Flipside

Chapters

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Chapter 5

Chapter 2

"...Looking forward to it of course. In all honesty I can't imagine..."

Celestia's attention was floating in and out of focus. The palace staff was busy tending to the grounds and numerous knick-knacks as usual. The princess was following one of her many, many schedulers (Sun Dial) as he went over plans for the next day with her.

Celestia looked out the window they were passing by. The sun was getting higher, still late morning. A part of her just wanted to take off into parts unknown and never return. To flee from what she knew was coming.

"Your majesty?" Sun Dial's voice broke through her thoughts of freedom. "Is everything alright?"

Celestia looked at the slate-gray stallion, his magic grasping a thick stack of papers. Other servants were also slowing or stopping their duties, she could feel their eyes. Curious, worrying, wondering like Sun Dial if she was okay.

A smile came to her muzzle, as easily as it always had for the last thousand years. No matter what was coming she couldn't abandon them. Couldn't let them see her weaken.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dial, I was just admiring the work the gardeners have done," the sun princess lied as they continued walking.

The stallion moved his papers back to the front of his vision and the sounds of ponies resuming their jobs filled the hall again.

"Yes, they are quite talented," the stallion responded. "Green Hoof and his crew were quite surprised when you announced where the Celebration was being held. A millennial anniversary... we all expected it to be here in Canterlot."

There was surprise in his tone, mixed with a bit of disappointment. Both emotions seemed to vanish though as he saw Celestia shake her head.

"It was promised that the location would be randomly chosen each year," she stated. "So, what was next on the schedule for Ponyville?"

Sun Dial gave the princess an appraising look, before shrugging and turning back to his notes. Once more the unicorn was droning about who Celestia would need to meet with, from where she'd raise the sun, locations for the guards... and a million other details that she knew wouldn't matter by that time.

They passed another window, Celestia looked out for one last time to admire the work of the gardeners.

Attention all passengers, we are now arriving in Ponyville. I repeat, we are now arriving in Ponyville.

Spike snorted and jerked his way from his nap. Twilight was already scooping up their bags, including the pamphlet she'd been reading. He yawned, magic readjusting his hat as the violet dragon helped him with his saddlebags. He could feel the train slowing as it pulled into the station.

"Morning, sleepy-head." Twilight chuckled as she clambered onto his back. "Feeling any better?"

"A little, I guess," Spike grumbled, dragging his hooves toward the line of disembarking ponies.

"Cheer up, Spi—" Twilight cut herself off as the unicorn turned his head to glare at her. "Prose. We're covering the biggest celebration in all of Equestria!"

The dragoness pulled herself into a standing position. Spike winced at the feeling of her claws on his back. The unicorn rolled his eyes as Twilight cleared her throat. He could sense the incoming lecture.

"Ink Blot wants to use this for training," she declared, adjusting his hat so it stood proudly on his head. "Well I say you get out there and show him what you're made of! Let's prove that you're the journalist you've been telling him you are!"

Spike turned his head to look at his assistant. The smiled never left her face, and it quickly infected his own.

"You know what?" Spike said as they marched off the train. "You're right, Twilight. We're gonna write the greatest article ever and show Ink Blot I can handle this!"

"That's the spirit!" Twilight cheered, giving her friend a hug.

A sudden blast of cheerful music filled the air. Everypony leaving the train (as well as quite a few employees) found their eyes drawn to a brightly painted wagon. A marching band's worth of trumpets, flags, and for some reason an oven were sprouted from it, playing an impossibly upbeat tune.

From behind the contraption sprang an almost blindingly pink pony, her mane a mass of curls that bounced as she hopped from end of the platform to the other. There was a huge grin on her face as she sang along to the music.

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

A fine welcome to you!

Spike found his hoof pulled into an extremely enthusiastic shake before the pink mare bounced along to the next newcomer. It was clear that she had rehearsed this, seeing as she never missed a beat in the song.

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

I say how do you do?

Spike and Twilight gave one another confused looks. The stallion quickly slunk away from the other newcomers. There was some relief in seeing that he wasn't the only one, at least three others were following his example. The others were bobbing or stomping their hooves along with the music.

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

I say hip-hip-hurray!

"Think maybe I'll skip interviewing that one, though," Spike said to Twilight, as they marched past the strange wagon.

"Uh... yeah," she agreed, eyes bouncing as they followed the pink mare.

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

To Ponyville today!

In an impressive display of acrobatics, the singer flipped head-over-hooves and landed by the wagon. The remainder of her audience began cheering and laughing. Spike tried not to pay attention, focused on putting as much distance between himself and the musical wagon as he could.

The loud blare of several noisemakers going off drew his gaze back to the wagon. He spun around just in time to see a massive burst of yellow goop fly out of the smoke-stack structures on it.

Twilight yelped and jumped from Spike's back just in the nick of time. The unicorn was left to get covered by vanilla-scented gunk by himself.

"Blech! Ugh, what is this stuff?!" he shouted, struggling to wipe the goop from his eyes.

He was hardly the only one complaining. Several other ponies were crying out from the shock of being coated in the mysterious substance. A girlish giggle filled the air that for some reason felt like it could only belong to the pink mare.

"Whoops! Sorry everypony!" she apologized. "Guess I loaded the confetti in the oven and the cake batter in the confetti cannons by mistake!"

Spike had cleared off his eyes, giving the ooze a tentative lick. It certainly tasted like uncooked cake batter. Twilight had both claws over her mouth which were doing a poor job to hide the huge grin crawling across her face.

"Look out below!" a voice suddenly broke in.

A shadow fell over Spike for a brief moment. The shadow was soon replaced by a blur of gray that slammed into him. He screamed in surprise as he and this new assailant skittered across the platform, hitting the wall of the station's ticket booth.

"Spike!" Twilight shouted, running after him.

"Oh, this is already going well," he grumbled, rubbing his now aching head.

"Sorry! My bad," the voice that had shouted before groaned. "That weird yellow goo got in my eyes. Are you okay?"

A gray pegasus mare shook her head as she sat up. A few blobs of cake batter scattered from her eyes and her blond mane as she did. Spike drew back as the mare opened her eyes. They were bright yellow, one of them focused directly on him. The other drifted, looking to the right.

"I'm fine, are you?" he asked, suddenly worried as he reached a hoof toward the stranger. "Your eyes are all—"

"Oh!" the pegasus blushed and turned away. "No, it's alright! They're... they're always like this."

Spike's hoof immediately moved to cover his mouth instead, so fast it was a wonder he didn't chip a tooth. The gray mare giggled as she got back to her hooves and straightened out her feathers. The cloud of bubbles on her flank was soon covered by her wings as she helped the unicorn back up.

"It's okay, you didn't know," she said, before a huge grin came to her face. "Ooh! Which means you must be new around here!"

The cake-covered stallion found his hoof pulled into another enthusiastic shake. Twilight ducked, barely avoiding several splatterings of batter that flew from her friend's leg.

"It's great to meet you!" the gray mare exclaimed as she failed to notice the mess she was making. "My name's Ditzy Doo!"

"I-I-I'm Pu-urple Prose," Spike managed to return the greeting, his voice wavering a bit with the excessive shaking.

"And I'm Twilight," the lavender dragon spoke up, tapping Ditzy on the shoulder. "We're reporters for the Canterlot Sun."

Spike heaved a sigh of relief as Ditzy released his hoof.

"Reporters?" she asked, her eyes giving the strange feeling that she was looking at both of them at once.

"Yup!" Twilight confirmed. "We're here to cover the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Oh, cool!" Ditzy cheered, her face lighting up.

Of course, Spike was starting to get the feeling Ditzy was the easily excited sort.

The unicorn's horn lit up, surrounding his body with a green aura. The cake batter still stuck to him slowly began to scrape off, globules of it floating toward a nearby trashcan.

"I've never spoken to real reporters before, especially ones from Canterlot!" Ditzy was speaking at a mile a minute, flapping her wings to get airborne again. "This is so exciting! I'll bet you're gonna be interviewing everypony in town!"

"Yeah, right after Prose finishes cleaning himself up," Twilight said with a giggle.

"It's not funny, Twilight," Spike responded, highly un-amused as he peeled more batter from his hat. "Ugh, I'm never gonna get all this gunk off!"

"Oh, I can help with that!" Ditzy offered before darting off in a blur of gray feathers.

She was back in an instant, pushing a gray raincloud ahead of her. The purple unicorn gasped as he realized what was coming. Before he could protest, the pegasus jumped onto the cloud with all her might. The bottom of the cloud burst, nearly drowning Spike in the ensuing rain.

The unicorn spat out a mouthful of water, his coat and mane clinging to his body and his hat drooping over his eyes. Thankfully all of the cake had been cleaned off by the impromptu shower. Ditzy looked down with a big smile on her face while Twilight rolled on the ground, her body shaking with silent laughter.

"Thanks, Ditzy, thanks a lot," Spike groaned, unable to find it in himself to admonish the mare. "Good thing my saddle-bags are waterproof."

"Happy to help," Ditzy said as she pushed the spent raincloud back into the sky.

Spike's magic sparked around his hat, floating it aside to wring it out. As he focused on that a pink hoof with a muffin on it suddenly popped into sight. He found himself face-to-face with the pink performer from earlier, a tray of muffins balanced on her back.

"And two more apology muffins for Ditzy and the new pony!" cheered the perpetually smiling mare. "Sorry for covering you both with cake."

"Um... it's okay?" Spike managed to respond.

"Thanks, Pinkie!" Ditzy snatched up her own muffin and eagerly began chomping on it. "Oh hey, you'll never guess what Mr. Prose is here for!"

"Oooh, I love guessing games!" Pinkie cheered before shaking the muffin tray on her back. "But I've got so many muffins to pass out. Then I've gotta get to that party for Applejack's family on the farm..."

Spike almost choked on the bite of muffin he'd taken as Pinkie jumped to his side and slapped a hoof across his back.

"Don't worry though, Prosey!" the pink mare seemed unaware of her new friend's sudden coughing fit. "I'll make sure to put aside plenty of time at the big party tonight to get to know you! See you both at the celebration tonight?"

"Of course!" Ditzy said with a nod.

With that, Pinkie was off and passing out muffins to another group of cake-splattered ponies. Spike took a deep breath, his coughing finally dislodging the stray muffin bit. He watched the pink mare with a confused expression, wondering just who it was that had almost literally killed him with kindness.

"That's Pinkie Pie," Ditzy spoke up, answering Spike's unspoken question. "She's really nice, and loves meeting new ponies."

"She always so excitable?" Spike asked as he finally put his (still damp) hat back on.

Ditzy Doo giggled in response before finishing off her muffin. "Yeah, but she's been extra happy with all the newcomers. I'm surprised she hasn't exploded or something!"

Spike just rolled his eyes, taking another cautious bite from his own muffin. Twilight had finally managed to stop laughing and climbed onto his back, though she still had a broad grin on her face.

"It was great meeting you, Ditzy," the dragon said. "But Prose and I have a lot of ponies to interview."

"Yeah, starting with whoever is in charge of the Celebration," Spike chimed in.

"Oh, that'd be Mayor Mare," Ditzy answered, wings fluttering as she got back in the air. "She'd probably be at Town Hall, I can show you the way!"

The raincloud flashed through his head. Something told Spike more of this pony's help might not be pleasant.

"No!" he tried to insist, before pursing his lips and realizing he had shouted. "I mean... you really don't—"

"It's no problem, really," Ditzy explained, the smile never leaving her face. "I've just gotta make a few more pick-ups first."

The mailmare looked down, then up and around. Her eyes crossed as confusion colored her features.

"Um... as soon as I find my mailbag," she said. "Excuse me."

The pegasus rose higher into the air. Spike started to slink backwards only for a sharp claw to pinch his ear. The stallion bit his lip to avoid shouting in pain.

"Where do you think you're going?" Twilight chastised as she twisted her grip a bit. "She wants to help!"

"Twi, I know she's nice but she also seems kinda—" The purple unicorn cut himself off before rolling his eyes and sticking out his tongue to illustrate his point. "You know?"

"She's also a mail-mare! I'll bet she knows everypony in town," the dragon whispered, pinching a little harder. "And don't be rude!"

"Found it!" Ditzy cheered from above as she flitted back into view with a blue bag slung across her chest. "I wonder how it got all the way up on the station roof."

"Sounds like a real mystery," Spike answered as Twilight relinquished his ear. "So, on to Town Hall?"

"You betcha! This way!" Ditzy cheered as she started toward the village beyond the platform.

Spike began to follow but stopped as he noticed Ditzy hovering in mid-air with a confused expression.

"Oh wait... no, this way," she said, taking off in the opposite direction.

The stallion sighed, his cheery mood from disembarking shriveling. This was starting to feel like it would be a long day.

Chapter 3

"There's Sugar Cube Corner. That's where Pinkie Pie works," Ditzy explained as she flew along. "They have the best muffins...You feeling hungry all the sudden?"

In the short time that he'd spent with Ditzy Doo, Spike had started to wonder a few things. Just what could that cutie mark of hers represent? What exactly was up with her eyes? Most importantly of all: Just how in Tartarus did this pony manage to get lost in her own home town?

Ditzy had claimed she only had a few pick-ups to make. The mailmare's poor sense of direction had resulted in Spike getting a grand tour of Ponyville. Now the trio was passing by a gingerbread house that was apparently the town bakery, and Spike couldn't help but notice the longing look Ditzy was giving it.

"Well, the town is nice and all, Ditzy," Spike chimed in, waving a hoof at the mailmare to get her attention. "But I really need to get this article written. So if you could --- "

"Right, Town Hall!" Ditzy interrupted, pointing toward a side street. "Right this way, last stop on my route!"

"You're sure this time?" Spike muttered as the grey pegasus flew off.

He winced as Twilight rapped on the back of his head with her notepad.

"Be nice, mister. She didn't need to take the time to show us around you know," the dragoness admonished.

"She also didn't need to help me clean that cake off," Spike pointed out, his magic re-straightening the quill in his hat band for the third time. "That rain water was freezing by the way."

"She's trying to be helpful," Twilight argued. "Besides, you're already dry."

"Mostly, yeah." Spike let out a frustrated sigh. "If we use too much more of Ditzy's 'help', though, this article is just gonna be about her mail route!"

Coming around the corner, though, Spike was met with a pleasant surprise. A tall, official looking building that looked almost like one of the spires of the royal castle. If the spires were made of plain wood rather than meticulously polished marble.

"There it is!" Ditzy cheered from her place overhead. "We're gonna be holding the big party there tonight and everything!"

"Wow it looks...Nice," Spike managed to compliment as Twilight's camera clicked away. "A little under-decorated though, isn't it?"

"Prose!" Twilight hissed.

"Oh we've got the best pony for the job handling decorations," Ditzy assured her companions as they approached the building.

Her wall-eyed gaze drifted back the way they came. Somehow the smile on her muzzle got even bigger.

"Ooh, here she comes now! Hi Rarity!" Ditzy greeted, waving at whoever was approaching.

"Why hello, Ditzy," greeted a new voice.

Spike started to turn, stopped awkwardly half-way, and stumbled to regain his balance. Twilight yelped in surprise and fell from his back during the little dance, her camera flashing as she hit the ground.

Coming down the street was a stunning unicorn mare, one that Spike's eyes couldn't leave. Her pure white coat and rich, purple mane seemed to sparkle in the sunlight as she trotted up. Spike felt a clawed hand reach up and close his jaw, which he hadn't even realized was hanging open. The new mare had a quizzical look as she sniffed the air.

"Does anypony else smell cake?" she asked.

Spike mentally cursed, one hoof running through his short mane in a search for offending blobs. Ditzy giggled as she flipped her own mane a bit, a few more specks of batter flying out.

"Sorry, that's me," the pegasus explained. "Pinkie had a little accident with her welcome wagon earlier."

"Oh, I've always worried something like this would happen with those gadgets of hers," Rarity said before she turned to Spike. "Oh, how rude of me! I haven't even introduced myself and here I am chattering away."

She offered a perfectly polished hoof to Spike with a flutter of her long lashes.

"I'm Rarity," she said. "To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

The stallion was already picturing it in his head. He'd reach in and cup her hoof in his, planting a gentle kiss on it as he introduced himself—

"Oh yeah, this is Purple Prose and his friend Twilight," Ditzy cut in, Spike's plans shattering. "They're here from Canterlot to do a report on the party! Isn't that exciting?"

"Ooh, from Canterlot you say?" Rarity asked, her eyes now locked on Spike.

"Oh, uh..." Spike could feel his mind suddenly blank now that the mare was paying attention to him. "Yeah, she is. I mean, I am! We! We are..."

He mentally face-hoofed, magic pulling his hat down over his face to hide his blush. Twilight sighed as she brushed the last of the road dust from her scales and cleared her throat.

"We're reporting for the Canterlot Sun on Ponyville's Summer Sun Celebration," Twilight explained on Spike's behalf, holding up her notepad and camera. "We were actually on our way to interview the mayor—"

"But I'm sure that can wait!" Spike cut in, his magic yanking Twilight back by her tail. "So, Ditzy said you're handling the decorations for the party?"

Ditzy just had a big smile on her face as she watched the two get acquainted. Twilight rolled her eyes as her partner managed to find his nerve again. The dreamy look in his eyes made it all too clear what Spike really had on his mind as he spoke to Rarity.

"Well yes, and all of them are hoof-stitched at my own Carousel Boutique," Rarity answered, fluttering her heavily-lashed eyes at Spike. "Just wait until you see them. They're quite breath-taking, if I do say so myself."

"Yeah..." Spike agreed, a dopey grin on his face.

Twilight sighed and buffed one of her claws against her chest scales. She delivered a quick jab to Spike right below his cutie mark, eliciting a yelp of surprise from the love-struck stallion.

"Right, interviews," he tried to recover, seeing the look his assistant was giving him.

Twilight nodded in approval.

"Any chance you'd be available for one?" he went on, eyes going back to Rarity.

Twilight's palm made a very impressive noise as it collided with her face. Rarity just gave the reporter a smile and gracefully brushed past him.

"Why, I'd be honored Mr. Prose...Unfortunately it's already noon and—" The white unicorn was cut off by a loud gasp.

"Noon?! Oh my gosh!" Ditzy rushed into Town Hall in a blur of gray.

Just as quickly she burst out of the building and took to the sky. "I'm gonna be late picking up my muffin from daycare! Sorry, Mr. Prose! Sorry Twilight! It was really nice meeting you both!"

Just like that, the mailmare was gone. The other three looked at one another, the confusion apparent on their faces. Rarity managed an awkward smile to the two reporters.

"As I was saying," she went on, trying to brush off Ditzy's departure. "I have so much to do to prepare for the celebration tonight. I simply don't have time for an interview right now."

"Oh." Spike seemed to deflate at that, while Twilight jumped onto his back.

"Of course, I should be able to make some time after the sun raising." Rarity cast him a wink. "If you'd still be interested?"

Spike did his best to ignore Twilight burying her face in his mane as his own split into a wide grin.

"Sure, that sounds perfect!" he agreed.

"It's a date then," Rarity said as she pulled her wagon through the doors of Town Hall. "I'll look forward to seeing you and your cute little assistant at the party, Mr. Prose!"

Spike's eyes stayed glued on the white mare as she headed inside, the doors closing behind her. He let out a dreamy sigh once she was out of earshot.

"Well, at least we have one interview scheduled," Twilight admitted.

"She said it's a date," Spike agreed, lids drooping over his green eyes as the dopey grin came over him again.

"Prose you—" Twilight was cut off by another sigh, to which she rolled her eyes in response. "Yes, yes she did. Maybe we should focus on why we're here until then?"

"Huh?" Spike snapped out of his fantasy about the interview at Twilight's words.

"The mayor?" she admonished. "That ring any bells?"

"Oh right, right. I didn't forget," Spike tried to cover as he started for the door. "Hey, is my mane straight? Rarity went in there and—"

"You look fine, Romeo," Twilight answered with a chuckle. "Now can you please focus?"

"Right, totally professional," the stallion nodded, heading inside.

Rarity was hard at work already, her light-blue magic levitating colorful drapes and elaborate tapestries around the room. Spike's eyes lingered on her until Twilight jerked his head toward a nearby directory.

"Mayor Mare's office is this way, lover boy," she said. "Don't make me get out the blinders."

Reluctantly, the purple stallion headed toward the stairs and left Rarity to her work.

A door waited at the top of the stairs, simply marked "Office of Mayor Mare" in bold letters. Now that Rarity was no longer right in front of him Spike found it remarkably easier to concentrate. He put on his best smile before rapping on the door with one hoof.

"Come in!" came the cheerful voice of a stallion from within.

The two reporters exchanged confused glances. It was clear that they had both expected a female voice from the name on the door. The door opened to Spike's magic, revealing a room that caused Twilight's eyes to widen in shock.

Everything in the office was perfectly organized. Portraits and photographs of the town and various buildings the two had passed by lined the walls. Each one showed parts of the town in different time periods, and each was perfectly aligned and dusted. The rug sat in the exact center of the room, the curtains were drawn perfectly symmetrical, even the wadded papers in the wastebasket formed a neat pile.

Capping off the display of organizational talents was the mahogany desk at the far side of the room. Two small towers of papers sat on it, one on either end. Visible between them was a light-brown earth stallion with a darker brown mane.

"Ah, you..." the pony said, giving them a smile before snatching up the paper sitting in front of him. "Hmm, you're not on the schedule for today."

"Um, I guess not?" Spike said, unsure whether to apologize. "I'm Purple Prose, from the Canterlot Sun. Would you be Mayor Mare?"

"Me?" The stallion actually laughed a bit. "Oh no-no-no-no! I'm simply handling some of the extra paper work that's been piling up."

He walked from around the desk, giving both his guests a clear look of the hourglass cutie mark he sported.

"The name's Time Turner," he introduced himself, holding out one hoof. "I'm the mayor's assistant, time keeper, and manager of all things timey-wimey."

"'Timey-wimey?" Spike asked, accepting the hoof-shake.

"Yes indeed," he confirmed, missing the confusion on the other stallion's face. "I handle every timepiece in town from the ones in this room to the clock tower in the park."

"Ooh, we passed by that on the way here!" Twilight chimed in, tail wagging. "I was so impressed with how accurate it was. Even the ones in Canterlot are off by a few seconds from the royal sundial!"

Spike remembered that clock tower. More specifically he remembered Ditzy leading them past it three times while showing them around. He also noticed Time Turner actually seemed to be blushing a bit at the purple dragon's words.

"Ah, you flatter me," the earth pony chuckled. "And you would be?"

"Oh, I'm Twilight," the dragon answered. "I'm Prose's official assistant."

"Well it's wonderful to meet you," the earth pony said, grinning broadly to the reporters. "So, how can I help you and Mr. Prose today?"

Spike smiled. It seemed things were finally going right since he arrived at the train station.

"Well you see, we're covering Ponyville's Summer Sun Celebration," Spike explained in as professional a voice he could muster. "We were hoping to ask the mayor a few questions for the article."

Time Turner's smile faded quickly. He clicked his tongue, heading back to the desk with a solemn shake of his head.

"Oh dear," he muttered, taking a seat and pulling a paper off the top of one of the stacks. "I'm afraid I won't be able to help you there."

"What?" Spike bit back on his lip, reminding himself not to raise his voice again. "I mean, why not?"

"Mayor Mare's schedule is just far too busy today," Time Turner answered. "There's lots of preparation work that needs doing before the princess arrives after all."

He held up another sheet of paper, showing it to be a rather complicated looking time-table. Twilight's eyes seemed to sparkle as she stared at the sheet, every box filled in with tiny writing.

"There's barely anytime for lunch on there as it is," Time Turner said, apologetically, as he put the paper back down. "I can't tell you how long it took me to get it so she'd actually have time to do everything either."

"You can't just squeeze us in somewhere on the end?" Spike asked hopefully.

Time Turner gawked at the purple unicorn like he'd just spoken in tongues. Spike looked to his assistant only to see Twilight had her arms crossed. She was tapping one foot as she glared at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Sorry about him," Twilight said to the earth pony. "He has no idea how important a good schedule can be."

"Hey!" Spike protested.

Much to his surprise, Time Turner actually started laughing at that. The stallion got back up and rustled Twilight's spines playfully.

"You'd think I'd be used to the type," he said, still laughing all the while. "Especially with our weather manager."

Spike rolled his eyes, magic tugging at his hat as he tried to shut out the laughter and think of a way around their newest problem. Time Turner cleared his throat as he managed to work his way down to a few light giggles.

"So sorry, Mr. Prose," he said, covering his mouth to hide his smile. "I wish I could help but the mayor is booked absolutely solid until the end of the festival."

"There has to be somepony I could interview about this," Spike said. "It's important for the article! Maybe there's a town council—"

"No, Vice Mayor Ivory Scroll is already handling the other jobs Mayor Mare couldn't fit in her own schedule," Time Turner interrupted. "And Judge Oak Gavel is out in Manehatten visiting her mother. Poor dear took ill, very unfortunate."

Spike could feel the stress his magic was putting on his hat and he didn't care. Even though he could tell at the current rate it would probably tear sooner rather than later.

"How about you, Time Turner?" Twilight suggested, sparing the chapeau from an early end.

"Me?" the stallion parroted.

"Yeah," Twilight said as she held up the schedule. "You've got a lunch break coming up it looks like. Maybe we could get an interview with you over that?"

Spike's jaw was hanging slack as Time Turner rubbed one hoof against his chin.

"Well I don't see why not," he admitted. "There's a nice little cafe I like to go to, actually."

"That—" Spike cleared his throat and tried to regain his professional demeanor. "That sounds great!"

"Wonderful then," Time Turner responded as he headed for the door. "Oh and I'd hold onto that assistant of yours, Mr. Prose. She knows what she's doing. Shall we?"

"Right behind you," Spike confirmed as Twilight climbed onto his back.

He let the earth pony leave first before following behind. Spike turned his head back to Twilight's smiling face.

"What would you do without me?" she asked.

"You're the best, Twilight," Spike said, nuzzling her a little. "Whatever you want for lunch, it's on me."

"You sure you wanna say that?" Twilight asked. "I mean, with the luck you're having today..."

The two trailed off into laughter as they followed a (somewhat confused) Time Turner out of Town Hall.

Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Lunchtime was a surprisingly simple affair at Canterlot Castle. Celestia sat at the head of the grand dining table, her meal before her. Much to the head cook's surprise the princess had only requested a simple salad and kettle of tea today.

Anything would have been fine really. This was a day to savor the little things in life. Not even her petty nephew Blueblood was going to get her down.

Even if he had insisted on joining her for lunch. The ivory-white stallion was seated just to her left. Not a single lock of his blond mane was out of place as he poked at the lavish meal he'd ordered for himself.

"Really Aunty, Ponyville?" Blueblood asked for what Celestia had counted as the fiftieth time. "Don't you think this honor would be more fitting for Canterlot?"

Celestia calmly lowered her fork. The haughty prince had been acting like this ever since the location of the festival had been announced.

"Plus you've asked the staff not to assist?" he went on, trying not to sound like he was whining. "Do you not trust them anymore?"

"Of course I do, Blueblood," Celestia answered, looking honestly hurt at the suggestion. "What about the citizens of Ponyville?"

The ivory stallion seemed off-guard as his fork slipped from his telekinesis and back to the plate.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Don't they deserve as much trust?" Celestia asked, her rosy eyes focused solely on her nephew. "I've never visited a town or city that failed to impress on the Summer Sun Celebration. I have every confidence that Ponyville will be no different."

Blueblood's mouth opened to reply, but just as swiftly snapped shut. His aunt's love for everypony was well known after all.

"Of course," Celestia continued as she took a sip of tea. "You're more than welcome to come join me. Perhaps you'd be surprised by how fun 'common' ponies can be."

The prince bit his lip at the way Celestia stressed "common". It was clear from the look on his face that he hadn't expected the princess to know of his opinions on that matter.

"I'm... I'm afraid not, Aunty," Blueblood answered, hooves shuffling as she sipped more tea. "The castle staff is still putting in so much work for our own celebration! It would be a shame to let it go to waste."

Celestia just smiled, having heard exactly the answer she'd expected. Insufferable as he could be, Blueblood didn't deserve to be caught up in what was to come.

The only thing left to do was hope that the coming danger felt the same as her nephew. That Ponyville was too small to bother with when she returned...

"I'm certain Cadence will enjoy herself though," Blueblood said, inadvertently stopping Celestia's heart for a moment.

"Excuse me?" she managed to ask, her teacup rattling in her magic.

"Oh dear, I didn't mean to let that slip," he answered with the fakest regret Celestia had ever heard. "She so wanted to surprise you by showing up at the festival tonight. She just wouldn't stop talking about it!"

It was clear from his tone that the prince was taking some meaningless jab at Cadence for all that talking. For a moment Celestia wondered what possessed her niece to confide the plan with him. What quickly took precedence though was what this meant.

Cadence would be there when Nightmare Moon returned.

Royalty were far from the only ponies that needed to eat. At the moment two of the more common ponies and a baby dragon were doing just that. Several other ponies were passing by the open-air cafe, rushing about to prepare for the festival.

Not that this seemed to be noticed by Time Turner or his two guests. The earth pony had a big smile on his face as he pushed aside his empty plate.

"So thanks to the businesses flooding in after the Zap Apples were discovered, Ponyville flourished," he explained as he placed a few bits on the table. "From there, our little village grew into what it is today."

"Fascinating," Twilight breathed, notebook clutched attentively in her claws. "This will be great for the article, right Prose?"

She turned to the unicorn and the smile on her face was quickly wiped out. Spike's notepad and quill hovered in front of his face still, but his eyes had drifted shut. The quill still worked, dutifully recording everything being said thanks to the Come-to-Life spell placed on it.

With Time Turner distracted stacking up their plates for the waitress, Twilight's claw struck out again. Spike woke with a startled yelp, his quill and pad clattering to the table as the spell on them fizzled out. He looked around in confusion, only to cringe as he spotted the glare Twilight was giving him.

"Something wrong?" Timer Turner asked, giving the unicorn a worried look.

"No," Spike lied, trying not to wince from the pain in his flank. "So...uh..."

He quickly flipped through the notes his enchanted quill had taken. His eyes went wide as he saw just how much had been written down.

"This place has quite a history, huh?" he wondered aloud, eliciting a chuckle from the brown pony.

"Indeed," he responded, looking up as a bell tolled in the distance. "Dear me is that the clock tower? Apologies, it seems I prattled on a bit longer than I meant to."

"It's alright," Twilight said before Spike could comment. "It was all really interesting!"

"Oh, oh yeah," Spike agreed, nodding quickly. "Of course if you have time for just a few more questions—"

"I dearly wish I did," Time Turner apologized with a shake of his head. "Unfortunately, duty calls. I need to get back to Town Hall to set up the food arrival..."

He trailed off as he turned around though, before letting out an amused laugh. Spike and Twilight both looked to one another in confusion.

"Something up?" Spike asked.

"Just a bit of serendipity," Time Turner answered, gesturing down the street. "Take a look."

Coming toward the cafe was a pair of earth ponies. One was an orange mare in a large Stetson hat. The second was the one that drew Spike's eye though. A huge, bright red stallion nearly twice the unicorn's size. A hefty yoke hung around his neck, hitched to a large cart that he pulled along with ease.

"Well howdy thar, Time Turner!" the mare said, waving one hoof as the duo walked up. "Rarity said we might find ya here."

"Well you have wonderful timing," the aide responded, turning to Spike. "Ah yes, Mr. Prose, allow me introduce the current proprietors of Sweet Apple Acres. This is Applejack and her older brother Big Macintosh."

"Nice to meet you," Spike said, wondering just why the names sounded familiar.

For the third time that day he found his hoof pulled into an extremely enthusiastic shake.

"Likewise, Prose!" Applejack said as she released the stallion's numb leg. "Any friend o' Time Turner's is a friend o' mine! What brings ya'll to Ponyville today?"

"We're doing a report on the Summer Sun Celebration," Spike answered, attempting to shake some feeling back into his hoof.

"You guys really own Sweet Apple Acres?" Twilight asked. "The same Sweet Apple Acres that Ponyville was founded around?"

"Sure as shootin'," Applejack answered. "The farm's been in our family since Granny Smith was a filly. Ain't that right, Big Mac?"

"Eeyup," the stallion answered with a slow nod of his orange-maned head.

"I actually just finished educating the two of them on the Apple Family's role in our town's founding," Time Turner said proudly.

Spike glanced over his notes again, noticing the pages where that was written down. He quickly closed the notes, but already Twilight was rolling her eyes at the sight. He motioned for her to keep quiet, an act that none of the others seemed to notice.

"Miss Applejack's family is actually providing the food for tonight's party," Time Turner continued, nodding to the mare. "I was just about to head off to meet you to get it all set up."

"Aww, ya ain't got nothin' to worry about," Applejack assured the stallion with a casual wave of her hoof.

"Yeah!" a voice chimed in from the cart Big Mac was pulling. "We already got everythin' unloaded for ya!"

A yellow filly with a large bow in her red mane popped up from the cart. She had a smile on her face as she looked down at the other ponies from her seat.

"Apple Bloom?" Applejack seemed confused as she tilted her head at the filly. "Ah thought you were taking a nap. We've all been working awful hard today after all."

"All the chatterin' woke me up," the little foal said as she climbed out of the cart and slid onto Big Mac's back. "Besides, Ah wanna meet these new ponies too!"

"Um...Apple Bloom?" Time Turner had an anxious look on his face. "Did you say you and your siblings already dropped off the food?"

"Yup," responded the filly, causing the brown stallion to shuffle his hoofs.

"Oh dear, I wanted to get it all arranged perfectly early," he fretted, starting down the street. "I'd better go check on it just to be sure."

"Time Turner hold up!" Applejack called after him, only for him to take off galloping. "Ah swear, that stallion gits himself worked up over the smallest things."

Spike couldn't help it as a chuckle slipped from his muzzle. Applejack turned toward him at the noise as he covered his muzzle.

"So anyway," he tried to cover, magic wrapping around his pad and quill again. "Time Turner said you were in charge of the food, right? Any chance you'd have time for a few words for my article?"

"Well Ah'd be honored," Applejack responded, jerking her head down the street. "But Ah think I'd better catch up with Time Turner and show him everything's alright first."

She gave Big Mac a pat on the shoulder, causing the large stallion to look at her curiously.

"If you only need a few words though, Mac here's your stallion," she said before chasing after Time Turner. "Ah'll be right back!"

The red pony opened his mouth, possibly to protest, but the words didn't come fast enough. Applejack was already out of earshot and Apple Bloom was bouncing on his back.

"Ooh! We're gonna git interviewed for the newspaper?" she cheered, hopping to the ground. "This is gonna be so great, ain't it Big Mac?"

"Er... eeyup," he answered with a slow nod of his head.

A flash of light drew their attention, the both of them blinking away spots. Twilight swiftly lowered her camera as the farm ponies looked at her.

"Oh, sorry!" she apologized. "I thought we might need a picture for the article. I should have asked first."

Big Mac just rubbed one hoof against his front leg. To Spike the giant stallion almost seemed embarrassed, a notion he shook away.

"Come on, no way a big guy like you is afraid of a few photos," Spike encouraged as his spell sparked around his quill, which immediately began to move with a life of its own. "Now then, let's get started! You and your sisters must be really excited about providing food for such a huge event."

"Eeyup," Big Mac answered simply, with another nod of his head.

There was silence for a moment, aside from the quill scratching out the single word answer. Spike heard small hooves clopping on the street as Big Mac just gave him a sheepish smile.

"Okaaay..." he said, raising one eyebrow as he flipped through the notes from Time Turner. "Soo.... according to Time Turner it was actually Princess Celestia that gave the Apple Family rights to settle here—"

He double checked to make sure he'd read that correctly. He suddenly found himself wishing he'd paid more careful attention to the history lesson.

"Right, so any thoughts about that?" he asked, trying to cover his pause. "This seems like it'll be a great chance to show the princess how far your farm has come."

"Eeyup," Big Mac answered again, causing Spike to let out a sigh.

"Can you say anything other than that?" the unicorn asked, trying to suppress his mounting frustration.

"Err..." Mac bit down his lip before answering. "Eeyup?"

There was a clunk as Spike's hoof met his face. He tried very hard not to think about how much he'd been doing that lately.

"Big Mac's a little shy 'round new ponies," Apple Bloom's voice chimed in.

Spike's raised an eyebrow in disbelief as he looked to the red stallion. Big Macintosh scraped one hoof against the ground before nodding in confirmation.

"Right then," Spike said with a frustrated sigh as he put the writing implements back. "Well Applejack said she'd be back soon—"

"Um, Prose?" Twilight's voice suddenly broke in. "A little help?"

The two stallions looked down to see the dragoness backed up against the table. Apple Bloom was pacing around her, orange eyes showing intense focus.

"Apple Bloom," Big Mac said, one massive hoof gently herding his sister to his side. "It's rude to stare."

Spike bit down on his tongue as the subject of his interview finally spoke up.

"Sorry," Apple Bloom apologized before pointing to the purple reptile. "I just never seen a pony like her before."

"That's because I'm not a pony," Twilight explained, crossing her arms. "I'm a dragon."

"A real dragon?" Apple Bloom gasped at the revelation. "A full-blown, jewel-hoardin', fire-breathin' dragon?"

"Uh..." Twilight picked at her claws awkwardly until Apple Bloom's face split into a wide grin.

"Cool!" she cheered, jumping at the dragoness.

Twilight stumbled back, banging against the table as she found herself face-to-face with the filly again.

"Ooh, are thar a lot of you up in Canterlot?" Apple Bloom asked eagerly. "How'd you git to be workin' with Mr. Prose?"

Spike put a hoof over his mouth to keep from chuckling at the sight. His own troubles were suddenly fading in light of the new development. Twilight was actually stunned into silence.

"She this friendly with everypony?" Spike asked the other stallion.

"Eeyup," Big Mac responded, pulling the foal back again. "Apple Bloom, Ah think yer scarin' her."

"You okay Twi?" Spike asked, nudging the dragoness with one hoof.

Twilight just nodded, taking a few deep breaths.

"Dagnabbit!" a voice suddenly exclaimed.

All eight eyes shot down the street, spotting Applejack coming back toward them. The galloped right up to her siblings with an angered gleam in her eyes.

"Come on you two," she said to her siblings. "We've gotta git back to the farm, pronto."

"Wut's wrong?" Big Mac asked.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom joined in. "We got all the food set up!"

"Time Turner says it ain't enough," Applejack explained, giving a frustrated stomp of her hoof. "Said he wanted extra portions of everythin' to make sure thar'd be enough fer the princess. That means we've gotta head on back and git cookin'. Literally."

"Wait!" Spike exclaimed, raising a hoof to stop her. "What about the interview?"

"Ah'm awful sorry, Prose," Applejack apologized. "It's just gonna have to wait fer now. Big Mac, Ah can count on you to make another trip, right?"

"Course yew can," her brother said with a solemn nod before gesturing to Apple Bloom.

"We'll probably have plenty of time to talk at the party," the yellow filly said as she bounded back up into the cart. "Oh hey! Why don't ya'll go talk to Miss Fluttershy in the meantime?"

"Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, relieved that she was no longer pinned by the little pony.

"Good idea, Bloom," Applejack said with a nod. "Fluttershy lives in the cottage at the edge of town. She's handling entertainment fer the party tonight."

"Well that's something at least," Spike admitted, his head still lowering a bit.

"Gotta warn you though," Apple Bloom added. "She's even quieter than Mac here."

Spike could feel his brain imploding trying to wrap itself around the idea. Big Mac himself seemed to blush a little, though it was hard to tell under his coat.

"Sorry Ah wasn't more help," he managed to say to the reporters.

Spike just waved one hoof dismissively. Mac hesitated for a moment, but Applejack let out a shrill whistle.

"Come on," she encouraged. "Time Turner's got us on the clock now."

The farmers started back down the road, leaving Spike and Twilight to watch their retreating, apple-marked flanks. Apple Bloom jumped up from the back of the cart, waving her hoof at the duo.

"See ya'll at the party!" she called out as her siblings raced off.

Spike and Twilight both waved until the three were out of sight. The purple unicorn let out a groan and rubbed at his head with one hoof.

"Great," he grumbled. "That makes strike two for interviews so far."

He looked to his assistant only to find she was rubbing her own head.

"Apple Bloom a little too much for you?" he guessed, trying to suppress a grin.

"It's not funny," Twilight retorted as she clambered onto his back. "That filly has no concept of personal space."

"Aww, come on Twi," Spike said with a chuckle as he started down the road. "Here I was thinking you were finally gonna make a new friend."

"Proooose," Twilight moaned, tugging his mane.

"Well I'm sure you'll see her tonight," he went on as he looked around at the streets. "Now let's see... drat. Applejack didn't say which edge of town, did she?"

Twilight's claw suddenly tapped on his head, pointing down a nearby side street. Spike gave her a confused glance as she just rolled her eyes in response.

"Some of us were paying attention to Time Turner earlier," she explained, crossing her arms. "Seriously, that's supposed to be part of a reporter's job."

"That's why I'm glad I have you to cover for me," Spike joked as he started along. "Let's just hope we can get something useful out of this Fluttershy pony."

He took off galloping, Twilight clinging to his back. The sun continued to roll across the afternoon sky. Less than half a day remained in its final trip.

Chapter 6

Canterlot, being the home to Equestria's ruling class, tended to see a steady influx of visitors. While most were content with the train there was no denying that airships were popular among some. As such, the landing docks overlooking the valley below were always kept ready to receive dignitaries from near and far.

It was there that Shining Armor was waiting, watching as one of the royal airships approached. He gave his helmet one last adjustment and pulled himself to attention. The ship would be docking within seconds and his orders from Celestia were clear.

The ship pulled up and mooring ropes were lashed in place. A gangplank was lowered, and Shining stepped up to the end of it.

"On behalf of Princess Celestia and the Royal Guard," he said in a practiced, even tone. "It's my pleasure to—"

"Shiny?" a voice gasped from the ship.

The armored stallion found his voice halting in his throat. Disembarking from the airship was an elegant pink mare. An alicorn mare with the same look of familiar shock on her face as Shining Armor.

"Cadence?!" he gasped out, before his face split into a wide grin.

Before he could make a move the mare had charged up to him. She pressed up against him, one of her forelegs wrapping around his back.

"I don't believe it!" she said, releasing the friendly embrace and stepping back. "It's been so long!"

"I know what you mean," Shining agreed, thankful that his helmet was hiding his blushing cheeks. "I haven't seen you since you used to foal-sit your cousin up at the castle!"

"You still remember how we used to talk between your training sessions?" she asked with a reminiscent tone. "Now look at you. Shining Armor, Captain of the Guards!"

"Well, yeah..." the stallion rubbed at the back of his head. "Oh right, kinda have a job to do too."

He cleared his throat, trying to ignore Cadence as she giggled. The mare had a hoof over her mouth, but waved for him to continue.

"Princess Celestia, unfortunately, can't greet you in person," he reported, trying to sound official even with the smile cracking through. "She requested that I, as Captain of the Royal Guard, escort you to the castle."

There was silence between the two of them. The pair of baggage handlers quickly resumed carrying their loads before they were caught eavesdropping.

"Have fun with that?" Cadence asked.

The both of them burst out laughing, Shining actually wiping a tear from his eye.

"It's great seeing you again," he said, gesturing toward an awaiting stage coach. "I guess Princess Celestia really wanted to surprise the both of us."

"I'd say it worked," Cadence responded as she started toward it. "Oh Shining, you've got to tell me what you've been up to!"

"There'll be plenty of time for that," Shining Armor responded as his magic flipped open the door to the coach. "Actually I..."

He trailed off, his cheeks burning so hot he was sure Cadence would notice them. The alicorn looked concerned, her purple and yellow mane bobbing a bit as she leaned closer.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I just... well Celestia wanted me to keep an eye on you until she returned after the sun rise," Shining Armor explained before taking a nervous swallow and continuing. "So I just had the idea of maybe attending the celebration together? I'm off-duty at sunset."

"Shiny..." Cadence's voice was barely a whisper as she stopped at the entrance of the coach.

The stallion tried to stay composed but his shuffling fore-hooves were a dead give away. Much to his surprise, Cadence gently nuzzled his cheek in response.

"I'd love to," she said with a grin.

"You'd love—Great!" Shining Armor cleared his throat as the princess boarded the coach. "We'll just get you settled at the castle first. You must be tired after the trip."

"On the way, I want to hear everything," Cadence said as Shining attached his harness and started down the street. "How has your family been?"

"Great, they're all great," Shining said with a chuckle. "Spike's reporting for the Canterlot Sun now and my parents... well you'll get to see them tonight..."

Shining Armor and Cadence were so involved in their conversation neither of them bothered to look up. Celestia smiled down from her pegasus-pulled chariot as she watched her niece being escorted to the castle. It was quite clear that her niece had thrown out any thoughts of heading to Ponyville.

The white alicorn turned her gaze forward again as her own escorts started down toward the valley. It wouldn't be a very long trip by air. She'd still have enough time to enjoy the view of Canterlot and the mountains in the sunlight.

"Commander Aquilinus?" she asked, raising her voice to be heard over the wind. "Feel free to take the scenic route. We're ahead of schedule anyway."

Spike's head jerked in a sudden sneeze.

"Oooh," Dinky said with a giggle from her mother's back. "Looks like somepony is talking about you!"

"I hope it's not Twilight," Spike sniffled as he started walking again.

The trip back to town seemed shorter than the one out. He was already passing buildings he recognized and could see the Town Hall in the distance. Ditzy's wings were flapping hard as she kept pace overhead, Dinky clinging to her back.

"Are you sure she's gonna be okay?" Ditzy asked, drawing the stallion's eyes back up to her. "I've never seen anypony... or animal... or anything get so nervous around Fluttershy!"

Spike could still picture his dragon assistant as Ditzy spoke. She'd probably be trembling under Fluttershy's kindly stare as the pegasus doted on her. He honestly wasn't sure whether the thought of it was funny or kind of sad.

"Twi just gets a little antsy when ponies stare at her," Spike explained, shaking the image from his mind. "She'll be fine. It's not the first time she's handled an interview for me."

Spike saw the mailmare nod at him, but he didn't focus on her. His eyes had been drawn past her and the few clouds hanging above. He could see the sun, and it set alarms blaring in his head. It was already well into the afternoon position in the sky.

"Oh man, it's that late already?" Spike fretted as he picked up his pace. "I've gotta find that weather manager fast!"

"Hey, there's Time Turner! Maybe he can help," Ditzy's voice once more drew Spike away from his thoughts. "Hi Time Turner!"

"Hi Mr. Time Turner!" Dinky called out as well, waving one hoof.

Spike's gaze turned away from the sun. Standing out in the square in front of Town Hall was the earth pony he remembered from lunch. Time Turner seemed to be in the midst of glaring impatiently at the slightly cloudy sky. At Ditzy's greeting though his grim look changed to a smile.

"Ah, Miss Doo," he said as the trio approached. "Wonderful to see and your delightful daughter. And Mr. Prose, how is your article coming?"

"It's... coming," Spike admitted, eyes darting back to the sun for a second. "Say, have you—"

"Oooh, ooh!" Dinky suddenly interrupted, a big smile on her face. "Are the decorations in Town Hall done?"

"Dinky," Ditzy said softly, one hoof gently pressing against the filly's mouth. "You know it's rude to interrupt."

Spike was biting back the urge to curse in front of the filly. He took a deep breath, holding it in as she turned to him.

"I'm sorry Mr. Prose," Dinky said, her little eyes brimming with an apologetic look.

Spike released the breath and just waved one hoof. Dinky smiled, turning back to Time Turner who tousled her mane a bit.

"Well the decorations are done," Time Turner answered before he began pacing about. "Oh, and Big Macintosh got back with the rest of the food. He and Rarity should be arranging it right now."

"Wait, already?" Spike asked, his frustration losing to curiosity. "It hasn't been that long since you sent him back."

"It's because his family is in town, right?" Ditzy guessed.

"Right you are, Miss Doo," Time Turner said with a smile and a nod. "They've got a whole army of Apples preparing treats."

"Can we go help set up in Town Hall, mommy?" Dinky asked, bouncing in place. "Please please please? I wanna see the decorations Miss Rarity made!"

Ditzy gave Time Turner a big smile, who responded with a slightly nervous chuckle.

"I... well I guess it couldn't hurt if you two went in and looked," he admitted. "Just don't touch anything unless Rarity okays it."

Dinky was off like a shot, leaping from Ditzy's back and running off with a cheer.

"Thanks Time Turner!" Ditzy said, dashing off after the filly. "Dinky, wait for me!"

Spike watched the two of them dash off, his mind already picturing just what sort of mess might get made inside. Unfortunately he was having trouble finding the idea funny as a look up reminded him of his deadline.

"Apologies if I'm intruding," Time Turner spoke up as Spike turned back to him. "But if you're here then where's Twilight?"

"Oh, she's handling interviewing Fluttershy," Spike answered, glad to finally have an opening. "I came back here to talk to the weather manager for my article."

"Ah..." Time Turner bit down on his lip, his eyes darting back to the sky.

"Let me guess..." Spike sighed, rubbing his forehead as he felt a headache starting. "She's not available right now?"

