My Little Pony Friendship is Magic What If?: Volume 13

Chapters

S1 E7: Dragonshy (What If?)
S1 E19: A Dog and Pony Show (What If?)
S2 E16: Read It and Weep (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)
S3 E12: Magical Mystery Cure, Part 1 (What If?)
S4 E8: Rarity Takes Manehattan (What If?)
S5 E7: Make New Friends, But Keep Discord (What If?)
S6 E1: The Crystalling, Part 1 (What If?)
S7 E5: Fluttershy Leans In (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)
S8 E10: The Hearts and Hooves Day Mystery (The Break Up Break Down) (What If?)
S9 E22: Growing Up is Hard to Do (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)
S3 E13: Magical Mystery Cure, Part 2 (What If?)
S6 E2: The Crystalling, Part 2 (What If?)

S1 E7: Dragonshy (What If?)

As far as anypony in Ponyville was concerned, today was just another typical day in the quiet little town. A day of no particular importance or significance.

Perhaps if anypony had bothered to look up they might have realized that this perception was wrong. But nopony was, and so everypony went about their daily lives as usual.

Only Fluttershy knew better, only Fluttershy knew that something was wrong! The pegasus mare was frightened with quite a rightful fright. She now was trying desperately to bring attention to what she'd seen, a task made difficult by her timid nature. "Help!" She desperately called in her best speaking tone (which unfortunately was barely more audible than a whisper). "Please, somepony! There's... there's a really horrible cloud of smoke. It's headed this way and-" But she was soon cut off by the sight of Rainbow Dash bouncing a big red ball with white polka dots.

Rainbow hadn't heard a word her friend had said, so she assumed Fluttershy was just reacting to the sudden appearance of the brash mare. "Aw, come on, Fluttershy. No need to be a scaredy pony," She insisted while balancing the ball on her nose. "It's just me, Rainbow Dash, the soon to be all new Equestria ball-bouncing record holder." And she went about counting the number of bounces she was performing.

And Pinkie Pie (who was watching the ball bouncing) was excitedly declaring! "Ooh! A new record like this calls for a celebration!"

Fluttershy tried to speak up in protest, only slightly raising her voice's overall tone as she whimpered. "Pinkie Pie, this isn't a time for celebrating. This is a time for panicing! If we don't do something about that cloud of smoke soon we'll..."

But Pinkie had already set her mind fully on celebrating and so she didn't hear Fluttershy's comments. "I'm gonna need a lot of balloons!" She declared aloud! "One for everypony in Ponyville!" Then she started counting aloud while pointing hooves to various ponies that caught her wandering eyes. "Let's see: That's gonna be one, two, three, four, five, six, seven..."

Unfortunately for Rainbow Dash, hearing Pinkie list off the numbers in such close proximity caused her to lose track of her own count of how many times she'd bounced the ball. "Three hundred fifty five... wait, no, that's not right," She suddenly realized and groaned. "Pinkie Pie, you messed me up! Now I'm gonna have to start all over again."

"Oops, sorry." The pink party pony apologized.

The shy pegasus mare whimpered as she tried to speak up in protest. "At this rate we're all going to have start over. Start over in a new village or something, because our village is gonna be..."

But Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were too busy with their own objectives to pay any attention to their friend (who they could barely even hear).

For Fluttershy, it was a very frustrating experience that made her want to scream! But all she could do was let out a small sigh and a groan. "Oh, this is an emergency! Why won't anypony listen to me?" She complained, mostly to herself. "I just need everypony to..."

Yet at that moment, who should interrupt the peace and quiet but Mayor Mare herself? She seemed to look a bit concerned. Well, more concerned than she usually was since she always seemed to be concerned about something. But even so, all of Ponyville knew that when the mayor was showing up in public that usually meant there was an important announcement soon to follow. And this would be no exception. "Citizens of Ponyville, may I have your attention please?"

Everypony stopped what they had been doing to look at the mayor.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Mayor Mare smiled as she adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. "By now I'm sure you've all noticed the thick black smoke that's been pouring in from above," Yet it was her very announcement that served to finally get ponies to look up to the sky and notice what previously only Fluttershy had known. Smoke was indeed coming from above, and ponies quickly became alarmed. Fortunately, Mayor Mare moved to calm them down. "I just want to assure you all that there is no reason to panic. The smoke isn't coming from a fire."

"Oh thank goodness." A random pony in the crowd declared as everypony breathed a sigh of relief.

Mayor Mare nodded as she then gestured a hoof to a unicorn standing behind her. "Twilight Sparkle has been in contact with Princess Celestia, who has received word of the true cause of the smoke. I'll let her explain everything."

Twilight promptly stepped forward. "Thank you, Mayor Mare," And she proceeded to speak. "You heard right, everypony. The smoke is not coming from a fire. It's coming from a slumbering dragon. Rest assured, this matter will quickly be dealt with. Ponyville will not be covered with smoke for much longer."

Some ponies cheered at the news but others gasped, and Fluttershy was among the ones who did so. "A... d-dragon?" She stuttered, briefly wondering if Twilight had misspoke. But deep down she knew that was impossible. A dragon was responsible for the smoke, and that was not a good sign at all.

Fluttershy already had reason to be worried when she had seen the smoke and thought it was coming from a fire. But this was worse, a living, breathing dragon was the cause of the problem. And for the shy pegasus, that was going to force her to come to terms with something that she had gone to great lengths to ignore.

Several ponies blinked in confusion. They now knew what the source of this newly discovered problem was, but why it was happening was still a mystery to them. One even asked quite bluntly. "Why would a dragon be doing this? We haven't done anything to it."

Twilight simply answered in a matter of fact tone. "Princess Celestia has told me that it's sleeping. And when a dragon sleeps it sometimes snores. And when it snores it can send out smoke, which is what's happening now." She then turned to Mayor Mare.

Mayor Mare was all too happy to take over explaining everything. "As I said earlier, this will not be a problem for very long. Princess Celestia has already got some very capable ponies working on the issue, and several pegasi have been dispatched to try and disperse the smoke so that it won't cover the entire town. Still, for everypony's safety I advise you all to stay indoors until further notice. This inconvenience shall soon pass."

Twilight then declared. "Indeed it will, Mayor Mare. There are five very special ponies I want to see at the Golden Oak Library very soon. I will explain everything to them there." And with that she departed.

It didn't take a genius for even the likes of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to figure out who Twilight had been referring to when she mentioned "Five very special ponies". "Come on, everypony!" Rainbow Dash spoke up! "Twilight need us, and we're not gonna let her or the princess down!"

"I just hope she can explain why in the name of all things cinnamon swirled she needs us," Applejack pondered. "Takin' on a full scale dragon doesn't sound like somethin' we're suited for."

Rarity, however, merely retorted. "It must be a direct order from Princess Celestia herself. The princess clearly thinks quite highly of us after our little adventure in the Everfree Forest. I just can't believe we didn't notice that huge cloud of smoke before."

With narrowed eyes, Fluttershy protested. "I noticed."

"You did?" Pinkie Pie blinked in what seemed like sincere surprise of the announcement. "Well why didn't you just say something?"

Fluttershy sighed as she explained. "I tried to but nopony would listen."

Rainbow Dash only growled. "Well speak up next time if it's important!" And then she inquired. "But just how in the hay did you find out about something before any of us?"

The animal loving pegasus began to explain. "Well, it all started a little while ago when I was feeding my animal friends." And she began to think back to that time, the memory still fresh in her mind.

It was lunch time at the cottage Fluttershy called home, and that meant it was time for her to feed all of the animals that she was responsible for taking care of. A task that was accomplished without much fuss as she flew all around her cottage, delivering meals to animals from all walks of life.

Only once she was finished with the other animals did the animal loving pegasus opt to check in on her pet bunny, Angel. She had given him a carrot to eat and was now checking in to see how much progress he was making. She quickly became concerned when she how fast her pet was trying to scarf down the carrot. "Not too fast now, Angel Bunny. You don't wanna get a tummy ache, now do you?" She asked him.

Angel seemed to pay his master's plea little attention as he just went on eating the carrot super fast for a couple of seconds. But then suddenly he stopped for what seemed to be no good reason.

"Oh Angel, you really should eat more than that." Fluttershy tried to encourage, trying not to sound annoyed or upset at how picky an eater he was being.

Angel didn't care, he just set the carrot down and tried to run away. Or at least, that's what it seemed like he was doing as far as Fluttershy was concerned. "It's not play time yet," She told him and tried to gently coax him into finishing his carrot. "I know you probably wanna run off right now, but... just three more bites, please?" Her pet only shook his head in reply. "Two more bites?" She tried to bargain only to receive another shake of the head. "One more bite? Pretty please?" Still, she got nothing for her efforts and so she sighed in defeat.

But then all of a sudden, the little bunny began to cough. It was a faint cough but it was a cough none the less. And the cough made his master very worried. "Oh my goodness, are you okay?!" She frantically inquired of him.

Angel didn't give an answer, he just kept on coughing and this time it was a tad bit more audible. That prompted Fluttershy to try her best to figure out what was wrong with him. "Are you coughing because you have a piece of carrot stuck in your throat?" She asked, only to get another cough in reply. "Because you need some water?" She tried to guess.

Seemingly growing impatient with his pegasus master, Angel proceeded to cough loudly and direct her attention up to the sky.

That did the trick, Fluttershy looked up and very nearly dropped dead at what she saw! An ominous cloud of thick, black smoke that seemed to be spreading over the surrounding blue sky with alarming speed! Realization slowly settled in for the mare. "Because of that giant cloud of scary black smoke?" And her suspicions were proven correct but a second later when she was struck in the side of her face by the same carrot Angel had just been eating. "I'll take that as a yes."

And that had been what had led Fluttershy to come rushing into town to try to warn ponies about the smoke.

The flashback ended as Fluttershy found herself more or less being led along by her friends to the Golden Oak Library, where they knew Twilight would be waiting for them.

The studious unicorn seemed more than prepared when her five friends gathered at the library a short time later. "Good, you all came. I knew you would."

Rainbow Dash couldn't resist boasting! "Of course, Twilight! A chance to prove to the princess how awesome we really are? How could we say no?"

"This isn't about your ego, Rainbow Dash," Twilight quickly corrected the brash speedster. "I specifically asked Princess Celestia to let us handle this. She's very concerned about the dragon and about the smoke it's bringing. It hasn't just affected Ponyville, lots of cities all over Equestria have begun reporting problems due to the smoke. And it's only going to get worse if we don't do something about it."

Applejack immediately saw fit to question the nature of the summons and the task for which it had been given. "Not for nothin', sugarcube, but why us? Why not send in the royal guard to deal with it if we're talkin' about a dragon?"

Twilight immediately explained. "You must understand, the dragon isn't doing this on purpose. The dragon simply chose to take a nap, and its snoring is what's causing the smoke according to Princess Celestia."

"But Spike doesn't do that and he takes naps all the time." Fluttershy pondered.

"My snoring is nowhere near as loud or as powerful as that dragon's," Spike explained. "Full grown dragons can snore pretty loudly when they want to. The smoke is their way of keeping any would be enemies away while they sleep."

Pinkie Pie couldn't help but comment. "Then maybe that dragon should see a doctor, that doesn't sound healthy at all."

"Well since it's not being done on purpose, I convinced Princess Celestia to let us try and peacefully settle this problem," Twilight told the others. "Sending in the royal guard would be seen as an act of aggression. I mean, none of you would like it if the royal guards showed up and told you had to go somewhere else to nap, would you?"

"When you put it like that, I guess I can see why we'd be chosen," Applejack reluctantly agreed. "But just what exactly are we supposed to do about it? I mean, can't we just wait until that dragon's done with his nap?"

Twilight shook her head from side to side. "I'm afraid we can't do that. According to Princess Celestia, the dragon is taking a nap that will last a very long time. And even with the best efforts of the pegasi to disperse it, smoke will cover Equestria for a hundred years unless we can convince that dragon to go and nap somewhere else."

Fluttershy let out a gasp as Rarity could only roll her eyes and remark. "Talk about getting your beauty sleep."

"That's dragons for you," Spike pointed out. "And let me tell you, we don't take kindly to having our naps disturbed. So if I were you girls, I'd be careful about how you decide to wake that dragon up."

The studious unicorn then told her friends. "Princess Celestia was able to pinpoint the dragon's location due to all the reports of the smoke. It's resting in a cave at the top of a mountain just outside of Ponyville. We need to encourage that dragon politely to leave," She proceeded to give out an instruction. "You girls better get going and gather supplies quickly. We've got a long journey ahead of us and little time to spare. I want you all to meet me back here in less than an hour, and then I'll fill you all in on what we're going to do."

Rainbow Dash needed no incentive to spring into action! "We won't let you or Princess Celestia down, Twilight! Not with the fate of all of Equestria at stake!" And she quickly hovered over the rest of her friends. "So, do we have what it takes to save the day?" Three of her friends gave confirming nods of approval, but Fluttershy remained hesitant.

"Alright then, y'all!" Applejack declared to the others. "Let's go get our stuff. Bring anythin' you'll need to scale a mountain."

Rainbow eagerly agreed. "Now we're talking! This is gonna be fun!"

But Fluttershy nervously tried to protest. "Um, actually..." However, she couldn't get a word in edge wise before all of her friends were leaving to get suited up for the mission. "Oh, I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." She thought to herself as she stood in the library by the wooden carving of a horse.

Twilight blinked in surprise. "Fluttershy? What are you still doing here?"

"Um... well... I was just..." The shy pegasus stuttered as she tried to think of how to frame what she would say next as nicely as possible.

"If you're worried about Spike and your animal friends, you needn't be," The studious unicorn answered, suspecting that such was the problem. "Spike can look after the animals until we get back. Just leave him some instructions so he'll know what to do. And we shouldn't be gone for more than a few hours, maybe a day tops."

Fluttershy still stuttered. "Well... that's not what I... I mean..."

Twilight did her best not to sound annoyed by her friend's timid nature. "Come on, Fluttershy, out with it. We haven't got all day."

The pegasus mare let out a sigh, mentally cursing herself for her shyness and how it was making this ten times more difficult than it needed to be. "I was just wondering if..." She briefly paused before deciding to come right out and say what she wanted to say. "Would it be possible if I maybe... didn't go with you and the others?"

Spike immediately folded his arms across his chest as he snorted. "If you think I can't manage your animal friends for a while, you're mistaken. They can't be that hard to deal with. Well, aside from maybe Angel but I'm sure I'll find a way to keep him from acting up."

"Oh no, it's not that," Fluttershy immediately protested. "It's just... do all of us really have to go up that mountain and confront that dragon? I don't think there's much I could do."

But the studious unicorn only laughed. "Don't be silly, Fluttershy. You're a very big part of this mission. In fact, you're probably the most vital to its success. You're part of the reason why I convinced Princess Celestia to let us handle this instead of the royal guard."

At that the animal loving pegasus felt a knot suddenly form in her stomach. She very nearly flinched upon hearing those words. "I am? Really?"

A sincere nod came from the unicorn. "Yes, really, Fluttershy," But she then proceeded to ask. "Or, is something wrong?"

Fluttershy was quick to back away while she not so subtly stammered. "Oh... n-n-no, nothing's wrong. It's... nothing. Forget I said anything," And before Twilight or Spike could say or do anything else, she quickly turned around as she declared. "I'd... better get going now! Got to get busy gearing up like you told me to! Uh... toodles!" Then she took off, slamming the library door quite audibly as she did so.

"Just what was up with that?" Spike pondered. "Fluttershy wasn't this anxious on your last adventure, was she?"

Twilight shook her head in reply. "She most certainly wasn't, and that was when we had to worry about eternal nighttime. Something must be up, I just wish I knew what. I'm not a mind reader."

The little dragon questioned. "You sure you couldn't just look up a spell to make you one?"

"I'd rather not," Twilight protested. "Besides, there's no time for that. I'm sure that if it were something really important, Fluttershy would've told me. She's probably just a little nervous about being away from her animal friends for so long is all. Now come on, you're gonna help me get ready."

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was thinking to herself. "That was too close! I can't let fear overtake me, not with everypony counting on me!" And so she reluctantly made her way back to her cottage to get ready, even though she knew that going along on this adventure would mean having to come face to face with a big, scary dragon.

So it was that five of the six mares who were about to embark on only their second adventure together (and their first since officially becoming friends) eagerly set to work on getting properly dressed and loaded up for the journey ahead of them. Twilight already seeing fit to have Spike "assist" her by bringing her whatever books and other supplies she asked for, stuffing them into her saddlebags until it looked as if they could hold nothing more.

Rainbow Dash knew she didn't need to pack much, she was already prepared as it was. But she still took some time to make a quick detour to Cloudsdale and dip her front hooves into a rainbow colored puddle. She promptly splashed some of the puddle's liquid contents across her face, giving her a bit of a makeover as she let out a cry.

Applejack had her whole family pitch in to pack not just apples but also her lasso and some other rodeo based "necessities". All that weighed her saddlebags down heavily, to the point where even Big Macintosh found them hard to lift. But lift them he did, placing them squarely on Applejack's back. And once she'd adjusted to the extra weight, she let out a mighty "Yeehaw!" and kicked her back legs.

Pinkie Pie zoomed all about her room at Sugarcube Corner, not even bothering to say a word to the Cakes as she grabbed some spare party supplies and threw them into her saddlebags without a second thought. Upon leaving the bakery though, some of the supplies spilled out and caused a mess. Pinkie briefly giggled at this sight before realizing that the situation probably called for a bit more seriousness, and so she corrected herself. "Oh, I mean 'grrr!'"

Rarity needed surprisingly little time to get ready, soon she had everything she was sure she would need. But when she strolled past a mirror in her boutique, she noticed the rather tacky green colored helmet she was wearing. It clashed horribly with her mane and tail, not to mention her pristine white coat. So she discarded it and went to fetch a much more suitable (and more important not clashing) pink hat. "Much better," She said to herself. "Onward!"

Fluttershy, for her part, decided to get all dressed up in protective sporting equipment that included a helmet, an umpire's chest covering and shoulder pads. She knew they probably wouldn't be of much help against a dragon, but any protection was better than no protection at all. At least, that's what she told herself in her head.

Just like that, everypony was ready for action whether they wanted to be or not. And soon, all had gathered outside of the library as Twilight pulled out a map, holding it aloft in the light purple glow of her magic. "Okay, girls. Listen up," She instructed before gesturing to the map. "I already went and mapped out the fastest root possible up the mountain, but we're gonna have to keep a good pace if we don't wanna have to spend a night camping out."

"I thought you said it wouldn't take more than a few hours." Applejack questioned as she arched an eyebrow upward in suspicion.

"It really shouldn't, but there's a possibility we could run into danger or our route unexpectedly changes," Twilight explained to Applejack. "And it'll be too dangerous for us to try and make our way up the mountain at night. So if nightfall comes and we're not at the top, we'll have to set up camp and start again in the morning. But it shouldn't have to come to that. If we all do our part, this will be over with soon."

Applejack and the other mares then eyed the mountain off in the distance, taking notice of what seemed to be a small cave at the very peak. "Boy, looks pretty tall to me. Might even be a tad nippy."

Rainbow Dash was quick to confirm. "You bet it is. The higher up you go, the colder it gets."

In response, Rarity declared. "Well it's a good thing I brought my scarf, then." And she promptly pulled out a lovely pink scarf that she tied around her neck.

"Ooh! Pretty. Pink is my absolute favorite color, you know." Pinkie Pie replied as her blue eyes were fascinated by the scarf.

But the rainbow maned pegasus only sarcastically quipped. "Oh yeah, that'll keep you nice and cozy, Rarity."

The fashionista simply swished her tail as she replied in an unconcerned tone of voice. "Please, you think I would pack a mere scarf for a mountain climbing adventure? Of course I came prepared with a full ensemble to match. And despite your rather rude remark, I'd be more than happy to let you 'borrow' it."

Rainbow instantly protested. "No thanks, I'm good. I'm used to working at high altitudes. A little cold won't stop me! Besides, I don't think the mountain's nearly that big."

"It's still gonna be quite a hike," Twilight commented, breaking up a potential fight before it could start. "So I suggest we stop talking and start moving. The longer we stand around here, the longer this is gonna take."

However, just as the group was getting ready to head out, Rainbow Dash took notice of something. Or rather someone. "Fluttershy?" She questioned, as though shocked that her fellow pegasus would be coming along on such an adventure. "Why are you here again? We both know sometimes you can even be afraid of your own shadow."

"I am not!" Fluttershy protested even though she was visibly shaking.

Rainbow sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Come on, we both know what's going on here. You don't have to do this. We'll be just fine without you."

Fluttershy shook her head. "Twilight says I'm especially important to this mission. And if she believes that I'm going to trust her."

"As opposed to trusting yourself?!" The brash speedster complained. "Please, just back out already. Twilight will understand. If you tag along, you're just gonna slow us down and everypony's gonna wonder why. It's none of their business knowing about the things you'd rather keep to yourself."

The shy pegasus firmly insisted. "I'm not gonna slow anypony down!" Though under her breath she added. "I hope, maybe."

Twilight couldn't help but overhear the conversation between the two pegasi and immediately sought to inquire. "Is there something I should know about? I don't want any arguments or distractions, we're wasting time already."

"Go on, Fluttershy!" Rainbow firmly encouraged! "Tell Twilight, she'll understand."

But Fluttershy replied. "There's nothing to tell, Rainbow Dash. If Twilight wants me to come along on this mission, then that's that. She's counting on me and by extension so is Princess Celestia. I'm not going to let either of them down!"

"Well, if it's nothing then I suggest you both drop it," Twilight remarked, coming across as a tad bit ruder than she probably intended. "So stop talking and let's get going already."

Reluctantly, the brash speedster said nothing more. But in the back of her mind she was thinking. "Why are you doing this, Fluttershy?! You don't have anything to prove!"

With any potential "arguments" settled for the time being, the six mares set off and began to make their way up the mountain. For "safety" reasons they traveled as a group rather than allow Rainbow Dash to fly up ahead of them.

As they were walking, Rarity couldn't help but comment. "I hear the only thing that sparkles more than a dragon's scales are the jewels they use to build their nests," And an idea soon came to her. "Ooh! Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll be able to convince that dragon to part with some of his less valuable ones. It would save me a lot of hassle having to go out and hunt for gems all the time."

Pinkie Pie then teased in a gruff tone of voice. "Hey, Rarity. Welcome to my cave. Care for a diamond? Well too bad, you can't have one!" And she proceeded to give off her best impression of a dragon roar, giggling in the process.

"Well it's not like that dragon will have a use for gems wherever it's going," The fashionista protested. "I just thought I could do it a favor and lighten its load. I for one would hate having to carry such valuables with me all the time. Far too easy for some no good ruffian to steal them all. At least with me they'd be put to good use."

Twilight was quick to scold her fashion friend for her seemingly short sighted and selfish ways. "Rarity, we're not doing this to get rich, and we're not doing this to be rude. This is a strictly diplomatic mission. It's no laughing matter either. This is serious, and we need to treat it as such," She then questioned. "Fluttershy, you're the animal expert here. I know dragons aren't quite the same as wild animals, but even so you must have some idea of how best to approach this situation. Any ideas?"

But when Twilight didn't get a reply, she turned around to see that Fluttershy had only just barely started up the mountain. And she was noticeably refusing to fly even though Rainbow Dash was doing so without trouble. "Fluttershy?" The studious unicorn inquired while looking back. "Everything okay?"

"Oh, s-sorry," Fluttershy blushed and apologized. "It's just... the mountain is so... tall."

"Well it is a mountain, you know," Rainbow Dash pointed out. "Last chance to change your mind. You sure you wanna do this?"

Fluttershy nodded her head. "I have to, Rainbow. I have to. I just... need a moment to prepare myself, that's all."

The brash speedster groaned. "Then what are you waiting for, an invitation?!"

"Ooh, I think I have one of those in my bag!" Pinkie Pie declared as she dug into her saddlebag. Sure enough, she managed to pull out an invitation as party blowers went off and a shower of confetti flew out from her bag, startling an unsuspecting Rainbow Dash!

"You can just fly up here, you know," Rainbow remarked. "Or should we just go on without you?"

Rarity couldn't help but question. "Just why are you being so hard on Fluttershy today, Rainbow Dash? So she's a bit slower than the rest of us, so what? This is a team effort."

"Yeah, and part of being a team means you gotta pull your weight!" The brash speedster insisted! "A chain's only as strong as its weakest link. And I don't want Fluttershy to be our weak link. If she's not gonna back out, the least she can do is summon up some of that courage she's trying to show," Then she called out. "So come on, Fluttershy! Let's see you flap those wings! Unless you're afraid."

Fluttershy immediately protested. "I'm not afraid! I'm not!" And she shut her eyes, straining herself as she furiously flapped her wings and slowly rose into the air.

Pinkie Pie was happy to encourage her pegasus friend. "That's it, Fluttershy! Keep 'em flapping! You're doing great!"

But at that very moment there came a mighty roar from further up the mountain. The noise echoed everywhere. And it was so loud and unexpected that it startled poor Fluttershy half to death! As if her body had a mind of its own, her wings suddenly locked up as she opened her eyes and fell to the ground with a thud despite her best efforts to gain altitude.

Applejack groaned as she impatiently rushed over to Twilight and snatched the map away from the unicorn!

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Twilight protested in shock and surprise!

The farm mare quickly explained while looking over the map. "We ain't got time for this stuff, Twilight. So I'm gonna need to borrow this in order to figure out another way to take Fluttershy 'round the mountain. You and the other girls go ahead, we'll meet up with you as soon as we can."

"But... the plan, this wasn't part of the plan!" Twilight remarked with concern!

Applejack only snorted in reply. "Well, plans change, Twilight. Now go on, get goin'! Don't you or anypony else worry 'bout Fluttershy or I." And without bothering to say another word, she made her way over to Fluttershy's location and grabbed the shaking pegasus by the tail.

Rainbow Dash could only frown in disapproval as she observed the whole scene. "You're not fooling anypony with that performance, Fluttershy," She thought to herself.

The group reluctantly split up after that, Twilight taking herself, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie a ways up the mountain before reaching what she felt was a suitable place to wait up for Applejack and Fluttershy. But the unicorn mare still impatiently paced the floor as the minutes seemed to tick by agonizingly slow.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity saw fit to pass the time by playing tic tic toe, drawing up new game boards from the dirt using a rock (or her nose in Pinkie's case). And Rainbow Dash, well she just hovered overheard. She kept one eye on the horizon to try and spot Applejack and Fluttershy, and another eye on the smoke that was still spreading fast over Ponyville. It was easy to see that the local pegasi were being quickly overwhelmed despite their best efforts.

