops could be contained within. Platoons of ponies marched from one end of the camp to the next with more still running drills or checking equipment. The massive forms of magitek armor could be seen, sleeping giants against the tents surrounding them. Humming generators were hooked up to machines with claws the likes of which Applejack had never seen before and could only guess at their use. The growing activity could only mean that the attack against Domare was imminent.

Applejack heard Mare Do Well step up next to her but didn’t acknowledge her presence. Her eyes were glued to the Empire’s war machine.

“You look surprised,” Mare Do Well commented, her gaze also upon the camp. “You knew this was coming. Why the long face?”

Swallowing to regain some moisture in her mouth, Applejack said, “I... I just never realized until now... what it is we’re up against. The Empire... I knew they had the advantage, but this...” She hung her head and scuffed the ground with a hoof. “We need that esper’s help more than ever. I can’t see us winnin’ without it.”

“Esper?”

“It’s a long story and I don’t have time to explain it. We need to get past that camp. Have any ideas?”

“Hmm, I might. I was thinking of this very thing on the way here. Stay low and follow me.” Mare Do Well trotted forward, keeping to the taller grass. Applejack gave one last look at the Empire camp before following.

Progress was slow and cumbersome but necessary in order to stay hidden. An hour went by and Applejack had no idea if they were getting closer or not. All she could focus on was keeping track of Mare Do Well’s movements and signals. Stopping when the caped pony stopped and laying low when the other motioned for her to get down. How Mare Do Well was keeping themselves concealed when her outfit clashed with their surroundings so much was a mystery, but she seemed to know what she was doing, so Applejack was forced to trust her instincts.

Another hour later and Applejack’s legs burned with having to keep them bent for so long. Just as she was about to ask that they stop for a rest, Mare Do Well halted and beckoned Applejack to come closer. After carefully creeping up to her, Applejack peered through the grass that Mare Do Well had parted before her. Less than a hundred hooves were between them and the outskirts of the camp.

“The soldiers wear those bulky suits of armor,” Mare Do Well whispered. “If we can get ahold of a pair, then we can put them on and walk right on through.”

“Trick is to get ahold of some without being seen,” Applejack said back.

“Leave that to me.”

“Huh? H-hey!” Before the earth pony could stop her, Mare Do Well hopped from their hiding spot and into plain sight. Applejack cursed the crazy pony and set herself to jump out and pull her back. She missed her chance as Mare Do Well pulled back the collar on her mask. Her hat kept Applejack from seeing the face underneath but she was in full view to a pair of soldiers walking by. They passed a tall wall of sandbags that removed them from sight of the rest of the camp.

“Yoohoo! You there! I was wondering if one of you fine stallions could help me?”

Applejack facehoofed. “This is her plan?”

“I am so terribly lost and could use some help finding my way,” Mare Do Well continued to say. “I have a map here so if you could just point me to where I need to go, I’d be eternally grateful.”

Applejack heard some muttering, presumably from the soldiers, followed by two sets of hooves coming closer. Her body tensed, ready to spring into action and tackle one of the soldiers, but the opportunity was taken from her. The moment the two soldiers reached Mare Do Well, a series of sickening squelches were heard, followed by a muffled cry of pain and then two bodies falling to the ground. Seconds later, the dead armored ponies were dragged into the grass followed by a remasked Mare Do Well. A bloodied knife hovered over her head before being cleaned off by a rag and placed away under her cape.

“Quick, put their armor on and hide the bodies,” Mare Do Well ordered. She began pulling off the helmet and armor covering one of the soldiers and affixed them over her costume.

Applejack just stared at the soldiers, noticing that their throats had been slit and were spilling blood onto the ground.

“Hurry!”

Mare Do Well’s urgent hiss jolted Applejack into action and she began stripping the other soldier down. “Remind me never ta get on your bad side.”

.o.O.o.

“I feel more exposed than a sheep without its wool.”

“Don’t be thinking that. You have to act as though you belong here. Besides, there’s no sense in turning back now.”

Applejack winced at those words, her head turning back and forth within the confines of an Imperial helmet. Everywhere she looked she was surrounded by the Empire’s war machine. Ponies and even a few griffons moved past her as they carried out their assigned tasks to prepare for the invasion. Weapons were being sharpened, magitek were checked for mechanical errors and mess halls were giving out rations for the coming march. Even at the height of Applebuck Season, Applejack had never seen so much activity. She was a solitary ant within a colony that expected all its drones to go out and fight for their queen.

Or at least she would be if she weren’t already a part of another colony struggling to overthrow this one. Applejack had felt such hope when she learned that the Returners were expanding to over five hundred members just last week. Those numbers would barely fill the tented sleeping quarters she had just passed.

Her thoughts on the scale of opposing forces were interrupted by a siren sounding from horns atop wooden poles. Immediately, the soldiers around her and Mare Do Well stopped what they were doing and gathered into groups. Commanders quickly inspected their groups and marched them off towards the west end of the camp.

“You two!”

Applejack jerked to attention as a pony in blue armor trotted up to them, a frown visible from the bottom half of his helmet.

“What are you doing standing around? What squad are you assigned to?”

“Um... ah...” Applejack stuttered.

“We were just on our way!” Mare Do Well said, hooking a hoof around one of Applejack’s and pulling her off with the rest of the soldiers.

“Negative,” the commander said and stood in their way. “You’re coming with me. It’s too late to track down your squad so I’ll assign you to a new one, temporarily. Then, I’ll be sure to dock your pay for this lack of protocol.” He walked behind them and stomped a hoof. “Move!” The two disciplined soldiers quickly ran forward with the commander keeping right on their coronets. “Darned new recruits.”

The two mares were led to an open space filled with Empire troops. A wooden stage was set up on the far end with a podium placed in the center. The commander pushed Applejack and Mare Do Well into a group of soldiers near the middle of the pack, gave them a quick order to stay put and trotted off.

Applejack waited for the pony to walk out of sight. “Now what do we do?” she whispered to Mare Do Well.

“I’m working on that,” Mare Do Well replied. “Just don’t make a scene. Got it?”

“Yeah, I got it,” Applejack grumbled.

Minutes later, a figure climbed up on the wooden stage and approached the podium. Applejack sucked in a breath.

“Gilda.”

“Old friend?” Mare Do Well asked.

“Hardly.”

Up on stage, the griffon placed her claws upon the podium and spread her wings. A gust of wind suddenly swept past the crowd, carrying an ear-piercing whine. Several ponies and griffons cringed and flattened their ears until the wind abated.

“There, now that I have you dweebs’ attention, time to get this briefing started,” Gilda said, her voice sending out a burst of air that reached every ear in the square. “You should all know the plan of attack from your squad chief so I’ll make this quick. Domare’s going down, no matter what. Those losers think they can try and take us on? They think they can try and keep it a secret that they are supporting those terrorist calling themselves the Returners? Well, that ain’t gonna stand! We’re the greatest fighting force this world has seen in a thousand years! And we’re going to show them by leveling that piece of rock they call a castle to the ground!”

The army erupted in a roar of approval, stamping their hooves and claws to the ground and cheering at the top of their lungs. Applejack forced herself to remain still and not cover her ears to try and block out all the noise threatening to deafen her.

“How is she doing that with her voice?” Mare Do Well said above the ruckus. “It’s like she controls the winds themselves.”

“That’s because she does,” Applejack replied.

“What was that?”

“Ponies of the Empire, be at ease! I have words to say to you, if you please!”

The new voice carried over the army, silencing everyone and directing their attention back towards the stage. An equine climbed up onto the wooden structure and trotted up to where Gilda was standing. The new figure was a female zebra, wearing a blue cloak with golden trim and a grey circlet on her head, just below a mohawk mane. The zebra looked upon the crowd, her steely gaze commanding all present to pay attention.

“General Zecora, a pleasure as always,” Gilda said with a carefully controlled tone. “But I have everything taken care—”

Zecora thrust a hoof in Gilda’s beak, silencing her. “While your words do inspire, they come off as most dire. Allow me to say a few things and impart what war brings.” She stepped away from the fuming griffon and looked out among her soldiers. “We are here to spread the glory of the Empire, that is true. But a word of warning to all of you. When the time to fight has come, do not forget where you are from. Please remember that you are here to fight for friends, family and home. I do not wish for your loved ones to read your names within death’s tome.

“Emperor Blueblood would not want you to waste your lives upon the pounding of hooves and the stabbing of knives. Follow your leaders and do not overly strive and I promise you that you all will go home alive.”

The gathered soldiers looked at each other, a murmur building throughout the crowd as to what to make of their general’s words. Then came a hoofstomp from somewhere near the front. Another hoofstomp joined the first and then another and another. Soon, the entire army was stomping and hollering. Zecora smiled and bowed to her soldiers.

“Well whaddya know?” Applejack said. “I guess not all these Impies are rotten to the core.”

“Maybe, but that doesn’t help us much,” Mare Do Well stated.

“Alright! Move out!”

The order from Gilda galvanized the army into action. Squad after squad of soldiers began to march out of the camp and towards the west. Applejack and Mare Do Well were forced to follow, caught up in the flow like two leaves in a stream.

“Don’t worry,” Applejack said. “We’ll get our chance to get away. I ain’t gonna let ourselves get killed after coming this far.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Mare Do Well replied as the army marched closer to the kingdom of Domare.

.o.O.o.

“They’re almost here.”

Comet Tail lowered the telescope from his eye and handed it off to a guard next to him. The yellow-coated unicorn grimaced at the dark wave slowly making its way towards the castle. In under an hour, the Empire would be banging on their doorstep and they would be in for the fight of their lives. The castle of Domare had withstood the brunt of many an army throughout their hundreds of years of history, but no army had the technology like the one heading for them.

The only consolation that Comet Tail could think of was that the Empire had taken its time in starting their attack, allowing the surrounding villages and outlying farmers to be evacuated and sequestered into the confines of the castle. Now it was just a matter of keeping the invaders out for as long as they could and hope they gave up and went away.

“Fat chance of that happening,” Comet Tail muttered. “I knew helping those rebels would lead to trouble. Why’d we ever have to get involved, anyway?”

“Because if we don’t do something, then who will?”

Comet Tail stiffened. He whirled around and bowed to the white coated, blue maned pony that walked out on the parapet. “My liege! What is thy command?”

~ Faithful prince and proud husband, with the courage and strength of a hundred stallions... ~

“At ease, Comet Tail,” Shining Armor said down to the cowed pony. “You’re slipping into ancient Domarese. Keep doing that and I’ll sic Cadence on you. You know how much she loves teasing ponies when they do that.”

“Sorry, Prince Armor.” Comet Tail stood up and rubbed the back of his head with a hoof. “I’m just... it’s just...”

“I know. I know. The Empire’s coming and we don’t have much time.” Shining Armor reached over and laid a well-muscled leg over Comet’s shoulder. “But don’t worry. I’ve got an idea that may keep those horses from getting in. Come in and we’ll go over it.” He turned to the other pony nearby and gave him a nod. “Come get us when the army gets within a mile of us.”

The guardspony saluted smartly. “It shall be done, my liege.”

Nodding again, Shining Armor led Comet Tail into the castle proper. They stopped in the main foyer just before the steps to the throne room. Inside, a group of guardsponies stood in a circle speaking excitedly with each other. Surrounding them on the gray brick walls of the castle were dozens of tapestries, many depicting the kingdom's victories in battle and the heroes that rose from them. Shining Armor briefly wondered, should they survive this latest war, if he or somepony else would be honored with their own.

“Gentlecolts, can I have your attention?” Shining said, his voice carrying over the others’ talking. All the guardsponies snapped to readiness, forming a line before their prince. “Good. Now, the Empire’s on their way and will be here soon. They have a lot of numbers on their side and from what our scouts say, some weaponry that has never been seen before. But that doesn’t matter, because I have in mind something that will make them think twice about fighting us.”

He stopped, taking in the ponies that had served him ever since he had taken the position of captain of the guard. They were good colts, loyal to the crown and willing to face any danger to protect the land from outside threats. They had several battles to their name through skirmishes with monsters, each proving their worth dozens of times over. Shining Armor would need that dedication if his plan were to work.

“The way I see it, those ponies think they can walk in here with their fancy armor and big numbers and take us over easily. But what I see are a bunch of young and inexperienced foals that will break the moment things go wrong. They need the orders from their leaders to tell them how to fight or else they’ll have no idea what to do. If we take out the ones in charge, the rest will surely run off with their tails between their legs.”

The guardsponies looked to each other and nodded their heads, murmurs of agreement coming from their mouths. One of them raised a hoof.

“Yes, Greystone?”

“Sir, how do we tell the commanders from the regular soldiers?”

Shining Armor smirked and gave a knowing look. “It’s rather nice of the Empire to give blue armor to the ones in charge, isn’t it?”

.o.O.o.

The castle of Domare was now in sight and Applejack and Mare Do Well were still trapped within the confines of the marching army around them.

“Alright, this is what we’ll do,” Mare Do Well whispered. “It’ll be chaos when the fighting starts. We should be able to slip away then.”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” Applejack replied. “Though it rustles my jimmies to run away from the ones helping us.”

“Do you want to get back to Neighshe or not?”

“I know, I know. I don’t have much choice.”

A horn sounded from further ahead and the ponies around them began picking up speed.

“What, are they just going to charge against the castle?” Mare Do Well asked as her pace quickened.

“I reckon this is only the first wave to soften ‘em up. They left all their fancy machines back at the base. Probably use them to finish the job.”

“Hmph. And after all that talk from that zebra of not wasting lives.”

No more was spoken as the army increased its speed into a full on gallop, the earth shaking as hundreds of armored soldiers rushed towards Domare. Many began unhooking swords and spears while others brought out grappling hooks and hammers. Unicorns with bows and arrows readied to fire and lightly armored pegasi and griffons took to the sky. The army roared a battle cry that rent the air and charged the final stretch to the castle.

Squads of ponies quickly slung their hooks up onto the stone walls, finding purchases and started the arduous climb up the vertical defenses. Others crashed against the large metal doors that made up the main entrance to the castle, ramming their bodies against it over and over again. Ponies with specialized tools worked on chipping away at the edges of the doors, weakening their connection with the rest of the castle walls. Up above, pegasi and griffons dropped stones and threw spears.

Retaliation came swiftly and brutally.

Hidden compartments in the walls of the castle opened up, revealing unicorn guardsponies with their own bows and arrows held within their levitation magic. The element of surprise was with them as they rained down a hail of arrows at the attacking army. Many of the arrows harmlessly bounced off the thick armor that the Imperials wore but some slipped through the gaps in the plating, felling ponies left and right.

Domarians positioned behind the castle parapets threw rocks down on the ponies scaling the walls. Some managed to knock a few Imperials off their ropes, causing the unfortunate victims to crash down on their fellows below. The ones that made it over the wall were quickly engaged in hoof-to-hoof combat.

The castle’s own pegasi took off to counter the Imperials dropping weapons, engaging their foes in an aerial dance of bucking, biting and clawing. Occasionally a volley of arrows from either side would pierce through an unlucky pegasus or griffon caught in the wrong place, sending them plummeting to the war torn land below.

Slowly being forced towards the center of it all, Applejack cursed her inability to do anything. Lashing out at the Imperials surrounding her would be a quick way for her to be overwhelmed. There were too many even for a master bucker like herself to take on and manage to get away. With every step taken she was pushed closer to the front lines where she would be drawn into the battle against the very ponies that had helped the Returners get to where they were today. She would need a miracle to get out this mess.

The doors to the castle suddenly burst open, tossing the Imperials that were hammering on it away like stuffed dolls, and a platoon of Domarians headed by a large white unicorn charged through the melee. So sudden was the attack that the invading army paused to stare at the ponies rampaging through them like demons from the deepest pits of Tartarus. It cost many their lives.

The lead unicorn was merciless, cutting through any Imperial in his way with a gleaming katana held in a magical grip and barreling past the rest. No movement was wasted as he sliced through the barrel of a blue armored Imperial only to follow up with a thrust into the neck of another trying to rush him from the side. His cavalry tore through the ranks, pushing deeper into the heart of the army and targeting any pony wearing officer’s armor.

And they were heading straight for Mare Do Well.

“Look out!”

Applejack dove and tackled into her companion. The force of her desperate ploy pushed them end over end until they rolled to a stop several hooves away. They both lay on the ground, panting and shaking from the close call. Finally, Applejack raised her head and sighed at the sight of the Domarian brigade moving past them in search of more high profile targets. She looked to the one she had saved and gave Mare Do Well a gentle shake. “You okay, there?”

Mare Do Well groaned as she sat up and shook her head once to clear it. “I-I think so. Thank you, darling.”

“Shucks, I wasn’t going to let you get trampled by those nutcases. But boy do they have guts for chargin’ in like that.”

“Indeed.” Mare Do Well took stock of their surroundings, noticing that few soldiers were in their area. Those nearby were too busy running towards the castle or to catch up with the Domarians to give them a second look. “I think this would be our best time to slip away.”

“Couldn’t agree more.” The two mares stood up and headed for an opening in the fighting. The attack from the Domarians caused a shift in the battle, leaving large sections of the field empty of any living thing.

It wasn’t long before the two disguised soldiers entered one of these safe zones and turned to head south. That is until Applejack came to a screeching halt with Mare Do Well nearly ramming into her.

“What are you doing?!” Mare Do Well exclaimed. “Move!”

“Wait, look over there,” Applejack said and pointed a hoof back towards the castle. A lone figure had detached from the main force and was skulking around the west side of the building, out of sight of the battle. Even from this distance, Applejack could make out the red outfit that the figure wore. “Gilda.”

“What are you—hey! Come back!”

Applejack ignored Mare Do Well calling after her. She took off and raced towards the griffon without a glance back. Mare Do Well gave a cry of frustration and followed after her.

It didn’t take long for Applejack to make her way towards Domare Castle. Nopony challenged her or gave a token effort to stop her. The intense fighting in front of the castle entrance gave her the perfect opening to beeline straight for her target. Her eyes narrowed and her teeth bared as she saw Gilda edge around a stream of water next to the castle foundations, looking for something.

Gilda's ears twitched and the griffon tilted her head, catching sight of the soldier heading her way. “Hey, you there. I’ve got a job for you.” Gilda reached under a wing and pulled out a flask filled with black liquid. “I need you to help me find a drain or some—OOF!”

Gilda’s speech was cut off from the hoof striking her across the face. She fell back to her hind legs, a red welt in the shape of a horseshoe forming where she was struck. Gilda held her face in a claw and glared at the pony responsible. “What the hay is wrong with you?! Do you know who I am?!”

“I know perfectly well, ya gutless chicken.” Applejack reached up and tore off her helmet, allowing her blond mane to spill out and billow in the wind. She reached into the helmet, pulled out her normal hat and placed it on her head. “This is for torchin’ my home.”

“Applejack,” Gilda hissed. She set herself back on all fours, one claw still holding the flask. “Come to help your Returner friends here? Well, you’re just in time to die along with them.”

“What are you up to? Whatcha got there?”

“What? This?” Gilda grinned and held up the flask, swirling it around and making the oily substance within it slosh around. “Just a little something abstracted from one of our new toys. Wanna see how it works?”