"Actually, nopony has seen Miss Dash all day," Time Turner corrected as he waved a hoof to the clouds above. "She was supposed to be cleaning this up, but—"

"You have got to be kidding me!" Spike shouted, one hoof stomping on the ground.

The unicorn could hear the rush of blood in his ears as he unleashed his frustration. A clatter of hooves reminded him he wasn't alone, as Time Turner jumped back at the outburst. Spike bit down on his lip again, realizing what he'd just yelled.

"Whoa," a voice broke in before he could apologize. "Something wrong here?"

Both of the stallions looked up to be greeted by a dark-gray (almost black) pegasus stallion. His silvery-blue mohawk bounced with each flap of his wings as he hovered in place. Time Turner visibly relaxed and quickly cleared his throat.

"Nothing to concern yourself with, Thunderlane," he said, waving one hoof. "Glad you've finally arrived."

"Yeah, sorry I took so long," the pegasus apologized, jerking his head to the side. "Had to punt a few stray clouds over the forest. Just give me a few minutes to clear the rest of this up!"

The dark-coated pegasus set to work, swooping into the air and working the clouds with his hooves. Time Turner breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded his head.

"Uh..." Spike swallowed hard before stepping up behind the earth pony. "Sorry about that."

"Hmm?" Time Turner looked back and let slip a chuckle. "Ah, no worries. I can only imagine the time you've had trying to get somepony to talk to you today."

"You have no idea," Spike confirmed, Big Mac and Fluttershy flashing through his mind. "So, who's this guy?"

"Oh, Thunderlane?" Time Turner asked. "He's the only pony on the weather team that was willing to put in over time today."

The two watched as the pegasus obliterated one of the smaller clouds with a swift kick. There hadn't been many clouds around to start with, but Thunderlane had still cleared most of them surprisingly fast. He settled down on the smaller of the remaining puffs, hoof rubbing his chin as he looked up at the other one.

"That last one looks pretty big," Thunderlane called down to them, pointing to the cloud. "Think I've got room to bust it open?"

Spike looked curiously between the earth and pegasus ponies. Time Turner seemed to be mentally gauging the distance between the cloud and Town Hall before slowly nodding.

"Looks like you're good!" he called back before ushering Spike backward. "We should stand back a little."

"Why?" Spike asked as Thunderlane flew up and vanished into the large cloud. "What's he doing?"

"Thunderlane's specialty is handling storm clouds," Time Turner answered, pointing up at the now sparking mass. "So to break up large one he's learned to agitate them from within and... well you'll see soon enough."

The larger cloud was darkening and tiny electric bolts danced over its surface. The whole thing began to tremble before, with a final CRACK, it exploded in a thunder clap! Spike leapt ten feet straight up at the noise as a multi-colored blur shot straight up from the vaporized cloud.

Thunderlane came streaking from the flash, plowing through the cloud he'd landed on earlier. The much smaller cotton-puff burst as soon as he made contact. The stallion hit the ground, a broad smile on his face as the sun shone down from the now cloudless sky.

"How's it look?" he asked, a somewhat cocky tone to his voice.

"Well done, Thunderlane!" Time Turner congratulated, eyes scanning the sky. "Clear skies, perfect for watching the sun rise."

"That was awesome!" Spike gushed before he could stop himself. "Hey, how'd you make that rainbow-colored lightning bolt?"

"Rainbow-colored?" Thunderlane asked, looking back up. "I didn't—"

"THUNDERLANE!" a mare's voice shouted from high above.

"Uh oh." The named pony's wings snapped shut against his sides.

Down from the clear sky descended a cyan pegasus mare. Her striking mane and tail covering every color of the visible spectrum. Spike couldn't help but notice the similarity between her cutie mark and Thunderlane's. The only difference was the lightning bolt coming from her cloud was three different colors.

"What's the big idea?" the mare fumed, eyes locked on Thunderlane. "You almost fried me!"

"Sorry Dash!" Thunderlane apologized, backing a few steps away. "I didn't even know you were up there. Time Turner asked me to handle clearing the sky so—"

The blue pegasus pony's glare turned to the brown stallion at that remark. Time Turner inhaled sharply through his teeth as she rounded on him.

"Oh he did, huh?" she asked, jabbing the earth pony with one hoof. "Cloud cleaning was supposed to be my job today."

"Well Miss Rainbow Dash," Time Turner responded, pushing her hoof aside. "Perhaps if you'd been doing your job instead of goofing off I wouldn't have had to bother Thunderlane."

"I was not goofing off!" responded Rainbow Dash, crossing her forelegs in a huff. "I was napping."

Spike slowly backed away as the two began arguing. He couldn't make out the words, their voices raising trying to drown one another out. The reporter took a seat to watch the mess unfold, finding Thunderlane sitting next to him.

"This happen a lot?" Spike asked, watching the two.

"A little too much," Thunderlane answered with a shrug. "TT tries to keep the town running like clockwork, but Dash keeps her own schedule."

Spike just nodded as a few green sparks leapt from his horn. His quill and paper were soon floating next to him, setting themselves to recording the argument.

"So..." Thunderlane said, running a hoof over his own mane. "Just who are you again?"

"Huh? Oh!" Spike gasped as he rubbed his forehead. "Sorry, it's been a long day."

His magic levitated the press pass from his hat, hovering it in front of Thunderlane.

"I'm Purple Prose, from the Canterlot Sun," he introduced himself as the pegasus took the pass. "I was hoping to get an interview with Rainbow Dash about tomorrow morning's celebration but..."

The two looked back at the arguing duo. Rainbow Dash seemed to be getting more and more animated as she went on. In sharp contrast, Time Turner was seated and seemed to be straining to keep calm.

"... Yeah I don't see that happening," Thunderlane said as he returned the pass. "Yeesh, coming down today to try and question ponies? You probably could have planned that better."

"It was sort of last minute," Spike admitted, looking up at the sky. "Say, did you seriously clear the whole town on your own?"

"Fine!" Rainbow Dash's voice broke in before an answer could be spoken, her wings pumping as she flew off. "Guess I'll just go practice some since I'm not needed here!"

In a blur of colors the mare was gone. Time Turner's hoof massaged his temples as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Oh dear, Mr. Prose!" he gasped, eyes snapping open. "I'm sorry, you wanted to speak with her didn't you?"

"I actually don't think it's gonna be a problem," Spike responded, nodding to Thunderlane. "I mean, Rainbow Dash didn't clear the whole town herself, did she?"

"No, I had to take care of that," Thunderlane answered, stretching his wings a bit. "Why? Is that important?"

"Only if you think getting interviewed for the most read newspaper in Equestria is important," Spike answered with a big grin as his quill and paper floated up next to him. "Credit where it's due, right?"

Thunderlane's eyes widened in surprise as he jumped back to his hooves.

"You're serious?" he asked, grinning. "That would be so cool—Oh wait, shoot!"

His hoof met his face and he shook his head. Spike could feel the urge to throw something start to rise again.

"I'm sorry, I can't," Thunderlane apologized. "I've gotta pick up my brother from the library and—"

"The library?" Spike cut in, his smile returning. "That's great! I'm meeting my partner there! We can talk on the way."

"Really?" Thunderlane asked, before nodding his head. "Well okay then!"

Spike was cheering inside his head, fireworks to rival the cloud explosion lighting up his thoughts. Finally he could see things beginning to turn around for him.

"Glad to see things are going your way," Time Turner said, patting Spike on the back. "Do you need any help finding the library?"

"No thanks," Spike answered with a shake of his head. "Ditzy took me past it earlier."

She'd shown it to him five times during the circuitous tour. Spike decided not to mention that part out loud. Time Turner just nodded in response, though a look of worry flashed through his eyes.

"Ah right," the earth pony said, looking back to Town Hall. "I'd best make sure everything is alright in there. Take care you two!"

The brown stallion dashed toward the building Ditzy and Dinky had entered. Spike let slip a little chuckle, his shoulders feeling a bit lighter.

"Well then," he said, turning back to Thunderlane. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," the pegasus answered as the two started moving. "So, where's this interview start?"

"Let's see." Spike's magic flipped to a fresh page as his quill moved on its own. "How about with what you'd been doing before Time Turner came to you for help?"

The two stallions continued on, Spike's quill dutifully recording everything. The unicorn allowed himself a slight distraction as Thunderlane spoke. He could see the top of the old oak tree that held the town's library. The unicorn smiled with anticipation at the thought of relating this little story to Twilight.

Chapter 7

The sun seemed to be taking its time on its daily journey. Almost as though it were trying to make the afternoon last as long as possible. Still, nothing could stop its slow arc through the sky. All it could do was continue to shine for the last few hours left in the day.

At that moment it was shining down through the cloudless sky on the trail leading to the library. Spike's hooves gently clopped against the ground as his notepad hovered by his side. The 'Come-to-life' enchantment was still working perfectly. His writing implements had already recorded a few more pages of interview.

"So wait," he said, staring at the pegasus walking next to him in disbelief. "You're saying Rainbow Dash is actually good for the weather team?"

"I'm not gonna lie, it's a pain when she just runs off," Thunderlane answered with a shrug of his wings. "But everypony in town will tell you that she gets the job done faster than anything when she's working."

"Everypony, huh?" Spike asked, looking back over the transcripts with notable disappointment. "Huh, so much for an exposé."

"Didn't you say this was about the Summer Sun Celebration?" Thunderlane asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Spike's quill ceased writing and the notepad floated in front of him. He resisted the urge to facehoof, unsure if he could take another bruise. Aside from the first page or so most of his notes were regarding Rainbow Dash's (apparently well known) reputation around Ponyville.

"At least I got the stuff I could use first," Spike said with a groan as he put away his pad. "Thanks for that at least."

"Uh, no problem," Thunderlane said, clearing his throat awkwardly as they approached the old oak tree. "Oh look, we're here!"

Spike looked up, the literal tree house standing in front of them. He could vaguely recall Time Turner mentioning something about the library's history. Whatever the officious earth pony had said, Spike had to admit it was impressive to look at. He could only guess just what sort of work must have gone into hollowing out such a large tree.

Thunderlane didn't hesitate, heading right up to the door. Spike took a quick glance around and tapped his hoof against the ground.

"Huh, that's weird," he commented, checking the sun's position again. "Twilight should have been here by now."

"Maybe she's inside," Thunderlane suggested. "It is a public library."

Spike looked at the tree one more time before giving a shrug.

"Twi does love books," he admitted, walking over to join the pegasus.

The two stallions walked in, and Spike had a moment to look around. The inside of the library was no surprise to him. Enough books on the shelves that one could be forgiven for thinking it was wallpaper. The afternoon sun was streaming in through the windows...

Highlighting Twilight pressed up against the far wall, surrounded by a herd of fillies and colts. The dragoness's eyes widened as she saw Spike, and she broke through the group in a surprising burst of speed. The unicorn let out a strange squawk of surprise as she managed to swing around his neck and onto his back.

"Hide me!" she frantically whispered, clinging to his mane.

Before Spike could respond, he found himself surrounded by roughly a dozen foals. Thunderlane had jumped to the side and was staring in shock as they all chattered at once. Spike couldn't move for all the tiny bodies around him struggling to get a glimpse of Twilight as her claws dug into his back.

"Alright my little ponies, settle down," a kindly voice called out. "You all know better than that."

Mercifully the foals obeyed the voice, and Spike sighed in relief as they backed away. A purple-coated mare was coming down a flight of stairs. She wore a caring smile to match the flowers on her cutie mark. Spike could hear several muttered apologies from the foals as they walked to the mare's side.

"Ah, you must be the friend Twilight was waiting for," the mare said, extending one hoof. "Purple Prose, was it? I'm Cheerilee."

"Um... hi," he said, taking the hoof shake as he looked back at Twilight.

The dragon's grip had loosened considerably, and she was leaning heavily against his neck. She gave him a relieved looking smile and flashed a thumb-claw-up to him. Spike released Cheerilee's hoof and gave Twilight a playful nudge in response.

"So what was all that about?" Thunderlane asked, right before Spike could have the chance.

"Well—" Cheerilee started to answer before a chorus of little voices cut her off.

"She's a dragon!" a chubby unicorn colt spoke up.

"—Said she wanted to ask us questions," added in an earth filly.

"Is she your pet?" asked another unicorn.

Spike had a stunned look at being mobbed with so many questions, and could feel Twilight tensing up again. Cheerilee placed herself between the young ponies and the stallion, the foals quickly falling silent.

"Now students," she said, her patient smile never fading. "Why don't we leave Mr. Prose and Miss Twilight to their work. You all have those drawing to finish for your parents after all."

Cheerilee ushered the foals toward the other side of the library. Twilight let out a sigh of relief, slumping heavily across Spike's back.

"Are you alright?" Spike asked, looking her over with a worried expression. "How long were you waiting for me?"

"Not too long," Twilight answered, wiping her brow. "I just though I'd start interviewing Cheerilee and her class for the article while I waited..."

"But they got a little too curious, huh?" Spike guessed, nuzzling her a bit. "You didn't have to put yourself through that."

Twilight just nodded her head, her eyelids drooping a bit.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Thunderlane asked, concern in his eyes as he watched Spike and the dragon. "She looks pretty beat."

"She has been up since sunrise," Spike realized, rubbing his chin. "I don't think she even slept on the train ride from Canterlot."

"Well no wonder she's tired then," Cheerilee chimed in.

Spike and Thunderlane looked up with a start. The purple mare's students were now sequestered away from the stairs, working on various crayon drawings. Cheerilee herself had walked over, and was tutting over Twilight.

"Poor dear," she said with a nod toward the stairs, her lavender mane bouncing a bit. "There's a private study room upstairs if you'd like. It would be a fine spot for her to nap."

"Really?" Spike asked, shoulders relaxing a bit. "That'd be great."

"Rumble is up there too," Cheerilee said, turning to Thunderlane with her smile fading a bit. "I tried getting him to play with the others, but he noticed how late you were—"

Thunderlane winced in response, his wings slumping a little.

"It's no problem, Cheerilee," he said, starting up the stairs. "I'll go get him."

Cheerilee bit down on her lower lip before following after the pegasus. Spike watched the two start up the stairs, wondering whether or not to follow. A soft clatter of hooves drew his attention though. Looking over he could see some of the students getting up from their drawings, their gazes locked on him.

Spike swallowed hard, the decision made. He headed up the stairs as quickly as he could without Twilight falling off. He could just make out the voice of a colt shouting something as he climbed.

The purple unicorn wasn't surprised to find more bookshelves at the top of the stairs. The room was much smaller than the main floor, though it did have a second level. Thunderlane and Cheerilee were standing at the bottom of the stairs leading to it. A pale-gray pegasus colt was looking out the window above them.

"Now Rumble," Cheerilee said, her tone still gentle and patient. "Don't you think you're being just a little unfair?"

"It's not like I wanted to be late, bro," Thunderlane added, flapping his wings and hovering up next to the bench.

The colt let out a humph and continued looking out the window. Spike softly walked in, moving next to Cheerilee.

"So you had to clear out the whole town on your own?" Rumble asked, not turning around. "You can't come up with anything better?"

"I know, it sounds unbelievable," Thunderlane sighed as he landed. "I can't even believe I managed to do it."

"Having a little trouble?" Spike whispered to the school teacher

Cheerilee looked to the unicorn stallion, her mouth drawn tight. He could see her struggling with how to phrase the situation.

"Rumble is just a little upset," Cheerilee finally whispered back. "Thunderlane usually manages to calm him down though. I wouldn't worry."

Thunderlane reached a hoof toward Rumble, only for the colt to scoot away from him. Spike flinched as the stallion stamped his hoof against the ground, his eyes narrowing.

"Come on, enough of that!" Thunderlane insisted, his voice raising. "You're acting like a brat, Rumble!"

"Rainbow Dash couldn't have cleared that whole sky on her own!" Rumble responded, rounding on his brother.

Spike turned to Cheerilee, but his voice quickly shriveled before he could speak. The teacher had a stern gaze on the two pegasi. A gaze Spike was all to familiar with, as well as the tone of voice that normally followed.

"Guess we'll never know," Spike jumped in before Cheerilee could. "Seeing as your big brother handled it first."

The other two grown ponies looked at Spike in disbelief. Cheerilee in particular seemed confused as to what to what he was doing. The unicorn just smiled, lifting his press pass from his hat once more.

"Purple Prose, reporter for the Canterlot Sun," Spike said, the slip floating in front of Rumble. "Thunderlane there did me a big favor letting me interview him about cloud cleaning duty today."

Spike floated the pass back to himself as Rumble looked from him back to Thunderlane. Cheerilee smiled as Spike flashed her a wink.

"Yeah, your brother is gonna get to be in the paper and everything," Spike continued as he tucked his pass back into place. "You can ask Time Turner, he was there too."

The colt's lower lip quivered a bit as Thunderlane tousled his mane.

"You have no idea how hard I had was working to get it wrapped up," he said, lifting his hoof from Rumble's head. "And I was still late. I probably should have told Time Turner to find somepony else—"

Spike smirked as Thunderlane was cut off by his brother jumping at him. The colt wrapped his forehooves around his brother in a hug, and Thunderlane seemed stunned into silence. He finally smiled and returned the embrace, and Spike gave himself a mental pat on the back.

"Sorry I didn't believe you," Rumble apologized as Thunderlane lifted him onto his back.

"Yeah, well..." Thunderlane nudged the colt with one of his wings. "You are going to bed early tonight for calling me a liar, mister."

Rumble hung his head, only for Thunderlane to give him a nuzzle and laugh.

"And so that you don't sleep through the sun raising," he said as he started toward the stairs.

"No fair!" Rumble complained, though Spike could see him smiling. "You're staying up all night."

"Thunderlane isn't still in grade school," Cheerilee spoke up, her eyes friendly once more. "Now you two promise me no more fighting, alright?"

"Alright," Rumble said with a quick nod of his head.

"You've got it," Thunderlane answered, before nodding to Spike. "And thanks, Prose."

"Thank you for the help," Spike said, exchanging a hoofshake with the pegasus. "Guess I'll be seeing you both at the sun raising?"

"Count on it," Thunderlane said, turning back toward the stairs. "Time to say goodbye, Rumble."

"Bye Miss Cheerilee!" Rumble said, waving a hoof as they started downstairs. "Bye Mr. Prose!"

Spike waved as they left until he felt something squirming on his back. He restrained the urge to jump from the surprise, looking back at Twilight in disbelief. She had one thumb-claw in her mouth and was drooling a bit on Spike's mane.

"You actually slept through all that?" he asked the dragon, only for some light snoring to answer him. "And you say I'm lazy."

"I think she'll be more comfortable up here," Cheerilee's voice offered from the second level.

The purple mare was gesturing to the bench Rumble had been waiting on. Spike smiled, his horn sparking and carefully lifting Twilight into the air. Supported by the green aura, she slowly floated to the bench before gently settling onto it. Cheerilee came back down the steps, smiling at Spike.

"That was really sweet of you to help Thunderlane," she praised. "Are you sure you don't have some experience dealing with foals?"

"Aww, it was nothing. I was just paying him back for helping me," Spike explained, his chest puffing out a bit at the praise. "What about you? You were pretty cool handling all those little ponies downstairs."

"Oh it's nothing special," Cheerilee answered with a slight blush. "My students might be a little energetic, but they're all sweethearts."

The teacher started downstairs again, and Spike fell in step behind her.

"I'm just sorry if they scared Twilight," Cheerilee apologized, leading the way. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Twilight? Oh sure," Spike said, with a wave of his hoof. "She'll feel much better after a little nap."

Secretly he glanced back up the stairs. There were no sounds coming from there, and the room did have quite a few books in it. He shook his head and pushed his fears aside.

"So Ponyville foals still have classes today?" he asked, as they reached the first floor. "Even in Canterlot we get a day off."

"Mr. Prose you're such a kidder," Cheerilee responded with a laugh. "No, I'm just handling foal-sitting today. So many parents have work to do before the big party after all."

Spike was thankful for his purple coat hiding the worst of his blush. He noted several of the fillies and colts were coming over, gripping crayon drawings. Cheerilee turned to each of them, looking over the crude scribbles.

"Oh, now aren't those looking lovely!" she said to the children.

The little ponies all wore proud smiles, several "Thank you's" coming in response. Spike just chuckled a bit as Cheerilee gave each of the foals a brief hug as they came to her in turn.

"I can see why Twilight wanted to interview you," Spike commented. "Don't suppose you mind if I pick up where she left off?"

"I would have guessed you already had," Cheerilee answered with a gesture to the quill floating by his head.

Spike looked to the feather and paper, only now realizing he'd even pulled them out again. The unicorn could feel his cheeks burning again, but the sensation faded quickly. The foals were beginning to crowd around him, and another bevy of questions seemed inevitable.

Celestia gazed down from her chariot. She could see the hamlet of Ponyville growing closer by the moment. Her eyes wandered away from the ponies waiting down in the Town Square to greet her. She looked toward the horizon.

The sun was getting low. It had been so long since she'd raised it that morning. Thanks to her request it had been hours since leaving Canterlot. Now it felt like that had been only moments ago. A part of her was screaming in deep inside, begging her not to let it set. That if only she left it in the sky nothing would happen.

"No," she whispered, too softly for even the pegasi pulling her chariot to hear.

There was an order to things. Much more dire consequences would await if she listened to that voice. The white alicorn's horn shimmered, and the sun began sinking below the horizon.

"Hold up here for one moment, please," she called to the lead pegasus.

The four guards pulled to a halt, their wings flapping in practiced strokes to keep themselves and the chariot aloft. Celestia bowed her head as the western sky was tinged a fiery red and gold.

If this would be Equestria's last sunset then she would make it one worth remembering.

Spike could officially understand why Twilight was so tired. Though he tried not to show it, the last few hours he'd spent downstairs had felt like an eternity. Cheerilee was assisting him up the stairs with one of his hooves over her back.

"I'm so, so sorry Mr. Prose," Cheerilee apologized as they reached the second floor. "I guess my students are more excitable than even I thought."

"It's alright, really," Spike said as he moved to stand on his four hooves again. "I didn't think I could get this tired just trying to have an interview."

"Well, my students all really seemed to enjoy talking to you," Cheerilee pointed out. "Are you sure you don't need anything else before I go?"

"It's cool, really," Spike insisted, trying not to slouch. "Twi and I should be getting to our next interview soon."

"Oh," Cheerilee said, giving the stallion one last look over. "Well, if you're sure. I'll see you at the celebration then!"

"Yeah, you bet," Spike said, smiling as the teacher headed down the stairs.

The moment she was out of sight, he sighed heavily and slumped against one of the bookshelves. A soft giggle from above drew his attention, and he looked up to find Twilight looking down on him.

"When did you wake up?" he asked, climbing up the steps to the upper landing.

"A few minutes before you came upstairs," Twilight answered, giving him a smug grin. "Not so easy dealing with all those foals, huh?"

"Oh I don't know," Spike joked, tousling the dragon's head spines. "Kinda made me feel like that filly from magic school."

He struck a particularly garish pose, one hoof raised over his head.

"Come one, come all!" he intoned. "See the Great and Powerful Spike and his amazing assistant Twilight..."

The tapping of claws on hardwood made him trail off. He let out a nervous chuckle as he saw Twilight glaring at him. Her deep frown quickly made him clear his throat.

"Alright that was bad..." he admitted, eyes darting to the side.

"It's fine," Twilight said as she sat back down on the bench. "So, where to next?"

"Good question," Spike said as he sat down next to her. "We could take another crack at interviewing Applejack I guess or—"

His eyes went wide as he noticed the sun shining outside the window.

"Whoa," he breathed.

Twilight turned around, her lavender eyes dazzled by the sunset outside. The horizon was slowly melting from blazing yellow and orange to a deeper purple. A few stars were twinkling above as the sun sank lower, its warm light seeming to try and reach out one last time to the world.

"Wow," she whispered, putting a claw on the window as she stared. "Princess Celestia is really outdoing herself this year!"

The mention of the princess rang in Spike's ears. A smile formed on his muzzle.

"That's it!" he shouted, magic suddenly flipping Twilight onto his back. "I know just who to talk to next!"

Twilight gripped the reporter's mane tight as he charged for the stairs. She could feel herself bumping against his back as he descended them two at a time.

"Wh-wh-where are we going?" she managed to stammer out as they reached the ground floor.

"Princess Celestia!" Spike answered, his magic already grabbing the door knob. "Think about it, Twi! How great would an interview with the princess look in our article?"

The front door flew open as Spike applied his magic. Rather than charging straight out though, the stallion skidded to a halt. Twilight let out a shout as she was pitched to the ground. A set of hooves belonging to a familiar pink mare filled her vision for a moment.

"SURPRISE!" Pinkie Pie shouted, springing over Twilight and landing in front of Spike.

Twilight rolled back to her feet, dusting herself off just in time for a herd of ponies to come trampling in. She just managed to leap aside as the ponies began setting out sweets, napkins, streamers, and even a punch bowl. In a matter of moments the entire library was set up for a rather festive looking party.

"I... wait..." Spike struggled to find the words as he looked at the grinning mare before him. "You're Pinkie Pie, right? What are you doing here?"

"Well..." Pinkie took a deep breath, and Spike suddenly found himself wishing he hadn't asked. "After you left the train station I had to go help out with the celebration. But a few ponies were talking about you looking around for interviews for the newspaper. So I got to thinking that maybe I could throw you a big party and invite some of the ponies you hadn't managed to speak with yet!"

Spike's eyes had crossed as the pink earth pony explained herself all in the one breath. He could feel his brain rattle as he tried to comprehend what was going on.

"You're throwing an interview party?" he summed up, his eyes returning to normal. "For me?"

"You betcha! Told ya I'd make sure to get to know you at the party tonight," Pinkie answered, bouncing in place. "Let me tell you, you're not an easy stallion to follow either! I had to talk to Ditzy, Time Turner, and Thunderlane to figure out where you went! Lucky I ran into Cheerilee on the way here. She told me you were still at the library."

Twilight had managed to make her way through the crowd of ponies and was climbing onto Spike's back. The stallion looked around those gathered, seeing most of them were already mingling. A very substantial part of him was trying to guess just how Pinkie had gotten so many others to agree to come so quickly.

"Uh... well thanks, really," he said, trying to slide around her toward the door. "It's just I've got a really important interview to get to—"

"You bet you do!" Pinkie said, grabbing his shoulders and spinning him away from the exit. "Mayor Mare agreed to show up before she has to meet the princess! Can't keep her waiting."

Twilight and Spike both looked to one another. The dragoness shrugged and Spike lowered his head. It seemed it would be futile trying to escape the party planner's clutches.

Chapter 8

Celestia sat alone in one of the back rooms of Town Hall, simply looking out the window.

The mayor's aide had been incredibly relieved when her chariot finally landed. She'd been ushered inside immediately to discuss the schedule one last time. Time Turner had seemed quite proud of the idea of revealing her from behind a set of stage curtains. Rarity, who was to draw the curtains for the sunrise, had been almost unable to speak in her excitement.

She could only smile and nod. It was a simple presentation, but there was something appealing about it. Celestia felt a pang of regret at not getting to see the townsfolk's faces at the big reveal.

The white alicorn fought back her tears, looking up to the moon once more. She could see four bright stars slowly moving toward the silver disk. The eye of the Mare in the Moon seemed to only brighten in anticipation.

It wouldn't be long now.

As the moon shone down on Ponyville, a somewhat haggard Spike trotted down the road. Twilight rode on his back, seemingly ignorant of her partner's frown. In the distance the deep-blue of the night sky seemed to be lightening. Dawn wasn't far off.

"It was really nice of Pinkie Pie to help like that," Twilight pointed out as she flipped through a note pad. "Thanks to her we've got more interviews than we could possibly use!"

"Yeah," Spike said, rolling his eyes. "But Pinkie's party went for so long everypony almost missed the sunrise."

Spike gestured ahead, to where several ponies could be seen hurrying toward Town Hall. The lights were on inside the wooden tower, and the sounds of chattering could be heard from within. In spite of all that, Spike still kept an even pace with a deep frown on his face.

"Look on the bright side, Prose," Twilight tried to encourage him. "This way we won't need to worry about trying to get an interview with Princess Celestia."

"That's the whole problem, Twi," Spike complained, stopping in his tracks. "Anypony could have gotten the interviews we have now—"

He felt Twilight tapping her foot claws against his back as she cleared her throat. Spike rolled his eyes again with a sigh.

"I could have gotten them if I'd had more than one day," he insisted. "Look, you're the one that said this was a chance to show Ink Blot my stuff. An interview with the princess would have been great for that!"

Spike began walking again, his head down as the sky brightened to the east. He felt his hat being lifted away though, and raised his head just in time for a clawed hand to pat him between the ears.

"Spike," Twilight said as she patted down his mane. "You got so much done in just one day. I'm sure Ink Blot is going to be plenty impressed."

Spike felt his hat settle back down and he gave his assistant a little smile. She beamed in return, wrapping her little arms around him in a hug. In spite of her using his real name, he nuzzled her in return.

"Besides, the party isn't over yet," Twilight continued. "There's still the sun raising to get to. I'm sure the princess will have a few words for the press after that."

Spike nodded before scrunching his brow. Something about the words 'sun raising' rang in his head. He gasped in sudden realization, eyes flying wide open.

"Oh my gosh!" he exclaimed, breaking into a gallop

Twilight barely managed to hold on as Spike ran full-tilt to Town Hall. He skidded to a halt, pitching the unfortunate dragoness to the ground as he looked at his reflection in one of the windows.

"Oooh," Twilight moaned, clutching her head as she got up. "What was that all about?"

Much to her surprise a green glow answered her. Spike was concentrating, his magic aura covering his body. His spiky mane and tail smoothed themselves out, and his coat shimmered as he telekinetically brushed out the day's tangles. As a finishing touch, his hat landed back on his head, tilting itself as he cast his reflection in a nearby window a wink.

"You're absolutely right, Twi," he said, rustling her spines playfully. "There's plenty to look forward to after the sunrise!"

"That's the spirit!" Twi cheered, ignoring her minor headache.

"Namely my date with Rarity," he said, spinning toward the door. "Thanks for reminding me!"

A dreamy look on his face and his spirits much higher, Spike trotted right into Town Hall. Twilight stood in silence for a moment at her partner's sudden mood swing. Finally, her clawed hand smacked into her face and she plodded after him.

Rarity had done a good job on the decorations, that much was easy to see. Glittering streamers and elaborate banners hung from the walls and ceiling, all of them muted shades of blue. Spike almost felt like he was standing amidst the dark sky above, with dawn approaching. Ponies of every hue and tribe filled the room with laughter and talk, and Spike found himself picking a few out of the crowd.

He could see Thunderlane and Rumble near one of the buffet tables. The younger colt was laughing with Apple Bloom while his brother chatted with Applejack. Big Mac watched the pair of foals with a silent smile on his face.

His quill already moving again, Spike made notes of the party-goers. Cheerilee was surrounded by her students. Based on the broad sweeps of her hooves she seemed to be telling a story... or possibly was trying to swat a fly. Spike chuckled to himself as he jotted both down.

His gaze turned up, and stopped. Rarity was up on a balcony overlooking the main floor. Spike's lids drooped as his dopey smile returned. She was talking to Time Turner, her coat sparkling in the moonlight shining through the windows. He barely registered Time Turner walking through the curtain they were standing in front of as she turned to look down at—

"Hi Mr. Prose!"

Spike's vision was suddenly filled with a smiling, gray face and yellow eyes. He jumped back, nearly crashing into Twilight behind him. Ditzy just giggled as Spike managed to keep his balance on his hind legs just long enough get back on all fours.

"Are you having fun?" Ditzy asked as she carefully balanced a plate of muffins on her back. "Ooh, I'll bet you got a ton of interviews! Especially at that party Pinkie threw for you..."

Ditzy kept chattering away, not noticing as Spike's attention slipped. His eyes floated about the room, spotting a pair of pure-white pegasi in golden armor. His pen scratched out some notes about the guards as the door they stood in front of opened.

Spike raised an eyebrow as Time Turner walked out, his brow furrowed in confusion. He spoke to the guards, both of whom looked skeptical. The earth pony merely shrugged in response to their stares...

The unicorn felt his eyes nearly bulge from their sockets as the pair of soldiers followed Time Turner away from the door.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ditzy's voice broke through to Spike at last.

"Prose?" Twilight hopped onto his back and prodded him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing's wrong," he managed to say, looking from the door to Ditzy. "Hey, Ditzy Doo? I don't suppose you know where that door goes?"

The gray mare's drifting eyes managed to focus on the door in question as her muzzle scrunched in thought. A smile broke out as she nodded.

"Oh sure!" she cheered. "That goes to the backstage for when we have plays and stuff in here."

"Prose..." Twilight suddenly sounded worried as the stallion smiled.

"You don't say?" he asked, quill and paper sparking with a fresh 'Come-to-Life' enchantment.

"Yup, pretty sure at least," Ditzy confirmed as she flapped her wings. "Well, I'd better get these muffins to Dinky before she wonders where I am. Enjoy the sunrise!"

"Oh I plan to," Spike assured her as she floated above the crowd and flew off.

The second Ditzy was gone, Spike trotted toward the door. Twilight's ear pinch didn't even phase him as his magic grabbed the handle.

"What do you think you're doing?" Twilight whispered harshly. "Princess Celestia is probably back there!"

"Exactly," Spike pointed out as he opened the door a crack and peeked in. "The guards left, Twilight. This is a great chance!"

"To do what?" Twilight admonished, still not releasing his ear. "Get into huge trouble for disturbing her? It's only a couple of minutes until sunrise!"

Spike took a step back and sighed in frustration.

"Twilight, just think about how that interview would look!" he pleaded, turning to catch her eye. "If we hurry I can at least get my hoof in the door..."

His lower lip quivered a bit, his eyes wide and shining. Twilight bit down on her lip, then slowly released his ear.

The sound of birdsong began to fill the room, drawing everypony else's attention to the main stage. Spike smiled as a spotlight turned on, highlighting an earth mare with a gray mane.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts!" she announced as Spike edged the door open. "It is my pleasure as Mayor of Ponyville to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!"

With everypony's attention on the stage, Spike's magic grabbed the door and opened it further. He slid in, willing the door to shut behind him and Twilight. Mayor Mare's speech was silenced as the door closed. The young stallion smirked as he started up a short flight of stairs. Twilight still held tight to him, almost trembling out of her scales.

"I still think this is a bad idea," she whispered to him. "What if she gets mad? Or thinks we're spies or something?"

"Spies?" Spike asked, giving Twilight a deadpan look. "From where?"

"I don't know!" Twilight responded in a harsh whisper. "But if she does we could banished! Or thrown in a dungeon! Or ban—"

She was cut off by Spike's hat suddenly covering her face. She pulled it off with a gasp before jamming it back on his head. The stallion just snickered a bit as she glared at him.

"You worry too much, Twilight," Spike told her as they reached the top of the stairs. "Look, it won't be long. I duck in, ask if she can give me a few words after the sunrise, and leave. Nopony else will even know we were here!"

Twilight started to open her mouth, when a sudden tingling sensation over her entire body cut her off. Spike shuddered as the same feeling overcame him, like thousands of spiders scuttling over his body. His horn sparked as clouds of black mist formed in the small backstage area.

"What's going on?" Twilight whispered, her claws digging into Spike's shoulders.

"I'm not sure," Spike answered, walking as softly as he could.

His quill and paper hovered by his side as he finished climbing the stairs. A short hallway greeted him. One door in particular sat open, with strange swirls of black curling from it. Swallowing hard, the young reporter edged closer...

"In just a feeeeewwwww mmmmmooooooommm..."

Celestia's eyes widened. The sound of Mayor Mare's speech was warping and distorting as an unpleasant tingling ran down her wings. The white alicorn got to her hooves, looking through the window once more.

Her heart sank as she saw the pristine, white surface of the moon outside.

"So you've finally come," she said, lowering her eyes and wings.

There was silence for a brief moment, before a chilling laugh filled the room. Celestia turned away from the curtain as clouds of black magic coalesced before her. Slowly, they took the shape of another alicorn. One almost as tall as she was.

"Oh, did I keep you waiting?" a voice to match the laughter asked. "Well don't worry. Starswirl's 'Time Pocket' spell will give us plenty of time to catch up."

The clouds surrounding the mare dropped away. Celestia could only stare in a mixture of horror and acceptance at the pitch-black alicorn before her. Decorative blue armor covered her graceful body, reflecting the stars in her ethereal mane.

Before she could speak, Celestia sensed magic swirling around her. By instinct, her horn started to light. She quickly squelched it as the black clouds wrapped around her into a silent whirlwind.

"Honestly, Celestia? I'm unimpressed," the mare chastised, flipping her mane a bit. "I expected some resistance at least."

"You and I both know how much damage our last battle did," Celestia responded, her eyes shut as she spoke. "I won't do that to my little ponies. Not again."

"I suppose that shouldn't surprise me," the dark mare admitted, stepping closer. "But really? Nothing at all?"

Celestia merely stayed silent, her eyes closed. Her thoughts struggled to turn away from what was happening. She remembered sunlit days spent laughing with her subjects. Beautiful nights brought forth by—

"No army? No champion to stand for you?" Her opponent's voice interrupted, as her wings flared. "You didn't even try to bring the Elements of Harmony?"

Celestia merely remained silent, her mind back on the horror that was happening now. The black alicorn snorted, tiny clouds of steam coming from her nostrils.

"How typical," the other alicorn growled, scraping at the ground. "Even when I'm about to banish you, you still won't pay attention to me!"

Celestia opened her eyes, focusing directly on the mare. Her words from earlier that day echoed in her head. Her hope that this could be talked out. One look in the eyes of the monster before her abolished that idea.

"Is this the part where I beg for mercy?" Celestia asked, feeling her anger rise for the first time in eons.

The night-themed alicorn before her drew back in surprise. Celestia drew herself to her full height. A righteous anger swelled within her.

"Is that how you pictured it?" she challenged, wishing she could step closer to emphasize. "My allies scattered, me broken and whimpering for help?"

The black alicorn grit her teeth in response, anger flooding her eyes.

"Luna knew I would never endanger others for our battle," Celestia went on, not wavering as she locked eyes with the nightmare. "But you're not Luna anymore. You're just a twisted caricature made of nothing but bad dreams. Small wonder you picked the name you did."

"Shut. Up," the armored princess spoke through clenched teeth, her mane and wings flaring.

"I thought you liked that name," Celestia goaded, eyes narrowing. "You are not Luna. You are Nightmare Moon, and I won't give you the satisfaction of breaking me!"

Celestia felt a sense of release. After one-thousand years, finally facing this creature that had taken over her sister. Seeing the anger, the sheer frustration directed at her and only her. Nopony else.

That anger slowly gave way to a sick smile. Celestia raised an eyebrow as her once-sister began to chuckle.

"Is that so?" Nightmare Moon asked, her body flaring with a dark aura. "Yes, I suppose you've had time to prepare. Nothing I could do to you personally would work."

A bolt of black energy lashed out behind Nightmare Moon. A strangled cry sounded from behind the door frame. Celestia gasped in horror as something was yanked hard into the room.

"No..." she pleaded, feeling tears form.

A unicorn stallion, purple in color with a green mane. He twisted and struggled in Nightmare Moon's telekinetic grip. His own magic feebly tried to break her hold on him as Celestia stamped one hoof.

"Let him go!" she demanded.

"You don't want to know who he is?" Nightmare Moon taunted, floating the stallion closer. "Come now, young colt, tell us your name."

"P-p-purple Prose," he managed to stammer out, cringing in fear.

Celestia's mind was reeling. There wasn't supposed to be anypony else. This was supposed to just be between her and Nightmare Moon. Now the former Mare-in-the-Moon was smiling as she levitated Prose overhead.

"And just what were you doing back here?" she asked.

"I'm a journalist," he squeaked out, a press pass floating from his hat. "I just... I was trying to... to speak with the princess..."

"Please," Celestia begged, her voice cracking. "He has nothing to do with this! Just let him go!"

Nightmare Moon was ignoring her, looking blankly at the press pass.

"Jour-nal-ist?" she asked, glaring at Prose as she enunciated each syllable.

"Yeah," he said, nodding frantically. "I just report news, that's all!"

"Ah, a herald," Nightmare Moon's smile returned. "Then you can be of use to me in a moment."

Celestia struggled to scream as Purple Prose was shoved to the corner of the room. Nightmare Moon rounded on her once again. The black whirlwind around Celestia increased in intensity, slowly obscuring her vision.

"Don't worry, Celestia," Nightmare Moon taunted as she faded from view. "I'll make sure you can see us. You'll get to see just what a good job I'm doing taking care of your little ponies."

Celestia's eyes widened in horror. Her magic struggled against the winds, straining to break her free.

"No!" she managed to protest.

She was flying away, soaring into the night sky. But still her eyes could see Nightmare Moon turning back toward Purple Prose. The stallion trembled with fear as the mare of darkness approached him. The first of many, she was sure.

Celestia let out one last, futile scream.

"... the ruler of our land," Mayor Mare's speech was still continuing.

Twilight dashed through the door back into the main room. Her heart was thudding against her ribs so hard it was a wonder they didn't crack. She leaned against the wall, struggling to breathe, only to jump as a hoof fell over her shoulder.

"Twilight, it's alright!" Cheerilee's voice spoke up. "It's just me."

Twilight found herself looking up at the purple school teacher. Time Turner was also trotting over, glancing from Twilight to the door she had just run through.

"Are you alright?" Cheerilee asked, leaning closer to the dragon. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"And what were you doing back there?" Time Turner asked as he approached. "Is Purple Prose in there too?"

"Yes!" Twilight shouted, gesturing frantically. "And so is... oh no..."

"... The good, the wise... " Mayor Mare continued.

Twilight's heart nearly stopped. The last few moments felt like a bad dream, but all too real. She recalled being shoved toward the stairs by Spike's magic, him gesturing at her to run. The stallion struggling against the magical grip of...

"We have to stop the ceremony!" Twilight shouted frantically. "Now!"

The dragon tried to run to the stage, only for Time Turner to block her path. The tan stallion put a restraining hoof on her and shook his head.

"Hang on now, Miss Twilight," he said in a gentle tone. "I'm afraid you're not making any sense."

The dragoness opened her mouth to protest, but her voice died in her throat.

"... Princess Celestia!" Mayor Mare finished her speech with a grand gesture to the upper balcony.

"No," Twilight whimpered, staring up at the curtains as Rarity drew them. "Oh no, no, no, no..."

There was a gasp from the audience.

Standing in the spotlight, behind the now drawn curtains, was Spike. He cringed as the eyes of Ponyville fell on him. Rarity slowly approached, her face a mask of confusion.

"Mr. Prose?" she asked, peeking past him as though trying to see if Celestia were there. "What are you doing here?"

"I—" Spike cut himself off as he felt a tingle in the back of his head.

Say it like I told you.

Spike swallowed hard and stepped forward, leading Rarity away from the curtains as he did.

"F-fillies and gentlecolts," he stammered out, black winds beginning to whirl behind him. "It gives me great pleasure to present... the return of Equestria's Princess of the Night..."

His gaze fell to his hooves as he heard the crack of thunder behind him. He didn't dare to look back, though he could already tell what had happened. The audience was staring in shock as the black alicorn appeared on the balcony.

"... Nightmare Moon," he said, quill and ink floating themselves back to his saddlebags.

Chapter 9

Nightmare Moon's twisted smirk hadn't faded in the slightest. The moment of her long-awaited victory was etched into her long memory. The terrified expression on Celestia's face as a cloud of darkness carried her away shone brightly amongst her most treasured images.

Only slightly dimmer were the faces of the crowd of ponies below. The simple little villagers, staring up in awe and horror as she appeared. She'd seen the same sort of fear one-thousand years ago. Now she couldn't fathom why she'd ever hated it.

The purple unicorn in front of her was trembling as she stepped forward. Her herald gulp as her starry mane reached out and pushed him to the side. He offered no resistance, stepping away to the opposite side of the balcony as the white mare.

"Oh, my beloved subjects," Nightmare Moon spoke, relishing each word as she scanned the crowd. "It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little, sun-loving faces!"

Most of the audience was silent. One voice rang out from a corner though. A cyan mare with a very colorful mane was charging right at her.

"What did you do with our princess?!" she shouted as she approached.

Somepony below cursed. An orange earth mare jumped up, trying to grab the pegasus' passing tail. She failed as the rainbow mare swerved upward toward the dark alicorn. The black mare just watched as she approached.

"So, we have a hero?" she challenged, her eyes glowing white. "What's wrong? Am I not royal enough for you?"

Nightmare Moon's magic lashed out. The rainbow mare halted in mid-air, snatched up in her telekinetic grasp. The alicorn merely observed the pegasus as she struggled for freedom. There was anger and a bit of fear there, but no sense of familiarity.

"Don't you know who I am?" she growled in the mare's face.

"Some bully who gets her kicks pretending to be an old mare's tale?" responded her captive.

Nightmare Moon's jaw dropped, and a gasp issued from the audience.

"Such insolence!" she shouted, her magic casting the pegasus pony aside.

The mare screamed as she crashed into an elaborate stand. Birds scattered in every direction as she laid still, groaning in pain.

"Rainbow Dash!" the yellow mare that had been cowering near the stand gasped.

"Does my crown no longer count after I've been imprisoned for one-thousand years?" Nightmare Moon shouted, glaring at the ponies cowering below. "It seems some of you must have heard the legend! Did none of you see the signs?"

There was nothing but silence from the ponies trembling below. Nightmare Moon glared down at them, feeling their fear. Some of them were still squeezing their eyes shut, as though she'd just disappear any moment. Like some monster out of a story book.

"I see then," she declared, eyes narrowing. "So it seems Celestia hoped I'd remain just that: A legend."

A smile curled her muzzle as realization dawned. There was nopony below that had ever known her from before. None of them had prepared for her. The thought brought forth a chuckle that slowly grew to full-blown laughter.

"Well, Princess Celestia is no longer here to protect you!" she mocked, her mane flaring above her in a terrible whirlwind. "You'll never see her or your precious sun ever again!"

"Horse apples!" Rainbow Dash's voice cursed.

Nightmare Moon's head spun toward the stubborn pegasus. She was already on her hooves again and darting toward her. With a growl of frustration, the alicorn's magic once more stopped her cold.

"Like anypony..." Rainbow Dash grunted as she tried to break free. "Could have beat the princess!"

There were a few shouts from the audience. Voices of agreement. Nightmare Moon glared down at them, her eyes blazing white. The ponies that had agreed cringed, but another thought came to her. She smiled, her phantasmal tail reaching out to the balcony behind her.

"So, you don't believe me," she taunted, hearing the gasp of horror as she found what she sought. "Perhaps one of your own might convince you otherwise. Mr. Prose?"

A misty claw wrapped around the purple unicorn and dragged him into the air. The nightmare was vaguely aware of somepony else behind her. No doubt the white unicorn trying to escape the balcony. She merely ignored her, instead focusing on raising her herald over the crowd.

"Why don't you tell them just what you saw?" Nightmare Moon asked, a wisp of stars tickling Purple Prose under his chin.

He looked out into the audience, all of whom were staring at him. He opened his mouth, a frightened squeak emerging. The dark alicorn scowled and tightened her grip threateningly. She could feel how fragile he was, and the fear in his eyes showed he knew it to.

"Sh-she's not lying..." Prose managed to whisper, his voice magnified by her magic. "I saw it happen. There was all that black mist... and Princess Celestia just vanished..."

Prose hung his head as somepony below cried out. Even Rainbow Dash had stopped squirming, staring at him in abject horror. Nightmare Moon's previously interrupted chuckle returned. She could feel the fear filling the room, the realization of just what they faced now. Her head was thrown back in laughter.

Laughter that only lasted for a brief moment.

"Seize her!" a beige pony shouted from below. "Only she knows where the princess is!"

Four stark-white pegasi in golden armor shot from the audience. Nightmare Moon's mirth ceased. She grit her teeth at the approaching stallions, gathering magic overhead.

It would seem she'd need to do this the hard way.

Spike twisted, trying to watch the pegasus guards as they swooped past him.

"Hey wait!" he shouted, unable to even wave his hooves.

His voice was no longer amplified. The guards didn't seem to hear him over the shouts from the ponies below. The crowd's voices were just so much background noise though. Too many calling out support, trying to find safety, or even just screaming in fear.

He managed to turn himself enough to face the balcony. Only Nightmare Moon stood there now. Spike found some small comfort that at least Rarity had gotten away. Far less comforting was the white glow in the alicorn's eyes as the guards drew closer.

"Stay away from me—" she started to shout, magic gathering in the swirling cloud forming over her head.

A multi-colored streak suddenly flew right into her face. She faltered for a moment as Rainbow Dash began to fly dizzying circles around her. Spike could feel his head spin just trying to watch her. Nightmare Moon's tail lashed out, snatching at the mare.

And let go of Spike in the process.

The stallion gasped as he felt the energy surrounding him dissipate. For a sickening moment he simply hung in mid-air. Then he was plunging toward the floor below with a scream.

"Gotcha!" an all-to-familiar voice cheered as gray hooves fastened under his forelegs.

Spike's thoughts were a jumble for a second. Looking up he found the smiling face of Ditzy Doo as she carried him toward the ground.