The only thing that broke up the silence was Pinkie's excited declaration of victory! "Yes! I win again!" She happily shouted as she drew a line across her three circles.

Rarity could only groan. "I can't believe it. That's thirty five games in a row."

"I can't help it if I'm that good!" The pink party pony innocently insisted.

The fashionista reluctantly agreed. "So you say," And she quickly offered. "Best of seventy one, perhaps?"

But before Pinkie had a chance to take Rarity up on the offer, an exhausted Applejack finally came into view as she lugged a still mostly motionless Fluttershy behind her. "Well..." She panted. "We made it."

Twilight forced her not to frown. "So I can see. We'd better get moving then, we should've been much further along by now."

"You're the one who told Fluttershy she was so important to this mission," Rainbow thought to herself but didn't dare to say it out loud to Twilight. "If you knew Fluttershy like I did, Twilight, I wonder if you'd be so confident in her for this mission. This isn't like the manticore."

Despite the delay, the six mares set off again as if nothing was wrong. Twilight even said aloud. "I'm confident we can still make it up the mountain before nightfall if we hurry. But we're gonna have to adjust the route a bit and take some... shortcuts."

Fluttershy gulped anew. "I don't like the sound of that."

Twilight did her best to reassure her frightened friend (and perhaps also reassure the others). "They're not anything too dangerous. Just follow my lead and we'll be fine. In fact, we should be coming up on the first of these shortcuts right about... now!"

A small but noticeable gap between the edge of two cliff faces presented itself to the six ponies, five of which soon leapt across it with no trouble. But Fluttershy paused, she was not so easily convinced of the "shortcut". "It's so... wide." She nervously proclaimed.

Applejack tried to reassure her uncertain friend. "It ain't that wide, you can just leap on over like we did."

"I..." Fluttershy began only for another loud roar from further up the mountain to fill her with dread and uncertainty. "I don't know."

Quickly springing into action, Pinkie Pie jumped back across and reassured her frightened friend. "There's nothing to be afraid of, silly. It's just a hop, skip and a jump. Just do what I do and you'll be fine. Watch," She promptly demonstrated the three steps, jumping across the gap with the greatest of ease. "See? It's easy. I even made a song about it. So if I can do that, you can totally make it across. Try it!"

The shy pegasus reluctantly made her attempt. "O-okay, here goes." She repeated the steps aloud as she tried to mimic what she'd seen Pinkie Pie do. But she messed up a little on the "jump" and ended up getting stuck between the two ledges.

Despite the "setbacks" the group had endured up to this point, they were still making relatively decent progress (according to Twilight) as they continued to slowly make their way up the mountain. It was impossible to tell for sure how much time had passed, but it had to have been at least more than two hours given the position of the sun. But sunset still seemed to be a ways away.

However, time itself soon take a backseat to a more urgent development as the six ponies neared their next "shortcut". "We need to be very careful and very quiet," Twilight instructed to the others. "According to my map, we're passing through an avalanche zone. Even the smallest peep could set off a huge rock slide."

Applejack immediately questioned in a whisper. "Then why go through this zone at all? Why not just go around it?"

"I was going to originally, but then... well, you know what happened," Twilight answered as she looked briefly to Fluttershy, then back to Applejack. "I know it's dangerous but it's going to save us a lot of time. Let's just stay quiet and keep moving, okay?"

Reluctantly, Applejack and everypony else agreed. They walked slowly and quietly through the area, taking notice of the rocks up above that seemed to only just barely be held in place and looked ready to come tumbling down at any second.

Suddenly, Fluttershy felt something touching her backside (it was only a leaf but she didn't realize this fact). Frightened and fearing the worst, she forgot all about being quiet as she began to shout! "AVALA-!"

A horrified Applejack quickly rushed to stick her hoof in Fluttershy's mouth and for a brief moment nothing seemed to happen. The other mares breathed a sigh of relief, convinced they'd avoided the worst case scenario. But their relief turned out to be premature when they heard the telltale rumbling of rocks! "Avalanche!" They all screamed and took off running as fast as they could!

Fortunately for the frightened ponies, the whole ordeal was over with very quickly. All just barely managed to escape unharmed (though not without coughing up a storm due to the amount of dust that was stirred up). "Whoo-hoo! Let's do that again!" Pinkie Pie cheered!

But Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh, let's not. That was far more excitement than I had in mind when I agreed to this."

"Sorry, everypony." Fluttershy apologized as she saw that their path forward was now blocked off by huge rocks.

"It's no big deal," Twilight tried to insist as she let out a sigh. "We'll just have to, climb over it I guess."

Applejack protested. "Told you we should've just gone another way. Would've been a whole lot safer."

"I'm trying to get us up to the top as quickly as possible!" Twilight complained. "I can't help it if there's unexpected snags. Planning this mission has proven to be harder than I expected. But I wanted us to be prepared instead of just winging it like we did with Nightmare Moon."

Rainbow Dash then declared in a blunt tone of voice. "That's not the problem, Twilight! The problem is Fluttershy! If not for her and her fear we'd probably already be at the top, dealing with that dragon by now."

The studious unicorn shook her head. "I already told Fluttershy that she's important to this mission. In fact, she's vital to its success. We can't do this without her. She had a chance to back out and she didn't take it. So instead of blaming her for being afraid, let's instead focus on getting over those rocks and up to the top of the mountain so can we do what we came all this way to do. So unless you wanna take your chances taking on that dragon all alone, I suggest you stop your grumbling and help those who can't fly climb over the rocks. We'll save a lot of time that way."

Rainbow reluctantly relented for the time being. "Fine. But I'm still gonna say this, you don't know Fluttershy like you think you do. If you did, you'd reconsider your entire plan."

"If you two are quite done with your bickering, can we please get a move on?" Rarity grumbled. "Haven't we wasted enough time already without these fruitless arguments?"

And with that, nopony bothered to say anything further on the subject of who was to blame for the delays in ascending the mountain. The focus instead went into climbing over the new obstruction as quickly (and safely) as possible.

When at last everypony had made it over the huge pile of rocks and down the other side, all that remained was to round a corner and reach the mountain's summit.

Rainbow Dash couldn't stop herself from looking at Twilight and skeptically inquiring of the unicorn. "Still think it was a good idea to bring Fluttershy along, Twilight?"

Twilight somewhat nervously answered. "We're about to find out, because we're here now. A bit later than I wanted but we should still have enough time to put my plan into action."

"And what is your plan, exactly?" Applejack saw fit to question. "No offense, sugarcube, but if we're dealin' with a dragon here and we're doin' it in place of the royal guard, your plan better be a darn good one!"

The studios unicorn did her best to ignore the extremely stern glare the farm mare was shooting her as she just explained to the best of her ability. "Well, see what you think of this: Rainbow Dash, you'll keep busy using your wings to help clear the smoke."

"Can do." Rainbow gave a salute as she flew up into the sky.

Twilight went on explaining her plan. "Rarity and Pinkie Pie, I don't anticipate charm being necessary. So you two will be in charge of a distraction in case we need to retreat or buy time."

Rarity couldn't help but question. "Us, a distraction? You're sure that's a good idea?"

But Pinkie Pie just happily pulled out a rubber chicken and swung it around, making it squeak as she declared. "We'll be the best distraction you've ever seen, Twilight. But if you do need us, you just have to ask. Let's just say I have a hunch we might need party supplies, so I came prepared."

"Right," Twilight blinked, deciding it best not to question the party pony for the time being. She instead turned to Applejack as she told the farm mare. "Applejack, you've got a lot of apples and some impressive rodeo equipment from what I hear. So you'll stand by in case we're attacked and need to defend ourselves."

Applejack nodded. "Say no more, Twilight. If that dragon tries anythin' at all, I'll make it regret even thinkin' of messin' with us!" And she emphasized her point by pulling out two apples (one red and one green) and using her back legs to kick them hard against a nearby rock, making them splat ominously.

Satisfied that everypony knew their role, Twilight nodded and then declared with enthusiasm. "But I'm quite confident that it won't come to that. We can settle this peacefully, and Fluttershy is the key. She'll know how to get through to that dragon and convince it to go nap somewhere else. Plus, I'll be going in with her."

"Don't you already know about dragons from living with Spike?" Rainbow Dash questioned. "I mean, you had to have at least somewhat raised him if he's been around you for so long, right?"

"He's still a baby in dragon years, and dragons can live for a very long time," The studious unicorn answered in reply. "Plus, there's still much about them that we don't know. And besides all of that, a lot of the 'raising' for Spike was done by Princess Celestia and my mom. I was just a filly when Spike hatched, you couldn't possibly expect me to raise a child all by myself when I was a child as well."

The rainbow maned pegasus blinked slowly. "Huh, never thought about it like that."

The unicorn mare nodded back. "Which is why I'm bringing in the closest thing we have to an expert on the subject," Then she turned to Fluttershy and asked the pegasus. "So, Fluttershy, any ideas? I have a little experience waking Spike up from naps and it never goes well. Working with a full grown dragon is going to be a lot tougher." However, she then noticed that said pegasus was nowhere close to her current location. In fact, the pegasus was standing right outside the cave and seemed to be unable to move an inch from where she was.

"I... I can't go in that cave! I just can't!" Fluttershy declared as she seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"What? Now you're afraid of caves or somethin'?!" Applejack groaned. "It's a bit late to be tellin' us that now!"

However, Rainbow Dash seemed to realize what the problem actually was as she let out a long sigh. "I was afraid of this."

All eyes immediately fell upon the brash speedster as Twilight nervously and reluctantly asked. "What do you mean? It sounds like you know something I don't know."

"Yeah, of course I do! I told you you don't know Fluttershy like I do! The two of us, we've been friends since we were fillies in Cloudsdale," Rainbow explained. "We met at flight camp and got our cutie marks at around the same time. And growing up in Cloudsdale meant we got to know each other really well: What we were good at, what we struggled with, even what we were afraid of. And Fluttershy, well she's kind of afraid of almost everything. But if there's one thing she's afraid of more than anything, it's dragons."

Pinkie Pie protested. "What are you talking about, Dashie? That's ridiculous. Fluttershy can't possibly be afraid of dragons. She hangs around Spike like it's no big deal."

Rainbow could only groan. "Fluttershy can explain it better than I can," And she glared down at her fellow pegasus. "Go on, tell them already! You should've told them a long time ago! I can't believe it's had to come to this!"

With a reluctant sigh, the animal loving pegasus confessed to her friends. "It's true, I'm scared of dragons. Not dragons like Spike, they're okay. But that's because he's not a huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could eat a pony in one bite, totally all grown-up dragon!"

"But what about all those other animals? And what about the raging manticore?" Twilight questioned. "They're pretty terrifying if you ask me, but you've handled them like they're no problem."

Fluttershy could only reply. "Because they're not dragons."

Applejack then inquired. "And you didn't think to tell us this before we hiked all the way up here?"

The shy pegasus whimpered and looked down at the ground in shame. "Nopony else seemed to have a problem with the dragon, and when Twilight told me how important I was to all of this, I just couldn't say no. I had to be brave. Or at least, that's what I told myself."

Rarity saw fit to point out. "Darling, forcing yourself to do something you don't want to do isn't necessarily brave. It would've been much braver for you to come right out and tell us you were scared. We would've understood."

"It would've saved me a lot of trouble," Twilight added with a groan. "But it's too late to change my plan. We're up here now and we have a job to do. Every minute we waste standing around here is another minute that dragon's smoke has to spread all over Equestria. So please, I know you haven't been doing a very good job up until now, but for the sake of all of us and all of Equestria, can you at least try to be brave and help me out? Please?"

"If it helps sweeten the deal, I'll throw you the biggest hero party Equestria's ever seen when it's all over." Pinkie Pie added in hopeful encouragement.

But alas, Fluttershy could only hang her head in shame. "I'm sorry, but I just can't. I see now that I was just being stupid. I don't know why I came up here. Just forget about me, you'll all figure out some way to solve the problem without me. Maybe someday I'll overcome my fear of dragons, but that someday isn't today." And she whimpered as she slowly turned away from the cave entrance, unable to look at any of her friends as she did so.

"Oh Fluttershy," Twilight unhappily sighed. But she sensed that were was little she could do right now to change her friend's mind. So reluctantly, she decided to carry on alone. "Well, I guess I'll just do what I can on my own. Maybe I'll be lucky and the dragon will be in a good mood. I mean, it probably doesn't realize what it's doing right now, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Maybe." Pinkie appeared to nod in agreement.

"It's a possibility. Never hurts to look on the bright side." Rarity seemed to second the agreement.

Rainbow shrugged her hooves. "Yeah, or maybe it was just too lazy to check before it laid down. Happens to me all the time."

And even Applejack commented. "Well, at least we can try to be optimistic," Though she was quick to add. "Best of luck in there, sugarcube. Not that you'll need it, hopefully."

And with that, Twilight trotted into the cave to confront the sleeping dragon. And she would do so alone.

Twilight soon came face to face with the slumbering dragon. It was indeed quite large with red scales and reddish-pink spines. It was snoozing presumably quite happily atop a huge pile of treasure, pausing only occasionally to scratch its belly with a huge claw.

Plucking up courage, Twilight cleared her throat and tried to get the dragon's attention. "Excuse me, Mr. Dragon."

The dragon was slow to respond, taking a good minute or two to stop blowing smoke and open a sleepy orange eye. It seemed to glare at Twilight as if her very presence offended it.

"Oh, good, you're awake," Twilight breathed a small sigh of relief and then tried to explain herself. "Sorry to wake you up, Mr. Dragon. My name is Twilight Sparkle, I'm from Ponyville. And it's just... well... you seem to be doing an awful lot of snoring. And when you do you send out huge clouds of terrible smoke," As she spoke the dragon gave off just such a cloud, making the unicorn cough and sputter. "Like that. So my friends and I have come here to ask you politely to find somewhere else to take your nap. Somewhere far away where you won't bother anypony. Equestria simply can't survive a hundred years in a dark haze. You understand, don't you?"

The red scaled dragon didn't give a verbal reply. It just rose up slowly, which Twilight took as a hopeful sign. But her hopes were quickly dashed when the dragon just yawned and laid back down, blowing more smoke her way and forcing Twilight to retreat due to how thick it was.

In fact, the smoke was so thick that the ponies gathered outside the cave began to cough as well. And it was only thanks to Rainbow Dash's frantic flapping that the smoke was dispersed at all. "Well, so much for asking nicely." Rainbow bitterly remarked.

"Now what?" Applejack pondered.

Rarity was quick to volunteer. "Simple, this calls for a little bit of pony charm, is all. I'm sure I can 'convince' that big old brute to see things my way," And with a wink she trotted into the cave, soon coming face to face with the dragon in all his glory (and his huge pile of treasure, which didn't go unnoticed by the fashionista). "I'm so sorry to interrupt your nap, Mr. Dragon," She spoke in the most elegant and refined tone of voice possible. "But I couldn't possibly head back home without mentioning what handsome scales you have. And for those scales to have to be hidden away in some silly cave for a hundred years? Well, it seems like a waste don't you think?"

It seemed like the dragon was listening as he opened his eyes again and focused them on Rarity.

The fashionista continued to lay on the charm as best she could. "Personally, I think you should skip the snoozing and be out there, showing those scales off to everyone. That's what I'd do if I were you."

The dragon rose up and let out a huge yawn, appearing to take Rarity's suggestion quite seriously.

But that was when the unicorn with a pristine white coat made a mistake. "Splendid, I knew we could work things out. Now, I don't suppose I could interest you in parting with some of that treasure. It doesn't seem like you need all of it where you're going. And it would be going to a good cause with me instead of staying here in this cave, ready for some no good ruffian to steal it all."

In response to the mere "suggestion" of parting with some of its treasure, the dragon roared loudly and scooped up the whole pile. Then he swung at Rarity with his free claw, forcing the fashionista to retreat.

"Rarity, what happened in there?!" Applejack groaned in frustration! "What the hay were you thinkin'?!"

Rarity let out an unhappy sigh as she looked at the ground in shame. "Not my finest moment back there. But in my defense, I was only really interested in a small sum. I very well couldn't take even half of it back with me, it wouldn't fit into my saddlebags."

Twilight glared at her fellow unicorn. "You were supposed to get him to leave, not try to swipe his treasure for yourself. Now we're back to square one."

"Not if I have anything to say about it, and I do!" Pinkie Pie declared before blowing on a party blower. Everypony turned to look, and saw that the pink party pony was dressed up not unlike a present at a party. She even had a bright blue bow tied around her, and she also had silly red glasses and blue and green balloons in the shape of animals.

"Darling, you look absolutely ridiculous in that get up." Rarity remarked.

Pinkie nodded and grinned. "Duh, that's the whole point. Sharing a laugh is the fastest way to get someone to be your friend. And once that dragon's my friend, it'll be a piece of cake to get him to leave. Just watch!" She proceeded to stroll right into the cave before anypony could even think of stopping her. But all she managed to say to the dragon was "Hi." before there came a series of loud roars and crashes.

Pinkie Pie stumbled back with her outfit in shambles, but otherwise she was unharmed. "Apparently he doesn't like laughing," She declared with a nervous laugh. "Or sharing. Who knew?"

Seeing this display was enough to cause Rainbow Dash to lose her patience (not that she'd had much to begin with). "All right, that does it!" She roared at the top of her lungs! "We've tried asking nicely, turning on the charm and... whatever it is Pinkie Pie was doing."

The party pony promptly replied by blowing on her battered party blower.

Ignoring the "feedback" from one of her friends, Rainbow Dash just went on to say. "We've wasted enough time here! If that dragon doesn't wanna leave willingly, we'll just have to make him leave the hard way! Get out of my way!" And before anypony could even think of stopping her, she zoomed right into the cave and came face to face with the dragon in all his scale covered glory. "Hey, Mr. Tall and Ugly!" She bellowed! "I got a message for you: It's time for you to leave! So get out!" And then she turned around and delivered a swift kick to the dragon's nostrils!

That certainly got a reaction out of the red scaled dragon, but not the one the rainbow maned pegasus had been expecting. After practically shrugging off the blow he'd received, the dragon blew more smoke and then roared at the top of his lungs as he narrowed his eyes!

The brash speedster quickly realized her mistake. "Uh," She nervously chuckled. "Is it too late for us to be friends?" But before she could say or do anything else, the dragon roared loudly once again. And the force of the roar blew the pegasus backward out of the cave, knocking her into her unsuspecting friends!

But the dragon didn't stop there. It proceeded to emerge from the cave and angrily confront the ponies who had been so rude as to disturb his nap. Suffice it to say he was not in a negotiating mood.

"Uh-oh." Was all Twilight and the others could say before the dragon roared, swiping at them with his tail and sending them reeling backwards into a rock! They were more dazed than hurt, but the impact was enough to shatter the rock into tiny bits of gravel.

Fluttershy had seen the whole thing, having been cowering behind the safety of the now destroyed rock. And upon seeing the horrible sight before her, something inside of her snapped! She narrowed her eyes and grit her teeth. "How dare you," She declared. When her response went unacknowledged she just raised her tone of voice and said again! "How dare you!"

Fully fueled by her righteous anger, the pegasus mare flew up and locked eyes with the dragon as she told him in no uncertain terms. "Now you listen here, mister, and you listen good. Just because you're big doesn't mean you get to be a bully!" Without waiting for a reply she then added. "You may have huge teeth, and sharp scales, and snore smoke and even breathe fire. But you do not. I repeat: You do not! Hurt! My! Friends! You got that?"

Now it was the dragon's turn to flinch. No one had ever spoken to him in such a strict tone before. In a way it was not unlike a child being scolded by its mother for acting up.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Fluttershy asked the dragon. "Are you sorry for what you did?"

In response, the dragon whimpered and began to cry quite audibly. Tears fell from his eyes like rain drops. And all who witnessed the scene could hardly believe their eyes and ears. A full grown dragon had been reduced to crying like a baby by Fluttershy of all ponies. It was something that defied all logical explanation, and yet it was there for all to see.

The animal loving pegasus was quick to soothe the upset dragon. "Oh, there there," She gently told him as her earlier anger seemed to leave her all of a sudden. "You're not a bad dragon, you just made a bad decision is all."

"Yes..." The red scaled dragon confessed. "But that rainbow one kicked me. And it hurt."

Fluttershy nodded. "I'm sure it did, and I'm very sorry about that. But that's no excuse for being mean. You should know that two wrongs don't make a right. Besides, you were not exactly nice to my other friends and they most certainly didn't attack you. They were trying to be nice and get you to leave," And she gently coaxed him. "You need to understand that your snoring is causing a problem even if you didn't intend it to."

The dragon reluctantly agreed. "Yeah, I guess maybe it has. But it was so comfortable and quiet in that cave, I didn't want to leave."

"Well I'm sure you can find a nice, quiet place to nap somewhere else. Somewhere where your snoring won't be a bother to anyone else," Fluttershy reassured him. "Now kindly go pack up your things, it's time for you to go." And just like that, the dragon obeyed.

All of Fluttershy's friends were amazed by the sight that they had just seen. But none were more surprised than Rainbow Dash. "Who are you and what have you done with Fluttershy?" She demanded as the red scaled dragon departed the mountain top.

Fluttershy just giggled and grinned as she told her fellow pegasus and childhood friend. "It's still the same old me, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow was anything but convinced. "No way! Are you really Fluttershy? Because the Fluttershy I know could never have been as brave as you were just then."

The animal loving pegasus simply replied. "Well I had to be. I just couldn't let that dragon get away with hurting you or any of my friends. As scared as I might have been, I knew I couldn't run away and live with myself. I guess sometimes you can surprise even yourself with how brave you can be."

Twilight nodded. "I just knew you could do it, Fluttershy. Looks like I was right all along, just not in the way I expected," And then she added. "You know, I get the feeling all of this would make a pretty good friendship letter to Princess Celestia. After all, I'm gonna have to send her a progress report letting her know everything is a-okay."

"And I should probably check on Spike," Fluttershy commented. "Oh, I hope Angel hasn't given him too much of a hard time."

Twilight stood up, brushing off the dust as she declared. "Then we've no time to lose, let's get back down this mountain before we have to spend the night up here." And everypony agreed without hesitation. Yet as they began their trek back to Ponyville, all of them had come away with a newfound appreciation for their shy friend. Never would they have expected her to be the bravest and strongest of them all.

Even Fluttershy herself couldn't help but think. "Maybe I don't have to let my fears get the best of me all the time." And she made a little note in the back of her head to try to remember this the next time she needed to be brave in a dangerous situation.

Author's Note

So it is that we commence yet another rewrite series. And as I've been doing since at least the second installment, these author's notes are reserved for me to try and explain not just why I picked the episodes I did, but also what I'm trying to fix with each of them.

This one is probably one of the ones you would've never expected me to do even considering how many volumes and many episodes I've done already. I still do like this episode as it is, though it's also one of the ones where the "early installment weirdness" can be seen the most.

The biggest aspect lies in Rainbow Dash and how she reacts to Fluttershy's behavior, a lot of subsequent episodes would draw on the fact that she knew Fluttershy more than anypony else and seemed to be at least somewhat more understanding of her shyness. Here though, Rainbow Dash is the one always getting on Fluttershy's case whenever her shyness is a problem. And the episode itself spends a lot of time playing up Fluttershy's shyness to paint her as "the load" for the team.

There is also the fact that the mane six are called to deal with the dragon problem instead of the royal guard, which is something fans have raised questions about. So I wanted to include something to hopefully explain why the royal guard were not considered. And I also wanted to try and adjust Rarity's portrayal since the original episode seemed to not really know what to do with her and made her go against her very element (generosity).

I know I changed up the sequence of events a little bit from how they played out in the original episode, but I felt like they would flow a bit better narratively if we started out with Fluttershy trying to warn everypony and then flashback to the original opening scene of her learning about the cloud of smoke.

~~Dragonshy~~
A Dog and Pony Show
Read It and Weep (Bonus Chapter)
Magical Mystery Cure (Two Parter)
Rarity Takes Manehattan
Make New Friends, But Keep Discord
The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2
Fluttershy Leans In (Bonus Chapter)
The Hearts and Hooves Day Mystery (The Break Up Break Down)
Growing Up is Hard to Do (Bonus Chapter)

S1 E19: A Dog and Pony Show (What If?)

It had been quite a day for Spike, a day he would not soon forget as he made his way through Ponyville to the Golden Oak Library. Boy would Twilight be surprised to learn what he'd been through today.

The little dragon hummed a tune to himself as the familiar outward presence of the library soon greeted his light green eyes, the glow of the setting sun making said library seem warm and inviting.

Twilight was waiting for Spike when he came through the door. "Oh, Spike," She commented with the slightest bit of concern. "It's about time you showed up. I was beginning to worry."

Spike waved a claw. "Aw come on, Twilight. I can take care of myself, you know."

Twilight was anything but convinced. "You've been gone all day, Spike. I didn't have a clue where you were and everypony I asked told me they hadn't seen you," She stomped a hoof down. "I was beginning to think something awful had happened to you. The next time you decide to just up and 'disappear' for a day, I expect a notice."

The little dragon protested. "It's not like I planned to be away all day or anything. I didn't think I'd be gone nearly that long."

The studious unicorn just inquired of Spike. "Well where were you, then? Can you at least tell me that?"

Spike nodded. "I was out helping Rarity hunt for gems."

"Oh, is that all?" Twilight replied as she breathed a small sigh of relief. "Doesn't seem like it would take that long. But I'll bet you stayed later to help her more. Don't think I haven't noticed how you tend to act around her." And she gave a knowing wink.

Spike blushed as he tried to feign ignorance. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Twilight. It was just a friend helping another friend out, that's all."

"Oh?" Twilight went on teasing. "Then how come you only came back from it now? I don't think gem hunting should take all day, especially when Rarity has that gem finding spell of hers. One of these days I need to ask her to teach me it."

So it was that the little dragon reluctantly confessed. "Well, the reason it took so long is because... well..." He gulped and swallowed hard as a bead of sweat trickled down his face. "We kind of ran into some... unexpected company."

At that the studious unicorn's earlier concern came flooding back to her. "Huh? What do you mean by that, Spike?"

"I... didn't want to have to tell you this," Spike confessed. "But... let's just say we ended up becoming the unintended and unwelcome guests of these creatures called the diamond dogs. And they were anything but friendly."

A look of horror flashed in Twilight's eyes upon hearing that confession! "The Diamond Dogs?! I've heard of them and even read about them. They don't sound like the kind of creatures you'd want to run into," And she began looking Spike all over. "You weren't hurt at all, were you?!"