“Give it here!” Applejack darted forward, reaching for the flask.

Gilda hopped away and with a flap of her wings, a gust of wind blew towards Applejack. The pony braced herself and rode out the sudden burst of air, but this allowed Gilda to put plenty of space between them.

“Gonna have to be quicker than that, mud pony,” Gilda said with a smirk. An opening in the castle wall next to her caught her attention. A small grate that let the water from the stream flow into the castle lay before her. “Too late.” With a flick of her claw, Gilda hurled the flask at the water.

A white blur shot over the stream. It landed a few steps away from Gilda, revealing itself to be a cat. It held the flask within its mouth with all the liquid still inside.

“Good work, Opal,” came a voice from behind. Gilda whirled around to see a pony in a purple costume walking towards her. “Now, bring that to Mommy, please.”

“Oh for Pete’s sake,” Gilda grumbled and buried her face in a claw. She winced when she touched the sore spot on her cheek. “Ah! That’s it! You’re both history!” The griffon raised her claws and a strong wind began to form around her. Opalescence yowled as she was suddenly picked up and whirled around by the invisible force, letting go of the flask in the process.

“Baby! Hold on! Momma’s coming!” Mare Do Well jumped forwards and reached for her cat with her hooves. She fought against the wind by pumping her legs as though she were swimming and managed to snag Opalescence just as the cat whizzed by her. “Got you!”

“No,” Gilda said with a dark smirk. “Got you!”

Mare Do Well cradled Opalescence to her just as she was flung from the mini-tornado and tossed through the air. She let out a pained grunt as she landed on something soft that helped cushion her fall.

“There! I got ya!”

Mare Do Well looked through the eyepieces of her mask and noticed a coat of orange acting as pillow against the ground. She turned her head to see Applejack’s face beaming back at her.

“Nice catch,” Mare Do Well said.

“Thanks,” Applejack replied. “I’ve had a lot of practice lately with saving ponies.”

“How touching.”

That was their only warning before a gust of wind blew them back and slammed them against the castle wall. Dazed, Applejack attempted to push herself up but Mare Do Well and Opalescence lay atop her, unconscious. A shadow fell over her prone form.

Gilda raised a claw, her talons glinting in the sun. “I never liked apples anyway.”

From across the land, a horn blew.

Gilda hesitated and looked over her shoulder. Past the edge of the castle, she could see the Imperial army was on the move. It was heading towards the east.

“Of all the times,” Gilda muttered and lowered her claw. She gave one last contemptuous look at her downed opponents before rushing off after the retreating army.

Now alone, Applejack gave a mighty heave and rolled Mare Do Well off of her. She rolled her neck causing a few pops to be heard and regarded the pony laying on the ground. “Now what do I do?”

“You get to go to sleep.”

“Wha—!” Applejack’s startled cry was silenced by a sword hilt impacting her skull. She dropped to the ground and remained still.

Shining Armor slid his blood-soaked sword onto the ground. Once clean he placed it into a sheath and turned to a pair of guardsponies. “Tie them up and take them to the dungeon. Make sure you strip them of any weapons and armor. I’ll deal with them later.”

“Yes sir!” The guardsponies saluted and went to work on securing the new prisoners.

None of them saw an empty, broken flask laying on its side near the intake stream of the castle.

.o.O.o.

“Holy guacamole! AJ wasn’t expecting that!” Spike said, once again standing on a black background.

“Well what did she expect?” Stardust scoffed. “She only tried to take on the end boss at low level.”

“Hey, I’ve heard a few can do a LLP just fine.” Spike coughed in his claw and turned towards the screen. “Anyway, we’re going to step away from Applejack and Mare Do Well for a while to once again open it up for voting! That’s right! Leave a comment for either Rainbow Dash, Twilight, or myself and Stardust and our authors will get hard at work on whichever has the most votes after two weeks!”

“And leave more votes for us!” Stardust cried out with a cross expression. “We only had, like, one or two votes last time. Show a chocobo a little love!”

“Personally, I’m enjoying my time off. This adventuring stuff leaves me stiff in the morning.” Spike raised a claw and waved at the screen. “So long! Till next time!”

Stardust also waved at the screen with a wing. “Vote pro-chocobo! Bye!”

In Which It's a Night at the Opera Part 2

Thirty minutes to curtain call, and all the little ponies from the surrounding area gradually filled in the lower and upper seats of the opera house’s main hall. A persistent din of conversation filled the air as the anticipation for tonight’s show continued to rise. No pony within the building wasn’t looking forward to the main performance.

No pony, except one.

“Come ooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnn, Tavi! Why can’t I wear my earmuffs? At least I could pretend I was listening to good music.”

“You will be listening to good music, Vinyl,” Octavia said. The gray earth pony sat within the orchestra pit located just before the stage. She strummed a bow across her cello strings, the elegant movement producing a pleasant note through the air. “If you would just give it a chance, you may surprise yourself with how much you enjoy it.”

“Fat chance,” Vinyl Scratch grumbled, a pout on her lips. The white unicorn stood upon the stage, idly twirling a pair of pink shaded glasses in front of her with her magic.

“You should take your seat. The play will start soon.”

“Joy.”

Sighing, Octavia placed down her cello and gave her full attention to her petulant friend. “Vinyl, this night is important to me. I’ll be performing at the most popular play in the last three years.

“I have gone to every party in the lower sections of Jidhoof that you dragged me to. You can stand to sit through one night.”

Vinyl rolled her eyes, placing her glasses on her face. “The guilt trip is getting old, Tavi. But fine, I’ll put up with this like a good little pony,” she grumbled as she trotted away, heading towards a set of stairs that led off the stage and into the audience seating.

Octavia watched her go, a frown on her muzzle. She sighed again and began tuning her instrument for the performance to come.

.o.O.o.

“Places everypony! The show ez about to start!”

Twilight Sparkle’s stomach lurched as Photo Finish raced past her, the earth pony a whirlwind of activity. All around her, stagehands adjusted levers and sandbags for opening the curtains and raising hidden trap doors built into the stage. Actors wearing elaborate costumes stood by, awaiting their moment to prance in front of the audience. Outside, Twilight could hear the orchestra playing a warm-up melody and beyond them the din of the crowd mulling about.

She swallowed, sweat running down her forehead in rivets.

“Nervous, Twilight?”

Twilight yelped, stumbling away from the voice. Mocking laughter filled her ears.

“Oh, this is going to be a sight to see,” Trixie said. She flipped her mane back, careful not to disturb the deep blue armor she wore or the prop sword hanging at her side. “I can’t wait to see you bumble your way through this. All for the best, really, as it will make Trixie’s performance stand out all the more.”

Twilight regained her composure, the chintzy suit of gold armor covering her body clinking together as she moved. “You’re not helping.”

“You know, there’s a saying these theatre ponies have that Trixie finds most suitable for this occasion. Something that’s supposed to wish an actor luck.” Trixie cleared her throat and gave Twilight the most sincere smile in her entire life. “Break a leg.”

Before Twilight could so much as blink, Trixie lifted a helmet the same style and color as Twilight’s armor and shoved it over the lavender unicorn’s head. A push and a shove later, Twilight stood upon the stage, confused and alone.

The curtain rose.

.o.O.o.

Spike munched on a bag of gems, courtesy of the opera house staff. He sat in a private booth overlooking the entire hall, with a perfect view of the stage. Next to him, Stardust had settled himself down in the isle, pecking idly at a bowl of seed and gysahl greens. Sitting on his other side, Rainbow Dash sat with her hoof propping up her head, her eyes half closed.

“I really, really hate the opera,” she grumbled.

Spike shrugged and said through a mouthful of gems, “Hey, it hasn’t been that bad so far.”

“It hasn’t even started yet, and already I’m bored.”

“C’mon, the least you can do is watch Twilight.” The little dragon put down his bag of snacks, laid back into his chair, and sighed. “I hope she does alright. I hate having to leave her with Trixie.”

“Big Mac will keep an eye on her,” Rainbow Dash replied in a disinterested tone.

“Yeah, well, he better.” Spike crossed his arms, staring out over the audience to the stage beyond. Above, the lights dimmed, the orchestra stopped warming up, and the crowd quieted. The conductor raised his baton, held his position for a single moment, then brought it down. The orchestra came to life with a bombastic song, full of adventure and grandeur. Slowly, the red curtains covering the stage rose up. Spike leaned forward, his claws bunched up under his chin. “C’mon Twilight, show ‘em what you got.”

The curtain finished raising, revealing a backdrop of a mountain range with a gorgeous sunset spilling over. In the center of the stage stood Photo Finish. She gave a deep bow to the audience and said, “Greetings, one and all! Tonight, ve present to you a tale of war, love, and loss. Two great kingdoms were at war with each other: the West and the East. The West’s great heroine, Celestia, fights bravely on the front lines. Even in the thick of battle, all her thoughts go to her true love, Sombra. ‘Is Sombra safe? Is Sombra vaiting?’” Photo Finish bowed again and trotted off stage.

A spotlight lit up the right side of the stage, highlighting a lavender unicorn wearing shiny golden armor.

.o.O.o.

Twilight Sparkle squinted against the harsh light striking her eyes. She could barely see the stage ahead of her, much less the crowd beyond it. She swallowed, taking tiny, cautious steps to the center. She worked her mouth but no words came forth. The music began to swell, with seconds remaining before she would have to start singing.

Across the stage, a half-dozen ponies wearing reddish-brown suits ran towards the center. From behind Twilight, an equal amount of ponies wearing shabby orange clothes with purple turbans charged past her at the first group. The two mock armies met and began swinging prop swords, bucking their legs and missing by several inches, raising a ruckus that the orchestra just barely beat out.

Twilight quickened her pace. She needed to get to the front of the two battling sides in order to make her cue. She could see Photo Finish, standing behind the left stage’s curtain, gesture with her hoof to hurry up. Her heart beating so fast Twilight felt it would burst out of her chest, she put on more speed. A pony wearing the red suit of the East jumped in front of her, swinging his sword towards her head.

Reflexes pounded into her from Spike and Rainbow Dash’s lessons took over, her magic raising her large plastic broadsword up to meet the descending strike. A resounding crack filled the air. That one sound overtook all of Twilight’s senses.

Everything went silent. Even the orchestra couldn’t reach her ears. All she could focus on was the sword she had blocked and the hairline fracture present in the East pony’s weapon. Twilight’s eyes widened and she jerked back. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to take the hit and fall to the floor, not react like somepony was trying to kill her! The East actor blinked and watched as his sword broke in two, the blade end dropping to the stage with a dull thunk.

Sound returned. The orchestra reached its highest crescendo yet. The East side actors, veterans through and through, improvised.

“It’s true!”

“Celestia’s might is too much for us!”

“Retreat!”

The East ponies fled back the way they came, leaving Twilight and the West soldiers the sole occupants of the stage. The music changed once again, the orchestra playing a more beat oriented song.

One of the West actors poked Twilight in the rump. “That’s your cue,” he stage whispered.

She sucked in a sharp breath. This was it. The opening solo of the play. This had to go right or it would sour the rest of the production. Nopony would be able to bail her out of this if she screwed up.

Twilight’s chest welled up in preparation, she opened her mouth—

—and a tiny squeak trickled past her lips.

The actors blinked and looked to each other, a look of apprehension passing between them.

A small dart pierced the soft flesh beneath Twilight’s cutie mark.

~Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh, Sombra! Saved from the claw

Of the evil dragon lord.

I must fight the darkest hoards

So that peace can be restored!~

Stage left, Photo Finish smirked. She placed the blowgun in her hooves back under her clothes. “Verks every time.”

.o.O.o.

“That’s my girl!”

An angry round of shushing coerced Spike to sheepishly sit back down in his seat. Once everypony’s attention was back on the play, Spike leaned over to Stardust and whispered, “Hey. Let’s go backstage and check up on the others. I wanna rub this in Trixie’s face.”

Stardust ignored him and tilted his head back, allowing gravity to assist him in swallowing more food than should be possible.

“Dude, that’s pretty gross.”

The sliver chocobo finished his meal and gave Spike a cross look. “Like you’re one to talk.” He flicked a wing, scattering bits of gems scattered all over Spike’s seat.

“Heh, uh, yeah,” Spike said, blushing at the mess. He wiped off as much as he could, creating a small, multicolored dusting on the floor. “Meh, the cleaning guys will take care of this. Now come on, let’s go see Twilight.”

“Fine.” Stardust rose from his position on the floor and stretched out his wings.

“Hey!” came a shout from the back. “Down in front!”

“I think the sooner the better,” Stardust said. He gathered up his bags and soon he and Spike headed for the stairs leading down.

Left behind, Rainbow Dash snored.

.o.O.o.

“Okay girls, you all ready?”

~ A mischievous unicorn whose innocent voice can woo all that listen upon it. ~

“You bet, Sweetie Belle!”

~ Her stunts are amazing spectacles that never fail to impress anypony watching. ~

“That’s right, Scootaloo. We’ll have the secrets of the cutie marks in no time!”

~ A rambunctious filly with an affinity for potions.
She seeks to learn the mysteries of the strange phenomenon known as cutie marks... ~

“Apple Bloom, all set with the disguises?” Sweetie Belle asked.

The earth filly lifted up three sets of janitor outfits. “Yup! Just need to put them on and we’ll be able to go anywhere.”

“Great. Nopony will even think to suspect us if we go in looking like we belong.”

The three fillies gave a cheer of, “Cutie Mark Crusaders Deep Undercover! Yay!” and raised up a hoof, smacking them together high above their heads.

“Why are you girls making so much noise during a production?”

As one, they all froze. Slowly, they twisted their heads to see a pony glaring down at them.

“Uh,” came Apple Bloom’s reply.

“Where are your parents?” the pony asked, his no-nonsense expression making it clear that he wasn’t going to accept any funny business.

Scootaloo decided to test that theory anyway. In a whirl of motion, she stood before the stallion wearing one of the janitor uniforms. “You are wrong, sir. We are here to fix the… the ah…”

“Rigging,” Apple Bloom whispered.

“Rigging! That’s it, the rigging. We noticed that it was coming loose so we need to get in there—” she pointed past the stallion to the actor waiting area— “to tighten it up. So, if you’ll excuse us, we need to get going.” She strode confidently forward, not looking at the stallion.

A leg stomped down in her path. “I think you kids should leave. Now.”

“Now wait a minute, we—”

One second, Scootaloo was standing tall against the stallion. The next, she, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom found themselves dumped out in the main hall.

“And stay out!” the stallion bellowed, slamming the backstage door behind him.

“Jerk,” Scootaloo said.

Untangling herself from her friends, Sweetie Belle considered the situation before them. “Maybe we should have gone with extras instead.”

“Well now what are we gonna do?” Apple Bloom asked. “We gotta get in there and ask about them cutie marks.”

“Excuse us.”

The three fillies yelped. Whirling around, they blinked at the sight before them. A dragon less than a hoof taller than they were and a chocobo tapping a talon impatiently stood waiting for them to move. Sweetie Belle gave a sheepish smile and slid out of the way. The dragon wasted no time in walking up to the door and knocking. The door opened, revealing the stallion from before. “What now?”

The dragon smiled up at him. “Hello, me and my bud here need to see Twilight.” He took a deep breath and blew, a stream of green fire trailing from his mouth. The fire swirled in the air before coalescing into a brown piece of paper. The dragon snatched up the paper and held it up for the stallion to see. “That weird pony in the glasses gave this to us so we could go back stage.”

The stallion leaned forward, his eyes roving over the paper. At last he sighed and stepped back to allow the dragon room. “Go ahead. Just don’t make too much noise.”

“Thanks!” said the dragon. He beckoned the chocobo to come forward. The duo walked on past and through the door.

If the stallion had been paying closer attention, he would have seen three small ponies carefully walking underneath the wide girth of the chocobo.

.o.O.o.

Big Macintosh smiled. Twilight was really holding her own out there, surprising for such a normally timid girl. It was nice to see her excelling for once.

“Hey, big guy, you’re on in five,” said a passing stagehand.

“Eeyup,” replied Big Macintosh. He looked down at the open script laying on the floor, reading through it one last time.

“Big Mac!”

The stallion looked up, spotting Spike and Stardust heading his way. He waved them over, putting away the script.

Spike wasted no time, nudging Big Macintosh playfully in the ribs with an elbow. “She’s doing great out there, isn’t she?”

“Eeyup.”

“You’re going out soon, right?”

“Eeyup.”

“Good luck. I know you’ll do great.” Spike glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings. “Trixie hasn’t been causing any trouble, has she?”

“Nope.”

“Good. We might just get through this night.”

“There you are!”

Before he could react, three small fillies crowded around Big Macintosh and began speaking all at the same time.

“How did you get a cutie mark?”

“You’ve got secrets! Spill ‘em!”

“Let me see your butt!”

Big Macintosh stared blankly at all the fillies jumping and yelling around him. He opened his mouth to speak but each time one of the girls would pipe up and drown out his voice. He barely made out what they were saying. Something about cutie marks?

He was saved from further harassment when a stagehand ran up to them and hissed, "What is all this commotion?! We have a play in production, you know. And you," he thrust a hoof at Big Macintosh, "are on in less than a minute. Get ready."

"Uh... eeyup?" was all Big Macintosh could say.

"But he hasn't told us how he got a cutie mark!" cried out Sweetie Belle.

"Oh, that?" Stardust said, looking between the three wide eyed and pushy fillies. He reached into a bag with his wing and pulled out a magicite shard. "Something to do with this. He just held it and—"

Scootaloo, using Apple Bloom as a springboard, hopped up and knabbed the magicite right from Stardust’s clutches. "Let's beat it!" She took off, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom running after her.

"Hey!" Stardust exclaimed. He felt Spike land on his back, a claw pointing at the fleeing fillies.

"After them!"

Stardust didn't need to be told twice. A burst of speed rocketed the two out of the backstage area, their forms gone in seconds.

Big Macintosh blinked. He took a step towards where Stardust and Spike had exited, but a hoof to his chest stopped him.

"You're not going anywhere except that way," the stagehand said, nodding his head towards the stage. "You concentrate on the play. I'll deal with everything else."

Swallowing, Big Macintosh nodded. He turned around, facing the stage. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and stepped out onto a balcony.

.o.O.o.

“Ze war raged on and on, with neither side making a decisive blow. At Celestia’s castle, Sombra, her one true love, protected the castle vile she was away. One day, Celestia vanished without a trace, leaving her sister Luna to take up the war in her stead. However, Sombra never stopped hoping for the day Celestia would return.”

With her narration over, Photo Finish bowed and exited the stage. The curtain rose, revealing a stone castle with a large balcony overlooking the theater. A polished wooden door opened and a new actor stepped out.

All across the audience, a collective swoon overcame the female populace as Big Macintosh, dressed in a black tuxedo that hugged against his muscled frame, took his place atop the balcony set. The music changed to a softer tone, giving a subtle undercurrent from the bombastic overtures from the beginning. Big Macintosh raised his head to the deep blue, glittering backdrop that represented the night sky and began to sing.

~Oh my princess, my one true love,

Will you soon bring back our hope?

Our smiles fade away, a bit day by day,

We need you here to help cope.

With the darkness, this imbalance.