"Huh?" he managed to grunt out, summing up his mental state rather well.

Ditzy just kept her grin the whole way down, depositing Spike on the floor. His eyes moved from the mare, finding himself near the backstage door again. He could see Time Turner and Rarity coming out of it before a purple dragon filled his vision. Spike gasped in surprise as Twilight tackled him to the floor, her arms locked around him in a tight embrace.

"You're okay!" she practically sobbed. "Oh Spike I... I thought..."

"Yeah, I'm fine," he finally realized, patting the dragoness on the back. "Thanks to Ditzy."

The mailmare blushed, fluttering her wings a bit in response. There was a cheerful giggle from nearby. Dinky sprinted seemingly from nowhere, pressing up against her side in a loving nuzzle. Cheerilee stepped over, patting Ditzy Doo on the back with one hoof.

"Seems you're a hero today, Ditzy," Cheerilee congratulated the gray mare.

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet," Time Turner pointed out, gesturing back toward the balcony.

Spike followed his hoof. The guards surrounding Nightmare Moon had been forced back by a swirling mass of dark clouds. The black-coated mare was glaring from within the twister, while the guards battered against it. Rainbow Dash was still up there as well, leaving her namesake contrail as she spun around the alicorn.

"So that's your weather manager?" Spike asked, staring at Time Turner as he got back up. "Is she crazy or something?"

"Not crazy," Time Turner corrected before biting his lip for a moment. "Miss Dash is just... very passionate."

"ENOUGH!"

Nightmare Moon's voice exploded from above, followed by a deafening crack of thunder. Rainbow Dash and the guards were sent careening in all directions as a miniature lightning storm raged around her. Spike cringed in terror, knowing he wasn't the only pony doing so.

"It would seem you're reluctant to accept my rule," Nightmare Moon called out, her voice carrying a threatening echo. "Perhaps an example needs to be made!"

The storm around her ceased, but her starry mane still swirled above. Twilight tightened her grip on Spike. He saw Ditzy Doo pull her daughter close and cover her eyes. The cloud of energy spread further, turning solid black as it began to tremble.

Spike could only gasp in horror right before the dark mass fell over entire room.

He twisted, struggling to pull himself from the endless nothingness that surrounded him. This wasn't simply darkness, a mere absence of light. This was an absence of anything. Even calling it a vacuum would be assuming something had been meant to exist there.

Spike let out a silent scream, feeling the vast emptiness probing at him...

... and all at once it was gone. The stallion sat bolt upright from the floor of Town Hall. His coat was slick with a cold sweat. Twilight was moaning softly as she got up, holding her head as though in pain.

"Spike?" she managed to say, her voice hoarse and raspy. "What happened?"

"I—" Spike stopped himself and looked around, suddenly aware of how quiet it was. "I don't know."

There were more groans. Other ponies were coming around, shaking their heads and stumbling back to their hooves. Spike struggled to think, wondering just what sort of spell could have knocked out everypony in the room in one shot.

"Is everypony alright?" Cheerilee asked, her mane being brushed flat by Rarity's magic as the two slowly stood again.

"I think so," Rarity said, her blue magic tending to her own frazzled mane. "Somehow."

"I've certainly been worse," Time Turner admitted, one hoof to his head.

Spike glanced up to the balcony, brow scrunching with worry. There was no sign of Nightmare Moon up there. The strange black cloud from her mane still hovered around the ceiling though. The reporter shivered at the sight of it. It wasn't moving, rather it almost seemed to be waiting for something.

"Dinky?" Ditzy Doo's voice suddenly cut in.

Spike looked away from the cloud as Ditzy spoke up. The gray mare was cradling her daughter in her forehooves. The filly hung there, limp and breathing softly.

"Dinky, what's wrong?!" Ditzy asked frantically, gently shaking the lavender filly. "Wh-why won't you wake up?"

Spike could suddenly feel a cold dread squeezing his chest. New voices shouted from elsewhere in the room, growing to a cacophony.

"Rumble! Come on, bro, wake up!"

"Apple Bloom!"

Spike looked to those near him. Cheerilee had a look of horrid familiarity with each name joining the shouts. Rarity was shaking her head, her eyes suddenly darting about as though looking for somepony. A cold chuckle sounded from above, slowly silencing the cries and drawing his gaze up again.

A pair of cruel eyes appeared on the cloud, glaring down at the audience. A dark-gray streak suddenly flew up at them. Thunderlane's face was a mask of rage as he drove for the nightmare cloud.

"You!" he shouted as he approached. "What did you do to my brother?!"

The stallion passed through the cloud as though it weren't even there. He spun back around, struggling to kick and bite it with similar results.

"Consider this a warning, Ponyville!" Nightmare Moon's voice echoed as she ignored the attempts at her destruction. "Until you accept my rule your foals shall remain locked in an endless slumber! Trapped forever in a world of nightmares!"

Thunderlane let out one final cry of fury, plunging through the cloud once more. He shot through to the other side, striking the ground with a resounding crack of splitting floor boards. Spike barely winced at the noise, distracted by Ditzy as she shook her head frantically.

No," Ditzy croaked out, tears filling her eyes. "No, no, no. Please, not Dinky..."

"I hope you enjoyed this day, my little ponies," Nightmare Moon went on, her eyes widening in mirth. "For it was your last! From now on, the night shall last FOREVER!"

More horrendous laughter filled the room, the cloud spinning in midair. It swiftly shrank away to nothing. Spike fell to a seated position, his mind struggling to process just how fast everything had happened. Twilight slumped against him as he looked around.

Ditzy was inconsolable, sobbing against Dinky's tiny body. Cheerilee was obviously doing her best to calm her, gently laying a hoof over her shoulders. The teacher looked up with her own eyes watering as more crying and frightened shouting carried from around the room.

Time Turner was looking around and seemed to spot something. His mouth moved as though speaking, but over the other voices he was impossible to hear. The earth stallion took off into the crowd, heading for the main stage. Spike just nodded, not even sure if anything being said was directed at him.

He turned his head again, his mind trying to process something. Somepony was missing from the group...

"Rarity?" Spike asked, getting back to his hooves.

Twilight let out a surprised yelp as she fell to the ground at his sudden movement. Spike carefully trotted through the crowd, picking his way past grieving parents and sleeping foals. His eyes scanned all over for the ivory mare, lost among a sea of colors.

"What were you thinking Dash?" Thunderlane's trembling voice rose above the crowd.

Spike stopped in his search, his eyes suddenly going to an area clear of other ponies. Thunderlane stood there, his body shaking from the impact of his landing. Or possibly from Rumble's tiny body curled on his back. Rainbow Dash simply locked eyes with him, the two glaring daggers at each other.

"You just had to go and get in her face!" Thunderlane accused, taking a step closer. "And now... now..."

"Hey, back off Thunderlane!" Dash shot back, wings flaring. "At least I tried to do something! What was I supposed to do? Just let her win?"

Rather than shouting, Thunderlane seemed to shrink. His wings folded to his sides and he just looked back at Rumble. Dash snorted before turning and storming back off into the crowd.

As ponies cleared to make way for her, Spike spotted a glimpse of white. Green eyes widened as he saw Rarity sitting near an overturned food table. He started toward her, carefully moving around the spilled pastries and punch.

"Rarity?" Spike asked as he approached. "Are you oka—"

He cut himself off as he realized it wasn't the food Rarity was staring at. A little, white unicorn filly lay on the ground before her. Her mane was a pale lavender and pink, done in gentle curls. Rarity had one hoof over her mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"My... my little sister Sweetie Belle," Rarity managed to choke out, eyes never leaving the filly. "I was... I was supposed to spend some time with her. After our interview. I... I..."

She turned toward Spike, her blue eyes piercing into the stallion. The purple unicorn drew back at her accusing stare.

"You... you were back there," she said, her voice gaining in volume. "Celestia had been waiting there before and then you... you..."

Rarity was trembling with both grief and anger. Spike tried to speak, but was suddenly very aware of hundreds of eyes on him again. He looked around, seeing ponies looking at him thanks to Rarity's outburst. Mutterings and whispers were starting, and he saw a few of the angrier looking ones stepping closer.

Spike turned, trying to find an opening. Before he could he found a pair of rose-colored eyes locked with his own. Rainbow Dash had, once again, sped out of nowhere and was now directly in front of him.

"You know, Rarity has a point," she said, taking a step closer to Spike. "Just what was going on back there?"

"No-nothing," Spike stammered out as he fell to his rump.

"Oh, nothing huh?" Rainbow Dash scoffed, still pushing closer. "You were the last pony to see Princess Celestia! You already announced it to the whole town!"

Her face was right up in his, her eyes sparking with anger.

"Plus I heard you've been asking questions all over town," she accused, leaning so close Spike almost rolled onto his back. "Are you a spy or something?!"

"No..." he tried to squeak out.

More questions and accusations started to ring out around him. Spike's throat felt like sandpaper as the circle closed in around him. His head was spinning, his vision filled with nothing but glaring eyes as voices he couldn't answer rang in his ears.

"Everypony!" Mayor Mare's voice suddenly boomed over the crowd. "Everypony, your attention please!"

The shouts of the crowd were slowly dying down. Spike remained stock still though, barely able to register anything going on around him.

"I know we're facing dire straights," the mayor shouted through a megaphone from the central stage. "But we must prioritize the safety of the foals first!"

There was some general buzz of consent from the audience. A sigh of relief could be heard over the megaphone before Mayor Mare cleared her throat to continue.

"Time Turner and the town doctors are already prepping Ponyville General Hospital," she announced, waving toward the exit doors. "Right now we need everypony to focus on getting our foals there! In an orderly manner, please!"

The exit doors were swung open at the political pony's gesture. Rarity cast one last glare at Spike before turning away from him. Her magic gently lifted her younger sister onto her back as she followed the crowd.

"W-wait," Spike managed to stammer out, eyes glancing about.

Most ponies weren't even looking at him, most of them too caught up in the fillies or colts they were carrying. The few that glanced his way had only an angry glare. He grunted as one of the bolder ponies shoved him on their way past.

"It's not like that," he pleaded, straining to make himself heard. "I'm not... I didn't want to..."

The last few ponies headed out the doors, which slammed closed. The reporter was left sitting alone in Town Hall, his head sinking to the floor. He twitched a bit as he felt a clawed hand settle on his back. He slowly turned his head to find Twilight. He sniffled a bit as the dragon silently pulled him into a gentle hug.

"I..." he managed to whisper. "I didn't do anything."

Twilight didn't say anything, only squeezed tighter. Spike relented and put one of his forelegs around her back. He blinked away the tears blurring his vision, feeling the boiling drops hit his cheeks. The sudden horrid weight of knowing how Ponyville felt about him felt like it was crushing his chest.

"W-we..." He wiped his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts. "C-Canterlot... we should get home."

"Spike?" Twilight asked as he released her.

"Twi, they all hate me," he said to her, his magic pulling his hat lower over his eyes. "I just... I just don't want to be around if they decide to come back."

The dragoness opened her mouth but stopped. Her jaw closed and she slowly nodded her head. Spike sniffled again, turning and heading toward the doors. His lonely hoofsteps echoed off the walls.

"Spike!" Twilight's voice gasped out.

He spun around, heart hammering against his ribs. For a brief moment he expected Nightmare Moon again. Instead, he saw Twilight pointing at something.

Spike's eyes followed her claw to a purple tail sticking out from under one of the tables. His magic gently lifted the tablecloth, revealing an orange pegasus filly. Her tail twitched and her tiny wings fluttered as she moaned gently in her enchanted sleep.

"She must have gotten lost during the panic," Twilight realized, gently brushing a claw over the child.

Twilight looked up to Spike. He tried to glance away, to look back toward the doors. It was too late though, purple eyes met green and Spike knew he had no choice but to listen.

"We need to help her," she said.

"Twilight, you know what they'll do if I go to the hospital," Spike argued, trembling with fear. "And they know you work with me. What if they—"

Twilight shook her head and Spike sighed. He knew she was right. Even he couldn't buy the excuses he'd tried to come up with. His magic reached out and gently lifted the filly, laying her across his back.

"Alright, to the hospital then," he said to Twilight as they started toward the doors. "And you run if they come after me."

"No way," Twilight protested, patting his side. "We're gonna clear this mess up together."

Spike didn't have the will to argue, but the feeling of his friend's claw against him gave him some comfort. He looked ahead to the moonlit streets, recalling seeing the hospital with Ditzy earlier.

"A good reporter wouldn't run from a story anyway, right?" Twilight challenged as she clambered onto his back behind the filly.

Spike looked back and locked eyes with the dragon again. A small smile came back and he just nodded before setting off.

Chapter 10

Spike looked up at the full moon, and it sent a shiver down his spine.

It wasn't like he hadn't seen it before. But without the mare's head marring it, it almost seemed like an eye. A piercing, silver, unblinking eye watching from above. Given who was loose now, it didn't seem like an unrealistic fear.

He tried to ignore the moon, putting his gaze back on the road ahead. With the princess gone and the sun no longer coming the sky had darkened again. The world was locked at midnight, and with nopony else on the street Spike felt even more nervous.

Something shifted on his back. Looking toward it only compounded his worry. Twilight was gently running a claw over the side of the filly they had found. The orange pegasus moaned in her sleep as Spike walked on. His eyes turned ahead again, locking on the building highlighted by moonlight at the end of the street.

"Well," Spike said, finally breaking the silence. "That must be the hospital."

"Yeah," Twilight agreed, keeping a grip on the foal. "So, why are you slowing down?"

Spike didn't answer, his hooves suddenly feeling like they were slogging through cement. Just ahead stood the hospital, almost looking as though it could double as a ski lodge or some other vacation home.

A vacation home that was filled with numerous ponies that hated him.

"Spike," Twilight tried to encourage him. "Look, I know you're scared but—"

"Scared? Who says I'm scared?" Spike tried to laugh off the observation. "It's just a bunch of ponies... that hate me... and might think I took this filly hostage or something..."

Even though he'd admonished Twilight less than an hour ago for such worrying he could no longer stop his mind. Spike halted in his tracks just a few yards from the front doors. Images of the angry mob from earlier flooded his vision. Surrounding him, shouting at him, demanding the safety of his "prisoner..."

The door started to open. Spike gasped and suddenly his hooves felt lighter than ever. In an instant the unicorn had darted aside and dove into a clump of bushes, Twilight and the filly still hanging off his back. He clapped a hoof over the dragon's mouth before she protest, both their eyes locking on the door.

"Oh come on, Time Turner!" Rainbow Dash's now-familiar voice complained as she stormed out of the building. "We live next to the Everfree Forest! We've gotta have some sort of plan!"

"Miss Dash, the town council has plans for all manner of disasters," Time Turner stated, calmly trotting after her. "Unfortunately the escape of an ages-old ruler of the night isn't one of them."

Spike resisted the urge to gasp as the rainbow mare spun around. Thankfully Dash's frustration seemed focused solely on the earth pony behind her. It didn't prevent the unicorn from locking up, praying the pegasus didn't spot him.

"Rainbow Dash, please," Time Turner said, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "You're the fastest flier in town. Somepony has to reach Canterlot and inform the Royal Guard—"

"Yeah, I get it, I get it," Dash responded, her glare relaxing. "I still don't like running away, but I can't leave the town hanging. You need the guards? I'll go get the whole army!"

Time Turner smiled as the pegasus snapped a quick salute. Spike's eyes could barely follow her as she took off. Only a fading, rainbow contrail was left behind, with its owner already a speck in the starry sky.

As Spike watched Rainbow Dash fly off though, something began to bother him. For a moment he considered it was the way Time Turner's shoulders were slumping as he turned toward the front door. After another half-second, the unicorn traced it to the sticky warmth he felt on the hoof covering Twilight's mouth. He yanked it away with a grimace while Twilight withdrew her tongue.

"Gross, Twi!" Spike berated her in a hushed voice.

"Look who's talking," she responded, gagging slightly. "When's the last time you washed that hoof?"

The unicorn tried to bring up a witty retort, but the sound of hooves drawing closer stopped him.

"Hello?" Time Turner's voice asked as he drew closer to the bush. "Is somepony there?"

Spike bit down on his lip and looked at Twilight. She jabbed a claw toward the foal on his back, then pointed out to Time Turner. The purple stallion nodded, but failed to move.

"Come on, Spike," Twilight whispered. "At least this way it's only one other pony."

Time Turner stopped just a few steps from the bush, eyes narrowing as he peered closer. Spike couldn't help but notice that he was still close enough to run for the door and get others.

Then a sharp pain then shot up his flank, courtesy of Twilight's claw again.

"Yeowch!" he shouted, jumping away from the dragon.

Somehow the sleeping filly on his back didn't fall off. Spike landed well outside the bush though. Time Turner stumbled back a few steps at the unicorn's sudden appearance.

"Mr. Prose?" he gasped out, one eyebrow raising as Twilight followed. "Miss Twilight? What—"

He didn't get any further before Spike's magic ignited. The journalist's hat clamped itself firmly over Time Turner's muzzle before he could say another word. The earth pony let out a muffled grunt of surprise and started working the covering off his mouth.

"Please, just listen!" Spike begged, speaking very quickly in his panic. "I know this looks bad and you all think I'm working for Nightmare Moon—"

"I don't think that," Time Turner gasped out, finally managing to remove the hat.

"—she grabbed me and forced... wait." Spike stopped his frantic pace as the other stallion's words registered. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," Time Turner answered, walking over and putting Spike's hat back on his head. "I don't believe you're working for Nightmare Moon."

Spike remained in a stunned silence, simply turning to Twilight. The dragon looked back at him, equal surprise on her face.

"Why not?" she finally voiced the question they were both thinking. "Everypony else in town practically jumped right on top of him!"

"Well yes." Time Turner seemed slightly ashamed and his eyes lowered as he admitted that. "I'll confess, I agreed with them at first. I mean, it really doesn't look very good for you."

"Gee, thanks," Spike sarcastically responded, eyes scanning for a place to run to.

"But I thought about it a little more," Time Turner went on, letting slip a smile. "You seemed to have trouble staying awake through a simple history lecture. I just couldn't picture you masterminding some tremendous coup."

Spike wasn't sure whether he was relieved or insulted. He settled for letting out an embarrassed chuckle while Twilight sighed. The brown stallion stepped forward and tilted his head, curiosity flooding his features.

"So, just where did your new friend come from?" he asked, gently tapping the filly.

"One of the tables at Town Hall," Spike answered. "Do you know her?"

"Not personally," Time Turner responded, stepping back. "There was a rather distraught pegasus couple looking for a filly that matches her description. I believe they're still inside."

Spike looked to the hospital entrance and shuddered again. Time Turner looked from him to the hospital, his frown returning.

"There is a side entrance," he offered, nodding toward the corner of the building. "I'm pretty sure there's an empty office near it we can use. I'd... I'd like a chance to ask you what happened while we're there. If that's alright?"

The earth pony offered a hoof to Spike. He looked to the tan limb, then up to the anxious smile its owner wore. The unicorn extended his leg, accepting the hoof shake.

"I think I could use somepony that'll listen to me," he admitted with a relieved smile.

The office seemed to belong to one of the chief doctors. Spike took in the wall full of degrees and a white board before setting himself down by the desk. He chuckled a bit as he saw Twilight head straight for a bookshelf full of anatomy text books.

"Alright," Time Turner said, peeking out in the hallway before closing the door. "We should have some time alone here."

"I'm not usually on this side of an interview," Spike confessed, his magic gently rolling the filly from his back to the soft carpet. "What did you want me to start with?"

Time Turner looked back to the door to the hall. A soft crying could still be heard, probably carrying from another room down the hall.

"I think we'd better tend to her first," he said, stepping over to the foal. "It should only take me a minute to find her parents. You should just rest here in the meantime."

Spike nodded, his magic once more floating the little pony until she rested on Time Turner's back. The earth stallion smiled and headed for the door.

"Hey, Time Turner!" Spike spoke up, drawing the other pony's attention. "Thanks."

"Everypony deserves the benefit of the doubt once in a while," Time Turner responded with a smile.

With that he left, the door clicking shut behind him. Spike released a heavy sigh as he started pacing the office. Twilight seemed quite content, curled up with a copy of " Equine Ailments, Abridged Edition."

"There's one pony on our side," she pointed out, flipping the page of her book.

"That's something at least," Spike agreed with a nod. "I just don't know what he thinks I can tell him."

"Well, Spike, maybe—" Twilight was cut off by the sound of the door opening.

"That was fast," Spike commented, turning to the door.

The color drained from his face when he saw who was there. Rather than Time Turner, Spike found himself locked in the golden eyes of Thunderlane. The pegasus stallion snorted, one hoof scraping against the ground as he glared right at the unicorn.

"I thought I saw you skulking outside," Thunderlane growled, stalking closer.

Spike backed away, but quickly found his flank pressing against the wall.

"You leave him alone!" Twilight protested, her book dropping to the ground as she grabbed hold of Thunderlane's tail.

Before she could do anything else, a massive hoof with an apple-red coat descended on her. Twilight shouted in surprise as she was suddenly crushed to the chest of Big Macintosh. The giant stallion was quiet as ever, but his green eyes were focused on Spike like lasers.

"H-hey guys, you don't really wanna hurt me, right?" Spike begged, his heart hammering in his chest. "This... this is a huge misunder—"

WHAM

Spike felt the air rush from his lungs as Thunderlane pinned him against the wall. He coughed, struggling to draw breath while Twilight let out a muffled cry. Even Big Mac winced at the sound as the pegasus pressed harder on Spike's chest.

"Maybe we oughta git the others," Big Mac suggested, ignoring Twilight's attempts to lick her way free. "Let th' town know we caught him."

"That can wait," Thunderlane snapped back, his free forehoof lifting. "I want to put my two bits in first."

Spike squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for pain. He was vaguely aware of the door opening again...

"Thunderlane! Big Mac!"

He could feel Thunderlane freeze up. The voice that had shouted was familiar, but rang with something extra. Like some unquestionable authority that no pony in their right mind would dare oppose. An authority Spike had dealt with before.

Opening his eyes, Spike saw Cheerilee standing in the doorway. The school teacher was livid as she stared at the scene before her.

"Put them down," she ordered, her eyes flicking between the two stallions. "Now."

Thunderlane nearly tripped over himself as he backed away from Spike. The unicorn gasped for breath as he slumped against the wall. In a flash, Twilight was by his side, claws gently rubbing his new bruise.

"Spike!" she gasped out, trying to help him up. "Are you okay?"

"Been better," he managed to admit, coughing as his lungs expanded freely once more.

"I am very disappointed in the both of you!" Cheerilee was clearly just getting into her stride as she paced in front of the two stallions. "I never would have expected either of you to behave like a couple of brutes!"

"But—" Big Mac and Thunderlane both tried to speak up.

"Just what would Rumble or Applebloom think if they saw you acting like this?" she cut them off, her mane frazzled slightly as she rounded on them. "You two are supposed to know better!"

As the purple mare's tirade continued, something gray slipped into the room. A gray pegasus with a blond mane. Her eyes were both lined up for once, though they both looked straight at the floor. Spike instinctively cringed as she drew close and her gaze moved up to him.

"Mr. Prose," Ditzy whimpered out.

Spike peeked out from behind his hooves, confused by the lack of shouting. Ditzy was sniffling, her eyes brimming with tears. Twilight moved aside just in time as the mare fell against Spike's chest, sobbing openly. Cheerilee's scolding suddenly fell silent, while Spike laid in place growing steadily wetter.

"Oh, Ditzy," Cheerilee gasped, hurrying to her side and helping her up. "There, there, I shouldn't have left you alone. I heard the racket these two were making—"

Spike could see Thunderlane and Big Mac both cringe at the accusation. For some reason he felt more sympathetic toward them than anything else. Even if they had just tried to beat the stuffing out of him. Ditzy just sniffled as she got back to her hooves, leaving Spike bruised and soaked. Somepony near the door cleared their throat, and Spike looked up to see Time Turner.

"Well, so much for this being a private meeting," Time Turner's said as he stepped inside. "I hadn't thought anypony saw us."

The tan stallion swung the door shut behind him as he looked over the other four ponies that had entered. Spike remained where he stood, shuffling a bit to keep Ditzy and Cheerilee between him and Thunderlane.

"Hey, what's going on Time Turner?" Thunderlane asked, storming toward the stallion. "This guy might be working for Nightmare Moon and you just let him in?"

"He found a missing foal," Time Turner responded. "What else was I supposed to do?"

"We don't know we can trust him!" Thunderlane countered, wings flaring. "I mean he... well..."

He looked to Big Mac, but the larger stallion gave him a blank stare in return and shrugged. They both looked back to Spike, who gave them a nervous smile.

"He helped settle your argument with Rumble," Cheerilee pointed out. "Not to mention all my students loved him."

"So did Dinky," Ditzy Doo added with a sniffle. "She liked Twilight too."

"Let's not forget him crediting you for clearing the sky," Time Turner helpfully added.

A sense of relief flooded the young unicorn as he heard the praise. Spike could see the anger draining from the other two stallions. Big Mac hung his head in shame, shaking under the weight of his yoke.

"Maybe we were a bit hasty..." he admitted, nudging Thunderlane.

"Yeah, but..." Thunderlane's eyes darted around before settling on Twilight. "He lied about his name!"

Everypony, Spike included gave Thunderlane a confused look.

"I heard his little dragon friend," Thunderlane went on. "She called him 'Spike' twice already!"

Twilight covered her mouth, her cheeks darkening in a blush. Spike shook his head, trying to remember just when she had slipped back to her old habit.

"Well, that does seem a little odd," Time Turner admitted, looking to the unicorn.

Spike just raised his brow in disbelief. He could see Thunderlane seemed happy to have found some sort of point as everypony looked to the unicorn.

"Hey, have you ever heard of any great reporters named 'Spike Flail?'" Spike challenged, his voice scratchy from the earlier attack. "I just use my pen name. It's easier for ponies to take me seriously."

The other five ponies looked at each other for a moment before Time Turner burst out laughing. Cheerilee quickly covered her own mouth with one hoof, and Thunderlane's smile quickly faded. Ditzy and Big Mac just exchanged confused looks.

"Umm, what's so funny?" Spike asked, looking at the tan stallion.

"W-well..." Time Turner spoke, trying to contain his laughter. "Aside from you completely missing the point of a pen name... I suppose not that much..."

He burst into chuckles again. Thunderlane let out a groan and rubbed his head with one hoof.

"Alright, I changed my mind," he grunted, eyes squeezed tight as though resisting a migraine. "Now I believe he's innocent."

For the second time that night, Spike wasn't sure how insulted to feel. Still, the laughter seemed to have eased the tension in the room somewhat. Thunderlane still looked like he was fighting off a headache though.

"So he's not working for Nightmare Moon," Thunderlane sighed, turning to the Mayor's Aide. "If that's the case, what was he doing up on stage?"

Spike bit down on his lip. In his mind the reason seemed so silly it was almost unbelievable. Twilight's claws once more patted him on the side, and he turned to see her smiling and nodding. He returned the gesture before turning to the others.

"I was trying to get an interview," he confessed, one hoof rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought if I could get Princess Celestia to give a few comments it would look good in my article."

He sighed and lowered his gaze. He could still picture the backstage hallway, the clouds, and the image of the princess as she vanished.

"Nightmare Moon was already there by the time I went back," he said, nervously biting his lip. "I couldn't do anything! Princess Celestia was gone, just like that..."

"Nightmare Moon grabbed Spike, and he sent me to try and find help," Twilight added. "Then I ran into Time Turner and Cheerilee and... well you know the rest."

Silence hung in the room as Spike's words sank in. All Spike could do was look at his hooves as he shuffled them nervously.

"That's all?" Time Turner asked, his uncertainty clear.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "That's all I know, really."

"It's just... the way Nightmare Moon spoke it was like we should have expected this," Time Turner said, shaking his head in disbelief. "And Celestia asked me to send the guards away. Putting it all together it's like at least she knew what was coming."

"Nightmare Moon mentioned a 'legend,'" Cheerilee recalled, patting down her mane with one hoof. "Spi-Er, Mr. Prose? You were back there. Did one of them say anything more about it?"

"Like what?" Thunderlane scoffed with a sarcastic roll of his eyes. "Nightmare Moon just happening to announce the one thing that can beat her?"

If it were anypony else going through this, Spike might have laughed. He did notice a spark in Ditzy's eyes at Thunderlane's words though.

"Hey, Thunderlane's on to something!" Ditzy said, pointing to the stallion and missing as he face-hoofed. "Just try and remember, Spike!"

Spike opened his mouth to reply, but hesitated at Ditzy's gaze. He closed his eyes, trying to recall as much as he could. He could picture Celestia and Nightmare Moon, talking about something for nearly an eternity. In his mind their mouths moved... but the words just wouldn't come as he trembled behind the door frame.

"I'm sorry," Spike swallowed hard, shaking his head. "Even if she did... I... I can't remember a thing..."

A few frustrated sighs sounded right before Spike felt something dive into his saddlebags. He pulled away on instinct as Twilight yanked out a few of his notepads.

"Twi, what are you doing?" Spike asked, raising an eyebrow as she feverishly flipped through the pages.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this before!" she answered, dropping the pad to the floor and moving to the next. "Spike, you weren't listening but something else was, remember? Before you went backstage!"

Spike scrunched his brow up. He could recall meeting Ditzy, spotting the backstage door, and then casting a spell on his quill—

"My quill!" he gasped out, magic pulling out more of his notepads. "Twi, you're a genius!"

The others all looked to one another as several paper pads began to float around.

"Um... Spike?" Time Turner asked, ducking under one of the pads. "Could you maybe tell us what you're thinking?"

"My 'Come-to-Life' spell," Spike answered, flipping through another pad. "I cast it on my stuff to record the interview before I went backstage!"

"So if one of them did say something—" Time Turner said, his eyes widening in realization.

"Then you'd have it written down!" Cheerilee spoke up, grabbing a passing notepad.

The room's occupants were soon caught up in their new goal. Each of them turning through pages of interviews and notes on the town. Suddenly Spike found himself wishing even harder that he'd skipped Pinkie Pie's party. Most of the pads were filled with conversations from what felt like an eternity ago.

"I suppose that shouldn't surprise me," Twilight's voice suddenly spoke up. "But really? Nothing at all?"

Spike let the remaining notes fall to the ground as he looked at his assistant. She clutched a half-used pad in her trembling talons as she quoted the writing on its pages.

"No army? No champion to stand for you?" she read, looking at the others. "You didn't even try to bring the Elements of Harmony?"

"Elements of Harmony?" Spike muttered, rubbing his chin. "Well that sounds pretty specific."

"So," Time Turner set down his papers with a questioning look. "Does anypony know what those are?"

Big Mac had his face screwed up in concentration before shaking his head with a disappointed, "Nope."

Ditzy and Thunderlane looked to one another shrugged. A gasp suddenly brought attention to Cheerilee as her eyes went wide.

"I remember!" she said, a smile coming to her face. "Of course, that's the legend! Why didn't I—"

She stopped as she saw the others all leaning in close. The school teacher cleared her throat and got to her hooves. Spike watched in confusion as she crossed the room over to the white board. Cheerilee picked up a marker in her mouth, before motioning for the others to sit.

Spike looked to the others, only to find Ditzy and Twilight were both already seated and watching. The other stallions seemed just as confused as him, but slowly lowered the ground. The reporter rolled his eyes before lifting up a fresh paper and quill to take notes for "class."

"Now then, I'm sure everypony has heard the story of Nightmare Moon," Cheerilee said, spitting out the marker as she finished her drawing. "How one-thousand years ago she attempt to shroud Equestria in eternal night. However, her older sister managed to defeat her and save all of pony-kind... yes, Ditzy?"

Spike could hear Thunderlane facehoof again at the sight of the gray mare raising her hoof like a student. Ditzy lowered it with a smile, her eyes shining.

"The older sister used the Elements of Harmony to defeat her, right?" Ditzy asked, wings fluttering a bit. "I remember now. That's one of Dinky's favorite bed time stories!"

"Very good, Ditzy! You're absolutely right," Cheerilee said with a broad smile, stepping aside to reveal six odd shapes she'd drawn on the board. "The six Elements of Harmony were unleashed in order to stop Nightmare Moon. With their magic, she was imprisoned within the moon itself."

Cheerilee picked up the marker again and quickly wrote a label below each of the symbols she had drawn. Spike raised an eyebrow as she spat out the marker to continue the lesson.

"Generosity, Laughter, Kindness, Honesty, and Loyalty," Cheerilee said, pointing to each symbol in turn. "Those are the Elements of Harmony."

"Hang on," Spike interrupted, raising his hoof as Cheerilee looked to him. "That's only five. What about the last one?"

Big Mac and Thunderlane also lowered their hooves. Spike could only guess they were about to ask the same thing.

"An excellent question. The last element is, simply put, a mystery," Cheerilee explained, pointing to the question mark she'd drawn under the last symbol. "It doesn't appear without the other five elements. Then they make a spark that ignites its power. Time Turner?"

Spike could hardly believe how quickly everypony had fallen into the class room routine. Time Turner lowered his hoof, his brow furrowed.

"I hope I'm not being too forward," he said, apologetically. "It's just... well, how do you know all this?"

"One of my students found a misfiled book in the library this morning," Cheerilee answered with a smile. "'Elements of Harmony: a Reference Guide.' Somepony had left it under 'E' and it looked like it would be an interesting legend to read to the foals."

"Right, remind me to hire a new librarian someday soon," Time Turner said with a sigh. "The volunteers just can't keep that place the way Dusty Tomes could."

"Thunderlane?" Cheerilee asked, pointing to the dark stallion. "Did you have a question too?"

"Look, I'd hate to get everypony down," Thunderlane said, lowering his hoof. "But this is all just some old story, right? We don't know if it's real."

"So was Nightmare Moon," Spike pointed out. "At least until a little while ago."

Thunderlane tilted his head before nodding slowly. Twilight raised her claw, and Cheerilee nodded to her.

"I guess there's just one more question," Twilight said, standing up as she spoke. "Just where can we find the Elements of Harmony?"

Cheerilee's smile faded. Spike leaned in closer along with the others. The school teacher nervously tapped her hooves before letting slip a sigh.

"Well, Twilight, according to the story they were left in the Old Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters," Cheerilee answered, her eyes moving away from the others. "That way they could be found if they were ever needed again."

"Great!" Time Turner cheered, a smile coming up. "Rainbow Dash is already on her way to Canterlot for help! They'll be able to—"

"The old castle isn't in Canterlot," Cheerilee cut him off.

Time Turner's smile faded. Spike could feel the uneasiness coming off of the teacher. The others all seemed to notice it as well, shifting uncomfortably as she continued.

"The Old Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters isn't in Canterlot," Cheerilee repeated, looking at the others with worry. "It's located in what we know today as... the Everfree Forest."

Spike felt his heart grow cold, fear and despair gripping it. If he hadn't already been sitting he would have slumped to the ground. Cheerilee simply started erasing the marks she'd made on the board.

"Well then," Big Mac's voice broke through the heavy silence. "That's where Ah'm going."

There was a thumping of giant hooves. By the time Spike looked up the door was already swung open again. For a second, he tried to figure out how such a large pony could be so fast. Then he exchange glances with the others, spotting the terror in Time Turner and Cheerilee's eyes.

Twilight jumped onto his back and Spike felt his heart leap to his throat. Before he was even sure what he was doing, Spike and the remaining four ponies took off after Big Mac.

Chapter 11

If somepony had told Spike that morning that he'd be running full-tilt toward the most feared place in Equestria, he'd have laughed non-stop for days.

As his lungs burned in his chest, his mind was trying to process why he was doing just that. Time Turner and Cheerilee were just a little ahead of him. Thunderlane and Ditzy Doo flew overhead, wings pounding to keep up. While Twilight clung to his mane in a desperate bid to avoid being flung from his back. None of them seemed to provide any answers.

Somehow he'd found himself caught up in the moment. Now he was chasing after a crazy stallion that actually thought entering the Everfree Forest was a good idea. Even in the dead of night, he could make out the thick trees up ahead. Though it hardly mattered, Spike realized he was on the same path he'd followed to Fluttershy's earlier that day.

"Big Mac!" Cheerilee suddenly shouted, somehow pushing her hooves faster. "Wait!"

Spike's eyes managed to focus past his exhaustion. The giant, red earth pony was standing at the forest's edge. He turned at Cheerilee's shout and gave a solemn nod to the five ponies as they ran up. Finally stumbling to a halt, Spike gulped down as much air as he could and resisted the urge to keel over on the spot.

"Everypony," Big Mac greeted them simply with a slow nod.

"Now Big Mac, I'm hoping I misheard you at the hospital," Time Turner fretted, taking a few measured steps forward. "I would have sworn you said you were going into the Everfree."

"That's cuz Ah did," Big Mac confirmed with another nod. "There's a chance to help Apple Bloom in thar. Ah'm gonna take it."

"Am I the only one that thinks that's nuts?" Spike coughed out before taking another raggedy gasp.

"I wouldn't have put it so bluntly, but Spike... er, Mr. Prose..." Time Turner trailed off and looked to the unicorn.

Spike simply waved a hoof to the scheduler, urging him to continue. With everything else happening he found himself unable to care which name was used.

"Spike has a point," Time Turner summed up. "The Everfree Forest is incredibly dangerous!"

"Yeah," Thunderlane agreed from overhead, bobbing slightly as he hovered in place. "You can't just go running in on your own!"

"Thank you," Time Turner said with a grin. "That's exactly my point."

"So I'm going with you," Thunderlane stated, landing in front of the red stallion.

"What?!" Spike, Time Turner, Twilight, and Cheerilee all shouted at once.

"Me too!" Ditzy cheered, almost face-planting as she landed.

Big Mac just smiled to the two pegasus ponies and gave them a nod. Spike's eye twitched involuntarily as he rubbed his forehead. Suddenly it seemed so clear to him that these three ponies were crazy. Based off Cheerilee's slack jaw and Time Turner's stunned expression it was clear he wasn't the only one that thought so.

"Please tell me you three aren't serious," Twilight pleaded from Spike's back. "I mean, it's the Everfree Forest! I don't think anypony is even sure what's in there!"

"But it's the only chance Dinky might have," Ditzy muttered, both her eyes looking away (though in different directions.)

"Let's not be hasty," Time Turner said, beckoning to the trio with his hoof. "I sent Rainbow Dash to Canterlot, remember? It's only a matter of hours before the Royal Guard is here—"

"What if we don't have hours?" Thunderlane cut him off, his wings giving an impatient flap. "How long do you think Nightmare Moon is just gonna let the elements sit around? She could be heading for them right now!"

"And if she gets 'em..." Big Mac's voice felt heavy as the implication hung in the air.

Everypony was silent for a moment, before Cheerilee moved toward the other three. She gave Time Turner and Spike a sad little smile before taking a stand next to Ditzy.

"Cheerilee?" Spike gasped out, eyes going wide. "Not you too!"

"Most of the cursed foals are my students," Cheerilee answered. "I can't just abandon them."

Spike looked to the only other sane stallion in the group. Time Turner was biting down on his lip as he looked at the other four.

"I can't believe you're all going through with this," he said, shaking his head. "Spike's right, it's sheer insanity! Have you even thought—"

"Hey, nopony is making you guys come along!" Thunderlane interrupted as his wings flared defensively.

Time Turner fell silent, his mouth snapping shut like a mouse trap. Spike cringed as the pegasus stallion's glare fell across him as well.

"If you're not gonna help, then go back to the hospital or something!" Thunderlane carried on, folding his wings back as he turned toward the forest. "The rest of us don't have time to waste."

Cheerilee reached a hoof toward the weather pony only for him to dash off. Before anypony could blink, his dark coat was blending into the shadows of the trees.

"Thunderlane!" Cheerilee shouted, chasing after him.

Big Mac hurried as well, crossing the threshold of the trees along with Cheerilee. Ditzy gave Spike and Time Turner one last, sad look before running after them.

Spike remained in a stunned silence for a second before looking to Time Turner. The tan stallion's head had lowered to his chest as he sat in place, unmoving. Twilight slid from her friend's back, plodding over to the scheduler and patting him on the side.

"I guess we should head back then?" Spike asked, not sure what else to say. "I mean, the Royal Guard will want to hear about what's happened—"

"No," Time Turner said, releasing a heavy sigh as he stood up.

"Excuse me?" Twilight asked, taking a step back.

"In good conscience, I can't let four Ponyville citizens run around the Everfree," Time Turner explained, stamping his hoof. "At least, not without a guide. Barring Fluttershy I probably know the most about the forest."

"What?!" Spike asked before noticing the apologetic smile the other stallion wore. "But how would—"

"I accompanied a Canterlot survey team last month for some town business," Time Turner explained before giving them both a quick nod. "No time for details though. When I come back, I'll tell you the whole story!"

Spike tried to protest, but the earth pony had already taken off. A small dust cloud was the only sign of his leaving.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there, staring at where Time Turner had been. For several minutes, or possibly only a few seconds, there was only silence.

Then Twilight turned to him with worry growing in her purple eyes.

"So..." she managed to whimper out. "What are we going to do?"

The unicorn looked from his friend to the forest trail, unsure how to answer. He could feel the urge to turn and run filling his limbs. Spike could remember the town well enough. The train station wasn't too far, and he wouldn't even need to pass the hospital.

But something kept him anchored in place. The looks on the faces of the five ponies running into untold danger.

The only five ponies that had been willing to listen him.

"You're going after them, aren't you?" Twilight guessed.

Spike looked to the baby dragon. Her claws were twisted together in worry. He tried to give her a smile, running a gentle hoof over her head spines. The stallion just nodded as she looked up to him.

"I'm going with you!" Twilight insisted.

"Twi—" Spike began to protest.

"We're partners, aren't we?" Twilight continued, causing Spike's mouth to snap shut. "If something happened to you I'd... I'd be..."

She trailed off and wiped at her eyes. Spike looked back to the dark forest and tried very hard not to think about what Twilight was getting at.

"It's... uh... it's gonna be dangerous," he pointed out, his hooves trembling. "You sure you don't want to wait at the library?"

The familiar feeling of claws on his back was the answer. Twilight wrapped her little arms around him and smiled. Spike just let out a sigh, half-frustration and half-relief.

"You're staying close then, alright?" he said, starting for the trees.

Something howled in the distance, causing Twilight's grip to tighten. The moon overhead was soon obscured by the branches of the trees.

"No arguments here," she promised as Spike's horn lit up like a green lamp.

Nightmare Moon scowled as silver light faded from her eyes. The canopy of the Everfree Forest blocked the moon's light, and consequently her view of what was happening.

"Well, well," she mused, her tone flat and threatening. "It would seem some remember the story better than others."

Something registered at the back of her mind. A gasp of realization. The dark alicorn smiled inwardly as her body dissolved into black mist.

"Oh don't worry, dear sister," Nightmare Moon said as she swooped from the night sky toward the forest. "I'll make certain your little ponies learn just what a mistake they've made."

Spike looked to the leafy canopy above and swallowed hard. He suddenly wasn't sure which was worse. The idea of Nightmare Moon watching him, or the total darkness of the Everfree Forest. Even looking back he could no longer see the edge of the trees, as though the shadows had swallowed up his path to safety. He couldn't even tell how long he'd been walking for.

Twilight shivered on his back, and Spike tried to focus on her. The familiar, reassuring weight of the dragon drew his attention away from the claw-like branches above. His horn shone a little brighter, the green light pushing the shadows back a little more.

"Guess the others must have gotten further than we thought." Spike tried to lift the mood, his voice barely breaking the silence. "They're pretty fast, huh?"

"They've got a good reason to be," Twilight answered, before suddenly jabbing a claw at the ground. "Spike, look!"

The stallion was more than happy to look at something other than eerie trees and shrubbery. His eyes hurried to the grassy trail, where he could see his magic light playing off an impression in the ground. He leaned closer, squinting to make it out.

"A hoof print!" he realized, eyes following the direction it seemed to go. "Good eye, Twi!"

Spike smiled, seeing more tracks heading in the same direction he was. The stallion broke into a trot, his eyes moving between watching where he went and the new trail. A chill breeze blew through his mane as curls of mist appeared between the trees.

"Spike, do you hear that?" Twilight asked, cupping a claw by her ear fins.

Spike slowed his hooves, listening carefully. A lone voice echoed in the distance. So quiet the unicorn couldn't even be sure he was hearing anything.

"Maybe?" he answered, the mist getting thicker around them. "You think it's the others?"

"I really hope so," Twilight responded, waving a claw. "Maybe you should turn up the light? They might see us."

Spike concentrated, trying to brighten the glow of his horn. Magic poured through him, light extending outward, but the fog almost seemed to swallow it up. Spike bit his lip as he looked around, the trees getting more and more difficult to see.

"I think this is as good as it gets," Spike informed his assistant, panting a bit from exertion.

He moved forward a few more cautious steps. The voice sounded again, faint and distant but familiar.

"Cheerilee?" Twilight shouted, causing Spike to jump in surprise. "Cheerilee is that you?"

The voice almost sounded like it called out in response. A second voice called out, just as indecipherable as the first. Spike twisted in place, struggling to place where it was coming from.

"Something is really wrong here..." he whispered.

The fog was still growing thicker, Spike's light barely making it past hoof-reach. He stumbled a few more steps, halting as a tree popped into view in front of him. He looked to the ground for the tracks, but found only a blanket of white under his hooves. Still the voices called out around him, warped and distant but almost recognizable.

"I can't see a thing in all this!" Spike complained, head snapping about to find some landmark. "Wouldn't Ditzy or Thunderlane have cleared this if they came this way?"

"The Everfree Forest is different, remember Spike?" Twilight reminded him with as he kept backing up. "The weather works on its own."

"Yeah, but that doesn't-OOF!" Spike was cut off as his rump collided with something.

The branches of the tree he'd run into swayed with the impact. Claw-like twigs scratched across his rear. Spike yelped in surprise and pain, leaping away from the offending flora and hopping around in pain. Twilight's claws gripped tighter to avoid being thrown off by the sudden bucking.

"Are you okay?" she asked as Spike finally stopped hopping around.

"I think so," he said, a scowl on his face. "Ugh, this is worse than... than..."

Spike trailed off, his jaw going slack.

"What, Spike?" Twilight asked, waving a hand in front of the stallion's face. "What's it worse than?"

Spike shushed her and closed his eyes. His ears twitched a bit as the distant voices seemed to become more and more desperate. Underneath them, as though hiding in the background noise, he could almost hear something: A soft chuckle.

Something came back to him. Wandering through a bank of fog as a colt on the playground. Mocking laughter carrying around him.

Spike's eyes snapped open with a gasp of realization. The light around his horn shifted, and the mist suddenly began to pull away.

"It's worse than second grade!" he realized, the light around his horn blazing like a candle. "Sit tight, Twi, I think I know what this is!"

Lines of green magic raced through the mist around him. Spike took a deep breath, pouring as much willpower into the spell as he could as a blinding flash of green filled the area. The chuckle ceased and was replaced by a scream, a pair of raging eyes flashing into view for the briefest moment.

Spike lowered his head, panting for breath. The fog was thinning and fading away, his own light spreading further and further.

"THUNDERLANE! CHEERILEE!" Ditzy's voice suddenly shouted right in Spike's ear. "CAN ANYPON—"

The pegasus stopped as she saw the purple stallion and dragon laying on the ground before her. Both of them had their ears (or ear fins in Twilight's case) covered and were wincing in pain.

"Spike!" Ditzy cheered.

"Ouch..." Spike groaned as the mare suddenly pulled him back to his hooves.

"Ditzy Doo?" Thunderlane's voice sounded from above.

The dark stallion floated down from a nearby tree branch, looking around in confusion. More and more of the fog burned away, and Spike could see Time Turner flicking a few drops of moisture from his tail. Cheerilee and Big Mac both walked over from only a little further off the trail.

"What just happened?" Cheerile asked, rubbing her head with one hoof.

"I'm not entirely sure," Time Turner admitted with a shake of his head.

"Uhhh..." Big Mac started to say something but then closed his mouth.

The farm pony simply pointed a hoof over to Spike and Twilight. Spike tried to smile as four-and-a-half pairs of eyes locked on him. Only the lazy-eyed Ditzy returned the grin.

"You're here! Time Turner and Thunderlane thought you were gonna go find someplace safe to wait for us," Ditzy spoke at a mile a minute. "I told them you'd want to follow and we should wait—"

Spike was silently thankful as Thunderlane put a hoof over Ditzy's mouth. The feeling vanished as the weather pony gave him a look that seemed equal parts confusion and suspicion.

"Something wrong?" Spike asked, trying not to seem nervous.

"Honestly? I just can't figure you out. First you call us crazy, but then you followed us anyway?" Thunderlane pointed out, taking a few steps closer. "TT I can get, but you're not even from Ponyville. Why the sudden change?"

Spike swallowed hard. He managed to squeeze out a dry, almost painful chuckle as he took a step away from Thunderlane. The memory of what happened at the hospital was all too fresh. Somehow an answer that seemed so simple earlier sounded ridiculous as he tried to bring it to his mouth.

"W-well I'm a reporter, remember?" Spike answered, throwing out the first reasonable thing his mind came up with. "Five ponies versus Nightmare Moon? Can't let a story like this pass by..."