Spike waved a claw again. "I'm fine, Twilight. And so is Rarity. We're just a little shaken up, but we'll live."

"Really?" Twilight questioned. "I can't imagine Rarity would do particularly well if taken prisoner by those nasty creatures."

The little dragon chuckled. "You think so, huh? Well then, have I got a story for you. You're never gonna believe how we managed to escape. In fact, I think you might just find something worth writing to Princess Celestia about." And with that, his mind began to reflect back to the events of the day and how they had unfolded. Even he was still trying to comprehend the most unusual turn of events that had occurred, and the valuable lesson that Rarity had taught him in the process.

"Well, Spike," Twilight reluctantly sighed. "I'm all ears. Please tell me everything. Just how is it that you and Rarity could end up being taken by the Diamond Dogs in the first place?"

Spike quickly answered. "I told you, we were out hunting for gems."

"I know that," Twilight groaned. "But you haven't told me why. Please don't tell me Rarity was trying to take gems from the Diamond Dogs and got found out."

The little dragon immediately protested! "Now hold on there, Twilight! Rarity isn't stupid or a thief! She would never steal gems that rightfully belonged to someone else, no matter how desperate she might be. The gems were for an important client: Sapphire Shores."

The studious unicorn blinked, scratching her head. "Isn't that the self proclaimed 'Pony of Pop'?"

Spike firmly nodded his head. "Yup. So when a client like that comes to Rarity's boutique and orders several dresses that need flashy gems, you know Rarity's going to have to go look for more. And I was more than happy to assist her when she requested my services. I didn't say anything then because I didn't anticipate us being gone for very long. I figured I'd be back before you even noticed I was gone."

"Well I did," Twilight interrupted. "But anyway, I'm guessing that it was the gem hunt itself that brought Rarity and you into contact with the Diamond Dogs?"

Spike nodded once again. "Yup, though not right away. In fact, we were just about done searching for gems when those dogs showed up and ambushed us. It all happened so fast."

"You're absolutely sure Rarity had enough gems and wasn't trying to find more?" Twilight inquired. "It sounds like Rarity needed a lot of gems, more than I think I've ever seen her be with at any one point."

"I'm going to tell you what Rarity told me," Spike huffed. "Sapphire Shores wanted dresses for her upcoming tour to promote her newest album. And the dresses all needed a lot of gems because that's what Sapphire wanted. You don't understand, Twilight. This could be Rarity's big break, even more so than having replicas of her gala dresses featured in one of Hoity Toity's boutiques."

Twilight reluctantly decided not to press further on that. "Okay, so she needed a lot of gems and you were helping her gather them. Have I got that right so far?"

With a smile the little dragon answered. "Yup, you've got it."

"Okay, but I'm still trying to figure out how that could lead to the Diamond Dogs showing up." Twilight pondered.

"They must've been watching us," Spike concluded. "Although there were a lot of them, there were three that seemed to be more or less the leaders of the pack: There was a big blue one, a dark grey one and a scrawny little yellow one. They showed up first and the rest followed. I remember because it seemed almost too quiet out in the fields before they showed up." And he soon began to think back to that experience, to the unexpected encounter that had touched off the "adventure".

"Oh my gosh! No way!" Spike had exclaimed upon being told by Rarity what the need was for the sudden (and urgent) gem hunt. "You're serious?! The Sapphire Shores?! The pony of pop?!" As he spoke he was busy pulling along a bright red wagon that would be used to store the gems he would be digging up.

The fashionista smiled and nodded. "I could hardly believe it myself, Spike. But I tell you it was true. She came to my boutique not even half an hour ago. I can still remember the encounter quite vividly." And she was already remembering the unexpected encounter despite how recently it had occurred.

Inside of Carousel Boutique, Rarity had just put the finishing touches on her newest masterpiece, a lavish white dress decorated all over with sparkling red and blue gems of various sizes. It was work that had taken at least over an hour, if not more. But the dress was now ready for display, once the fashionista found time to build an appropriate showcase theme for it.

Before work on that project could begin, however, there came the jingling of the bell that signaled the possible entry of a customer. So Rarity called out in a singsong tone of voice. "Coming!" And made her way over to the front door to see who it was, giving her usual customer greeting in the process. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique. My name is Rarity, how may I assist you?"

But when the unicorn saw who her newest customer was, she gasped and nearly fainted right on the spot! Standing before her was an earth pony mare of medium build that sported a pale, light grayish gold coat. She had a light brilliant cobalt blue colored mane and tail with light brilliant azure stripes to compliment it. Her eyes were a light brilliant amber that shone like gold. She had pale, light grayish blue violet eye shadow and wore a white dress with purple, blue and yellow decorating various parts of it (said dress obscuring her cutie mark in the process).

Rarity knew who this pony was. "Sapphire Shores!"

The earth pony nodded in confirmation. "Yes, that's me alright. Good afternoon, Miss Rarity Belle! And how are we today? I've heard good things about you and require your services."

The fashionista stuttered and shook. "You yah... y-y-you know about me?"

Sapphire Shores happily nodded. "Why of course I do, darling. I make it a point to know all of the up-and-coming designers and Clothes Horse magazine simply raved about you. Besides, anypony who could get Hoity Toity to feature their works in his boutiques has to be worth checking out."

Rarity could hardly believe her eyes and ears. "Oh please, don't let this be a dream. But if it is, please do not wake me up," She said to herself before turning to the pop star. "Well, how may I help you today, Miss. Shores?"

Sapphire Shores promptly replied. "Please, just call me Sapphire, everypony does."

With a giggle, the fashionista complied. "Well then, Sapphire, how may I help you?"

The pop star quickly explained to Rarity. "I guess you haven't heard yet, then again it was just recently announced: I'm going to be touring all of Equestria to promote my newest album. The concerts are going by the name of: Sapphire Shores' Ziegfilly Follies, so that means I need to look absolutely sensational!"

Rarity nodded. "I think I have just what you're looking for, Sapphire. If you'll kindly step this way," And she led Sapphire to a small stand obscured by a pink curtain. Using her magic, the unicorn pulled on a rope and the curtain parted to reveal the very dress she'd just been working on before Sapphire's arrival. "Behold: The pièce de résistance de la haute couture! I haven't even given it a proper name yet. But I used every last gem I had on me to complete it."

Upon seeing the gem covered dress, Sapphire immediately let out a gasp as her eyes went wide! "It's perfect! Just what I need. I'll take it."

"Really?" Rarity asked in hopeful excitement.

Sapphire nodded in confirmation. "Yup. And five more while I'm at it. You know, for costume changes. And for good measure I'll need each to be done up in a different jewel."

The fashionista nervously blinked. "Beg pardon?"

Sapphire giggled. "You don't expect me to perform all over Equestria in the same set of clothes, do you? That would get old fast. You really need to think like I do. My fans expect nothing but the best out of me," Then she declared. "I hope that's not going to be too much of a problem for you. I can meet any price."

"But... but..." Rarity stuttered and feeling light headed she suddenly fainted right on the spot.

Sapphire Shores could only remark upon seeing Rarity's reaction. "Yes, I do seem to have that effect on ponies."

"So that is the situation I found myself in," Rarity explained to Spike as the two approached a field out in the middle of what appeared to be nowhere. "And since I detest getting dirty if I can help it, I figured it would be the least I could do if I let my favorite dragon come along to help me out."

Spike blushed furiously, trying his best to "play it cool". "Anything for you, Rarity. And thanks again for letting me keep some of the spare gems for snacks. You don't know hard it is to come by them."

Rarity smiled, taking a moment to pat Spike on the top of his head. "All in good time, Spike. All in good time. After all, I'm going to need to find more gems than I've ever had before if I'm to decorate the costumes according to Sapphire's desires," She then concentrated all her magical power into her horn, soon producing a faint blue glow that began to tug on her. She knew what that meant. "Oh, aha!"

"Did you find some?" Spike hopefully asked.

The fashionista confirmed with a firm nod, marking the spot where she had detected the gems with a stick. "Indeed I did. Right over there. Please be a dear and dig them up."

Spike didn't need to be told twice. He quickly rushed over to the marked spot and used his claws to dig into the dirt. It wasn't long before he had uncovered a small pile of sparkling gems in a variety of colors. The very sight of them made his mouth water. It had been quite a while since breakfast now that he thought about it. "Ooooo! You look so delicious..." He commented, unable to keep his mouth from drooling.

Rarity managed to turn around in time to see Spike not so secretly put the gems in his mouth. She quickly yanked them away with her magic and scolded him. "Spike, you know that's not close enough to the amount of gems I need! And if you start snacking on them I'll never have enough!" She was quick to add. "I promise, I'll let you have all the gems you want after I have what I need to work on the dresses for Sapphire. This field's chalk full of gems, there should be more than enough for us to both get what we want."

So it was that the little dragon reluctantly set the gems he'd found down in the wagon. And soon afterward he was directed to the location of more gems courtesy of Rarity, gems that he would again have to place in the wagon instead of snacking on them as he hoped.

Eventually, however, Spike's efforts were rewarded as Rarity floated over a medium sized, red colored gem. "As promised, here is your reward," She told him. "A gift, from me to you," When she noticed that Spike was looking rather oddly at her she saw fit to ask him. "Is something the matter, Spike?"

Realizing what was going on (and how silly he looked just standing there) Spike blinked. "Oh, no no no. Everything's fine. You're perfect. I mean... it's perfect, the gem's perfect. Thank you."

The fashionista smiled before feeling the tug of her horn. "Bring the wagon along, Spike. We've more gems to dig up. We haven't got all day you know."

"Coming, Rarity." Spike called as he happily towed the little red wagon behind him without a care in the world.

Unbeknownst to either pony or dragon though, they were being watched. Had they been looking or paying attention they might have seen a trio of dog like creatures spying on them and talking about them.

"Yes," One of the dogs said with a smile. "Gems. Gems!"

"Where?" Another dog asked the first one.

The first dog pointed to the wagon as it replied. "Over there, stupid. Gems. Our gems. That dragon digs them up. He is the gem hunter. With him we can have all those gems and more."

"Let's take him!" A third dog suggested. "Dragon come to work for us!"

The first dog eagerly agreed. "Yes!"

But then all three dogs heard Rarity calling out to Spike. "Spike, where are you? There's more gems over here! Do hurry it up! You know it's terrible to keep a lady waiting."

The dogs quickly turned their attention to Rarity as they saw her not only directing Spike on where to go, but also using her horn to pinpoint the exact location of gems buried beneath the soil. They soon realized who the better target probably was.

The first dog told the other two dogs. "Wait! It's not the dragon we want, it's the pony. Pony tells dragon where to find gems. Precious gems."

An unaware Rarity was meanwhile saying to Spike (as he used his tail like a jackhammer to dig up the gems). "Jackpot! I had a hunch we were going to strike it rich this time!" And her eyes befall an enormous cache of sparkling gem stones in a rainbow of different colors! "Oh, these will do nicely! Yes they will!"

The second dog quickly decided. "We must make pretty pony ours. Make pretty pony come to work for us. Then we have all the gems we want. We be rich!"

The third dog eagerly agreed and said. "Yes! Let's do it!" And just like that, the dog creatures prepared to launch an ambush on the unsuspecting pony and dragon.

Neither Rarity or Spike had any way to know that they were about to be in harm's way as the unicorn was simply using her magic to load up the wagon with the gems Spike had so generously dug up for her. She eyed the impressive collection she had obtained in so short an amount of time while Spike prepared to munch on the red gem he'd been given as a reward. "Thanks again for all your help, Spike," Rarity told him. "That seems to be all we can do for today, and these gems will be more than enough to start me on my way with those dresses."

"You sure you don't need my help with the dresses too?" Spike offered.

The fashionista shook her head. "No, Spike. I'm more than capable of managing that aspect by myself, thank you," But then her horn lit up again. "Oh! What's this? Another jewel? How very strange. And it seems to be coming from the trees of all places?" Yet when she went to investigate, she was suddenly startled and surprised to see a large dog like creature jump out in front of her! The creature had fur that looked like soot, and had yellow colored eyes that matched the gem collar it had around its neck.

"Hello, pony." The dog greeted with a sinister smile.

Rarity stumbled back, trying not to look too shaken up. "H-hello to you, uh... g-good sir... whatever you are," She tried to greet in as friendly a tone as possible. "Uh, I am Rarity and this is my friend Spike." She gestured to the little dragon besides her.

Spike gave off a nervous laugh in response.

Rarity proceeded to ask the dog. "Who might you be?"

"Name is Rover, I'm a Diamond Dog." The dog identified itself while showing off its collar.

The fashionista stepped back a bit. "Oh, well that would explain your fine taste in jewelry. I mean I-I-I know that diamonds are a girl's best friend and now I know that they're a dog's best friend too," She nervously laughed before coughing due to Rover's awful breath. "I'm sorry, were you out here hunting for gems too?"

Rover firmly nodded. "Yes, we hunt."

"We?" Rarity gulped, not liking Rover's tone of voice.

His grin growing wider by the second, Rover explained. "Other Diamond Dogs, you'll meet them very soon. For although we hunt for gems, you are a better hunter. So now we hunt... for you!"

Before Rarity had a chance to react, two more dogs popped up from the ground behind her and tried to grab hold of her!

"RARITY!" Spike screamed at the top of his lungs as he promptly rushed up to one of the dogs and started using his tail as a jackhammer to draw said dog's attention away from the unicorn. He also swung his claws at the other one for good measure, managing to get both to briefly leave Rarity alone if only to attack him.

Quick to take advantage of her new found freedom, the unicorn rushed away and began charging up her horn. But try as she might, she found herself unable to produce a spark for teleportation. "Blast! Twilight makes it look so easy." She complained aloud.

But the little dragon was worried about other things. "There's too many of them, Rarity!" He panted. "You have to get out of here! It's you they want."

"I can't leave you, Spike!" Rarity protested as she rushed back to help him. "Those ruffians will just take you instead and force you to do who knows what?"

Sensing an opportunity, Rover quickly raced up to Spike while the dragon was distracted dealing with the other Diamond Dogs. And he quickly snatched him up, holding him tightly. "I have you now, little dragon!" He taunted.

Spike tried in vain to wiggle his way out of the Diamond Dog's grasp! And he was panting too heavily to draw in a breath to unleash his fire breath, the best he could do was create puffs of smoke.

Rarity rushed towards Rover, her eyes narrowed in anger! "Let Spike go you horrible beasts! You've got some nerve picking on someone smaller than you!"

Rover only grinned, this was exactly what he'd wanted and now Rarity had foolishly given it to him. "Grab pony, boys!" He shouted as the two dogs from earlier suddenly sprang up from the ground again! "Go for her horn!"

The two dogs (one coated in blue fur and the other in light yellow fur) obeyed without question, grasping Rarity tightly and ensuring she couldn't use magic against them even if she wanted to. Rover then joined them, dropping Spike in the process. "Sorry, scaly one," He taunted. "We have what we need. Pony come to work for us now!" And then he and the other Diamond Dogs rushed to make a hasty retreat!

A horrified Rarity screamed as she struggled in vain against her captors! "Unhand me this instant, you ruffians," She demanded! "You horrible thugs will pay for this!" But nothing she said or did could get the dogs to lessen their hold on her as she was slowly but surely dragged towards a hole. Desperately, she stuck out a hoof during the brief moment of freedom she enjoyed, only to be shocked and somewhat horrified at what it came into contact with! "Dirt?!" She gasped, and by the time the shock had worn off for her she was quickly snatched up again by the trio of Diamond Dogs, pulled down with them.

"Rarity?!" Spike gasped in horror as he rushed to the hole only to find he was too late, Rarity was gone! All he could do was scream at the top of his lungs! "Noooooooooooo!"

"Those Diamond Dogs were like nothing I'd ever seen before," Spike told Twilight as he paused briefly in his reflection to catch his breath. "Oh, I think I'm gonna be seeing them in my nightmares tonight." And he briefly shuddered with fright.

Twilight, however, was worried about something else. "Spike, if what you said is true and those dogs did indeed kidnap Rarity, why didn't you come to me or one of our friends for help?"

At that the little dragon blushed and laughed nervously as he realized something he had never even considered at the time. "Good point, actually," He gave off a nervous chuckle and massaged the back of his neck with one of his claws. "I probably should've done that."

Twilight groaned. "Let me guess, you panicked and then decided that the only course of action was to be a hero for your 'precious' Rarity."

"Twilight, how many times do I have to say it?! I don't have a crush on Rarity!" Spike insisted even though his overall tone and body language conveyed otherwise. "You're right that I panicked, but I didn't try to save Rarity because I wanted to impress her if that's what you're thinking. I just thought that I should save her because she would do the same for me if the roles were reversed. It was just like everything else I was doing up to that point, one friend helping another."

"Right," The studious unicorn replied as her tone of voice indicated she was anything but convinced by Spike's arguments. "Well anyway, just how did you end up finding Rarity after the Diamond Dogs kidnapped her and dragged her away?"

Spike let out a reluctant sigh as he answered. "I did the only thing I could think to do in that situation. I had to give up something valuable to me."

"You mean-" Twilight began but probably needn't have asked.

The little dragon firmly nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I gave up the gem Rarity gave to me for a snack. So I kind of went hungry. But I was so focused on rescuing her that I didn't feel hungry if you know what I mean. Besides, when all was said and done I had plenty of other gems to snack on. So in a way, it all worked out for me."

"And how is that?" Twilight inquired.

"Well," Spike explained as he resumed his recollection of the events that had unfolded just hours before. "That's where the whole 'lesson' thing comes into play. But that's only after I went through an entire experience just trying to get to Rarity. I still can't believe it all worked out so well."

Spike had indeed not thought of going to any of his friends for help after Rarity's sudden kidnapping, largely because he was very much in a state of shock and panic and didn't know what to do! "What am I gonna do?! What am I gonna do?!" He repeated to himself over and over again while pacing back and forth (which obviously accomplished nothing).

It was only once a substantial amount of time had passed and the shock had worn off ever so slightly that the little dragon could even begin to put together the pieces of a plan. "Sweet Rarity, my damsel in distress," He declared to himself as he became convinced of what he had to do. "Fear not. I shall save you from those foul beasts. The Great and Noble Spike shall see to that!"

There was just one problem facing the "rescue" attempt, Spike had no way of knowing where the Diamond Dogs had taken Rarity. Yes, they had gone underground but who was to say they were still there at this point?

Looking around, the answer to the problem soon presented itself to Spike in the form of the lone red gem Rarity had gifted him as a reward. He had yet to snack on it so it remained whole, and it hadn't lost it luster. It was still as shiny as it had been when dug up and gifted to him. Would it work though? There was only one way to find out.

The little dragon soon found a small rope that had been left laying on the ground, forgotten and ignored. He didn't know how or why it had ended up where it did but he wasn't about to look this "gift horse" in the mouth so to speak. He just took out the red gem he had and quickly tied the rope around it, effectively making the whole thing into a makeshift fishing line with the gem taking the place of a worm or other bait one might use. Hopefully, the gem would work just as effectively for its intended purpose.

Running back to the big hole the dogs had made when they'd taken Rarity away, Spike stood at the edge of it and threw the gem attached to the rope down it as far as he could go without losing hold. He'd tied the rope to his tail for good measure, hoping to give himself more distance as he didn't know how far down the hole went. The deeper he could go, the better he assumed his chances would be of getting the Diamond Dogs to notice it. No way would they be able to resist a gem as fresh as this one.

As Spike sat there, waiting for something to happen, his mind began to wander. He briefly imagined himself as a much taller (and much more handsome looking) dragon clad in armor, wielding a scepter just like a knight coming to rescue his fair maiden like in the fairy tales he recalled hearing so often in his younger days. He really felt like he was just like those knights: Brave, fearless and ready for anything.

Suddenly, the little dragon felt a faint tug on his tail! Hoping for the best, he pulled hard in response to the tug. "I've got a bite!" He said to himself! "Oh, I hope it's a big one!"

But as he tugged and tugged, Spike fast found himself on the losing end of a battle for the gem! And to make matters worse, he was being pulled along with the rope and the gem! This hadn't quite been what he'd planned for, he'd hoped to lure one of the Diamond Dogs to the surface and make them tell him where Rarity was. Instead, it seemed he would be going on an unplanned trip into the Diamond Dogs' underground world.

Indeed, that was what happened as the tugging became too great and Spike slipped over the edge of the huge hole! For a brief moment his world went dark, then he rapidly found himself sliding through dirt as he passed through dimly lit tunnel after dimly lit tunnel. At last, his journey ended with a thud as he tumbled to the ground face first and felt the rope tied to his tail snap.

When the little dragon got up a few seconds later, he found himself looking not at one of the Diamond Dogs who had kidnapped Rarity but a dog that seemed to be wearing a helmet of some kind. "Foolish dragon bring gem to Diamond Dogs," It taunted while licking its lips. "Dragon come to steal all of Diamond Dogs' gems?"

Spike snorted, blowing smoke out of his nostrils. "I didn't come here for your gems!" He roared as he tried to sound tough! "I came here to rescue my friend, Rarity! Tell me where she is or the word 'hot dog' is gonna take on a whole new meaning for you!"

The helmet wearing Diamond Dog just laughed as he held onto the gem and approached Spike, effortlessly pinning him down. "Dragon care about pony? Pony working for us now. Pony will dig up gems for us forever!" And he grinned. "Maybe dragon can join pony. Pony not seem to want to work well for Diamond Dogs. Maybe pony need right motivation, like you."

"What?!" Spike gasped as he tried to get up! "You've got some nerve thinking you can boss Rarity around like that! That's right, she has a name."

The dog only grinned while picking Spike up while still holding onto the gem he'd managed to swipe. "We dogs don't care. Pony name not matter to us. What matter is that pony work for us and do as we say. If kidnapping you help her to understand that, then you shall join her in digging up gems forever."

The little dragon thought about trying to escape, before he decided that if he didn't resist he might be able to at least find out where Rarity had been taken. And once he knew that he was certain he could come up with an escape plan. So he pretended to be defeated as he put on the best display of weakness he possibly could. "Please, no! Anything but that!" He insisted, hoping the dog would take the new bait.

The helmet wearing Diamond Dog seemed to suspect nothing at all while his grin grew wider. "Dragon is prisoner now. Prisoners work for diamond dogs. You work with pony before, now you work with pony again. No longer will Diamond Dogs hunt in vain for gems. Diamond Dogs now have all the gems they want!" And with that he carried his prisoner away, already thinking in his mind about how he would get the little dragon to start working for the other Diamond Dogs.

Meanwhile, Rarity was having her own troubles with the Diamond Dogs, namely in the three that had kidnapped her and taken her underground. To her relief they hadn't done much to her yet, they hadn't even locked her in a prison cell or exposed her to a lot of dirt as she been expecting. "Diamond Dogs," She insisted to them all. "Please just let me go, you're making a terrible mistake."

"Silence, pony!" Rover snapped! "You not get to make demands! Diamond Dogs have need for you!"

The blue furred dog laughed as he added. "Yes. You our precious pony pet now."

"Forever!" The yellow furred dog chimed in and cackled. "Pony do as we say, unless pony want to be thrown in dungeon."

Rarity jumped back in protest! "No! Anything but that!" And she decided then and there that it was probably best to comply with whatever these dogs wanted of her, at least for the time being. So she let out a defeated sigh and asked in as polite a tone as she could muster up under the circumstances. "Fine, I'll do what you want. So what is it? Name your price."

Rover quickly answered. "Gems!"

"Gems! Jewels! All of them!" The blue furred dog declared.

And the yellow furred dog added. "Pony have way of finding gems. Use it now if pony want to stay out of dungeon."

"Oh, is that all?" The fashionista remarked in an unconcerned tone of voice as she lit up her horn, quickly detecting the presence of gems all over the cave and marking down their locations by using a stick to draw small x shapes in the dirt. "There, all the gems you could ever need. Now, if you'll be so kind as to show me the exit..."

Rover only replied with a sharp hiss. "Good work, pony. Now dig them up for us."

Rarity tried not to sound too upset at the tacked on condition. "But you just said you wanted me to find the gems."

Rover was quick to explain. "Find and dig them up, or did pony not understand that?"

The unicorn mare sighed. "Oh, very well." She trotted over to the first x and began to slowly dig at it with one of her hooves. Her slow pace quickly irritating the Diamond Dogs.

"What are you doing, pony?! We said dig!" Rover commanded!

"And that is precisely what I'm doing," Rarity pointed out. "I'm not about to chip a hoof for your sakes. I will dig at my own pace, thank you very much. Be thankful I am willing to dirty myself at all for your sakes. I do not have to put up with any of this, you know. And without me, I don't see you... dogs getting the gems you want. In fact, I don't even know your names yet."

Rover just groaned, all but pulling out his ears as he answered. "Fine, pony! You won't dig, others will dig. But you still work for us finding gems," And then he added. "You know me as Rover, other dogs are Fido and Spot," He gestured to the blue and yellow furred dogs respectively before calling out. "Dig, dogs! Dig! And dig fast!" And several dogs in various fur colors came forward to do just that.

Fido, meanwhile, brought over a huge wooden cart and a rusty, dirt covered harness attached to it. "If pony doesn't dig, she hauls."

"Beg your pardon? What do you think you're doing with that... thing?!" Rarity questioned with concern as she tried to slowly back away.

Spot just answered. "You find gems, dogs dig them up and you haul wagon. Or would pony rather dig?" And he proceeded to slip the harness onto Rarity's shoulders in spite of her protests. "There. Now get to work, pony."

But Rarity just saw fit to start remarking. "First of all, I insist that you stop calling me 'pony' all the time. I happen to have a name, you know. I am a lady, and I wish to be addressed as such," She quickly added while sticking her snout up. "You may call me Rarity, or Miss, or Miss Rarity. Whichever you prefer."

"Shut up, pony!" Rover roared! "You work, not talk."

Rarity ignored the rude remark as she just went on to say. "I'm sorry. I was trying to be nice to you dogs even after what you did to me. There really wasn't a need for you to do what you did. Had you asked nicely I would gladly have offered you some of my gems in exchange for helping you find more. The maker only knows you could certainly use more than gems around here," She proceeded to list off a series of complaints. "I must say the working and living conditions in here are simply dreadful. Musty and damp, it's going to wreak havoc on my mane. And this air is stifling, suffocating. And when I try to take a deep breath, the stench of all you dogs makes me nauseated."

"What are you talking about?" Rover questioned as he got so close to the unicorn it was possible to smell his breath.