It profanes the very soil

Your hooves trod upon, each day with the dawn,

It seeks to corrupt our hearts.~

His deep, velvety voice carried throughout the theater, reaching every ear in the house. Even Rainbow Dash, fast asleep in her chair, had her ears twitch in response. An audible sigh escaped the mares watching, clinging to their dates and escorts a little tighter.

~Luna needs you to keep her strong.

She works harder than you know

To keep us all safe, her own health forsakes,

All for a sense to belong.~

At last, Big Macintosh finished the verse. He smiled softly and took a bow. A door on the other end of the balcony opened and he headed towards it. The moment he stepped through, the set pieces swiveled on hidden rollers, spinning into view a ballroom. Big Macintosh trotted to the center and stood, waiting.

He didn't have to wait long as a set of stairs hidden in shadows lit up, revealing Twilight Sparkle walking down them. Dressed in a flowing, shimmering golden dress, Twilight walked up to the stallion, a hint of pink coloring her cheeks.

"R-ready?" she stage whispered to him.

"Eeyup."

She swallowed, her chest rising and falling with the quickening of her breath. "Then... let's do th-this." Louder, to the audience, she said, "Oh Sombra! Let’s not waste this chance encounter. Dance with me!" She held out a hoof, bottom up. Big Macintosh smiled and placed his own hoof upon it. At that moment, the orchestra reached a continuous melody. Twilight wasted no time, moving her hooves in time with the beat, Big Macintosh following her lead. Every few seconds, Twilight glanced down at the floor and the red tape that marked where she needed to step.

The opera house crew were not taking any chances with the newbies.

The dance continued, Twilight and Big Macintosh carefully watching their steps. It wasn’t the most grandiose routine ever displayed. Many of the crew watching found it to be awkward and with little chemistry. However, beggars couldn’t be choosers and the show must go on.

Twilight reached the final step and gave a girlish giggle. She smiled and nodded up at her partner, her eyes sparkling with wonder. There came a flash from a spotlight above, bathing Twilight Sparkle and Big Macintosh in a bright light that obscured their forms. When the light receded, Twilight was gone. In her place lay a bouquet of deep red roses.

Big Macintosh picked them up in his mouth and headed for the edge of the stage. Once there, he chucked the bundle of flowers into the audience, causing a scream of delight from the mares who jumped from their seats to grab it. As a small war raged over the bouquet, Big Macintosh began to sing.

~Still we trust you will find a way

To stop the shadow’s march.

I believe in you, my heart will stay true

As we head into the frey.

We will stay strong, fighting darkness

We will never fade away!

You’re our kingdom’s sun, we will fight as one,

Until you come back one day.~

His voice lingered on the final note, its cadence drifting over all in attendance. The crowd came alive, clapping and cheering despite the ushers urgently shushing them. Behind Big Macintosh, a stallion dressed in ornate clothes galloped onto the stage.

“The East has sprung a surprise attack! Princess Luna requests your presence at once,” he said. “My liege, please, forget about Celestia and live for the present!”

Big Macintosh lowered his head. He remained there, the orchestra slowly coming down to a more sombre melody. He nodded and turned towards the stallion. The pair walked off stage, the orchestra strumming its final notes.

.o.O.o.

“Come back here!”

Spike’s cry fell on deaf ears. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo raced through the opera halls, their ill gotten gain passing between them.

Scootaloo tossed the unresponsive magicite to Sweetie Belle. “You hold it! It’s not working for me!”

The shard landed on Sweetie Belle’s back, threatening to teater off and forcing her to stop and balance it. “Nothing’s happening!”

Stardust rushed at her, his wings extended. “Got ya!”

The tiny unicorn shrieked and bucked, knocking the chocobo in the chin and sending the magicite flying through the hall. It sailed past Scootaloo’s attempt to grab it with her hooves but was plucked out of the air by a limber red tail. “Got it!” Apple Bloom cheered and booked it towards an open door close by. She dove for the opening, ready to hide behind whatever was in the next room—

—and collided headfirst into the pony exiting from the other side.

Twin cries of pain filled the hall, along with a whoosh of air as the magicite once again became airborne. The pony exiting the room recovered just in time to catch the shard before it collided with her face. “Oh dear,” Fluttershy said. “That wouldn’t have been nice.” Wincing at the sore spot just below her shoulder, she looked down to see Apple Bloom sprawled out in a dizzy heap. “Girls, are you alright?”

“Fluttershy, go long!” Scootaloo called out from further down the hall, bouncing on her hind legs even as both forelegs were raised above her head.

“Um, what’s going—?” She got no further as the magicite in her hooves began to glow. Everyone shielded their eyes from the intense white light that burst from the stone. The light continued to shine for a few more moments, then abruptly went out.

It took several seconds for everyone’s eyes to focus back to normal. Blinking their eyes, everyone turned to Fluttershy, who sat motionless and staring ahead. It took Apple Bloom calling to her and waving a hoof back and forth across her muzzle to snap her back to awareness. “Oh, goodness. That was… strange.”

“Fluttershy, are you alright?” asked Sweetie Belle.

Fluttershy rubbed her eyes and gave a soft groan. “I think so.” She removed her hooves from her eyes and faced her little charges. “Girls? What’s going—”

“OH MY GOSH!”

The sudden cry caused Fluttershy to whiny in shock and knocked her on her back. “Ow, not so loud, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said, sitting up. “You startled me.”

“But… b-b-b-but… but,” the pegasus filly stammered.

“But what?”

“Your butt is what!” Scootaloo thrust a hoof forward, pointing at Fluttershy’s flank.

“What are you going on… about.” She trailed off as she finally caught a glance at her flanks. Instead of a well groomed coat, there lay a trio of blue butterflies with white angel wings. “How did… what?”

“Holy guacamole,” Spike said, noticing the new markings as well. “I think you just bonded with that esper.”

Stardust nodded, inspecting Fluttershy’s opposite flank. “Yeah, just like Big Macintosh said.”

“You got a cutie mark!” Sweetie Belle said. “No fair, I wanted to get it.”

“Hey, you two!” Apple Bloom spoke towards Spike and Stardust. “You guys seem to know a lot about this. Spill the beans!”

Spike blinked, pointing a claw at himself. “Who, us? Uh, not really. I guess Trixie would be the expert. She’s the one that called these things cutie marks.”

“She knows about ‘em? Well, where is she?”

“Don’t know. Probably getting ready for her part in the play.”

That was all she needed to hear. Sprinting away, Apple Bloom called over her shoulder, “Cutie Mark Crusaders, we have a new mission! Find this Trixie and get her to tell us how to get cutie marks!”

“Yeah!” cheered Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They ran after her, the three fillies quickly disappearing around a corner.

“Hey, wait a sec!” Spike said, rushing after them. “You’re going to ruin Twi’s big moment! C’mon Star, after them!”

Stardust let out a disgusted noise and followed. “I don’t get paid enough for this.”

Soon, the hallway was empty. Except for one mare.

“Um, okay. I suppose I’ll just… follow then. That’s fine.” Taking a deep, calming breath, Fluttershy trotted down the hallway, her new cutie marks dutifully staying at her side.

.o.O.o.

The self proclaimed Great and Powerful Trixie paced back and forth within the actor waiting room. Finally, it was time to make her grand entrance, and not a moment too soon. A scowl marred her otherwise pretty features as her mind’s eye remembered the audiences’ pleased faces. Twilight Sparkle had surprised everypony with her performance so far, Trixie most especially.

“Trixie will show them a performance the whole world won’t forget,” she muttered to herself.

Seconds later, a stagehand poked his head through the door of the room. “Hey, lady, you’re up.”

“Good! Let the real show begin!” Donning a bright silver helmet, Trixie marched out of the room and towards her destiny.

.o.O.o.

High above the stage, three determined fillies carefully made their way over rickety wooden planks. Each plank supported a different backdrop that would rise and fall depending on the scene. The fillies now used these planks to slip in without being detected by the pursuing dragon and chocobo. With any luck, they would be on their way to discovering the mysteries of the cutie mark very soon.

“Hold up,” Apple Bloom said, stopping over a view of the back stage. The curtain closed off this section from the audience. Below, stagehands hurried to set up props while actors got into place. Apple Bloom swept her gaze over each pony, her nose scrunched and her eyes narrowed. “Which one is she?”

Behind her, Sweetie Belle shrugged. “Um, I don’t know.”

“Well, all we have to do is get down there and ask,” Scootaloo said. “One of them’s got to be her.”

“Okay, so, how do we get down?”

Apple Bloom looked around her, her eyes falling on a rope that held up a group of sandbags. Several hooflengths of slack rope hung next to it. “There. If we can untie that rope, we should be able to slide down.”

“I got it,” Scootaloo said. She scampered to an adjacent beam that led to the rope and started yanking on the tie with her teeth.

.o.O.o.

Rainbow Dash lay sprawled in her seat, snoring loudly with a line of drool dribbling down her chin. The ponies near her gave the pegasus looks that would kill lesser ponies, but since she was deep within dreamland, their death glares failed to do anything. Worse, any complaints to the ushers resulted in casual rebuffs and vague answers of a “special guest”. So Rainbow Dash was free to make as much noise as she wanted, with no worries of any interruptions.

Except from a frantic dragon and an annoyed chocobo.

“Rainbow Dash!” Spike yelled as he shook her. “Get up, we have a problem!”

“SSSSSHHHHHH!”

“Shush me one more time and I’ll blow you over the side!” Spike snarled, a gust of wind from his mouth blowing off every pony’s top hat and bonnet. All the ponies around him suddenly found the play much more interesting to watch.

Rainbow Dash let out a belch, scratched her stomach, and settled further into her seat.

“Dash, don’t make me bite you.”

A silver wing pushed Spike away, allowing Stardust to step next to the napping pony. “Here, let me.” He reached into a pouch and pulled out a vial of brown liquid. Twisting the cap off, he wafted the open vial under Rainbow Dash’s nose. Immediately, the pegasus moved forward, breathing deeply of the intoxicating aroma. Stardust moved back and Rainbow Dash followed.

All the way out of her chair.

“Oof!” Shaking her head, Rainbow Dash sat up from the floor and blinked her weary eyes. “Oh, what happened? And why do I have a sudden craving for cider?”

“Dash, we got trouble,” Spike said, pointing towards the stage. “There’s these three weird fillies that are going to wreck the play if we don’t stop them.”

“Then stop ‘em,” Rainbow Dash replied. She climbed back into her seat, settling back down for a nap. “You guys can handle three kids, can’t ya?”

“Uh, we kinda lost them,” Stardust said. “We don’t know where they went.”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, and we need your help to find them. They want to talk to Trixie but she’s performing right now.”

“So what?” Rainbow Dash said, letting out a loud yawn. “Let ‘em. Probably be the only interesting thing to happen all night.”

“But this is Twilight’s big night! We can’t let them ruin it.”

Letting out a deep, long groan, Rainbow Dash reluctantly vacated her seat and flexed her wings. “Fine, fine. I’ll never hear the end of it from Trixie if things get screwed up, anyway.”

“Yes!” Spike cheered, raising a fist into the air. “Now, me and Stardust will cover the stage entrances while you check everywhere else.”

“Or I could fly up to those rafters.” Rainbow Dash twisted Spike’s head around, directing his gaze upwards. There, just visible through several curtains, balancing precariously over the stage, were three little ponies working at something just out of view.

“Yeah, that’s them! Do—”

One of the fillies slipped and fell, grabbing at the nearest available object that just happened to be the tail of another filly. That filly reached for the last filly and soon all three plummeted from the rafters.

“—something!”

In a flash of movement and color, Rainbow Dash launched herself off the balcony.

.o.O.o.

“Stand back, Sombra! Allow the Majestic and Serene Luna to handle these villains!”

One thing was for sure, Big Macintosh noted privately, was that Trixie definitely didn’t have the anxiety hangups that Twilight did. The former Imperial took to stage acting as though she was born for it, putting plenty of flourish and gusto into her performance. The crowd seemed to like it as well if the “oohs” and “aahs” were any indication as Trixie bedazzled them with swordplay that, if Big Macintosh didn’t know any better, looked completely authentic. The occasional spurt of ice magic that seemed to give Trixie a distinctive sparkling effect around her was also a nice touch.

“Begone from our castle, vile fiends!” Trixie said, swiping her prop-sword at a group of East soldiers.

Big Macintosh stood to the side, allowing Trixie to have her moment.

The orchestra abruptly stopped the frenetic music it had maintained for the battle, allowing a guttural roar to replace it. Bursting out of a collapsible wall came a rust-colored dragon, its size allowing it to tower over all the combatants. Unseen by the audience, a group of ponies under the stage worked a series of thin strings and poles to move the large dragon into position.

“I am Strife, the leader of the East!” came a deep voice that carried throughout the theatre. “Surrender or die!”

Trixie stepped forward, pointing her sword at the beast. “Never! I shall fight you to the last!”

“Your sister is gone. You have no chance against me.”

“We shall see. Have at thee!” With that Trixie swung into action—

—only to have a trio of little ponies fall on top of her.

“Owie,” moaned Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo, on top of the pony pile, groaned. “You said it.”

“Oh, no!” Sweetie Belle cried, her boo-boos forgotten as she looked down at what had cushioned her fall. “We smooshed the pony we wanted to talk to!”

Trixie didn’t respond, her body flattened to the stage and her eyes swirling comically.

Seconds later, Rainbow Dash swooped down and cringed at the carnage. “Whoops. I guess I should have acted a little quicker.”

From the left side of the stage, Twilight Sparkle ran on, carrying six sparkling jewels in her magical grasp, yelling, “Sister! I’ve come to… help… you…” She trailed off, her mind catching up to the spectacle before her.

“Girls!” came a concerned voice. Fluttershy jumped onto the stage and began inspecting her charges for any injuries. Unnoticed by her, a soft white glow covered her wings, traveled down her forelegs, and slowly seeped into Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo as she checked them over.

By now, the audience had begun to understand that something had gone terribly wrong. A confused din of conversation spread through the crowd, a thundering cacophony compared to the eerie silence preceding it.

“This ez a disaster!” Photo Finish said. She appeared out of nowhere, standing above the knocked out Trixie. “If there is no Luna to help Celestia with the spell to defeat ze dragon, how will the West be saved?!”

“By throwing a party!”

All eyes turned to a pink mare descending from above on a miniature platform shaped like an airship. Standing around her were three other ponies, each one a striking resemblance to Twilight, Trixie, and Big Macintosh. Pinkie Pie lept off the platform, twirled in midair, and landed perfectly on her hind legs before Photo Finish. “Hey, lookie who I found! I brought them back, just like I Pinkie Promised.”

It took all of one second for Photo Finish to process this information and roll with it. “Brilliant! With all hope lost due to the mysterious appearance of Strife’s kids, salvation arrives by divine fate! How will these newcomers fare against the forces of ze East? Find out in act 2!”

The curtains fell.

.o.O.o.

“Hey! Pinkie Pie! We need to talk to you.”

Backstage, where dozens of ponies raced to reset the set for the next act, Rainbow Dash pushed her way through the chaos to confront the captain of the Party of One. Pinkie Pie gave a wide smile and waited for Rainbow Dash to reach her. “We need to get a ride to the Empire.”

“Oh, really?” Pinkie Pie said. “Well, I don’t know how you are going to do that. I don’t know of any boats that go there and the Empire gets really suspicious of ponies that show up without a passport.”

“I meant with you, Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie Pie blinked. “Um, sorry, but I don’t think I can carry you all that way. I’m a good swimmer and all but I’d probably tire out before we get there. Besides—” she pointed at Rainbow Dash’s wings “—you could just fly there yourself.”

“I mean your airship!”

Pinkie Pie double blinked. “Oh. Oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh! Yeah, that makes a lot more sense! Silly, why didn’t you say so?”

Rainbow Dash groaned and facehoofed. “Yeah, silly me. So, will ya? Take me and my friends to the Empire on your airship?”

“Oh, sure!” Pinkie Pie giggled. “I haven’t been there in a while. Sounds like a good time to drop in again. How many are coming?”

“Let’s see, there’s me, three other ponies, a dragon, a chocobo…” Rainbow Dash leaned in, making direct eye contact. “And no questions asked.”

“Wow, that many? Just enough for a Send-Off Party!” Pinkie Pie cheered, a hoof full of confetti flung into the air.

“Hey, whatever floats your… airship.”

“Okay, let me get the Party of One ready and we can leave soon.”

Rainbow Dash grinned, holding out a hoof. “Great. Thanks a lot for your help.”

Pinkie Pie gleefully accepted the hoofbump. “No sweat! I love to entertain and the more the merrier!” She whirled around and began bouncing away, a happy little song playing on her lips.

Left behind, Rainbow Dash gave a satisfied nod. A hoof poked her in the back, breaking her congratulatory mood. She turned around to see Twilight Sparkle, undressed, giving her a hopeful look.

“Did it w-work?” she asked.

“Yep!” Rainbow Dash replied, patting Twilight on the shoulder. “Like a charm. We’ll be in the Empire in no time.”

“Good.” Rainbow Dash and Twilight looked back to see Trixie walking up to them, an ice pack levitating on her head. She wore a scowl that promised a harsh tongue-lashing should anypony dare cross her. “The sooner we leave, the better. Oh, and I’m fine, by the way.”

“Um, yeah.” Rainbow Dash looked away, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. “I swear I meant to stop them. Sorry.”

“Where are those little miscreants anyway? Trixie has a frostburn spell ready for their flanks the moment she sees them.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Haven’t seen them. They musta slipped out when Pinkie Pie showed up.”

Sneering, Trixie turned away, heading towards the actor waiting rooms. “I’ll be getting my things.”

“Trixie!” Twilight called. “Y-you… you did good out there.”

Trixie didn’t look back or respond, keeping her back to them and trotting away.

Watching until Trixie was out of sight, Twilight hung her head. Beside her, Rainbow Dash scuffled her hooves on the floor and said, “Hey, don’t let her get to you. If she can’t take a compliment then that’s her problem.”

“What can I-I do to get her to s-stop hating me?”

“Dunno, Twi. I just don’t know.”

.o.O.o.

A short time later, the group stood in front of the gangplank that led up to the deck of the Party of One. The ship was lit up from a pair of spotlights set on the ground next to its stern and bow. The light failed to pass beyond the massive cylinder balloon that kept the craft afloat, making the vehicle appear even larger against the night sky.

Big Macintosh gazed fondly over the entire hull of the airship, his mouth hung open slightly at being so close to one of the most advanced pieces of equipment in the world.

“Don’t drool, Big Mac,” Spike said, noticing the stallion’s sparkling eyes. “You’ll rust it.”

“Better than the color it already is,” Trixie responded. She grimaced, taking in the bright pink paint job of the hull and balloon.

“All aboard!” Pinkie Pie announced from her perch at the top of the gangplank. “Guest cabins are on your right. Casino is downstairs from there. Bathrooms are any open porthole.”

A collective “Ew!” came from the ponies boarding the airship.

Pinkie Pie laughed. “Just kidding! The Empire was nice enough to install working toilets last time I was there. They’ve been super helpful.” She walked over to a crewmember dressed in black overhauls, who was standing next to a rope that tied the airship to posts stuck in the ground. “Okay, we’re all set.”