He trailed off as Thunderlane rolled his eyes and let out a disgusted sigh. The others all exchanged glances at that answer as well. Twilight's claw poked the unicorn in the ribs, and Spike lowered his gaze in shame.

"P-plus you're the only ponies in town that don't hate me," he said, closing his eyes. "I want—I wanted to at least try and help."

There was silence for a moment before a gentle wing fell across his back. Spike looked up to find Ditzy smiling at him as she ushered him closer to the group. Thunderlane's gaze shot to the ground with a grimace.

"Why not give him a chance, Thunderlane?" Cheerilee encouraged the pegasus stallion. "It looks like he cleared that fog away after all."

"Yeah, I don't get that either," Thunderlane responded, raising an eyebrow. "Ditzy and I couldn't budge it! How could a unicorn shift that stuff?"

"Maybe he's part pegasus?" Ditzy guessed, one of her eyes drifting to Thunderlane.

"I don't—what?" Thunderlane just shook his head in disbelief.

"It's because it wasn't fog, right Spike?" Twilight suddenly spoke up, her eyes lighting with comprehension. "It was a spell, wasn't it?"

"You got it, Twilight," Spike answered, a warm spark of pride growing in his chest. "The 'Wandering Mist.' Trixie's old favorite."

Spike smiled and looked away from the dragon, only to find the others giving him confused stares.

"Wanderin' Mist?" Big Mac asked, apparently speaking for the rest of the group.

"It's an illusion spell," Twilight explained, shivering a bit. "A thick fog that you can't see or hear anything in. Somepony could be yelling right in your ear and you wouldn't notice."

Ditzy blushed a bit and scraped her hoof against the ground.

"I didn't think my sense of direction was that bad," Time Turner muttered before clearing his throat. "So how is it you knew how to counter it?"

"Because it's literally foal's stuff," Spike bragged, unable to resist polishing one hoof against his chest. "I dealt with schoolyard bullies in second grade that used that one on me!"

"Yeah, but you never had to live with one of them," Twilight commented dryly, pinching Spike's ear again.

Spike winced, but his boasting had already had an effect as a few smiles appeared. Even as Thunderlane rolled his eyes he seemed significantly less annoyed. Ditzy's own face suddenly brightened up.

"Oh my gosh!" she gasped, wings flapping in excitement. "If Spike could get rid of that fog, do you think he could cure Dinky and the others?"

The sense of pride that Spike had been nurturing sputtered out. Ditzy's expectant eyes both managed to focus on him.

"I..." he lowered his eyes away from Ditzy and bit his lip. "I'm sorry. That 'Illusion Ender' is the best spell I've got..."

Ditzy's face fell and her wings slumped to match. Cheerilee patted her on the back and gave both her and Spike an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry, Ditzy, there's still the Elements of Harmony," she said as the other mare nodded in response. "And thanks to Spike we still have a chance at finding them."

"Not to mention that spell of his kept us from wandering off the trail," Time Turner chimed in with a smile. "Best to get moving if everypony is ready."

"The sooner the better if you ask me," Thunderlane agreed, taking to the air with his wings. "I don't want to stick around if that mist comes back for a round two."

Time Turner gestured down the trail, and the others began moving. Spike and Twilight exchanged a smile and quickly fell into step with the group.

Nightmare Moon was seething as her misty form weaved through the trees.

"Foal's stuff" he'd called it. A spell she herself had created was reduced to a child's plaything!

The very idea combined with how easily he'd dispelled the mist was enough to drive her even crazier. Celestia's silence wasn't helping matters. The other alicorn was either just as stunned with the turn of events or suppressing a laugh.

Nightmare Moon assumed the latter.

"Well, they can't say I didn't try to be merciful first," she growled, sensing as the group of ponies took off once more. "From now on I'll just need to be a little less subtle."

She darted off ahead, past the trees and breaking into the moonlight once more. A smile crossed her ethereal face as she found what they were walking toward.

Spike's green light shone as bright as he could hold it, illuminating the half-formed path ahead. There was something about being with the group that made even the Everfree Forest seem less threatening. A sensation that the others seemed to share now that they were clear of the fog.

Ditzy was bobbing a bit in her flight path, a spark of hope in her eyes as she pressed ahead. Thunderlane just seemed focused on not crashing into her as she hummed softly to herself. Cheerilee brought up the rear of the group alongside him, a slight spring to her step. Time Turner and Big Mac were leading the way, both of their strides confident and quick.

The trees were quickly thinning around them, only adding to his feeling of ease. Spike looked up as they broke free of the tree line, finding themselves under the full moon again. He quickly stumbled to a halt as his gaze went back to ground level though. Cheerilee's spring stopped cold alongside him.

"No offense, Time Turner..." Cheerilee spoke up, looking at where they'd been lead to. "But are you certain this is the right way?"

The teacher's apprehension was understandable. Not far past the trees was the edge of a cliff. Spike couldn't guess how far a drop it was, nor was he willing to get close enough to check. Thunderlane hovered over it, letting out a low whistle.

"One of the surveyors said he spotted something from this point," Time Turner explained, walking closer to the edge. "He said it looked like an old tower. Unfortunately a freak storm started and we had to find cover before anypony could confirm."

"So that might have been the castle?" Twilight guessed as Spike took a few nervous steps closer.

"It's certainly the best bet we have to go on," Time Turner pointed out, eyes squinting. "Now we just have to try and spot it. Let's see..."

Big Mac and Cheerilee quickly joined their fellow earth pony at the edge. Spike sat a few hoof steps back, the light from his horn shining a bit brighter. Ditzy and Thunderlane still floated overhead, the stallion occasionally flying out over the drop a bit before circling back.

"You see anything yet?" Twilight asked, standing on Spike's back with her claws knit through his mane.

"Yeah, a whole lot of trees," Spike answered, turning the light up a little more. "Maybe something grew over the tower by now?"

Spike noticed the dour glare Thunderlane was giving him and quickly fell silent. Ditzy suddenly gasped and spun around in mid-air.

"Do you see it, Ditzy?" Thunderlane asked, flying closer to the mare.

"No, not the tower," Ditzy responded, shaking her head. "I thought I saw something else."

"Something else?" Spike asked, decidedly not liking the sound of those words.

"This might be important, Miss Doo," Time Turner said. "What sort of 'something' was it?"

"I dunno," Ditzy said with a shrug. "It just kinda looked like a shadow."

"Probably Spike's night light playing tricks with your eyes," Thunderlane guessed before wincing. "Uh, no offense."

Spike clenched his jaw to keep from laughing. Ditzy seemed more confused than offended but gave Thunderlane a pat on the head all the same. Big Mac suddenly jerked his head up, a worried frown crossing his face as he poked at the ground with one hoof.

"Anypony else feel that?" he asked, looking to the other ground-walkers.

"Feel wh—" Spike was cut off as he felt something shift under his hooves.

A horrid rumbling sound filled the air. Twilight gasped as cracks began to appear in the ground under them. Some dark, swirling substance seeped through, pushing the gaps further apart.

"Run!" Time Turner's voice broke in over the sound of the cliff crumbling.

Big Mac was the first to act, snatching up Cheerilee's tail in his jaws. With a swing of his powerful neck muscles, the school teacher was sent sailing back toward the trees. She landed with a startled cry amongst some bushes, well past the danger zone.

Spike could feel the death grip Twilight had around his neck. He pushed himself as hard as he could but his legs felt like they were moving in slow motion. Like a horrible nightmare that he simply couldn't run from.

The crack of stone separating from stone rent the air, and the whole world fell away.

Chapter 12

The entire scene felt like a bad dream. In fact, Spike was trying very hard to believe that's all it was. That any moment he'd wake up screaming in his bed back in Canterlot. Twilight would chastise him for making a racket and ask what was wrong. Then the two of them could share a good laugh over how ridiculous it all sounded.

Spike also knew that wouldn't be happening. The pain of Twilight's claws gripping his shoulders was all too real. As was the howl of wind in his ears as he slid down the steep incline that had formed under him. His hooves left useless scratches along the stone as he struggled to find someway to stop.

Just ahead of him he could see the other two stallions caught in the trap. Time Turner seemed just as helpless as Spike felt. The tan pony was flat on his back, limbs flailing as though hoping to catch something.

In contrast, Big Mac seemed to have the most control. The giant earth pony had his hooves dug so hard against the slope that sparks flew from his iron shoes. For all his strength though, it seemed to do very little to slow his descent.

Spike's horn sparked, his mind racing to come up with some spell that would save them. There was nothing solid enough to try and move into his path, and this certainly wasn't an illusion. There wouldn't even be any point in telekinetically grabbing the others with all three of them falling.

His head snapped around at the rustle of wings overhead. He could see Ditzy Doo and Thunderlane making a bee-line for the three of them. Cheerilee was shouting encouragement from above, the exact words lost in the rattle of hooves on stone. Spike lifted one foreleg, desperately reaching to the pegasus ponies for help.

Something caught under his other forehoof. Time froze for a brief, painful instant as he suddenly pitched forward. With a painful crack Spike slammed against the rock and bounced back into the air.

He could see a blur of gray dart in front of Big Mac. Ditzy Doo started pushing against the red pony with all her might. Amazingly, it actually seemed to slow the huge stallion as Spike sailed past them.

CRACK

Spike gasped in shock as he struck the ground and flipped into the air again. Mercifully his body had gone numb with fear by that point. The reporter could make out a tan blur that he assumed was Time Turner as he rolled past. The Mayor's Aide seemed to have caught an exposed root in his mouth and stopped his own fall.

As he approached the ground for another bounce, Spike's eyes went wide. The edge was too close. A scream finally ripped its way from his throat.

"Whoa!" Thunderlane's voice grunted as Spike jerked to a halt in midair.

The unicorn's scream died as he felt Thunderlane's hooves lock around his chest. The realization that he wasn't about to go sailing over a cliff set in, and the numbness faded. Spike groaned as the numbness was soon replaced by the pain from numerous fresh lumps and bruises forming.

"Sheesh!" Thunderlane grunted, his wings pumping frantically as he tried to turn the two of them around. "How did Ditzy make this look so easy?"

"Ha ha." Spike managed to wheeze out some sarcastic laughter.

The purple pony looked down at the others, trying not to squirm too much. Ditzy was straining as she pushed Mac backward up the slope. Big Mac kept a careful watch over his shoulder as he slowly but surely walked backward against gravity.

Time Turner's chest was heaving in and out as he kept his teeth clenched on the exposed root. He was waving his front hooves frantically, gesturing toward the end of the slope. Spike raised an eyebrow, his frazzled mind trying to piece together what the earth pony was trying to tell him.

"Help!" a weak voice called out.

Spike's blood turned to ice in his veins. Suddenly he noticed that Twilight's claws weren't sinking into his shoulders. Any fears of falling were forgotten as he twisted to see where the voice had come from. The reporter's eyes nearly popped from his head when he discovered the answer.

Twilight was hanging from the very edge of the cliff. Her claws were dug into the rock, her stubby legs scrabbling against the stone face in a futile effort to climb up. The little dragon's purple eyes were brimming with tears as she looked up at the unicorn.

"Twilight!" Spike shouted, trying to lunge toward her.

"Spike, stop!" Thunderlane yelled, the duo bobbing erratically in midair. "I can barely—Whoa!"

The unicorn gasped as they dropped sharply. The noise of Thunderlane's wings buffeted his ears as the pegasus strained to keep them aloft. Twilight let out a whimper, a few loose stones rattling against the cliff as her claws slipped bit by bit.

"No, no, no," Spike pleaded, his horn igniting with green magic.

A familiar, green aura appeared around Twilight. Spike took a deep breath, struggling to keep his focus. The little dragon smiled as she started to lift upward in Spike's telekinetic grip.

Something faltered. Spike strained, feeling the flow of magic sputter and die. The green light vanished, and Twilight dropped with a startled cry. Her claws barely managed to catch the ledge again.

"What are you doing?!" Thunderlane chastised before seeing his passenger was squeezing his head between his hooves. "Spike? Spike, what happened?"

Spike couldn't answer. The strain of his own magic made his head feel like it was going to pop. Suddenly he could feel the weight of every spell he'd cast that long day. Each one leaving him with just a little less power for this crucial moment.

"N-no..." Spike panted, a few sparks flying off his horn. "I'm not... not spent yet..."

A few more sparks fell, followed by nothing in spite of his protests. Spike felt like a rock was caught in his throat as he stared helplessly at Twilight.

"Twilight..." Spike's voice was barely a whisper. "J-just hang on..."

"I can't..." Twilight whimpered, her claws slipping a little further.

"Ditzy!" Thunderlane shouted, looking around for the mare. "Twilight's at the edge and my hooves are full!"

"I've got her!" Ditzy grunted in confirmation from somewhere higher up the slope.

There was a horrendous shriek of steel on rock and a gasp of horror from Big Mac. A rustle of wings indicated Ditzy returning to her previous job. The noise halted as Big Mac's fall stopped before it started.

"Um..." Ditzy fretted, her wings pumping harder. "I don't got her..."

"There are some vines up here!" Cheerilee's voice suddenly chimed in from the top of the cliff. "But I can't find any that would reach that far!"

Twilight gasped as she slipped a bit further. Spike's mind was a perfect blank, rejecting any attempts to think of an answer. He could only stare in horror as a few pebbles rattled down the slope past his friend.

"Time Turner?" Thunderlane's voice suddenly broke in. "Are you nuts?! What are you doing?"

Spike turned his head to find the tan stallion sliding down the incline on his stomach. All four legs were spread out and pressed against the stone as hard as he could manage. Slowly, he slipped toward Twilight until the dragon was only a hoof-length away. Time Turner's limbs trembled as he pressed harder, his slow descent coming to a halt.

"Time Turner?" Twilight gasped, staring at the earth pony as he extended one hoof toward her.

"Come here, Miss Twilight," he encouraged, his other three hooves trembling from the effort of holding him in place. "I've got you, just grab hold."

Twilight needed no further prodding. Her claws shot out and dug into Time Turner's leg. He winced in pain for a moment but didn't budge, instead giving the little dragon a smile.

"There, you see?" he said gently. "Everything is going to be alright."

Spike let out a breath he hadn't even noticed he was holding. Twilight sniffled and tightened her grip, her claws no longer slipping away. Time Turner didn't seem to mind the pain in the slightest as he looked up at the others with a smile.

"You... I don't..." Spike couldn't find the right words for a moment as he took in the scene. "Thank you!"

A few tears fell from the unicorn's eyes as his head slumped in relief.

"Now now, no need for that," Time Turner said, his tone as casual as when he'd met Spike. "I'm just doing what anypony would have."

"TT, there's such a thing as being too selfless," Thunderlane said, though a chuckle slipped from his muzzle. "Seriously, what were you gonna do if you couldn't hang on?"

"Come now, let's not fret over that. I could stay here all night," Time Turner responded, jerking his head toward the top of the slope. "Of course that doesn't mean I want to..."

"Oh, right!" Thunderlane gasped, back-winging for all he was worth. "Just sit tight, I'll be right back!"

Spike's stomach churned as their flight path pitched unnaturally. Thunderlane let out a groan of effort as he managed to turn around and start flying toward the top of the cliff. The unicorn could see Big Mac finally had his back hooves on solid ground again. Ditzy was pushing harder, while Cheerilee pulled on his tail to help him the rest of the way.

"Hurry up, everypony," Cheerilee encouraged around a mouthful of orange tail. "We don't know if there might be an—"

The teacher was cut off by another loud rumble. The ground shook violently, nearly knocking Cheerilee off her hooves.

"Aftershock!" she shouted.

"Oh no," Spike's eyes widened in horror. "Twilight!"

"Ditzy, Ah'm fine!" Big Mac shouted, pushing the pegasus mare away with one hoof. "Help them!"

The gray mare didn't argue, soaring like an arrow toward the bottom of the drop. In a surprising display of agility, Thunderlane managed to spin himself and Spike around. The reporter's eyes widened in horror as he saw cracks forming around Time Turner and Twilight.

Ditzy was getting closer, flying faster than Spike would have thought possible. She was still too far from the bottom though. Twilight looked up, and frightened purple eyes met green.

A terrible CRACK ripped through the air. The dragoness and her earth pony rescuer fell from sight along with the edge of the cliff.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Spike howled.

Twilight could hear somepony screaming above her. Or perhaps it was her own screams, it was difficult to tell. The wind was ripping past her ear fins as she plummeted helplessly toward the ground.

Time Turner was above her, along with numerous boulders that had broken off with the aftershock. The huge stones crashed horrendously against the side of the cliff, scattering more stones and pebbles as they fell. Twilight couldn't even hear herself think over the racket. Her eyes squeezed shut and her claws clamped over her ear fins as she waited for the impact.

Then something wrapped around her back. She gasped and her eyes sprang open again. Time Turner had somehow caught up to her and was wrapping his forehooves around her back. With a primal roar of effort, the earth pony pulled her close and twisted his body.

For a second the world spun wildly. Then Twilight found herself clamped firmly against Time Turner's chest. He was underneath her now, gripping her tight in his forelegs.

"Listen to me Twilight!" he shouted over the noise of crashing stone. "I need you to just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and hold tight to me no matter what happens! Can you do that?"

The dragon opened her mouth in confusion, but her eyes found the answer before she could ask any questions.

A churning mass of white foam below. Their fall was sending them straight toward a river. More importantly, toward a patch of raging rapids.

"Twilight!" Time Turner shouted. "Did you hear me?"

She nodded her head, unable to do anything else.

"Good," he responded. "Deep breath then... hold it... now!"

The impact with the water was softened by Time Turner's body beneath her. Everything collapsed into a swirl of white, followed by darkness. Twilight's claws clamped onto the earth pony's hide as the force of the current swept them away.

Above the water, Ditzy Doo narrowly managed to dodge the last few chunks of falling rubble. The mailmare spun in midair, both eyes frantically searching the banks for her friends.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no..." she fretted, following the river's flow as fast as she was able. "Hang on you guys!"

Spike's entire body was numb. He could only stare at the spot where Twilight had been hanging just moments earlier. The unicorn could barely register the rapid succession of loud splashes echoing from below.

His vision blurred and he blinked rapidly, as though doing so might put the dragon back where she had been. Instead Spike found himself watching as the edge seemed to shrink away from him. As though it were growing steadily more distant.

After a few seconds he realized that was exactly what was happening. Thunderlane's wings were going at a furious pace, clumsily trying to turn away from the drop.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Spike croaked out, staring at the pegasus.

"Getting you up somewhere safe," Thunderlane answered, finally succeeding in turning around.

"Somewhere safe—" Spike cut himself off and struggled to look back. "What about Twilight? She needs help!"

"Spike—" Thunderlane started, struggling to correct his course.

"Let me go!" Spike shouted, kicking hard with his hind legs.

The dark hooves around his chest only tightened as the unicorn nearly slipped out. Spike snarled and tried to kick again, sending himself and Thunderlane swerving. The pegasus gasped in horror, barely managing to stop before ramming into the stone incline.

"What the hay, man?!" Thunderlane admonished, wings flapping to get them back up.

Spike didn't answer, his breath coming in sort gulps. Twilight was somewhere down there, behind him. But each flap of Thunderlane's wings only carried him further and further away. They were already cresting the slope, and the unicorn could make out Big Mac and Cheerilee backing away.

"No!" Spike shouted, thrashing frantically with all four hooves.

Thunderlane's shout was lost on him as they pitched again, skimming close to the tree line. The pegasus struggled to correct, bedraggled feathers beating around Spike's ears.

"Let! Me! Go!" Spike repeated, struggling to find someway free.

"Spike!" Thunderlane shouted as they dipped toward the ground. "Would you quit—"

He was cut off as the unicorn's head snapped back. There was an unhealthy crack as a few stars of pain exploded in front of Spike's eyes. Thunderlane's hooves released the reporter, darting up to cover his injured nose. Spike grunted in shock as he plummeted the last few feet to the ground. His legs immediately collapsed beneath him, leaving him a purple heap on the forest floor.

As Spike struggled to draw breath, somepony galloped to his side. He could see purple hooves, one of which hovered over his side. Just beyond them he could make out the edge of the cliff.

"Oh my goodness..." Cheerilee's voice gasped out, one of the hooves gently brushing his side. "Spike, are you okay?"

Thunderlane grunted something sarcastic sounding from his covered muzzle. Spike ignored him, groaning as he rolled back to his own hooves. Cheerilee tried to place a hoof on the stallion's back, only for him to pull away. He shook his head at her, but said nothing as his eyes wandered beyond her.

There was the cliff, with Big Mac moving away from it toward him. For a second he simply stared at the drop.

With a burst of stamina even he hadn't been sure he had, Spike charged. Cheerilee barely leapt aside in time. Big Mac's eyes went wide and he tried to move in front of the smaller pony. Spike dipped around the red giant, his eyes firmly on his goal.

"I'm coming, Twi!" he shouted, hooves pounding the ground.

Cheerilee was shouting something that Spike was too focused to listen to. Only four more steps, and there was no way that either of the earth ponies would reach him.

Something blotted the moonlight above for a split-second. In the next instant, something slammed hard against Spike's back. The reporter howled in pain, his legs splaying out beneath him. What or whoever had landed on him hurriedly pinned his shoulders with their hooves, breathing hard through a stuffed-up nose.

Spike's horn flickered for a second on instinct only to sputter out. A lance of pain gave Spike a harsh reminder of why he hadn't tried that before. Out of the corner of his watering eyes he could see the hooves pinning him down were covered in a dark coat. He growled, suddenly realizing just which pony had attacked him.

"Get off, Thunderlane!" Spike demanded, struggling against his captor.

"So you can jump off a cliff?" Thunderlane responded, his voice sounding a bit stuffed up as he snorted through his injured nose. "Do you realize how stupid that sounds?"

"Any worse than going into the Everfree Forest?!" Spike shouted back.

"There's a big difference between desperate and stupid!" Thunderlane retorted, pressing down harder on Spike's back.

Spike arched his back, attempting to fling the pegasus off. For a flying pony though, Thunderlane proved to be rather weightier than one would guess. Spike screamed in frustration, thrashing and flailing as the pegasus kept him pinned.

"Hey, leggo!" Thunderlane shouted suddenly.

The pressure on Spike's back was immediately relieved. Cheerilee's hoof floated into view, Spike's own limb reaching for it automatically. The teacher carefully helped the stallion up, giving him a smile as she pulled his hoof onto her back. Spike struggled to catch his breath, his legs trembling beneath his own weight.

Thunderlane was the one kicking and squirming now. Like with Twilight earlier, Big Mac had Thunderlane crushed to his chest with one hoof. Spike stumbled a bit as Cheerilee assisted him toward the pegasus.

"Thunderlane, I know Spike was a bit rash," Cheerilee said, her tone surprisingly gentle. "Don't you think that was a little... much, though?"

"A bit rash?" Thunderlane retorted, ceasing his fruitless beating of Big Mac's foreleg. "He just tried to jump off a cliff!"

"But..." Spike panted out before his voice trailed away.

He tried to look back toward the cliff. Cheerilee's hoof reached up, carefully pushing his gaze forward again.

"You can see he's terrified for Twilight!" Cheerilee admonished Thunderlane, leading Spike another step away from the cliff. "You have to admit that you haven't been acting very rational yourself."

"You think I don't know that?!" Thunderlane shouted.

He coughed as Big Mac's grip on him tightened a bit. Cheerilee shook her head at the larger earth pony. Spike was only half paying attention to the whole scene. The trembling in his legs was fading and his breathing slowing. Slowly he began to ease his leg off Cheerilee's back.

"I can get losing your head over somepony," Thunderlane admitted, his voice much calmer. "I knew what a long shot it was coming in here! But it was for Rumble..."

Cheerilee hadn't seemed to notice Spike's hoof moving, but he stopped his escape none the less. There was no malice in Thunderlane's voice. It was heavy, almost pleading, just like his eyes as they met the unicorn's.

Spike froze and drew in a shuddering gasp. For a brief second there was something familiar in the golden eyes. The same sort of look he'd seen Twilight give him on occasions.

The expression she had whenever she had bad news.

"Twilight fell, and you wanna help her. I get that," Thunderlane insisted, Big Mac finally letting him go. "But look at you, Spike! You can't even use your magic right now."

Spike stayed silent, the tremor in his limbs returning. His bruises seemed to ache afresh along with his head.

"Even if you could, what were you planning on? Do you have a spell to let you sprout wings?" Thunderlane continued, his wings slumping a bit. "At least we all came into the Everfree together! Just how did you think you were gonna help Twilight on your own?"

Spike shook his head frantically. His mind was filled with a buzzing noise as he tried to think of some sort of argument. His mouth was full of cotton though, sucking up the words before they could make it out.

"I know it stinks... but you can't help Twilight. Not this way," Thunderlane stated, his voice steady as it spoke the truth Spike couldn't accept. "You'll just get hurt... probably even worse trying."

Spike managed to take one final breath as something crumbled inside.

A mournful wail ripped free of the purple stallion's chest and carried over the treetops.

Nightmare Moon twisted in the night sky overhead. A giddy smile was forming on her non-existent face as her misty body flowed with the wind. Purple Prose (Or was it Spike?) had collapsed, hooves covering his eyes as he sobbed uncontrollably.

In the back of her mind, she could feel the tears of her sister hitting the floor of her prison.

"Well, seems your pride only goes so far, Celestia," Nightmare Moon mocked.

Her gaze turned up to the moon, its silvery surface shining across Equestria. Nightmare Moon let out a chuckle as she saw a reflection settle across it. The gray mare from before, the one that had caught Spike in town, was still flying over the river. The reflection was fading quickly as she moved into a more covered area of the Everfree again.

"She doesn't matter," Nightmare Moon said with a chuckle. "None of them do now. Just a taste of despair and they'll be running back for their little village."

She looked down again. Spike's sobs had toned down to an exhausted whimper as he curled into a ball. The purple mare (Cheerilee, Nightmare Moon had overheard her called), was staring at the pegasus (Lightning something? That didn't sound right...) that had been responsible.

"Was that—" Cheerilee started to ask.

"Nice? No, it wasn't," the stallion (Thunderlane! That was it) said with a heavy sigh as he pumped his wings a few times. "But somepony had to be honest with him before he did something stupid."

Slowly the weather pony lifted into the air. He looked down at the other three before turning his gaze toward the cliff.

"There's a river at the bottom of the cliff," Thunderlane explained, swallowing hard. "Ditzy hasn't come back yet, so I'll bet she's following it. Twilight and TT probably got swept away, so we might be able to find them."

Nightmare Moon rolled her ethereal eyes. It wasn't as though that would be hard to guess. The next words from the group brought her thoughts to a screeching halt

"So we wait here?" Big Mac (He was aptly named to be sure) asked, finally lending his voice to the conversation.

"No... there might be more quakes," Thunderlane answered with a shake of his head. "Find a safe way down, I'll catch up with Ditzy."

"If we can find the river, we'll follow it," Cheerilee chimed in. "Hopefully we can meet you halfway then."

Thunderlane nodded and looked down to Prose. The pegasus winced at the sight of the simpering unicorn, tears still flowing down his cheeks. Cheerilee gently nuzzled Spike before giving Thunderlane a worried look.

"Try to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, alright?" Thunderlane requested, looking toward Big Mac.

The farmer gave a slow nod, and the weather pony swooped toward the drop. With a deep breath and a rustle of dark feathers, he was gone.

Nightmare Moon stared after him in shock. Her glare shot back to the other three. Cheerilee somehow coaxed Spike to his hooves. Slowly, the trio began to march away from the cliff.

Nightmare Moon snarled, swooping ahead of the three. Thunderlane hardly mattered. He'd get lost in the forest in no time along with that Ditzy mare. These three, it seemed, still needed a little prodding to get the message.

Nightmare Moon's shadowy form darted along, swooping down a gentle path leading toward the river. She froze at the bank, her eyes drawn to something on opposite side. A large cave sat just past the trees, its opening large enough to hold one of the houses back in Ponyville.

The mare of darkness swooped closer, passing into the cave. She immediately pulled to a halt. Two massive hills seemed to be growing in the back of the cave, covered in a softly glowing fuzz.

"Well now," she said, a sense of nostalgia filling her as she drew closer. "This is fortunate."

Chapter 13

Spike's hooves felt like lead as he trudged along. The trees to either side of the path rustled ominously in a cold breeze. Normally the noise would have put him on edge, but at that moment he just couldn't even bother to turn his head.

He could feel something inside. Some raw fiber of his being hoping, praying that none of this real. That the last few moments at the cliff hadn't happened. That maybe he was like the foals in town and just locked in an enchanted nightmare.

At least that would mean Twilight was safe.

Each of the fresh aches across his body only worked to sever that thread however. Though somehow he couldn't bring himself to care about the pain. A dreadful, numbing cold was piercing his chest with each breath.

"Spike?" a soft voice spoke from next to him.

The reporter slowly turned his head, sniffling as he did so. Cheerilee was right next to him, her side lightly pressed against his as support. Somehow his hooves were synchronized with hers, mechanically pushing ahead. Big Mac was just a few paces ahead, looking back at the both of them with his mouth drawn into a tight line.

"How are you holding up?" Cheerilee asked, the unicorn's eyes turning back to her. "We could stop for a bit, if you need to..."

Spike just stared at her for a moment. Gradually his mind processed her words, and he slowly shook his head.

"W-we can't stop now," he said, his voice cracking a bit. "We've gotta get to the river, right?"

Cheerilee's face, and the rest of the world for that matter, was blurring. He tried to blink away the tears, but more were coming faster than he could clear them. Each breath was becoming a struggle as something tightened in his chest.

"Twilight... Twilight might be..." Spike trailed off, his voice choking to a halt.

The word "waiting" just wouldn't come no matter how hard he tried. A soft hoof rested across his back, carefully leading him to the side. Spike stumbled a few steps before collapsing against the trunk of one of the trees. The tears were coming hot and fast, leaving a puddle at his hooves.

Somepony was talking, but Spike couldn't even try to make out the words. All he could hear was Twilight's scream as the cliff broke away. The distant splash of her and Time Turner hitting the water, followed by the crashing of a ton of stone.

Something nuzzled against the reporter's neck, and he let out a strangled sob. Before he could stop himself he'd buried his face into a waiting, lavender mane. Cheerilee's hoof reached around his back in a gentle embrace as he cried against her.

"She might be..." he choked out, the word 'waiting' suddenly far from his mind. "After a fall like that she'd... she'd be..."

Spike's insides felt like ice, the cold spreading to his limbs. He could barely feel Cheerilee's hoof rubbing his back. His voice fell silent, trying to find something to say other than the words he dreaded most.

"Twilight's my best friend..." he whimpered, his voice thin as it slipped through the frozen cracks in his throat. "She helped me earn my cutie mark..."

The reporter lifted his head, unsure why the memory had pierced his haze. A small gasp of surprised came from Cheerilee though, as her own gaze met his.

"Really?" she asked, tears of her own brimming. "No wonder you two are so close."

Spike just nodded as he tried to clear more tears away. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a purple unicorn colt. An infant dragon was clapping her hands as he proudly displayed the quill marking on his flank to her.

"I promised I'd take care of her," he said as the memory faded. "After she left Trixie, I—"

He stopped. The ice inside suddenly shattered to bits. Some part of his mind screamed "Wait a minute!" before being lost in the sound of his own heartbeat. His eyes darted to the ground and his brow scrunched in confusion.

"Trixie?" Cheerilee asked, leaning closer. "You mean the one that used that mist spell in grade school?"

"Yeah," Spike said with a nod. "Maybe I'm crazy but... I feel like I forgot something important."

His eyes squeezed shut and he tapped one hoof against his head. The frozen sensation was gone but his thoughts were still slogging through a blizzard of old memories. His cutie mark, Twilight, a blue filly in a star-patterned cape...

"You two alright?" a voice suddenly panted out.

Spike's eyes snapped open, and the images scattered. Big Mac was breathing heavily, looking like he'd just run up and down the length of the forest. Spike raised an eyebrow, only now realizing that the giant stallion had been silent for some time.

"Ah got worried when... er, when the crying stopped," Big Mac explained, shuffling his hooves. "Thought somethin' mighta happened."

"It's alright," Cheerilee said, getting back up and looking at Spike. "Spike, what were you saying before?"

The unicorn closed his eyes again, but only darkness greeted him. He let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.

"Nothing. I don't even know what I had in the first place," he said, wiping at his eyes one last time. "I'm sorry, I'm just all over the place. Without Twilight—"

"Twilight is fine, Spike, I'm sure of it," Cheerilee cut in, placing a hoof on his shoulder again. "Time Turner is clever. He'd have found a way to keep her safe."

"Ya'll can see fer yerselves soon enough," Big Mac chimed in, jerking his head down the trail. "Ah went ahead aways. Thar's a path down to the river not too far from here."

"Really?" Spike asked, jumping to his hooves as his heart skipped a beat.

"Then we'd better hurry," Cheerilee suggested, smiling at him. "We wouldn't want to keep the others waiting."

Spike just nodded, feeling a slight warmth in spite of himself. Somehow his hooves felt lighter as well. He fell into step as Big Mac took the lead once more. Cheerilee still walked by his side, but he no longer leaned against her.

Their pace picked up as a small trail branched off to the side ahead of them. Spike took a deep breath as they started downhill. He pushed himself onward, trying to focus on Cheerilee's words.

There was only one way to be sure if she was right.

Purple eyes snapped open, staring up at the full moon.

Twilight gasped for breath, and tried to push herself up from the ground. The dragon could feel something sticking to her back and squishing between her claws. With a grunt of effort the little spines running down her back pulled loose. There was a thick, squelch of the mud under her releasing its grip as she sat up.

Her head was pounding as it snapped around. There was a clear patch in the canopy above, but judging from the trees in every other direction it was the only one. The silver moonlight sparkled off a gently babbling river, the muddy banks of which Twilight was sinking into slightly.

She groaned as she got to her feet, sliding a little as she did. Twilight's claws began to rub her arms as she shivered a bit, the cold mud sliding from her backside.

"Hello?" she asked, turning in place. "I-is anypon—"

Her question was cut off in a gasp. Just a little further down the bank she could see four hooves sticking into the air. Her clawed toes tore up the ground as she hurried toward them.

"Time Turner!" she shouted, eyes widening in terror.

The tan stallion groaned, working his legs awkwardly as Twilight reached his side. His own eyes flickered open and a few coughs shook his soaked frame.

"Twilight?" he asked, turning his head and giving her a small smile. "Oh thank Celestia! Are you alright?"

"Are you?" Twilight asked frantically as she began checking him over. "You were protecting me when we fell! You could have been—"

A mud-splattered hoof covered her mouth as Time Turner let out a chuckle.

"As you can see, that's not an issue," he assured her, wincing as tried to rock his body. "Oh... oh dear..."

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked, pushing his hoof away and spitting out some flecks of dirt.

"I seem to have - well I think I've sunk a little," he admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. "I can't seem to roll over."

Twilight shook her head and let out a laugh of her own. She carefully dug her claws under his back. The stallion winced and drew in a sharp breath as Twilight forced them between him and the bank.

"Sorry," Twilight apologized. "Spike was saying I should trim these."

"You're fine, that's perfect," Time Turner said in a hoarse whisper. "On my word... lift!"

Twilight's little arms strained as her muscles worked in tandem with the earth pony. Time Turner's groan of effort was drowned slightly by the sucking noise of the mud beneath him.

"That's it, we've gooooooOOAHT!" Time Turner howled in pain as he rolled onto his side.

The dragon jumped back as her companion's limbs flopped to the ground. He was panting for breath, ragged gasps echoing off the trees around them.

"Oh no," Twilight said, her claws carefully beginning to wipe the mud from Time Turner's coat. "Time Turner, where does it hurt?"

She had her answer in an instant. Even through his light coat she could see a massive bruise forming along his back. Twilight gasped in horror as Time Turner weakly lifted his head.

"My back... must have thrown it out when we hit the water." he groaned weakly before an awkward smile appeared. "Could have been much worse, all things considered."

"Can you move?" Twilight asked, nervously chewing on her thumb claw.

The tan pony's four limbs pedaled for a second before a sharp gasp of pain stopped them. His head flopped back to the ground, and Twilight rushed around to his face.

"I don't think that's happening," he apologized, his face pulled in a grimace. "I can still feel my hindquarters at least."

Twilight was trembling as she fell to her knees next to him. She sniffled, wiping at her eyes with a mud-caked claw. Something gently rubbed the top of her head, and she looked up to see Time Turner smiling at her again.

"The most important thing is you weren't hurt," he told her, rubbing his hoof over her spines again. "A little backache is a small price to pay for that."

Twilight felt the corners of her mouth turn up into a smile. A rush of heat came to her cheeks as she felt the scales darken slightly.

Then something howled in the distance. Twilight's fledgling smile died as her eyes shrunk to horrified pinpricks. Time Turner grunted in surprise as the dragon suddenly dove into his forehooves, trembling like a leaf.

"W-where are we, anyway?" she asked, peeking out at the trees around them.

"I'm afraid I don't know," Time Turner answered, carefully shifting his legs around Twilight. "The survey team never came this deep and - Twilight?

Another howl joined the first. Twilight had her claws clamped over her ear fins as she just stared at the dark forest.

"Twilight?" Time Turner said, prodding the dragon only to receive no response. "Oh dear..."

Spike nearly tripped over his own hooves as he reached the bottom of the path. He was free of the trees again, moonlight coming down full force on all sides. The rush of water filled his ears, and his gaze locked straight ahead.

There was the river, flowing swiftly back toward the bottom of the cliff. The unicorn dashed toward it, skidding to a halt at the banks. His eyes began to scan the deep, fast moving water frantically.

"Twilight!" he called out.

His breathing quickened as he saw nothing. Only a trail of stepping stones stretching to the far bank. A hoof tapped him on the back. He turned to find Cheerilee giving him a patient smile.

"Spike, calm down," she instructed, one hoof pointing downstream. "The current would have carried her the other way, see?"

The reporter looked back to the water and blinked a few times.

"Oh... right." Spike let out a weary sigh at his own foolishness.

"It's awful fast, ain't it?" Big Mac pointed out, his hooves sinking slightly into the damp earth by the water.

"Hmmm... it certainly looks like," Cheerilee agreed, biting her lip. "Oh, I hope Thunderlane and the others didn't go too far..."

Spike swallowed hard at the teachers words. His hooves tapped against the ground before he started following the current.

"She'll be okay though, right?" Spike asked, not even bothering to hide how frantic his voice was. "You said Time Turner wouldn't let her get hurt."

"Of course he won't," Cheerilee insisted, starting after the stallion. "Just try to stay calm, okay Spike? We'll need to follow the river—"

Spike looked further downstream, his view of the path cut off as the river bent around a cliff face. His breath caught in his throat for a moment as he saw the massive pile of stone laying about the river bend. The reporter's eyes shot up, spotting the steep incline above leading to the empty space a good hundred feet over the water and stone.

"Sweet Celestia..." Spike said, his voice hollow as he started walking toward the rocks.

"Spike?" Cheerilee called after him. "Wait for us!"

Two sets of hooves began trailing after him, but Spike didn't look back. His green eyes simply scanned over the boulders again as he drew closer. They darted back up to the cliff once more. His mind reeled, trying to grasp how they could still be so close after so much walking.

"Thunderlane was right," Spike thought aloud, his eyes never leaving the rocky mess. "There's... there's no way I could have taken that..."

He looked up to the drop one last time, a sudden rush of vertigo hitting. Cheerilee's hoof once more found his back, this time with a gentle pat.

"I'd still say he was a little harsh," she said to Spike, giving him a smile.

"Maybe, but still..." Spike answered, shaking his head. "Ugh, and I busted him right in the nose, didn't I?"

"You can apologize to each other once we've caught up to him," Cheerilee assured the reporter.

Spike just nodded, his eyes returning to ground level. His stomach still twisted slightly as he took in the fallen boulders again. A few larger ones sat in the river itself, the current splashing furiously against them. A brief flicker of motion passed between two of the rocks—

"Did you see that?" Spike asked pointing a hoof so fast he almost knocked Cheerilee over.

"See wut?" Big Mac wondered, squinting a bit.

Spike bit down on his lip, eyes searching between two of the larger rocks near the cliff. Each of them was easily bigger than the red stallion next to him, but he could make out a glimpse of the river between them. Green eyes narrowed and a gasp escaped his mouth.

Something flicked up for a moment right between the two boulders. A dark, feebly waving shape. A pair of similar gasps sounded from either side.

"That couldn't be one of the others," Cheerilee muttered around her hoof. "It just couldn't be... could it?"

Spike's hooves were pounding against the ground before he could think. The chill was squeezing his lungs again as he tried not to picture what he might find. He desperately forced out images of purple scales scattered among the rock and ignored the voices of the other two.

He slowed to a halt as he drew closer, and he tilted his head in confusion.

The thing sticking out from between the rocks looked like some manner of transparent snake outlined in a soft, blue fuzz. Now that he was within hoof's reach Spike could see it was giving off a soft light of its own. The strange thing twitched again as Cheerilee and Big Mac raced up.

"What is that?" Spike asked, taking a cautious step toward the object.

"It almost looks like a tail," Cheerilee answered, giving it a curious look.

The fuzzy thing suddenly darted back behind the boulders and around the cliff face. Spike froze as the ground under his hooves suddenly trembled. Unlike the quake from before this was in more regular intervals. Almost like hoofsteps.

Something lumbered out from behind the cliff face before him. Spike's jaw hit the ground at the sight of it.

A gigantic bear, easily two stories tall at the shoulder. Its body looked like it was made of a patch of night sky. Silver stars shifted within its shimmering, blue form as its eyes turned to the trio.

"That—" Cheerilee's voice failed her as the trio stumbled back. "That's an Ursa Minor!"

"Ursa Minor?" Spike asked, a strange twinge of familiarity drowned by the feeling of his heart leaping to his throat.

"The legendary star bear..." Cheerilee said, sounding some mixed between amazed and horrified. "I'd heard they lived in the Everfree, but they're supposed to be extremely rare!"

"Please tell me they're friendly," Spike begged, his legs threatening to buckle beneath him.

The bear's eyes flash red and narrowed at him. It opened its mouth in a terrifying roar, rearing up onto its hind legs as it did.

"Run fer it!" Big Mac shouted.

Spike needed no further prompting. Adrenaline took over completely as he spun in place and took off.

Nightmare Moon laughed internally as she watched the three ponies run.

"Bad ponies!" The Ursa Minor roared below the mare, her spell translating what little of its words made sense.

"Yes indeed, my little ursa," Nightmare Moon encouraged, her wisp-like form curling up next to the bear's ear. "Very bad ponies. The same ones that collapsed your cave."

The alicorn's eyes flickered as she glanced across the river to where the cave was hidden. She scowled as she felt something tugging at the back of her mind. Something pleading with her stop.

"You stay out of this," she warned Celestia as the Ursa began to move. "You should be happy the other one didn't get out."

The Ursa's heavy claws slammed against the ground, leaving deep furrows in the river bank. It let out another roar, its voice echoing through the forest.

"How... behind me?!" the spell spoke into Nightmare Moon's ear. "You said near the rocks!"

"The purple one with the horn can do magic," Nightmare Moon whispered coyly, ignoring Celestia's protests. "A pretty green color too. He probably got the others behind—"

"Green!" the bear's paws flew faster. "Like at the cave!"

"Oh now isn't that something," Nightmare Moon said with mock surprise.

She just looked to the cave again, a smile crossing her face. Suddenly getting a close, personal look at Spike's magic didn't seem as annoying. Matching the exact shade of his spell had been easy, and woken the Ursas surprisingly fast.

Nearly dropping a cave on top of them hadn't hurt either.

Still, some part of her was wishing that the other one had escaped. She wasn't about to complain though, adhering herself to the Ursa Minor's back. Nightmare Moon's eyes glimmered with mirth as she looked down at the fleeing ponies.

Spike was near the front of the group despite the scrapes and bruises that covered his body. Big Mac was right next to him, with Cheerilee bringing up the rear. The school teacher's hooves were beating against the ground for all they were worth as they rushed past the trail they had taken from the forest above.

The Ursa Minor let loose a roar, one massive paw swiping at the purple mare. Cheerilee screamed, stumbling as she ducked under the swing. Her hooves tangled though, and she pitched forward, rolling to a halt.

"Cheerilee!" Spike's voice shouted from up ahead.

The earth pony's eyes shrunk in horror. The star bear lumbered to a halt, raising wickedly curved claws. They flashed in the moonlight before descending.

There was an ear-splitting crack and a howl of agony pierced the sky.

"Claw!" the ursa whined, cradling its paw. "Hurts hurts hurts!"

Nightmare Moon snarled as her mount stumbled back in shock. She could see one of its claw tips broken clean off, laying on the ground next to Cheerilee. Between the school teacher and the beast, a massive stallion stood.

"Nope," Big Mac stated simply, twin puffs of steam issuing from his nostrils.

"You're not going to take that from him, are you?" Nightmare Moon challenged the Ursa Minor. "He's helping the unicorn that collapsed your home!"

The alicorn could see Spike helping Cheerilee back to her hooves. The bear snarled, gingerly lowering its paw before stomping back toward the three ponies. Big Mac snorted and charged, leaping into the air and coming down hard on the paw he'd just kicked. The huge beast howled in shock and snapped its limb forward. Big Mac tumbled off, grunting as he landed on the ground.

"Big Mac!" Cheerilee shouted, racing to his side.

The stallion was already up though, and he held out a hoof to stop her.

"You two git outta here!" Big Mac ordered. "Ah'll be right behind you!"

"But—" Spike and Cheerilee both tried to protest.

"No!" the Ursa shouted. "Not escape!"

The order only came as a vicious roar as its paw reached out to flatten the smaller two ponies. Nightmare Moon could see a blur of red as Big Mac jumped forward, shoving them back. It didn't seem to matter as all three were soon covered by the massive limb. The alicorn gave a satisfied smile as she watched it lower.

The smile faded as the paw stopped. The Ursa also seemed confused as the sounds of somepony straining rose from below.

"You have got to be kidding me," Nightmare Moon snarled, her cloudy body swirling toward the ground.

Even seeing it with her own eyes she couldn't believe it. Big Mac was pushing back against the Ursa Minor's paw, preventing it from falling. The Ursa growled, pushing harder in response. Sweat poured off the red giant as Spike and Cheerilee got back up.

"Ah said git!" he ordered, jerking his head.

"Are you crazy?!" Spike shouted. "You'll be pulverized!"

"Ah ain't letting... no overgrown teddy bear... hurt mah friends..." Mac grunted, taking a deep breath. "Now move!"

The two purple ponies stumbled back. Cheerilee glanced to the side and pushed Spike toward the river. Nightmare Moon growled as she watched the two begin hopping across the rocks leading to the other side.

"Purple one!" the Ursa shouted, its voice only a roar to any but Nightmare Moon.

The leg lifted from Big Mac, causing his body to shudder a bit from the sudden shift. The Ursa snarled as it started after the fleeing duo, its injured paw going into the river. Nightmare Moon flew back up toward its ear, but stopped in midair as a heavy thud drove both her and the bear's attention to the ground.

Big Mac's back hooves slammed against the Ursa Minor's other forepaw again before he spun around. His eyes narrowed as he met the gaze of the giant beast.

"Don't care how big you are," he challenged, one hoof scraping the ground as he prepared to charge. "You want them? You git through me."

A frustrated roar echoed from across the river as Spike reached the far bank. The reporter spun around to the source of the noise, finally getting a full view of the creature they faced.

Even Big Mac barely seemed to come up to the top of the Ursa Minor's paw, but that didn't seem to be stopping him. Spike could see the stallion, a little red fly compared to the beast, darting between the bear's legs and bucking its hind paw.

"Oh, Big Mac," Cheerilee pleaded quietly from next to him, watching as the earth pony barely avoided getting crushed again. "Please, just hurry and run!"

"He managed to hold that thing's paw back," Spike said, unable to tear his eyes from the fight. "Maybe he can actually scare that thing off?"

Cheerilee shook her head furiously in response. The teacher started pacing frantically, her eyes squeezed shut. The clop of her hooves was slightly amplified by the open cave mouth behind her.

"It wouldn't be a good idea, Spike," she fretted, her pace getting more and more frantic. "That's just an Ursa Minor after all!"

"You already... wait," Spike raised an eyebrow in realization. "What do you mean 'just' an Ursa Minor?"

The star bear on the far side let out another frantic roar. Big Mac had apparently dodged another blow, and the beast had left claw marks along the cliff wall behind him. A few loose stones rained down as Big Mac made a charge for the river, only for a huge paw to cut him off.

"That's just a baby," Cheerilee explained as the noise died down.

Spike looked to the teacher, his eyes wide.

"A baby," he confirmed, his voice flat.

"That's why it's called an Ursa Minor," Cheerilee pointed out, swallowing hard. "And you know the first rule about baby animals, right?"

Something echoed from the cave behind them.

A low, muffled growl.

Spike and Cheerilee both looked to each other and swallowed hard. Far back in the cave the reporter could just make out a faint trace of something glowing purple.

"Their parents usually aren't far away," Cheerilee said, her voice shaking with fear.

Chapter 14

The phrase "rock and a hard place" had never seemed more appropriate to Spike.