That was enough to make Rarity gag. "Oh, good heavens. I was wondering what that horrible smell was and now I know: It's your breath," She then continued her little tirade. "Have you never heard of breath mints or soap? You could all do with a good round of soap and water if you ask me."

Hearing the remarks was enough to make Spot grab his ears and shout! "Good gracious, I can't take this anymore!"

And Rover added! "Enough already! Your whining! It-it-it hurts! Make it stop!"

Perhaps sensing that she had found a weak spot to exploit, the fashionista only replied by turning around and glaring at the trio of dogs responsible for her rude abduction. "Whining? Me? I am not whining. I am complaining, there's a difference. Do you want to hear whining?" And without even waiting for a reply she proceeded to make her voice get as high pitched and shrill as possible while saying. "This is whining: Oh, this harness is way too tight! It's gonna chafe my sides. Can't you loosen it a little? Oh, it hurts and it's oh so rusty! Couldn't you have you cleaned it first? It's gonna leave a stain on my coat! And the wagon's getting heavy, why do I have to pull it?!"

All the Diamond Dogs held their ears in response to the 'whining' as Rover shouted! "Stop whining!"

"What? But I thought you wanted whining!" Rarity remarked as she kept up her high pitched protesting.

"Argh, fine! Pony wins!" Rover relented, desperate to make the whining stop. "We'll do anything if pony stops whining," In response to the offer, Rarity glared at what appeared to be the lead Diamond Dog who quickly corrected. "Er, we'll do anything, 'Miss Rarity'." And he nervously laughed.

"Oh really? Anything?" The unicorn with a still pristine white coat inquired.

It wasn't long before Rarity found herself able to take advantage of her captors' newfound sense of desperation to please her and keep her from "whining". She still had to mark the location of gems for the Diamond Dogs, but aside from that she didn't even have to lift a hoof to dig up said gems (let alone carry them in a heavy wagon). And she was even able to get herself pampered a little as one of the other Diamond Dogs brought her water in a small chalice. "I suppose this is better than nothing." She said to herself and began to wonder how she might convince her captors to let her return to the surface.

But Rover, Fido and Spot quickly grew tired of having to carry the gems they'd dug up in heavy wooden wagons. It was far more work than they were used to and not what they had envisioned upon kidnapping Rarity. "Why are we doing this?" Rover complained aloud. "We not supposed to work."

"But we not want pony to bombard us with awful noises from her mouth, remember?" Spot saw fit to remind Rover, and Fido nodded in agreement.

"Yes, yes, I know," Rover agreed. "But this is ridiculous! Letting pony push us around. Dogs do not pull, others pull and dig. Let her make the awful noises all she wants."

Fido was not so sure. "But noises hurt our ears. Pony will just keep whining until we stop. We need some way to make pony obey us."

As if in answer to that dilemma, at that very moment a helmet wearing dog came rushing in and dropped a very unhappy Spike at the foot of Rover, Fido and Spot. "Dragon come here looking for pony," He explained to them. "So dragon can work with pony to help us find gems."

And it was then that Rover got an idea, a rather awful idea at that. "Looks like we have something pony wants." And he quickly gave a whistle, instructing some of the other Diamond Dogs to stop what they had been doing.

Rarity had reacted with shock to seeing Spike! And that shock was enough for her to initially not notice as some of the Diamond Dogs were trying to slip the harness of one of the wagons around her shoulders again. But when the shock faded she was anything but pleased to feel the heavy weight of the wagon again. "Hey, what are you doing? You spilled my drink," She complained and then saw fit to start whining. "Not so tight! I warned you!"

Rover, however, simply saw fit to silence her by holding up a still somewhat dazed Spike. "Silence, pony! You do as we say now, for we have something that pony cares about."

"Spike!" Rarity gasped! "You ruffians better not even think about harming one scale on that cute little head of his, or so help me I'll rip you all to pieces! You hear me?!"

Spike, meanwhile, was clawing desperately at Rover! "You're not gonna force me into working for you guys! If you don't put me down right now, I'm gonna make you sorry!"

Fido only commented. "You two not in position to make threats. There only two of you against all of us Diamond Dogs. You do as we say and no one gets hurt."

Spot was quick to add. "Go ahead, make all the noises you want. But move while make you them, pony. If you don't, dragon works for us and works twice as hard."

The fashionista became alarmed! "You wouldn't dare!" And she began to make her horn spark rather ominously! "I may not know as much magic as Twilight, but I am more than capable of defending myself if need be. And that goes double for whenever someone near and dear to me is in danger, like Spike is right now. This is your last warning, dogs! Put him down and let us go, or things are going to get ugly!"

"Yeah, you tell 'em, Rarity!" Spike cheered as he promptly did the only thing he could think of to escape his predicament, biting down hard on Rover's arm in order to get the Diamond Dog to release his grip.

Rover howled in pain, causing even Spike and Rarity to temporarily plug their ears! "That does it! We done being nice to you!" He roared as he bore his teeth and brought his paws forward so his sharp claws could be seen. "Let 'em have it, boys! Show no mercy! When we done, we make dragon and pony our new mules!"

Despite his earlier bravado and despite his thick dragon scales, Spike now found himself filled with fright. He didn't like the situation he and Rarity had found themselves in at all, and worst of all he saw no way out of it. Even with his claws and his fire breath, and Rarity's limited magical skills he wasn't sure the two of them could hold their own against what seemed like an endless swarm of Diamond Dogs.

"I'm sorry, Rarity," The little dragon apologized, sensing he wouldn't have much of a chance to do so after this was all over and he and the unicorn were working nonstop for the Diamond Dogs. "I thought I could be your big hero, but it seems all I did was get us both into more trouble."

However, the fashionista just looked to Spike and gave him a knowing wink as if to reassure him that everything was under control. It took but a minute for the little dragon to realize what was about to happen.

Rarity responded to the unfolding crisis by turning towards her captors with tears in her eyes that hadn't been there earlier. But all that mattered was that they were there now and were visible for all to see. "Did you call me a mule?" She whimpered. "Mules are ugly."

"What?" Rover questioned, ceasing momentarily in his planned attack.

"So are you saying that you think I too am ugly?" The unicorn mare replied and then started to cry and sob rather audibly, the noise being just as awful to the ears of the Diamond Dogs as her earlier whining.

Spot ceased in his tracks as he saw fit to question the strange behavior he and the other dogs were witnessing. "What are these noises? These noises are not whining!"

Spike just grinned as he looked at the dogs. "Oh are you in for it now. You dogs just made the worst mistake of your lives. You shouldn't make Rarity upset, because you won't like her when she's upset."

And Rarity just went on sobbing. "You all called me ugly!"

Rover sought to correct the record. "No! Mule! I said mule! There's a difference, I think."

Rarity was not convinced. "I know what you meant: I'm an old, ugly mule! And it's true! Just look at me. I used to be beautiful, but, but nooow..." She couldn't even finish her sentence as she sobbed yet again.

"No, no! You're still beautiful, po... uh, Miss Rarity." Fido tried to insist.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Seriously? You're gonna try to pull that defense now, after everything you've done? You expect us to buy that? I don't think so."

And indeed, the fashionista wasn't convinced for even a second as she kept crying. "I don't believe you! You never liked me, any of you! You all just wanted to use me to get free gems!"

"Oh, I've had just about enough of this!" Rover snapped! "The complaining! The whining! The crying! It never stops!" And he gestured a paw to the wagons full of gems at the far end of the cave all were currently in. "Take them, take them and go! Never come here again! Just make the noises stop!"

"Thank you, we will," Spike cheerfully replied as he went over to Rarity to console her. "Come on, Rarity. Everything's going to be okay. You're still beautiful in my eyes. And I'm sure a trip to the spa will be just the thing to give you back your beauty."

Rarity sniffled a bit as she slowly ceased her crying, trotting over to the wagons. "Thank you, Spike. It's nice to know that someone knows how to appreciate and respect me," Then she said to the Diamond Dogs. "Still, it's been a pleasure doing business with you. It's just too bad you had to ruin what could've been a lovely partnership. May we never cross paths again, for your sakes."

"And that's how Rarity was able to walk away with a whole lot more gems than she originally anticipated," Spike told Twilight as the flashback ended. "While also outsmarting those no good Diamond Dogs."

Twilight had listened to the whole story with receptive ears and by the time it had ended she did seem to have a slight smile upon her face. "That is a pretty impressive story, Spike. Although, are you sure that things worked out exactly as you said they did? That seemed a little too easy."

Spike quickly replied. "Well, maybe I glossed over how long we were really down there or how long it took for everything to unfold. I mostly found out about what the dogs tried to make Rarity do from Rarity herself. But I don't think she would lie."

The studious unicorn nodded. "Even so, I think I'll be asking for her side of the story just to make double sure you're not exaggerating."

"But you don't wanna hear the valuable lesson that Rarity taught me in all of this?" Spike inquired to Twilight. "You know, the sort of thing you could write to Princess Celestia about?"

"Oh, and what would that be?" Twilight questioned.

Spike cleared his throat. "Something like how: Just because somepony is ladylike doesn't make her weak or helpless. In fact, by using her wits, a seemingly defenseless pony can be the one who outsmarts and outshines them all," And he explained. "I thought that Rarity needed saving, which is why I didn't think straight when she got kidnapped. But in the end, if anything it was she who ended up saving me. She figured out early on how to get those darn dirty dogs to listen to her, and when they tried to control her she was easily prepared."

"Rarity always had a way with words," Twilight realized. "And being worried about her in and of itself is not a bad thing. But I think there's something else you should've learned from all of this: Trying to be somepony's hero can just as easily end up causing you be in need of rescuing. If something is wrong or somepony's in trouble, don't try to jump in to help yourself if the situation looks bad. You're usually better off getting help, preferably from somepony who knows what they're doing."

The little dragon let out a sigh. "Yeah, I guess that's a lesson I learned as well," And he nervously looked up at Twilight. "Am I gonna be in trouble for all of that?"

"I'm afraid so, Spike. But I won't be too hard on you, your heart was in the right place," Twilight pointed out. "Besides, I'm going to need your help to write to Princess Celestia about what we've learned."

Author's Note

This one probably didn't need as much of a touch up compared to some other rewritten episodes, though this episode does have its detractors who seem to mostly take offense to the episode's moral. Some complain that the episode encourages others to cry and whine until they get what they want, or trivializes and presents an unrealistic picture of situations where people can be rendered powerless.

Those criticisms aren't without merit, though I feel like that's people looking too deeply into the moral and how it connects to the episode. The episode itself is one that mostly serves to deconstruct the damsel in distress trope, though admittedly the rest of the mane six don't seem completely justified in thinking so lowly of Rarity. And you could write them out without losing much once they do get involved.

My intent was to try to frame this as a sort of "How we got here" story for Spike and Rarity, though it also has traces of my rewrite of "Secrets and Pies" which was told via flashback from Spike (albeit with less interruptions). And I also wanted to change up a few things to make the Diamond Dogs seem a bit more threatening.

~~Dragonshy~~
~~A Dog and Pony Show~~
Read It and Weep (Bonus Chapter)
Magical Mystery Cure (Two Parter)
Rarity Takes Manehattan
Make New Friends, But Keep Discord
The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2
Fluttershy Leans In (Bonus Chapter)
The Hearts and Hooves Day Mystery (The Break Up Break Down)
Growing Up is Hard to Do (Bonus Chapter)

S2 E16: Read It and Weep (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)

Author's Note

These "Bonus Chapter" installments are where the focus changes from a character in the original episode to one or more that wasn't. In this case I chose to shift the focus from Rainbow Dash to Scootaloo, seeing as the moral is more intended for younger audiences and feels like the sort of kids moral that a kid character should learn instead of an adult one.

Much like with my rewrite of "Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3" which was also a bonus chapter, I know why they made Rainbow Dash the pony of focus for this moral. Using an established kid character would not make the target audience receptive to what they were trying to go for. Plus, in a way it let them create an allegory for being a Brony.

I did also want to change up some other details, particularly the accident that lands Scootaloo in the hospital since in the original episode Rainbow Dash's accident isn't shown. And as for the subject of Dizzy Twister as Scootaloo's mother here, it's a headcanon I'd been using in this series for years. You can check out my rewrite of "The Last Crusade" to get a better understanding of why I'm sticking with it, and it's not because of a rejection of canon.

~~Dragonshy~~
~~A Dog and Pony Show~~
~~Read It and Weep (Bonus Chapter)~~
Magical Mystery Cure (Two Parter)
Rarity Takes Manehattan
Make New Friends, But Keep Discord
The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2
Fluttershy Leans In (Bonus Chapter)
The Hearts and Hooves Day Mystery (The Break Up Break Down)
Growing Up is Hard to Do (Bonus Chapter)

S2 E16: Read It and Weep (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)

It was a perfectly nice, normal day in Ponyville. The kind of day where there didn't seem to be anything of particular importance going on.

Perhaps as a result of that, Apple Bloom happened to find her good friend (and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader) Sweetie Belle on a hill top just outside of Ponyville proper. "Hey, Sweetie Belle." The farm filly greeted her fellow filly.

"Oh, hi Apple Bloom." Sweetie Belle greeted in reply before her sap green eyes went back to what had previously been occupying their attention.

Apple Bloom couldn't quite see what was drawing Sweetie's attention. She could see a figure in the distance that looked awfully familiar, but for the life of her she couldn't make out who it was. So she reluctantly questioned. "Whatcha' watchin'?"

Sweetie happily replied. "Scootaloo. She said she had this amazing new trick that she just had to show off, and it involves her scooter."

From a ways away, Scootaloo waved an orange colored hoof to both of her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders. She had made sure to strap on her signature blue helmet with white stripes across the top. Then, with a buzz of her tiny wings she was off, zipping down an empty dirt road at a crazy fast speed!

Apple Bloom quickly became a little bit concerned at what she was seeing. "You sure this is a good idea? She's goin' awfully fast." She nervously commented to Sweetie Belle.

The unicorn didn't share her friend's concern, she just smiled while remarking. "This is nothing unusual, Scootaloo goes fast all the time. Just look at her, she's absolutely dazzling!" And then she explained. "I learned that word from Rarity."

"Ooh, I like that word. That's a good word." The little earth pony agreed as she forgot all about her earlier worry. 'Dazzling' most certainly seemed to suit Scootaloo at the moment.

Everything seemed to be proceeding as planned as Scootaloo swerved her scooter around and doubled back down the same road she'd just zipped across. Her tiny wings were buzzing furiously, kicking up huge clouds of dust in her wake! It would soon be time for her to attempt her newest trick. "If I jump off my scooter at just the right moment, maybe I'll be able to fly, or at least hover above the ground." She thought to herself. After all, if she wanted to be like Rainbow Dash the tomboyish filly knew she would have to take risks.

But that was when the trouble began! Right as the pegasus filly prepared to let go of the handle bars of her scooter so she could make her jump, her scooter started to wobble and swerve most erratically! A look of horror flashed in the filly's eyes as she realized that she had lost control, and she was going too fast to stop safely!

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle saw the disaster as it unfolded before their very eyes. "Uh-oh!" They both said at once. And before they could say more there came a loud and sickening crash sound! The whole thing lasted just seconds, but to the horror stricken fillies it seemed much longer.

Scootaloo lay next to her scooter, which itself looked like it was going to be in need of serious repair due to how badly damaged it appeared to be. And Scootaloo herself, though she had her eyes opened and didn't look to be hurt on the outside, was wincing in pain as she lay on her side. "So much for dazzling." Was all she could bring herself to say.

"We'd better get you to a doctor right away!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed with horror! "You don't look so good, Scootaloo."

The tomboyish pegasus quickly stood up. "Nonsense, I'm fine. It'll take more than a crash like that to stop me." She insisted only to then groan and wince as she collapsed to the ground from her pain.

Apple Bloom had seen and heard enough! "We're takin' you to a doctor whether you want to or not, Scootaloo. Whatever you did back there, I don't think you're gonna just recover from it." And after she and Sweetie Belle had surrounded Scootaloo and helped her up, they took off on hoof for Ponyville General Hospital.

All Scootaloo knew at the current moment was that her newest trick had failed. It was going to be a while before she would even be able to think of attempting it again. But what she couldn't have known is that something else was going to quickly push any thoughts of scootering or flying to the back of her mind. Something she never would've imagined even considering was going to take priority.

When Scootaloo opened her eyes sometime later (she didn't remember closing them for more than a second), she could make out the outlines of both of her friends as well as Rainbow Dash and a very concerned amber coated pegasus mare with a loosely curly pink mane, and a tail that was just as curly that was pink with pale raspberry highlights. She knew at once that said pony was her mom: Dizzy Twister (whose moderate rose eyes clearly reflected a look of great worry).

"Is she gonna be okay, Doctor Stable?" Apple Bloom nervously asked the unicorn stallion standing beside the bed. He had a light amber coat, eyes a shade bordering on dark blue but not quite dark blue, a dark grayish-brown mane and tail and a cutie mark depicting a monitor like the one that could be heard beeping in the background.

Doctor Stable was currently holding up some x-ray scans with the grayish cyan glow from his horn. He didn't say anything right away.

"I'm so worried about her," Sweetie Belle commented before adding. "Uh, is her face going to stay that way?"

Rainbow Dash then demanded. "Come on, doc. Tell us! Scootaloo's going to be fine, right?"

Doctor Stable finally spoke as he adjusted his black glasses and put away the x-ray scans. "Yes, she should be," And to Scootaloo he then said. "You're very lucky to have good friends who rushed you over here in a hurry. Their quick thinking meant we were able to intervene before things got out of control."

Dizzy Twister breathed a sigh of relief before declaring. "Scootaloo, do you have any idea how fast you were going on that scooter of yours?! You could've been seriously hurt, or worse."

"Sorry, Mom," Scootaloo apologized as she shrank down in the bed and tried to make herself disappear. "I didn't think I'd lose control over my own scooter. It all happened so fast."

Doctor Stable simply chimed in in agreement. "It's a good thing you were wearing your helmet. It absorbed the brunt of the impact for you. Without it, the outcome could've been a lot worse," But then he added. "Even so, I'm afraid you won't be doing much scootering or anything similar for at least a couple of days."

At that the tomboyish filly's eyes went wide and she nearly shot up from her hospital bed! "What?!"

Doctor Stable just went on. "It all depends on your recovery, really. But you're going to need to give your body a chance to rest and recover from the injuries, your wings especially. I'm ordering nothing but bed rest for you for a few days."

Scootaloo protested. "A few days?! Do you have any idea how long that is?! Might as well be a few months, or a few years!"

Dizzy Twister just chuckled at her daughter's behavior. "Come now, Scootaloo. It will go by faster than you think. And there's plenty for you to do in the meantime, like catch up on your homework. Just because you've been injured doesn't mean you get to skip out on learning."

"And take it from a pony who's been in here more times than she should," Rainbow Dash chimed in, licking her lips. "The food here is really good!"

Sweetie Belle quickly pointed out. "Besides, it looks like you've got a roommate." And she gestured a hoof to a pony all wrapped up in bandages and casts, laying on a bed across the room from Scootaloo with only a curtain to separate them.

Apple Bloom soon declared. "Sweetie Belle and I will come and visit you every day if we can. And you don't have to worry, we ain't gonna be doin' any crusadin' until you're back to a hundred percent. You can be sure of that."

But it was clear to everypony in the room that Scootaloo was anything but convinced by their attempts at reassuring her. Fortunately, Dizzy soon got an idea as she noticed a passing by cart and made her way over to it. She returned shortly with a book whose pages were held together in a green colored cover. "Maybe something like this will help you pass the time." She suggested to her daughter with a smile.

Scootaloo slowly sat up, looking at the aforementioned book and its cover. It depicted a light gold pegasus mare who looked strangely similar to Rainbow Dash. Except this mare had moderate rose eyes and a black and varying shades of grey colored mane and tail. She also wore a pith helmet, a green and white adventurer's jacket and had a cutie mark depicting a compass rose. The pegasus mare was holding some kind of glowing blue object in one of her hooves while swinging on a vine, narrowly avoiding a bunch of crocodiles in the water below.

The book's title read as follows: Daring Do and The Quest for The Sapphire Statue.

Dizzy quickly pointed out. "It's the first book in the series. It even has its own award named after it. How cool is that?"

The tomboyish filly just frowned, pushing the book away. "Mom, you know I don't like to read. I only read stuff if I absolutely have to. I'm not an egghead like Twilight is."

In response, the entire hospital room filled with laughter as Sweetie Belle pointed out. "You don't have to be an egghead to enjoy reading, Scootaloo. I mean, I read books a lot and my head isn't shaped like an egg."

"Even I like to settle down with a good book every once in a while," Rainbow Dash told Scootaloo. "And the Daring Do series is one of my all time favorites! Twilight introduced me to it and I'm glad she did, now I wonder how I ever went my life without knowing about the books."

"Just promise me you'll give the book a chance when you have the time," Dizzy Twister instructed to her daughter. "I'm sure you'll get to like it if you give it a chance."

Apple Bloom nodded. "Besides, who doesn't like to read a bang-up tale from time to time? Nopony, that's who!"

Just then, a pink coated earth pony nurse came into the room as she declared. "Alright now, ponies. That's enough. Scootaloo needs to rest. Doctor's orders."

Even Dizzy obeyed even though she was quick to reassure her daughter. "You're in good hooves, Scootaloo. And I'll stay in the waiting room overnight just in case you need me. Just try to relax and take your mind off your troubles."

Rainbow Dash then added. "And I have a feeling you're going to like Daring Do, Scootaloo. She's a lot like me, so that means she's a lot like you: Adventurous, fierce, and undeniably, unquestionably, unstoppable."

Soon afterward, the door to the room slammed shut and just like that Scootaloo was left alone.

Minutes ticked by slowly for Scootaloo after that. Aside from a quick visit from one of the other nurses (this one was also an earth pony, but she had a light yellow coat) to deliver a tray of food, the little pegasus had no company besides her own thoughts. And that left her with the problem of finding a good way to pass the time. Something to do other than just sit there and listen to the sounds of the clock ticking, and the sounds of various machines beeping.

The filly tried everything to alleviate her boredom. She flicked a small lamp that sat on a desk by her bed on and off several times. She ate her "lunch" which consisted of jello, carrots, a green mushy substance and some grape juice, struggling a bit when the cup got stuck to her muzzle. She tried bouncing a red ball that had been left nearby, tossing it to a wall and having it bounce back to her as many times as she could. Then she tried again just to beat her "record" of seven bounces. She even tried making small talk with her "roommate".

"It's funny, no?" Scootaloo inquired of the bandaged pony when she'd finished telling a joke she'd heard the other day, only to receive no reply. "Yeah, it probably would be better if I remembered how it went exactly."

But all Scootaloo could ultimately do was groan in frustration as she forced herself to gaze up at the clock. It hadn't been more than a few minutes since she'd been left alone. Already, she was bored out of her mind. "This is the worst!" The tomboyish pegasus filly thought to herself.

It seemed there was only one thing to do, something the filly had been desperate to avoid at all costs. After her grayish purple eyes quickly scanned all around the room to make sure no one was watching her, she reluctantly picked up the book that had been left on the desk next to her bed. She just skimmed over the stuff about the author and where the book had been published, those details never interested her.

Taking a deep breath and sighing, Scootaloo flipped to the first page of the first chapter and started to read aloud to herself in the most unenthusiastic tone possible. "'As Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle, the wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step. If only she could escape this oppressive atmosphere and fly up into the cool blue sky above. But alas, her crash landing in the jungle had injured her left wing and she was now grounded for a few days. To her it might as well be a few months or even a few years! Flying was everything to her.'," The filly paused in her reading as she looked to her own injured wings. "Believe me, I know what that feels like."

Finding herself intrigued and able to relate to this adventurer, Scootaloo started reading some more. As she did so her mind began to slowly immerse itself into the world that Daring Do occupied. In fact, she was starting to imagine herself as Daring Do, undertaking that adventure. And all the while she just kept reading. "'The mosquitoes buzzed loudly overhead. Macaws cried out from the high trees. Yet all of these distracting noises were not enough to cover up the sound of the predators following her every step. She could hear them behind her and all around her, waiting for the chance to strike!'"

It was a result of this immersion that caused the tomboyish filly to actually hear what was being described. It was as if she was witnessing the event herself and the narration was just something in the background. So she read on, Daring Do seeming to all but leap off the page as she fled from the numerous big wild cats that surely wanted to eat her!

Daring Do couldn't fly but there were other ways to avoid being caught, such as grabbing hold of a vine and swinging on it fiercely. Only once she had escaped harm could the adventurer relax, turning around to find herself looking up at the very temple she'd been seeking out for so long (sixty days and nights to be exact)! "Finally!" She thought to herself while cracking a smile! "Now the real fun begins!"

Scootaloo ceased briefly in her reading as a realization began to dawn on her. "I... I can't believe it. I like this. I actually like this. I love this story! I, I... I love reading!" But then a look of horror crossed her face! "Oh no! That means..." She gulped and swallowed hard. "I'm an egghead!" And she immediately began to imagine the taunts, jeers and other rude remarks that were sure to come her way if anypony found out about her new interest. She just knew Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would insist on calling her "Egghead" over and over again, and there was a good chance Rainbow Dash would want nothing to do with an "Egghead" filly.

But there was nothing else the filly could do to pass the time. The alternative was to just lay in bed, bored out of her mind. So it was that she picked up the book again, though not without keeping her ears perked up in case somepony would be coming by to visit her. "As long as nopony finds out I like reading, I'll be okay," She thought to herself. "Good thing it doesn't seem to be a really long book. I could probably finish it in an hour or two if I really wanted to." And then she resumed reading.

Continuing to read on, Scootaloo again imagined herself as the brave adventurer Daring Do, now entering into the dimly lit passageways of the temple's interior. As expected, it was infested with snakes, spiders, beetles and all sorts of other creepy creatures.

And what would any ancient temple be without its booby traps? Daring had barely taken her first steps into the temple when the traps activated! They included a pit of snakes, fire that shot up from below without warning, swinging pendulums with razor sharp blades, and arrows shooting out from holes! They didn't stop until Daring had made it safely through the corridor she was in.

But just as the adventurer was sure she could rest, one of her hooves stepped onto a tile. And with an audible clunk it sank down, setting off another trap. "Ugh, not again." She groaned in annoyance. She then hurriedly rushed to the door at the other end that threatened to slam shut with its rapid descent, trapping her! The mare had but seconds to spare as she slid under the door, pulling her hat across right before the door closed behind her.