“Aye!” the pony said, saluting. The crewmember, half the size of Pinkie Pie, began untying the rope.

“Hey, I don’t remember hiring somepony as short as you.” She tapped her hoof against her chin, scrutinizing the crewmember from hoof to snout.

“Um… you said you needed somepony small enough to get into some of the hard to reach crawl spaces.”

“Huh, I did?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Well, can’t beat that logic.” Pinkie patted the pony on the shoulder. “Carry on!” She trotted away, missing the relieved sigh coming from her “hired” hoof.

Pinkie Pie trotted over to a raised podium where the wheel was set. She took hold of a spoke in one hoof and raised the other. “Let’s cast off!”

“Aye!” cried another pony on the starboard side, this one wearing a cap over her head.

“Got it!” came a third, who untied the last rope attached to the bow.

The propellers under the hull whirled to life. Slowly, the mammoth vehicle rose from the ground. It gained altitude until the opera house was no larger than a toy, then the large propellers connected to the stern began to rotate, pushing the airship forward. Soon, it had left the mainland behind and cruised over the crashing sea below.

Unknown by all, a speck of yellow desperately clung to a rope hanging below the airship.

.o.O.o.

Octavia gently placed her cello into its case and let out a long sigh. Tonight’s performance had been an odd one, but she had pulled through like the professional she was. Now to go home and have a relaxing drink to end her night. Hopefully, Vinyl would be willing to share a few glasses with her before she had to call it a night as well.

“Hey, Octy.”

Octavia looked up to see Vinyl Scratch standing above her on the stage. The white unicorn’s expression was neutral, betraying nothing of her mood. Bracing for the worst, Octavia said, “Well, how did you like it?”

Vinyl adjusted her glasses to sit atop her horn, revealing her rose colored eyes. “I’m so coming back the next time they do another comedy act.”

Wherein Espers Have a Home

A mass of creatures milled about in the game den of the Party of One. Pinkie Pie kept trying to get a game of roulette going, claiming the table didn’t see much use, but the general consensus was that everyone was just too tired. Spotter however, full of youthful energy, indulged in the pinball machine in the back. From the sounds of the bleeps and clinks, and the cries of success coming from the young colt, he was having the time of his life. Shining Armor allowed him his fun as the activity kept his son out of trouble.

Everyone else found a comfy spot to rest, forming a loose circle around Maduin. The esper looked as tired as the rest, with deep bags under his eyes and his breathing slow and shallow. Despite that, no one could claim he appeared unhappy with the content smile on his face as he held Twilight in his lap and slowly stroked her mane.

“So, uh,” Spike spoke up, twiddling his claws, “you said you’d explain once we all got here?”

Taking a deep breath, Maduin closed his eyes and nodded. “I did. Let me wake junior up and I’ll get started.”

“Junior?”

Ignoring Spike, Maduin raised his hand over Twilight’s dozing form, a dull red glow surrounding it. The magic in his hand snaked downward and seeped into Twilight’s horn. It took only seconds for Twilight to give a long yawn and flutter her eyes open. She fidgeted and slowly raised herself up to a sitting position, blinking rapidly. She glanced around, seeing faces she didn’t recognize until she settled on the creature beside her.

“YYYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

One second Twilight was on the floor. The next she was on the far side of the room, peeking over a blackjack table.

“I haven’t gotten a reaction like that for a thousand years,” Maduin said, chuckling.

Spike rushed over to her, patting her on the back. “Twi, what’s wrong? That’s your dad.”

“W-what?!” she shrieked and hid herself further.

“Give her some time, little dragon,” Maduin said, remaining as calm as ever. “She was just a foal when we were together last.” He sighed, looking away.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Rainbow Dash spoke up, rubbing a hoof to her forehead. “You expect us to believe that Twi’s your daughter. How? She’s a pony, not an esper.”

Maduin nodded. “You are correct. She is not an esper. She is a half-esper.”

Across the room, Twilight squeaked.

Sighing, Maduin continued, “I should start at the beginning. There is much to tell.”

“Well, it’s going to be a while to make it to Neighshe,” Pinkie Pie said. She hopped about the room, offering cookies and cupcakes stacked on a platter balanced on her head. “We’ve got plenty of time.”

“Very well.” He paused, glancing towards Twilight. The mare remained behind the table, but she peered over it at him, giving him her undivided attention. Clearing his throat, Maduin began. “After the War of the Magi, my kind decided to seal ourselves away. Far away, where no one could find us. We pooled our magic and created a new world to live in.

“It’s a beautiful place. The city we built is carved out of pure crystal. In time it grew as more and more of my kind found this new world. I don’t know who thought of it, but sometime during the centuries we began living there a name was given to our realm. We called it The Crystal Empire...”

.o.O.o.

Artificial sunlight creeped through the blinds and into the bedroom, striking Maduin’s relaxed face. The esper groaned and squinted, turning over in his bed and away from the intruding light. The act became moot as the sunlight continued its journey through the room and came into contact with a red crystal laying on a desk. At once, the crystal began to vibrate and emit a harsh ruby ray of light over Maduin’s eyelids. Besieged on all sides, he sighed and threw the covers off of himself.

Giving a mighty yawn and stretch, Maduin rolled off the bed, placing his taloned feet on the polished floor. A swift motion of his hand created a burst of white light. Seconds later, a blue glow washed over him, covering his body from horn to claw. Once the glow dissipated, Maduin stood up, all traces of sleep and grogginess gone.

“Thank the makers for Unicorn teaching me that remedy spell,” he said as he walked out of his bedroom.

Making his way to the pantry within the next room, he spied movement through a window overlooking his backyard. A low growl issued through clenched teeth as he rushed over, threw open the window and yelled, “Get out of here!”

The harsh cry startled a band of ewes munching on Maduin’s lettuce patch and stampeded off, trampling over more vegetables on their way out. Shaking his head, Maduin muttered under his breath that the next time Ifrit’s little pets got into his garden again, there would be lamb chops for dinner that night.

Turning back towards the pantry, Maduin grabbed a carrot and an ear of corn. With breakfast in hand, he headed for the door, nibbling on his food the entire way. Exiting his home brought him on the streets of the Crystal Empire, revealing its brilliant splendor in the morning sun. All around him, the city sparkled and shone with the same clarity and beauty as it had for countless mornings before. Not a speck of dirt or dust lay on the crystal houses and pavement stretching from one end of the street to the other.

Maduin stood there, in front of his house, and breathed in the magic-filled air. His body began to sparkle as he took in the life-giving nourishment, letting all worries and cares wash away. Realistically, he could sustain himself on the very air he breathed and not have to bother with tending a garden. However, two centuries of nothing but magic intake had grown dull, prompting him to start growing his own food for a little variety. It also reminded him of pleasant memories of old, before his transformation into the creature he was now.

Besides, it gave him something to do.

Having taken his fill of magic, Maduin turned and headed down the street, away from the center of the city. He strolled down the roadway at a leisurely pace, stopping occasionally to greet passing espers and exchange pleasantries. He kept conversations short, intent on reaching the outer limits of the city. Once there, he headed out further, into the vast plains that surrounded the empire for miles in every direction. He kept an eye out for any plants that would look appealing in his garden, but wasn’t particularly bothered if he found any or not. Today was a good day to just take a walk and not overly concern himself with finding new crops to grow.

Morning passed into noon. As Maduin contemplated going back home, he spotted a black shape running through the plains. He squinted and finally recognized the form of Cait Sith. The small, bipedal cat seemed to be in a hurry, evident even from this distance. Maduin concentrated and his body lifted from the ground, quickly flying to intercept the other esper. Moments later he touched down and held up his hands at the approaching cat. “Cait Sith. What’s got you all riled up? You aren’t up to any mischief today, are you?”

“If only I were!” Cait Sith cried. He stopped in front of Maduin and bent over, his body racked with heaving breaths. Once he had recovered enough, Cait Sith stood tall and pointed a shaky paw back the way he had come. “The gate. Something’s coming through it!”

“Really? What were you doing way out there?”

Cait Sith looked away guiltily, wringing his paws together. “I… may have been looking over the spellwork to see if I could figure out a portal spell. It would be really nifty to move from one end of the city to another, just like that.” He threw out his arms, his expression frantic. “But that’s all I was doing, I swear! Next thing I know the gate starts making this humming noise and starts flashing. Something was trying to get through, but that’s when I hightailed it out of there to get help.”

“I see,” Maduin said, resting his chin in his hands. “I’ll go take a look. With any luck it’s an esper that’s found its way here. You go alert the others. Be sure to let King Sombra know too.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it.” Cait Sith made to run off but stopped short, looking up at Maduin with narrowed eyes. “And if it’s not an esper?”

Maduin brushed past him, his large, muscled form heading for the gate. “I’ll take care of it.”

Cait Sith shuddered and rushed away, thanking his nine lives that he wasn’t the one that would face Maduin should their newest arrival be non-magical in origin.

.o.O.o.

Nothing seemed out of place as Maduin flew towards the Sealed Gate. Constructed of two pink and blue crystal pillars with three smaller crystals hovering between them, the space within the separated pillars appeared empty. When activated, the gate would create a swirling portal connecting this pocket dimension with the real world. Maduin had seen it working several times when the Crystal Empire had first been founded. Nowadays, the gate was rarely used. By his estimation, Maduin figured over one hundred years had gone by since the last time the gate had been triggered.

Touching down, Maduin swept his gaze over the landscape, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He reached out with his senses, feeling with his magic what his eyes couldn’t see. Immediately, something pricked his probings. Staying alert, he let his instincts guide him towards the disturbance. They led him closer to the gate and upon reaching them he noticed a pale body laying up against the pink crystal column.

It was an equine. A light grey unicorn pony with a blue and white streaked mane and tail more specifically. He bent down over it and cast a scan spell. White light encompassed the pony and sent back information directly into Maduin’s brain. The pony was female, with no detected injuries but severely dehydrated. Not surprising, considering the other side of the gate was located deep within the earth where magma flowed freely. It was a wonder the pony made it here at all.

Maduin scratched his chin, considering. The pony was still alive but would expire shortly if she didn’t get water into her system soon. He could simply walk away and leave the equine to her fate. Or…

Before he could think better of it, Maduin picked up the pony and cradled her in his arms. In his grasp, the pony looked as tiny as a baby. He turned and flew into the air, heading back towards the city.

.o.O.o.

“How is she?”

The esper inspecting the pony on the bed turned, facing Maduin. “She’ll live,” said Bismark. The white whale looked out of sorts, hovering above the floor as though he were treading water. But as he had reminded his fellow espers many times, he was comfortable with his form out of the sea. Magic truly could do wondrous things. “I’ve replaced the water she lost getting here. What happens to her next is up to you and Sombra.” Having said his piece, Bismark floated away and out a nearby window, his body flowing through the air gracefully.

Maduin sighed, sitting next to the pony. She now slept peacefully, unaware of the world around her or the position she had placed Maduin in. He sat for a while, rubbing his temple, until a knock on his front door drew his attention. He headed over and opened it, sucking in a breath as the esper on the other end was revealed.

“King Sombra,” Maduin said and bowed deeply. He stepped aside, allowing the black equine to enter. Sombra trotted in, his deep red cloak billowing behind him. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

“Yes, I was rather curious to see this creature that managed to get past so many obstacles to reach us.” He walked over to the resting pony, his steely red and green eyes taking in her form. “She doesn’t look like much, does she? Interesting.”

Maduin came up next to him, joining Sombra in looking over the pony. “I was just as surprised. I don’t remember a non-esper ever making it past the gate.”

“That’s because one never has,” Sombra said. “This is troubling. The gate’s magic must be weakening if this creature could get through. I will need to inspect it to be sure.”

Maduin grunted in acknowledgment. “What about her? What should we do?”

“Well, the easiest thing would be to kill her.” Sombra let that statement linger for a moment. “Or she can remain here. I forbid this pony from leaving our world. I can not risk having her lead others of her kind back to us.”

“Understood.”

Sombra nodded and turned, heading for the door. “I need to check on the gate. As long as she remains in the Crystal Empire, do with her as you will.” Without another word, he left Maduin’s home.

Left alone, Maduin sat down next to the bed, massaging his temples. This was certainly not what he expected to have to deal with today when he woke up. Not only finding the least likely of creatures to wander into the Crystal Empire, but now with the responsibility of taking care of it.

As he pondered over what to do, the pony began to stir. She let out a weak moan and fluttered her eyes open. She quietly took in her surroundings, finally settling on the large being watching her close by. She sucked in a breath and her eyes widened, letting out a squeak.

“I see you have awakened,” Maduin said, remaining as still as possible. “You’ve come a long way, little pony. Do you have any idea where you are?”

The pony didn’t answer, but her coat paled and she shrunk back as far as she could into the bed.

“Hmm, I see my form frightens you. Here, let’s try something more to your liking.” Maduin closed his eyes, a blue glow surrounding his body. A flash of white light burst from him, forcing the pony to look away. She blinked a few times to force her eyes to adjust and when she looked back, the muscled monster was gone. In its place stood a unicorn pony stallion, with a blue coat and dark blue mane. “There, does this suit you?”

“What… are you?” the mare said, her voice hoarse.

Maduin levitated a glass of water sitting on a stand nearby and offered it to the pony. “Here. You’re still recovering and need to drink more water.” He held the glass to her lips. Her eyes darted between him and the glass. Hesitantly, she opened her mouth and allowed Maduin to tip the water in. It took several small sips for her to finish the glass’ contents. Once emptied, Maduin set the glass back on the stand. “Very good. It would be tragic if you expired now without learning anything.

“I suppose I should answer your question. I am an esper, and you are in our world, the Crystal Empire.”

“Espers…” the pony breathed out. “That can’t be. You’re a myth. A fairy tale.”

Maduin smirked. “Oh, we are very real. We’ve just hid ourselves away for a very long time. In fact, you are the first pony I’ve seen in nearly a thousand years.

“My name’s Maduin. What’s yours?”

“Twi… Twilight Velvet.”

.o.O.o.

Shining Armor spit out his food, spewing bits of cupcake all over the floor. “What?! But that’s impossible! That’s my mother’s name. She died when I was really young.”

Maduin blinked, staring at the stallion across from him. “Is your name Shining Armor?”

“Yes!” The Domarian rushed across the room and up to Maduin, staring intently up at the esper. “Is she alright? Is she still alive?”

Maduin closed his eyes and looked away. “Let me finish my story. You’ll have your answer by then.”

A few paces away, Twilight Sparkle stood on the periphery of the circle of Returners, her gaze flickering between Maduin and Shining Armor.

After clearing his throat, Maduin continued.

.o.O.o.

“Did I really end up off the map or what?” Twilight Velvet said. Feeling stronger, Velvet sat up in bed and levitated a cup of water on her own, taking small sips every few seconds.

Maduin, still in pony form, nodded. “Indeed. You gave one of my kind quite a shock. No pony has ever made it this far before.” He cleared his throat, looking at Velvet expectantly. “We would like to know how it is you got here. The others are going to want to know if any more of your kind will show up.”

“My kind? Just what exactly is ‘my kind’?”

Maduin held up his hooves in a placating manner. “I meant no offense. You must understand that we fled here for a reason. A thousand years ago, espers like me were used to fight a war that nearly destroyed the world. Ponies, and to be fair many other creatures, abused our powers for their own ends. We came here to prevent something like that from ever happening again.”

Setting down her cup, Velvet sighed and looked out the window. The beautiful landscape stretching towards the horizon brought a tired smile to her muzzle. “Fair enough. I guess the long and short of it is that I was thrown off a ship. I’m from a kingdom called Domare, but I was traveling to a city called Vectorlot to find work. I heard that city was growing quickly and was paying well, so I decided to move there. But the ship got caught in a terrible storm, my son got… got thrown overboard…” She sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes. She wiped them away with a hoof, but more wetness built up faster than she could handle. “Oh, Shiny…”

Maduin gulped and looked away. “I can leave if you want.”

“No! No, please stay.” Velvet took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Maybe if I talk about it, I’ll feel better. My gosh, I thought I had cried enough by now.

“I took my son, Shining Armor, with me to get proper schooling. I should have left him. He’d still be alive.” More tears streaked down her cheeks even as she fought to control herself. “I jumped in after him, but the water was too dark. I don’t remember much after that. When I came around I was on a beach, all alone. I searched every inch of that beach for Shiny or the boat but found nothing. It was getting dark so I looked for some shelter so I could search again in the morning.

“But I ran into some monsters. They chased me for what felt like forever. I was so scared I did whatever I could to get away. I ran and ran and ran until I just couldn’t run anymore. I think I ended up in some mountains, but I’m not sure. I was so tired that I wasn’t thinking straight. I somehow found a cave that I could hide in, but went too deep. I know I got lost, and that I was going to die. I just kept going, hoping I could find a way out. Again, I don’t remember much, but I remember getting really hot and seeing lots of red. I suppose I must have found myself here through that cave.” Velvet paused, finishing the contents of her cup. “I’m sorry. You must think I’m pathetic or something.”

“Not at all,” Maduin said, giving a small smile. “I actually find your story fascinating. I didn’t realize ponies had such a strong will to survive.”

“Just dumb luck on my part, really.”

“Maybe a little, but I wouldn’t sell yourself so short.” Standing up, Maduin took Velvet’s empty cup and headed for the pantry. “So that explains why you’re here,” he called back. “I don’t suppose you have any plans for what to do now?”

“Well… um, if it’s at all possible, I’d like to go back and try to find my son.”

The esper let out a long sigh. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

Velvet blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Our ruler, Sombra, has ordered that you must remain here. He’s concerned that if you were to return, then you’ll end up leading more ponies here.”

Jumping out of the bed, Velvet ran up to Maduin, giving her best pleading face. “But I got here by accident! I have no idea how to even get back.”

Maduin looked away. “That is true, but you now know that we exist. We can’t risk others learning of us.”

“But—oh.” Without warning, Velvet’s eyes rolled back and she toppled forward. Only Maduin’s quick reflexes saved her from collapsing on the floor.

“You’re still recovering,” he said as he carried her back to the bed. “You must rest more.”

“Shiny…” Velvet half-moaned, half-sobbed. “Please…”

“I am truly sorry.” Maduin gently laid her down on the bed and covered her up with a blanket. Velvet pulled the covers close and cried, no longer willing to hold back her emotions. Sighing, Maduin headed for the door. “I’ll be outside. Please, do not hesitate to call for me if you need anything.” He then left the pony to her grief.

.o.O.o.

An insistent and annoying prodding woke Maduin up. He swiped at whatever was poking him with a hoof but only met air.

“Hey, Maduin. Hey. I know it’s you. I can feel your aura. Why’d you change into that? And why are you sleeping on your porch?”

He recognized the voice. It was hard to misplace the fast pitched, squeaky gibberish that Cactrot spoke in. It was also hard to ignore the needles that dug into Maduin’s coat with every touch from the little cactus esper. “Stop it.”

“Hey, did you know? A pony’s here. Saw it myself. Haven’t seen one in a while. Why was it in your house? Is it your pet now?”