On the far side of the river he could still see the unbelievable battle being carried out. Big Macintosh, easily the largest stallion Spike had ever laid eyes on, clashing with a fabled Ursa Minor. Though the star bear looked like it could easily swallow a pony in one gulp, it was still roaring in frustration. Each and every swing it took at the farmer seemed to end with its claws striking water, ground, or cliff.

Though the reporter was hoping he was just imaging that Mac was slowing down.

As another cry came from the far bank, it was answered by a growl. Spike swallowed hard as she turned his gaze back to his side of the water. Somewhere deep inside the cave behind him he could still see the soft glimmer of purple. The glow seemed to flare with each snarl that echoed from the darkness.

Spike's mind felt like it was going to rip itself in half. It was just too much to try and wrap around the idea of something larger and fiercer than the creature across the river.

Something began clopping against the ground again, pulling his attention in a third direction. Turning to the side, Spike saw Cheerilee was up and pacing about. Her face was a mask of worry as she chewed on her lower lip.

"Cheerilee?" Spike asked, watching the mare as she moved back and forth.

"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to think..." she apologized quickly before turning to her companion. "Oh there has to be something we can do!"

Spike just nodded, numbly. His mind was already blanking out again in some strange sort of instinct to preserve what of itself it could. He barely twitched at the sound of another roar from across the river.

"It's just... nothing about this feels right," Cheerilee went on, resuming her pacing. "A baby wandering around on its own... and its mother—"

Something growled in the cave again, the purple glow dancing off the walls. The school teacher paused and looked into the cavern, raising one eyebrow.

"It's mother must be a real monster to control that," Spike choked out, jerking his head to the fight across the river.

His companion turned back to the Ursa Minor, and suddenly let out a sharp gasp. Spike jumped to his hooves as Cheerilee covered her muzzle.

"He roars, she responds, but she's not coming out," Cheerilee said, eyes going wide. "Even though any parent would know he needs help..."

"Come again?" Spike asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What if..." Cheerilee gasped out as she turned back to the cavern. "What if it's because she can't?"

Spike opened his mouth to speak only for a blur of purple to race past him and into the cave. He sat in silence for a brief moment before his mind realized the blur had been Cheerilee. He scrambled to his hooves, a weak light shining from his horn as he charged after her.

"Cheerilee!" Spike yelled, his voice echoing from the cave walls. "Cheerilee, wait!'"

He didn't have far to go, the teacher soon caught in his light. From far outside the cave another roar rang out. Cheerilee didn't seem to be paying attention though, her eyes locked straight ahead. Spike stumbled to a halt next to her, his eyes adjusting to the dim light he was providing.

"Oh my goodness," Cheerilee said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Oh you poor dear..."

Spike followed her gaze and stared in disbelief at waited him. His eyes began hurt trying to take in the size of the creature. How any of them could have missed the cave when looking from the cliff was beyond him, given how huge it truly had to be.

Even though its body was prone, it still easily dwarfed Town Hall. A massive beast shaped roughly like a bear, with huge fangs extending from its upper jaw. Its purple fur flared with the light of the stars glowing within it as it let out a weakened growl. The glow seemed to be muted, buried by numerous stalactites of obsidian stone planted on either side of each limb.

"That... that's..." Spike could feel his head spinning as he tried to take it all in.

"That's an Ursa Major," Cheerilee confirmed with a nod.

The purple mare move closer, placing a hoof against one of the black stones. The Ursa Major snarled and began to lift its paw, only to be forced to a halt. The stalactites kept the limb firmly sandwiched between them, preventing it from moving any further. Spike let out a sigh of relief as the same fate befell its other forepaw.

"S-so she can't move?" Spike realized as his legs stopped trembling. "I guess that's why she didn't come running."

The skyscraper-sized beast snarled at the reporter, and he jumped back. His horn extinguished with a soft pop sound, leaving only the Ursa's purple glow. Spike looked to Cheerilee, only to see the mare taking a few deep breaths as she turned away from the stalactite nearest her.

"Heee-yah!" Cheerilee shouted, lashing out with her back hooves.

The solid impact of hooves on stone rang through the cave. Spike covered his ears against the noise, his eyes going wide as the teacher prepared for another buck.

"Are you crazy?!" Spike shouted, sprinting forward and putting himself between Cheerilee and her target. "What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to help her!" Cheerilee insisted, pointing at the Ursa Major. "Spike, don't you see what must have happened? When that earthquake from earlier hit, the Ursa Minor must have escaped—"

"...but this one didn't," Spike realized, looking back to the huge ursine. "So the Ursa outside is just—"

"—Scared and probably more than a little upset," Cheerilee confirmed, gesturing to the beast. "All the while, Mama Ursa is stuck here listening while she can't do anything!"

Another roar reached the cave, bouncing off the walls for a few seconds. The Ursa Major growled again as Spike's hooves shuffled uncomfortably. He twitched a bit in surprise as a soft hoof lifted his chin.

"She needs our help just as much as Big Mac," Cheerilee said, her eyes pleading. "Maybe... maybe this way we can save them both!"

Spike's mouth drew into a grim line as he looked back at the Ursa Major. Her purple light flared again, her eyes locked back on the exit of the cave. A high-pitched whine escaped her muzzle as more sounds of the battle carried down. The star bear's massive, yellow eyes looked to Cheerilee, who reached past Spike to pat her paw.

"... I really hope you know what you're doing," Spike said in a trembling voice as he stepped aside.

Cheerilee smiled as she moved up to the stalactite once more. She turned, took a deep breath, and lashed out once again. The sound of hooves impacting stone echoed once more as the Ursa Major lifted its paw once more. A soft rattling sounded as a few stone chips fell from the spot Cheerilee had struck.

"Twlight?" Time Turner whispered, slowly waving one hoof in front of the dragon's face.

No response. The tan stallion just shook his head and made another mark on the ground. Despite the mud's poor ability to hold impressions he still counted fifteen of them. He simply let out a sigh as he rustled Twilight's head spines a little.

Even assuming some room for error, he'd counted approximately fifteen minutes since he'd awoken to the purple reptile's voice. Fifteen minutes that he'd spent with the little one cradled against him, trembling like a leaf.

She'd been alternating between opening her eyes and staring out into the darkness and squeezing them shut tight. Not that it seemed to make any difference either way. And in all that time, Time Turner had been unable to get her to say a word.

"Miss Twilight, I know things seem grim..." he tried to encourage before letting out a sigh. "Oh that's not helping, is it?"

His back throbbed as though in answer. The earth stallion winced in pain and tried to shift his weight. He drew a shuddering gasp as agony stabbed through his spine, and quickly lay still.

"Well, at least my back's not getting any worse," he tried to joke, only for Twilight to cringe even harder against him. "Ah..."

He trailed off, letting his head slump to the muddy ground. He felt the unpleasant sensation of mud on half of his face but just rolled his eyes. Half of his body was already covered in the muck, and the other half was still slightly damp thanks to being so close to the river.

At the very least Twilight's scaly body was warm. Time Turner was willing to bet that was the only reason he wasn't going numb.

He reached out and drew another mark in the mud. Sixteen. He looked up to the moon again, and his brow furrowed in concentration. Strangely enough, worry for Twilight aside, he found fear wasn't the first thing that was coming to mind.

"Far be it from me to complain," Time Turner commented, flicking some mud from his hoof. "But this being the Everfree Forest I'd expect something to have found us by now."

SPLASH!

Time Turner mentally cursed as water splashed from the river up his hindquarters. The old adage "Be careful what you wish for" was ringing in his ears as he struggled to twist toward the river.

His back screamed in pain, joining Twilight. The dragon had finally reacted at the sound of whatever had hit the water. Time Turner could hear her claws slipping in the mud as she ran behind him. He struggled to lift his head a bit further, and his eyes went wide. A shadow was rising from the water and clumsily stumbling toward him.

"Time Turner!" the dark shape exclaimed in a very familiar voice. "There you are!"

The tan pony's breath hitched in his throat for a second as the figure stepped into the moonlight. Ditzy Doo stood there, water dripping from her now-soaked mane and tail. Her wall-eyed gaze seemed to be smiling almost as broadly as she was as her one eye locked onto the muddy stallion.

"Ditzy? Oh thank goodness!" Time Turner cheered in relief. "Did you bring the others?"

"Well, one of them—" Ditzy said before a rustle of wings cut her off.

"You alright, Ditzy?" Thunderlane asked as the pegasus stallion descended into view.

His wings suddenly halted upon seeing Time Turner. The dark-coated pony gasped as he landed, his hooves sinking into the mud. His jaw dropped as he turned to Ditzy.

"You found him," he said, his voice tinged with disbelief as a smile grew on his features. "Ditzy, you found him!"

"None too soon, I might add," Time Turner confirmed with a slight chuckle. "Though I'll hope you'll pardon me if I don't stand to shake your hoof, Miss Doo."

"Aww, it was nothing," Ditzy said, blushing a bit. "Guess it's lucky that I was flying so low."

"Yeah," Thunderlane said, moving to Time Turner's side. "Come on, TT, let's get..."

The earth pony cringed as Thunderlane trailed off into a sharp gasp. There was no doubt in his mind that the pegasus had noticed the massive bruise. The one that was still aching from Time Turner's efforts to move.

"Yes, a rather unfortunate side-effect of my attempt to help Twilight," Time Turner explained, feeling a brush of feathers along his back. "I think I might need a hoof up..."

Thunderlane just nodded. The earth stallion winced as he felt a wing slowly work its way under his side. Time Turner's teeth dug into his lip as he tried not to cry out.

"Sorry TT, this isn't gonna feel good," Thunderlane apologized. "Ditzy, I need you to help me get him onto my back."

"You've got it!" Ditzy stated, snapping a quick salute before moving to their patient's other side. "Just say when."

"Alright," Thunderlane said, the muscles in his wing tensing. "One... two... three!"

Time Turner clenched his jaw as the wing lifted. He rolled, his hooves going limp as pain shot through his body. All his senses were lost in a burst of agony before the Mayor's Aide found his legs dangling from Thunderlane's side. He twitched his nose as his muzzle was buried in the other stallion's mane.

"Talk to me, TT," Thunderlane said, turning his head to look at him. "You gonna be okay?"

"As long as the ride is smoother than the loading," Time Turner groaned, raising his head clear of his mount's mohawk. "Sorry to be a bother."

"Don't worry about that, I'll take it easy. Promise," Thunderlane said, his wings spreading slightly as he balanced. "Now all we have to do is find Twilight—"

"Twilight?" Time Turner asked, looking around. "But she's right... here..."

He trailed off as his eyes searched the river bank. Despite the moonlight shining down, there was no sign of the purple dragon anywhere.

"She was right here... Twilight?" he called out, causing Thunderlane to flatten his ears and wince. "Twilight, where are you?"

Much to his surprise, Ditzy put a hoof over his mouth. She had a little smile on her face as she pointed to a nearby bush. Time Turner stared at the foliage, his eyes going wide as he saw it tremble slightly. The mailmare carefully walked toward it, her hoofsteps softened by the muddy ground.

"Um, Ditzy?" Thunderlane said, raising a hoof. "I'm not sure that's a good—"

"Found ya!" Ditzy cheered, sticking her head into the bush.

There was a frightened scream and a flash of magenta fire. Ditzy yelped in surprise and fell back onto her rear, puffs of steam floating off her mane. The bush had a smoldering hole burnt into it, through which Twilight's trembling form was visible.

"D-Ditzy?" she whispered, purple eyes wide as she stared out the hole. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!"

"That was a neat trick, Twilight," Ditzy said, shaking her head and her now-dry mane. "That worked better than my blow-drier!"

Thunderlane rolled his eyes and let out a groan. Time Turner let a chuckle slip out though, before Twilight turned her gaze to the two stallions.

"Glad to see you're doing better," Time Turner said, clearing his throat. "Looks like we can get back to the others now!"

"Sounds good to me," Thunderlane agreed with a nod.

"Um... right..." Twilight said, starting to stand up. "Let's—"

Another howl sounded in the distance, and the dragon gasped in fright. In less than a second, Twilight collapsed back to the ground and clamped her claws over her earfins. Her tail curled over her toe claws as she just trembled in place.

"Twilight?" Ditzy asked, tilting her head in confusion. "Are you okay?"

"No I'm not... we're still in the Everfree..." Twilight whimpered out, shaking her head. "First there was the fog, then the c-cliff... Time Turner got hurt trying to help me and th-there's all those howling... things..."

She trailed off as another howl rang, and somehow cringed even tighter. Thunderlane's wings slumped as he looked back to his passenger.

"So now what?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Time Turner admitted, managing to lift one of his hooves to rub his chin. "She'd been in shock almost since we got out of the river. I thought she was frightened but... well..."

He trailed off, looking helplessly at the dragon. Twilight had her eyes squeezed shut, more tears leaking out of the corners. Time Turner's eyes wandered to Ditzy, and stopped cold.

The mare had a little smile on her face, both of her eyes focused firmly on the dragon. The pegasus knelt down, putting herself eye-to-eye with the young reptile.

"Poor Twilight, you must have been so scared," Ditzy cooed, her hoof reaching out and brushing away a few tears. "Hey, you want to know something that might help?"

Twilight's eyes slowly opened, and Ditzy's smile broadened.

"It's a trick I taught Dinky!" she said, wings flapping excitedly. "All you do is think about all the stuff that's scaring you, then you find some new way to look at it all!"

Time Turner and Thunderlane's confused gazes met. Twilight apparently shared the feeling as she sniffled and wiped at her eyes.

"A new way..." she said, her voice barely a whisper. "How?"

"Well, how about this?" Ditzy asked.

With that the mare puffed out her cheeks and tilted her head. Her eyes crossed as Twilight just stared in shock. Time Turner felt a twinge of pain as Thunderlane adjusted his balance in order to face-hoof.

"Ditzy," Thunderlane grumbled, ignoring the streak of mud his hoof left. "What are you doing?"

"Oooh, or how about this one?" Ditzy asked, ignoring the stallion.

Her tongue stuck out as she scrunched up her muzzle. Time Turner snickered a bit as the mailmare blew a loud raspberry. Twilight's body shook as a short chuckle made its way out before her claws covered her mouth.

"Ah!" Ditzy cheered, dropping the silly expression. "I saw a smile!"

Before anypony could respond, Ditzy grabbed Twilight in her forehooves and pulled her close. The baby dragon gasped as her "captor's" wings suddenly began to brush over her sides.

"Ditzy-hee hee-what are you doin-Ha ha ha!" Twilight tried to speak as the feathers tickled over her.

"Coochie coochie coo!" Ditzy said with a bubbly laugh.

Time Turner and Thunderlane both stared in disbelief as the purple reptile quickly collapsed into a fit of giggles. Ditzy was already laughing along, her wings not stopping for an instant. Time Turner smiled, his chest shaking as he covered in mouth to silence his own sniggering. Thunderlane was rolling his eyes, but a smile was coming to his face as well.

"Stop!" Twilight begged, her smile not fading. "I give, you win!"

Ditzy smiled, releasing Twilight from her tickle torture. The dragon kept giggling a little as Ditzy brushed a hoof over her spines.

"Feel a little better now?" she asked, her gold eyes meeting Twilight's.

"Actually... yeah," Twilight realized, brushing off her scales. "But how—"

"It's the same with Dinky when she's upset," Ditzy said with a proud flutter of her wings. "Things never seem so bad after you've had a good laugh!"

She lowered one wing, forming a gentle ramp up to her back.

"Now all aboard!" she encouraged. "Next stop, Spike and the others!"

Twilight nodded, scrambling up the offered wing and onto the mailmare's back. Time Turner shook his head in disbelief as Ditzy began to trot ahead.

"I have to admit Miss Doo," Time Turner spoke up, causing the named mare to look to him. "That was quite uplifting!"

"Aww, thanks," Ditzy said, blushing again. "It's no big deal though. After all, making ponies smile is my special talent!"

Ditzy began trotting again, humming a little song. Time Turner found himself staring after her bubble-marked flank as Thunderlane just stood in place.

"That's what the bubbles mean?" Thunderlane asked in a whisper before starting after her. "I've gotta admit, I never would have guessed that."

The Ursa Minor snarled as it looked down at its paws.

"Well it's about time," Nightmare Moon grumbled, still floating around the bear's ears.

Big Mac groaned and squirmed, trapped between the massive beast's forepaws. Only his head and yoke stuck out from between its claws. The Ursa Minor lifted the giant stallion closer and snarled in his face.

"Bad pony," it growled.

Nightmare Moon smiled, swirling down the star bear's limb. Her misty form swirled around Big Mac, causing him to shiver in response.

"It's almost a pity," she said, smiling a bit as she felt Celestria straining against her prison. "A stallion like this could have been useful in my new Night Guard."

Her cloudy body floated away into the sky above. Celestia's pleading rang through her mind as Nightmare Moon just smiled. The Ursa Minor's paws began to squeeze together, Big Mac clenching his jaw as his struggles continued.

Then there was an explosion of noise from across the river.

Nightmare Moon felt her insubstantial body twist in midair as the wind itself rippled. A massive roar, putting to shame anything the Ursa Minor had managed, sent her spiraling into the cliff face. The alicorn's immaterial nature was the only thing that saved her from actually embedding herself into the rock.

"What in Equestria—" Nightmare Moon gasped out, floating away from the cliff.

"Mama?"

The Mare of Darkness's jaw dropped as her ursine ally turned to the river. Purple light was shimmering from the open cave mouth on the other side. Slowly, a face with massive fangs appeared in it, its eyes going wide.

"Mama!" the Ursa Minor cheered, releasing its grip on Big Mac.

The earth pony let out a yelp of surprise as he tumbled to the ground, landing with a solid thud. Nightmare Moon grit her teeth as the blue bear splashed into the river, wading toward its mother. The Ursa Major let out a happy-sounding roar as she squeezed her massive bulk out of the cave.

"Hey!" Nightmare Moon shouted, flying after the star cub. "Get back here, you aren't done with him yet!"

The Ursa Minor happily ignored the furious alicorn, nuzzling against his mother's foreleg as she reached the half-way point with her emergence. The larger bear let out a rumbling, cooing noise as her one paw stroked her child's back. Nightmare Moon brought herself to a halt, eyes going wide as she spotted a pair of purple specks run between the massive beast's legs.

Cheerilee and Spike hopped across the stones, making it to the other side of the river. Big Mac was groaning as he managed to stand again, the other two stopping at his side.

"Are you alright?" Spike asked.

"Been worse," Big Mac answered, shaking some dirt from his coat.

Cheerilee had a proud smile on her face as she gestured across the river. Big Mac turned and raised an eyebrow at the sight that waited him. The Ursa Major had pulled the Minor close and was licking some of the rock dust from its coat.

"Aren't they cute together?" Cheerilee asked, a broad smile on her face.

"Yeah... cute," Spike said, his voice heavy with uncertainty.

The Ursa Major looked up from its cub to the trio of ponies and let out a low growl. Something that looked like a smile spread across its fanged muzzle, and it gave a slow nod to the group. It gently nudged its cub, and the two slowly began to make their way upstream.

Cheerilee smiled, and waved her hoof in a farewell to their retreating backsides. Nightmare Moon's jaw dropped as she watched the two walk away.

"Umm..." Big Mac droned out before closing his own jaw. "Wut just happened?"

"I'll explain on the way," Cheerilee promised, turning back downstream. "Come on, don't want to keep the others waiting!"

The three ponies took off, galloping along with the river's current. Nightmare Moon hovered in stunned silence, her eyes following them.

"But... how..." she mouthed out.

There was a snickering in the back of her mind. Her misty form trembled as something boiled away inside her.

"Shut up!" she snapped at Celestia as she took off into the night once more.

"Once the first rock broke she just tore her way free," Cheerilee explained as she cantered along. "Then Spike and I just followed her out."

Big Mac dropped his jaw once more as the teacher wrapped up her story. Spike just nodded his head, understanding the expression the earth stallion wore. The reporter could still feel a little dirt stuck to his own chin.

"So that bear was just a cub?" Big Mac asked, shaking his head slowly.

"I saw its mom, and I still don't believe it either," Spike confirmed, patting Mac's shoulder. "Good thing Cheerilee got it all figured out."

"Well, not quite all," Cheerilee admitted, scrunching her muzzle a bit.

Spike and Big Mac both stopped and looked at each other, their confusion mirrored on each other's faces.

"What do you mean?" Spike asked, turning back to the teacher. "You were the one that figured out they were mother and cub—"

"It was a really a guess on my part," Cheerilee explained, scraping a hoof against the ground. "I had a good feeling about it, of course... but, to be honest, there wasn't anyway I could be sure."

Spike felt more of the forest floor hit his chin. Cheerilee just lowered her head, a bit of a blush setting in as she gave the two stallions a small smile.

"You mean you tried to help the Ursa Major..." he said, his voice slowly raising in volume. "And you weren't even sure she wouldn't come after us!?"

"It all worked out," Big Mac cut in, tapping Spike on the shoulder. "'Sides, I wouldn't expect anythin' else outta Cheerilee."

"Aww, why thank you Big Mac," Cheerilee responded, lifting her head and smiling a little broader. "I just... felt sorry for her is all."

Spike let out a sigh and shook his head. His heart was hammering with the delayed realization of just how close he'd brushed with death for...

He scrunched his brow and counted before nodding in confirmation. Nightmare Moon, cliff, Ursa Minor, Ursa Major. Fourth time that night.

"Just can't believe Ah beat on a cub lookin' for its Ma," Big Mac grunted as the group started moving again. "Don't Ah just feel like the biggest bully on the playground..."

"Don't worry, Big Mac, you didn't know," Cheerilee assured him. "Let's just worry about finding the others and stopping Nightmare Moon, alright?"

Spike's hooves slowed, his horn shimmering a bit with some of his recovered magic. The latch of his saddlebags lit up as his thoughts began to wander, Cheerilee's voice drifting out of focus.

"Bully..." he muttered, his eyes dropping to the hooves of the ponies in front of him. "And Nightmare Moon..."

He could feel something at the edges of his mind, just like before they had found the path down. Little by little he could feel images returning. His cutie mark, Twilight, the blue filly in the cape, and the strange reason that they seemed to be coming up again...

Something bumped against his nose and he lifted his head. One of his notepads wavered in the air before him. Spike let out a sigh as he reached up and cupped the pad in one hoof, cutting off the unconsciously activated spell.

The words on the page caught his eye though. He raised an eyebrow as he looked over them. His magical recording of the conversation between Celestia and Nightmare moon sat before him.

And there they were, right in front of his eyes.

The words he'd forgotten earlier.

"No army? No champion to stand for you?"

Spike stumbled midstride. His magic flared and shoved the pad back into his bag, but the thoughts were already swarming. Images as well as words written and spoken were flooding his mind.

"No champion"

"Celestia asked me to send the guards away. Putting it all together it's like at least she knew what was coming."

The blue filly, her starry cape dragging behind her.

Twilight applauding him as he showed off his new cutie mark.

Something clicked in his mind as he looked up to the clear moon. Nightmare Moon's celestial eye, looking down upon all of Equestria. Looking down on the cursed foals in Ponyville, on Twilight wherever in the forest she might have been, on Spike himself and who knew how many others.

All thanks to there being nopony standing between Nightmare Moon and Celestia.

"Because of me..." Spike whispered, his throat tightening. "It's... it's all my fault..."

Chapter 15

"She could have what?!"

Spike kept his eyes glued to his hooves as he shook his head. Ditzy's sobbing was echoing through his head. He could feel the anger pulsing off the others, particularly Thunderlane, as the pegasus stallion's voice went on.

"So it's all your fault that Nightmare Moon got out!?" the weather pony continued as Spike just slowly nodded. "That we're never gonna see the sun again? That Rumble and the others might never wake up?"

Spike just kept nodding, Ditzy's wailing growing louder. The unicorn squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he could just disappear. That he could simply collapse into dust and blow away, never to be seen again.

"Cheerilee, which way did you say those Ursas went again?" Time Turner asked.

Spike's eyes flew open in shock. He could hear hoofsteps approaching, and he swallowed hard.

"Please don't..." he whispered.

"What was that?"

"I'm sorry..." he begged, his voice barely more than a breath.

"Spike?"

His throat felt like it was full of barbs as he swallowed again.

"Spike?" Cheerilee's voice asked.

"I'm sor—" Spike's voice jumped in volume as he looked up with a start.

He stopped mid-word. Cheerilee was in front of him, a quizzical eyebrow raised as he stood in place with his mouth gaping open. Big Mac had stopped moving also, sharing in the teacher's confused look. Spike slowly closed his mouth and looked around. The river sat to one side, flowing peacefully along toward the cover of trees ahead. No sign of any sobbing Ditzy or hostile Thunderlane as the imagined voices faded from his mind.

"Spike, are you okay?" Cheerilee asked as he looked back to her. "You've been acting kind of... strange since we left the Ursas."

"Strange?" he asked, his voice jumping an octave before he could stop himself. "Ah heh heh..."

That's because it's all my fault.

The unicorn's nervous chuckle gave way to him clearing his throat as the thought broke through. Cheerilee looked back to Big Mac, who simply gave her a shrug in response.

"What do you mean, 'strange?'" Spike asked, lowering his hat to try and hide the sweat he could feel on his brow.

"You haven't exactly been watching where you're going," Cheerilee explained. "And I thought I heard you trying to say something—"

"Oh, that!" Spike answered, his hat catching against his horn.

I'm sorry! I didn't mean for this—

Spike quickly squelched apology before it could follow his outburst, his mind spinning for something else to say. He could feel his hat slipping around his horn as Cheerilee looked at him, expectantly. The young unicorn reached a hoof up to catch the chapeau before it fell of completely.

"It almost sounded like you were..." Cheerilee trailed off as the unicorn steadied his head gear. "... well, like you were apologizing for something. You heard it too, right Big Mac?"

"Eeyup," Mac confirmed with a nod.

Spike just chuckled again, his stomach trying to tie itself in knots. Disjointed words and sentences ran through his head, his mouth struggling to relay one of them. Cheerilee began to move closer, her brows knitting together with worry.

They'll hate me.

"I was thinking about Trixie!" Spike exclaimed, the words flying off his tongue before he could stop them.

He cursed inwardly even as Cheerilee stopped in her tracks. The filly's face and name had somehow jumped to the front of his mind. Spike resisted the urge to scrunch his muzzle and give away his fib as his mind cast about for a way to continue.

"Baaaack... back in magic school she used to talk about Ursas," Spike said, his voice wavering as his eyes dodged to the side. "Said her dad stopped one from attacking their house or something."

"This is the same Trixie you mentioned before?" Cheerilee asked, still keeping her distance to Spike's relief. "The one that used to pick on you?"

"Yeah, same Trixie," Spike went on, nodding his head so fast his hat nearly slipped off. "I never believed her stories about the Ursas but... I guess watching Big Mac and you made me realize she might have been telling the truth."

She might have stopped this.

The reporter smiled as broadly as he could manage, willing his brain to be silent. Cheerilee seemed confused, her head tilted as she scrutinized him closer. Big Mac strode over, his hefty hooves thudding against the ground as his gaze narrowed.

"So yew were 'pologizin' for not believin' her?" he asked.

"Yeah," Spike said, meeting the other stallion's eyes.

"Even though she ain't here?" Big Mac went on, leaning a bit closer.

"Umm... yeah..." Spike answered, swallowing hard.

The larger stallion's eyes felt like they were drilling into Spike. He could feel his body starting to tremble under the gaze of the two earth ponies. His head felt light as the same phrase kept echoing within, so loud he could only pray they didn't hear it.

I can't tell them it's my fault.

I can't tell them.

I can't

Nightmare Moon's ethereal body snaked through the air, twisting in the winds overhead. She turned a slow circle above the trio of ponies, her eyes never leaving them. She could almost taste the fear emanating from the group as her predatory glide lowered her closer.

"You know, this could have been easy," Nightmare Moon snarled at the trio of ponies. "Two of your friends fell off a cliff. Most would have taken that as a hint!"

She was well aware her magic and mist prevented them from perceiving her. The alicorn's cloud form blended perfectly with the night sky as she circled over head. Her voice was reduced to a mere whisper of night wind. Even in the sudden silence that Spike, Cheerilee and Big Mac seemed to have lapsed into, none of the three could hear a word.

Even so, she could feel the cloak of the spell around her. It would only take a simple thought to cast it aside. Nightmare Moon allowed herself a small smile at the thought. She could picture the three ponies falling to the ground. Prostrating themselves in terror as she burst into being above them. One of them probably trying to plead for their life... more likely the purple stallion that was already quaking in his horseshoes.

"You're just normal ponies," she said, pushing the thoughts from her head. "I shouldn't need my full power! This should be easy!"

Something prodded at the back of her mind. The Mare of Darkness growled as she felt the presence of Celestia.

This is wrong!

Please, just leave them alone...

You know better than this, Lu—

"Don't call me that!" Nightmare Moon shouted.

The three ponies below shivered in the sudden breeze. The alicorn took a deep breath, the winds fading as she did. Still, her glare turned to the Sun Princess. Magic and rage began pouring through her body as Celestia's mental prodding tried to push through again.

"They had their chance! All they had to do was give up!" Nightmare Moon fumed, the reflection of the moon in the river beginning to ripple and shimmer. "Give up and accept me like they did you!"

She could feel her will spreading through the water. The creatures of the Everfree's River trembled as she reached out to them. The black mare grinned as she felt her mind contact something upstream. Something long and powerful, with razor claws and teeth. It tried to pull away as the mare's mind reached into its.

"Who... what are you?" it pleaded in a surprisingly frightened voice.

"Your new master," Nightmare Moon intoned, her magic pouring through the creature's body. "I've need of a sea serpent at the—"

"What was that?!" a voice suddenly cut in.

The night-themed alicorn's voice cut immediately as she looked down. Big Mac was standing defensively in-between the other two and the trail ahead. Whatever their conversation from earlier had been about was apparently forgotten. All three were staring ahead, a mixture of confusion and fear on their faces.

Nightmare Moon looked toward the cover of trees and scowled at the shadows. She didn't need to look toward the moon to realize all she'd see was a leafy canopy if she tried to view through it. Something was carrying from the darkness though. A strange, warbling breeze, almost melodic in nature.

Her eyes went wide as she realized it was a melody. Something was singing from further along the path, and getting closer with each passing moment. Looking down, Nightmare Moon could see Spike and the others all looking at each other, their fear clearly gone.

"Is that somepony... singing?" Cheerilee asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Eeyup," Big Mac said with a nod.

Spike just nodded silently, his ears twitching toward the music. Nightmare Moon stared into the darkness, the voice growing close enough that she could make out the words.

"If you're happy and you know it flap your wings!" the cheerful voice carried on. "If you're happy and—"

"Ditzy, I don't have wings," A much softer voice cut in.

Spike let out a sudden gasp from below, drowning out whatever response the singer said. In spite of her stomach being as immaterial as the rest of her, Nightmare Moon could still feel it twist.

"It can't be..." she snarled.

WHAM

Big Mac let out a groan as he found himself plowed to the ground. The workhorse raised his head, watching as the much smaller stallion sprinted toward the cover of the trees. Nightmare Moon flitted along overhead, her ears ringing with the one word that surged from the stallion's mouth.

"TWILIGHT!" he called out, his horn flickering.

The transformed goddess scowled and swooped away from the light, hiding amongst the branches above. Not a second too soon as Spike's horn blazed like a candle, casting the area around him in a bright green. The young stallions eyes were frantic as he spun about, ears straining for a response to his shout. The forest, however, had fallen silent again.

"Wait for us, Spike!" Cheerilee called out, she and Mac running up behind him.

"You heard her too, right?!" Spike sputtered out, rounding on the duo. "It was Twilight! I'd know her—"

"We heard her," Cheerilee confirmed, cutting off the stallion with a gentle hoof over his muzzle. "But... well..."

"We're still in the Everfree," Big Mac stated, his voice actually sounding concerned. "Dunno what that mighta been."

"It had to have been her," Spike insisted, his voice dropping toward whisper levels. "I just know..."

Nightmare Moon scowled as she watched the unicorn look ahead again. She glared out to the darkness, willing it to stay silent.

"I saw her fall," she growled at the shadows, as though daring them to prove her wrong. "She and that foalish earth pony are gone."

"Twilight!" Spike called out, his voice a bit weaker than the first shout.

A moment of silence answered him. The stallion's head drooped, his light dimming slightly. Nightmare Moon smiled as she slowly began to crawl from her hiding spot.

"Spike!"

The light blazed again, and the alicorn hissed as she was forced toward the shadows of the upper branches. Her eyes went wide as something impossible darted into the unicorn's glow.

A small, bipedal dragon with purple scales streaked in dried mud.

"Twilight!" Spike cheered, charging toward her.

The two collided half-way, sending the reporter tumbling to his back. Twilight had her arms clamped tight around him, her face buried in his shoulder. Spike's eyes were wide with shock and quickly filling with tears as his forelegs wrapped around the dragoness.

"It's you..." he managed to croak out, squeezing her tighter. "It's really you!"

Nightmare Moon felt a shudder pass through her body at the sight. Cheerilee and Big Mac both wore huge smiles as they slowly padded toward the reunited duo. Somewhere in the back of her mind, somepony let out a relieved sigh.

"I don't believe it..." the black alicorn muttered, ignoring Celestia's input for once. "How did they survive?"

"So..."

Nightmare Moon looked up with a start as another voice broke into her thoughts.

"You needed me for something?" the sea serpent's thoughts asked. "Because I sort of had plans for a manicure and—"

"Leave," Nightmare Moon demanded, biting off the word as she spoke. "Now."

"Sheesh, touchy," the river dragon's thoughts echoed.

Nightmare Moon ignored the creature, twisting herself around the branch she hovered near.

If these ponies had survived an Ursa Minor and a drop off a cliff, she was going to find out how. Before giving them a chance to humiliate her further.

Twilight didn't know or care how long she was on the ground. The rest of the world had faded away around her. There was only a familiar, comforting green light. That and the warmth of Spike's hooves wrapped around her as she sobbed against his chest.

"I-I was so scared I'd never see you again," she could hear him whisper "After you fell..."

His voice trailed off suddenly. Twilight's eyes snapped open as a hoof brushed over her back. She could feel the mud caked between her spines cracking and flaking away as the reporter's hooves prodded across her.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Spike asked, his voice suddenly frantic. "I saw those rocks! You could have—"

"Spike, I'm fine," Twilight responded, lifting her head and wiping away her tears. "Thanks to Time Turner and—"

Her voice stopped along with her pulse. Purple eyes suddenly widened as she twisted in Spike's embrace. With a sudden burst of effort, Twilight tore herself free and scurried to her feet again. Her eyes darted back the way she'd come from, into the darkened woods.

"Twilight?" Spike asked, a rustling sound indicating him rolling back onto his front.

"Is something wrong?" Cheerilee asked, her voice finally reminding Twilight of the teacher's presence.

"It's Time Turner!" Twilight answered, spinning back to the three ponies. "When we went over the cliff, he—"

"Oh come now, don't let me ruin the moment," a new voice cut her off.

"Though if anypony wants to give me a hoof..." a second one suggested.

Twilight turned back just in time to see three more figures striding into the light. Ditzy was in the lead, her wings flaring as she let out an excited gasp.

"Guys!" she cheered, leaping forward with a gleam in her eyes.

Twilight heard a collective gasp from the three ponies behind her, though it clearly wasn't excited. The dragon's claws knitted together as she heard a clatter of hooves. Something purple rushed past her, toward the newcomers

"Oh my goodness!" Cheerilee exclaimed, darting around Ditzy. "What happened?"

Thunderlane was right behind the mailmare, staggering a bit as he carried Time Turner on his back. The earth pony was half-covered in mud, his legs still dangling from the other stallion's sides. Twilight let her eyes lower to the ground as all attention turned to the injured bureaucrat.

"He got hurt when we went over the cliff," Twilight explained, one clawed hand rubbing her arm. "He... he was trying to protect me..."

"Please, Twilight, don't start blaming yourself," Time Turner spoke up, some of the mud cracking as he waved one hoof. "Besides, it's nowhere near as bad as it looks."

"TT, your back's completely shot," Thunderlane grunted, his legs shaking harder. "Oooh... and mine's about to be too!"

"Well I'm hardly that heavy," Time Turner responded, rolling his eyes.

"Ah'll take 'im," Big Mac spoke up, plodding up to the struggling pegasus.

Twilight simply bit down on her lip as the red giant kneeled next to Thunderlane. Ditzy quickly planted her hooves on Time Turner's side as Cheerilee set herself to managing the transfer. A little whimper escaped the dragon's lips as her gaze dropped to her feet.

A single, trembling hoof slowly wrapped around her chest. Twilight looked back as something warm pressed against her. Spike was watching as Thunderlane reached out one wing to act as a ramp to Big Mac. The reporter was pale as he pulled Twilight into another hug.

"It's not your fault, Twi," her friend said, his voice soft and distant.

Twilight's brow lowered as she looked at the unicorn's face. Spike's gaze seemed focused straight ahead, but his eyes were shrunk to pinpricks. He swallowed hard as Cheerilee's hoof tapped against the ground in a slow count down.

"Spike..." Twilight whispered, prodding one of his legs with her claw. "Are you—"

A sudden howl of pain cut her off. Twilight clung to Spike out of instinct more than anything as she looked back to the others. Ditzy was hovering in the air, both her hooves covering her mouth. Time Turner was panting from his new position on Big Mac's back, his legs dangling beneath him.

"Sorry... my bad..." Ditzy apologized as she slowly lowered to the ground.

"Actually..." Time Turner grunted out, lifting his head and giving a wink. "That wasn't... as bad as last time."

Ditzy just gave an embarrassed chuckle, her cheeks flushing a bit. Twilight saw Thunderlane hobble aside, his wings snapping open and shut as he heaved out an exhausted sigh. Cheerilee's gaze was looking over the others, and her muzzle scrunched a bit.

"Seems we've all been through quite a bit," she commented, one hoof tapping against the ground. "Maybe everypony should take a moment to catch their breaths?"

"But what about the elements?" Thunderlane protested, wincing a bit as he unfurled his wings again. "We still need—"

"A quick breather might be prudent," Time Turner interrupted, weakly raising one leg. "We could take the time to catch one another up about what happened. Show of hooves?"

One of Spike's legs lifted from around Twilight, joining Time Turner and Cheerilee's. Twilight looked back at Spike, and her brow wrinkled once more. The stallion was still pale, breathing in shallow little gasps. Her claw quickly raised as well, just in time to meet Ditzy's.

"Alright, fine." Thunderlane sighed, turning in place twice before lowering to the ground. "Afraid I don't have much to tell. Following the river wasn't exactly hard."

"There were the vines I got tangled in," Ditzy spoke up with a light giggle. "That was kinda funny!"

As the others got comfortable, Spike simply dropped into a sitting position right where he stood. Twilight bit down on her lip was she leaned back against him. She could feel his heart racing through his coat, and her claws gently patted against his leg.

There was no response from the unicorn as recounts of Ditzy and Thunderlane's river travel began.

Time and sound were blurring around Spike. He could see the others talking, something about what had happened since they had been split up. Their voice were muffled, however, as his own thoughts began to buzz again.

It's my fault.

Spike tried to will the thought away and focus on the others. Thunderlane was the closest, trying to straighten out his feathers as Ditzy chuckled about something. The pegasus stallion snorted a bit through his injured nose, wincing as he prodded it with his hoof. The reporter looked away with an equally pained wince.

I did that.

Ditzy had one hoof over her mouth as Cheerilee spoke. Spike couldn't make out the words, but it wasn't hard to guess. The teacher must have been talking about the Ursas they had met. As she spoke, Spike couldn't help but notice how the two mares were leaning against each other. How Ditzy's wings were slumped slightly from exhaustion.

They're trying so hard...

Spike tore his eyes from the females, and found the last two. Even Big Mac seemed to sporting a few dark bruises through his coat. Just how he had tussled with a bear the size of a house and only walked away with those was a mystery.

Time Turner was sprawled across the giant earth pony's back like a sack of potatoes. He seemed to be laughing as Cheerilee reached the end of her story. As Time Turner started his turn his blue eyes seemed to sparkle a bit. It didn't stop Spike from wondering how badly the officious stallion's back was hurt.

It didn't stop the lump forming in Spike's throat as he squeezed his eyes shut.

They're hurt because of me.

"Spike, what's wrong!?" a worried voice suddenly broke into his thoughts.

Spike looked down to the dragon in front of him. Twilight pressed a claw to his forehead, her eyes flooding with concern. Nothing compared to what as filling Spike. His mind was suddenly awash with the last time he'd seen the dragon. The terror on her face as she dangled from the cliff. Her scream somehow rising over the rocks falling after her.

She's been in so much danger.

"Are you feeling okay, Spike?" Ditzy Doo's voice chimed in. "You really do look sorta sick."

Spike's eyes slowly moved over the other five ponies again.

The only five that had listened to him back at the hospital.

The ones that had saved him and Twilight so many times already.

They'll hate me... but they deserve to know.

"I'm okay..." Spike lied, gently pushing Twilight's claw away. "It's just... I... I..."

He swallowed hard as he felt the stares of the others on him.

"You guys... you remember what gave us this idea?" Spike managed to force out. "To search the Everfree Forest?"

The others exchanged confused glances. Thunderlane spat out a loose feather that he'd preened from his wing and gave a nod.

"Yeah, it was what your quill copied down," the weather pony answered. "That whole 'No armies, no champion, no elements' line."

"Is that what's been bothering you, Spike?" Cheerilee asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Kinda," Spike admitted, looking at his own shuffling hooves. "I... I figured something out."

His voice stopped again as he tried to take a deep breath. Spike could feel the tears starting to form as Twilight leaned closer. The unicorn put a hoof over her head and brushed down her soft spines, sniffling a bit as he did so.

"Well don't keep us in suspense," Time Turner spoke up. "Any insight is good insight, right?"

A deep breath managed to work its way into Spike's lungs as he raised his head.

"There was this filly back in grade school," he said, willing the tears back. "A really... super powerful filly."

Spike paused, feeling the others edge closer. Twilight was staring at him in confusion, and he looped one foreleg around her. She said nothing, only gasped a bit as the reporter pulled her into a hug.

"How powerful we talkin'?" Big Mac asked.

"And what does this have to do with anything?" Thunderlane wondered, his wings flicking out in frustration.

"She was powerful enough to hatch a dragon egg for her entrance exam," Spike explained, squeezing Twilight closer as he felt her tense up between his limbs. "Powerful enough that she was Princess Celestia's personal student."

The reporter could taste the silence in the air as his words sank in. Twilight's claws were digging into his foreleg as he counted off the seconds. He could see the dragon's lavender scales paling, the realization having already hit her.

"A student... or a champion maybe?" Time Turner's voice suddenly cut in. "If we're right, and Princess Celestia knew this was coming—"

"—Then of course she would have been preparing!" Cheerilee finished, leaping to her hooves. "This student of hers!"

"Who is it, Spike?" Ditzy asked, leaping into the air as her wings flapped wildly. "Once we get the elements, maybe they can help us save Dinky and the other foals!"

Something ached deep inside as Spike watched the enthusiasm spread like wildfire. Even Thunderlane seemed to be getting into it, a broad smile crossing his muzzle. Suddenly he only wanted to keep his mouth shut and let the celebration continue.

"You said, 'was.'" Big Mac's voice spoke up.

The others joined Spike in looking at the largest of their number. Big Mac casually blew a lock of his mane up before focusing on Spike again.

"'Was' like she ain't a student no more?" Big Mac wondered, causing the others to look back to the unicorn.

Spike swallowed hard and nodded his head.

"Y-yeah... she started using her magic for... bad stuff," Spike answered, his throat drying as he spoke. "Picking on the other students... cheating on her tests and reports..."

Memories blurred around him as he struggled to recall what he was saying. Vision of a blue filly with a starry wand swam in front of his eyes, interspersed with Thunderlane's face drawing closer.

"So can she help us or not?" Thunderlane demanded, his wings flicking a bit in frustration.

Spike just clenched his jaw and shook his head slowly. Tears were forming and starting to roll down his cheeks as the pegasus stallion stepped closer.

"Probably, if she'd finished her training," the reporter answered. "But that never happened. She got kicked out in the second grade."

Spike could feel the excitement drain from the others around him. There was a clatter of hooves as Ditzy fell back to the ground. Most of the group was exchanging strange and bewildered stares. Only Thunderlane kept his eyes locked on the unicorn's, fury filling his face.

"Then what's the point in telling us all this?" Thunderlane demanded, stomping hard on the ground for emphasis.

Spike's body jerked at the noise, his mind reeling. His mouth was dry as cotton, his voice thin and reedy.

"Because..." he stammered, his tongue filling his mouth. "Because..."

"Well?" Thunderlane grunted, taking another step.

Old memories, excuses, Thunderlane's glaring eyes all of it was blurring in Spike's head. His cheeks were soaked with tears as the pegasus drew ever closer. The unicorn squeezed his eyes shut as the words began to pour from his mouth before he could stop them.

"I'm sorry!" Spike shouted, his voice frantic. "I didn't... I didn't want any of this! I just wanted her to leave me alone!"

"Spike!" Twilight shouted.

He could feel the dragon try to say something more and pull free. Spike pulled her in tighter and quickly covered her mouth with one hoof. The dragoness grunted and squirmed, drawing gazes of concern from the others.

"Spike, what's going on?" Time Turner asked, lifting his head. "What are you talking about?"

"Trixie Lulamoon, the filly that picked on me back in school," he said as quickly as he could. "She was the princess's student!"

Twilight's struggles stopped as the others gasped in shock. Spike couldn't notice for the memories flashing through his head. As clear and complete as they'd been the day he witnessed them.

Himself sitting in the school's main office. Trixie's stunned face, her cape trailing behind her as she was escorted out the door. The school principal, a white unicorn, patting him on the shoulder as she held up a copy of his article.

"I was so sick of her picking on me! I wrote an article for the school newspaper that showed everypony what she was doing," Spike went on, his voice cracking as he spoke. "I never meant for her to get expelled because of it!"

An infantile dragon watching from behind the desk as the door closed behind Trixie. The young Twilight waddling up to him and tugging on his tail, a hopeful look on her face.

"That's how Twilight came to live with me..." Spike panted out, strength ebbing from his voice as he struggled to keep speaking. "That's how I got my cutie mark..."

The tingle on his flank drew his eyes. A feather quill appeared there, and a cheer escaped the colt. He started posing and showing it off, drawing applause from the little dragon next to him.

"I got rid of Trixie and... and doomed the rest of Equestria..." he finally wheezed out, blind but for the blurs of color in his eyes. "I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry..."

Tears fell uncontrollably as he lowered his head.

Silence reigned.

Chapter 16

The silence was more horrible than Spike could have imagined.

He'd been prepared for crying, for yelling, even for pain. However, the awkward lack of sound that hung in the air somehow felt worse than all three of those put together. Even if it had only been a few seconds since his confession.

He cautiously lifted his head, only to let it drop again. Most of the others were staring at him as though struggling to register what he'd said. Thunderlane, however, seemed to be struggling with slowly mounting frustration as his eyes narrowed.

Twilight merely hung limp in his hooves. Spike could feel her rapid breath on the hairs of his leg. The dragon's heart was racing alongside his own as they waited for some response from the others.

Clack

The silence broke, Thunderlane's hoof rapping off the ground as he took a step forward.

"So it's all your fault that Nightmare Moon got out?" Thunderlane asked, his voice almost shockingly calm.

Twilight twitched in Spike's hooves, trying to shake her head. Spike just squeezed his eyes shut and held her closer. He could feel his legs going numb from fear. Swallowing hard, he gave a slow nod to Thunderlane.

"You're saying that it's your fault we're never gonna see the sun again?" Thunderlane went on, stomping closer, his voice raising. "Your fault Rumble and the others might never wake up?"

"Thunderlane—" Time Turner's voice tried to break in.

"That's right," Spike spoke up, his head sinking lower.

"No!" A frantic voice suddenly shouted.

Something scaly pushed his trembling legs away. Spike gasped and tried to grab hold of Twilight again. The dragon's claws left little scratches along his forelegs as she squeezed from between his legs and chest. She hurriedly placed herself between the reporter and Thunderlane, her arms spread wide.

"Twilight, stop—" Spike started to plead as he clambered to his hooves.

"Y-yeah, maybe Trixie could have stopped this. You don't know what she was like, though!" Twilight shouted, ignoring Spike as she stared up at Thunderlane. "Sh-she treated me like... like some kind of pet... or a trophy"

Spike paused in spite of himself. Thunderlane also seemed taken back as the dragon took a trembling breath. Her body was shaking as she slowly began to wrap her arms around her shoulders.

"She'd never give me a m-moment's peace..." Twilight stammered out. "I'd always be doing something to make her look good! Showing off some 'trick' she taught me or just letting the other students gawk at me..."

Twilight looked tearfully over her shoulder to Spike. In an instant, his body was moving again. He pulled the trembling dragon into another hug, Twilight sniffling as she gripped him tight.

"Spike was the first pony that tried to be my friend," she whimpered, looking back to the others. "That's why I saved his article when—"

"Twilight, that's enough!" Spike said sharply,

"Hang on," Thunderlane cut in, wings flaring. "What was that?"