It was all worth it though, because after taking a moment to get her bearings, Daring Do's moderate rose eyes beheld a most beautiful sight! There stood a gleaming artifact of solid blue resting atop a pedestal with light shining down on it from a lone hole. There it was! The Sapphire Statue she'd been seeking! The legends were true!

Suddenly, Scootaloo was snapped out of her immersive reading when she heard a knock on the door to her hospital room! Thinking quickly, she slammed the book shut without even a thought of marking her progress for later. And then she stuffed the book under her bed sheets, figuring it was the last place anypony would think to look. And she was just in time as she heard the door swing open.

Into the room trotted Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, the latter of whom was carrying a box of some sort in her hooves. Neither of them suspected a thing. "Hi, Scootaloo." They both greeted.

"Oh, hey girls," The tomboyish filly greeted her fellow Crusaders. "Wasn't expecting to see you again so soon."

Apple Bloom just replied. "What are you talkin' about? It's been a couple of hours. We got you here just before lunch, and it's already the afternoon. We already went ahead and told Miss. Cheerilee you wouldn't be in class tomorrow, or the next day."

Sweetie Belle added. "She said she was sorry to hear about your accident, and while she is going to send all your homework to you she's also hoping to maybe stop by to see you herself," Then she plopped the box down onto the bed. "She let us borrow this copy of your favorite board game. You know the one."

Apple Bloom grinned. "Since we know how much you like to win, we figured we'd let you make the first move," She proceeded to open up the box. Inside were two small stands and five pieces for each stand. "So go ahead, get all set up and we'll do the same."

Yet to the surprise of both fillies, Scootaloo seemed to just hastily toss her pieces down onto her stand. "Okay, ready?" She asked and then without waiting for a reply she randomly blurted out. "Uh, storm ten. Is that a miss?"

The two fillies looked down at their stand and the farm filly blinked in surprise when she answered. "Er, yes it is. You okay? You don't usually rush to make a call like that. You always tend to take a while before you make your move."

"I'm just... trying something different is all," Scootaloo nervously replied as though she was trying to hide something. "A-anyway, it's your turn, girls. Go ahead."

If either Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle suspected anything, they didn't show it outwardly as Sweetie just called. "O...kay, um... cloud nine?"

"I thought we agreed on cloud three, Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom responded.

Sweetie blinked and blushed. "Oh yeah, my mistake. Cloud nine just popped into my head for some reason. I meant to say cloud three."

Scootaloo quickly replied. "Oh, good call, girls. You..." She gazed down at her stand and then looked back up as she answered. "Rained on my cumulus. Go again, that's the rules."

"Right," Apple Bloom skeptically responded. Then she declared. "Sky five?"

Scootaloo seemed to over dramatically declare! "You found my seagull, good call," And hastily she encouraged. "Go again."

Sweetie made the next move as she said to Scootaloo. "Uh, cloud two?" She was certain that would be a miss since nopony ever put two pieces back to back, especially not Scootaloo who was a sort of unofficial "champion" of the game.

But Scootaloo just answered. "You zapped my weather pony!" And in short succession with the next two "turns" taken by her friends she declared. "You stung my bumblebee," And also. "You got my thunderbolt. Oh, and that was my last cloud too. Looks like I lose and you girls win. Good game!" She then rushed to close her stand and put the pieces back in the box they had come from along with said stand.

Sweetie Belle couldn't help but comment. "But you only got to make one move, Scootaloo. That wasn't much of a game."

The tomboyish filly shrugged her hooves in apparent unconcern. "Oh well. You win some and you lose some, right?"

The farm filly practically glared at Scootaloo while she remarked. "Not with you. You're practically a champion at this game. And you always hate to lose."

"So, maybe I'm trying to work on that. Or maybe I just think losing once in a while makes the win feel more special. Ever think of that?" Scootaloo pointed out. "Besides, you heard what the doctor said, I'm to take it easy for a few days. That means plenty of bed rest," She let out a yawn, hoping to convince her friends of her point. "Thanks for coming to see me. It was nice and all, but don't let me keep you from having fun."

Apple Bloom wasn't convinced. "Just an apple pickin' minute here, Scootaloo. A few hours ago you were complainin' about havin' nothin' to do. Now suddenly you just wanna nap all day instead of playin' a board game with your best friends? That ain't you."

The little pegasus only protested. "Do? Who said anything about Daring Do? I didn't."

"Well, neither did we," Sweetie commented with a blink. "Scootaloo, what's gotten into you? You're not acting like yourself. Is something wrong?"

"No! Nothing's wrong! I'm just tired is all, that crash must've taken more out of me than we thought." Scootaloo insisted as she yawned again.

Apple Bloom just glared again at her pegasus friend. "Scootaloo, come on. Do you take us for fools? There's somethin' you ain't tellin' us. Stop actin' up and tell us."

Scootaloo shook her head. "There's nothing to tell, Apple Bloom. You're making too big a deal out of this. Now go on, you and Sweetie Belle enjoy the rest of the day without me. And if you're really worried you can come back tomorrow after school."

"But Scootaloo-" Sweetie Belle tried to protest.

"-But nothing!" The tomboyish filly interrupted. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to take a nap." And she closed her eyes, pretending to snore quite loudly.

Reluctantly, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle decided that it was no use trying to get answers out of their pegasus friend. So they left the hospital room with their suspicions swirling around in their heads. But neither of them knew what to do to get their friend to open up. They would try again tomorrow, hopefully.

A part of Scootaloo felt bad for shooing her best friends away in such a rude fashion. But that part was quickly ignored in favor of the part of her that wanted to get back to reading about Daring Do and finding out what happened to her. Did she succeed in retrieving the Sapphire Statue?

The filly knew there was only one way to find out. And so she retrieved the book from underneath her bed sheets, checking to make sure the coast was clear. Once certain of this fact, she skimmed through the pages to find out where she'd left off. It took her a moment to find her spot before she started reading aloud. "Daring Do stood at the entrance to the temple's center. At last, she was face to face with the legendary Sapphire Statue in all its glory." And just like before, she quickly began to imagine herself actually witnessing the events that were being described in the book.

It looked so easy to Daring Do. All she had to do was cross the floor and go up to the pedestal to retrieve the statue. But experience had taught the adventurer that things were never as easy as they seemed. The Sapphire Statue had to be heavily guarded, and there was no way those booby traps in the previous corridor were all that this temple had to offer.

To confirm her suspicions, Daring delicately planted a hoof on one of the tiles in front of her and then retracted it as she heard the tile clink as it slid down. It was a good thing she did that too, since several arrows shot out from the walls without warning! It was clear now that if she tried to carelessly cross this tiled floor, she was going to be skewered by who knew how many arrows? She would have to be smart and figure out a way to avoid this latest booby trap.

"Come on. Think, Daring, think," The adventurer said to herself as she surveyed her surroundings. "There's got to be a pattern," And as she spoke she looked down at the tiles, taking notice of the fact that they displayed a variety of different animals. But what did they have in common? What was it that linked them all together? At last, realization struck the mare head on! "Of course, it's been right in front of me this whole time!" She declared. "All the animals shown are predators, except for the rats."

Carefully planting a hoof on the first rat tile she saw, Daring waited a nervous minute only for nothing to happen. "Aha!" She happily shouted! "My hunch was correct. No dungeon is a match for Daring Do!" And she leapt from tile to tile, making sure only to land on the ones that depicted a rat. In a matter of seconds she had cleared the floor and was able to approach the pedestal where the Sapphire Statue rested. She took a moment to wipe the sweat from her brows, adventuring was hard work.

Daring Do quickly moved to snatch up her prize. "Now to get you to a museum!" She thought as she prepared to store the ancient artifact in one of her jacket's many pockets.

But just as the pegasus turned to leave, trouble began! In her great haste to snatch up the treasure, she had forgotten all about the pedestal it rested upon. That was a mistake. Without the Sapphire Statue on it, a small stone in the center of the pedestal rose up all the way and fell off!

The whole temple began to rumble as the tiled floor parted to reveal a pool of boiling hot lava beneath it! And it soon began to rise with alarming speed! Needless to say, the idea of leaving the temple the same way she'd come in was now an impossibility for Daring Do.

Frantically, Daring jumped into the air as she desperately grabbed anything she could find to stay out of the lava! Her only escape was through the hole at the top of the temple that let light shine through it. And she would have to be fast unless she wanted to boil alive in that lava!

Faster and faster the lava rose, and as it did Daring's window of escape got smaller and smaller, even as she was drawing close to the top! Would she make it out in time?!

With one last desperate leap, Daring Do jumped up and reached out for the opening! She just barely managed to grasp it with her hooves, flapping her wings in a furious effort to pull herself up all the way. The lava was right on her tail!

To the surprise of the pegasus mare, she suddenly shot up like a cork as if some great pressure had just been released! She was blasted skyward, the Sapphire Statue slipping out of her hooves in the process!

All too soon, Daring crashed back to the ground with a thud. She was hurt, but thankfully still alive. And by a stroke of luck the Sapphire Statue had also not been harmed, though it was now unfortunately in the possession of a strange bipedal creature with dark blue fur surrounded by a lighter blue colored underbelly that also extended to its paws. Its eyes were black with only the faintest hint of yellow shining through them.

"Hello, blank flank... er I mean, Scootaloo." A voice suddenly called out from the blue, said voice snapping Scootaloo out of her reading trance.

Scootaloo just barely had time to stash the book back under the sheets of her bed before who should show up but Silver Spoon? And much to her surprise, the glasses wearing filly was accompanied by none other than Dizzy Twister.

"Mom, what's she doing here?!" Scootaloo gasped in horror, nearly breaking out into a cold sweat.

Dizzy Twister simply answered her daughter's question with. "I know you and Silver Spoon don't exactly get along, but she came here specifically to see you."

Silver Spoon nodded as she approached the bed. "Yeah. I'm not as nasty as Diamond Tiara, and even she isn't so cold as to make fun of you for an accident."

The tomboyish filly was anything but convinced. "Forgive me if I don't buy that." She responded.

Silver Spoon just sighed. "Hey, come on. I'm trying to be nice here. Everypony in school knows about what happened to you by now."

Scootaloo only turned her head. "And why do you care so much about me all of a sudden? Don't you have better things to do with your time?"

Silver snorted. "For your information, I'm trying to be nice. Picking on you over your lack of a cutie mark is getting a little old if I'm being honest. I mostly go along with it because it makes Diamond Tiara happy," In a more gentle tone of voice she added. "But I am sorry to hear what happened to you. Still, you're in good hooves here."

Dizzy Twister, meanwhile, just encouraged. "I figured you could use some company, Scootaloo. I heard about the way you acted when your friends came by earlier. The least you can do is not chase this guest away so quickly, especially when you said you were so bored."

The tomboyish filly tried desperately to hide her shame. "Look, Mom, it's nice of you to do this. And I'm grateful for the company even if it's Silver Spoon of all ponies. But..." Then she trailed off.

"But what, Scootaloo?" Dizzy questioned with concern. "Is there something bothering you? Maybe something you wanna talk about? I can send Silver Spoon away if you want it to be more private."

Before Scootaloo had a chance to answer, the same yellow coated earth pony nurse from much earlier in the day came in as she called. "Dinner time for Scootaloo."

The little pegasus groaned a bit when she saw what was being offered to her. It was much the same as it had been for lunch. "Can't I get something more tasty?" She asked the nurse.

The nurse just replied. "Maybe if you ask nicely and eat everything you're supposed to, I'll see about bringing something from the cafeteria later on for a snack."

Dizzy Twister proceeded to encourage. "Go ahead then, Scootaloo. Eat up."

Silver Spoon added. "I'll bet you must be starving. I know I would be if I were in your situation."

Scootaloo looked down at her food, soon getting an idea as she began to eat rather messily and nosily.

Silver Spoon was quickly appalled by her fellow filly's lack of table manners. "Sheesh!" She remarked while rolling her eyes. "You know what? I think I've seen more than enough for one day. Guess I'll come back some other time when you're not acting like a pig." And she quickly left the room in disgust.

Dizzy immediately cast the kind of glare only a mother could give as she locked eyes with her daughter. "Now what was that all about, Scootaloo? I know I didn't raise you in a barn. Heck, Apple Bloom and her family grew up on a farm and yet they have better table manners than you did just now."

Scootaloo stopped scarfing down her food and swallowed hard as she tried her best not to look guilty. "Sorry, Mom," She apologized in what sounded like a sincere tone of voice. "I don't know what came over me back there. I guess I was more hungry than I realized. So hungry that even that... stuff they gave me looked good. You know how it is, right?"

The pegasus mare could only shake her head. "You're definitely not acting like yourself, Scootaloo. First you chase away your best friends and now you drove away Silver Spoon for no good reason. What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing, Mom!" Scootaloo protested. "Look, I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier and I'm sorry about how I acted in front of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. I just..." She let out an unhappy sigh. "Really don't want ponies seeing me like this is all. The fewer ponies that have to see me being... well... 'not awesome' the better."

Dizzy eyed her daughter with a skeptical look. Then it was her turn to sigh. "Scootaloo, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

The tomboyish filly nodded her head. "Yes, Mom, I know. But there's nothing to talk about. Honest."

After a long minute or so of uncomfortable silence, Dizzy Twister just responded with another shake of her head. "Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know," Then she added. "It's starting to get late. You should start thinking about going to bed. The doctor did say you need plenty of rest, after all."

"I know that too, Mom," Scootaloo replied. "Don't worry, I'll go to bed before long."

Dizzy simply replied. "Well, I need to be at home. No doubt your father is going to be worried sick by now even though I left him a note. But I'll be back here first thing in the morning." Then she too departed the room her daughter was staying in.

As soon as the older pegasus had left, the younger one breathed a much needed sigh of relief. "That was too close," She thought to herself. "I can't keep up the act for much longer. Fortunately, I just need to get through the end of this book and then I can put it all behind me. I'll have to find other ways to keep my new interest under wraps after I get out of the hospital."

But that was something to worry about on some other day. For the time being, Scootaloo was intent to catch up on her reading. In particular, she wanted to know just who that mysterious creature was that had seized the Sapphire Statue from Daring Do.

Picking the book back up after retrieving it from its hiding spot, Scootaloo settled in and read aloud once more. "'You thought you could evade me and capture that relic for yourself, didn't you? Well, you are sadly mistaken, Miss. Do.' The vicious Ahuizotl taunted. Daring Do had heard rumors about him and his army of jungle cats, and now she was finding out that the rumors were all too real."

Much like before, Scootaloo envisioned the whole scenario playing out before her very eyes. She could practically hear the wicked Ahuizotl taunting his new prisoner. "Now you shall meet your doom!" He declared! "You will suffer the same fate as so many who have come before you. The Sapphire Statue shall never be yours!" Then he blew on a whistle, summoning several wild cats to surround Daring Do.

It wasn't long before Daring was captured, tied up and held down on a table by ropes in another temple. "You're not going to get away with this, Ahuizotl!" She roared in defiance! "If I don't return from this place, other ponies will come looking for me."

"And they will be lucky to make it even half as far as you did," Ahuizotl taunted. "I've been the end of many an adventurer who thought they could outsmart me. It seems you were no different," Then he pulled on a lever and laughed as sand began to fill the room. "Farewell, Daring Do. For the brief time we knew each other, it was an honor to oppose you."

Daring Do gasped in horror as she quickly realized what the sand actually was! "Quicksand!" And she struggled to break free of the ropes as the quicksand continued to pour in, threatening to overwhelm and envelope her completely!

Suddenly, the familiar voice of Doctor Stable called out. "Scootaloo?"

The tomboyish filly quickly poked her head up from beneath the sheets, making sure to keep the book hidden as she did so. "Oh, uh, good evening to you, doc."

"You mean morning," Doctor Stable corrected. "Were you up all night?"

Scootaloo giggled. "What? No, no, no. Of course not. Not me." Come to think of it, she could faintly recall shutting her eyes for a few seconds every now and then. Had she fallen asleep without realizing it? It didn't seem like she'd made that much progress in the book compared to her previous two reading sessions.

Doctor Stable simply adjusted his glasses as Dizzy Twister happened to be in the room with him. "Well, anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I've talked with the nurses and they all agree: You can check out of the hospital today."

Scootaloo's eyes widened! "What?! Really?! Like later today?"

"Actually, right now," Doctor Stable answered as he gave a whistle, and the two nurses from yesterday brought out a wheelchair. "Congratulations."

The tomboyish filly let out a gasp! She hadn't been expecting this at all! "But... but... but I don't really feel better! My wing still hurts!" She protested even as she was gently lifted out of the bed and into the wheelchair.

Doctor Stable just smiled. "Your wing should be fine as long as you let it heal naturally. So no crazy stunts on your scooter or anything like that," And he turned to Dizzy Twister. "Let me know if her wing is still sore after a week. If that happens we'll need to do more x-rays to figure out if something else is the problem."

Dizzy Twister nodded and smiled back. "Thank you, Doctor Stable," And she then clapped her hooves. "Come on, Scootaloo. It's time for you to come home, my little pony."

And so it was that the matter was reluctantly settled even if poor Scootaloo wished it wasn't. Now she had no way to find out what happened to Daring Do or how the story ended. There were so many questions that lingered in her mind, questions that could only be answered with that book that was still tucked away beneath the bed sheets.

The tomboyish filly knew she couldn't go back to the hospital after being checked out, and no way was she about to admit to her newfound love of reading, not even to her own mother. There had to be another copy of the book somewhere, but where?

As mother and daughter made their way home, they happened to pass by the Golden Oak Library. And that's when a realization struck Scootaloo! "Of course!" She thought as the gears in her little mind began to turn. "Twilight's got to have a copy of the book! Rainbow Dash said it was Twilight who got her into the series," Then she thought of something else. "But there's no way I can just ask Twilight for it, then she'll find out I'm an egghead. And if she finds out she'll tell her friends, and then they'll tell their friends and..." She trailed off, unwilling to dwell upon the mental image conjured up.

That meant there was only one thing to do in the filly's mind. She would have to sneak into the library at night and retrieve a copy of the book. She'd then read it and return it before anypony was any the wiser.

That very night, with the light of Luna's moon shining down on the land beneath it, a certain pegasus filly was sneaking her way towards the Golden Oak Library. She wore nothing except for a black stealth suit, determined that nopony should see her. It had been a stroke of luck that she'd been able to escape her house without being caught.

Fortunately for the filly, luck continued to be on her side as she found the library's front door to be unlocked. She trotted right in, not even bothering to lock the door behind her. All she cared about at the moment was finding a copy of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue. She had a pretty good idea of where she'd left off.

But frantic searching turned up nothing as Scootaloo combed the library's ground floor, checking every bookshelf with what little light there was available to her by the moon.

At last, just as the little pegasus was about to give up, she noticed a ladder resting next to one of the bookshelves. She clambered up it as fast as she could, and to her great joy she found that up at the top shelf rested the very book she had been searching for! She pulled it out and descended the ladder, rushing to a nearby window where the moonlight was brighter so that she could more easily read the pages. And as she did so, her mind already started forming a picture as if she were there to see the events unfold herself.

Daring Do continued to struggle greatly against the ropes, seemingly in vain as snakes and spiders crawled all around (and even over) her and the quicksand just continued to pour in.

But all of a sudden a voice cried out! "Hey, what are you doing here?!" And before Scootaloo had a chance to react the voice shouted! "Twilight, wake up, we've got an intruder!"

Scootaloo quickly turned around to see a frantic looking Spike across the room from her! She tried to shush the little dragon. "Spike, it's just me," She whispered to him. "Scootaloo. I'm not here to steal anything, I just wanted to look at this book really quick. I was gonna put it back."

Alas, it was too late to stop the commotion. Soon, the lights in the library flickered on as Twilight came rushing downstairs to see what was the matter! To her great surprise the "intruder" was Scootaloo in a black stealth suit that did nothing to obscure her face (to say nothing of the visible cast on one of her wings). "Scootaloo?" She blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Reluctantly, the tomboyish filly sighed in defeat. "You caught me, Twilight. I'm an egghead." And she let the book she'd been holding fall from her clutches, removing the hood of her stealth suit to reveal her entire face along with her mane.

Twilight examined the book on the floor with her magic, a smile creeping onto her face as she couldn't help but giggle. "Wow! I knew the first Daring Do book was popular, but I had no idea it could drive a pony to petty theft."

"I wasn't even stealing it," Scootaloo insisted. "I was gonna put it back when I'd finished reading it."

Twilight only shook her head and sternly scolded the filly. "Scootaloo, taking something without permission is stealing regardless of what you intend to do with it. And you really shouldn't be sneaking into ponies' homes after dark. What would your mother say if she were here to see you like this?"

The little pegasus gulped and started to sweat. "You're not gonna tell her about this, are you?" And she was quick to apologize. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just had to know what happened to Daring Do," Then she lamented. "I was so afraid of being seen as an egghead if I admitted to liking reading. Guess I should've known I couldn't keep the truth hidden forever."

Spike, however, joined Twilight in giggling. "Scootaloo, you're not an egghead just because you like reading. You shouldn't be ashamed of what you like, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone."

Twilight nodded. "Spike is quite right, Scootaloo. All you had to do was ask me, there was no need to cause a ruckus. And I think you owe your friends, Silver Spoon and even your own mother an apology. I heard about the way you acted in the hospital after your accident. You were pushing them all away because you wanted to keep your love of reading a secret, didn't you?"

"How did you know?" Scootaloo inquired. "Are you psychic or something?"

"Psychic? Me? I don't think so," The studious unicorn giggled. "I just happen to see a pattern, is all. Rainbow Dash was a lot like you when she first discovered her love of reading. In her case, she went so far as to sneak back into the hospital just to try and get some answers. Of course, she got caught not unlike you did just now."

Scootaloo gasped in surprise! "No way! Really?"

Twilight nodded once again. "Yes indeed, Scootaloo," Then she floated the book over to the filly. "Here, I'll let you borrow it since no one got hurt. But make sure you return it to me as soon as you're finished, and make sure you don't let that book get damaged. If you can do that, your little late night adventure will stay our little secret. And feel free to stop by here anytime if you wanna check out the rest of the series."

The filly gave something of a salute. "Will do, Twilight!"

The very next day, Scootaloo took advantage of the pleasant weather to sit outside underneath a tree and finish reading Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue. Now she didn't care who saw her reading. Maybe that made her an egghead and maybe that didn't. Right now, all she could think about was what Daring Do was going through.

As the quicksand continued to pour in, Daring Do was certain that her end was near! But she hadn't come all this way just to be done in like this! She was Daring Do, she never gave up no matter how bleak the situation might appear! If she could just find a way to trip that lever she'd seen Ahuizotl pull, she was confident she could stop the quicksand and escape. Then she'd be free to put a stop to whatever it is that Ahuizotl had planned with the Sapphire Statue in his possession.

Suddenly, the adventurer got herself an idea as she removed her pith helmet and threw it hard across the room with her teeth! Then she held her breath as she felt the table sink fully into the quicksand, the rest was up to fate.

Fortunately, the pith helmet reached its target. The lever gave an audible click as it was activated once again. The quicksand stopped pouring in just in the nick of time!

Daring surfaced, briefly gasping for air! Then she wiggled her way out of her restraints and retrieved her pith helmet. "Another day, another dungeon!" She declared to herself! "Hope you don't think you've seen the last of me, Ahuizotl. I'm coming for you!" And then she rushed out of the temple, ready to track down the evil doer.

A ways away from any temple, Ahuizotl sat on a stone throne and stroked one of his jungle cats as he remarked to himself. " With Daring Do out of the way, the world will suffer mightily at my hands. Soon, all will know and shudder at the name of Ahuizotl," Then he stood up and laughed, the Sapphire Statue still firmly in his possession. "I am victorious!"

But all of a sudden, Daring Do swooped in and swiped the very statue right out of Ahuizotl's paws! "I'll take that, thank you!" She declared.

Ahuizotl blinked and then gasped upon realizing the statue was no longer his! "What?! No! It can't be!" He exclaimed only to see his fears realized when he saw Daring Do swing to safety on a vine!

Daring couldn't resist a taunt at her newfound nemesis as she stuck out her tongue. "Better luck next time, Ahuizotl."

"There will be a next time, Daring Do!" Ahuizotl vowed! "You haven't seen the last of me! And next time, you won't be so lucky!"

Just like that, the story came to an end as Scootaloo read the words on the final pages: "And so it was that, with Ahuizotl defeated, and the Sapphire Statue secured, the world was safe and sound once again. All thanks to Daring Do. The Sapphire Statue would soon find a new permanent home in a prestigious archeological museum in Fillydelphia. But for Daring Do this was but the start of her many adventures in what she would later come to learn was called the Tenochtitlan Basin."

"Hey, squirt," The familiar voice of Rainbow Dash called as she happened to have been flying by overhead. A smile crept onto her face as she noticed what her favorite filly had in her possession. "Oh, finally got bit by the Daring Do bug, did you?"

Scootaloo just nodded as she closed up the book. "Yup. You were right all along, Rainbow Dash. Daring Do is a lot like me. And a lot like you now that I think about it. Are you sure you're not secretly related to her somehow?"

At that Rainbow Dash threw back her head and laughed. "Me? Related to Daring Do? I don't think so," After regaining her composure she added. "But it's nice to know I've got somepony besides Twilight I can discuss the series with. Once you're all caught up, that is."

The tomboyish filly was quick to reply. "That may be sooner than you think. After all, I'm not gonna be doing much scootering or crusading for the next few days."

Rainbow smiled. "Trust me, by the time you're done with them all you'll love the Daring Do series as much as I do. And they're still making new books even as we speak. The next one comes out in just a few months."

And it wouldn't be long before all would know of Scootaloo's interest in reading and the Daring Do series. Though not as much of a fan as Twilight or Rainbow Dash, she would still eagerly look forward to each new release. Yet even she would never suspect that the author of the popular books housed a deep secret.

But that's another story.

S3 E12: Magical Mystery Cure, Part 1 (What If?)

Author's Note

Here it is at long last, a rewrite I'll bet so many of you have been asking for! "Magical Mystery Cure" remains one of the most hotly contested season finales of all time, though with many subsequent "controversial" season finales coming out (such as "The Cutie Re-Mark", "School Raze" and "The Ending of the End"/"The Last Problem") and "A Canterlot Wedding" still being the most sought after for accusation fics, time has perhaps somewhat lessened the sting of this finale.

It has come to light that this episode was originally going to be a lot different and was written originally as the series finale. M. A. Larson wrote a script that involved many things which were cut from the final product: Including a pandora's box being the trigger for the episode's conflict and the Everfree Forest invading Ponyville (which would be moved to the Season 4 premiere "Princess Twilight Sparkle"). It's not known who made the changes or why, and Larson remains credited since the story does appear to have flowed mostly the same despite the changes.