Groaning, Maduin raised up and away from the excitable little creature. He yawned and stretched, earning a few pops from his limbs as they re-aligned themselves after a night of awkward positions. “No, she’s not a pet. And when did you see her? She’s been in the house the whole time.”

Cactrot flipped and bounced until his stiff cactus body positioned itself towards the plains. “I saw it go that way. It came out at night when everyone was asleep. Climbed out the window. I thought I’d tell you when you woke up.”

“Wait, she left? And you didn’t think to wake me up until now?”

Flipping around, Cactrot gave a blank stare. “Yes. Had to go get some water. Was thirsty. Just got back.”

Maduin facehoofed. “Unbelievable.” Without another word, he galloped down the street, leaving Cactrot to stare at his retreating form. It didn’t take long for him to reach the plains, his four legs outpacing his more natural bipedal body. He headed for the one place he knew the mare would go.

Minutes later, as the artificial sun began rising over the horizon, the Sealed Gate came into view. As he predicted, Twilight Velvet could be seen standing next to it. Coming closer, he saw her horn alight with a pinkish glow and her face contorted in frustration. Maduin slowed down and approached her at a brisk trot. “The gate won’t open for you, only for espers.”

Velvet yelped and whirled around, aiming her horn at Maduin’s head. “Don’t scare me like that!” She backed up, keeping Maduin in her sights as she passed between the crystal pillars. “I got through once. I’ll figure out how to do it again.”

“Even if you did, you’re in no shape to get through the cave. You will die. You have a second chance; don’t waste it.”

Velvet sniffed and kicked the pink pillar. The gate didn’t react. “What do you mean, ‘second chance’?”

Maduin turned and swept his foreleg over the city. “Living here, with us.”

“You can’t be serious,” Velvet said. She shot a pink magical bolt at the blue pillar. The bolt ricocheted off and fizzled away. “Ponies and espers can never co-exist.”

Stepping up to the mare, Maduin laid a hoof over her shoulder. “How can we know for sure if we don’t give it a try?”

“But, the war,” Velvet protested. Fresh tears began to build within her eyes. “And Shiny…”

“If your son is half as tough as you are, then I’m sure he survived. Would he want to see you die, or go on living?”

“I… I don’t know.” She slumped to the ground, her gaze distant. “I just don’t know what to do anymore.”

Maduin laid down next to her. “You have plenty of time now to think it over. And I’ll help you in any way I can.”

“Why?” Velvet swiveled her tear streaked face, looking into Maduin’s amber eyes. “Why do you care?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure myself. But I find you interesting and would like to learn more about you. Who can say what will happen, but I’d like to find out. Perhaps we can find a way to bridge the gap between ponies and espers so that we don’t have to fear each other anymore.”

Twilight Velvet continued staring into Maduin’s eyes, marveling at how confident he seemed about the future. “I guess we won’t know for sure… unless we observe for ourselves.”

.o.O.o.

“I’ll skip ahead a bit,” Maduin said, taking a sip of water to wet his throat. He had everyone’s undivided attention by now. Even Spotter had stopped playing with the pinball machine and sat next to his father. Twilight Sparkle lay close by, hanging on Maduin’s every word. The esper gave a small smile. “It took a while, but Velvet came around to living in our world. I think she was hoping that she’d be able to convince our king to send her back if she proved her trustworthiness, but she grew to like being in the Crystal Empire.

“Most espers didn’t seem to be bothered by her presence though there were a few that certainly didn’t like it. I couldn’t blame them, as the War of the Magi was still fresh in our minds even after all that time. It took some stern talking tos from me and Sombra to make sure they didn’t cause any trouble for her.

“Since I was responsible for Velvet, we spent a lot of time together. We grew close, to the point where I can safely say the bridge between us had been crossed. I’ll spare you the details, but our union produced the most wonderful thing I have ever experienced.” He looked at Twilight with such fondness that the unicorn blushed. “Our daughter.”

He looked away, his face darkening as he continued. “However, as I’m sure you can guess, our happiness didn’t last. Two years after Velvet came through the gate, we received some very unwelcome visitors.”

.o.O.o.

Twilight Velvet shook a rattle above Twilight Sparkle, making the little foal coo and giggle. Velvet smiled at her little pony laying in her crib, a bundle of happy energy that had given Velvet the means to go on living. Putting the rattle aside, Velvet levitated her daughter and began patting her on the back. Soon, Twilight, Jr. burped.

“That’s a good girl,” Velvet crooned.

She heard the door open and the sound of rushing hooves. She looked up in time to see Maduin burst in the door, his face set in a concerned scowl. “Velvet, whatever happens, do not leave this house.”

Velvet gently put Twilight back in her crib and ran up to her mate. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”

“Yes, very wrong. There are armored ponies coming through the gate. Hundreds of them. They’ve already reached the city limits and have captured some espers.”

Velvet’s mouth hung open, her eyes wide. “How? I thought the gate didn’t let ponies through!”

Maduin shook his head, turning for the door. “I don’t know. I must go. Do not leave.” Just as he reached for the door, a pair of hooves wrapped around him.

“Please don’t leave me,” Velvet pleaded in his ear. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t. I promise.” He carefully extracted himself from her grasp and looked deeply into her eyes. “I need you to be strong for me. Strong for Twilight. Keep her safe.” He gave her a quick kiss, turned, and charged out of the house. “I’ll be back!” he shouted over his shoulder.

Twilight Velvet watched him go, his form heading for the large crystal tower in the center of the city that made up the kingdom’s seat of power. She watched until she could no longer see him then gave a long, shuddering breath. The sounds of distant fighting became audible, causing her to quickly shut the door. She raced back to Twilight, the little foal sleeping contently in her crib, and waited.

.o.O.o.

“My lord, we’ve reached their settlement and are fortifying our position. Reports are coming in that we’ve already taken some of those monsters. Looks like we took them completely by surprise.”

“Excellent,” Emperor Blueblood said to the soldier, a victorious grin spread across his muzzle. He stood in the middle of his gathered army as it swelled into the city before him. “Don’t hesitate. We must press on before they can mount a counterattack. If half of what those ancient scrolls told us is true, then these beasts have powers beyond comprehension. Tell all troops that I’ll make them extremely rich for any espers captured. Go!”

The soldier saluted, matching Blueblood’s grin. “Yes sir!”

.o.O.o.

Within the plaza, at the base of the crystal palace, a gathering of espers shouted up at King Sombra, who looked down at them from a balcony positioned high up the tower.

“We have to fight back! Those monsters won’t stand a chance against our magic!”

“How could they get through? This is insanity!”

“They must be here for that pony Maduin keeps. If we give them her, maybe they’ll go away!”

“I thought you said you fixed the gate! What is going on?”

“SILENCE!” Sombra’s commanding voice washed over them, forcing many to cover their ears if they had them. Instantly, every esper quieted. “I have a plan that will force out all the invaders in one fell swoop. Once they are gone, I will permanently seal the gate so that no more of their kind will be able to get through.”

“But what of our kind?” an esper said. “Won’t other espers be able to get through?”

Sombra closed his eyes and lowered his head. “Unfortunately, this means no more espers will be able to come through the gate. We will be cut off completely.”

A fresh wave of heated comments followed.

“You can’t do that!”

“What about espers that haven’t found this place yet?!”

“What about Velvet?!”

Everyone turned to the last voice, more outraged than any esper present. Maduin, his body morphing back to its demonic form, pushed his way to the front of the mass of espers until he stood just below Sombra’s perch. “What’s going to happen to her and Twilight?”

Sombra sighed, looking away. “I’m sorry. If there was another way, I would already be doing it.” Shutting his eyes, Sombra’s curved horn began to glow a deep red. Wisps of shadowy energy began to leak out of the corner of his eyes, even though his lids were tightly closed. Within seconds, a powerful wind began to blow. All flags, banners, and tarps rippled in the gust, some ripping from their foundations and billowing away.

Not a single hair on any esper twitched.

“No!” Leaping into the air, Maduin flew over the gathered espers’ heads, rushing towards his home.

Agonizing seconds past as Maduin streaked through the sky. His house came into view and angled himself for the door. Maduin crashed through the entranceway as though it wasn’t there. “Velvet! Twilight!”

No answer came.

He headed for the bedroom, his eyes scanning for any signs of his wife and daughter. He found nothing but an empty bed and an open window.

Wasting no time, Maduin burst out the window and flew towards the gate. As he reached the city limits, equine forms dotted the streets and plains. Each were fighting against the magical wind that still blew, but their struggles were in vain. Sombra’s power washed over them relentlessly, sending them tumbling end over end. Maduin zipped from one pony to the next, searching for his dear wife’s colors. Closer and closer the gate loomed.

At last, he spotted a blot of purple further ahead. Flying as fast as his powers allowed, Maduin nose dived, stopping ahead of the pony. He twisted and caught the equine, cradling her protectively in his arms. In her own arms, a little foal laid, crying.

“Velvet, I’m so glad,” Maduin said, sighing into her mane.

“Maduin,” Velvet replied, her eyes shut tight. “What is going on?”

“We’ll talk later. We must get back to the city.” Righting himself, Maduin made to rise.

Not fast enough as an armored pony crashed into him, sending Maduin sprawling backwards. He heard Velvet cry out. He looked up in time to see Twilight whisked away by the wind. Wasting no time, Maduin clutched Velvet tight and raced after their daughter. The wind pushed against Velvet, greatly increasing his speed. Using one hand to keep Velvet secure, he reached out with the other for the small lavender foal.

His large hand closed around his precious filly, pulling her close.

With a grunt of exertion, Madiun twisted around. Willing all of his magic into speed, he readied himself to begin the upstream climb back to the city.

Maduin paused as he finally took stock of his surroundings. No longer was he on the great plains of the Crystal Empire, but hovering above a wooden bridge suspended over a dark chasm. Storm clouds billowed all around, the crack of lighting sounding in the distance. At the far end of the bridge was a giant rock spire with a pulsing blue vortex set in its center. Ponies by the dozens spewed out of the vortex, some crashing on the bridge while others fell into the chasm below. He had been here once, several hundred years ago.

Maduin had passed through the Sealed Gate without even realizing it.

Giving a cry of defiance, he charged for the gate, bowling over ponies unfortunate enough to get in his way. He reached the gate in seconds and braced himself.

The moment he touched the portal, a blinding flash of white light flared. A force like a landslide knocked him back. Maduin collapsed to the bridge, stunned.

The sudden impact dislodged Velvet and Twilight from his grip. Acting fast, Velvet caught Twilight in her magic and brought her close. She let out a whoosh of air upon landing on the wooden bridge, but managed to hold on to her daughter. Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes and blinked away the blurriness. She saw Maduin close by, unmoving. Velvet let out a sigh of relief to see his chest rising and falling. They were safe.

The clop of hooves against wood drew her attention. She looked up to see a large white unicorn stallion standing above her, eyeing her curiously.

“Not in all my years did I expect to see a mare in a place like this,” Blueblood said. “Who are you?”

Velvet struggled to stand up, cradling Twilight in her foreleg. “Stay away.”

Blueblood blinked at the crying foal. “Is that…” He looked up at the esper Velvet limped towards. A wide grin split his muzzle. “Unbelievable. You and he? So that child is…” He threw his head back and laughed against a backdrop of wind and thunder. “This is too good to be true! My dream will be realized even faster than I ever believed!”

“What are you talking about?” Velvet said, moving closer to Maduin.

“My dear, you should be honored. Your foal will be the cornerstone to my magical kingdom. Nothing will stand in my way of global conquest now.”

Velvet sneered, her horn alight. “You can’t have her!”

Snorting, Blueblood rushed forward, ducking low to avoid a pink shot of energy. Blueblood reached Velvet before she could fire again. Spinning, Blueblood delivered a mighty buck to her face, sending her flying. Velvet’s trajectory carried her over the bridge, her form quickly lost in the raging storm clouds below.

The last thing she saw before being consumed was her crying daughter in Blueblood’s telekinetic grip.

.o.O.o.

“I wish I could say I saved her. I wish I could say I got revenge on them for what they did. But there were too many of them. The gate closed and all the ponies blown out overwhelmed me. I was forced into their glass tubes and drained alive until you all came and freed us. Now, you know my story.”

Silence followed Maduin’s final words. No one moved or said anything. Slight movement or the occasional cough were the only sounds as everyone took in the tale.

A minute passed before one pony dared break the status quo. Derpy Hooves turned to Twilight Sparkle and said, “So, are you, like, Spotter’s aunt or something?”

Twilight sputtered, Shining Armor choked on a sip of water, and Maduin barked a laugh.

Derpy cocked her head. “What?”

.o.O.o.

In the bowels of the Magitek Research facility, Doctor Whooves monitored a gage connected to a large, rust colored stove. He nodded, apparently satisfied with the readings.

“What’s the word, dude.”

Whooves twisted his head, catching sight of Gilda walking towards him. He turned back to the gauge, saying, “Shouldn’t be too long now. This chap should be out within the next two days.”

Gilda leaned up against a nearby wall, her talons crossed. “Good, because this is the last one we got. It better be something special, too.”

“I consider myself an expert on this, and my research points to this esper being far more powerful than any of the others that got away. It should serve our purposes splendidly.”

With a flick of her wrist, Gilda produced a little gust of wind, ruffling Whooves’ hind quarters. The stallion shivered. “It better, after all I did to get it here,” she said. “Because if little Twilight fails, it’ll be up to this guy to get us to the statues.”

In Which the Cutie Mark Crusaders Share the Hot Seat

“So, nothing to say? Or has Trixie’s mere presence left you all bedazzled?”

The defining silence, broken only by the lapping of water against the hull of the ship, lasted for one uncomfortable moment after another. A range of emotions played across the ponies, zebra, dragon, and esper that stood on the docks.

One voice dared break the tableau. “Hey, weren’t you the one we accidentally fell on at the opera?”

That wiped the satisfied smirk from Trixie’s muzzle. She turned to the speaker, Apple Bloom, her eyes narrowing to thin slits. “You three…” she hissed.

“Yeah, hey, sorry about that,” Scootaloo said, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

“But we did get our cutie marks!” Sweetie Belle swiveled, showing off her brand new fanny marking for all to see.

“And now the mood has officially been lost,” Trixie said. Shaking her head she reared up, standing on her hind legs as her forelegs raised to the sky. “Listen well, because Trixie will not explain herself a second time. I did what I did because it was the only way to save your sorry lives. Hate me if you want because after this little peacekeeping mission of yours is over, we can all go on our separate ways.”

Falling back to all fours, Trixie gave a sniff and then trotted down the plank, right through the middle of the group. By unspoken agreement, everyone parted away, allowing her to continue unchallenged. Turning her head but never slowing down, Trixie said, “See you all in the morning.”

She didn’t make it another step as a blue blur swooped down and barred her path. Rainbow Dash pushed her nose right into Trixie’s, forcing the general to tilt back her head but not lose a step. “You got a lot of nerve showing up again, after what you pulled.”

Trixie scowled and pushed back, putting the two on an even level. “And you have a lot of nerve thinking you have any chance of succeeding without me. Trixie’s surprised you’re still alive.”

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t slit your throat right here.”

Smiling, Trixie raised a hoof and patted Rainbow Dash on the head. “There’s that killer instinct. Trixie was wondering if you still had it in you.”

In one smooth motion, Rainbow Dash hopped back, drew Thunder Blade, and held it at the ready. “I mean it, Trixie!”

Seemingly unconcerned with the threat against her life, Trixie brushed back her mane, her smile never leaving her lips. “I’m here on Blueblood’s behalf. If you have a problem with that, take it up with him. If you are concerned that I’m going to mess up your little esper mission, you shouldn’t be. There’s nothing for me to gain by making even more of them mad at me.

“Now, it’s late and we all need a good night’s sleep. We have a long boat ride ahead of us tomorrow.” With that, she sauntered past Rainbow Dash, whose murderous gaze never left Trixie, but didn’t make a move to stop her. Trixie continued on her way until she reached a row of buildings next to the docks and passed out of sight.

Grimacing, Rainbow Dash slowly placed Thunder Blade back in its sheath. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When she looked up, many anxious faces stared back at her. She closed her eyes, blocking out the sight. “Let’s get some sleep. We’re gonna need it.”

The pitter patter of little claws could be heard, stopping right in front of her. “Are you serious, Rainbow?” came Spike’s voice. “We can’t have her come with us.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I know.”

“She betrayed us.”

“I know.”

“She nearly killed Twilight!”

“I know!” Rainbow Dash whirled, putting her back to him. “Look. Ah… I’ll… I’ll deal with it. I’ll keep her in line.”

“We could kill her now, she can’t take—”

A buck to the chest sent him flying back. “NO!” Rainbow Dash twisted, facing the others again. Her face fell as she saw Spike gasping and clutching his chest.

Luckily, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Sweetie Belle acted quickly, pouring their magic over his body and healing his wounds in seconds. Spike let out a long, relaxed sigh.

Rainbow Dash was at his side in an instant and helped him to his feet. “Spike, dude, I’m so sorry. I… I…”

Spike frowned and held up a claw, forestalling any further talk. “Save it. If you want to handle Trixie, fine. I don’t want anything to do with her. But if she pulls a stunt like she did back there again, she’s dead meat. Got it?”

Head hung low and eyes tightly shut, Rainbow Dash gave a tiny nod. “Got it.”

Zecora chose that time to walk over and patted both Rainbow Dash and Spike on the shoulders. “Be at ease, my friends. It is not always easy to make amends. I will watch over Trixie too, to help share the burden with all of you.”

“That’s right,” Twilight said, giving a sharp nod. “We’ll all do our part to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

“I suggest we all get some rest. That way tomorrow we will all be at our best.”

A chorus of agreements followed her statement. Zecora briefly talked with the Imperials on the boat, then led the group back into town. Soon they entered the nearest inn, whose proprietor recognized Zecora instantly. He wasted no time checking them in and getting them settled into rooms. He made no comment about the large esper accompanying them. After the long day of traveling, it didn’t take long for everyone to climb into bed and fall asleep.

.o.O.o.

Rainbow Dash blearily blinked her eyes open, moaned, then turned over in her bed. After a few minutes she turned again and pulled her pillow over her head. Another minute went by, at which point she tossed her pillow away and sat up. “Great, can’t sleep.”

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she hopped out of bed and trotted over to the window. She pushed it open and looked out at the night sky. Judging by the position of the moon, she figured she’d been asleep for only a few hours. Sighing, she made to close the window but a patch of white against the dark streets below caught her gaze. Blinking, Rainbow Dash quickly made out the form of a cloak draped over the shape of a pony. Her weariness forgotten, she jumped out the window, landed a few hooves away from the figure, and began walking towards it.

Rainbow Dash didn’t need a second look to identify Trixie leaning against a rail looking over a street below. The moonlight displayed the former general, turned Returner, turned traitor in perfect view. Trixie didn’t look her way, seemingly not aware that she was no longer alone, while she rocked something back and forth on the railing. Getting closer, Rainbow Dash identified the object as the unmistakable form of magicite.

“I see you haven’t bonded with that yet.”

Trixie started, nearly dropping the magicite off the railing. She fumbled with it for a second before stuffing the magicite under her cloak. Turning away from the pegasus, Trixie lifted her nose to the air. “As if you’re one to talk. You don’t have any magic.”