Spike's hoof darted for the dragon's mouth. Twilight twisted though, keeping her muzzle clear as she took a deep breath.

"I saved Spike's article when Trixie tried to get rid of it!" Twilight spoke quickly, right before the purple hoof clapped over her mouth.

Spike looked up, his eyes wide. Thunderlane had one hoof to his brow as he breathed heavily. His breath snorted through his injured nose as Cheerilee slowly walked up behind him.

"Thunderlane, please," she encouraged, placing a hoof between his shoulders. "Maybe you should calm down a bit?"

"Don't wanna repeat o' the hospital," Big Mac chimed in, plodding up behind the pegasus.

Thunderlane's wings snapped out, forcing the both of them back. His hoof slammed against the ground as his glare darted back up. Twilight cringed, and Spike pulled her closer as the weather stallion began to stomp toward them.

"Thunderlane, wait a minute!" Time Turner shouted.

"Seriously?!" Thunderlane demanded, stomping closer as he ignored the others. "So what? Now it's Twilight's fault too?"

Twilight's claws dug into Spike's hide. Something burned in the unicorn's chest as the light spell around his horn began to blaze brighter.

"No!" Spike shouted, his horn sparking.

Despite his exhaustion, Spike felt power flow through his body. Thunderlane stumbled back several steps as a green aura flickered around him, shoving him hard. Spike grunted, his telekinetic grip flickering as the pegasus strained against it.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no..." Ditzy panicked, her wings trembling.

"Spike..." Twilight gasped out as he started to pant for breath.

"Yes! Okay! Twilight saved my article," Spike admitted, green eyes locked on Thunderlane. "But I'm the one that wrote it in the first place!"

The glow around the weather pony was fading. Spike grunted, pushing Twilight to the side. The little dragon gasped as she stumbled away, and the reporter let out a final sigh as his horn sputtered out.

"Spike—" Thunderlane growled, amber eyes focused on the unicorn.

"I'm the only one to blame!" Spike stated, glaring right back as he moved between Twilight and Thunderlane. "So just leave her alone!"

A dark-gray hoof was over his muzzle before he could say anymore. Spike winced out of instinct as he heard the others gasp out in shock...

He blinked in surprise. Thunderlane was still leering at him, but the pegasus hadn't actually struck. A second or two passed before Spike realized the other stallion was simply holding his mouth shut.

"Would you just be quiet for a minute?" Thunderlane requested, his voice straining to stay calm. "I made the mistake of hitting you plenty of times tonight. I really, really don't want to do it again."

Spike slowly nodded, his wide eyes stuck on the other stallion. Thunderlane took a deep breath, and let it out in a heavy sigh. His wings relaxed back to his sides, slumping down as tension seemed to flow out of him. The others all stood stock still, just watching as his hoof slowly lowered to the ground.

"You know what, Spike?" Thunderlane asked, his hoof scraping along the dirt. "All that nonsense you're spewing reminded me of a little story."

"A... a what?" Spike stammered out, staring at the pegasus in disbelief. "And wait, what do you mean non—"

In a blur of gray, Thunderlane's hoof was over his mouth again. Spike's protest muffled to a halt as the taste of dirt hit his tongue. Thunderlane's wings gave a frustrated flicking motion as he took another deep breath.

"Umm...." Twilight's voice chimed in, as she cautiously approached Spike's side. "Is this really the time for a story?"

"It's a short one, and one Spike should find interesting," Thunderlane assured the dragon, his hoof returning to the scratching the ground. "It's about a little colt that used to live in Cloudsdale. His dad worked at the weather factory."

Thunderlane's expression softened as he backed up a step. Spike's eyes darted to the ground, and his brow scrunched. The scratches that had been left formed a simple sketch of two pegasus ponies and a bunch of clouds.

"One day there was an accident at the factory. A ton of storm clouds broke loose and got all over the place," Thunderlane went on, looking to the others as they started to gather closer. "So of course, the colt jumped in and helped gather them up. And it turned out he was really good at it."

Thunderlane's hoof went back to the drawing and scratched a circle around the clouds. Spike started to open his mouth, but he snapped it shut again as the weather stallion's eyes shot to him. The reporter simply nodded and waved one hoof.

"So... thanks to the colt's help, the clouds got gathered up," Thunderlane went on, starting on another drawing. "They shipped to Fillydelphia in time for a big storm scheduled there."

Spike's eyes widened as the new picture came to a finish. A single cloud with a lightning bolt striking underneath it. His eyes darted around the others, seeing the same recognition in their eyes. It was the same image as Thunderlane's cutie mark.

"The next day, those storm clouds went out of control again," Thunderlane said with a heavy sigh. "They did a lot of damage down in Fillydelphia. And I was left wondering if things would have been better if I just hadn't interfered—"

"What?" Spike gasped out, his jaw dropping. "But Thunderlane, that's ridicul..."

He stopped, his mouth working as his voice stuttered to a halt. Thunderlane raised an eyebrow and motioned to Spike with one hoof. The unicorn's voice wouldn't come though.

Suddenly it was like a haze had been ripped away. Now Spike mind was reeling in the sudden light that flooded it. Stumbling in the blinding realization of what Thunderlane was poking at.

"No. No, this is completely diff..." Spike tried to speak again.

Once more his voice refused to work. Spike simply let his mouth hang open as he stared at Thunderlane in silence.

He couldn't help but notice the satisfied smirk the pegasus wore.

A purple hoof reached out, gently closing his mouth. Spike swallowed, and turned to find Cheerilee by his side.

"You know... I can sort of see. Why you'd feel like it's your fault, that is," she said, lowering her hoof again. "It's just... well—"

"You're being silly, Spike!" Ditzy Doo suddenly broke in, her wings flapping cheerfully.

The teacher looked up and let out a relieved sigh.

"I suppose that's one way to put it," Cheerilee said, a light chuckle slipping out.

A strange numbness was overtaking Spike, his legs shaking uncontrollably. His vision blurred as he quickly wiped his eyes again. A few tears were left on his hoof as somepony else cleared their throat.

"Spike, you were a colt trying to do the right thing," Time Turner spoke from Big Mac's back. "There's no need to blame yourself for... well, for any of this!"

Spike shook his head in disbelief, his hat nearly falling off his head. He could feel something in his throat, forcing him to breathe in short gulps.

"You guys..." Spike realized, looking among the others. "You guys don't hate me?"

"'Course not," Big Mac stated, his voice shocked. "Thar's no reason to."

Spike's breath stuttered to a halt as the words registered. Something sparked deep within as he looked over the others before him.

The only five ponies that had been willing to listen to him.

The ones that, in spite of everything he'd expected, were looking at him without a hint of anger among them.

Twilight raced to his side and wrapped her arms around his leg. Spike looked down to her, his mind still racing. Words and thoughts spun through his head, struggling to find an outlet.

"Thank you..." he finally croaked out, a chuckle actually escaping shortly after.

"Oh thank goodness," Celestia breathed out alongside a sigh of relief.

For a second, even she had been worried about what Thunderlane might have done. As it stood she could feel nothing but relief, a few tears coming to her eyes as Spike finally found his voice again.

"Thank you..." he croaked out.

Spike's voice echoed through the darkness around Celestia. A rather impressive feat considering there was seemingly nothing for the sound to bounce from. It was a strangeness that Celestia had grown used to in the pitch blackness that served as her prison. As far as she'd been able to tell there were only two things not made of shadow in this place.

Herself, and the images Nightmare Moon kept sending her.

Projected before her eyes onto what she could only assume was a wall had been everything Nightmare Moon witnessed. Large enough to take up almost the entirety of the field of vision.

At that moment, the "screen" was filled with an aerial view of the Ponyville citizens in the forest. Spike had his head low, a few tears pooling by his hooves. Twilight swung herself up onto Spike's back, hugging him tight as she did. Thunderlane stepped over, adjusting the unicorn's hat.

"I guess I've been pretty stupid," Spike admitted, lifting his head again. "Haven't I?"

"Well... yeah," Thunderlane said, his wings slumping. "But it hasn't exactly been a good night for anypony."

"Yeah," Ditzy Doo agreed "Especially with the fog, the cliff, the Ursas..."

"I think we get the picture," Time Turner chimed in, patting Big Mac's side. "More importantly, we should get back on task. The elements are still out there, remember?"

"Eeeyup," Big Mac said with a nod.

"Everypony ready to go then?" Cheerilee asked, looking to the others.

Spike simply nodded in response as a chorus of agreements rang around him.

Celestia smiled, and began to try and wipe her eyes. Black chains tightened around her leg, clinking softly as they tugged against some distant anchor. She lowered her hoof silently, feeling the tension around her limbs and wings lessen somewhat.

"How touching..." A sinister voice suddenly hissed out. "Touching and informative..."

The image of Spike and the others suddenly blinked out. Celestia's head snapped up to the darkness before her. Flecks of stars began to pepper two amorphous areas, constantly shifting and twinkling. Shadows peeled back to reveal metallic-blue armor. A sneer appeared beneath a pair of eyes as Nightmare Moon completed her appearance before the captive alicorn.

Celestia scowled and tried to turn her head away. The chains rattled again, preventing even this simple motion. Nightmare Moon was mirroring the scowl as she stomped forward, her armored hoofsteps ringing all around.

"Come to pay a visit?" Celestia asked, her voice as flat as her mane. "I'm honored, sister."

"Spare me the games, Celestia! Is what that little foal said true?" Nightmare Moon fumed, stomping closer. "You had somepony to stand against me... and you sent them away!?"

Celestia remained silent, her eyes darting to the ground.

Her mind, however, was racing. She could feel the invisible chains around her, but her mind turned inward. She could still feel her magic, pent up deep inside. Nightmare Moon was standing right before her. The brief second of silence almost felt like hours to the sun princess as her thoughts spun.

All too soon something cold slithered around her throat. Celestia gasped in horror as Nightmare Moon's mane pulled her head up, forcing the two to lock eyes.

"I'm in no mood!" Nightmare Moon shouted. "Now answer me!"

Celestia struggled to inhale, her eyes catching sight of the aura gripping her. The phantom mane filled with tiny stars. She could almost feel the microscopic lights reflecting in her eyes as something sparked inside.

"It's true," Celestia gasped out around her captor's grip.

The mane retreated, confusion flooding the black alicorn's features. Celestia coughed a bit as she slumped back down. She quickly pulled herself back up, steadying herself into a more regal position.

"This is some sort of trick, isn't it!?" Nightmare Moon shouted, simply staring at her captive. "You're not stupid, Celestia! You knew how this was going to end between us!"

"I'm not perfect either," Celestia admitted, closing her eyes as she let the memories filter through her mind. "If only Spike knew the whole story, he wouldn't have beat himself up so much."

Celestia could feel a flicker of energy passing through her body. She smiled inwardly as she opened her eyes again. Nightmare Moon still stared at her, nostrils flaring as she glared at the white alicorn.

"Even as talented as she was with illusions, I knew what Trixie was doing," Celestia spoke as she lowered her head slightly. "But for so long I'd hoped I could change her."

The bit of magical energy inside grew. Celestia shook her head, trying to keep her composure and focus on her memories.

"Of course I could have made her behave," Celestia went on. "One word of punishment from me and she'd have promised anything,"

"Instead you chose not to act until that foalish little colt ousted her to everypony," Nightmare Moon said with a sneer. "I'd love to hear the reason behind that."

Celestia look at where the projection of Spike had been and let out a wistful sigh. She turned her gaze inwards again, and slowly nodded.

"Trixie had to see that there were opinions other than mine that mattered," Celestia explained, gently rubbing her hoof against the ground. "When I found out about Spike's article, I realized I could use it as a test."

She took a deep breath, and her horn began to shimmer. She could feel the miniscule amounts of magic squeezing past the chains around her. Nightmare Moon gasped, her mane expanding as a blob of light appeared between her and Celestia.

Celestia focused, her magic swirling and settling to the ground. Slowly it began to grow, reconstructing just as she remembered it. A wooden desk in a small office. A white unicorn with a pink mane seated behind it.

The sun princess couldn't help but smile a little at the sight of her old disguise. Nightmare Moon's mane calmed, and she looked over the image. Celestia felt a certain sense of pride as even the Mare of Darkness gave a small nod of approval

"I hoped that the uncovering of her wrong doings would inspire a change in Trixie," Celestia said as she forced more magic through the bindings. "Regrettably, I underestimated two things..."

She swallowed hard as she watched the lights expand further. Slowly a blue filly was added to the image, seated on the other side of the desk. At her hooves appeared a tiny, purple dragon. A purple colt with a short, green mane completed the construct, positioned in the seat next to the filly.

"Just how well written Spike's article would be..." Celestia continued before taking a deep breath. "And how much Trixie cared about her position."

With one last application of will, Celestia's memory began to play out.

"Well, Miss Lulamoon?" Celestia's disguised past-self asked, her voice echoing through the halls of memory and the strange prison. "Care to explain yourself?"

"It's... it's all a lie, Principal Sunny Skies!" the filly shouted, stamping her hoof before pointing at the colt. "Spike's always been jealous of me! He's just tryin' to get me in trouble!"

"No, I'm not!" Spike shouted, shaking his head and looking desperately to the princess. "Trixie's been doing this stuff for—"

"You don't have to say anymore, Mr. Flail. Your article speaks for itself," praised "Sunny Skies". "I have to add, it's quite well done."

Spike fell silent, but a little smile came to his face. He looked to the dragon near Trixie, who smiled back and gave him a little wave. Trixie, however, was gaping in horror as the disguised princess turned back to her.

"Trixie, I'm certain you're aware we do not abide cheating or bullying at this school," the projected Celestia spoke. "I'm afraid Princess Celestia wishes to speak with you privately about this. I'm sorry to say that she's not certain whether you'll continue to be a student here..."

The voice faded as all the illusions shattered. All but Trixie who stood there, staring up Celestia herself.

The white princess's breath hitched as she locked eyes with her own memory construct.

"He took Twilight... and even convinced Principal Sunny Skies to expel me!" the filly Trixie said, tears running down her cheeks. "But... but you believe me, right? Spike's the one that should be in trouble, not me!"

The false Trixie burst apart as well as Celestia lowered her head in shame. She could see fragments of her former illusion scattered about, but suddenly their importance was lost to her.

"That... that was where I made my biggest mistake. Even after everything else, I could have given her another chance," she admitted, her voice fading. "I could have tried to make her see the error of her ways. To change her..."

"But you didn't," Nightmare Moon's voice broke the silence as she stalked closer.

Celestia counted the hoofsteps as her sister moved. Only a small part of her was even sure why anymore.

"I was frightened... and foolish," she admitted, staring at the few specks of light like they'd offer reassurances. "Even faced with what she'd done, Trixie refused to acknowledge it. She was too in love with the power she thought she deserved..."

The hoofsteps continued. Four. Five. Six.

"I became so worried that no matter how hard I tried... that I wouldn't be able to protect her," Celestia's body shuddered as she spoke. "Protect her from giving in to temptation... from falling to the darkness..."

Seven. Eight. Nightmare Moon's hooves were surrounded by the barely visible fragments of Celestia's illusion. Equestria's ruler blinked, her mind barely recalling her plan.

"Just like I failed to save you," Celestia breathed out, raising her head again. "I used Spike to test Trixie... and to test my resolve. And we both failed."

Nightmare Moon stopped in place, eyes narrowing at her prisoner. Celestia simply met the glare, feeling the burn of the hatred. The anger was almost overwhelming as the dark alicorn's horn began to glow.

"So you just pushed her aside like you did me," Nightmare Moon snarled. "Send me to the moon, expel your own student... it's all the same isn't it?"

"If I could change the past, I'd do so in a heartbeat," Celestia stated, looking back to the sparks by her sister's hooves. "As it stands... I'll have to settle for doing what I can right now!"

Her horn flared, and thin lines of light shot between the fragments. Nightmare Moon gasped in horror as the shadows suddenly fled from around her. A web of golden light rose from the ground, tangling into the stars in her mane.

"No!" Nightmare Moon roared, trying to pull away. "CELESTIA!"

Celestia watched as the threads of light only tangled deeper as her captor's mane tried to expand. Slowly, her heartbeat returned as she watched her trap come to fruition.

"You insolent — do you really think this will hold me?!" Nightmare Moon shouted, some of the threads snapping as yanked her head back. "Unlike you, only my mind is in this prison—"

"Which means it isn't out there," Celestia spoke, her own gaze narrowing. "Which means my little ponies have a reprieve, however brief, from you."

Realization came to her sister's face. Celestia felt a small spark of triumph light within as the Mare of Darkness strained against her bindings.

Chapter 17

Wind. Moonlight. Blurs of color and sound.

Everything was just a blinding streak, tinged silver by the full moon above. Dead ahead, almost like a beacon shone on it, was Canterlot Castle. Its shimmering spires almost looked like they were gilded in silver.

She banked hard, wings pumping through the air as she steered toward the battlements. She could just make out a group of armored figures standing on it.

Her wings pumped frantically, trying to stop...

WHAM!

Rainbow Dash gasped in horror, her eyes snapping open.

Bright, artificial light immediately tore into her pupils. The sky blue mare's stinging eyes slammed shut as her hooves flailed. She could feel her limbs tangling in some kind of fabric as she thrashed on the oddly soft surface beneath her.

With a final cry of alarm, she tumbled from her perch. Her aching body made a heavy thud as it impacted against cold tile. The weather manager lay in place for a few moments, her head spinning as she took deep breaths. Slowly, she worked her hooves under herself and began to push up.

Rainbow Dash cracked her eyes open again, and found herself surrounded by a barrier of white curtains. A bed sat silently next to her, the mattress squishing pleasantly under her forehooves as she pulled herself up. Her wings flicked out, casting the pure-white sheets that had followed her off the bed from her body.

The word "hospital" was the first thing to work into her skull. It was quickly followed by a wave of pain, prompting her hoof to rise. Her wings snapped shut as she felt something thick and soft wrapped around her head. As she lowered her hoof again, the trailing end of a bandage fell into her vision.

"Ugh..." she groaned to nopony in particular. "Wha... what happened?"

Her brain struggled to answer the question, images from her dream pushing through the pain. Slowly her mission bubbled to the surface of her mind, and her eyes widened in realization.

"Canterlot!" she gasped, sliding a bit on the sheets as she got her hooves moving. "The guards... gotta find them..."

Dash's head throbbed once more as she moved for the curtains. She reached out, quickly swiping away the barrier of white fabric...

Her rose-colored eyes blinked in surprise. A gray earth stallion waited on the other side of the curtain. He stumbled back a few steps, giving Dash a brief glimpse of the newspaper cutie mark on his flank.

"Well, glad to see you're up!" the stallion said in an excited whisper. "Quite the little show you made coming into town, wasn't it?"

"Show? What are you..." Dash winced as her head throbbed again. "Wait a second. Just who are you? And where am I?!"

The earth stallion hurriedly shushed her, looking over his shoulder as he did. Rainbow Dash followed his gaze, finding a closed door with a window set above it. Her heart sank slightly, noticing the dark and starry sky beyond the glass.

"You don't remember? You musta crashed harder than anypony guessed," the stallion said, still speaking softly. "You're in Canterlot, bright eyes! Came flying in like a comet. Almost smashed right into the Captain of the Guards from what I saw..."

The earth pony's voice continued, but Rainbow Dash quickly tuned him out. Her smile had been returning since the word "Canterlot". Suddenly her headache was fading, her thoughts becoming much more focused.

She moved to take a step forward, when suddenly one of the stallion's hooves jumped in front of her. The mare could just make out the words "Press Pass" on the laminated card nestled in it. Her cross-eyed gaze was quickly drawn down the cord attached to the card, which hung from the new stallion's neck.

"... But where are my manners? Name's Ink Blot," the gray pony said with a grin. "Editor-in-Chief for the Canterlot Sun—"

Rainbow Dash's muscles suddenly locked up. Her hoof, raised to take a step, stomped back to the ground.

"Wait a second!" she interrupted, pushing Ink Blot's hoof away. "The Canterlot Sun? And you're the pony in charge?"

Her eyes narrowed, her mind recalling a certain purple pony. The unicorn standing over everypony else as Nightmare Moon appeared behind him. Him trembling in fear as she confronted him. The same sort of press pass that Ink Blot held, tucked into the band of the stallion's hat.

Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed as her head began pounding once more. This time with a rush of blood rather than pain.

"That's me," Ink Blot said as his pass dropped back to his chest. "And after your entrance into town you're... umm..."

The gray stallion trailed off, finally seeming to notice Rainbow Dash's glare. She snorted, her hoof scraping the ground as her wings flared. Ink Blot swallowed hard as the weather manager began stomping toward him.

"So you're the one that sent that traitor to Ponyville!" she shouted, causing the stallion to jump in shock.

"T-traitor?!" Ink Blot parroted, backing away. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb!" Rainbow Dash snarled, eyes narrowing. "That Purple Prose was all over the place, talking about how he worked for your newspaper!"

"Double P?" Ink Blot gasped out.

He stumbled, his flank pressing against the far wall. Dash could hear another gulp as he glanced back at the solid stone. The sky blue pony ignored her slowly returning headache as she continued to close in on the frightened stallion. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could hear the creaking of a door.

"Now just back up a second, I've known Prose for ages!" Ink Blot shouted, raising a hoof defensively. "Just what do you mean 'traitor?'"

"That's exactly what I'd like to know!" a new voice suddenly chimed in.

Rainbow Dash turned with a start. The door that Ink Blot had looked to before was open. Standing in it was a white unicorn in elaborate, purple armor with a stern glare in his eyes. Dash's gaze moved past him, causing her to rub her eyes in disbelief. She could almost swear there was a pink alicorn following directly behind the newcomer.

"Captain Shining Armor..." Ink Blot spoke up, scooting away from Dash. "I-I thought you were going with those guards to look for the princess."

Rainbow's jaw dropped as the words rang in her ears. "Captain Shining Armor's" eyes remained on both the editor and Dash as he stepped fully into the room.

"I was going to, until this filly made her entrance," Shining Armor answered, stepping clear of the door. "She mentioned something about Ponyville before she passed out. Princess Cadence and I both thought it might be smart to hear what she had to say. Before the newspapers showed up."

The pink alicorn followed Shining Armor into the room, causing Dash's eyes to nearly pop from her head. There was a rustle of motion as Ink Blot dropped into a swift bow. Before Dash could offer the same respects, the princess raised one of her hooves.

"Please, don't worry about formalities now," Cadence pleaded, her eyes tearing slightly. "I... I just want to know what happened to my Auntie Celestia."

"Well that's what I'm here for!" Rainbow Dash volunteered, stepping forward as she ignored the returning headache. "You won't believe what's been happening down in Ponyville!"

All attention was on her immediately, and Dash swelled a bit with pride. The guard captain's narrowed gaze, however, sent a shudder down her spine.

"Then why don't we start with that Purple Prose you mentioned?" Shining Armor requested, his armored hooves clanking against the floor as he moved closer. "I'd like to know just why you're calling my younger brother a traitor."

Rainbow Dash could feel her jaw scrape the floor.

Spike's eyes were wide in disbelief.

For the first time since Nightmare Moon's escape, the night seemed almost peaceful. A soft breeze blew through Spike's mane, lilting up to the branches overhead. The leaves shook and rattled, their shadows dancing on the ground under his hooves.

The unblemished surface of the moon hung over the trees, its light shining on the path before him. In a way, it almost felt as though the celestial orb were trying to apologize. Trying to make amends for being forced into the sky by its alicorn mistress.

The unicorn's wide-eyed gaze wasn't on the moon, however. Rather, he found himself staring to the far side of a ravine. Caught under the silver spotlight, tangled with vines and moss, stood a collection of half-collapsed walls. Spike could see a short flight of stairs leading up to a wooden door set into the wall.

Somehow, a part of his mind managed to question how the door remained when barely any of the stone did. His head turned, looking to the other five ponies nearby, all of whom seem locked in various levels of awe.

"Well now," Time Turner spoke from Big Mac's back. "Call me overly optimistic but... I think that might be the place."

"The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters..." Cheerilee gasped out, one hoof covering her mouth. "It looks just like the pictures from the book!"

Spike blinked, his mind catching up to the conversation. He gave the purple mare a quizzical look.

"Wait, seriously?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well... you know," Cheerilee said, blushing a bit. "More like what's left of it, I guess."

"It sure looks like it's a thousand years old," Thunderlane commented, hovering over the rest of the group with his forehooves crossed.

A sudden yelp from Time Turner drew Spike's eyes to him again. Big Mac was slowly plodding to the edge of the ravine, still carrying the smaller earth pony. Spike gave the ledge a cautious look, but followed as the red stallion turned to a pair of stone pillars sprouting nearby. Ancient ropes wrapped around the stones and ran across the chasm, with planks of aged wood bound between them.

"Don't look very sturdy," Mac commented, tapping one of the pillars with his forehoof.

Spike took a step away as the whole bridge gave a slight shudder. A sharp pain jabbed into his shoulders as Twilight's claws tightened along his back. He looked back, finding the little dragon trembling as she stared at the drop before them.

"Not more cliffs..." Twilight moaned, clinging tighter to Spike. "Please, no more cliffs..."

"It'll be okay, Twi. Maybe... maybe somepony can fly you across," Spike suggested as he gave her a gentle nuzzle. "I'll bet Ditzy would love to give you another ride. Right, Ditzy?"

There was no answer, no bubbly cry of "Sure thing!" or "Of course!". Only silence.

"Ditzy?" Cheerilee asked, her hooves scraping against the ground as she turned.

Spike followed her example, his head tilting in curiosity as he found the gray pegasus. Both of Ditzy's eyes were focused straight ahead, completely locked on the castle. Her wings twitched erratically as Spike took a cautious step toward her.

"Uh... Ditzy?" he asked, waving a hoof in front of her face.

"That's the... that's where the elements are..." Ditzy finally spoke, a smile slowly coming to her muzzle. "That's really it, right? The Elements of Harmony are in there?"

Spike glanced over his shoulder, seeing the others all turning toward Ditzy as well.

"If Cheerilee's story is anything to go by," Time Turner answered with a quick nod. "Then it's a definite—"

"Hang on, Dinky!" Ditzy suddenly shouted.

Spike's ears suddenly popped as the air pressure around him fluctuated in the wake of a gray cannonball. Twilight let out a surprised cry, her claws tangling into the reporter's mane as he slid all the way back to the bridge. Spike could feel his hat rip itself from his head, caught in Ditzy's slipstream as she raced toward the remains of the castle.

"—Possibility," Time Turner finished, his eyes wide. "Oh dear."

The reporter's eyes were wide as he stared at the spot Ditzy had been standing. A rough outline of her formed of twigs, dust, and other debris remained in her place for a split-second before collapsing into a small heap. His head turned, spotting a whirl of gray streaking toward the far side of the ravine.

"Hey Ditzy!" Thunderlane called out, wings pumping as he flew after the mare. "Wait for us!"

There was a clatter of hooves that Spike vaguely realized belonged to Cheerilee and Big Mac. Before he could say a word, the duo dashed past him. The reporter bit down on his lip as he heard Time Turner shouting something to Mac. Whatever he was saying was ignored as the two mobile earth ponies raced across the bridge, setting the whole thing bouncing and swaying.

"You were saying?" Twilight whispered in Spike's ear.

Big Mac and Cheerilee had already finished crossing, but were still running. Spike gave the bridge a worried look as its motions slowed.

"Just... hang on tight, okay?" Spike said, taking a deep breath.

He could hear the ropes strain as he started after the others, bounding onto the bridge at a full gallop. Twilight's whimper rang in his ear as he willed himself not to look down between the boards. His gaze instead locked on the others up ahead, already charging up to the doors of the ancient palace.

Spike's lungs burned as he closed his eyes, trying to shut out the creak of wood and the sickening sway of the ropes. Something crunched under his hooves, nearly stopping his heart. He pushed himself faster, trying to outrace the mental image of the collapsing bridge—

"Spike!" Twilight shouted, yanking on his mane. "Spike, stop!"

The unicorn reared back at the pull, nearly flipping onto his back. His eyes flew open in shock...

His forehooves fell back to solid ground. Panting for breath, Spike glanced back to see the still-standing bridge far behind him. Twilight chuckled, hugging his neck tight before the two let out simultaneous sighs of relief.

Something soft suddenly settled onto his head, drawing his eyes up. His hat greeted him, along with a hoof straightening the feather quill. Turning, he found Cheerilee smiling as she lowered her leg.

"I think you might have dropped this," she said with a light chuckle.

"Thanks," Spike said, adjusting the cap himself out of habit. "How's Ditzy... whoa..."

He looked past the teacher, eyes going wide. There was no sign of the others, but Ditzy had made their path pretty clear. Even if there had been more than one way to go, the still spinning leaves and wind-carved furrow in the ground were easy to spot. It all formed a trail leading up the stairs to the castle door... which Spike noted, suddenly seemed to be swinging on busted hinges.

"Did Ditzy do all this?" Twilight asked, jumping from Spike's back.

"She might have gotten a little... over excited," Cheerilee admitted, before smiling and starting toward the castle. "Come on, the others are already inside!"

Spike gave the damaged trail one last look, before shaking his head and trotting after her. Twilight plodded alongside him, letting out a low whistle as they passed the doors. The heavy, wooden structure seemed to be barely holding on, swaying a bit in the gentle breeze.

"Oh my goodness," Cheerilee gasped out from up ahead.

Spike turned forward, his heart jumping at Cheerilee's gasp. He dashed the last few steps between the two of them, and skidded to a halt. His eyes slowly widened at the sight that awaited him.

Past the doors, in the ruins themselves, Spike found himself in what looked like an old ballroom. Cracked and broken pillars lined the walls, framing empty window arches. No roof remained overhead, allowing the moon's light to cascade into the center of the room.

The others stood perfectly still, staring at where the light fell. An elaborate statue, pitted with age rose before them. A statue with five orbs of marble, each carved with a jewel-like shape, set onto stone arms around a larger orb. Spike and Cheerilee slowly walked up, joining the others.

"We found them..." Ditzy Doo said, looking unhurt despite the splinters and dust on her coat. "We found them! The Elements of Harmony!"

Ditzy began jumping up and down in place, her wings lifting her higher and higher each time. Spike watched her, feeling a smile come to his own muzzle as the mare continued her odd celebration.

"So it would seem," Time Turner spoke up, pointing up at the statue. "I guess the first order of business is to get them down here."

"I'm on it," Thunderlane volunteered, his wings snapping open.

"Yeah! I'll help!" Ditzy cheered, flitting into the air toward the statue.

Spike's smile immediately collapsed as the pegasus mare approached the statue. Even from a distance he could make out small pits and cracks in the orbs. Twilight's claws gripped his leg, apparently recalling the moment they'd met the mailmare. The thoughts of Ditzy running into him were compounded with images of the stones before them smashing on the ground.

"Ditzy, hold up—" Thunderlane cut in, his wings giving a powerful flap.

Thunderlane surged forward, getting just under Ditzy as she gripped her hooves around one of the stones. The mailmare didn't seem to be listening as she tugged upward on her prize.

"Whoa!" she gasped as it came loose, causing her to shoot an extra foot into the air.

Spike joined the collective gasp with the others as the wall-eyed mare wavered in midair. She quickly steadied though, looking at the sphere she held in confusion.

"It's a lot lighter than it looks," she commented, slowly gliding to the ground with it.

A mass sigh of relief sounded around Spike. He felt the growing tightness in his chest fade as the orb gently clinked against the ground. One of his hooves moved over his heart, assuring him that it was beating once again.

As the pair of pegasi flew to the next stones, Spike took a step closer to the one on the ground. Despite the flaws in its surface, it almost seemed to shine under the light coming from above. It almost looked like a tiny moon itself as Spike ran the edge of his hoof along the jewel carved into it.

As Ditzy and Thunderlane descended with the next stones, all eyes were on them. None of the group gave the moon above a second glance.

Not even as a shadow flickered across its surface and its light seemed to dim slightly.

Nightmare Moon was seething as she glared up at her moon.

The last remnants of golden thread fell from her cloudy body as she raced over the trees. If Celestia had any comments to add to the night princess' latest escape, she was saying them to herself. The Mare of Darkness could feel Celestia's frustrated glare from around the chains now binding her muzzle and horn.

There was no time to enjoy putting the sun princess in her place, though. Reflected in the moon's silver surface, Nightmare Moon could see the ruins of an ancient castle. More importantly; she could see six ponies and one dragon gathered in a circle, with five marble stones sitting in the middle of their group.

The dark alicorn let out a snarl, pushing herself to move faster. The treetops bent below her as her senses continued to focus on her goal. Slowly, she could hear the voices of the ponies leaking across the distance.

"Welp," Big Mac spoke up, placing one hoof on top of the closest stone. "That's all o' them."

"Wait..." Spike said, raising an eyebrow. "There's only five. What about the sixth element?"

"There was something in the story about that, remember?" Twilight pointed out as she stepped closer to the stones. "The 'spark' that makes the last element appear."

"Very good, Twilight," Cheerilee said with a proud smile as she gave the baby dragon a pat on the head. "The story said that, when the other five elements are united, they make a spark that brings out the sixth one."

Seven expectant pairs of eyes turned to the stones. Nightmare Moon almost wanted to laugh at the sight. She set her jaw though, drowning the urge in her anger.

There was still a chance, however slim, that it might happen.

She looked back up. The ponies still stood around five inert stones. Ditzy's wings were beginning to slump as she reached forward and prodded one of them.

"Hmm, perhaps there's more to it?" Time Turner suggested, watching as the orb rocked indifferently at the poke. "I mean, if it all it took was them being together than the last element would be here right now."

"Maybe the batteries are dead?" Ditzy Doo suggested, looking to the others.

Silence fell among the ponies. The blond mare seemed to be the only one actually thinking about the question. The others all looked like they couldn't tell if she was serious.

"Hey, wait a second," Thunderlane said, rolling one of the stones between his hooves. "How can we even be sure these are the elements?"

Nightmare Moon knew she didn't even have hooves to trip over in her shadowy form. That knowledge somehow failed to keep her from stumbling in midair at Thunderlane's words.

"What did he say?" she asked, her flight coming to a halt.

"What do you mean?" Big Mac asked, staring at the other stallion.

"Come on, guys. Would you just leave the elements sitting out in the open?" he continued, rolling the stone back to its brothers. "These were part of a statue. What if they're just some kind of decoration?"

Nightmare Moon could hear a muffled shout of disbelief from her sister. The black pony stared up at the image her moon showed her, a chuckle working its way from her throat.

"They don't recognize them..." she realized, her laughter growing. "Those little foals don't recognize the Elements of Harmony!"

The worry that had driven Nightmare Moon was suddenly dissolving as she hovered in place. Peals of laughter rained from her cloudy body, hidden behind a howling wind. The tree branches below rattled in the noise as she twisted in midair, rolling about in her mirth.

"I don't know," another voice spoke up. "Something doesn't seem right."

Nightmare Moon's laughter slowed and died as she looked back up to the moon. Spike stood by the elements, looking over them curiously.

"If it were a decoration, why not have all six?" he asked, kneeling in front of the elements with a curious expression.

"If we had a way to test them, that would be something," Time Turner responded, rubbing his chin. "I'm not really sure how we could do that, though."

"Maybe it's like Ditzy said?" Twilight suggested, suddenly looking up with a dawning realization on her face. "Maybe they need a recharge... a 'spark' of magic?"

Nightmare Moon's jaw dropped, the night becoming deathly quiet around her.

"You have to be kidding me," she muttered as Spike's horn began to shimmer.

"I've got enough juice left to try," Spike volunteered. "Let's see...."

The others took a few steps back, watching a green glow wrapped around the five stones.

The treetops beneath Nightmare Moon were sheared flat as she took off toward the distant castle.

Spike's tongue stuck from the side of his muzzle. Green light wreathed around his horn, surrounding the stone orbs in front of him. His magic slowly worked its way over their surfaces, prodding into the flaws. His brow furrowed as the light seemed to stop just outside of any of the imperfections.

"Any luck, Spike?" Cheerilee's voice asked from behind him.

The unicorn's breathing was growing heavier. His head was starting to pound as the light around his horn flickered. The stones remained still before him though, even as he struggled to pour more magic into them. He grit his teeth, feeling the energy rebounding from the pits and cracks.

"I... I don't know..." he panted out, his eye twitching from the strain. "It's like these things are trying to keep me out!"

Something began to falter inside, the lights around the stones fading. Spike's vision blurred as his mind pushed harder to stabilize the power. The glow began to steady, the magic forcing itself harder against its targets.

"Hey, Spike?" Thunderlane's voice was actually worried as he spoke up. "You're not looking so good."

"Maybe we should try to get these back to Ponyville instead?" Time Turner chimed in, his voice wavering slightly. "We still have help coming from Canterlot, after all..."

Spike pushed himself to his hooves, his legs trembling under his own weight. He could feel his magic slipping away, just like at the cliff.

The cliff.

The unicorn clenched his eyes shut, trying to force back the helpless feeling. The sensation of being utterly useless to the others. His frustration mounted as he pushed harder, scraping for every inch of magic he could get.

"No..." he spoke through gritted teeth. "I... I can do this..."

"Spike..." Twilight said, her voice sounding like she was chewing on her claws. "Please... you're gonna hurt yourself—"

"Look guys!" Ditzy suddenly gasped. "Something's happening!"

Spike's eyes snapped open and widened in shock. The stones were beginning to lift off the ground, his magic still glowing bright around them. His magic gripped tighter around the orbs, the light slowly brightening...

The rocks shuddered, and suddenly began to spin around one another. Spike's brow furrowed, his magic fading at the sight. A chill breeze blew through the open door, sending a shudder down Spike's spine.

"Well... that's somethin'," Big Mac commented, stepping up behind the unicorn. "Dunno if it helps any..."

"I didn't do that," Spike said, his horn extinguishing completely. "I... I don't know what's happening..."

The carved orbs still spun, black winds carrying them in a tighter and tighter orbit. All six ponies backed away as the winds gathered into a tornado, blocking any sight of the treasures they carried. Spike gasped as a pair of furious eyes appeared within the windstorm, glaring out at them.

"Oh my gosh..." Twilight muttered, falling onto her scaly rear. "It's Nightmare Moon!"

"And if she's after those stones—" Time Turner began.

The realization slammed into Spike, followed closely by powerful winds. His hooves braced against the ground, sending up a few sparks as he was shoved back. A rattle of hooves and shouts of surprise indicated the others suffering similar fates behind him. A terrible roar echoed from within the tornado as it began to lift from the ground.

"NO!" Spike shouted. "The elements!"

The young stallion was running before he was even aware his hooves had moved. The eyes on the funnel cloud narrowed at him as it slowly rose toward the sky. Winds shot out again, trying to push Spike away once more. Somepony was yelling something behind him. He could hear a flapping of wings trying to join him as he powered through the gale.

With a final burst of strength, he lunged into the air. The winds whipped at his mane in one final attempt to shove him back. Spike could feel his horn carving a path through the storm, like an arrow loosed from a bow...

"SPIKE!" six other voices called out.

Then everything was lost in a rush of noise and darkness as he plunged into the storm.

The winds tore at Spike's body as he twisted in their grip. Around him, the five marble orbs that made up the Elements of Harmony spun wildly. His body trembled as the tornado tried to pull him in every direction it could. His legs contorted painfully even as he tried to draw them in, almost lost completely to the storm's mercy. His horn sparked fitfully as he struggled to remember something, anything to protect himself.

"Come on, come on!" he shouted at himself over the noise of the tornado. "Work, work, work..."

He could feel the shape of the magic. Pictures floated through his mind of a simple bubble of light. The white colt laughing with him as he rolled around in it like a hamster ball.

Something clicked inside. A flimsy bubble of green light shone into being around Spike. Immediately, the winds around him ceased. His legs snapped closed against his body, shaking from the undue stress put on them.

"Yes!" Spike cheered, right before noticing the lift the winds provided had also cut out. "Uh oh... Whoa!"

With a deafening crash like breaking glass, Spike's shield struck the floor. The entire construct shattered apart, fragments fading back to the aether and leaving the unicorn in a heap on the ground. He took a deep breath, eyes scanning around as several thunks echoed around him.

Forming a small circle around him, were the Elements of Harmony. Spike stared in shock for a moment, before letting out a breathless chuckle.

"I did it..." he realized, looking up. "I did it! Guys, I got... them..."

His enthusiasm faded, his eyes shrunk to pinpricks.

The black storm was gone, allowing him to see just where he had landed. There was no sign of the others, or even of the statue that had marked the center of the room. An abandoned dais sat before him, and the long walk leading up to it gave the impression of a throne room.

And standing on the dais, glaring down at him, was a pitch-black alicorn adorned in metallic-blue armor.

"No, my little pony," Nightmare Moon growled, her eyes glowing silver as she stepped forward. "I've got you."

Chapter 18

Twilight's claws were going numb as she gripped Cheerilee's mane while the teacher ran full gallop. The little dragon was vaguely aware of her stomach doing flip-flops as she bounced along the mare's back. The fact that her heart was pounding hard enough to burst distracted her from that fact.

She kept her gaze firmly ahead, toward the tower just across the old castle's grounds. Flashes of silver light emanated from the shattered windows high up, followed by peals of thunder. Icy dread squeezed at Twilight's chest as she tightened her hold on the school teacher.

"He's in there," she whispered to herself. "We'll make it, we'll make it..."

Twilight's fangs dug into her lower lip. Each passing second ticked through her head with a sense of finality. She couldn't even think of how long it had been since everypony had seen the lights. Since Cheerilee had scooped her up and raced outside, making a bee-line for the tower.

It had certainly been more time than she'd have liked.

"Hurry up, guys!" Thunderlane called from up ahead.

Twilight's gaze moved up. She could see the pegasus stallion highlighted by the moonlight as he flew over the old castle grounds. Ditzy was just barely ahead of him as they shot toward their target.

"Don't hold back now, Big Macintosh!" Time Turner's voice chimed in.

Looking back, Twilight spotted the large stallion trailing behind. Big Mac loped along awkwardly, trying to keep his back as straight as possible as he ran. Time Turner's forehooves were wrapped around the farmer's neck, pulling tighter as he clenched his jaw.

"You sure?" Mac asked, eyes darting back to his passenger.

"Spike needs help," Time Turner responded. "We'll worry about my back later!"

The red pony nodded, his eyes snapping straight ahead. Twilight and Cheerilee both gasped as Big Mac charged, quickly pulling ahead of even the pegasus ponies. Time Turner's body bounced and flopped haphazardly the whole way, but somehow managed not to fall off completely.

"Hang on, Twilight!" Cheerilee ordered, her pace quickening.

The lavender dragon nodded, her eyes narrowing as she looked back toward their goal. She crouched low, the wind flapping at her ear fins as Cheerilee pushed herself faster. Big Mac was already leading the rush up the winding front steps, blasting open the rotting doors at the top with a well-placed kick.

"Hang in there, Spike," Twilight whispered, almost prayed as the larger stallion let the others pass ahead. "Help is on the way!"

In a small corner of Spike's mind, one question was whimpered out.

How can this get any worse?

Lightning flashed across the throne room as he stared up at Nightmare Moon. His ears rang with the thunder that echoed off the cracked pillars and walls. Chills ran up and down his body from the winds that accompanied her flaring wings.

Spike's eyes darted back down, landing on the five stone orbs at his hooves. The Elements of Harmony, the only power in Equestria that could possibly stop the Mare of Darkness, sat in a stoic circle around him. His head still pounded from his earlier attempts to get them to do anything other than glint in the moonlight.

He looked back up and cringed instinctively. Nightmare Moon was leering down her muzzle at him from the ancient dais. Her eyes were locked straight on him, her mane spiraling overhead. The dark alicorn had the air of one ready to rip apart the only pony standing between her and her final victory.

No chance that she'd give him another shot at charging the elements.

The answer to the earlier question was suddenly very obvious.

You're about to find out.

Despite the burning sensation that his horn gave, Spike willed his magic into being. A momentary scent of smoke reached his nose, but he forced himself to ignore it. His eyes lit up as a barrier of green light materialized around him and the elements.

"You're kidding," Nightmare Moon scoffed, lowering her head and snorting. "You're kidding, right?"

Spike said nothing, simply squaring his shoulders. Nightmare Moon pawed at the ground, aiming her horn at him. The shield trembled, and the ice filling Spike's chest made each breath he took hurt. He frantically began to look around, struggling to find something, some source of salvation before his fragile bubble was destroyed.

Only one exit met his eyes as he looked over his shoulder: a darkened stairwell leading down. An empty doorway framed the entrance to the steps. Only a vast stretch of dusty chamber sat between him and it, illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the windows.

No pony to see him other than Nightmare Moon.

No one to judge if he simply ditched the elements and ran—

NO!

Spike mentally smacked himself, sending the consideration screaming from his mind. He could picture the five ponies he'd followed into the forest. The ones that had forgiven him. The ones that needed the stones sitting around him.

His hooves dug into the marble floor as he forced them to stay in place. He panted as he poured all of his focus into the barrier around him. Spike's eyes lifted to Nightmare Moon once again, his jaw clenched in determination.

His heart still leapt to his throat as she began to charge.

The young stallion could feel the ground trembling as her hooves thundered against it. Her horn's sharp tip flashed with each patch of moonlight she passed through. Spike's limbs remained anchored in place, his brain racing for some kind of answer. For a way to get the elements away before Nightmare Moon reached them—

Something bumped against his leg. Spike looked down, seeing one of the stone orbs rolling back and forth with the shaking of the floor.

A white unicorn colt laughed along with him as a sphere of magenta magic flared up. Spike let out a joyful cheer as he bumped against the inside of the shield, sending it rolling downhill.

The reporter's eyes went wide. He looked back up, seeing Nightmare Moon only a few strides away from impact. Spike's head screamed in protest as his horn blazed brighter, the image of his foalhood game standing out in his mind.

"Come on..." he panted, his vision blurring. "Come on!"

The elements crowded around his hooves as the bottom of the dome shrank in. Spike held his breath as the entire shield became much tighter, the stones pressing against his sides. A light-headed feeling washed through him as the force-field finished its change, evening out into as perfect a sphere as he could manage.

CRUNCH

Nightmare Moon's impact shuddered through the barrier, and through Spike's skull. He let out a breathless cry of agony as his head exploded with pain. His mouth snapped shut again as the word spun wildly around him. The sudden lurch of his stomach was ignored as he realized where he was going.

Despite the sickening blur of floor, ceiling, and walls, Spike could make out the doorframe growing closer. A smile grew on his muzzle as his ball-shaped barrier carried on the momentum of Nightmare Moon's attack. All five elements rattled around him, jostling in the violent spinning of their magical makeshift vehicle.

"Hang on guys!" Spike shouted as he fought back the urge to vomit. "The Elements of Harmony are on their way!"

A laugh forced itself from his chest as the doorframe spun out of view again.

That laugh died as the door returned to his vision. This time with Nightmare Moon standing between him and it.

A mass of starry mane lashed out, slamming into the shield. Spike howled in pain as everything flew sideways.

SMASH

The shield shattered to pieces, fragments of emerald light flying in every direction. The world continued to spin, even as Spike's body slammed into the unyielding stone floor. Five loud thunks indicated the elements striking the ground around him. The purple unicorn moaned, struggling to lift his pounding head. His eyes flickered open, dual images of everything spinning around one another as his stomach twisted.

Spike blinked rapidly, his vision trying to pull itself back together. Two quartets of armored hooves stomped closer to him, and his eyes followed them up. His heart nearly stopped as he found stereo images of Nightmare Moon's face glaring down at him.

"You little foal!" the dual alicorns growled, their eyes blazing with white fire. "Did you really think that you could escape me?"

Phantasmal clouds of stars reached from the Nightmare Moons' manes. Ten stone orbs lifted from the floor, surrounded by their magical grip. For a brief moment, Spike's spinning mind wondered where the second set of elements had come from.

Everything suddenly snapped back together. Spike gasped in horror as the Elements of Harmony floated away, grasped tight in the alicorn's mane.

"Well you've failed!" she shouted.

Spike closed his eyes, feeling each dull pulse of his heart race through his aching skull. His mouth tasted like ash as tears started to gather behind his eyelids.

His breath hitched in his throat as images of the others floated through his mind. Ditzy cradling Dinky and sobbing, Cheerilee staring horrified around Town Hall, Thunderlane frantically trying to avenge his brother...

"You'll never see your princess or your sun ever again!" Nightmare Moon continued, laughter breaking through her speech "And the night... the night shall last FOREVER!"

Thunder pealed from the walls, joining her maniacal glee. Spike's eyes snapped open, his horn feeling like it was on fire. The heat rushed through his entire body, the ashy taste in his mouth growing stronger.

"NO!" he shouted, a nimbus of green light shining forth.

The Elements stopped between him and Nightmare Moon. Green light shone around each of them, struggling to pull them back. Spike's head screamed in protest even as his senses began to fade in and out. All that was consistent was the burning sensation as he scoured his body for any energy it could spare.

"You would still defy me?!" Nightmare Moon's voice seemed to echo as her burning eyes turned on him.

Spike took in a ragged breath, hearing it whistle over his dry tongue. The elements trembled as they slowly drew closer to the mare. Spike could feel his hooves leaving scratches in the floor as he was dragged along with them.