There are lots of things to address here, some of which I'll go over in more detail with "Part 2". This is basically what I would assume a hypothetical two parter treatment of this episode would've been like had it been intended to be the grand finale, along with a couple of personal things that might not have been in the show. Among the biggest issues are the original episode's pacing as well as it being a musical, and the cutie marks of the rest of the mane six don't quite match up with what they have to do versus what the cutie marks were originally acquired in. That's something I tried to clear up here.

I also wanted to give Princess Celestia more of a role throughout this episode, and while I did keep the Starswirl the Bearded tie despite later material supposedly contradicting him "not understanding friendship" I tried to bring it closer to the original pandora's box idea that was scrapped.

One last thing I should mention: Spike being Twilight's "son" is a headcanon I'd written into this series as far back as my rewrite of "Owl's Well That Ends Well" many years before the show would clarify Twilight and Spike's bond as that of siblings. I've been trying to cut back on including it just for the sake of it, using it only where I think it would have emotional connections. And I feel like for what would be a grand finale and Twilight facing her biggest screw-up, it's justified being here.

S3 E12: Magical Mystery Cure, Part 1 (What If?)

Princess Celestia looked over the book in her possession one last time. She knew it was no ordinary book. Despite it seemingly plain appearance with only two big blue stars surrounded by swirls on its cover, this book was in fact the personal journal of Starswirl the Bearded. And it was the only thing in his possession that had remained after his mysterious and unannounced disappearance.

The journal had been used by the old sorcerer to jot down his many different spells that he had spent his entire lifetime perfecting (he had a separate journal for his private thoughts and feelings, but nopony knew what had happened to it or where it had gone). After his disappearance, Celestia and Luna had held onto it as a way to remember their old teacher. And for over a thousand years they had kept it hidden away, carefully preserved just in case Starswirl were to ever return.

Yet now, Princess Celestia was weighing an important decision. She had been considering this ever since Twilight had been instrumental in thwarting an invasion of changelings during a royal wedding, a threat that even the sun princess herself had not been expecting. But after all she had seen since beginning her star student's advanced studies, she knew she could delay the decision no longer.

Princess Luna had raised her doubts upon learning what her elder sister had planned to do. "You really believe Twilight Sparkle is capable of doing what even Starswirl could not?" She had asked her sister.

Princess Celestia had firmly nodded when the discussion had come up in the throne room just the other day. "She has shown an ability to master magic that rivals even that of my own. She continues to exceed even my highest of expectations. I've tested her time and time again and she has always passed with flying colors. She is ready."

Reluctantly, Princess Luna decided not to argue further on the matter and had simply replied. "If you are so confident in Twilight's ability, I shall reluctantly trust your judgement, sister. For both our sakes, I hope your faith in your student is not misplaced. You have been wrong before."

It was that very warning that now played in Celestia's mind as she held the journal aloft in her magic. It would be so easy to send it off to Ponyville and leave the rest to Twilight. But yet, a nagging part of her mind would not leave her alone. It kept telling her that she was wrong to put so much trust into anypony, no matter how much that trust might be warranted. Everything leading up to this point had been one thing, but asking even a pony like Twilight to succeed where Starswirl had failed? That was a huge undertaking, one that carried with it great risks as well as rewards.

So it was that the sun princess opted to write down a little note to send along with the journal. "Instructions" so that her student might know best how to proceed with something so important. Doing her best to keep a quill held aloft in her magic steady, she wrote in large letters "DO NOT OPEN WITHOUT ME!" and then signed her name at the bottom. She would come to Ponyville first thing after raising the sun tomorrow. "At least then I'll be on standby in case anything goes wrong." She thought to herself, trusting Twilight not to disobey an order.

Yet what the mighty alicorn could not have known was that her instructions were going to be ignored. She had underestimated just how eager Twilight would be to perform new magic. And the consequences of that decision would have profound effects that even the sun princess could not have anticipated.

And when it was all said and done, a big change would be coming to Twilight's life. But it would not unfold in the way that Princess Celestia was expecting.

Twilight Sparkle woke up the next morning feeling even more cheerful than usual. Something about last night had awakened something inside of her that made her feel happy just to be alive and living in a town like Ponyville. Looking out her bedroom window and taking in the sights of the town she'd come to call home for over two years now, something began to stir inside of her.

With a smile on her face and a spring in her step, Twilight threw open her bedroom window and happily began to sing without a care in the world. And it went something like this:

Morning in Ponyville shimmers,

Morning in Ponyville shines!

And I know for absolute certain,

That everything is certainly fine!

The studious unicorn naturally didn't want to waste a perfectly good day cooped up inside. She headed downstairs, trying to wake Spike up only to find that the little dragon was in no mood to awaken anytime soon. That didn't stop her, she'd just leave Spike to rest and he could catch up with her later on. For now, it was another beautiful day in Ponyville and Twilight was intent on making the most of it.

Walking outside with the sun shining down, Twilight took in more sights and sounds of this fine day in town. Everything seemed to be just like it always was. And that prompted her to keep on singing, not caring who heard her.

There's Mayor Mare on the way to her office,

And the sofa clerk selling some quills.

Ponyville is so gentle and still.

Could things possibly go wrong?

I don't think that they will.

Morning in Ponyville shimmers,

Morning in Ponyville shines!

And I know for absolute certain,

That everything is certainly-

But before she could finish, Twilight's singing was suddenly (and quite rudely in the unicorn's opinion) interrupted by a shower of cold water. Looking up, she discovered that the source was a lone storm cloud that she could've sworn hadn't been overhead a minute ago. Naturally, the unicorn grumbled at who she thought was to blame for such a thing happening. "Rainbow Dash, that's not funny! If you don't like my singing you can just say so, you don't have to literally rain on my parade."

Instead of Rainbow Dash, however, it was Rarity who replied to Twilight's angry accusation. And she did so by issuing an apology. "Oh, terribly sorry, darling. That was an accident. I'm afraid I'm not so good with the thundery ones. I was supposed to get this weather order taken care of yesterday, but things got away from me."

Twilight was about to ask her fellow unicorn what she was talking about, but a quick glance at the fashionista's flanks provided more of an explanation than any words that could've been uttered. Instead of three diamonds, Rarity's cutie mark was the same rainbow colored lightning bolt coming out of a cloud that Rainbow Dash had.

Suddenly, Twilight blinked in horror as a terrible thought entered her mind. "Everything is definitely not fine," She thought to herself. "And I get the feeling that this is all my fault. But why?"

Rarity was too busy with the sky, using her magic to move various clouds around. So she didn't take any notice of Twilight's behavior.

But Twilight was still confused at the sight of her fellow unicorn having Rainbow Dash's cutie mark and doing Rainbow Dash's job. She had to know what was going on, what had caused this. "Rarity, why are you trying to do Rainbow Dash's job? You're supposed to be working at Carousel Boutique. And why in the wide world of Equestria do you have Rainbow Dash's cutie mark instead of your own?"

The fashionista (or perhaps former fashionista was better considering what must've happened to her) just blinked slowly, as if she were confused that Twilight would even ask such a thing of her. "Whatever are you talking about, Twilight? I've always had this cutie mark and this has always been my job. I've never set hoof in a boutique and even if I did I wouldn't know the first thing about how to run one," She then explained. "My job is to manage the different weather that the Cloudsdale weather factory produces specifically for Ponyville. However, it's a tad bit hard to do that on time and keep the sky looking beautiful. And if I don't get it done soon, I'll never have time to test my skills in the next Equestrian 500."

"You? Racing?" Twilight blinked.

Rarity nodded. "Whoever says a racer can't be fabulous? It was the best I could do after my attempts to break into the world of fashion went nowhere," And an unhappy sigh escaped her lips before she found herself overhearing arguing and grumbling from some very unhappy ponies. They were all complaining about the bad weather she was failing to control. "Oh dear, I'm in way over my head. Seems all my slacking off to work on my racing skills has finally caught up with me."

The studious unicorn stomped a hoof down as she demanded in a serious tone of voice. "Where's Rainbow Dash? Shouldn't she be handling this, or at least assisting you?"

Rarity just replied. "Rainbow Dash has never worked a day in weather. But if you want to know more, you can ask her yourself."

So it was that, a short time later, Twilight was leading Spike (and herself) to the lone cottage not far from the entrance to the Everfree Forest.

Along the way, Spike let out a yawn as he remarked. "I still don't know why you had to wake me up. I love sleeping in the rain, you know."

Twilight shook her head. "It's not about the weather, Spike. Rarity had Rainbow Dash's cutie mark and was doing Rainbow Dash's job. And when I asked her about Rainbow Dash, she told me that this was Rainbow Dash's cottage and not Fluttershy's. Somehow, our friends seem to believe they're someponies that they're not and that they're supposed to be doing each other's jobs. Except they're not very good at it if Rarity is anything to go by."

Spike scratched his head. "Sounds confusing. What's up with that?"

"I don't know, Spike," Twilight replied with a gulp. "Something very strange is going on and I don't like it one bit," Then she noticed something that troubled her greatly. "Things are definitely not right. It looks like the Everfree Forest is taking up way more land than it normally does." And as she and Spike came close to the cottage, they could see that it was no longer near the Everfree Forest's entrance but still outside it. It now seemed to be part of the forest itself.

Coming up to the front door, pony and dragon knocked and were surprised to be greeted by Rainbow Dash instead of Fluttershy. "Hey Twilight, hey Spike," The rainbow maned pegasus greeted. "Sorry but this is kind of a bad time. You'll... have to come back later, I've got my hooves full at the moment."

Twilight refused to be turned away. She quickly pressed her snout up against the door so as to deter Rainbow from closing it on her. "If this is about the Everfree Forest, I've already noticed. I'm sure that whatever it is, you, I and the rest of our friends can solve it after we figure out why you're all doing different jobs today."

Rainbow Dash shot back a look of confusion even as she reluctantly allowed Twilight and Spike to enter the cottage proper. "I'm doing the same job I've been doing since I got my cutie mark. This was the only place I could find where the animals could come to me instead of me having to always rush to the animals," And as she spoke it was possible to see that she had the three pink butterflies that had always been on Fluttershy's flank. "As for the Everfree Forest, your guess is as good as mine about why it's taking up so much land. It wasn't always like this, but now even Zecora says she's never seen it like this. And she's been living in the forest longer than most animals have. I'd help her but... well, you can see for yourself."

And as soon as Twilight and Spike got a good look at the cottage interior, it was possible for them to see a variety of animals big and small running loose.

Rainbow sighed. "I tried to warn you. It's especially bad today." And then she started to sing seeing as it was just about the only thing she could think to do in this situation. And her song sounded something like this:

These animals just won't listen. No, not one little bit.

They all run around, out of control. Throwing their hissy fits.

It's all up to me to control them, as clearly you can see.

It's got to be my destiny! And it's what my cutie mark is telling me.

Putting two and two together from what he'd been told, Spike immediately questioned the brash mare. "So, if you're doing Fluttershy's job and Rarity is doing your job, what's Fluttershy doing?"

The rainbow maned pegasus was quick to answer. "Oh, you wanna know that? That's easy. You can find her at Sugarcube Corner with the Cakes."

"Really?" Twilight questioned. "Isn't that more Pinkie Pie's thing?"

"Go and see for yourself if you don't believe me," Rainbow insisted. "Either way, for right now I've got to try and get these animals under control."

Taking Rainbow's suggestion, Twilight and Spike made their way into Ponyville while doing their best to avoid the sporadic storms of rain and even snow that had "gotten away" from Rarity. And just like when Rarity's comments had directed them to Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash's words had, in turn, led them right to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy was indeed at Sugarcube Corner, doing what would've been expected of Pinkie Pie. She was currently hosting a party for a small gathering of ponies who had come inside to get out of the bad weather that was becoming a problem all over town (to say nothing of the threat of a fast approaching Everfree Forest that looked poised expand into much of the town proper). The shy pegasus happened to have Pinkie Pie's cutie mark of three balloons: Two blue and one yellow.

"Sorry, Twilight. Sorry, Spike. Can't talk right now," Fluttershy said to both as they approached her. "You can clearly see that I'm busy. I'm not the best at parties and celebrations, but they're the fastest way to spread joy. And joy and laughter are two things Ponyville needs badly today. It seems to be a day when everything is going wrong."

Twilight was once again confused. It seemed that she was more right than she knew when she'd told Rainbow Dash that her friends were doing each other's jobs. And they all seemed to believe that they had always done them even if they weren't good at them. But Fluttershy was an especially noticeable case. At least Rarity and Rainbow Dash seemed to have some clue about what they were supposed to be doing. Fluttershy looked completely helpless and the crowd seemed to be in a bad mood if the frowns on their faces were any indication.

The pegasus mare seemed to guess what was on Twilight's mind as she simply went on to say. "I know what you must be thinking: Why would a pony like me try to be an entertainer?" She gestured to her flank. "I really don't have a lot of other options thanks to my cutie mark. I used to be at least somewhat capable of making other ponies happy, and I have to keep trying until I can do it again. Nopony else is going to do it."

"Not even Pinkie Pie?" Twilight inquired.

Fluttershy shook her head. "Especially not her. I could never ask her or any of our other friends to do my job anymore than I could be expected to take over on one of their jobs. You can't argue with cutie marks." And then she went on to unhappily sing while attempting (and ultimately failing) to entertain the ponies inside the bakery:

I try to get them laughing, put a smile upon their face.

But no matter what I try, I just seem like a disgrace.

Yet I know I must entertain them, it's there for all to see.

It must be my destiny! For it's what my cutie mark is telling me.

The ponies in the audience didn't crack a smile or chuckle at all no matter what Fluttershy did. It took Spike dancing in a silly fashion just to amuse them. And Twilight took advantage of it to try to determine the location of Pinkie Pie. "If Pinkie Pie isn't here, then where is she?" She asked Fluttershy.

"Probably on Sweet Apple Acres, working her tail off as usual," Fluttershy responded. "I feel so sorry for her. She leaves one farm life behind only to end up with another."

Twilight and Spike soon left Sugarcube Corner and made their way to Sweet Apple Acres on the other end of town. Yet even though it wasn't affected by Rarity's disorganized weather patterns or an encroaching Everfree Forest, it was not in good shape at all. The entire farm looked ready to fall apart at a moment's notice.

And perhaps because of that, Pinkie Pie was anything but cheerful when she saw Twilight and Spike near the farm's outskirts. Most telling of all was the fact that her mane and tail hung flat against her body instead of being their usual poofy and curly selves. And sure enough, instead of three balloons on her flank she had Applejack's cutie mark of three apples. "What do you want?!" She snapped! "Make it quick, I'm busy!"

"Busy with what? You're not supposed to be working here." Twilight pointed out.

Surprisingly, Pinkie Pie didn't laugh as she responded. "Twilight, this isn't a joking matter. Fluttershy's supposed to be the one making others laugh. I have no time for fun and games. I have to get the farm ready for an early harvest, everything's falling apart and ponies are getting desperate. That means more work for me."

Spike was looking all around, taking notice of the empty fields and neglected trees. But it was the absence of some particular ponies that he was most concerned with. "Where's the Apple family? You know: Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom? Do they know you're helping Applejack?"

The earth pony mare snorted. "They all did their best, but none of 'em want to be around me. They do their chores and I do mine, and it's better that way," And she added. "As for Applejack, she's too darn busy running that silly boutique of hers to lend her own family a helping hoof. In her absence, somepony had to take charge and I figured it as might as well be me. Of course, a rock farm is a whole lot different from an apple farm. I'm learning that the hard way."

The studious unicorn was left scratching her head. "None of this is making any sense. Why is it that all my friends are acting so different today and trying to do each others jobs? Why am I the only one who knows who's actually supposed to be doing what?"

Pinkie only bitterly remarked. "If anypony's not making sense, Twilight, it's you. Things have always been like this. There's only so much I can do to force myself to smile. So if you're not gonna help me get my chores done, stop wasting my time and get out of my way! If the farm goes under, it'll be my fault. I promised the rest of the Apple family that I could make a difference when Applejack left. I can't go back on that promise no matter how much it makes me unhappy." And then she too started to sing while struggling to do various chores like buck apples, repair a water chute and collect eggs from the chickens:

I don't care much for pickin' fruit, and plowin' fields ain't such a hoot.

And no matter how hard I try, I simply can't fix this busted water shoot!

I have so many chores to do, it's just no fun being me.

But it has to be my destiny, 'cause it's what my cutie mark is telling me.

"So, I guess now we're going to go see Applejack?" Spike asked Twilight after the singing had stopped.

"I guess so, Spike," Twilight reluctantly nodded in agreement. "But somehow, I don't think Applejack is going to be any different from the others."

Pinkie Pie just grumpily declared. "Well if you're going to see her at her boutique, make sure to tell her that she had some nerve to abandon her family to pursue her dream. A lot of good it did her in the end."

Applejack was indeed at Carousel Boutique, and it was of little surprise when she happened to have Rarity's cutie mark of three diamonds. Strangely enough, she had kept the stentson she was always known for wearing, but it looked rather ragged and worn. And she currently had a tape measure slung around her neck. "I ain't takin' any more orders or requests. I'm up to my neck in orders as it is." She complained while frantically rushing about the boutique.

"So I'm guessing you've always been working here instead of Rarity?" Spike guessed.

Applejack nodded. "This here boutique was about to close for good before I stepped in and took over. I figured all my time in Manehattan meant I knew all there was to know about fashion," She promptly wiped the sweat from her brows while exclaiming. "Ooh boy was that a mistake! I wanted a change from farm work, and I sure got it all right. I figured this was the best way to do what my cutie mark was tellin' me to do, bring out the beauty in other ponies and other things. But now my dream boutique has turned into a nightmare."

Twilight added. "And Rarity has been doing Rainbow Dash's job of controlling the weather. Somehow, I'm the only pony who hasn't been affected by whatever caused this," She looked at Applejack. "I'm sorry you can't remember a time when you actually enjoyed working on your family's farm. You used to take pride in being so close to your roots."

The earth pony mare forced a smile. "That's mighty kind of ya to say, Twilight. But you don't have to lie to me just to make me happy. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie work hard enough as it is to keep me from worryin' about things, and I couldn't even dream of askin' them, Rarity or Rainbow Dash to take over for me even just for a day. This is my boutique and my responsibility."

"Even if that responsibility is something you're not very good at?" Twilight questioned as she noticed the rather poor quality of the dresses that the boutique currently had to offer.

Applejack just replied by saying. "Eeyup. At this point, with everythin' else that's goin' on I don't think ponies are goin' to care much about what they wear. Got too many other problems on their hooves as it is. Now if you'll both kindly excuse me, I need to get back to work while I still can. Even if it drives me to the brink of collapse, I'm gonna see to it that every last customer gets the dress they deserve!" Then, as she went over to the sewing machine she began to unhappily sing:

Lookie here at what I just made, I think that it's a dress.

Oh, I know it doesn't look like much. I'm under some distress.

Can y'all lend me a hoof here so I can fix this mess?

My destiny may not be pretty, but it's what my cutie mark is telling me.

And as soon as Twilight and Spike left the boutique, they could hear Rarity singing from afar:

I'm all in love with weather patterns, but other ponies have concerns.

Oh, now I just gave them frostbite on top of their sunburns.

I have to keep on trying, for everyone can see.

It must be my destiny, because it's what my cutie mark is telling me.

As the singing ended, it became clear to Twilight and Spike that only they seemed to have any knowledge of what should be as opposed to what was. And neither of them knew what it was that had caused this confusing turn of events.

The two retreated to the familiar confines of the Golden Oak Library in order to try and wrap their heads around what was going on. And to their great surprise, Princess Celestia was already there to greet them.

The sun princess didn't seem to be at all enthusiastic about her unannounced visit if the expression on her face was any indication. It looked like she was frowning, which was a rare sight for the alicorn with a coat of majestic white. Though it was at least of some relief to both pony and dragon that her cutie mark was still a sun and not something else.

Still, the nature of the alicorn's visit was of great concern and mystery for Spike. And especially for Twilight who sought to inquire. "Princess Celestia? Why are you here?"

In response to the question Princess Celestia responded. "I had planned to come here to provide you with assistance and guidance on your greatest test yet. I didn't anticipate you would deliberately defy my instructions and proceed without me," Then she saw fit to ask a question of her own. "Twilight Sparkle, what have you done?!"

Twilight appeared to be confused judging by the expression she shot back at her mentor. "What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?"

Perhaps to provide better clarification on her question, Princess Celestia used her magic to hold up a book very familiar to her and instantly recognizable to Twilight. "Perhaps you're aware of the incomplete master spell written within the very pages of this journal?" She pointed out while flipping through the pages until she came to one that was partially left blank.

"Hey, I don't recognize that book!" Spike commented. "What's going on here?"

But Twilight knew all too well what that old book was and thus what Princess Celestia was suggesting. "Spike, do you remember your seven hour bubble bath last night?" When the little dragon nodded, she explained. "Well, while you were in the middle of said bath, I received an important package from Princess Celestia herself. And inside that package was this book, which is apparently a journal." And her mind started to flash back to the previous evening when she had received said package in the mail.

An excited Twilight carefully opened the package that had just been delivered to her doorstep. Attached to it was a letter that had read as follows:

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

What you're seeing now is Starswirl the Bearded's journal, a journal he used to record all the spells he created and perfected over the course of his lifetime. Contained on the last page of this journal is his secret unfinished masterpiece.

He was never able to get it right, and so he abandoned it in favor of 'another time' that never came to be before his sudden disappearance many years ago. But I believe you are the only pony who can understand and thus rewrite it, completing what Starswirl could not.

However, given the nature of this spell and the fact that it was never cast, I do not know what might happen if it were attempted. Therefore, I've attached extra instructions to the journal's cover that I want you to read over first.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

After reading over the note, Twilight let out a gasp! "Ooh! Something from Starswirl the Bearded?! How could I possibly resist?" It all made sense now. All those advanced magical studies Princess Celestia had been putting her through as of late, all of that had been in preparation for this. She was now to succeed where even the greatest magical mind had failed.

In fact, the unicorn was so excited that she barely even took notice of (let alone bothered to read) the "extra instructions" Princess Celestia had seen fit to tape to the front of the journal. In very large letters they clearly spelled out "DO NOT OPEN WITHOUT ME!" followed by Princess Celestia's signature. Yet where this warning would've made a more cautious pony rightfully hesitate, Twilight's curiosity and eagerness to please her mentor caused her to discard the note without a second thought.

Then Twilight flipped through the pages as she opened the journal, soon coming to the last page and the incomplete spell that she'd been told about. Clearing her throat she read aloud: "'From one to another, another to one. A mark of one's destiny singled out alone, fulfilled.'," As she read she thought she felt a faint magical energy swirl around her, but she quickly dismissed it when the energy seemed to fade as quickly as it could. And all she could think about was. "Wait, that's it? That doesn't make sense. It doesn't even rhyme."

Oh well, those were thoughts for another time and place. She would have all the time in the world tomorrow to look deeper into the spell to figure out what it was supposed to do and how she would "complete" it.

The flashback ended as a look of realization slowly crossed Twilight's face, and then horror and guilt slowly settled in! "It can't be! I... I must've cast the spell accidentally without even knowing it!" She realized! "How could I have been so foolish?!"

"So you understand the consequences of your actions now, Twilight," Princess Celestia sternly remarked with her disapproving glare. "Even knowing how much you idolize Starswirl the Bearded, I thought for sure I had taught you better than this."

Spike was quick to jump to Twilight's defense. "Well, to be fair you did subject her to a test when the Crystal Empire came back that was kind of about how some orders of yours were to be defied or ignored. Like how you told Twilight she had to be the one to help protect the empire, and only by disregarding that was she able to make the right decision in the end."

But Twilight protested. "No, Spike, that's not a valid defense. Because that test was also to see if I would put my own interests ahead of others no matter what. It was only by ignoring what I thought I had to do that I was able to give you the order that allowed you to get the Crystal Heart to Cadence in time. If I'd remembered that lesson, I would've realized that my desire to learn more about the spell would have to wait until Princess Celestia could arrive to help guide me."

Spike then commented. "Well, I still don't see how that has any connection to what we witnessed this morning," And then a thought struck him. "Wait, that's it! This is all just a dream!" He began to break out into a nervous laugh as he declared. "Yeah, that must be it! This is all a crazy dream I'm having. Any minute now, I'm gonna wake up in my bed screaming and Mom's going to be there to comfort me. And we're both going to have a laugh at how silly this all is. Right? Right?!"

Neither Twilight or Princess Celestia would acknowledge the little dragon's suggestion. For them this was all too real. But Spike still didn't want to believe it. "N-no, this can't actually be real! I... I need to wake up now!" He declared and proceeded to throw himself hard into the nearest wall! But when pain coursed through his tiny body, the reality of the situation slowly settled in. "This... this is real?"

The sun princess slowly nodded. "Much as I wish it weren't, Spike, it is," And then she gestured a hoof to a nearby glass display case. "My suspicions about what happened were confirmed when I got a good look at the Elements of Harmony. Having them so close to such magical energy must've affected them somehow."

It was only now that Twilight and Spike gave any thought to looking at the powerful artifacts that had been left at the library just a few weeks prior when Discord had more or less agreed to change his ways. It was less an insurance policy against the chaos maker and more a security measure intended to have the elements close to the ones who could wield them. But now it seemed that decision had backfired. Although the crown of magic remained unaffected, the other five elements in their necklaces had changed colors (though not shapes): Honesty was purple, kindness was blue, generosity was red, laughter was orange and loyalty was pink.

"The spell must've altered the Elements of Harmony in some way, and only the caster was unaffected," Celestia concluded. "That must be why the elements are all wrong."

"And the Everfree Forest threatening to take over Ponyville?" Spike nervously asked.

The alicorn reluctantly explained. "The forest has always contained a special magic connected to the elements. It's why Luna and I once lived in a castle in the heart of the Everfree. But after Luna's banishment I could live there no longer, the memories associated with it were too painful," She briefly turned to shed a lone tear before doing her best to regain her composure. "With the Elements of Harmony now disorganized, the Everfree Forest must've reacted."

Spike then pleaded. "So, what are you waiting for?! Change it all back! There's a counter spell for all of this, right?! I mean, every spell has a counter spell. Doesn't it?"

Frantically, Twilight scanned the pages of the journal anew only to be confronted with her worst fear in this case. "Not this time, Spike. There's no counter spell. I guess since Starswirl never got the spell complete, he never saw the need to develop a counter spell."