“Haven’t needed it,” Rainbow Dash replied, stopping only a few hooves away. She swallowed, working her mouth to form words but no sound coming out.

Trixie’s voice was sharp and quick. “What do you want? You should be in bed.”

Clenching her teeth, Rainbow Dash made a frustrated grunt. “I… just want things to go back to the way they were.”

“What, with us on the run? The Empire breathing down our necks every second? Trixie doesn’t find those things to be worth the nostalgia.”

“Trusting you!” Rainbow Dash blurted out. “You know how hard it was for me to accept you as one of us? I put up with you, defended you, and then you go and throw it all in my face!” She panted, her chest heaving.

Trixie closed her eyes and shook her head. “You are such a fool, Dash.” Not looking back, Trixie trotted down a set of stairs, disappearing from sight.

It would be easy to catch up with her. All Rainbow Dash had to do was spread her wings and take flight. But she didn’t. She remained in place, hearing Trixie’s hoofsteps grow more distant until they faded completely.

Rainbow Dash slumped against the railing, feeling her body give out. Moments later she rubbed at the wetness that had gathered in her eyes. How long she remained there, she didn’t know.

.o.O.o.

Dawn came hours later. Rainbow Dash awoke in her bed, the covers wrapped tight around her. Squinting against the light peeking in through the window drapes, she began struggling to unbind herself from the bed. Her struggles ceased when a yellow wing draped itself over her withers.

“Easy there, let me help,” came the soft voice of Fluttershy. She stood at the end of the bed, out of Rainbow Dash’s line of sight. With dexterous hooves, Fluttershy began to unwind the other pegasus from her snug confines. Once free, Rainbow Dash groaned and flopped out of the bed, barely landing on her hooves.

“Let me guess, you got me and put me here,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Um, yes. I had a feeling somepony was hurt and came out to find you outside. Maybe… it’s that esper magic I have now?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but what were you doing out there?”

Sighing and shaking her head, Rainbow Dash headed for the door. “Dealing with Trixie’s usual crap. C’mon, let’s get some food before we head for the boat.”

“Oh. Um, okay.” With a frown on her muzzle, Fluttershy followed, leaving behind a messy bed.

.o.O.o.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, with everyone content to eat and indulge in some small talk from time to time. Once finished, the group headed back to the boat and found Zecora already there and waiting for them.

“Are you ready to leave and with nothing more to retrieve?” she said at the top of the boarding plank.

Rainbow Dash waved her off as she walked by. “Yeah, we’re good.”

“I will let the crew know we are ready to go. Beds and food can be found below.” Zecora nodded and walked off towards the rear of the boat.

Heading below deck, the Returners found the beds and stores of food just at Zecora had said. There was no sign of Trixie, but Rainbow Dash felt certain the unicorn was around somewhere. Minutes later, the boat jerked and a fog horn sounded. Slowly, the boat pulled out of the docks of Albuck and headed out into the wide open ocean.

Scootaloo looked from one side of the cabin to the other, her face settling on a grimace. “So… now what? How long is it going to take us to get there?”

The older ponies shuffled their hooves, Rainbow Dash simply shrugging. “Don’t know. Probably a day at least.” She nodded her head towards the beds. “Might as well sleep, I guess.”

“But I just woke up! Are we seriously going to just sit around the whole time?”

“Little one, over here,” came Maduin’s voice. He had found a space large enough for him to sit down cross legged and patted his knee. “Let’s use this time to see how well you all have come along with your magic.”

“Good idea!” Sweetie Belle said. She hurried over to join him, followed closely by Apple Bloom.

“Now then, show me what you got.”

.o.O.o.

“All systems are a-o-k, ma’am!” a crewpony said, saluting at Zecora.

The boat suddenly rocked and the sound of a muffled explosion could be heard from below deck.

“Um, everything except whatever that was,” he amended.

.o.O.o.

Maduin blinked and coughed as his hair smoked. When he spoke, a small smoke ring floated out of his mouth. “Perhaps we should take this outside.”

.o.O.o.

Later in the day, just as the sun began to sink below the horizon, Twilight Sparkle stood at the bow of the ship. Despite the moderate size of the vessel, the crew and Returners found spots of their own to be alone if needed. Right now the breeze against her muzzle as it whipped by her and fluttered her mane felt serene. For now, at this moment, all her cares and worries washed away, leaving only contentment for her to feel.

The feeling ended as she heard hoofsteps coming up from behind. She turned and opened her eyes, seeing Zecora stop only a few hooves away.

“Sorry to intrude while you are in bliss,” Zecora said, averting her eyes. “I can come back later when it’s not so amiss.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, it’s alright. It’s just the first time I can remember being on a boat like this. I guess Pinkie Pie’s airship sorta counts, but the way the boat moves in the water feels different.” She smiled and cocked her head. “Was there something you needed?”

Zecora frowned and looked away. “I came to apologize.”

Quirking an eyebrow, Twilight waited for the zebra to finish the rhyme. Seconds passed, followed by more seconds and silence. Twilight stepped back, staring wide eyed. “Oh. Well, I can honestly say I never expected that from you. What are you apologizing for?”

Lowering herself to a sitting position, Zecora took a deep breath. “Even before Blueblood put the crown atop my head, I knew you were being used and yet I looked away instead. I was blinded by the Empire’s promise of a world without strife, thinking it would be worth it even at the cost of a life. By the time I decided to act it was too late and had already sealed our fate.”

Twilight stared at the zebra, the only sound the gentle crash of the water against the hull. She looked down, giving a small nod. “We make a pair, don’t we? Used by the Empire to take over the world and now working together to save it.

“Zecora, I accept your apology, but I don’t think I deserve it. I’ve got blood on my hooves too.”

She felt a hoof lift her chin, raising her head until she met Zecora’s cyan eyes. “Then let us make sure our mission is a success so that we can finally put all our troubles at rest.”

Smiling, Twilight nodded. “Yes, let’s.”

Nodding herself, Zecora bowed and trotted away, heading down into the cabin. Moments passed before Maduin walked from the stern, looking weary. He came up to Twilight and plopped down in front of her in an ungraceful heap. “Those fillies are… lively.”

Twilight couldn’t control herself. She snorted with laughter.

Maduin huffed but was unable to keep a smile from his face. “I think now would be a good time to go over those documents we were given.”

“Oh! Good idea!” With a wave of her horn, Twilight opened her saddlebags and pulled out the scrolls given to her by the Emperor. She sat down next to her father, levitating the papers in front of them. “So, how should we start?”

Maduin plucked out one of the papers with a claw and held it before him. “Hmm, this writing is from the War of the Magi alright. Too bad Ramuh isn’t here. He would have liked working on something like this.”

“Can you understand any of it?”

“Perhaps, but it will take time.”

Twilight smiled and leaned up against the large esper. “Good thing we have plenty of that.”

Reaching down, Maduin wrapped a muscled arm around her. “Then let’s make the most of it.”

.o.O.o.

The dawn of the second day since the start of their voyage came, and with it the distant sight of land.

A unicorn crewpony lowered a telescope from his eye and called out, “Land ho! Crescent Island dead ahead. We should arrive in a few hours.”

Next to him, Rainbow Dash lifted her head up from where it had been hanging over the side. Her face a sickly shade of green, she said, “Thank all that’s good and holy—HURK!” The pegasus slapped a hoof to her mouth and quickly lowered her head back over the side.

Zecora, ignoring the retching coming from nearby, called out, “Everyone, let’s have a meeting so that we can discuss our esper greeting.”

The others gathered around, Rainbow Dash wiping her mouth and plodding over as well. “We will split into groups and search around. Be sure to look in the woods, sky, and ground.” A trio of raised hooves caught her eye. She turned to the three fillies and gestured for them to speak.

“Can we head to our hometown first?” asked Apple Bloom. “I can’t wait to show everypony there our new cutie marks!” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo nodded in agreement, large grins splitting their faces.

Zecora smiled and nodded. “Go to Themaresa, but I have one thing to ask. When you show off your marks, bring up the espers; that will be your task.”

“You got it, lady!” Scootaloo said with a salute.

Rarity chose that moment to stand beside the fillies, patting Sweetie Belle on the head. “I suppose if they are heading there, Fluttershy and myself should go as well. We’ll ask around ourselves to see if any of the ponies there have seen anything strange.” She regarded Twilight, Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Maduin. “Would you all like to come? It’s a charming little village.”

Twilight and Spike shared a glance, shrugged, and nodded. “Sure, it sounds lovely.”

“That makes for a very large group though,” Maduin pointed out. “Who else did you have in mind for the second party, Zecora?”

Rather than speak, Zecora pointed at the far end of the ship. Trixie stood there, gazing out at the island and ignoring everyone behind her. “She and I will go as a pair. With all the trouble she’s caused for you, I believe that’s fair.”

“I’ll go with you as well.”

Twilight looked up sharply at her father. “What? But why?”

“If Zecora and Trixie manage to find the espers, they’ll need someone like me to talk to them,” Maduin said. “The other group will have you, Twilight. Being half esper should at least get them to listen.”

“Well, I guess that makes sense, but…” Twilight trailed off, frowning.

Reaching down, Maduin stroked his daughter’s head. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

“Now that we know who is with who, go and prepare for what we must do,” Zecora said. With that, she headed for the stairs leading down.

With only minutes before landfall, the Returners followed and made ready for Crescent Island.

.o.O.o.

The ship came to a stop next to a rocky shore. The unicorn crew of the ship levitated out several ropes that wrapped around large boulders scattered across the shore. Soon, the ship was pulled in close enough that the gangplank could reach the land and the party from the Empire disembarked. Giving final instructions to report back here should the espers be found, Zecora bid farewell to Twilight and the others as they headed north towards Themaresa. Once the larger group was well on their way, Zecora turned to her own comrades.

“Let’s not delay and be on our way. I think it best if we head west.”

“Agreed,” Maduin rumbled.

Trixie held up a hoof, drawing attention her way. “Just one thing before we leave.” She looked at Maduin with narrowed eyes. “Were you telling the truth about your reason to come with us?”

“Yes, of course. But this would be a good time to have a talk with you.”

“Trixie knew it! This was all just a scheme so you could threaten me about staying away from Twilight. Well, Trixie isn’t going to hear of—hey! That’s mine!” She swiped her hooves at the magicite floating out of her cloak, but was too late to grab it. The magicite levitated away, only stopping when Maduin took it in his claw.

The esper gazed into the deep red core of the magicite, the rock emitting a soft, pale light. “Shiva,” he said with a sigh. He glanced down at the unicorn glaring up at him. “So it’s true, you’ve only partially bonded with her.”

“Yeah, so? Give it back!”

Maduin knelt down and held out Shiva’s magicite. Trixie quickly grabbed it with her magic and stuffed it back into her cloak. She then resumed her stare of death at the large esper. “What was that all about? You shouldn’t take what isn’t yours.”

“Shiva isn’t yours either,” Maduin countered. “Not yet. You haven’t been deemed worthy by her to receive the rest of her power.”

“And I’m sure you have some sage advice as to why that is?”

Maduin shrugged. “Don’t be such a jerk would be my guess.”

Scoffing, Trixie marched past him. “Whatever. Let’s just get this whole thing over with and then we’ll never have to deal with each other again.”

Maduin and Zecora watched her go, sharing a sideways look. Sighing, Maduin followed after the cloaked unicorn, Zecora taking up position behind him.

.o.O.o.

“I can’t wait to see everyone’s faces!” Sweetie Belle squealed, giving a little hop.

“I know right?” Scootaloo said, walking beside her. “Nopony ever believed us when we said that cutie marks exist, and now we’ve got them!”

Apple Bloom nodded, smiling the widest of all. “We’re going to be the most popular foals ever!”

Trotting at a more leisurely pace, Twilight Sparkle said, “So what’s this town like? I’ve heard you all talk about it before, but I don’t know much about it.”

“Oh, it’s, um, just a little out-of-the-way place,” Fluttershy spoke. “The ponies there are really nice, but they like being isolated. It took a while for them to warm up to me and the girls when we first moved there, but after a while they welcomed us as if we had lived there forever.”

“Sounds nice. I look forward to seeing it.”

“Yes, this will be my first time there too,” Rarity said, taking a moment to check her hair in a floating mirror carried in her magic. “Hopefully, they won’t be too upset with so many new guests dropping in.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh, I’m sure they won’t mind.”

“So tell me,” Rainbow Dash said, flying overhead. “Do you guys usually have big bonfires in the middle of town?”

Tilting her head in confusion, Fluttershy said, “No, not really.”

Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof at the horizon. “Then I think we have a problem.”

All eyes followed her hoof. A round of gasps quickly followed. In the distance, a column of smoke rose into the sky.

“Oh, dear,” was all Fluttershy managed to say.

“Don’t just stand there, move!” With that, Rainbow Dash flew off at top speed.

Rarity stuffed her mirror away and charged forward. “You heard her, move!”

“Wait up!” came Sweetie Belle’s desperate cry. She moved her tiny legs as fast as she could but wasn’t a match for the older ponies. She needn’t have worried as a magenta aura scooped her up and held her in the air. Startled, she whipped her head around, catching sight of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo in the same situation.

“Don’t worry, I’ve gotcha!” Twilight said as she galloped with the fillies in her magical grasp. On her back, Spike clung to Twilight’s mane.

The ponies rushed down the grassy field they had been traveling on. Soon, they came to a narrow stretch of land jutting out into the ocean. The raised peninsula continued for a mile before widening out, forming a patch of land large enough for a small village to comfortably fit within it. It was here that Themaresa lay, a settlement with less than a dozen wooden houses no larger than a story each. One of those houses was consumed in flames.

“Oh my gosh, that’s Pipsqueak’s house!” Apple Bloom cried out.

Putting on an extra burst of speed, the ponies reached the village within minutes. Rainbow Dash was already there, flying back and forth between the house and a nearby well, dumping buckets of water on every pass. The local pony folk did the same, but their efforts were for naught as the fire only seemed to grow bigger.

“Spike, quick, us your ice breath!” Twilight said as she stopped as close as she could against the intense heat.

“On it!” He hopped down from her back and rushed up to the flaming house. One deep breath later, he exhaled a huge gust of freezing air, coating the home completely. Steam and mist obscured the structure and everypony backed off. Seconds passed but the roar of the flames did not recede. A gust of wind blew away the mist, revealing the fire still burning and stronger than ever.

Twilight gulped and backed away. “Oh dear.”

“Forget it!” Rainbow Dash said as she flew down. “Just let it burn.”

One of the townsponies ran up, a desperate look on her face. “We can’t! Pipsqueak’s still in there!”

“What?!” came three indignant cries.

The local blinked, spotting three fillies levitating before her. “Girls, when did you get back?”

With a burst of magic, Sweetie Belle broke free of Twilight’s grip and plopped to the ground. “No time to explain. Somepony’s got to go in and get him.”

“Yeah, let’s go!” Scootaloo said, her wings buzzing.

“Girls… not so fast,” Fluttershy warned, gasping for breath after the long run. She took a deep breath before continuing. “First of all, how are you going to even get in there without burning up?”

Next to Fluttershy, Sweetie Belle tapped her chin then went wide eyed. She licked her lips then concentrated. Pearls of white magic appeared around her horn, followed by a light green sheen wrapping around the fillies. “This will protect us from the heat. Let’s go!”

“Oh, wait!” Fluttershy’s warning came too late as Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo charged for the burning house.

“I got ‘em!” Rainbow Dash sprang up, ready to intercept them, but a sudden rush of wind sent a lick of flame towards her, forcing her to stop short. She watched helplessly as the Cutie Mark Crusaders barged down the door and entered the raging inferno.

.o.O.o.

The shell of magic used to protect them worked to perfection. What Sweetie Belle hadn’t counted on was the roar of the fire surrounding them on all sides. “Pipsqueak!” she called but her voice was drowned out. She could barely hear herself think.

“Check the rooms!” Scootaloo said.

“What?”

“I said check the rooms!”

“What?!”

Groaning, Scootaloo pushed her friends towards the nearest entryway that wasn’t obscured by burning debris. “Look around!” she shouted as loudly as she could.

Finally getting the idea, the other two darted from one end of the room to the other, pushing aside smoldering furniture and checking in every closet. Seconds passed but there was no sign of the missing colt.

“This whole place will go down before we find him!” Scootaloo said right next to Apple Bloom’s ear.

“I know!” Apple Bloom bucked down a dresser, the burnt piece of furniture crumbling to the floor. “If only Spotter were here, he could—” She stopped herself, her eyes widening. Digging into her bag, she pulled out a pair of brown goggles and strapped it to her face. “This will do it!” She tapped the side of the goggles and a yellow glow covered the lenses. Apple Bloom swivelled her head from one side of the room to the other, then looked upwards. Mere seconds later, she thrust a hoof towards the ceiling. “There he is!” Not wasting any time, she rushed out of the room and towards a flight of stairs, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle right behind her.

With the goggles leading the way, the fillies ran up another flight of stairs, jumping over a fallen, flaming beam. Once they reached the top, Apple Bloom ran down a hallway that ended in a closed door. “Knock it down!” she shouted, picking up speed. All three impacted the door, sending it crashing to the floor. The moment Apple Bloom looked up, she found a brown and white spotted colt huddling on the far side of the room.

She wasn’t expecting to find a pulsing ball of flame hovering in the center of the room.

“What the hay is that?!” Scootaloo said, recoiling from the unnatural sight.

Apple Bloom picked up her jaw and shook her head. “Don’t know, but it’s between us and Pip!” Stuffing her goggles away, she raised up on her hind legs while her forelegs glowed with red magic. “Outta the way!” With that, she pointed a hoof at the floating fireball, a stream of green bubbles forming before her and impacting against it.

The fireball staggered back, its flames receding. However, it quickly floated back into position and pulsed. Tongues of flames reached out for the fillies, causing them to cry out and leap out of the way.

“Great, now we made it mad,” Scootaloo grumbled. She zipped to the side, her own magic gathering within her wings. Presenting her back to the living fireball, she buzzed her tiny wings, letting loose a flurry of electrified feathers. The magical projectiles struck against the blazing corona, crystallizing bits of it that dropped to the floor.

“You’re doing it!” Sweetie Belle cheered.

With one last grunt of effort, Scootaloo ceased her attack and slumped against the wall. “Yeah, but not for long.”

“Whatever, it’s smaller,” Apple Bloom said. “Magic seems to be working. Sweetie, heal her up so she can do that again. I’ll keep it busy.”

No sooner had she said that, than the fireball dropped to the floor with enough force to send a tremor throughout the room. The fillies lost their footing for a few crucial seconds as the fireball sent tendrils of flame to lash out at them. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were struck in the chest, knocking them against opposite sides of the wall. A third tendril thrust against Sweetie Belle's unprotected side.

There came the chime of magic and the tendril splash against a green barrier.

“You jerk!” Sweetie Belle screeched. “You hurt my friends! Dispel!”

Her muzzle contorting in an ugly visage, Sweetie Belle’s horn blazed green and shot out a pale glyph that wrapped itself around the floating flame. The fireball pulsed against its confines but no fire managed to escape. Pouring more magic into her spell, the glyph shrank, forcing the fireball into a tighter space. Smaller and smaller the magical prison became, the fireball inside pulsing faster and faster to try to break free. With one final grunt of exertion, the glyph winked out of existence, taking the living fire with it.