"My friends..." he grunted, pulling his head back as he tried to reel the stones in. "My friends need those..."

Friends

He blinked in surprise at his own words. Silver light reached his eyes before he could consider them further. Spike looked to Nightmare Moon, and felt his heart finally shudder to a halt. The alicorn's horn was sparkling with silver electricity, a small orb of it gathering on the tip.

"How touching..." she snarled, pointing her horn at the stallion. "And ultimately futile!"

Spike's vision was blurring, his eyes somehow finding enough water to tear up. He looked to the elements, giving another fruitless tug. The whine of Nightmare Moon's spell echoed about the chamber, rattling his teeth as he clenched his jaw.

"HEADS UP!"

A new voice broke through over the sound of the spell. Both Spike and Nightmare Moon's heads turned to the doorway just in time for a dark blur to swoop in.

"Wha—GAH!" Nightmare Moon shouted as the blur tweaked her horn on the way past.

The lightning orb vanished with a harsh crackle of discharging electricity. Spike's jaw dropped as the familiar form of a dark-coated pegasus pulled a U-turn overhead.

"Thunderlane!?" Spike shouted as the winged stallion dove toward the elements.

The weather pony grabbed hold of one of the stones in his forehooves. His wings beat frantically, struggling to pull it back toward the purple unicorn.

"I can't believe... you tried to get the elements back... by yourself," the pegasus grunted, glancing back to Spike as he pulled. "I don't know if you're the craziest pony I've ever met, or the bravest!"

A ripple of energy closed Spike's mouth before he could respond. Nightmare Moon's horn was flaring again as she glared at the both of them.

"You insolent little—" she growled.

A lighter gray blur slammed into the back of her head, cutting the alicorn off mid-threat. Her helmet shifted, riding up her horn and covering her eyes. A cry of rage echoed from her muzzle as she shook her head, trying to clear her vision.

"Tag!" Ditzy Doo cheered as she clumsily flapped over Nightmare Moon's head. "You're it!"

Nightmare Moon howled in frustration, stumbling away from Spike. The unicorn's jaw dropped as he stared up at the Ponyville mailmare. Ditzy had a huge smile as she landed in front of him, her eyes sparkling.

"You're okay! We were so worried about you, Spike!" Ditzy said, very quickly. "I mean after Nightmare Moon disappeared and we—"

"Ditzy!" Thunderlane admonished, his wings still straining. "Kinda need to focus here!"

"Oh, right!" Ditzy gasped, wings flaring out as she leapt back into the air. "Sorry!"

As Ditzy grabbed another of the stones and joined in the pulling, the sound of hooves on stone brought Spike's attention back to the door. His magic faltered at the sight of Cheerilee charging in, past Nightmare Moon's flailing form. A bundle of purple scales launched itself from the teacher's back as she drew close, almost knocking Spike to the ground as it reached him.

"Spike!" Twilight's voice shouted as he suddenly found himself in another scaly embrace.

Spike grunted, his spell almost flickering out completely as Twilight collided with him. Somehow he managed to keep the glow around the stones, and a rather welcome warmth pressed against his side.

"Oh my gosh, you're burning up!" Cheerilee exclaimed, giving him a worried look as she helped support his weight. "How much magic have you been using?"

"I..." Spike started to answer, his mind still in shock.

A wave of nausea passed through the young reporter, but he pushed it down as more hooves rang throughout the chamber. Big Mac charged in, skidding to a stop as he passed one of the lower hanging elements. Time Turner's forehooves lunged out, snatching the stone as his rear legs tightened around Mac's shoulders.

"Well would you look at that?" Time Turner exclaimed, sounding almost stunned. "I caught it!"

"Eeyup," Mac grunted, trying to pull back with the other earth stallion and his prize.

As the red giant strained, Time Turner glanced back to Spike. His joy quickly faded, concern shining through his blue eyes as Spike tried to stop the wobbling in his legs. He could already feel Twilight joining in the worry, her claws gently patting the side of his neck.

"Spike... you gonna..." Big Mac grunted as he tried again to step backward. "Be alright?"

The element remained stubbornly in place, along with the ones Ditzy and Thunderlane pulled. Spike's green aura continued to war with Nightmare Moon's starry grip as he stared at the others in awe.

Little by little, he could feel a warmth growing inside of him. Not the burn of his desperate push for energy. Something soft and comforting, like it were trying to soothe the pain running through his body.

"I... I'll be fine, guys," he said, feeling the warmth move into his horn. "Come on, we've got some elements to save!"

The green light around the elements seemed to shine brighter. A few joyful gasps rang out as the stones slowly began to pull backwards. Spike's eyes shone with the reflected light from his spell as he watched the goal of their journey draw closer and closer.

"Oh no!" Twilight's fearful voice suddenly rang out. "Guys, watch out!"

The air rippled, followed closely by everything else. A silver aura shone around Spike, quickly overpowering the light of his own horn. He could see a similar glow surrounding the others right before gravity shifted around him.

Spike screamed as he flew backward again, joined by six other screaming blurs. His voice cut out as the agonizingly familiar texture of stone slammed into his body. Rather than simply falling this time though, he could feel the pressure increase. His back pressed harder against the wall, his lungs struggling to inflate. The unicorn strained against the magic holding him, craning his neck to try and find the others.

"No..." he wheezed out, barely able to squeeze the word past his lips.

Cheerilee and Twilight were closest, pinned to the ground beneath him with their eyes wide in fear. Time Turner had tumbled to the floor, laying flat on his stomach as the silver light splayed out his hooves. None of the three seemed able to move a muscle, other than their eyes which flickered in every direction possible.

Big Mac was still next to Time Turner, his body shaking as though he were holding back another Ursa paw. He was panting, his mighty legs looking like they would buckle any second. Ditzy Doo and Thunderlane both struggled to move their wings, threatening creaking sounds issuing forth as the magic restrained them.

Fear gripping his frozen throat, Spike lifted his eyes from the others. There was only one possible source for what was happening, and for a second he wondered how he could have ignored her.

Nightmare Moon's entire body danced with white sparks, crackling especially hard around her horn. The stars in her mane flared and burst into blinding supernovas, only adding to the shower that was making the tiles glow beneath her hooves. As the mare opened her mouth, her words seemed to echo from all around the room.

"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!"

Spike tried to focus. He could feel the magic build in his horn, only to stop at the overcoat of silver around him. Before he could try and push harder, the spell rebounded back into his skull. He couldn't even shout in pain as a splitting migraine reignited.

"Do you know how long I've waited for this chance?!" Nightmare Moon shouted, her volume only making Spike's headache worse. "Did you think you could stop me?"

Spike didn't need to look at the others. He could feel their fear growing around him, how they struggled harder against their magical bonds. Even as they did, the Elements of Harmony began to float around the raging alicorn. Spike winced, redoubling his efforts, struggling to undo the spell that held him. Only a fresh rush of pain responded to his attempt, the magic fizzling out before it even reached his horn.

"You wasted your time chasing some foalish legend!" Nightmare Moon admonished. "These stones can't save you!"

A crackle of energy filled the room, and Spike's eyes went wide. The sparks flying around Nightmare Moon were travelling up her horn, gathering into another orb. One at least twice the size of what she had charged earlier, and still growing larger.

"Nor can anything else!" she shouted, pointing the spell toward her captives.

A horrid shriek suddenly filled the room, the whining scrape of metal against ancient stone. Spike started to wince away from the noise, but his eyes had instinctively tracked it to its source. Despite the paralyzing magic around him, he managed to widen his eyes in shock.

Somehow, Big Mac was pushing his legs forward. The red pony was panting, every muscle in his huge body working in tandem to place himself between the Mare of Darkness and the others.

"Mac..." Spike gasped, his jaw still barely managing to open.

"And just what is this?" Nightmare Moon challenged, glaring at the stallion. "Trying to beg for mercy?"

"Like Ah told... that Ursa..." Big Mac grunted, bracing his hooves against the ground and raising his head. "You want... mah friends? You git... through me!"

Spike held his breath as silence reigned for a brief moment. Only the crackling of Nightmare Moon's spell could be heard.

"Very well."

Spike's heart dropped to his hooves. A blinding white filled his vision as the alicorn's spell flew forth. The tight grip of the magic around him seemed to lessen in the wake of the powerful spell, giving his jaw freedom to open once more.

"MAC!" he managed to shout, right before everything was lost in a flash of magic.

The power receded. Nightmare Moon breathed out, feeling her mane calm once more. The sparks of energy ceased flying from her coat as she watched the cloud of dust that now obscured half of the throne room.

Something trembled next to her ear, and she turned to find the elements still floating in the grip of her mane. Something shook inside each one, almost as though anticipating what was to come. At the same time, she could hear Celestia's muffled sobs ringing from her dark prison.

"Oh, don't worry," she said to her captives. "I haven't forgotten about any of you."

The dark alicorn's smile slowly returned as she began to turn away from the results of her magic. Celestia's crying was softening, working down to a choked whimper. The Elements of Harmony slowly began to spin around Nightmare Moon as she gave them one last, long look.

"Mac..." a quiet voice whispered.

Black wings snapped out at the sound of the new voice. Nightmare Moon spun back to the dust cloud, her eyes narrowing. Somehow, she could have sworn the red stallion's name had been uttered from within it.

"Mac?" the voice spoke again, louder this time.

Her jaw dropped, her eyes widening in disbelief as she recognized it.

The dust cloud was speaking with Spike's voice.

"That's impossible," Nightmare Moon spoke, mostly to herself, as she watched the dust settle. "Nothing could have—"

Her voice choked to a halt as the last of the cloud fell away.

A shimmering wall of red energy stood before her. The last few sparks of her destructive spell fell from it as Big Macintosh watched from the other side. The stallion simply stood in place, staring at the shield in disbelief as the others (aside from Time Turner) slowly rose back to their hooves behind him.

"Whoa..." Thunderlane breathed out, staring at the wall. "Did you do that, Big Mac?"

"Ummm..." Big Mac responded, his head turning to the pegasus. "Ah... dunno."

"He couldn't have!" Nightmare Moon shouted, unable to suppress her shock.

Seven pairs of frightened eyes suddenly darted to her. For once, she didn't relish in the fear. She didn't even stop to think wonder why the paralyzing spell around them had faded, or think about the sudden warmth flowing through her mane.

"You're a simple earth pony! You can't use magic!" Nightmare Moon protested, stomping closer to the barrier. "There's no way... you..."

Her voice trailed off as a red glow off to the side joined the warmth she had been ignoring. The alicorn's head jerked, and she gaped in horror.

One of the Elements of Harmony was glowing. A gentle, red light, like the rising sun. More importantly, it was also getting hotter, wisps of smoke rising from the lock of her mane that held it. Before she could follow through on her instinct and release it, the stone suddenly pulled itself free from her grasp.

Nightmare Moon let out a cry of pain, the starry cloud working to patch itself as the orb escaped. Her horn sparked frantically, silver energy wrapping around the element only to slide off like water. The element swiftly flew through the shield and hovered in front of Big Mac, pulsing slowly right in the stallion's face.

"No! This can't - how could—" Nightmare Moon stammered, her magic reaching out again as one simple phrase managed to fight its way from her mouth. "What did you do!?"

The silver spell vanished again as it met red light. Big Mac simply looked from the stone to Nightmare Moon in response, confusion etched across his features.

"Loyalty," Spike's voice suddenly spoke up.

There was a shuffling of hooves (and a rustle as Time Turner pushed himself up as well as he could) as everypony looked to the purple stallion. Spike's face was lit up, his eyes shining in amazement.

For some reason, Nightmare Moon could feel her stomach twist at the sight of his expression.

"Loyalty?" Twilight repeated, already voicing the alicorn's question. "What are you talking about?"

"That was one of the elements, wasn't it?," Spike explained, looking at the red giant as a grin began to spread. "Mac, you... you stood up to Nightmare Moon for our sakes. You wouldn't let her hurt us. You..."

His eyes went to the glowing stone again.

"I think you woke up the Element of Loyalty," Spike realized.

Something crept into Nightmare Moon's chest at that. An unfamiliar chill as the others stared at Spike in shock. Something that she could only define as "fear" no matter how ridiculous she tried to convince herself it sounded.

"That can't be!" Nightmare Moon protested, wings still flared as her magic telekinesis sparked uselessly against the shield again. "Nopony has used the elements in one-thousand years! There's no way some - some farmer could—"

"Well... why not?" Cheerilee's voice suddenly cut in. "Maybe Spike is on to something!"

Nightmare Moon's withering glare moved to the teacher. Much to her surprise, though, Cheerilee didn't seem to notice. Instead, the purple mare looked contemplatively at Big Mac. The others were as well, Time Turner even managing to raise a hoof to his chin.

"Come to think of it, it's not like this is the first time tonight," the tan stallion spoke up, smiling to the giant. "You led the charge into the forest in the first place, Big Mac. You wanted to find the elements to help Apple Bloom."

"Don't forget the Ursa Minor!" Spike pointed out, jumping in before the farmer could say anything. "You kept it from stomping me and Cheerilee flat all on your own! If that's not loyalty, then what would you call it?"

Though it was hard to tell through the shield, Nightmare Moon could swear the stallion turned a shade redder.

"... Doing the right thing," Big Mac answered with a shrug of his mighty shoulders. "That ain't nothing special, right?"

The element actually seemed to pulse a little brighter with that statement. Big Mac looked at it again, gasping in shock as it began to slowly orbit around him. The red light pulsed softly, playing off his yoke before feeding into the barrier around them all.

"Wow..." Thunderlane interjected.

"Looks like the elements think otherwise," Cheerilee pointed out as Mac amazingly seemed to shrink a bit under all the attention.

Nightmare Moon's jaw dropped as she struggled to find something to say. Someway to convince herself and the universe that what was happening now couldn't be. A growl slowly rose in her throat as she watched a small smile appear on Big Mac's muzzle, a smile that began to spread itself among the others.

She forced a deep breath into her lungs. Her grip on the other four stones tightened, assuring her that they were still cold and inert. Her horn began to spark again, white lights dancing around it and drawing the attention of those behind the shield.

"It hardly matters," she said, lowering her wings. "One element won't save you."

She could sense the smiles fading as her magic built within. Her mind was calm as she looked at the barrier of light. The power was building quickly, it would just take more of it than she originally planned on to break through. Already a few of the ponies on the other side of it were looking worried.

"Spike? I hate to say it, but she's right," Thunderlane spoke up, his voice trembling a bit. " One element doesn't do much for us right now."

Looking to the purple stallion, Nightmare Moon felt a twinge of anger flicker across her mind. The stallion was looking from the four stones in her mane to the other ponies around him. His smile hadn't faded. If anything it was growing. The dark princess could feel excitement bursting through him, like a child on the verge of solving a riddle.

"Then it's a good thing we've got more," he finally said.

"What?" Nightmare Moon responded, almost losing her spell in the process.

"What?" Thunderlane repeated, only for Spike to jab him with one hoof.

"Like you, Thunderlane," Spike said. "You represent honesty!"

"Me?!" Thunderlane gasped out, eyes going wide as he backed away from Spike. "What are you—"

"Remember what happened after Twilight fell?" Spike asked, stepping after the pegasus. "Or how about when I told you guys about Trixie?"

Something trembled through Nightmare Moon's mane. Another of the stones was beginning to grow warm. She could feel the fear returning as she drew in magic faster. Thunderlane, in the meanwhile, simply poked at the ground with his hoof.

"You... you were acting stupid! Both times," Thunderlane said, giving Spike a hard glare. "You tried to jump off a cliff, for Celestia's sake! Somepony had to wake you up before you got yourself hurt."

"That wuz you," Big Mac spoke up, causing Thunderlane's wings to stiffen in shock. "Both times."

"I would have gotten myself killed if you hadn't made me face the truth," Spike confessed, lowering his head. "You... you saved my life when you did that..."

The stallion swallowed hard before lifting his head, an apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry about your nose," he said, straightening out his hat.

Nightmare Moon bit her lip. She could feel the spell trembling within her, almost ready to be unleashed. Thunderlane snorted a bit, wiping at the end of his muzzle as he looked at Spike.

"I guess... maybe I had it coming after the hospital," he confessed before casting his gaze down again.

The burning in her mane suddenly flared, a burst of orange light tearing its way free. Nightmare Moon howled in frustration as the second element soared through the shield, easily outracing her attempts to recapture it. She could only watch as Thunderlane tried to back away from the stone, only for it to begin orbiting around him.

"This can't be!" Nightmare Moon shouted, her magic flaring brighter with the rage burning from within. "Whatever trick you're trying to pull, it ends here!"

White energy lashed from her horn, slamming into the shield. Her eyes widened as an orange light mixed into the red though. She strained, forcing more magic into the spell, only for it to ricochet back toward her.

The alicorn's eyes flared, a silver shield of her own stopping the blast as it approached. The burst of sparks faded quickly, allowing her to see the other barrier once more. Inside, Thunderlane's wings were spread and his eyes were wide in shock. Slowly, he lowered his wings and looked to the element floating around him.

"Alright..." he admitted, looking back to Spike's smiling face as he caught his breath. "Maybe you are onto something."

"Oh cool!" Ditzy cheered, suddenly springing into the air with a huge grin on her face. "Hey guys, do you think I get an element too?"

"NO!" Nightmare Moon shouted, her shield dropping.

"Of course!" Twilight countered, jumping onto Spike's back.

The alicorn could feel another glow starting. Her mane swiftly wrapped tighter and thicker around the three remaining orbs. She had to bury them, deeper into the phantom darkness along with Celestia. Even focused on her task, though, she couldn't help but hear every word the little dragon's excited voice said.

"When Ditzy found me in the forest, I was too scared to even move," Twilight explained. "So she made me smile and helped me forget about my fear! You're laughter, Ditzy, what else could you be?"

A blinding burst of blue shot from the folds of her hair. Nightmare Moon screamed as she twisted, barely avoided taking the stone to her face. It quickly joined the other two in the barrier, circling around the gray pegasus mare as she bobbed happily in midair.

"STOP THAT!" Nightmare Moon demanded, her voice trembling with rage and power.

Her breathing was becoming more and more frantic. Her mind whirled along with her mane, shutting out the noise of the last two elements as they dropped to the ground next to her. Her phantasmal hair lashed out, slamming into the barrier, straining to wrench it apart. Inside the three stones shone brighter as Big Mac, Ditzy, and Thunderlane rushed to the shield.

Lines of blue light raced through the defensive magic, joining the red and orange. Nightmare Moon grit her teeth as her mane spread over the shield, searching for some crack to slip into. Somehow she could still hear the words of the ponies within, even over the thunderous impacts of each lock of her mane.

"Cheerilee! How about that Ursa Major back in the cave?" Spike's voice rose above the din. "Most ponies I know would have run away, but you freed her! You even reunited Mama Ursa with her cub!"

"Kindness..." Cheerilee responded, a point of pink light appearing to Nightmare Moon's left.

"And Time Turner, you put yourself in danger to try and save Twilight at the cliff!" Spike went on. "Even after you got hurt, you tried to keep her safe!"

"I suppose that makes me generosity?" Time Turner's voice spoke up, igniting a purple glow.

The last two elements streaked forth, weaving around Nightmare Moon's mane. Just like before, they passed through the multi-colored barrier like it wasn't even there. Nightmare Moon stared in horror as swirls of pink and purple diffused through it.

A cry of pain leapt from her mouth as her mane began to sizzle against the shield. She hurriedly pulled it back, revealing the last two elements glowing around Cheerilee and Time Turner. Standing in a rough circle, the five orbited ponies stared at the barrier in awe.

In the middle of the circle was Spike. A smile was plastered across his face as he watched the stones continue to float and glow. Twilight stood next to him, her claws knit tight together as she stared at the lights.

"You've got it... Spike, you actually figured it out!" she gushed, turning to the stallion. "Now all we need is the last element!"

The last element

Those words rang through Nightmare Moon's mind. Her eyes darted amongst the floating orbs, counting them as quickly as she could. The name of each one slipped through her thoughts as she tallied them.

Loyalty. Honesty. Laughter. Kindness. Generosity.

Five.

A smile returned to the alicorn's face. She couldn't help the chuckle that slipped out as her wings and mane lowered once again. The laughter slowly grew, drawing seven pairs of eyes to her.

"Of course... the last element," she crooned, her smile growing into a twisted grin. "The one that you already tried to summon."

Spike cringed at the way she stressed "tried." His head lowered, the brim of his hat covering his eyes. Nightmare Moon stepped closer to the barrier, her smile growing even as the elements grew brighter with her approach.

"You couldn't produce the spark even with the other five right in front of you, could you?" she pointed out, her mane raising again. "Without that, there is no final element. Without the final element, the others are worthless!"

More lightning cracked around her as her head rolled back with laughter once more. She could feel it mingling with the thunder, echoing from the chamber's walls. Her gaze moved down, ready to take in the sight of the insolent foals cowering before.

Her mirth stopped, finding Spike gazing up at her instead.

"You're right... I couldn't do it," he admitted, as he waved a hoof to the others. "But my friends did!"

"What?!" Nightmare Moon screamed, her wings flaring.

Twilight and the five ponies around Spike seemed to share her sentiment. All of them stared at the unicorn as he put one hoof over his chest. He looked back over the others, a small smile on his muzzle, before turning back to the alicorn.

Something sparked deep within his green eyes. Terror lanced through the Mare of Darkness's heart as she pulled back from the group. The elements shone even brighter, forcing her to squint to see the unicorn.

"When these ponies... when my friends came to the rescue, that's when I felt it," Spike explained, his voice gaining strength. "The feeling like together, we could do anything! That was the spark!"

A blinding flash of white filled the air. Nightmare Moon instinctively began to turn away, but instead froze, her jaw dropping in shock. Hovering in the center of the light was another marble sphere. One that she hadn't seen in a millennium.

"It can't be..." she gasped, staring as the new element lowered itself through the barrier.

Spike looked up to it, the spark in his eyes glowing brighter. A green aura began to shine around his body, mingling with the colors of the other elements. His eyes fell back to the others, all of whom were smiling as each of them began to glow as well.

"I had it backwards," Twilight realized, her claws crossed over her chest. "The spark isn't produced by magic—"

"I wanted to help my friends. That's why I kept pushing myself!" Spike confirmed, raising his horn. "The 'spark' brought out the last element from me!"

Green light wrapped around the final stone. The other five ponies closed their eyes, colorful light raising from their bodies and linking to their own elements. Nightmare Moon shook her head, her breath coming in shallow gulps, her mind straining to find someway to stop what was coming.

"The Element of Magic!" Spike called out.

The shield around them broke apart, separating into individual bands of color. The unicorn closed his eyes as they coalesced into a blinding, white point overhead.

Deep inside, Nightmare Moon could feel something snap. Terror rushed through her senses. Her vision warped and swayed as magic fluxed around her, bending the very air surrounding her body.

"nO!" she screamed, her voice warbling with the flux. "I WilL noT Go baCk!"

Magic exploded away from her body in a tidal wave of silver light. She could feel every ounce of power she had pouring into the massive burst. Before her eyes, the world was awash in the color of her moon's light.

A single point of green appeared.

The white of her magic was flung away as it swirled around the six little ponies, each of their colorful auras reaching almost painful levels of brightness. Spike was actually floating a few feet from the ground, his horn touching the Element of Magic. The others were slowly lifting into the air, Twilight watching from below in amazement.

"No!" Nightmare Moon shouted, stumbling back, her legs trembling from the drain of her final spell. "You can't do this to me! Not again!"

Spike's eyes opened, revealing pools of white-hot light. The magic around the six coalesced into a single point overhead.

In a blinding rush, a cacophony of vibrant colors exploded toward the ceiling. A brilliant rainbow curved down, slamming into the ground before the alicorn. Her voice raised in one final scream as everything around her was lost in a beautiful spray of color...

Almost nothing but the rainbow could be seen. Through the thin gaps between the ribbons of color though, she could just make something out.

A white alicorn, her head bowed and her mane sagging to the floor.

"Why, Sister?!" Nightmare Moon howled as she felt herself being carried away by the light. "I thought you were my friend!"

The other princess raised her head. The Mare of Darkness fell silent, seeing tears pouring from her rosy eyes.

"I am your friend, Luna," she said, her tone filled with pain. "That's why I need to stop you."

Fear rushed through her senses. Nightmare Moon could feel herself fading away, everything going dark around her.

"Tia!" she screamed, desperately reaching for her sister.

"I-I'll forgive you..."

The other alicorn was choking on the words as she spoke them.

"I'll forgive you... whenever you're ready to ask..." she said, her head bowing again. "Maybe someday, you'll forgive me."

There was no time for anymore words. Everything vanished in a final, rainbow-colored burst.

And for the first time in one-thousand years, tears fell from Nightmare Moon's eyes. Pain shot through her heart as it filled with something she'd known once. An emotion she was suddenly intimately familiar with once more.

Regret

Chapter 19

The light was beautiful.

It was also almost blinding. At least, Spike had to assume that it was. For some reason he felt no need to shield his eyes, even as vibrant colors and flashes of white cascaded to every side of him. Everywhere he looked the ancient throne room was awash in light, scouring the shadows from beneath the pillars and rubble. It was almost as though two miniature suns had been born in the ruins.

Spike didn't have far to look to find the first of them. It was all around him and the five ponies that floated in his peripheral vision. A nimbus of pure white emanated from around them all, glowing especially brightly around the necks of the others. The light almost felt as though it were pouring through the unicorn, filling every cell of his body with warmth and energy.

The second sun was somehow even easier to spot, even though it was across the hall. A massive tornado of every color imaginable had consumed the point that, only moments ago, Nightmare Moon had stood. The last vestiges of her scream still lingered in Spike's ears, gradually fading into the strange white noise of the magic flowing through him.

It's over.

Those two simple words seem to ring through both Spike's head and the air around him.

"Yeah..." he agreed with a slow nod.

His eyes drifted closed as his head dropped to his chest. The warming sensation flowing through his body was slowly fading along with the light still penetrating his eyelids. He could feel the magic ebbing out of his body, replaced by an almost pleasant heaviness weighing at every muscle. The reporter could feel the extra weight dragging him back toward the ground. Around him echoed the clattering of five sets of hooves touching down just ahead of him.

His own legs reached the ground, hooves clopping gently against the aged marble. His legs trembled as they accepted their usual load once again. Spike let out a soft sigh as his limbs began to fold, his mind already fading to black as the last traces of the glorious light vanished. There was only the peaceful darkness inside his eyelids and the cool stone waiting to serve as his bed.

"Spike!"

A voice suddenly shot through the unicorn's ears, causing them to flatten in pain. His legs locked in a half-bent position as his eyes flew open. For a brief moment, he could see nothing but still-settling clouds of dust and five pony-shaped lumps laying around him.

A split-second later, his vision was filled with a purple, dragon-shaped blur.

"You did it!" the blur cheered in Twilight's voice as scaly arms locked around him. "You did it, you di... Spike?"

Spike couldn't answer with anything other than a strangled cough. His legs trembled frantically, trying to compensate for the additional weight of the baby dragoness. He had just enough time to register the concern in Twilight's eyes as she looked up from his chest before the world gave a sudden lurch around him.

WHAM

"... Ow..." Spike gasped out from his new position on the ground.

The unicorn let out a low groan, wondering just what had made the hard floor seem so inviting in the first place. All around him echoed confused grunts and moans as his vision swam in and out of focus.

"Ugh... wha...?" Thunderlane's voice grunted as a dark blob lifted itself from the floor.

"Oooh... tingly," Ditzy said from somewhere behind Spike, accompanied by a clattering of stumbling hooves.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Twilight's voice exclaimed.

The claws still linked around Spike released, and a fuzzy blob of purple stumbled back into his view. He could almost feel his pupils contracting as his vision tried to refocus itself. His sight sharpened as the purple blob approached, allowing him to make out the worried face of Twilight as she knelt next to him.

"I wasn't thinking," she said quickly, brushing over his side with one claw. "I was just so scared for a minute—"

"Twi..." Spike coughed as he cut off the dragon, his voice ragged and dry.

Still he managed to bring up a smile as he reached one hoof to her. Twilight leaned closer, only to burst into giggles as Spike tousled her head spines with a playful noogie.

"It's okay," he said his voice gaining strength as he lowered his limb again. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Twilight chuckled again, her face awash with relief. She shook her head, one claw wiping at her eyes as she smiled at the prone unicorn. Spike just smiled in return, his head flopping onto the ground and he squeezed his eyes shut. He slowly drew in a deep breath, letting the cold floor press against the ache on the side he'd landed on.

"How 'bout you?" a deep voice asked.

Opening his eyes, Spike found a quartet of red legs had joined Twilight. Following them up brought no surprises as he found Big Mac staring down at him. The earth pony reached out one massive hoof, offering it to the reporter.

"Ya feelin' alright?" Mac asked, leaning a little closer.

"Yeah, I'm—" Spike answered, hooking his leg over Mac's hoof.

The reporter cut off in a gasp as a light tug from the farm pony almost lifted him wholly from the ground. He stumbled, feeling his legs tangle and threaten to dump him back to the floor. The tiring sensation of weight vanished in a jolt as he barely managed to right himself.

"Ah-whoops," Mac grunted, quickly steadying Spike with his other hoof.

"Spike!" Twilight gasped, dashing up to his side.

"I'm okay!" Spike said, raising one hoof to his temple as he breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm... okay..."

His voice trailed off and his brow furrowed. His hat was missing, but he barely registered the fact. All Spike could notice was lack of pounding between his ears. No sense of pressure or heartbeat threatening to burst his ear drums. A broad grin began to cross his face, accompanied by a laugh as he looked to a slightly confused Mac and Twilight.

"I'm okay!" Spike realized, his voice raising into a cheer. "No more headache or... or anything!"

"Well," a new voice cut in from behind the unicorn. "I guess that makes two of us."

Spike spun around to face the speaker, his jaw immediately going slack at the sight that waited for him.

"Time Turner..." Cheerilee gasped in a soft voice.

The purple mare stood alongside her fellow earth pony, her eyes wide in shock and worry. Spike was hardly about to blame her as he stared at the tan stallion pushing off the ground next to her. Time Turner let out a low grunt as he arched his back, his body raising on bowed and shaking legs.

"Whoa there, TT," Thunderlane spoke up as he suddenly darted in from Spike's peripheral vision to the injured stallion's side. "Maybe you shouldn't be—"

The dark pegasus didn't get a chance to finish. With a sudden, delighted "WHOOP!", Time Turner launched himself into the air. Thunderlane stumbled back a step as the earth pony twisted awkwardly, barely righting himself before slamming back to the ground. Even as his hooves skidded, he looked up with a massive grin plastered to his face.

"Wow!" Ditzy cheered, her wings pumping hard as she hovered overhead. "Nice flip!"

"Wasn't it?" Time Turner cheered, looking to his back then to the others once more. "I'm good as new, just like Spike! It's like I never got hurt in the first place!"

The tan stallion's huge smile seemed contagious, as Spike couldn't help but join in as it spread to the others. Still his head tilted and his thoughts whirled, images of Time Turner floating through his head. Pictures of the earth pony stretched helpless across another's back, struggling to move his legs without pain. Now all contradicted by the laughing figure cantering in a circle around him.

"But... I don't get it," Spike admitted as he turned in place to keep up with Time Turner. "How'd we get healed?"

A light giggle answered him, and a purple limb put itself in the timekeeper's path. Time Turner stopped as Cheerilee's hoof gently tapped off his chest with a soft clink, drawing Spike's eyes down to it.

"I think these might have something to do with it," she explained, her hoof tapping off her own chest with a similar clink.

The unicorn's eyes widened again, heat rushing to his cheeks as the answer twinkled at him from plain sight. Time Turner seemed to be sharing the amazement (but not the embarrassment) as he put his hoof against the golden necklace that dangled from around his throat. Shaped like a pair of spread wings, it almost sparkled with a light of its own. Nestled between the two wings was deep purple crystal, expertly carved into the shape of a miniature hourglass.

"Well now," Time Turner said as he lifted the necklace to admire it better. "Isn't that something?"

"The Elements of Harmony..." Twilight gasped out, her claw tightening around Spike's leg.

Spike could see Cheerilee smiling as she nodded in confirmation. The pink flower in her necklace bounced against her chest a bit as she did. The purple stallion's gaze quickly turned to the other three, finding similar bejeweled accessories hanging from each of them.

"Oh cool!" Ditzy cheered as she landed, her eyes sparkling along with the sapphire bubbles she wore. "They look just like our cutie marks!"

"Yeah... I guess it's like Spike said," Thunderlane said, letting out a chuckle at his own orange lightning bolt. "Each of us represents an element. Right?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed with a slow nod, and causing the red apple necklace now hooked to his yoke to shake a little.

Something warm swelled in Spike's chest as he heard the praise. A tingling bubble that swiftly pushed its way through his body, popping out of his muzzle as a chuckle. His hoof rubbed at the back of his head as five smiling ponies all turned to look at him, his cheeks flushing ever darker. With a smile of his own, Spike's eyes turned down to his own chest.

"Huh?" he muttered, his smile fading.

Only his plain, purple coat met him. No glitter of a gold necklace set with a vibrant crystal. Before his confusion had a chance to root itself, however, something gently tapped against his side.

"Looking for something?" Twilight asked, a broad grin on her face as Spike spun to face her.

He didn't have a chance to answer before Twilight pulled something from behind her back. Dried out as they were, Spike could still feel his eyes widen again. His fedora sat in the dragon's claws, still as plain brown as ever.

The band that encircled it was another story, however. The normal cloth band with his press pass and quill was gone. In its place was a circlet of pure gold, a feather-shaped shard of brilliant emerald sticking from it where the quill had once sat. The gem seemed to glow softly with an inner light of its own, highlighting the tiny runes etched into the gold circlet.

Spike tried to speak, only for a stunned squeak to come out instead. Twilight giggled again, dashing around to his side. His sides twitched involuntarily at the feeling of the baby dragon's claws clambering onto him. Twilight's familiar weight settled onto his back, followed closely by the feeling of the hat and its new band alighting onto his head.

"Looking good, Spike," Twilight congratulated, hugging the back of his neck. "Looking reeeeeal good!"

Smatterings of chuckles from the others joined with Twilight's giggles. Spike simply smiled, his own voice coming back with a laugh of his own. His horn sparked, gently tilting the newly adorned hat to a rakish angle as he looked to the five ponies around him.

No sudden, booming voice cut off their mirth. No encroaching shadows threatened from behind anypony. Somehow Spike could feel his smile only growing wider as the joy spread amongst everyone present. Ditzy was fluttering around in circles overhead, which only seemed to add to everyone's laughter (appropriately enough, he realized). Even Big Macintosh wore a smile that took up his muzzle, his huge body shaking with a slow chuckle.

"We did it!" Spike cheered, leaping into the air and causing Twilight's laughter to jump with him. "We stopped Nightmare Moon!"

"You bet you did!" she agreed, gripping him even tighter.

Everything was becoming a pleasant buzz of laughter and excited talk around him. He could make out Ditzy saying something about getting back to the hospital. Thunderlane and Big Mac's voices agreed. Time Turner's voice sounded content just to enjoy laughing as he performed some strange, joyful dance around the group. While Cheerilee—

"Wait a minute everypony!"

Spike pricked his ears up at the teacher's voice, his consideration of joining Time Turner's dance coming to an end. Cheerilee's green eyes were narrowed, one shaking hoof pointing beyond their little circle toward the other side of the hall.

"If... if Nightmare Moon is gone," she stammered out, swallowing hard. "Then who's that?!"

Spike's breath cut short as he spun to where the mare pointed. His horn ignited, green light quickly driving back the weakening shadows of the throne room. His lungs were chilled, but still he forced them to take in short gulps of air...

Something lay underneath one of the shattered pillars across the room from them. His heart hammering in his chest, Spike took a shaky step forward. He could hear the others following along on hoof and wing as he drew closer to the figure.

He could feel his heart suddenly stop as he got a clear look at what waited there.

Darkness.

Nothing but silent, suffocating darkness surrounded her.

Teal eyes, half-lidded from exhaustion, slowly panned from side to side. Occasionally a lock of limp, blue mane passed into her vision. The sound of her own choked breath carried around her, only to die out almost as quickly as it left her mouth. Otherwise the darkness remained unchanged.

Ineffectual, crushing, and ever present.

Exactly as Nightmare Moon remembered it.

The alicorn's eyes closed as she curled on the hard, invisible floor beneath her. Boiling tears stung as they rolled down her cheeks, while another strangled sob shook her body. Oddly enough, behind her eyelids there was light. A blinding multitude of colors flying from six smaller ponies.

"No..." she moaned, cringing tighter in on herself.

She could feel the rainbow's burn, inside and out. Scouring away at her very core, weakening her even as everything faded to shadow again. Leaving her smaller, drained, and (most horribly) alone.

Alone for another thousand years.

If she was lucky.

"Not again..." she whimpered, unable to lift her head. "Please, not again. I only—"

"She's so much... smaller," the voice of a familiar, brown stallion suddenly interrupted.

"Y-yeah," agreed a second, so nervous she could almost picture the purple stallion it belonged to trembling.

The mare's eyes flew open, staring out into her prison. Somewhere, out in the distant shadows, a glimmer of light floated. Her eyes widened for a brief second, straining to understand what they were seeing.

Just as quickly, any care for an answer was thrown out.

A deep breath drew itself into her aching chest. Nightmare Moon's throat wavered with a barely audible groan as she pushed back to her hooves. Her wings spread, struggling to assist her balance as she tottered on unsteady, blue-coated hooves.

"Um... guys?" A mare's voice spoke this time, accompanied with fluttering wings.

The alicorn pushed her legs harder, eyes locked on the light as the voices continued to float from it. Her breath gradually grew stronger as it seemed to shine brighter, her stride gaining speed with each step.

"Maybe it isn't her?" suggested the gentle voice of a second mare.

"She's got the same cutie mark!" exclaimed a third stallion. "Besides, how many other alicorns can there be?"

The light was getting so close, it almost felt like it was moving toward her as well. Nightmare Moon swallowed hard as she managed to break into a full gallop. The shadows trembled as they were driven from around her.

"Guys!" the flapping mare's voice broke in. "I think she's—"

The light suddenly burst, forcing the mare to reel away as her vision flooded with a blinding white.

"—waking up!" the exclamation concluded.

The alicorn's head throbbed, her thoughts swimming as she fought her way back to consciousness. The sensation of lying on cold, hard stone greeted her. Somehow she was flat on the ground again, her nose filling with the musty scent of centuries-old dust. Slowly, one eye managed to force itself open.

The other eye followed suit before she could even think. Her head raised slightly, turning to take in her surroundings. Cracked marble tiles lay beneath her. Ruined pillars lined the walls, framing the empty window arches through which she could see a slowly lightening sky.

"The throne chamber?" she realized, her confusion finding a thin and weakened voice. "Equestria? But how—"

The crack of hoof on stone cut her off. Her eyes spun down to the source, a lump catching in her throat as she found it.

Six ponies were gathered near her. Six almost painfully familiar ponies, two of which had put themselves in front of the others. She could feel her pupils shrink to pinpricks as Thunderlane landed alongside Big Mac. The pair of stallions glared down at her...

But her eyes were drawn to the crystals glinting around their necks. Dread squeezed at her heart as the alicorn's gaze flitted past the duo before her. Similar jewelry adorned the other four, each crystal seeming to sparkle as she laid eyes on it. A faint, but undeniable spark of power threatening to surge forth. Her mind froze in terrified recognition as four simple words rang through it.

The Elements of Harmony

Her head lowered, her hooves flying over her eyes. Blurred images of rainbows flashed before them. Tingling memories of burning light traced over her coat as her wings flattened to her sides.

"No!" she shouted, her voice cracking in terror. "Please, no! I don't-I can't—"

Her voice died, refusing to speak any further. Every muscle tensed, ready for an encore of her latest defeat.

"We..." a deep, slow voice spoke up. "Uh... we sure it's her?"

One hoof moved from her eyes. The mare looked up, finding the red stallion turned to his pegasus partner. Big Mac had an uncertain frown on his face, worried eyes darting back to her.

"She sure isn't acting like Nightmare Moon," the trembling voice from earlier spoke up.

The purple unicorn cautiously walked up from behind. Something leapt from his back, toe claws clattering on the ground as she turned to stare at the alicorn. The mare could only stare at the baby dragon in return as Twilight looked from her back up to Spike.

"But... I mean the moon cutie mark and the wings and horn..." Thunderlane stammered, his wings folding up as he face creased with insecurity. "Who else could she be?"

"Perhaps I can help answer that."

The blue mare's heart stopped all together as a new voice carried throughout the throne hall.

"Oh no..." she squeaked out, slinking back toward the wall.

The room's other seven occupants were too preoccupied to notice, their heads swiveling in a search for the speaker. The alicorn's mind was spinning as she pressed against the stone behind her. Horrible comprehension was dawning on her, the reason that she wasn't back in her prison suddenly becoming clear.

The sky in the window across from her was growing brighter. Traces of yellow sunlight began to reach over the trees outside, tingeing the horizon with a variety of red and orange hues. Gasps rang out from the others as they watched the sun slowly lift itself into view, its light pouring through the shattered window. Light which gathered into a single column of pure white. The weakened mare's leg raised, shielding her eyes as the room was filled with a blinding flash.

She simply wanted to keep her eyes covered. A part of her begged, pleading that if only she didn't look upon her punisher she wouldn't actually appear.

"Princ..." Time Turner's voice gasped out. "Princess Celestia!"

She winced inwardly at her own foolishness. Her hoof reluctantly dropped back to the ground as her eyes cracked open once more.

The six ponies and the little dragon had their backs to her. It was a small comfort, and only a slightly smaller surprise given who stood where the blinding sunbeam had fallen. The sun shining through the window played gently off the alabaster-white coat and wings of the newly arrived alicorn, and seemed to add an extra sparkle to her flowing mane. Her rosy eyes looked down at the smaller ponies between the two of them, all of them staring up at the returned princess of the sun.

For a moment, the blue alicorn found herself in awe as well.

Then the rosy eyes lifted to the darker mare, and Celestia's small smile faded. The younger alicorn's heart leapt to her throat, dread flooding its way back into her thoughts. One thought pounded its way through her skull.

They saved me for her.

She pressed tighter against the wall, sorely aware of her drained powers. Of just how little magic remained within her body, even if the elements hadn't activated. Completely at the mercy of Celestia, no more than ten feet away and brimming with energy. Their eyes locked for what felt like an eternity.

Then a blur of gray shot up between them.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Ditzy Doo stammered, wobbling in midair as she hovered in place. "Princess Celestia! You're here! You're okay! You... you..."

The smaller of the two alicorns felt her heart skip a beat at the mailmare's sudden excitement. Somewhere deep inside her mind, a small voice uttered its thanks for the unexpected stay of execution.

"You can help Dinky and... and all the other foals!" Ditzy continued, not seeming to notice her friends gaping up at her. "N-Nightmare Moon put a curse on them and—"

Celestia's hoof lifted, and was gently placed over the pegasus pony's muzzle. Ditzy fell silent as Celestia's gaze locked fully on her, a smile returning to her face.

"Calm down, my little pony, it's alright," she said, her gaze flicking back to the former Mare of Darkness. "I already know all about that."

The darker alicorn felt something twist inside at the words. A chorus of screams and horrified wails echoed down the corridors of her memory. Parents pleading their children to wake up from the enchanted slumber they were trapped in. She could feel her stomach cramp as her eyes darted to Thunderlane, flashes of the stallion trying to assault her cloud filled her vision.

Cold fear poured into her chest, her already haggard breath almost stopping all-together. The memories of her curse continued to twist through her mind, the thoughts of the foals trapped in eternal sleep—

She nearly retched at the sudden bitterness joining the cold inside. A twist of guilt filling her mouth as she tried to remain silent. To avoid Celestia's notice for only a moment longer. She forced her eyes back up, and let out a small breath at the sight of the white alicorn's rosy eyes locked back on the mailmare.

"You don't need to worry any more," Celestia assured her subject, gently removing her hoof. "It's already been taken care of."

Celestia's hoof lowered, gently tapping the blue gem set in Ditzy's necklace. A clear, musical tone chimed from it at her touch. The same note vibrated through the other five, filling the air like a series of crystal bells and drowning out the screams filling the trembling mare's mind. Her ears still flattened against her head though, her eyes widening as sparks of green energy floated around the emerald in Spike's hat.

"The elements?" Spike asked, his levitation spell carefully lifting the hat and hovering it in front of him.

"The power unleashed by the Elements of Harmony wiped away Nightmare Moon's dark magic," Celestia explained, nodding to Ditzy. "By the time we return to Ponyville, your daughter will be awake. And very happy to see you, I'm sure."

The mailmare's hooves were at her mouth. Her wings gave two more erratic flaps before seizing up, causing her to drop. There was a clatter of hooves followed by a soft thump as Big Mac hurriedly placed himself beneath her, his back serving as Ditzy's crash pad.

"Th... thanks goodness..." she croaked out between a strange mix of giggles and sniffles. "D-did you guys hear that? Dinky and the others... they're gonna be okay!"

"Eeyup," Mac responded, his deep voice sounding slightly choked as he wiped at his eyes.

Something unclenched in the younger alicorn's stomach. A slight lessening of the pain as she saw several of the gathered ponies visibly slump in relief. The chill leeched away slightly, her breath easing at the news of her...

Her victims.

The bitter taste was still in her mouth. A slow clop of hoof on stone drew her attention before she could dwell on it, however. Her eyes grew wide as she turned to the source, finding the slowly approaching figure of Princess Celestia filling her vision.

No...

"You've saved more than you can ever imagine this day, my little ponies," Celestia stated as she marched past the seven observers. "Not only the foals of Ponyville, but all the rest of Equestria as well..."

The white alicorn stopped before the blue. Teal eyes filled with tears before closing, the smaller mare lowering her head as she trembled in horror.

It's over...

The two simple words echoed through her consciousness, a single truth she couldn't escape.

"... and even my younger sister."

Silence hung, thick and heavy following the words. The night-marked alicorn opened her eyes to stare up to Celestia, her jaw falling to her chest.

"Sister?" a collective of seven other voices rang out.

"Celestia?" the blue mare said, her voice thin and reedy. "Wh—"

A soft, white hoof brought her question to a halt. Celestia carefully removed the appendage in question, shaking her head as she did so.

"Please," she requested in a soft whisper, her wings lifted slightly to block out the others. "I just... I just need you to listen for a moment, Luna."

Luna

The name hung in the air between them, her heart skipping a beat at the sound of it. She could only stare numbly as the sun princess turned to face six very confused little ponies, and an equally confused baby dragon. Thunderlane in particular appeared to have developed an odd twitch in his eye, his wings flicking in and out sporadically.

"Wait... wait, wait, wait," he said, shaking his head and pointing to Luna. "Sister?! That... she's Nightmare Moon, right?"

"There's so much more to this, Thunderlane," Celestia answered, her head lowered. "I assume you're all familiar with the story of Nightmare Moon?"

Luna bit down on her lip in the quiet that followed, her mind spinning as she tried to sort out why the question had even come up. Somepony among the group cleared their throat, and Spike stepped forward.

"Well..." he said, his voice trailing. "Yeah..."

"A thousand years ago," Twilight jumped in, her claws knit together as she stood by Spike's side. "Nightmare Moon tried to shroud Equestria in eternal night—"

"But do any of you know why?" Celestia asked, cutting the dragon off.

The silence was so thick she could taste it. The spinning gears in Luna's mind sputtered, and ground to halt in exhaustion. She simply watched on in a silent acceptance of her position as an outsider to her own story being told.

"It was jealousy... at least according to the story," Cheerilee said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "She felt she wasn't as loved as the Sun Princess, because the ponies always slept through her night."

"Exactly," Celestia confirmed with a slow nod. "Those feelings of envy grew into resentment, which eventually corrupted the Moon Princess."

Luna could feel the lump rising in her throat again, one hoof covering her mouth as she held back a sob. She tried to swallow as Celestia turned back to her; lowering her graceful, white-coated body to the floor. One feathered wing brushed over Luna's shoulder before lifting her chin, bringing her gaze to a pair of tear-filled, rose-colored eyes.

"I... I ignored your loneliness and envy, thinking you would simply grow past it," Celestia said, her voice cracking as she blinked back tears. "By the time I realized how bad it was, it was too late... and using the elements only made things worse."

The others in the room had gone silent. They could have been screaming at the top of their lungs for all Luna cared, though. Suddenly the entire rest of the world was gone. It was simply her and Celestia, facing one another.

"I'm just as much at fault for Nightmare Moon," Celestia said, her voice cracking as she visibly struggled to push the words out. "I've hated myself for so long for what I had to do..."

Luna's mouth was dry as she watched the tears roll down her sister's cheeks. Celestia's head lowered, past eye contact, almost until it touched the ground.

"I was so afraid that the elements would re-imprison you, or worse..." Celestia continued, her voice pleading. "Instead they've given us another chance and... Oh, Luna, can you ever forgive me?!"

Something shattered within Luna.