Celestia put a hoof to her chin. "More likely, since he didn't know what the spell would do he figured it would be impossible to design an appropriate counter spell. And he may have feared that designing one to counter an untested spell could make things worse," She then shook her head. "I'm afraid that there is no magical solution that can fix this. At least, not that Luna or I know of."

The little dragon then suggested to Twilight. "Well, if our friends' memories are the problem then why not just use the spell you used to cure them when Discord corrupted them?"

Twilight protested with a shake of her head. "It's not that their memories are altered, Spike. They all believe they've been like this for as long as they can remember. Their true selves are what's been altered. No memory spell can counter that."

Quickly rattling off ideas, Spike asked. "Uh... Zecora's cure for the cutie pox? I mean, our friends' cutie marks are all wrong and that's what causing the false memories."

Again, Twilight shook her head. "That won't work either, Spike. The cutie marks aren't the problem, it's what they've led our friends to believe that needs to be fixed. And I don't know how to do that," Then she began to hang her head. "Their destines have all been completely changed, maybe forever. And it's all my fault. If I hadn't been so eager to cast that spell, none of this would've happened in the first place."

"Twilight." Princess Celestia began, sensing the change in mood that was enveloping her student.

But the studious unicorn was in no mood to listen as she went upstairs and threw herself upon her bed. "How could I have messed up so badly?" She thought to herself as tears started to form in her eyes. "I let everyone down: Princess Celestia, the ponies of Ponyville, and most of all my friends."

Twilight's mood only worsened as she looked out the window, seeing the devastation that her actions from the night before had now unleashed upon the town she'd come to call home. Various parts of town were covered by rain or snow while other parts got nothing, animals ran free with nothing or no one to hold them back, ponies glared and growled at each other whenever they happened to bump into each other, and places like Sweet Apple Acres and Carousel Boutique looked to be on the verge of ruin.

Unable to think of anything else to do, the unicorn began to sing without a care in the wide world of Equestria for who might overhear her:

I have to find a way,

To make this all okay.

I can't believe one small mistake,

Could've caused all of this heartache.

Oh why?

I'm losing promise,

I don't know what to do.

I'm seeking answers,

But I fear I won't get through to you.

Oh why?

Breaking down into loud sobs, Twilight only barely noticed when Spike and Princess Celestia approached her to presumably offer comfort. "What am I going to do?" She asked them without looking up from her bed. "Everything's all wrong now, because of me."

It took quite a while for the unicorn to cease her crying and sobbing even with her mentor and her adopted son by her side. "This is all my fault. Of all the things to mess up, why did it have to be this? Why couldn't I have failed at something less important, something where at least if I messed up it wouldn't change everything and everyone around me for the worse?"

"Twilight, you can't beat yourself up over this," Spike pleaded. "You're not perfect, you know."

Twilight sniffled. "Well I should be! I should be a model student! I should be as perfect as Princess Celestia!"

At that Princess Celestia seemed to react with shock as she sharply declared! "Twilight Sparkle, you of all ponies should know that true perfection is impossible! Even I have failed."

"Never in a way like this, never in a way where everypony is worse off because of you!" Twilight protested! "The closest you've come was having to banish your own sister to the moon for a thousand years. But you found a way to make everything better."

The sun princess then added. "Yet you've seen for yourself that I can be outsmarted. That sometimes even I don't hold all the answers. Think about when Discord returned and I didn't anticipate him swiping the Elements of Harmony from their storage place. Or the royal wedding when I not only didn't see an invasion occurring, but also brushed off my own niece's bad behavior despite you trying to warn me. In both cases, I messed up. In both cases I failed to protect Equestria when, as the ruler of the land, it is my royal duty to be the first line of defense for my subjects."

Slowly, Twilight looked up and dried her eyes. "I... I didn't think about it like that," And she was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you like that, Princess Celestia. That was uncalled for. I didn't even mean the things I said. I was just so stressed and I got frustrated... and... and..."

Celestia draped a wing over her student to reassure her. "It's okay, Twilight. It's not healthy to keep things bottled up inside you all the time. What matters is that you realize now what you did wrong. Admitting to a problem is the first step towards overcoming it," And then she smiled. "I know you'll find a way to make things right again. You've never let me down before. In a way, you're more than just my student. You're the closest I've ever had to a child of my own. Seeing you grow so much in just the last two years has been a joy. And it's because of that that I say 'I have faith in you'."

Spike then added. "Come on, Twilight. You've never given up before. And you've always taught me to believe in myself no matter what," And he encouraged. "I'm sure you'll figure something out. After all, you didn't give up on officially making me your son even when you had to sort through more paperwork than I think anypony's ever had to deal with in their lifetime."

The studious unicorn slowly stumbled out of her bed. Despite her eyes being red from all the crying she had done, it seemed like a newfound sense of optimism had found its way into them given how much they seemed to be sparkling. "You're right, Spike. I've been in tough situations before. Many just as tough as this. And I've never given up! I can't start now! I may have messed up, but that just means I need to stop blaming myself and start working on a way to fix all of this! I can do this! Everyone's counting on me, especially my friends," Then, looking at a picture of herself with her friends, something began to stir deep within her. "They mean more to me than anything else. My friends..."

Spike and Celestia happened to notice an unusual glow overtake the unicorn as she gazed at the picture. Nervously, Spike couldn't help but ask. "Uh, Twilight, are you okay?"

Twilight gave a firm nod. "Yes, Spike. In fact, I'm more than okay, I think I've figured out a way to make everything right."

"You do?" Spike asked with both hope and concern.

Twilight nodded again. "Indeed. I may not be able to just remind my friends of who they are or rather who they used to be, but I can show them what they all mean to each other," She hurried over to the display case, lifting it up as she floated over the tiara of magic and placed it upon her head. Then she used her magic to quickly scoop the five incorrectly colored elements into the shiny blue case with a yellow lock that had previously been used to hold them. "Doing that should restore the Elements of Harmony to normal. And when the Elements go back to what they were, so should our friends."

"Well that's great and all, but what about the Everfree Forest?" The little dragon pointed out. "It's still out of control, and I don't think it's done taking over just yet. Even if your plan works, there may not be a Ponyville left to save."

Princess Celestia immediately unfolded her wings as she declared. "You leave the forest to me for now."

With a newfound sense of optimism Spike asked. "You mean, you're going to stop the forest and drive it back?!"

The sun princess shook her head. "I'm afraid that's beyond even my capabilities, Spike. I will do the best I can to hold it back for as long as it possible," And she turned to Twilight. "That should give you time to put your plan into action. Once the elements have been restored, you and your friends should be able to calm down the forest and return it to its hibernative state. And if nothing else, I hope that when this experience is over, you will have learned a valuable lesson about defying my orders for the sake of your curiosity. After all, we must never allow something like this to happen again. Next time, we may not be so lucky."

"Don't worry, Princess Celestia," Twilight quickly replied while she motioned for Spike to come over to where she was standing. "I won't be forgetting this experience anytime soon. I've definitely learned my lesson already," She then rushed out the library door with the Elements of Harmony in tow while calling to Spike. "Come on, Spike! We've got no time to lose! Our friends aren't going to save themselves."

Princess Celestia watched her star pupil disappear over the horizon, no doubt already having decided on who she would try to help first. And as the alicorn prepared to do her part to help her student successfully right the wrong she had caused, there was something nagging at her in the back of her mind. "That glow," She thought aloud to herself. "Could it really be?" Putting a hoof to her chin she seemed to briefly contemplate something before shaking her head and dismissing the thought. "No, it couldn't be. Could it? It shouldn't be possible." But those were thoughts for another time and place.

It didn't take long for Twilight and Spike to find the first friend to help. As luck would have it, they ran into Fluttershy just as the pegasus mare was plunking down a sack of bits to pay for a balloon ride. And she was just about to step into the hot air balloon's basket.

At least, that's what was about to happen when Twilight frantically and desperately called out to her pegasus friend! "Fluttershy, wait! Don't go!"

Fluttershy reluctantly stopped in her tracks and turned to face Twilight. "Oh, hey Twilight, hey Spike," She greeted. "You two seem to be doing well. Well, about as well as anyone could be doing under these circumstances."

"Where are you going?" Twilight asked. "You're not actually thinking of leaving Ponyville, are you?"

Fluttershy nodded. "I'm afraid I am. I'm moving back to Cloudsdale," And she explained in an unhappy tone of voice. "It's time I faced facts, I'm just not good at what I'm supposed to be doing. It was bad enough when things were peaceful and quiet, but today it's worse because the weather's all messed up and the Everfree Forest is forcing ponies and animals out of their homes. I just can't make anypony laugh no matter how hard I try," To prove her point she pulled out a whoopee cushion that promptly deflated. "See? That was one of my best gags. And if that doesn't work, you know darn well nothing else will."

Twilight protested. "So that's it, you're giving up?"

The shy pegasus reluctantly nodded. "I really don't have a choice, Twilight. If nopony's laughing, then they're certainly not buying anything and that means Sugarcube Corner won't be staying open. No Sugarcube Corner means I'm out of a job. Besides, I don't think Ponyville's going to last much longer at this rate."

"Well, before you go," The studious unicorn insisted. "I was just wondering if you might be willing to help me with Rainbow Dash. She's having a lot of trouble with her animals."

Fluttershy shook her head. "Twilight, I don't know much about animals. That's not my specialty or my destiny. I'd like to help, but I don't see how I could."

Twilight pointed out to her friend. "You do know a thing or two about Rainbow Dash, right? After all, you two were childhood friends."

Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin as she pondered. "Well, yes, we were. And I... know that Rainbow Dash is a true friend. She's always been there for me when I needed her, she was a big help when I moved to Ponyville, and a big help before then when we were living in Cloudsdale," She eventually seemed to come to the conclusion. "I suppose I can't really call myself much of a friend if I wasn't willing to do whatever I could to help. Rainbow's always been there for me, so now it's my turn to be there for her!"

The unicorn mare smiled. "Excellent! Knew you'd see it my way! Now we'd better hurry, no telling what kind of trouble Rainbow Dash has gotten herself into. Follow me!" And she took off running as fast as her legs would carry her.

Reluctantly, Fluttershy followed.

The two friends made their way through Ponyville, dodging the rain and snow showers and the branches from trees that seemed to be almost everywhere. At last, they came to the cottage that now rested within the entrance to the Everfree Forest itself. Things already didn't look good there considering the cottage door seemed to be ready to fall off its hinges at a moment's notice!

"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight called as the two mares got close. "I've brought a friend."

But from the other side of the door came a loud thud and the angry sounds of animals who probably hadn't been fed in who knew how long?

Rainbow Dash frantically called out a second later! "In here! I'm trapped! Somepony help!"

Twilight and Fluttershy needed no further encouragement to rush in! Yet even they were not prepared for what they saw!

Rainbow Dash was tied up and trapped within a cauldron on a pile of logs. Try as she might, the pegasus mare could not escape. And meanwhile, various animals that she was supposed to be watching were marching around the cauldron while holding up forks and knives. It was clear that they intended to make the rainbow maned pegasus their next meal.

"Don't worry, Rainbow Dash! Help is here!" Fluttershy declared before turning to Twilight! "Do something, quick! Cast a spell to get her out of there before it's too late!"

But Twilight refused. "I can't do that, Fluttershy. And even if I could it wouldn't solve anything. Those animals are angry. You need to find a way to calm them down. Rainbow Dash needs your help, not mine."

"O-okay, I'll... I'll do my best," Fluttershy gulped and reluctantly stepped forward to face the hungry and angry animals. She then cleared her throat. "Um... hello? Little... uh, woodland creatures?" The animals all stopped to look at her. "I know that you're all very upset right now and feel like giving Rainbow Dash a hard time, but what you're doing to her isn't going to solve anything."

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Yeah, turning me into lunch meat isn't gonna fix anything! But these guys just won't listen."

Fluttershy just continued to talk to the animals to try and calm them down. "I'm sure you're all very hungry. Rainbow Dash is doing the best she can to get you all fed, but there's a lot of you and only one of her. So maybe you should try to show her some respect," Then she looked around as she noticed some things laying around the cottage. "Uh, maybe you could all have a snack to tide you over so my friend can get Rainbow Dash free? How about some nice, juicy leaves? Ooh, and some crunchy, munchy acorns too?"

That seemed to do the trick, the animals forgot all about trying to eat Rainbow Dash when there was far more tasty food readily available to them. And both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief when the animals' rebellion appeared to have been appeased and halted.

Looking over the animals again, Fluttershy started to feel something deep down inside her. "You know, this actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's almost like I can understand you," As she spoke she found herself being picked up and kissed by a bear. "I... I feel all strange and tingly, like... like this is what I'm actually meant to do, like this is who I really am! Almost like it's..." She gasped as the realization struck her! "My destiny!" And no sooner had she said those words than did her flanks start to glow!

Sensing an opportunity, Twilight floated over the Element of Kindness and watched as a bright pink glow enveloped her shy friend.

Memories began flooding Fluttershy's mind in an instant! Memories that until a moment ago she had not had! And soon afterward there came a blinding flash! When it faded, the pegasus mare stood up and scratched her head. "What just happened to me? It's like I was in a dream, watching somepony else cover for me. But it felt so real."

Twilight happily cheered! "It worked! It worked! My plan's a success! You're back to normal, Fluttershy!"

"'Normal'?" Fluttershy slowly blinked. "What are you talking about, Twilight?"

The studious unicorn just commented. "I don't have time to fill you in on all the details. You had your cutie mark swapped and you thought you had to be somepony else. But now you're back to what you've always been. And I need your help if we're going to save the rest of our friends!"

S4 E8: Rarity Takes Manehattan (What If?)

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

S5 E7: Make New Friends, But Keep Discord (What If?)

Ever since he'd become more or less "reformed" Discord always looked forward to his "Tuesday Teas" with Fluttershy at her cottage. It was something he never knew he'd needed before, but now he couldn't imagine his life without them. It was a chance for him to spend time with his first friend, and the one nearest and dearest to him.

These special get togethers had taken on an even greater importance in the aftermath of Lord Tirek's assault on Equestria, which had nearly succeeded thanks to Discord making a "slight miscalculation" about the lengths the centaur would go to in order to achieve his goals. That had resulted in Ponyville becoming the epicenter of a battle between two magically suped up beings, and it was a miracle that no one had gotten hurt in all of it.

Of course, the crafty and witty spirit tried his best to downplay any negative effects of the whole thing. And for the most part it seemed like ponies forgave and forgot relatively quickly. But it wasn't hard for him to notice that things were never quite the same even among his closest friends long after things had supposedly gone back to "normal".

It would take only one incident to highlight what still had yet to be addressed about the whole affair, and it all began at another one of those "Tuesday Tea" sessions. A session which started out like all the others, with Discord making jokes and amusing Fluttershy the whole time.

"Ohohoho," Discord declared as he could hardly contain his laugh. "But that is not all. Oh no, that is not all! When I went to look for them again they were on the ceiling! The ceiling! Can you believe it?! My own paws ended up on the ceiling and I somehow never knew or noticed until just then."

Fluttershy giggled before briefly taking a sip of her tea. "Oh Discord, stop it, you're gonna make tea shoot out of my nose!" She had to stop drinking in order to regain her composure. "I've never met anycreature as funny as you! Even Pinkie Pie only wishes she could be as funny as you are. I especially love that story about the time you tried to train your left paw..." She paused and giggled again. "To fetch your right leg."

Discord smiled. "I do seem to know how to make you laugh, don't I? It's great to know that I have at least one good friend I can do that with. Most ponies don't seem to find much to laugh about with me these days." And it was possible to hear a hint of regret creeping into the draconequs' tone of voice.

The pegasus mare was quick to reassure the spirit. "Now Discord, it hasn't been that long since the whole Tirek incident. You have to give ponies time."

"I know, I know," The spirit remarked. "And it's not like I can travel back in time to undo it all. Twilight specifically says that's not a good idea, and whenever I ask her why all she ever does is mention this 'Future Twilight' incident. One of these days, someone is going to have to fill me in on just what happened."

"Well, you don't like talking about everything that you did in the past now do you?" Fluttershy pointed out. "If Twilight wants to tell you about an incident from her past, it's her decision," And after sipping from her tea cup she changed the subject. "Besides, Twilight's very busy getting everything ready for this year's Grand Galloping Gala. Now that she's a princess too, she was able to take over planning from Princess Celestia and give her a break."

Discord's ears perked upon hearing the words "Grand Galloping Gala". "Oh yes, I was wondering when you were going to bring that up. After all, it's my understanding that this time around each attendee gets to bring along one honored guest," And without waiting for a reply he declared. "You don't even have to ask. I'd be honored to accept your invitation. I heard about what happened at the last gala. All that sweet, sweet chaos would've been a glorious sight to see if I hadn't still been stuck in my stone statue prison. No way am I missing a chance to witness more chaos!"

But Fluttershy appeared to look guilty as she confessed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Discord. I thought you'd already gotten an invitation of your own. You know, seeing as you and Princess Celestia are friends now."

Discord sheepishly replied. "Well, maybe 'friends' is a bit of a stretch when she's still breathing down my neck for disobeying her orders to try and play the hero, but she hasn't threatened to turn me back to stone even now that Tirek is rotting away in Tartarus again," And he desperately sought to reassure his pegasus friend. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. It probably just got lost in the mail or something. Happens all the time. No biggie, as the foals always say," Though he then questioned. "But if you didn't invite me then... who did you invite?"

The pegasus mare confessed. "My new friend, Tree Hugger. A member of the Equestrian Society for the Preservation of Rare Creatures. In fact, she's its founding member. I had the good fortune to meet her during my trip to study the breezies a ways back."

The chaos maker snorted. "I see. How very nice for you," And he not so discreetly took a bite from his tea cup as he tried his best not to look jealous. Then he stood up. "Well, I think I've held you up for long enough. I've got things to do. Gotta go now!"

"Wait!" Fluttershy protested as she saw the chaos maker snap his talons and put on a blue jacket with multiple pockets. "We haven't had any of our Tuesday teacakes yet."

"Oh, is that so?" Discord remarked as he picked up the aforementioned teacakes and slid them into one of his jacket's many pockets. "Well, I guess we're just going to have to exclude them from our party this time. Oh, did I say that out loud? Er... what I mean is... ta-ta." And with another snap of his talons he disappeared, leaving behind an empty tea set for two.

Fluttershy nervously sighed. She had expected such a reaction from her spirit friend. Yet even she could not imagine where this would all lead.

Inside of Carousel Boutique, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were getting all dressed up with Rarity's help. She could barely contain her excitement herself as she put the finishing touches on Sweetie Belle's dress. It was a simple light sea green outfit with a light green bow and a similarly colored gem like button in the front, all intended to match her eyes. And on the filly's head rested a green and blue tiara.

Scootaloo's dress was light purple with darker purple bits for the part underneath her wings. She had a light purple hat to go along with it, complete with what could best be described as a purple dragonfly fixture with greenish-yellow wings and a similarly colored feather sticking out.

"Oh, your first Grand Galloping Gala!" Rarity fondly exclaimed! "Hopefully it'll be better for you than it was for us. Still, with all the excitement and anticipation in your young minds, I'm confident you'll have a good time. And I wouldn't miss this occasion even for all the gems in Equestria!"

"Thanks again for letting us go with you guys," Scootaloo spoke up. "We're gonna have the best time at the gala together! And with Twilight planning it, it's sure to be a whole lot more fun!" Then she and Sweetie Belle began to chant together while pacing back and forth on the display stand. "We're going to the gala! We're going to the gala!"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were close by, the two of them playing a friendly card game that had been made using their cutie marks in place of the usual symbols. The objective was simply to have the better hand. But it was difficult for the two to concentrate with two of the three fillies that made up the Cutie Mark Crusaders making so much noise. So Applejack tried to get them to be quiet. "Alright now, settle down you two," She told them while looking up from her cards. "It's only your first gala. It ain't like it's some life changin' event or anythin' like that."

Yet the farm mare would soon change her mind, for at that moment her younger sister finally emerged from behind a dressing curtain to proudly show off the dress she was going to wear. Her dress was a reddish orange in color with red dots on the bottom made to look like apples. In the front of her dress was a yellow flower with a smaller red center and a red star in the center of that. And a similar flower was adorned atop her head.

To say that Applejack was speechless would be an understatement. She couldn't stop her eyes from watering as she declared. "My little sister's all grown up! Oh, if only Ma and Pa were here to see this." And she reached out for something to blow her nose into.

Unfortunately for Rainbow Dash, Applejack ended up grabbing her tail by accident. "Hey!" She complained when she felt her fellow mare blowing her nose into the tail. "I don't need your boogers in my tail!"

"Sorry, couldn't help myself." Applejack apologized.

Meanwhile, Apple Bloom joined her fellow Crusaders on the display stand as they all jumped up and down in excitement. "This is going to be the best night ever!" They all declared together, before suddenly they saw one of the mirrors vanish and one of the eyes of Discord take its place! That was enough to freak them out a little and they all ran off the display stand, taking shelter behind their respective big sisters (honorary in Scootaloo's case).

"Hey, come on now," Discord pouted as he materialized from behind the stand. "I thought we were friends. Is this any way to treat a friend of yours?"

Applejack was quick to point out. "Friends don't sneak up on other friends unannounced, Discord. You still have a lot to learn about friendship it seems."

The chaotic spirit decided to ignore the rude remark in favor of proposing a question. "Well, that aside, I was just wondering:" Clearing his throat he asked. "These uh... adorable little cutie pies wouldn't happen to have their own tickets to the Gross Gruesome Gala by any chance, would they?"

Rarity spoke up with an "Ahem" and informed Discord. "To answer your rather rude question, Discord, they do. They're going as our plus ones, seeing as each gala ticket is good for you and a friend, date or anypony you'd like to bring along. Twilight figured the gala would be far more enjoyable if we each got to take somepony with us this time."

Sweetie Belle then excitedly cheered and chanted! "We're plus ones!" And Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were quick to join the chorus.

Discord groaned in annoyance. "Yes, yes, I heard you the first time. Don't wear it out." And with that he departed just as suddenly as he had arrived.

A short time later, across town Pinkie Pie was busy tending to customers at Sugarcube Corner, and had just finished filling the order for a pegasus mare. "Have a wonderful, special, fantastic day! Come back again soon!" Within seconds she then called out (as if she happened to know). "Hey, Discord! Want some cake?"

Discord made himself appear out of a cardboard box as a literal exclamation mark appeared over his head. "Hello, Pinkie Pie," He greeted. "How'd you know I was here? Did you cheat?"

"Nope," The pink party pony giggled. "I know cardboard boxes don't just appear out of thin air. Plus, you're using the wrong label. If you're trying to blend in you need to do a better job," Then she set to work on a sales pitch. "What can I interest you in? I can give you a full list of all the flavors we have in order from most delicious to incredibly, unbelievably delicious! That's how good our cakes are!"

The witty spirit then declared. "Actually, now that you mention it I am rather famished. I'll take one of everything, make that two of everything!"

Pinkie blinked and stared off into the abyss for a moment, as if she couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "All of them?!" She exclaimed and upon receiving a confirming nod she proclaimed to no one in particular! "He wants all of the cakes?! Oh, this is my lucky day!" She quickly zoomed away to start packing boxes to fit the cakes into.

Discord just laughed and tried to play it off while commenting to Pinkie. "Well, I'm going to need a lot of energy when I go dancing at that gala. That is if I decide to go, I haven't decided just yet. And while we're on the subject, are you bringing anypony by chance? Because if not I'd be honored to be your plus one."

Pinkie laughed as she paused briefly in her cake sorting and packing. "It's funny you should say that, Discord. I was just about to ask if you'd gotten your invitation yet. You should've asked sooner though, because I had a hard time figuring out who I was gonna bring along," She then explained as she resumed her sorting and packing. "At first I was gonna ask my mom because she's, well, my mom. But she's not too big on fancy events like the gala so she told me she didn't wanna go. Then I thought about inviting my amazing big sister Maud, but she's off studying to get her rocktorate so she couldn't come either. So I started asking around and around."

"And who did you end up deciding on?" Discord questioned as he then happened to spot Fluttershy out of the corner of his eyes. He proceeded to pull down a submarine periscope from out of nowhere to get a better look at her, because she was not alone. She was in fact walking along with (and talking to) an earth pony mare with a bright green coat. She had pale, light grayish purple eyes, a light dull red mane and tail that were quite bushy in style and a cutie mark that displayed a tree whose canopy was in the shape of a heart. Was that the "Tree Hugger" Fluttershy had mentioned before?

Unaware of what Discord was up to, Pinkie Pie answered his question. "Why, Mrs. Cake of course. And she was more than happy to go, even if it means Mr. Cake is gonna have to watch the twins all on his own for the night. I'll have to make it up to him somehow."

The draconequus then growled, deciding he had to see this new pony Fluttershy was with for himself. And he rudely told Pinkie Pie. "You know what, I'm not that hungry. Cancel my order, keep the cakes for yourself." He promptly vanished with a snap of his talons without waiting for a reply.

The pink party pony looked around and then complained as a realization dawned upon her. "Hey, you're supposed to pay for these! You want none of the cakes now?!" She proceeded to ask herself. "What am I gonna do with all these cakes?!"

Fluttershy was unaware that Discord had been watching her at all, she was currently laughing while chatting it up with the earth pony mare beside her. "Oh my, you are so funny sometimes."

At that very moment, Discord appeared in front of the two ponies as he grumbled. "Well, I guess everyone's funny to you today. Isn't that right, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy quickly sought to defuse the situation. "Oh, I'm sorry, Discord. You're funny too," Then she gestured a hoof to the earth pony mare beside her. "Discord, this is Tree Hugger. Tree Hugger, meet Discord."

Tree Hugger immediately spoke up in a rather spaced out tone of voice. "Radical to meet you, dude. Really digging your vibe."

"Excuse me, my 'vibe'?!" Discord coldly hissed.

"It's a compliment, Discord." Fluttershy told him.

The spirit snorted. "Yes, yes, I'm sure it is. I guess I just don't speak her language or whatever it is," Then without bothering to wait for a reply he declared to both mares. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Tree... whatever you said your name was. Sorry I can't stay and chat, but I'm a very busy draconequus. Got places to go, things to see, all that good stuff," And he vanished with a snap of his talons, though he then popped back up briefly to declare. "It's got absolutely nothing to do with seeing you if that's what you're thinking. Nope, not at all. You can be sure of that," He delivered the last part with a noticeable nervous laugh. "Have fun at the gala! I'll see you there... or I might not, we'll see!"