Sweetie Belle sagged to the floor, completely spent.

Moaning in pain and clutching her chest, Apple Bloom crawled over to where Sweetie Belle lay and checked her over. Breathing a sigh of relief that everything seemed alright, she began to head over to Scootaloo only to see Pipsqueak get to her first. “Hey, can you carry her?” Apple Bloom called to him. “We need to get out—”

That’s when the house, still burning around them, began to collapse. A support beam for the room fell from above, landing right next to Apple Bloom’s head.

“Out! Out! Out!”

Bending down, Apple Bloom heaved Sweetie Belle over her back, but the extra weight pinned her to the floor. More pieces of the home fell all around her until a large brick landed on her tail. Completely immobile, Apple Bloom could only watch as the flames grew closer. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for the end to come.

She missed the puff of smoke from the far end of the room appearing out of nowhere and the pony that emerged from within it.

.o.O.o.

Apple Bloom wearily cracked open her eyes. Everything appeared blurry in the haze of wakefulness, so she closed them and rubbed at her lids. When she reopened them she managed to make out a room filled with beds. Somehow, it looked familiar. Carefully, slowly, she propped herself up, realizing she was in a bed herself. Glancing to side to side, Apple Bloom found Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle in beds themselves on either side of her, sound asleep. Closing her eyes and sinking back into her bed, Apple Bloom let out a long sigh. “We did it.”

“Barely, you totally irresponsible… filly!”

Apple Bloom jerked back up, spotting Rarity sitting on the opposite end of the room. Another pony was in the room but Rarity had Apple Bloom’s full attention. The unicorn had such a look of rage that Apple Bloom “eeped!” and hid under the covers. “I’m sorry!”

“Sorry won’t cut it, young lady,” Rarity said, trotting over to the end of her bed. “If Rainbow Dash hadn’t dropped me in from the roof, I wouldn’t have found you at all. You were lucky.”

Apple Bloom peeked out from her covers, giving a sheepish grin. “But… but we all got out, right? Even Pip?”

“Yes, your colt friend is fine. Well, perhaps a little weak from smoke inhalation, but the healers are working on that.”

“I can help!” Apple Bloom jumped to the edge of her bed. “Stardust and I figured out this really cool cure-all called a remedy. It can fix anything!”

Rarity bopped the filly on the nose with a hoof. Apple Bloom swayed as though drunk then fell on her side. “Worry about fixing yourself up first. Twilight said you three used up a lot of magic, which means lots of bed rest for a while.”

“Worth it,” Apple Bloom slurred.

Shaking her head, Rarity began heading for the door. She nodded at a white earth pony with a pink mane as she passed by. “I’ll be by to check up on you all later. If I catch you out of that bed when I get back, then there will be consequences.” With that, she left, closing the door behind her.

“Well, that is one way to make a return to town,” said the earth pony as she walked up to the bed. She helped Apple Bloom back under the covers and get into a comfortable position.

“Thanks, Nurse Redheart,” Apple Bloom said once she was tucked in.

“Think nothing of it. Despite what she said, Rarity is just glad you are all safe.”

Apple Bloom yawned and snuggled up to her pillow. “That’s good.” Her eyelids drooped but she forced them open to look at Nurse Redheart. “Hey, how did the fire start anyway? We had to fight off this weird floating fire thing when we found Pip.”

“Well, the others are still looking into it, but from what I’ve heard the home stocked a lot of fire rods. One of them must have gone off. The fire got so big that we think the magic that set it off became sentient.”

Apple Bloom blinked and cocked her head. “Fire rods? What are those?”

Nurse Redheart looked away, frowning. Taking a breath, she said, “There are going to be a lot of things we’ll need to discuss when you’re feeling better. The townponies noticed your new cutie marks.”

“Heh, yeah. We told you those existed and now we got proof!”

Nurse Redheart shook her head. Reaching back with a hoof, she rubbed at her flank. White flakes of paint began to run down her thigh, peeling away to reveal a red cross emblazoned on her behind. “Little one, we already knew.”

In Which The Next Step Is Taken

Trixie headed down the gangplank of the Paradise, her eyes flicking over the small caravan that had gathered in front of it. She quickly took notice of the zebra children mixed between the ponies and chocobos that made up the troupe. “Trixie very much hopes they aren’t planning on coming.”

Bon Bon stepped forward and shook her head. “No way. Lyra and I are staying behind with them, along with the chocobos. They just wanted to see Twilight off.”

“Oh.” Huffing in annoyance, Trixie made to turn and was nearly bowled over the side of the gangplank as Twilight rushed past.

“I’m so sorry!” she said, all evidence of her earlier fury washed away. “I didn’t mean… I mean I did… I mean—”

Bon Bon gently covered Twilight’s mouth with a hoof. “It’s okay. We know and so do they. They just wanted to see you one last time.” Bon Bon stepped aside, allowing the children to crowd in front of Twilight.

For the second time that day, Twilight sat down in front of her wards. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. We beat the bad monster just like I said we would but there’s an even worse monster that I have to help deal with. I… I don’t know how long I’ll be gone this time.” She sighed, frowning and looking down at the ground.

A red cap flopped in front of her.

Twilight cocked her head, looking back up and seeing that Zecora now added herself within the huddle of zebra. Zecora gave an encouraging nod and gestured her hoof. Biting her lower lip, Twilight levitated up the cap and placed it over her head. “Thanks.”

One by one, each zebra came up to Twilight and gave her a hug. Twilight whispered her thanks as they did, uncaring of the wetness trailing down her cheeks. Once they had all had their turn, Zecora stood next to Twilight and faced the children. “This one needs to leave as well. For how long, who can tell? Until Discord is slain I’m afraid our people’s curse must remain. Look after each other day and night and sing a prayer for us as we go off to fight.”

As if on cue, the zebra began to hum. After a few hymns some of them broke off and chanted, creating a triumphant melody that reached to those within the airship. Twilight wiped her eyes, gave an encouraging smile, and headed up the gangplank.

The zebra continued singing even as the Paradise lifted off and sped away.

.o.O.o.

Within the small lounge area the Paradise had below deck, two chocobos busied themselves making nests. Small twigs and straw were carefully arranged and patted down to make two comfortable resting areas. Comfortable for chocobos, that is.

“I’m so glad you decided to come with us, Moonlight,” Stardust said. Finished with his makeshift nest, he settled down into it, relishing the feel of straw brushing up against his feathers after so long.

Moonlight let out a grunt, then sat down in his own nest. “Yes, well, it was looking kinda crowded at that village. Plus, I wasn’t going to pass up on riding in an airship.”

“Right?! I don’t care what other flocks might say, being in the sky like this is awesome!” Stardust reached over and pushed his bags in front of him. “And look! I finally finished that formula you were working on.”

“Oh, really?” Moonlight watched as Stardust lifted out a bottle with red liquid. “Remind me what that was, again?”

“X-Potion,” Stardust happily replied.

Light dawned on Moonlight’s face. “Oh, right, that. Wow, that was a tricky one. You’ve certainly outdone me there.”

Stardust nodded rapidly. “Yep! But it was your directions that got me to the end, so I don’t mind sharing the credit.”

Moonlight waved a wing dismissively. “Bah, who cares as long as it benefits the flock. Speaking of, once this is all over, do you want to go back in business together?”

“Do I?!”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Moonlight said with a chuckle. “And with all the new things you’ve been able to create, we’ll have the best lineup ever.”

“Hear, hear!” Stardust raised a wing, giving Moonlight an expectant look. Moonlight stared at the wing for a few seconds before getting the idea and slapping his own wing against it. Satisfied, Stardust said, “You just wait, Moonlight! We’re going to be the highest flock around!”

.o.O.o.

Trixie mumbled in her sleep, occasionally gesturing with a hoof as though conducting a crowd that only she could see. The bed she lay on was the best purchase she’d ever made in her life; soft cotton cushioned her body on all sides. Here, she could relax. Here, she could let down her guard.

A knock on her cabin door jolted her out of her sleep, keeling over and landing on the floor with an undignified thump.

“Um, Trixie?” came Twilight Sparkle’s infuriating voice on the other side of the door. “Are you awake?”

“I am now!” Untangling herself from her covers, Trixie marched up to the door and yanked it open, revealing Twilight’s nervous smiling face. “What?!”

Twilight began to take a step back but stopped with her hoof in the air. “Sorry. I just wanted to talk with you. I can come back later if now isn’t a good time.”

“Trixie just wanted to get some sleep before the next catastrophe. Is that so much to ask?” Despite her words, she stepped aside and gestured for Twilight to enter. “But, since she’s up now, better say what you want to say.”

“Thank you.” Twilight stepped inside, observing the beginnings of a furnished room, with a bed and desk, along with a small coat rack where Trixie’s cloak hung. Save the Queen was prominently displayed on the wall, held up by an ornate set of hooks. “Um, nice place you’ve got here.”

“Skip the small talk,” Trixie said as she closed the door. “What do you want?”

Twilight took a breath, facing Trixie directly. “Okay, so, I wanted to say that I’m glad that you’re taking on this quest to deal with Discord. If anypony’s qualified to do this, it’s you.”

For a few seconds, Trixie stared at Twilight, her mouth hung slightly open. She snapped it shut, giving Twilight a shrewd look. “Of course. Trixie’s exalted experience makes her the obvious choice.”

“I mean it. I know everypony around here expects me to be the magic expert since I’m part esper and all. But, well, it wasn’t that long ago where I had trouble knowing even simple things. It’s taken time, everypony’s help, and a lot of books, but I think my head is finally in one piece again.

“So, I just wanted to say you have my full support.”

Trixie continued to stare. Twilight bit her lower lip and avoided her eyes.

“I’m not used to getting these types of compliments from you.”

Twilight gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of her head. “Um, yeah. It’s a little strange for me too.” She sighed. “I remember a lot of our time in the Empire. It’s like seeing things from a totally different pony’s eyes, but I know it was me.” She closed her eyes. “I remember those soldiers.”

Silence fell between them. Trixie opened and closed her mouth several times, but no words spilled out. This time, she waited for Twilight to make the next move. The other unicorn took a shuddering breath before continuing. “I also remember you saying somewhere that we have some unfinished business once this is all over. I promise I’ll do whatever you want once we take care of Discord.”

Trixie grimaced and waved her hoof. “Forget it, it’s not important. Keep your mind on Discord. Was there anything else?”

“No, I think that was everything.” Twilight smiled, then headed for the door. She gave one last look to Trixie, waved and made to leave.

“Wait, Twi—”

“Hey, everypony!” came Pinkie Pie’s voice over the airship intercom. “Can you all come up here?”

“Great, what now,” Trixie mumbled. She donned her cloak and strapped on her sword, then made for the door.

Twilight still stood by it. She tilted her head. “Were you about to say something?”

“It’s nothing, forget it. Let’s figure out what she wants.” Without giving Twilight a chance to respond, Trixie opened the door and headed out. Twilight sighed and followed.

Once on top, the Returners had already gathered, spread out on the deck. Sunset Shimmer and Applejack saw them emerge and trotted over to them. Sunset eyed the two warily. “What were you two doing?”

Trixie sniffed and made to retort but Twilight beat her to it. “I was just reassuring Trixie that she’s in charge and I’m not here to replace her.”

A chuckle escaped from Applejack. “Shucks, I think we all knew that already. You’re the one that came up with the plan to take out Tirek, after all.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Okay, I’ll give her that.”

“Don’t forget making sure you slackers keep up your magic practice,” Trixie said. She walked past them before they could respond, trotting up to Pinkie Pie. “What is it?”

Pinkie Pie locked the Paradise's controls, keeping a steady pace but not covering much distance. “Well, you might be a general but I’m still captain of the ship. Uh, I need a little direction, ya know?”

Trixie smirked and swept her cape back dramatically. “Trixie hears you. Returners, assemble!”

Everypony blinked. Some cocked their heads.

“Ugh. Everyone, just get over here!” Once they had all gathered together, Trixie continued. “Before that, do we still want to call ourselves the Returners? Trixie feels something more appropriate could be thought up.”

Twilight raised a hoof. “Actually, I think it’s more appropriate than ever. We’re helping return the world back from Discord’s chaos.”

“I agree,” Applejack said. “Let’s just keep it as is. Would be a real hassle to tell ponies who already know the Returners from the war that we’re called something else now.”

A round of nods and general agreement passed through them.

Trixie shrugged. “Fine. I’ll let you have that one. So then, any suggestions on where to go? Trixie hasn’t learned anything new on Rainbow Dash’s whereabouts.”

Twilight raised her hoof a second time. “Um, anyone seen Spike?” When no one answered, she pressed on. “Then could we head to Neighshe? He may have headed back there and I really want to be sure he’s okay.”

“Me too,” Stardust said.

“Yeah, and we can check to make sure the citizens there are okay, too,” Applejack added.

Trixie tapped her hoof to the deck, regaining their attention. “Now, before we get too ahead of yourselves, let's remember that Trixie has final say. And she says… sounds good, even if I don’t like the little twerp. Do it.”

“Aye, aye!” Pinkie Pie revved up the engines and turned the wheel, putting the Paradise on a northeastern course.

.o.O.o.

Thirty minutes later, a cry came up from Limestone. “Incoming!” She reached over and slapped a button on top of her cannon. A blast that lightly rocked the airship rang out and seconds later exploded next to a black figure flying through the sky. “It’s that crazy chick again!”

Nightmare Moon banked hard to avoid the shrapnel singing through the air. She realigned herself, aiming for the deck.

“Try to keep her at a distance!” Pinkie Pie yelled back. Banking the Paradise away from the approaching pony, she attempted to maneuver so that her sisters could keep a clear shot. The airship was fast, but Nightmare Moon wasn’t a slouch in speed either. Pinkie flipped a switch on the console, activating the intercom. “Returners, get your fannies up here!”

More cannon shots peppered the sky as ponies scrambled to get into positions. Trixie grabbed hold of Derpy and dragged her over to where Twilight was watching Nightmare Moon fly closer to them. “Okay! You two are the only fliers we got. Think you can hold her off?”

Twilight took a breath and swallowed. “Maybe. From what you told me she’s got very powerful magic. Really wish Rainbow Dash was here.”

“Well, she’s not so you’ll have to do.” Trixie rounded on Derpy, taking note that the pegasus was already beginning to shake. “Hey, just pretend you’re the predator and she’s the prey.”

“Easy for you to say,” Derpy said, her eyes never leaving Nightmare Moon’s position.

Trixie reached over and tilted Derpy’s head until she was looking into her eyes. “Remember, you have powerful magic, too. She’ll never see it coming.”

“Derpy.” Twilight walked up to her, giving a hesitant smile. “Um, we haven’t fought together before, but I’d be happy to have you by my side.”

“See? Even your friendly neighborhood half-esper thinks you can do it.” Trixie pushed Derpy towards the railing. “We’ll support you as best we can. Go!”

“C’mon!” Twilight hopped over the railing, her body quickly morphing. She banked upwards sharply, readying her magic. She heard Derpy flapping behind her, giving a brief look back to see that the pegasus was following and that her wings were glowing. Satisfied, Twilight focused all her attention on the black figure making its way towards them. When Nightmare Moon was only a short distance away, Twilight shouted, “Don’t come any closer or we’ll be forced to defend ourselves!”

Nightmare Moon responded by sneering at the glowing pony before her. The cannon fire stopped, allowing her to hover in place. “What’s this? Another alicorn? You are certainly not my sister so what are you?”

“That doesn’t matter. Just leave us alone.”

Dark magic fired from Nightmare Moon’s horn, forcing the pair to evade. “Nopony orders me what to do in my own skies!” Baring her fangs, she shot forwards towards Twilight.

The half-esper met her charge, the two colliding with fantastic force, creating a shockwave that shredded nearby clouds to mere wisps. Black magic strained against fire, the two combatants locked in a magical struggle. Twilight gritted her teeth as Nightmare Moon relentlessly pressed on, the dark alicorn not letting up her assault. A twinge within her core made Twilight falter, the contest of wills ending with her giving one last push then breaking off.

Twilight gasped for breath and cast a healing spell but that did little to ease her aching body. Nightmare Moon didn’t give her the chance to rest. Diving down, her long, sharp horn leading first, Nightmare Moon made to skewer her opponent like a hawk to a dove.

A lightning fast blur passed in front of her, barely missing being pierced. The next thing Nightmare Moon experienced was flying through a bubble of green miasma and suddenly feeling very ill. She tumbled through the air, coughing and hacking to get the horrible gunk out of her system.

Her slower speed and linear flying made her a much easier target for the Paradise’s cannoneers.

Nightmare Moon wailed as cannon balls exploded all around her, sending sharp shrapnel at high speeds into her flesh. She magically lashed out but her unexpected sickness did her no favors. Bombarded on all sides and with her health deteriorating, she decided that a strategic retreat was in order. In a flash of deep indigo, she vanished.

The crew on the Paradise swept their gaze across the sky but no black ponies reappeared to attack at a different angle. They let out a rousing cheer that quieted quickly as Twilight and Derpy were seen flying back. Derpy was supporting Twilight by holding her side, the heat and flame wings seemingly not bothering her. As soon as Derpy set Twilight down, the unicorn let out a long, shuddering groan and de-morphed. Sunset and Stardust were at her side in an instant, offering an ether and potions for her to drink down.

Twilight eagerly gulped down the offered concoctions, letting out a content sigh once she finished. “Thanks, I really needed that.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Derpy asked, her wings fidgeting.

“Yeah, I should be. Transforming like that takes a lot out of me and I don’t think I rested enough after we beat Tirek.” She sat down, giving Derpy an appraising look. “Thanks, by the way. You really saved me back there. What did you do to her?”

“Poison!” Derpy happily replied. “I don’t use it very much because I gotta get close. That black meanie nearly got me.” She involuntarily shuddered.

Twilight smiled back and tapped her hoof against Derpy’s shoulder. “You did good. Nightmare Moon was just as strong as the others said she was. We’re going to have to train a lot to match her.”

“Wow, somepony else offering to train,” Trixie said, smirking. “Will wonders never cease?”

“Let’s hope not. But first, I need to take a nap.”

.o.O.o.

In an abandoned castle, a disembodied voice giggled to herself. “Daddy’s finally coming home.”

Three lights, one yellow, one purple, and one blue winked into existence.

“You know what to do.”

The lights fidgeted, as though nodding in acknowledgement, then faded away. The voice giggled again.

Wherein the Returners Reach the Endgame Part 4

Discord tapped his fingers together, his manic smile remaining in place. “So how do you want to do this? Am I going to attack you? Will you attack me? Oh, will we attack together?”

“Second one sounds good to me!” Applejack roared and fired off an aurabolt. The holy beam shot across the distance in a blink of an eye.

Discord’s top half split himself apart like a banana peel. The aurabolt passed through the gap without touching a single hair. Once the attack dissipated, Discord zipped himself back up. “A classic! I hope that’s not all you have to throw at me.” He crossed his arms and smirked, waiting for the Returner’s next move.