For what seemed like eons, the world turned on its head. The whole time, there sat Celestia. Her head bowed as she begged for forgiveness from her. All around floated images, flashes of memories and plans. A frightened Ursa cub charging ponies under her order, cliffs crumbling at her merest thought, crops dying in the field under cold moonlight...

Everything she'd tried to do.... everything she had done, all laid bare before her.

And Celestia was apologizing.

To her.

"S..." Luna tried to speak, the word feeling unfamiliar on her tongue as it came without malice. "Sister..."

Celestia's head lifted. Slowly the world was piecing itself back together, though for some reason it was becoming blurry.

"Sister please... you've no call to apologize to me..." Luna croaked out, shaking her head. "I... I..."

Parents crying for children, a pair of Ursas attempting to flee their cave, her own maniacal laughter as Spike wailed on the forest floor.

The moments of the night that had given her such joy suddenly only made her guts twist in disgust. And even after all of it, Celestia's eyes were still only looking at her with concern mingling through the tears.

"I was... I was a monster..." she realized, something hot dripping down her muzzle. "I shouldn't even be here... I don't understand why... how..."

The tears were coming too fast, her voice refused to hold steady any longer. A sob tore its way out from Luna's chest as a pair of feathery wings pulled her close to Celestia.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything!" she sobbed out, unable to notice anything beyond her own tears. " I... I missed you so much, sister... I don't want to leave again!"

Somepony was gently shushing in her ear. Tears were falling into her mane from the one holding her.

"Luna... it will be okay, I promise. You're not going to face this pain alone again," Celestia said, her wings stroking the smaller princess' back. "That's a mistake I made once. This time, I'm here for you..."

Luna sniffled, her eyes opening. Even though her vision was still clearing, she could still make out the six other ponies. While Thunderlane seemed to be the only one not wearing a semblance of a smile, all them were watching with sympathy in their eyes. Tears were brewing among quite a few of them as well. Ditzy Doo in particular kept wiping at her nose and sniffling audibly. All the while, the Elements of Harmony sparkled from their new bearers.

From the six ponies that had fought through every challenge she'd thrown at them.

The six ponies that had saved her.

"Thank you..." Luna wheezed out, a little smile coming back to her muzzle.

Whatever was to come was too far off for her tired mind to even consider. She could feel Celestia's embrace release, though one wing stayed draped over her back. Luna looked up to her older sister as she turned to the small group of heroes with a broad smile.

"You have my thanks as well," Celestia stated, clearing her throat as she bowed her head. "All of Equestria, myself included, owes you a debt that we can never truly repay..."

A soft, white light began to fill the room as the sun alicorn's horn shimmered. Luna smiled, an almost forgotten tingle running down her body as Celestia's magic surrounded her.

"Now gather close everypony..." the elder princess instructed as Luna closed her eyes. "And let's go home."

Epilogue

High above Ponyville, the sun shone once again.

The life-giving fire orb seemed as overjoyed as the little hamlet beneath it to finally be gracing the sky again. Seated in its throne of high-noon, it cascaded light across the land as the sky surrounded it with a more vibrant blue than ever before. A pleasantly cool breeze carried through the town below, perfectly balancing the warmth of the first day of summer. Accompanying the breeze was the sound of music and laughter, rising into the sky to join the sun.

Spike, however, wasn't paying any of it the slightest bit of attention.

"Really, it's okay..."

It felt like he'd been saying that ever since he'd returned to Ponyville. Ever since the town and its freshly awakened foals had gathered to hear Princess Celestia's recounting of the night's adventure. The unicorn could still see mobs of faces gathered around him, many cheering, many more apologizing.

His headache had returned afresh trying to keep track of how many tearful parents had asked for forgiveness. Certainly more than had actually seemed angry at him so many hours ago. All of them collapsing into a blur of colors and voices—

"It most certainly is not okay!"

—which had long since faded into the ivory-white unicorn mare seated across the cafe table from him.

Spike stifled the blissful sigh trying to work its way from his mouth as he simply stared at Rarity. Even after the long night her purple mane was still perfectly coifed, highlighted slightly by the blue glow of her horn. His head rested against one hoof as he watched the delicate twitches of her head while her magic worked. All the rest of the empty cafe and the ponies celebrating in the streets around it couldn't pull his eyes away. His ears twitched as her voice slowly worked its way up again.

"After the way everypony..." Rarity said, her head bowing and lowering the thread and needle she'd been working with. "After the way I treated you..."

The purple unicorn blinked and shook his head. The daze slowly cleared from it as increasingly familiar words poured from the mare's mouth.

"Uh..." he stammered, his voice coming out as a dry croak. "M-miss Rarity—"

"Of course you'd have every right to be angry," Rarity carried on, her eyes not even flickering to the stallion.

Spike's tongue clung to the roof of his mouth as he tried to swallow. Somehow he remembered the apologies from everypony else going much easier. He cleared his throat, struggling to break the stone that had formed there. One purple hoof inched across the table, staying low to avoid the sewing needle Rarity's magic held.

"I... I mean..." his throat cleared again as he clenched his jaw and raised his voice above the harsh whisper it had become. "I'm really not—"

Something clenched around his fetlock. Looking down, the reporter could see it was sandwiched between a duo of white hooves. His eyes slowly travelled up to the owner of said hooves, finding her blue eyes locked on his own. Fresh tears were forming in them, glittering like the multitude of stars his brain was suddenly soaring past. Everything else around him was slowly fading to black.

"I suppose it's too late now," Rarity said with a wistful sigh. "I wouldn't be surprised if you never forgave me..."

The mare was sniffling, her gaze casting downwards. Spike desperately wished his mouth would open, but his mind still floated further. Disconnected from his body, yet still totally focused on the lovely (and saddened) unicorn mare before him.

"I wouldn't worry about that, Rarity."

Spike arched an eyebrow at the voice that was not his own. The sunlight and cafe suddenly crashed back into view as he managed to turn his head away from Rarity. Twilight's head peeked above the edge of the table, a notepad and quill resting next to her empty hay-fry basket.

"I think if we learned anything, it's that it's never too late to apologize," she continued, flashing a quick wink to the stallion. "Right, Spike?"

"Oh...Oh!" Spike gasped out, nodding in agreement as fast as he could. "Right, right."

Turning back to Rarity, the stallion could see a relieved smile on her face. Her eyes were already dried as she gently released his hoof.

"You're far too kind, both of you," she said, as she looked to the needle still hovering by her head. "Ah-ha! Finished!"

With a swirl of blue light, the needle deftly flew back into Rarity's saddlebags along with a spool of thread. Her face broke into a proud smile as her horn sparked in excitement. With another practiced flourish of magic a familiar, brown fedora swooped in from the side of Spike's vision.

Spike blinked in surprise at his hat suddenly being pushed into his face. He quickly leaned back, his eyes focusing on the head gear. Gone was the golden circlet with its jeweled feather, taken hours ago by Princess Celestia shortly before the retelling of his Everfree Forest adventure. A band of plain, black cloth with a fresh quill stuck into it had replaced them. The stallion smiled as his own magic took the hat, lifting it away to reveal Rarity once more.

Just in time for her to flutter her eyelashes in expectation.

"Perfect..." he breathed out, his mind suddenly blanking, right before feeling the hat slip from his magic and drop onto his head. "Er-it's perfect! Better than new!"

"It's also backwards," Twilight whispered softly, her elbow nudging against Spike's side.

Spike forced a cough from his throat, one hoof rising to cover his mouth and his burning cheeks. His ears still drooped a bit at Rarity's giggle, only to perk again as the glow of her magic surrounded the hat.

"Well, I did the best with what I had. I'm so glad you like it," she said as the fedora turned right-way around. "I'm just sorry it's all I can offer after you've done so much for us!"

Spike could feel his blush spreading, along with the scratchy feeling in his throat. Somewhere to his left was a light drumming sound, the sound of claws tapping against a notepad. The reporter bit down on his lip, noticing Twilight's purple eyes flicking impatiently from him to Rarity. He already knew what he wanted to say, even without her hints, as the words backed up in his mouth.

"Actually..." he forced out, a notepad hovering from his saddlebag. "There's... still that interview?"

He smiled broadly, feeling his breathing ease. Words continued to pour out almost faster than he could think them.

"I mean, I need to write about Nightmare Moon. But it's... uh..." he stammered, his grin growing. "But I still have that article on the celebration! Including the decorations and..."

The stallion trailed off, his smile fading. Rarity's gaze was cast down, her teeth clenched on her lower lip.

"Well it's not that I wouldn't love to," she said, quickly lifting her eyes again. "But... it's just after everything... I was hoping to spend some time with Sweetie Belle."

The image of Rarity sobbing over a tiny, white filly filled Spike's head. His notepad gently lowered back to the table as the last of the smile was wiped away.

"Right," he said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "You're right, you should—"

"Though, you're not leaving right away are you?" Rarity suddenly cut in, her eyes brightening. "Perhaps I could find you later? Ponyville isn't very large, after all."

Spike's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly the music filling the air sounded more vibrant as his grin returned full-force.

"Sure!" he agreed, his hat clinging to his mane as he nodded. "I'll... uh, see you later then?"

Rarity was already back on her hooves, trotting around the side of the table. Spike couldn't miss his own smile mirrored on her face.

He did miss her moving closer though. Faster than he would have thought possible, the unicorn mare had leaned in right next to his face. There was a small smack noise and a faint warmth of her lips against his cheek.

"I'll look forward to it," she said with a wink as she pulled away. "See you later, Spike!"

"Yeah..." Spike breathed out in response, even as he tried to remember what he was agreeing to.

The fashionista was humming a happy little tune as she started down the street. At least, as she started down the blob of bright color Spike assumed was a street. It was difficult to say with his eyes half-shut, a dopy grin stretching his muzzle, and a cloud of tiny hearts popping all around him.

Something purple suddenly began to wave in front of his eyes, blocking his view of Rarity. A new sound was mixing into the music playing around him: A voice calling his name as though from miles away.

SNAP

"Equestria to Spike!" Twilight's voice called as she snapped her claws in front of his nose again. "Spike, wake up!"

"Huh? What's—" Spike gasped as his head jerked in surprise.

The baby dragon was at his side, her eyes wide with worry. Spike placed a hoof on his cheek, still feeling the warmth where Rarity's muzzle had touched. The last several seconds were suddenly rushing through his mind as he looked back to the street. His eyes strained, just making out Rarity as she vanished into the crowd.

"I'm never washing this cheek again," he muttered, his muzzle stretching back into a smile.

The sound of Twilight's relieved giggling broke out as she held something out in her claws. Spike looked down to it, his mind slowly recognizing it as his notepad and a fresh vial of ink.

"Come on, Casanova," Twilight said between further chuckles. "I'll bet she'll be really impressed with the article about what happened last night!"

"That'll be if Ink Blot even runs it," Spike joked, his telekinetic aura flaring. "I don't think even he'll believe this one!"

The wisecrack provoked a laugh from Twilight, one that Spike couldn't help but join as a green glow wrapped around his writing utensils. Pad, ink, and quill lifted into the air, swirling around his head for a second before stopping in front of him. The feather quickly dunked into the ink, and quickly set to work scratching out the new story.

"DOUBLE-P! TWI!"

The unicorn's head jerked along with his quill, leaving a jagged line across his fledgling article. His pad darted away from his face, giving him a clear view down the street. Several ponies were darting to the side, many with irritated scowls, making way for a wide-eyed earth pony. A shockingly familiar one with a gray coat, jet-black mane, and a newspaper for a cutie mark.

"Ink Blot?!" Spike exclaimed, Twilight's voice joining him.

Spike's writing utensils clattered to the table top as his magic cut out. He stared in disbelief as his editor-in-chief galloped the last few steps to the cafe. Panting from exertion, Ink Blot stumbled to a halt and leaned heavily against the table.

"Ink?" Spike repeated himself, shaking his head. "What are you—"

"Hey guys!" the gray stallion breathlessly shouted back the way he'd come from. "I found him!"

More murmurs and cries of surprise forced Spike to look over his employer's shoulder. His jaw dropped at a familiar gleam of sunlight reflecting off decorative, purple armor. He barely even registered the light-blue pegasus mare, Rainbow Dash, swooping from above as the white unicorn wearing the armor came to a halt before him.

"Shiny!" Twilight shouted, her claws scrabbling against the ground.

She was beaming earfin-to-earfin as she darted around the table, her arms clamping around the armored unicorn's foreleg. Spike simply rubbed his eyes before staring again, trying to double check what his vision was telling him. The presence of his older brother certainly seemed real enough as Shining Armor chuckled, returning Twilight's embrace with his free forehoof.

"Hey there, Twily," he said, a deep-magenta aura lifting the little dragon onto his back. "Are you and Spike alright?"

"We're fine, Shining," Spike cut in as his gaze darted between the three newcomers. "What's going on here?"

"That's what I wanna know!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her wings flaring.

Before anypony else could speak, the pegasus pony was in the air again. Her wings pumped as she turned a tight circle overhead, her multi-hued tail streaking the sky with color as she pointed every which way.

"I mean seriously! Since we got here everypony has been talking about what a big hero you are!" Rainbow Dash continued, finally halting her gesticulations and hovering in place. "When I left last night, half the town was ready to string you up by your fetlocks!"

"And we remember who to thank for that, right Miss Dash?" Shining Armor spoke up, shooting the weather manager a sharp glare.

Spike bit down on his tongue, unsure whether to smile or not at the sight of Rainbow Dash cringing. She cleared her throat, her eyes darting to the side as she let out a nervous chuckle.

"Right... heh..." she said, before snapping a hoof further down the street. "Oh hey! Funnel cake!"

In a blur of color, the mare was gone. Nothing but a puff of smoke and a few blue feathers remained, drifting to the ground. Shining let out a frustrated sigh, his horn lighting as he started to stomp off in the same direction.

"Now wait just a minute—" he shouted after the fleeing pegasus.

"Whoa, it's okay Shining!" Spike called out, raising one hoof. "I've heard enough apologies today, really."

Shining Armor stopped in his tracks, spinning back to face the younger unicorn. Spike lowered his hoof with a sigh, already feeling too familiar with the confused expression on his brother's face. The same one he'd seen on almost everypony else that he'd spoken with since his return. And now it was worn by both Shining Armor and Ink Blot.

"Wait a sec," Ink Blot stated, rubbing his head. "You actually sound tired of being the center of attention!"

"So who are you and what did you do with my little brother?" Shining asked, tilting his head toward the purple stallion.

"Oh don't worry, Shiny," Twilight said with a giggle. "It's really him."

"It's just been a looooong night," Spike explained, his body slumping a bit.

A few chuckles sounded from the others, and Spike slipped in one of his own. Something about the laugh felt good. Especially with the combined rush of Rarity's kiss and Shining's appearance beginning to wear off.

"It sure sounds like it, from what the princess told me," Shining Armor commented with a wink. "Seems Equestria has a new group of bona-fide heroes!"

For some reason Spike felt himself blush at the praise again. As he raised a hoof to scratch at his mane though, Ink Blot suddenly surged closer. The younger stallion jerked back at his editor's sudden approach, and winced as the back of his head collided with his hoof.

"So it's really true, right Prosey?" Ink Blot asked, his voice almost eager. "Er... Spike... whichever you're letting everypony call you! You really helped stop Nightmare Moon?!"

"Well... yeah," Spike grunted, rubbing at the fresh lump on his skull. "I was just starting an article f—"

He was cut off by a burst of laughter and a sudden, nearly unbearable pressure. The reporter's voice choked out as Ink Blot's forehooves squeezed him in a vice-like embrace. Just as he could feel his ribs threatening to crack, the laughing earth stallion released him.

"Double-P you little so-and-so!" Ink Blot cheered, not noticing as Spike began coughing to catch his breath. "You just love to prove me wrong, don'tcha?!"

Though his lungs had avoided complete collapse, Spike still found himself unable to respond. He merely raised his eyebrow in a confused look to the gray pony. He could only assume Twilight and Shining Armor were doing the same based off their silence as Ink Blot's laughter slowly quieted.

"Um, Ink Blot?" Twilight's voice chimed in as the mirth finally stopped. "What are you talking about?"

"What am I... how about how I thought Prosey here wasn't ready for international stuff?" Ink Blot answered, gesturing to Spike as he spoke. "And here he goes, taking on an insane goddess of the night and throwing my opinion right out the window!"

"Well I had help—" Spike started to say, feeling another blush coming.

His voice and the rush of heat stopped. Something about Ink Blot's phrasing suddenly stuck out as the reporter replayed the words he'd just heard.

"Wait..." he gasped, his jaw struggling to stay attached long enough to speak. "Ink... are you saying—"

"What do you think? Of course I am!" Ink Blot confirmed, throwing one foreleg across Spike's back. "I mean, after everything you got through, international assignments should be foal's stuff, right? Plus I'd say you've more than earned it!"

Spike had lost track of how many times his heart had stopped throughout the previous two days. Suddenly he was sure it had simply vacated his chest all together at those words, seeking less stressful employment elsewhere. Not that any other part of him seemed to miss it as his barely-functioning mouth pulled into a smile wider than it had ever managed before.

"Sounds like we're gonna have two reasons to celebrate back home," Shining Armor's voice broke in, his magic lifting Spike's hat as one hoof tousled his mane. "Congratulations, Spike!"

Ink Blot's hoof was already off his back, not that the unicorn noticed. Some other weight had settled there in its place, the familiar sensation of scales telling him it was Twilight. She had him in another tight hug, and seemed pleased to just keep chanting "Yes yes yes!" over and over again.

"Of course you still gotta get that article about what happened written up. Reporting is still most of a roving reporter's job, after all!" Ink Blot was continuing as he started pacing in front of Spike. "Once we've got that printed though, we're gonna have work to do! Gotta call back Scoop, get your passport set up..."

Spike was only vaguely conscious of his boss's rambling, his eyes following the other stallion back and forth as his voice joined the sounds of the crowd around them. Little-by-little, the purple stallion found his gaze wandering to the other ponies. A flicker of motion, the wave of a violet hoof, pulled at his attention.

Turning to it, Spike smiled. Further down the street, in front of one of the other shops, was a herd of foals. All of them were gathered around Cheerilee, watching intently as she waved one foreleg overhead. The teacher seemed just as engrossed as her students in the story she was telling, leaving Spike to guess which of the encounters of the forest she was talking about.

Something else inside tried to guess how long she'd been so close without him noticing. His smile faded somewhat. In all the excitement and apologies, he couldn't recall just when he'd been pulled away from the other five. Spike found himself turning, looking about the street for more familiar faces.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted a pair of foals racing up the path. The pale-gray pegasus colt Rumble seemed to be caught in a game with lavender filly Dinky Doo. Dinky laughed as she stumbled, before spinning to face the colt. A few sparks of yellow flew from her horn, and Rumble skidded to a halt, howling in mock-terror before rolling onto his back.

Twin streaks of gray swooped from overhead, catching up to the duo. Ditzy Doo was cheering as she scooped her "victorious" daughter into a tight hug. Thunderlane was shaking with laughter as he prodded his younger brother back to his hooves, only for the colt to tackle him. The two toppled to the ground in a playful tussle, sending up clouds of road dust as they wrestled.

Big Macintosh was next to be spotted, though Spike wasn't surprise he'd almost missed him. The giant stallion was almost completely obscured by what had to be almost a quarter of the ponies on the street. The fact that Apple Bloom was prancing circles around him, springing as high as her short legs would allow, was the only thing that helped him stand out. That and the fact that his red coat seemed to be glowing as he simply stood in place, accepting praise, hoof-shakes, hugs, and slaps on the back from the crowd that Spike could only assume was the extended Apple Family.

His eyes finally drew to some calm in the proverbial storm. Mayor Mare was trotting past, chattering away. Time Turner was at her side, struggling to keep pace as he occasionally halted to mark something on the clipboard he carried. The tan stallion still had a smile to match Spike's own though. A smile that spoke of somepony receiving some well-deserved recognition. Or a raise. Or a promotion.

A promotion that'll send you half-way around the world.

Spike's smile dropped away in an instant as the revelation rang in his mind. He cast his gaze around again, picking out the five ponies from the crowd again. Five ponies that his new job would take him away from. Five that he might never see again.

His five new friends.

"... of course the important thing is where to send you!" Ink Blot's voice was coming back into focus. "And your first assignment is gonna be—"

"Right here in Ponyville," Spike said.

"Right here in-wait," Ink Blot stammered, his eyes going wide as he stared at his employee. "WHAT?!"

It wasn't the first time Spike had felt everypony else's eyes on him that day. Even he was blinking in surprise at what he'd just said. Somehow, though, the words had felt right as they'd left his mouth.

I want to stay.

His muzzle pulled into a smile as the simple wish played through his head. A smile that began to waver as he suddenly became aware of how awkwardly quiet the other three had become.

"So..." Shining Armor spoke up, his helmet lifting away as he rubbed at the back of his own head. "We're sure this is really Spike?"

"I'm starting to wonder that myself," Twilight admitted, her eyes wide in disbelief as Spike twisted to look at her.

"I... it's just... help me out here, Prose," Ink Blot stuttered out, staring intently at Spike. "You're saying... what are you saying here?"

"Oh, well... think about it, Ink," Spike said, straining to keep his smile as his eyes darted back to his boss. "I mean, once the article gets out... everypony is gonna know who stopped Nightmare Moon, right?"

Ink Blot just nodded, waving one hoof for the unicorn to continue. Spike swallowed, his brain dredging about for something more to give the other stallion.

"They'll... all know it was bunch a normal ponies?" Spike said, trying his hardest not to make it sound like a question. "A bunch of ponies from Ponyville..."

"Hey yeah!" Twilight suddenly gasped, clapping her hands together in excitement. "Everypony in Canterlot is gonna want to know more about them! And the town, and what's going on down here—"

Spike quickly repressed the urge to kiss Twilight. Inside, his thoughts had already shifted gears on just how to pay back the baby dragon. Suddenly the jewelry store he'd promised yesterday sounded woefully inadequate.

"Yeah, you got it Twi!" Spike said as he gave an enthusiastic nod, before looking back to Ink Blot. "So it'd probably be a good idea to... have somepony down here. You know, on site to pass the news along?"

Please, please, please...

Twilight's claws were tense, digging into his shoulders. Spike himself could only hold his breath as his cheeks began to ache from smiling so much, his silent prayer almost deafening. Ink Blot was rubbing his chin, slowly nodding his head as a bright gleam came to his eyes.

"Yeah... yeah, I like it! No... I love it!" he said, a chuckle escaping his muzzle. "This place is right next to the Everfree too! Who knows what sorta stuff goes on that the locals just brush off?!"

The Canterlot Sun's editor sprang to Spike's side once more. Twilight barely jumped down in time to avoid being pinned as his hoof fell across the reporter's back. The younger stallion's breath left in a long whoosh of shock as Ink Blot pulled him close, sweeping one forehoof at the town around them.

"It's brilliant, Prosey! You stay down here and send back all the news that's fit to print!" Ink Blot rambled. "We could even make a special weekly column for slice-of-life pieces! Call it... 'Prose's Ponyville Corner'!"

"Um..." Spike panted out, his cheek uncomfortably squished against his employer's. "Work on the name?"

"We'll talk," Ink Blot said, his smile shining even as he released the purple pony.

Spike simply smiled back as Ink Blot began pacing again, his voice continuing to rattle on about future articles. All the while the cheering in Spike's head was enough to put the whole of Ponyville to shame. Looking down to his side, he found Twilight beaming up at him with pride.

His eyes moved back up, looking toward Shining Armor with an expectant grin. One that wasn't reflected, much to his surprise. Instead it was confusion that once more coated the guard captain's face.

"Spike, are you sure about this?" Shining Armor asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you always wanted that international position."

"Well... yeah," Spike answered with a nod. "Yeah, I did."

His head turned to the side, looking out at the gathered ponies once more. Even with the crowd milling about and all the smiling faces he could still pick out five in particular.

"I think I just found a few more reasons to stay than to go," Spike explained, turning back to his brother.

Shining visibly relaxed at the statement, his shoulders dropping a bit. A smile of his own appeared as he nodded to the younger unicorn.

"If it's what you want," he said, holding one armored hoof out to Spike. "Best of luck, little bro."

Spike took the offered hoof in a firm shake, nodding to Shining in return. He could feel Twilight already climbing onto his back once more. His ear twitched as another familiar voice suddenly broke into the conversation again.

"Oh gosh, I gotta get back to Canterlot! I've got a whole new layout to plan, not to mention reports probably piling up," Ink Blot exclaimed, causing the three siblings to spin back to him. "And Prose! We gotta get you set up with a place to stay down here—"

"I think I can handle that," Spike said quickly, his magic lifting up his pad and quill from the table.

"And I'll get the good news to Mom and Dad," Shining Armor added as he marched over to the earth pony's side. "We'll have your stuff brought down from Canterlot in no time."

"Fantastic!" Ink Blot cheered, giving a short leap of joy. "Prose, you get that Nightmare Moon article back up to my desk A.S.A.P! Got it?"

"You got it, Ink!" Spike said, snapping a quick salute to both of the other stallions. "See you later, Shining!"

Shining and Ink Blot both returned the salute, smiling all the while. Spike drew in a deep breath as he watched the two turn and leave. Soon they were fading into the crowd, already vanishing in the direction of whatever royal conveyance had carried them down from Canterlot.

"YES!" Spike cheered, leaping as high as he could.

Twilight was laughing once more as he landed. The stallion just laughed along as his magic swept her from his back, sending her spinning around in a tight orbit around him. It suddenly didn't matter how many other ponies stopped to stare at the joyful little dance. Spike simply brought his surrogate sister into his forehooves, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

"Did you hear that, Twi? We're staying!" he cheered, squeezing her tight. "Oh man, we've gotta tell the others! They're gonna flip when they hear this and—"

A flick across the nose brought a quick end to his excited rambling.

"Hey, Spike?" Twilight piped up from within his hug. "We do still have some work to do first..."

Spike just chuckled, his green aura flipping the purple reptile onto his back one final time. Twilight let out a happy sigh, her arms wrapping around him in another embrace. The unicorn gave her a quick nuzzle, ignoring the stares of the few other ponies that had bothered to cease their own festivities.

"Right. I guess we'd better find Time Turner," Spike said as he started down the street. "He'll probably know a good house to rent out."

"You know, the library is pretty big," Twilight pointed out, leaning around to meet Spike's eye. "Maybe we could stay there for a while?"

Spike started to open his mouth to reply but stopped. He smiled, letting his magic spark and sending a telekinetic brush over Twilight's spines. The dragoness giggled, and the unicorn's sides shook as he joined in.

"Sure, why not?" he said, looking up to the clear blue sky. "It couldn't hurt to ask."

The sun continued to shine down on Equestria.

Another perfect day.

The first of many to come.

Acta est fabula

Chapter 1

Princess Celestia stood on the balcony overlooking of the Royal Canterlot Palace. The white alicorn's rosy eyes were locked on the shining orb sinking near the horizon. The silver surface of the moon was beautiful as ever, even considering that half of it was marred by a dark stain shaped like a mare's head.

The royal equine's nearly phantasmal mane was calm for once, rather than drifting in its own personal windstorm. Dawn was coming, the sun was supposed to rise soon, but Celestia wanted to gaze upon the moon for just a moment longer.

"Is it too much to hope you've changed?" she asked the heavenly body. "After nearly one-thousand years I'd like to think so. That maybe we could settle this peacefully."

The eye of the mare in the moon seemed to spark. An almost imperceptible but unquestionably malicious light. Celestia bowed her head, her horn shimmering gold as the moon slowly sank beneath the horizon.

"It will be good to see you again, sister," she said, tears in her eyes.

The moon vanished behind the mountains, the sun rising to light the sky in its place. One day until the Summer Sun Celebration. One last day of sunlight, peace and safety for her little ponies. Celestia looked down upon the city of Canterlot as its citizens began to stir and begin their days.

She turned back to her own chambers, making her way past her various personal effects. The bed, the dresser, the vanity, none of them ever mattered to her before and they certainly didn't now. All she could do was try to pretend nothing was wrong and give her ponies another day of happiness.

Down in the city, the sunlight stretched for the windows of one of the housing complexes. A purple unicorn stallion grunted as he squeezed his eyelids tight, turning away from the light and pulling the covers over his head.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Flipside

Chapter 1

"Prosey..." a voice tried to intrude on the young stallion's sleep.

The unicorn groaned, stubbornly shoving his pillow over his green-maned head.

"Purple Prose you wake up this instant!" the nagging, female voice chastised.

His horn sparked with green magic, reaching out and grabbing hold of the window shade. With a sharp tug the rising sunlight's path through the window was cut off by a barrier of beige fabric. His hooves tugged harder on the pillow, trying to keep out the sound of claws stomping across the wooden floor.

"Spike!" the voice yelled as his blanket was yanked from his body.

That got his attention. The unicorn uncovered his head and sat up to glare at the noisy perpetrator of grand-theft blanket. Unfortunately she had already made it to the window and had the shade's drawstring in one clawed hand. Before he could protest the shade rolled back up and dazzling morning sunlight struck his green eyes.

"Gah!" he shouted, trying to block the sun with one hoof without falling backward from the shock.

He failed spectacularly and tumbled from his bed, landing with a thunk on the wooden floor.

"Alright, alright. I'm up, Twilight," the pony grumbled as he rolled back onto his hooves.

The little purple-scaled dragoness near the window plodded over, a smug smile on her chubby face. Her stubby arms were crossed over the paler lavender scales of her chest and stomach and the deep-violet spines on her head bobbed lightly as she tapped one foot.

Spike groaned as he turned away from the impatient reptile and looked longingly toward the kitchen area of their apartment. The coffee machine sat there and at that moment the only thought occupying his sleep-deprived brain was a desire for caffeine. He yawned and started his quill-marked flank toward the invention, the padding of claws on floor signaling his roommate was following him.

"Come on, Spike! Don't you remember what today is?" she asked, sounding some mix between annoyed and frantic.

"Twi, what've I've told you about my name?" the stallion responded as his magic began loading the coffee machine.

A frustrated sigh, followed by the splashing of the sink turning on. The dragoness brought a full pot of water which Spike's magic lifted from her claws.

"Fine, 'Purple Prose', as excited as you were about it last night I can't believe you forgot," she went on.

The gears in Spike 'Purple Prose' Flail's head were trying to turn at his assistant's insistence, distracted somewhat by the bubbling of the water in the coffee machine. He felt her claws as she clambered onto his back, her feet scuffing at his feather quill cutie mark as she tapped at the back of his head.

"I'll give you hint: Far Strider's retirement," Twilight offered.

Suddenly everything clicked, and in an excited rush the pony found himself more wide awake then if he'd drunk a whole pot of coffee. His short, spiky tail waved back and forth looking almost disturbingly like his medieval weapon namesake.

"The promotion to international reporter! Oh my gosh, how could I forget?" he asked, suddenly racing back to his bedroom.

Green magic raced over several items and lifted them into the air. His saddle bags were quickly loaded with spare notepads, ink and quills. A reporter's hat, complete with press pass and his favorite white quill, whirled through the air and landed on his head. His horn sparked a little, tilting the chapeau to a rakish angle with a grin.

"Looking good, Prose. Looking reeeal good," he congratulated himself, a giggle coming from his back. "Look out, Equestria! Here comes your new, number one roving reporter!"

"Are you done preening?" Twilight asked as she tried to flatten out the uncovered portions of his mane.

"Come on, Twi! Starting today we're gonna be travelling the world!" Spike gushed, pacing anxiously as his saddlebags floated towards his back. "Exciting new places and ponies, all sorts of adventure... you've read the stories that Far Strider comes back with!"

"All the more reason to get to the office early," Twilight pointed out as she hopped down and let Spike put on the bags.

A rumble sounded from both of their stomachs, Spike chuckling a bit as he heard the steady drip of the coffee pot filling as well.

"We should probably take care of breakfast first," he admitted.

The Canterlot Sun was, without a doubt, the single most recognized newspaper in Equestria. Most young journalists would give both their left hooves for a chance to write for it, a fact that gave Spike a certain amount of job satisfaction every time he walked into the office. Other ponies were already bustling about, many a cup of coffee floating in a sheath of colored magic.

Spike ducked around a passing mail trolley with practiced ease, Twilight still clinging to his back as he headed for his desk. A huge grin crossed his face as he noticed a gray earth pony also heading there.

"Morning, Ink Blot!" Spike greeted cheerfully. "How's my favorite editor-in-chief today?"

The pony spun around, a few strands of his black mane falling over his face. A huge smile crossed his features as he saw the purple unicorn.

"Double P! Twilight! I was hoping you'd be in early!" the editor grinned.

"You don't say?" Spike responded, flashing a wink and a proud smile to Twilight.

"This wouldn't have something to do with Far Strider, would it?" Twilight asked, hopping from Spike's back.

"Sharp as a horseshoe nail, Twi," Ink Blot answered as he passed her a sealed envelope.

"She didn't get to be my assistant for nothing," Spike pointed out as he peeked over the dragon's shoulder.

Twilight swiftly opened the envelope with one claw, pulling out a pair of train tickets. Spike bit down on his lip in excitement, a shiver running down his green mane.

"Yup, with Major Scoop moving up to Far Strider's old position I need a new pony to handle social events like this," Ink Blot said as he started to walk away.

Spike's tail went limp behind him. Twilight had the tickets in one claw and was reading over the letter inside as he rushed over to his boss' side.

"Hang on, you're giving the international position to Major Scoop?" he said, trying to keep his voice low.

"Sorry Prose. I know you've been eyeing the job for a while, but—"

"'For a while?'" Spike gasped, raising his voice. "I got my cutie mark in investigative journalism!"

"Prosey, you got that mark taking down some stuck-up cheater in magic kindergarten," Ink Blot responded, rolling his eyes.

"It was second grade," Spike muttered, his own gaze casting aside.

"Back to my point, you've never even reported on anything outside Canterlot before," the editor said, putting a hoof on Spike's shoulder. "I can't put somepony with no experience out there."

The purple unicorn bit the inside of his lip, frustration boiling away inside. His boss gave him a pat on the shoulder and a smile.

"Which is why you're getting Major's old assignment," Ink Blot explained, giving Spike a gentle shake. "Get you some experience out there, alright?"

Spike locked eyes with his boss and found it hard to resist the urge to grit his teeth in front of him. The unicorn took a deep breath before lowering his head again. As good as it would feel to vent, getting fired for causing a scene didn't seem worth it.

"You've got it sir," Spike sighed as his boss walked away.

Twilight was still seated at the desk, eyes wide as she looked over their assignment. Spike just slumped down next to her, watching Ink seal himself up in his private office.

"Sp-Prose—" Twilight started.

"I can't believe he just gave the position to Scoop like that," the unicorn fumed.

"You don't even— " she tried to interrupt.

"I'm better than just some stupid gossip column and he's not even— " Spike was cut short by a rolled up paper bopping him on the nose.

"You don't even know what the assignment is yet," Twilight scolded, unrolling the paper. "Just wait until you hear this..."

Prose,

First off, I know we're all sorry to see Far Strider retire. Far be it from me to deny a pony when he says he wants to enjoy time while he still has his health though. Major Scoop is getting the new international position and will probably have already left for the southern borders by the time you get in.

Of course that leaves the paper down a social reporter, and seeing as you've been trying to get into travelling stories this is your big opportunity! As you know, Scoop covered all sorts of diplomatic parties and celebrations everywhere from Las Pegasus to Stalliongrad. It'll be just the sort of experience you need, so here's your chance to get your hooves wet.

The One-thousandth Summer Sun Celebration is coming up, and this year it's being held in Ponyville. I need you and Twilight down there covering every last detail. The preparations, the food, the decorations, the ponies, everything!

I know you had your heart set on Far Strider's old job, but you gotta learn to trot before you can gallop right? Handle this and we'll see what you can do about working you up the ladder some.

Ink Blot

Spike wadded up the letter in his magic and tossed it at the window. It bounced off, having no effect on the speeding landscape beyond the train car he now sat in. Twilight scooped up the message and carefully unfolded it.

"Maybe he has a point, Spike," she said firmly. "Neither one of us has even left Canterlot before. Starting small might be better."

"It can't get much smaller than this," Spike grumbled, his face pressing against the cool glass.

"Come on, mister. It's the One-thousandth Summer Sun Celebration!" Twilight said, hopping up next to him and sweeping one arm. "This is going to be the biggest festival in all of Equestria!"

"And it's in Ponyville," Spike pointed out. "Twilight, we can see that place from our home on a clear day."

The dragon rolled her eyes and sat down with a humph.

"Fine, be that way," she said. "We've still got a job to do, whether or not it's the one you wanted."

"I know, I know," her companion sighed, pulling his hat over his eyes. "Just wake me up when we get there."

Twilight nodded, pulling a tourist pamphlet from the seat in front of her and beginning to read. Spike "Purple Prose" Flail began to breathe deeply as the rocking of the train and the rustling of his assistant's pamphlet lulled him to sleep.

All the while Celestia's sun continued to climb into the sky, nopony aware that it might be the last time they ever saw it.

Chapter 5

It was a peaceful trail that lead away from the buildings of Ponyville. A dirt road winding its way past a narrow stream, heading toward the forests in the distance. Numerous birds, rabbits, and various other tiny critters seemed to line the path. Most seemed to be enjoying the serenity away from the bustling pony-folk in town.

Most of the animals seemed content to watch the pair of strangers now using the road. Twilight's camera was out, snapping photographs of the local wildlife, as Spike carried her along.

"You know what?" he asked as Twilight's camera bulb flashed again. "I don't think we went this way with Ditzy earlier."

"You're not still harping on that, are you?" Twilight asked, giving the stallion an frustrated look.

"Well..." Spike flinched away as the dragon's claw went for an ear pinch. "Hey, she took us everywhere else in town."

The violet claw stopped before it reached its target. Twilight just rolled her eyes as she packed the camera back into the saddlebags.

"It's probably because of the forest," she pointed out, gesturing off into the distance.

Spike's eyes followed to where she'd pointed. The trail meandered on for a while, but even from here he could see where it lead. A tangle of overgrown trees in the distance, the very appearance of them sending a shiver down the unicorn's spine.

"Wait a second," he said. "That isn't... that couldn't be..."

"Time Turner told us, remember?" Twilight said with a roll of her eyes. "Ponyville was founded right on the edge of the Everfree Forest."

Spike swallowed hard. He could still remember the stories he'd heard as a colt. Tales of little ponies vanishing into those wild woods, never to be seen again. Even up in Canterlot the Everfree was a place to be feared.

"So Fluttershy keeps a house out that way?" Spike asked as his walking slowed noticeably. "Talk about valuing your privacy."

"Relax, Prose," Twilight encouraged him with a pat on the back of his neck. "Fluttershy's cottage should be at the edge, it's not like we're going in."

Spike nodded as he continued, noticing some of the animals at the side of the road watching him pass. He chuckled a bit to himself. It was actually getting harder to believe how close they were getting to one of the most dangerous places in Equestria. Between the bright sunshine, the fuzzy critters, and the birds singing he soon wasn't even thinking of the Everfree Forest.

He started to hum along with the birds, but his happy mood was brought to an abrupt end. Twilight's claw finally made good on its earlier promise and a sharp pain shot through his ear.

"Prose, hang on!" she exclaimed, releasing the hold just as quickly.

"Ow!" Spike complained, rubbing at his ear. "We've gotta trim those claws soon, Twi. Or maybe I should get ear studs..."

He mused over the idea for a moment, before turning back to the dragon.

"Hey, how do you think I'd look with pierced ears?" he wondered, only to be shushed.

"Listen," she whispered, cupping one hand next to her own ear fin. "Can't you hear that?"

Spike tilted his head a bit and closed his eyes. The only sound he could hear was the cheerful twittering of birds singing a happy melody.

His eyes went wide as he caught on. It was an actual melody being sung, not just random chirping. Stallion and dragon looked to one another before heading in the direction the sound was coming from. A cluster of bushes sat not too far from the trail, and Spike pushed his way through...

"Ooof!" he and a female voice both grunted.

There were two thuds as Spike and the mare he'd bumped into both fell to the ground. This was soon followed by a rush of feathery wings as a rainbow of birds scattered from a nearby tree.

"Ugh," Spike grunted, rubbing his sore nose. "Sorry about that—"

"Mommy!" a filly's voice called out.

Spike's eyes went wide as he got a good look at who he had bumped into. A familiar gray pegasus who was picking herself up from the ground. Next to her, with a worried look, stood a little unicorn filly with a pale purple coat.

"It's alright, Muffin," Ditzy said as she ran a hoof through the filly's blond mane. "It was just a little bump."

"Ditzy Doo?" Spike and Twilight both said at the same time.

The pegasus mare turned to them, one of her eyes drifting up to the sky as she did. A smile immediately split her muzzle though as her wings fluttered a bit.

"Mr. Prose! Twilight!" she said happily. "What brings you out here?"

Memories of his earlier meeting with the mailmare flashed through his mind. Spike's mind cast about, trying to find an answer that wouldn't inspire more "help" from the mailmare. Before he could speak up though, the little unicorn tugged on Ditzy's wing.

"Mommy," she asked in a whisper. "Do you know these ponies?"

"Heh, silly me!" Ditzy giggled a bit as she brushed her wing across the filly's back. "Dinky, this is the new friend Mommy met at the train station. The one I was telling you about, remember?"

The filly thought for a moment before nodding her head vigorously. She turned to Spike with a big smile on her face.

"Hi Mr. Prose!" she said cheerfully. "I'm Dinky Doo."

Spike smiled back at the foal, trying to ignore the feeling of his heart melting. Ditzy seemed to swell with pride as she placed one of her wings across her daughter's back.

"So, 'Mommy?'" Spike asked, green eyes appraising Ditzy. "She's really your daughter?"

There was no way the mare was that much older than him. Maybe a year at most as near as he could guess. Ditzy just smiled and nodded in confirmation (not noticing as Twilight pinched him again.)

"Dinky here's my little muffin," Ditzy declared proudly as she nuzzled the purple foal. "Sorry about leaving in such a rush before. I was almost late picking her up!"

"Well I think she's precious," Twilight said holding a claw out to Dinky. "Did your mommy mention me?"

"Uh huh," Dinky said with a nod as she held out one hoof. "You're Twilight, right? Mommy said you and Mr. Prose are writing about our party for the newspaper!"

"Yup, that's us," Spike said as he watched the two share a claw/hoof shake. "Actually we were looking for a pony named Fluttershy. She's supposed to live out this way and—"

Spike caught himself a second too late. Ditzy's yellow eyes had already lit up at what he had said.

"Ooh, Fluttershy's right here!" Ditzy exclaimed, gesturing toward the nearby tree. "We were on our way home when Dinky heard the birds so we decided..."

"Um, Ditzy?" Spike tried to interrupt the mare who kept chattering away.

"... turns out she's gonna have them sing for the princess..." Ditzy went on, not noticing Spike's attempts to silence her.

The unicorn looked to where Ditzy was pointing only to see nothing but the tree. A few of the birds had flown back and were nestled in its branches, but there was no sign of anypony else around it.

"Ditzy!" Spike winced as he tried to regain his professional demeanor. "Ummm... unless Fluttershy can turn into a tree, I don't see her around."

Ditzy stopped talking and looked around, her eyes rolling in opposite directions.

"Hey that's weird," Ditzy commented, one hoof going to her chin. "She was right here a second ago."

Dinky tilted her head curiously as she wandered over to the tree. She peeked around the trunk, then a smiled to the others.

"I found her, mommy!" she cheered, picking up something long and pink in her mouth and giving it a gentle tug.

A soft "meep" could be heard as Dinky pulled. Spike made his way over, notepad and quill already floating beside him as he rounded the trunk. Tucked up against it was a yellow pegasus, her long tail grasped in the filly's mouth.

"Miss Fluttershy?" Spike guessed, causing the pegasus to look up at him.

Her blue eyes suddenly darted down at the sight of the stallion. Her long mane fell over her face, covering half of it. She merely squeaked something out and gave a little nod of her head.

"Aww, it's alright Fluttershy," Ditzy encouraged as she came around the other side of the tree. "Mr. Prose here just wants to interview you."

"I-interview?" the yellow pegasus stammered out, shaking her head. "Oh dear, that's really- I wouldn't be very interesting..."

Her voice seemed to trail off, and Spike resisted the urge to just fling his writing equipment away. It looked as though Apple Bloom hadn't been exaggerating.

"Just a few questions?" he tried to coax Fluttershy with a forced smile. "It would really help me out."

As Fluttershy looked back at Spike to respond, Twilight plodded out from behind him. The pegasus pony's jaw went slack and her eyes sparkled at the sight of the purple dragoness.

"Is..." Fluttershy took a deep breath. "Is that a baby dragon?"

Spike looked back to Twilight, who suddenly seemed very worried. Before he could answer a blur of yellow zipped past him, sending him spinning in place. He staggered a few steps, barely avoiding falling over as the world swam around him.

In the meantime Twilight found herself with another pony right up in her face. Rather than Apple Bloom's curiosity though, Fluttershy seemed to be radiating adoration.

"I've only ever seen pictures," she said in amazement as she leaned closer to Twilight. "Oh she's just so cute! What's her name?"

"Um..." Twilight took a step back, clearing her throat. "I'm Twilight."

"Oh! You can talk!" Fluttershy gasped out, looking like she couldn't get any happier. "I never realized dragons could talk. That's just so wonderful!"

"Well that's a switch," Spike commented as he rubbed his head.

"Fluttershy gets really nervous around strangers," Ditzy explained to Spike as his eyes finally focused again. "But she really loves animals, especially babies."

"I think Twilight's even shier than her, mommy," Dinky spoke up with a little giggle.

Twilight was slowly backing away from the pegasus. Fluttershy, however, simply kept pace with her. The smile never left her face, and Spike grinned as his horn lit up. Twilight let out a yelp of surprise as a green aura sparked around her, and she found herself sailing through the air onto Spike's back.

"Ladies, if you'll excuse us for just one second," Spike requested, dashing off before they could answer.

Twilight kept a tight grip on her friend's mane as he galloped back to the trail. He stopped to take a few deep breaths before letting the dragoness hop down.

"Thanks," she said, wiping her brow. "Yeesh, that Fluttershy is kind of..."

She trailed off as she noticed Spike giving her a contemplative look. Immediately a sense of dread began to creep back into her chest.

"Hey Twilight," the stallion said, hooking one foreleg around her back and pulling her close. "We still need to get an interview with Fluttershy, right?"

"I don't think I like where this is going," Twilight answered, slipping loose from Spike's grip.

"Come on, Twi!" Spike begged, dropping down and grabbing one of her legs between his fore-hooves. "You saw her, she could barely look me in the eye! But she absolutely loves you!"

"Yeah, and it's kind of creepy!" Twilight answered, trying to her kick her leg free.

She stopped as Spike began to pout, his lower lip quivering as he stared up at her.

"Please?" he begged, still not letting go. "It's for the article. If we don't get something from Fluttershy—"

"Ooooh..." Twilight let out a relinquished sigh. "You owe me big time, mister."

She found herself being pulled into a tight embrace in Spike's forelegs. Sighing, she squirmed her way free and pointed right at the stallion.

"So just what are you going to be doing then?" she asked, tapping one foot.

"Well, um," Spike looked around before his eyes locked on a few clouds floating across the sky. "I'll handle talking to the weather patrol!"

"Seriously?" Twilight asked.

"Hey, can't forget anypony for this article," he pointed out. "Ink Blot said he wanted us to report on everything."

"Alright," Twilight said with a shrug as Spike levitated her a quill and spare notepad. "Seriously though—"

"When we get back to Canterlot I'll buy you a whole jewelry store," Spike promised, drawing a cross over his chest with one hoof. "You're the best, Twi!"

The two headed back, Twilight resisting the urge to cower again as Fluttershy immediately locked eyes on her.

She would have to tell Cadence.

Celestia ceased her pacing about the throne room. The glorious marble hall stopped echoing with her hoof-steps. No doubt the guards outside would be relieved at the end of the noise as she went over her only remaining option.

There was no doubt the younger alicorn would be horrified at the prospect. Chances are she would fight even harder to be allowed to go to Ponyville and try to stop this. Celestia tried to plan out what to say, how to phrase things so that her precious niece wouldn't be anywhere near the danger.

"Your majesty?" a stallion's voice cut into Celestia's thoughts.

She looked up to see a strapping young unicorn bowing at the throne room entrance. He walked up, his decorative purple armor clanking lightly as he approached.

"Captain Shining Armor," Celestia said, returning to her practiced smile. "You have something to report?"

"I'm just here to inform you that your chariot will be ready to leave shortly," the armored unicorn answered, snapping a quick salute. "I was also wondering if anything was wrong."

"Wrong?" Celestia managed to keep her tone even. "Whatever do you mean?"

Surprisingly, her guard captain actually seemed a bit nervous as he lowered one trembling hoof. It was an effect she was used to having on others at this point though. Something about realizing they were questioning a sun-raising alicorn seemed to put most ponies off.

"The guards outside said you've been pacing almost non-stop since lunch," Shining Armor reported. "That's the only reason I asked."

Celestia let out a small sigh, when a thought suddenly came to her. She looked over the stallion before her, a coy smile coming to her face.

"Now that you mention it, Captain," she said her magic closing the doors of the throne room. "I have a small matter that will need tending to while I'm gone."