No new attacks came his way. The assortment of creatures remained still, wary looks on their faces.

Throwing up his arms, Discord said, “Come on, this is why you came here, right? No sense in being shy now.”

Giving a low growl, Trixie pointed her sword up at him. “Fire at will!” So saying, Trixie launched a trio of ice balls at the floating draconequus. Discord snapped his fingers, turning them into puffs of water vapor.

Trixie’s call to action spurred the rest of the Returners into casting their own magic. Stardust opened by casting haste on as many Returners as he could. The extra speed brought forth a wave of magical attacks that streaked towards Discord at a blistering pace.

Discord responded by flashing out of the line of fire, reappearing in multiple locations. “There! That’s more like it!” the copy Discords echoed.

The Returners paused and looked among the crowd of Discords, until Spotter thrust a hoof at one of them, shouting, “That one!”

Derpy and Scootaloo, closest to the real Discord, each let loose a wave of crackling electricity. The two magical attacks attracted to each other, combining into a gargantuan lighting strike that crashed into Discord. His body lit up like a Hearth’s Warming tree, complete with a shining star on top.

“Ha, ha! That tickles!” A flash of white light teleported him away, reappearing next to Umaro. Discord nonchalantly leaned his elbow on the yeti’s shoulder. “Hey, I don’t think we’ve met. Are you related to Ronsos by any chance?”

Umaro grunted, swiping at Discord with one arm and firing off a biting blizzard gale from his orb with the other. The first strike Discord ducked but let the artificial snow storm hit him full force. He leaned into it, his eyes closed and mouth slightly open. “Aw, it’s like a cool breeze on a tepid afternoon. Thanks, my hairy boy.”

He flashed away again, popping back and now playing a grand piano. Rarity and Fluttershy were now the closest, the ponies whinnying and stepping away. “I feel as though there needs to be more music to liven things up around here,” Discord said as his claw and paw tapped at the keys at a rapid pace. The sounds of crushed glass, tubas, whistling, and an assortment of other random noises blared out from the piano. “But nothing’s coming to mind. Do you two have any suggestions?”

“I’d rather you stop completely!” Rarity shouted at the top of her lungs, her and Fluttershy’s hooves clamped down onto their ears. “This unspeakable racket is blasphemy against the very concept of music!”

“Not a fan of the classics, I see. Aw, well. This thing needs tuning anyway.” Shrugging, Discord reached down and picked up the piano as though it were cardboard and tossed it at Rarity and Fluttershy. The ponies shrieked, reflexively casting magic at it. The collision of raw, unfocused power against a construct of chaos turned into a shower of glittering diamonds and fluttering butterflies. “That’s so sweet of you.”

He laughed and teleported away, appearing above three younger fillies. “Speaking of sweet, have you learned any life long lessons, Sweetie Belle?”

The unicorn let out a squeak of fright, prompting Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to lash out with their magic. Sweetie Belle added her own might to the mix in a hurried attempt to tag Discord with a spell. Tutting, Discord slapped away the incoming attacks. “Still no respect for your elders, I see.”

Discord disappeared again but didn’t reappear in his usual flash. The Returners looked around but there was no sign of the draconequus in the dark, cloudy enclosure they were stuck in. Trixie lifted up her sword, but no magic was drawn to it.

Suddenly, a Discord appeared next to each Returner, holding their paw to their mouth to contain a chuckle. They learned down near the Returners’ ears, cupping their paws and talons together. “Boo.”

As though a paddock had been dropped on the battlefield, Returners everywhere whinnied in shock and fright. Magic spells, weapons, and tools were thrown in every direction. The Discords cackled at the sight, the artificial arena now a truly chaotic mess.

Twilight and Trixie swiped at their pair of Discords with their swords. The weapons cleaved through the Discords, dissipating them. But not before blowing a raspberry during their departure. “We’re not getting anywhere,” Trixie said, scowling. “He’s just toying with us.”

Twilight gave a grim nod. “Yeah. He’s just… just too powerful.” She slammed her sword down onto the cloudy ground in sheer frustration. “I’m not going to let him get his way! I can’t let down the zebras like this!”

“Then what do you suggest? Just throw magic at him and hope it hurts him?”

Twilight cocked her head, growing silent for a few moments. “Maybe… maybe we can hit him… with one really big spell?”

Letting out an exasperated groan, Trixie replied, “What kind of big spell? My biggest spell couldn’t defeat a unicorn. And if we miss, then we’ll all just be drained.”

Twilight set her jaw, opening her mouth to respond, but a poke to the side of her head drew her attention. She turned and saw a Discord the size of a cat laying on his side, his talon supporting his head. “Now, what could you two be plotting over here about? There’s an exciting battle you’re missing out on.”

“Discussing how to beat you, of course!” Trixie quickly spat out. “Why else do you think we’re here?!”

Discord gave a sideways shrug. “Doubt it’s going to be anything good.”

“If you’re so bored, then blink yourself out of existence!”

“Naw, oblivion’s worse. All it’s got to eat is black licorice and I hate that stuff.”

Twilight cut Trixie’s next diatribe off with a hoof. She turned to face Discord fully. “You’re right, Discord. We don’t have much left. So let’s end this quickly to spare everyone’s time. We’re going to hit you with everything we have and you just need to try to stop it.”

“Oh, really?” Discord righted himself, stroking his dangling beard with his lion’s paw. “So an all-or-nothing sort of thing?”

“Exactly. And if that’s not enough to defeat you… then there’s no point in dragging this out.”

Discord hovered where he was while copies of himself continued to torment the Returners behind him. Finally, with a wide grin, he snapped his fingers, making all his duplicates disappear. “Alright. You get one shot. Make it good.”

In a white flash he was gone, only to reappear high above the battlegrounds. “Attention, everyone! Attention!” Discord spread his arms wide, smiling down on the bewildered and panting Returners. “There has been a change in our regularly scheduled epic final encounter. I’ve made a deal with Twilight that you all get one last chance to make this interesting. If you fail, then it’s game over and I win!” He laughed, a tall iron throne with red cushioning appearing behind him. He sat down into it, summoning a glass of chocolate milk. With a confident smirk, he laid back and waited.

Twilight and Trixie beckoned the others to join them. The Returners, eyeing Discord with naked disgust, hurried over. Rivulets of sweat coated their bodies, though not a single wound stood out amongst the crowd.

Rainbow Dash reached the two former unicorn Imperials first and immediately wrapped Trixie up into a hug. “Thank goodness you’re all right. I don’t know how I did it but I’m glad I did.” She gave one last squeeze then turned to Twilight. “Alright, what’s going on?”

“Please tell us you have an idea,” Stardust said. “I’m running out of ethers.”

Twilight took a breath and nodded. “I think I do, and it’s going to take all of us to pull it off. I need you all to cast your most powerful magic and let Trixie runic it all.” Trixie gave Twilight a sharp look, but Twilight continued before she could say anything. “Are you able to reverse your runic and send the magic somewhere else?”

Trixie grimaced. “... Yes, but it’s going to give me a splitting headache afterwards.”

“If this works, it’ll be worth it. I’m going to morph into my esper form. You need to send all the magic from everyone here to me. I’ll then cast the most powerful spell I can manage. Discord will then try to block it or it’ll defeat him.”

The Returners took a moment to let this information sink in. Shining Armor came forward. “And… if this doesn’t work?”

Twilight lowered her head. “Then we fail.”

“Twilight, are you going to be okay?” Spike said. “This is… totally crazy.”

“If anyone here can handle that much magic at once, it’s me.”

“Chop! Chop!” came Discord’s voice. “Let’s not be dallying, now. I’ve got so many wonderfully chaotic ideas to try out!”

Twilight’s features firmed up, a heavy frown forming. “You heard him. This is our only chance. Let’s make it count.”

A long look passed between the Returners. A sigh escaped from Applejack, the earth pony swallowing past a dry mouth. “I’m tired of all this fighting. I want it to end.”

“Me too,” Pinkie Pie said. “I’ve got a lot of parties to plan at my new casino and I can’t do that while that big doofus is around.”

Rarity lifted up her mask. “I’ve always intended to retire this cowl once things were safe for my sister. Let’s give it one last hurrah to make it so.”

“Sounds lovely to me,” Fluttershy piped in.

Rainbow Dash thrust a hoof to the air. “Then let’s do it! No use waiting.”

All around, the Returners nodded and spoke their agreement.

“Well, at least Trixie will take center stage for a bit longer.” Huffing, she swept a hoof around her. “Stand around me and begin casting. Don’t hold back.”

One by one, the Returners made a large circle around Trixie. The surrounded unicorn raised her sword, the blade glinting in the unnatural light. Rainbow Dash smirked and cast first, a flaming bird forming above her and flying towards Trixie. Trixie’s runic sucked in the fire bird like a vacuum, the magic collecting at the base of her sword.

More and more Returners cast their magic, each spell gathered up and stored within Save the Queen. Trixie gritted her teeth in an effort to resist absorbing the magic into her horn, beads of sweet beginning to roll down her forehead. The sword glowed like a miniature sun, the magic inside waiting to be used.

Seeing this, Twilight burst into flame and leapt into the air. A pair of blazing wings sprouted from her back and lifted her higher into the sky. She spread her arms and wings wide, calling out, “I’m ready!”

“So is Trixie!” With a mighty roar, Trixie thrust her sword upwards, pointing the tip at Twilight’s back. A beam of pure white magic struck Twilight’s form, the esper jolting from the impact.

Twilight let out a reflexive cry as energy was forcibly injected into her body. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to manage the pain. The sensation of so much magic being poured into a little pony, even one as gifted as Twilight, was overwhelming. Every cell of her being threatened to overload and tear her apart. The only thing keeping her together was her esper heritage and even that was being stretched to its limits. With so much magic coursing through her, Twilight struggled to keep focus. It was tempting to let the power take over and let it lash out indiscriminately.

The vision of a small village filled with stone statues flashed through Twilight’s thoughts.

“You… won’t… get… away… with… this…”

Twilight’s eyes flew open, her pupils solid white. A word she had recently learned sprang forward, an appropriate name for the spell she intended to cast.

“Ultima!”

All of the gathered magic emptied out of her, coalescing into a single speck of blue light. It hovered in place for a second, then exploded outward into a giant sphere of destructive power. The magic expanded at an accelerated rate, reaching its intended target in an instant.

“Ooh, this is new!” Discord tossed away his empty bottle of chocolate milk and clapped his hands together. “You goodie-goodies sure don’t disappoint!” He reached out with a single talon and flicked at the oncoming Ultima spell.

His finger stuck.

Discord blinked and placed his lion paw against the oncoming ball of blue to push it away. His paw adhered to the magical surface like it was made of glue. Snarling, he kicked away his throne and pressed down with both hands, summoning his full magical capacity. The Ultima spell did not slow, no matter how much he pushed back.

His hands sank further down into the unstoppable magic, quickly reaching his elbows.

“That… this isn’t right,” Discord said, a tremble in his voice that he had never heard before.

He tried to pull away but the Ultima spell held him fast. Discord attempted to teleport his parts not contained within the spell away but even that was denied him. He willed his tail to detach but none of his powers responded to his commands. Discord’s fur and skin began to bubble and expand as he struggled to free himself. “No. No, this can’t be happening!”

Ultima continued to grow, unfazed by the chaos spirit’s plight.

“NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOO!”

Discord’s final defiant scream echoed out as his entire body became engulfed.

In a flash of blinding white, the Ultima spell winked out. No sign of Discord remained.

.o.O.o.

Twilight Sparkle wheezed and fell, her esper form evaporating around her. She sensed more than felt a force surrounding her and setting her gently on the ground. Sounds and sensations came muted to her, everything feeling distant as though experiencing events outside of her own body. A sense of numb detachment the likes of which Twilight hadn’t felt since wearing a slave crown over a year ago fell over her. Time ceased to have any meaning. Seconds, minutes, or even days could have passed. Perhaps she was dead, and this was her spirit letting go. Twilight didn’t have the strength or will to care.

The endless moment Twilight found herself in slowly faded away as voices began to filter through the fog. Unintelligible, but there were distinct variations in pitch and timbre. Her mind began to clear and she recognized that multiple creatures were talking around her. That revelation began a cascade of awareness as her numbness suddenly ceased to be, replaced by a weariness that engulfed Twilight like a twenty ton smooze.

“Ooooooohhhhhhhhhh…”

“She’s coming around.”

“Easy with that. We don’t want her to choke.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Sorry.”

Twilight’s eyes tried to open but all that she managed was to flutter them briefly before keeping them shut. The effort was too much even for that. Relying more on touch for now, she felt something being poured into her mouth and a set of soft appendages massaging her throat to ease whatever it was down. This continued for a few more minutes, but Twilight didn’t mind. Someone was looking after her and that was enough for now.

“How’s Trixie doing?”

“Give Trixie her sword so that she can stab her head with it!”

“About that well.”

A cough escaped from Twilight, spitting up some of the liquid. It dripped down her chin, but she didn’t care. Some strength came back into her body, allowing her to roll over onto her side.

“Take it easy, Twilight. Don’t try to do too much.”

“Whaaaaa…” Twilight slurred.

“You did it, Twilight! Discord’s gone. We haven’t seen him since you cast your spell.”

Twilight’s mind rebooted, allowing her to recall some of the events leading up to her current state. “Goooooooood…”

“Do you think it’s safe to move her? I don’t think we should stay around here any longer.”

“With Discord gone, this whole place could collapse.”

“Yeah, place her on my back. I wanna get out of here too.”

A pair of rough but strong arms wrapped around Twilight’s midsection. Twilight let out a groan of protest as this sent a whirlwind of turmoil through her stomach, nearly throwing up. Even as gentle as the arms were being, being picked up caused her head to spin, resulting in another pained moan.

“Sorry, Twilight. I’m being as careful as possible.”

The lift up was mercifully brief and she was soon placed down on a surface that was warm and soft. Twilight sighed, her body calming down and no longer experiencing loop-de-loops. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to let herself go and sleep for a week.

The sound of whizzing from above that grew louder by the second dashed that wish.

.o.O.o.

Shining Armor placed his sister on Stardust’s back with as much care as he would tuck his son into bed. Even so, Twilight protested every movement, prompting Shining Armor to finish quickly. He had just laid Twilight down, her face relaxing to such a peaceful expression that Shining wondered if she had fallen asleep, when a gasp from Spike jolted him. Shining Armor looked the dragon’s way, seeing him stare and point upwards. Following his gaze, Shining Armor drew back, taking in a sharp breath.

Above, four twinkling white stars hovered where Discord last existed. Many of the other Returners noticed too, a dull murmur spreading amongst them. The stars didn’t stay in the sky long, descending to an empty part of the field. They fell upon the still cloudy floor as gently as a feather, sparkling even more than before. With astonished eyes, the Returners witnessed the stars grow larger, stretching out and growing thin tendrils of pure white. Two stopped expanding within seconds, no larger than Big Macintosh, the tendrils growing more defined. Hooves and talons shaped themselves out of the tendrils, followed by wings and a horn. The glow from these stars faded, the whiteness retreading to reveal a white coat of a pony from one and a white and brown feathered griffon from the other.

Next to them, the other two stars continued to grow. One stopped at four times the size of an average pony, the image of a grand eagle with a serpentine body forming. Multi-colored feathers sprung out from a wide pair of wings, while four claws grasped at the air. A long snake-like tail ending with a tuft of feathers twitched on the ground.

The last star grew the biggest, twice as long as the other. Serpentine in form like the last, but with leathery wings, this star sprouted dark dragon scales along its entire length. Its head developed a pointed snout, two golden horns, and a single black horn protruding from its forehead. A mane of yellow and red ran down its back, flowing just past the wings. Four short but muscled forearms and legs finished the creature’s body, each pair sporting long golden claws.

All four newly born creatures shuddered, their breathing restarting after a year’s absence.

Shining Armor blinked and looked closer at the two smaller bodies. “Is that… Blueblood?”

“And Gilda?” Rainbow Dash asked.

The voices knocked Spike out of his stupor. “I think that’s… Tritoch. Yeah, that was his name.”

“Okay, yeah. But… who’s the last one?”

Standing next to Shining Armor, Spotter crossed his eyes as his horn sparked, Autumn Blaze flowing out of it and coming to land next to her summoner. Her body shook, her voice trembling as she said, “Th-tha-at’s Kaiser.”

Sunset Shimmer, staying close to Stardust to help with Twilight, drew back. “Oh, oh no.”

Blueblood, Gilda, and Tritoch began to stir, slowly blinking open their eyes and becoming aware of their surroundings.

The Kaiser Dragon’s revival happened quicker, the beast snapping open his eyes and revealing piercing red pupils. Those eyes settled on the Returners and the three creatures he had only recently been separated from. A deep bass laugh rumbled out of his throat, echoing across the cloudy expanse.

“Free. I am finally free.” The Kaiser Dragon pushed himself up then promptly sagged back down. The glow in his eyes dimmed as he visibly winced. “Ahh… too weak. Trapped… too long.” Taking a deep breath, the Kaiser Dragon wheezed out eight small motes, each colored differently. The little balls of magic shot off in all directions, disappearing beyond the black void.

This effort seemed to sap what little strength he had gathered. The Kaiser Dragon lay back down, taking long, slow breaths.

Sunset took this in, chewing her lower lip. Firming up her features, she trotted herself over to where she was in front of the Returners and said, “This is it. This dragon is our true enemy. I know we’re all tired, but we can’t let him recover.” She drew the Ultima Weapon and pointed it at the Kaiser dragon.

“Listen to her,” came the voice of a struggling Tritoch. The esper propped himself up enough to take in the gathered forces. “You must… finish this war. It will only… drag on with him… still alive.”

The Kaiser Dragon let out an amused snort. “You ponies are... one to talk. War… comes naturally to you. Or have you all forgotten the Empire?” He inclined his head towards Blueblood and Gilda, the two Imperials still having trouble recovering.

“Shut up!” Sunset roared and charged at the downed dragon. “This is for invading our home. This is for forcing my sister and I to abandon our poor ponies for a thousand years. This is for everyone!” She raised her weapon, its energy blade growing as she fed more power into it. With a mighty heave, she brought it down to cleave the Kaiser Dragon’s head from its body.

The ground beneath her erupted before she could make it. Sunset was flung back, landing with a thud. Groaning, she shook her head and looked to see what had prevented her attack. She gasped as the body of the Gold Dragon pulled itself out of the hole it had created, smiling wickedly at her from atop its tiny head.

The strange, cloudy enclosure that the Returners had been brought to shuddered. All at once, the clouds were blown away and a pinpoint of light appeared at the top. The light quickly grew, and then, like an egg being cracked in two, the black expanse tore apart. The two ends fell away, revealing the still floating debris of Discord’s sphere. However, their focus was not on that, but the seven draconic figures descending to the large chunk of land they now stood on.

The Kaiser Dragon chuckled at their stunned looks. “I would introduce you to my children… but I know you have already met.” Heaving himself up, the Kaiser Dragon spread his arms and wings out, basking in the moment. “You get the chance to play with them again. This time, it will be different.

“This world is mine. Enjoy your time alive while it lasts. Your hopes and dreams all end here. This will be your final fantasy.”