Discord was soon out of sight again, and Fluttershy was quick to apologize to Tree Hugger. "Sorry about Discord. He's quite nice once you get to know him, but he doesn't make it easy to get to know him."

"I see what you mean," Tree Hugger commented, her tone of voice making it hard to determine if she was upset or offended in any way. "I get the sense just by looking at him that he's a very difficult creature to understand. He's always so conflicted inside even when he tries to make it seem otherwise."

An upset Discord returned to his own dimension to sulk in private. He even had his own little house in the middle of all the chaos where he could be alone with his thoughts. And right now all his thoughts were on Fluttershy's "new" best friend in Tree Hugger. The mere thought of her was enough to get the chaos maker all riled up. "That Tree Hugger," He complained to himself. "Who does she think she is taking my place as Fluttershy's best friend like that? Am I really that easy to replace? How many more times do I have to apologize to everypony over the Tirek incident before they're ready to actually forgive me?"

Hoping to distract himself, the draconequus set to work on "tidying up" his home. That involved doing things like dirtying up his dishes after washing them, giving the dust bunny under his couch another dust bunny for company or having his windows be covered up by suds from a window washing brush. He had on a little maid outfit while he did these tasks, and the whole time he did so he grumbled and complained since he had nothing better to do with his time. "Oh, why yes, Tree Hugger. Go ahead and take my plus one to the gala. It's not like I've got another friend who would like to go. I just don't wanna tell him I'm still mad at him over something he regrets and has apologized for a hundred times already."

When the household tasks were complete, Discord plopped down onto his well worn couch. He immediately proclaimed aloud. "Oh, why do I even care? I wasn't really planning to go to that gala anyway! It sounds so boring and I don't do boring!"

Yet within seconds of having made such a statement, the chaos maker heard the desperate yelp of a pony who was clearly not used to being in Discord's chaos dimension. And that meant there was only one thing for Discord to do, go out and rescue the unfortunate so and so and see what had led them to stumble into an unfamiliar place for them in the first place.

Discord soon discovered that said pony was an earth pony stallion with a dull brown coat. Said stallion had a brown mane and tail where the mane only just stuck out from the blue postal worker's hat he had on, and his blue eyes reflected a look of absolute terror and confusion upon his face. His cutie mark was a postal stamp with a heart inside of it.

"You appear a bit lost, my friend," Discord greeted the postal worker as he quickly brought the troubled stallion close to him. "Were you looking for me, by chance? It doesn't seem like you'd come here willingly."

The stallion nodded and stuttered. "You are Discord, or whoever the current resident of this place is, yes? Kind of hard to find my way when there's no street or house numbers and no signs."

"No need for them when I'm the only one here," The chaos maker replied as he took the letter the worker had on him and opened it. Inside was a gleaming golden ticket, which meant only one thing! "A ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala, meant for me! I was invited after all!" Yet this revelation soon took a backseat to a nagging question which the spirit was determined to get an answer for. And he ominously demanded of the postal worker. "Why is this so late?"

Gulping, the stallion apologized to the best of his ability. "Sorry, sir. I kind of got a little lost. Just figuring out how to get into here took the better half of a day," He proceeded to ask a question of his own. "Uh, could you maybe point me in the direction of the bottomless pit? I know I passed by that earlier, and I think I can make my way back to reality from there more or less."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just float off in that general direction and you can't miss it." Discord replied in an unconcerned tone as he sent the postal worker on his way. Meanwhile, he was thinking in his mind. "I guess Princess Celestia at least has forgiven me if she's willing to invite me to the gala. But if I show up all alone, Fluttershy's sure to notice I have no other friends. I need to show that I don't need her pity, I can't afford to look desperate. I'm Discord, I show no weakness to anyone! Now, who do I know who would be available on such short notice?"

All of a sudden, an idea popped into the draconequus' chaotic mind! There was one creature he could call upon to serve as his "plus one" more or less. It was a creature to whom he owed a favor that had yet to be called in. Until now, anyways. "Yes, it'll be perfect!" Discord thought to himself! "See you at the gala, Fluttershy. And we'll see who truly ends up being jealous by the end of the night! Spoiler alert: It won't be me!"

The night of the Grand Galloping Gala soon arrived, and all who attended arrived at the castle to enjoy what they were sure would be a memorable evening.

At the top of the steps just beyond the main entrance, Princess Celestia and Twilight stood at attention as guests poured in. Princess Celestia wore a simple pink dress over much of her body, while Twilight had a lavish white dress with a yellow bow in the back and a beautiful blue necklace in the front. Princess Celestia took advantage of a lull in ponies entering to speak to Twilight. "I just want to say, thanks again for taking over planning and hosting the gala for me, Twilight. You didn't have to do this just because you're a princess now too."

"Hey, anything to give you a break," Twilight happily replied. "You deserve it. Besides, it's my way of paying you back for everything you've done for me since you took me under your wing all those years ago. I just hope this gala goes more smoothly than the one my friends and I attended."

Celestia just smirked as she declared. "We'll just have to wait and see, Twilight."

Twilight turned to her fellow princess and asked. "Okay, what are you planning?"

The sun princess defensively chuckled. "Who me? Planning? Why would I be planning anything on tonight of all nights? Do I look like I'm up to anything?"

Twilight just answered. "I've come to learn that whenever you don't look like up you're up to anything, you're up to something. This is starting to feel a lot like the Tirek incident where you wouldn't tell me the real reason why you were sending Discord to track that centaur down."

But before Princess Celestia could say anything further in her defense, Spike (who was standing next to Twilight) happened to comment as he looked out towards the front doors of the castle. "Say, is that who I think it is approaching? It sure looks like Discord to me."

And indeed it was as a greyish-green coated earth pony stallion with green eyes, and clad in a red and yellow outfit that included a feathered hat blew into a trumpet. The stallion then announced for all to hear. "Fillies and gentlecolts. Announcing the arrival of Discord, the spirit of chaos and his guest of honor... the... uh..." Discord proceeded to whisper into the stallion's ear to provide the answer. "The Smooze!"

Then, who should come strolling into the castle interior but Discord in all his chaotic glory? The draconequus had donned a lavish orange jacket with three yellow buttons down the middle and a red bow tie around the collar. He also wore a matching top hat and strutted in with a cane. Following close behind him was what could best be described as a bright green blob with a mouth. And the blob wore a red bow tie and a blue top hat, leaving a trail of bright green ooze behind it with every move it made.

Ponies who saw the creature gasped, yet they could not take their eyes off the apparently sentient blob that was accompanying Discord.

Discord either didn't know or didn't care about the looks he was getting from other ponies as a result of The Smooze as he just declared in an elegant fashion. "Good evening, everypony! What a glorious affair! Please don't be alarmed, The Smooze doesn't bite," And when he saw the blob start to chase after some ponies who wearing sparkling jewelry, he just laughed and declared. "He always was drawn to shiny things, the little rascal."

Sensing trouble, Twilight immediately flapped her wings and declared to Princess Celestia. "Better let me take care of this. I am the host, after all," She soon flew up to Discord and pushed him a ways back so he was out of earshot of Princess Celestia. Yet she still allowed Spike to come rushing to her side as she confronted the chaos maker. "Do you mind telling me why you've come here with that... that... thing?!"

The chaos maker innocently replied. "Now now, Twilight. There's no need to be rude. The Smooze may be an 'it' but's an it with feelings and a heart."

Spike took one look at the blob and immediately commented. "Seems to me like it's got a mind of its own to boot. Are you sure bringing it here was a good idea? You could've just asked me, I would've been happy to be your plus one instead of Twilight's."

"Hey, I figured you'd rather attend the gala and have a chance to see your favorite dragon sitter instead of spending the night all alone in our new castle," Twilight remarked to Spike before turning back to Discord. As nicely as she could she sought to tell the draconequus. "Look, I know you got a ticket so I'm not going to kick you out. But I've got enough on my plate as it is tonight thanks to the gala. It's extremely important to me that things go off without a hitch so Princess Celestia doesn't have to worry," And she then instructed. "So I'm only gonna say this once in regards to your... guest: Keep it under control, or I'll have to ask you to leave. You got that?"

The witty spirit gave a salute as he answered. "Yes indeed, Twilight. You can count on me to keep The Smooze in line. Scout's honor and all that humble jazz. I promise, The Smooze won't be a problem."

"See that it isn't, Discord. I would think for your sake that you wouldn't want to give ponies more of a reason not to trust you when they're just starting to get over the Tirek incident." Twilight sternly replied and then flew away.

Spike proceeded to look at Discord as he commented. "You're just trying to get back at Fluttershy because she didn't pick you for her plus one, aren't you?"

The chaos maker sought to protest the suggestion. "That's what the old me would've done, Spike. But I'm new and improved. I'm on the straight and narrow ever since you know what happened. Although, it's funny you should bring Fluttershy up. I was just about to ask if anyone's seen her and her..." He grit his teeth as he added. "New friend as it were."

Spike shrugged his claws. "Can't help you there but they're sure to be around. If you need me, I'm going to be more or less spending the night with Princess Luna, at least we'll have each other for company." Then he too departed.

The main ballroom in the castle soon became a central hub of activity as many ponies made use of it, all of them finely dressed up for the occasion. And it was this very ballroom that the Cutie Mark Crusaders became ecstatic to see as they arrived for the gala with their big sisters, all of whom were also dressed up.

Fluttershy had on a lovely green dress with a feather sticking out to one side of her mane while she chatted with Tree Hugger, who was wearing a plain white gown. Neither suspected that they were being watched from afar by Discord as he was not so secretly making his way towards them both.

Tree Hugger was simply talking to Fluttershy about one of her most recent experiences in nature. "The aura coming off the waterfall was so alive! So, like, magic manifestation. It's like watching poetry in motion."

"Wow," Fluttershy commented. "Sounds amazing."

At that moment, Discord happened to "bump into" Fluttershy and he immediately apologized. "Oh, Fluttershy. I didn't see you there. What a coincidence."

But the animal loving pegasus didn't acknowledge the spirit as she was too busy talking to Tree Hugger, asking her fellow mare. "How did you even know to look for an aura on a waterfall of all places? Any chance you could teach me how to do that?"

Not one to appreciate being ignored, Discord loudly cleared his throat to draw attention to himself. And that was what it took to get Fluttershy to finally notice his presence.

"Oh, Discord, I'm so sorry," Fluttershy apologized. "But I thought you said you weren't coming here."

The witty spirit snorted and rolled his eyes as he tried to hide his anger. "No, actually, I just said I hadn't gotten my invitation yet. But it's funny you'd remember our conversation that way."

Fluttershy apologized again. "Oh, I guess I was just distracted. I haven't seen Tree Hugger in so long though. You know how it is when an old friend wants to catch up."

The chaos maker just remarked. "Yeah, yeah," Then he turned his attention to Tree Hugger. "I guess it's nice to see you again. Any friend of Fluttershy's is a friend of mine, or something like that."

Tree Hugger smiled as she replied. "Oh, how nice to meet you, Discord. I'm Tree Hugger. Blessings."

Discord could hardly believe his ears. "Nice try, you've met me before! Stop pretending I don't exist! No way you haven't heard of me from Fluttershy!"

The earth pony mare with a green coat just replied in an almost dazed tone of voice. "She mentioned you once or twice, but maybe we met in pony in another life or something."

"It was just the other day! Are you blind or something?!" The draconequus complained aloud, no longer caring who might overhear him.

Tree Hugger apologized. "Sorry. It's just that I meet a lot of special creatures in my line of work. All of them perfect and unique in their own way. You are no exception. Naturally, when you meet as many creatures as I do they sort of blend together."

The witty spirit simply answered Tree Hugger. "I see, I'm no different than any other creature. I guess you haven't heard about me if you think that. But it doesn't matter, that's actually a good thing," He then sought to change the subject, not wanting to dwell upon who he was. After all, that wasn't what he'd come to the gala for. "Anyway, it's just great to be here with my oldest and bestest friend in the whole wide world of Equestria."

Fluttershy let out a gasp as she exclaimed! "Am I really your oldest, bestest friend, Discord? I had no idea I meant that much to you."

Discord laughed and played off the declaration. "Oh, you thought I meant you? Don't be ridiculous, I had friends before I met you even if I didn't realize it at the time. I'm centuries old, that means I've known creatures besides you and your friends," Then he gestured to The Smooze. "I was talking about the Smooze! Smooze Face, the Smoozinator: Well, I mean that's what we called him back in college."

The animal loving pegasus blinked. "You went to college?"

"For a while, yes. It was the last thing anyone would expect from me," Discord declared and then proceeded to plop The Smooze onto the table that Fluttershy and Tree Hugger had been occupying. "Now Smooze, I'd like you to meet Fluttershy and, um... Tree... Tree Embrace was it?"

Surprisingly, Tree Hugger exclaimed with what sounded like sincere delight! "Hey, I like that! It's so in rhythm with my own life force! Maybe I should change it to that, even rolls off the tongue better than Tree Hugger."

Fluttershy giggled as she eyed The Smooze. "You know, Discord. I've never heard you bring up The Smooze before. Can't believe you haven't talked about him when it sounds like you two are so close."

"Well I'm glad you got that, Fluttershy," Discord declared again. "Because it's true. We are very close," And he proceeded to poof the sentient blob away while remarking. "Though not as close as you and I."

"That's wonderful!" Fluttershy sincerely declared, not appearing to realize what Discord was trying to say. "You know, maybe the four of us should get together sometime. Maybe go out for dinner?"

Discord took offense to such a suggestion! "'The four of us'?! Have you no heart?!"

Before Fluttershy or Tree Hugger could say anything in reply, there came a scream as The Smooze had long since wandered away from the table. "Oh, leave it to The Smooze to be the life of the party!" Discord quickly announced. "I'll see you both later, or at least one of you!" Then he teleported away to tend to The Smooze, not wanting to draw attention.

The spirit quickly became fed up with how his plan to make Fluttershy jealous had not worked out. But he wasn't ready to give up so easily. The Smooze had been a means to an end, and now it was time to more or less get rid of him. Opening the doors that led out to the castle garden, the chaos maker told the sentient blob. "Okay, Smooze, you played your part well enough but it's just not working out. Just stay here and don't get into any more trouble until I come back for you, got it?" He proceeded to lock the doors and make the key used to secure the locks disappear.

Discord came back to find that Tree Hugger was already interacting with some of Fluttershy's other friends, and they were all laughing together about something. Desperately wanting to seem like part of the group, he made himself appear and started laughing with the others. Unfortunately, he laughed a bit too loudly and gave himself away.

"Uh, what's so funny?" Tree Hugger asked the draconequus.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Discord protested. "I'm the only funny guy around here!"

Perhaps sensing how awkward things were becoming, Rainbow Dash nervously spoke up while looking across to Scootaloo. "Um, I think we're gonna go hit the dance floor now."

"Y-yeah, us too." Applejack declared as she looked across to Apple Bloom. And soon, Tree Hugger and Fluttershy were the only ones left with Discord.

Discord quickly gestured to Fluttershy as he told her. "Fluttershy, tell your... friend here about the time we went to the store and came back with two cakes instead of one. After all, that's how crazy things are when the two of us get together."

Nervously, the animal loving pegasus gave a more or less condensed version of the events the chaos maker had just described. "Um, you heard him. Once, we went to the store and got two cakes instead of one."

The witty spirit frowned. "Oh, well you sort of left out all the fun we had on that journey," Then he turned to Tree Hugger as he asked her. "But I'm sure you got the gist of it, right?"

Tree Hugger nodded. "I'm guessing you really like cakes."

"No, we like each other! That's the point I was trying to make!" Discord growled! "Honestly, do you have to suck the fun out of everything?!"

Just then there came a frantic scream that sounded like it was coming from Rarity! "Let me in!" The voice cried out!

Reacting quickly, Discord rushed to the doors leading to the garden and unlocked them. And who should come stumbling in but Rarity all covered in green ooze?! She looked rather shaken up, yet there was something else that bothered her the most. "That creature took my jewels!" She accusingly gestured a hoof to The Smooze, which smiled and appeared to shimmer.

Twilight immediately flew over to confront Discord over the disaster! "Didn't I specifically tell you to keep your friend under control?!"

"You did, yes," The spirit nodded as he realized he looked quite guilty. "Believe me, it won't happen again. I'll make sure the ooze uh, that he can't help but secrete doesn't get on anypony else," He then turned to Rarity. "Here, let me make it up to you." He quickly produced a vacuum cleaner which he used to suck up the fashionista's ooze covered garments, ultimately leaving her with nothing to wear as she slipped away to hide her shame.

"One more mistake like that, Discord, and I will have to ask you to leave," Twilight warned the witty spirit. "Don't make me have to do it, because I will," Then she turned back to the gathered crowd to reassure them all. "It's alright, everypony. Everything's under control. So let's just get back to enjoying this magical evening!" And the crowd cheered.

Quickly losing patience with how badly his plan was going, Discord dragged The Smooze to a secluded part of the castle. "You're proving to be a liability. I'm sorry, this just isn't working out," He declared and shoved The Smooze into a storage closet. "Just stay here and I'll come back for you when the gala is over. It's nothing personal, I just can't have you making me look bad in front of Fluttershy." Yet what he didn't realize is that the supply closet he'd stuffed The Smooze into contained a huge assortment of jewels and gems of all sorts. And for The Smooze that was like an all-you-can-eat buffet!

The chaos maker soon returned to the ballroom, observing the whole thing from atop a chandelier in the center of said room. When he saw Tree Hugger once again laughing and hanging around with Fluttershy's other friends, he became seized with indignation! The draconequus was growing tired of seeing this new friend steal all of his friends away, and he was determined to prove once and for all how "funny" he could really be.

All of a sudden, the lights in the ballroom dimmed and a spotlight focused on the stage as Discord appeared, having shed his top hat and cane. He now held up a microphone while tapping on it to try and get feedback. "Is this thing on?" He asked and soon got a reply when he heard his voice echo across the entire ballroom. "Good evening, ladies and germs! I just flew into Canterlot, and boy are my interspecies parts tired!" He followed up the comment with a rimshot only to receive no reply.

Undeterred, Discord tried another joke as he gestured to his bat and manticore wings. "I've only got these tiny mismatched wings, and yet even I can fly better than Twilight Sparkle. Am I right?" Another rimshot followed his delivery.

Only Princess Celestia seemed to find any amusement in the joke, struggling to hide her laugh. Twilight was both surprised and a little bit offended to hear the pony she'd looked up to react in such a way even to a joke. "Hey!"

"S-sorry, couldn't help myself." Princess Celestia blushed and tried to recover.

Yet the witty spirit could tell that his "audience" wasn't amused in the slightest. So he decided to change up his routine a bit. "Oh, maybe you folks are into observational humor? I've got a good one!" With a poof he disappeared and then reappeared inside of a brick wall. "Did you ever notice how you always just materialize out of thin air? Why not thick air? What's the deal there?" And another rimshot followed, yet the only feedback he got was a cough from a random earth pony in the audience. He tugged on his necktie as though it were suddenly too tight. "Tough crowd."

"What is he doing now?" Twilight wondered aloud. "He's been acting strange all evening."

"I think they're... jokes?" Mrs. Cake commented in uncertainty while standing next to Pinkie Pie. She had a beautiful pink and blue dress that matched her own natural coat and mane and tail colors, and she had a flower that loosely resembled a candy wrapper.

Pinkie Pie, wearing a simple polka doted blue dress seemed to agree. "Yeah, but they don't seem very good. They remind me of the jokes I tried to use on the Cake Twins," When her friends all looked at her she just replied. "Long story. Let's just say they had really weird senses of humor."

Meanwhile, Discord kept up his comedy routine even as it was clear that nopony was even close to laughing anymore. Nervously, he tapped on the brick wall behind him as he said. "Knock knock!" But he got no reply, which caused him to lose his patience. "You're supposed to say 'Who's there?'! Come on, this is the most basic of jokes!"

"You're the most basic of jokes!" Mrs. Cake declared in reply, and soon everypony in the audience was laughing. Not with Discord though but directly at him.

Unfortunately, the happy laughter was soon cut off as the sounds of something slithering could be heard. Faint at first, the sounds grew louder and louder until they couldn't be ignored.

Twilight happened to turn around in time to see a horrible green ooze spilling out from a supply closet, quickly flooding every inch of the ballroom! "What is that?!" She then desperately flapped her wings, only just barely managing to reach higher ground before the whole ballroom was flooded! Princess Celestia and Rainbow Dash were the only other ponies lucky enough to be able to make such an escape, everypony else either lacked the means to escape or were so taken by surprise that there was no time for them to try to escape.

Twilight tried to clear away the ooze by blasting it with her magic, but every time she poked a hole in the ooze it was quickly refilled.

"It's no good, Twilight," Princess Celestia called out to her former student. "Whatever that Smooze is made of, it's something that's completely impervious to our magic."

"I just hope Spike and Princess Luna are okay," Twilight commented. "Doesn't seem like they'd be of much use here. I don't see dragon flames or extra alicorn magic doing the trick. But we have to do something, we can't let The Smooze run loose like this! The gala will be completely ruined!"

"You know, this is kind of a bummer actually." Tree Hugger spoke up as she was stuck on a wall, hanging upside down next to Fluttershy.

Discord soon appeared just as Pinkie Pie happened to come floating past atop Mrs. Cake, using the baker as something of a makeshift raft. "It is, isn't it? And to think, none of this would've happened if I'd just been somepony else's plus one in the first place. Then I wouldn't have to invite The Smooze."

Tree Hugger didn't acknowledge the comment from Discord as she instead made an observation. "It's not The Smooze's fault. Seems like something might have harshed up his flow, you know? Like his senses are all agitated. There has to be a way to calm it down."

The chaos maker bitterly remarked. "Are you out of your mind?! Don't answer that! You don't know a thing about The Smooze! You may have studied rare and exotic creatures, but you've never met a creature like The Smooze before! Who are you to tell me I don't know my own friend better than you do?!"

"I mean no disrespect," Tree Hugger insisted. "But magic isn't working on him, and just blasting it won't solve anything. The Smooze needs to calm down, and I know just the thing. I know I always feel really at peace when I'm being bathed in positive vibes. Maybe he'll calm down with some sonic bliss." She proceeded to chant rather slowly.

To the surprise of everyone (Discord most of all) The Smooze did indeed react to Tree Hugger's chanting. It began to retreat and revert back to its original blob like state, the ooze left in its wake slowly receding as it did so.

"Way to go, Tree Hugger!" Fluttershy cheered as everypony surrounded the green coated earth pony. "You saved us all."

Discord had seen and heard enough! His plan had backfired in spectacular fashion, Tree Hugger was more popular than ever and he didn't like that at all! "Oh, that it's! I have had it with you, Tree Hugger!" He furiously declared as fire flashed in his eyes! "You leave me no choice!" He proceeded to snatch her up and used one of his talons to rip open a dark blue portal. He then floated her over towards it.

In stark contrast to how she had been at any point prior, Tree Hugger nervously exclaimed while gesturing a hoof! "Whoa, dude! What in the world of Equestria is that?!" The thing that frightened her was a giant sock puppet against a crayon and colored pencil drawn background.

The chaos maker calmly replied. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just gonna send you on a one way trip to another dimension. I simply can't have you taking Fluttershy away from me."

Fluttershy immediately flew up to confront her friend, determined to stop him from making a mistake he wouldn't be able to undo. "Discord, stop! This has gone far enough! This isn't like you!"

Discord just remarked in an unconcerned tone of voice. "There's no reason to get upset, I'll come back for her someday... if I remember where I left her. Besides, I'm doing her a favor. This other dimension has everything: White sandy beaches, an attentive wait staff... I mean, okay, the humidity isn't so great, but where isn't that the case these days?"

Twilight then spoke up as the rest of her friends joined her. "Come on, Fluttershy! Discord's left us no choice! He's out of control! Maybe he needs to go back to stone for a while to think about what he's done!"

But Fluttershy protested. She sensed something deeper about Discord's motivations and so she insisted. "No, leave this to me! I'll talk him down one way or another."

"Well, if you change your mind let us know." Twilight replied but decided to trust her friend's judgement for the time being.

The animal loving pegasus quickly flew over to Discord, confronting the spirit head on. "I don't understand why you're doing this. Why now when ponies were finally starting to trust in you again? We were all getting along just fine."

The chaos maker snorted and retorted. "As well as we could've! Even you could sense that things were different. I held out hope that you would stick with me. But even you abandoned me eventually!"

"Discord, I did not abandon you!" Fluttershy stubbornly insisted! "Just because I invited a friend to a party doesn't mean I no longer cared about you."

Discord wasn't convinced. "So you say, but you never even bothered to ask me how I felt. And this whole night you've been ignoring me in favor of Tree Hugger. I thought if I showed up with someone else you'd become jealous and come back to me. But I see now that I was wrong."

The shy pegasus protested while flying closer to Discord. "You shouldn't be talking about abandon others, Discord! Because that's what you did with my friends and I when you were supposed to track down Tirek!" But then a sudden realization struck her, causing her to gasp! "Wait, that came out wrong!" She tried to insist as the entire ballroom filled with shock.

For a long and uncomfortable moment, no words were spoken as Fluttershy and Discord just stared at each other. But Discord eventually broke the silence when he said to Fluttershy. "I should've known, it's no wonder you made a new friend. Everypony else was right not to trust me anymore," With a sad look in his eyes, he closed the portal and set Tree Hugger down. Then he gave a whistle. "Come along, Smooze. We've made enough of a mess of things already, let's leave these ponies to enjoy what remains of their night without us."

"Discord, wait!" Fluttershy called out in vain, watching as the spirit snapped his talons and disappeared with The Smooze in tow.

Twilight was the first to approach the pegasus mare after Discord's abrupt departure. "Are you alright, Fluttershy?"

"No," The pegasus unhappily sighed. "I knew he was still having problems, but this whole time I've been ignoring him unintentionally."

"Hey, it's not your fault he got jealous!" Rainbow Dash protested! "And there are better ways of dealing with jealousy than endangering somepony else's life! He's lucky we didn't have the Elements of Harmony on us, after a stunt like that you'll forgive us if we don't trust him so easily."

Fluttershy only shook her head. "It didn't have to come to this. I should've had that talk with Discord much earlier, before everything got out of control. Heck, before he decided to try and make me jealous just so he wouldn't be. Now," She felt tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes. "Now I don't know how I'll even begin to apologize to him. I was the only friend he truly had left, and without realizing it I took his friendship for granted."

Surprisingly, Tree Hugger of all ponies was the one to place a hoof around Fluttershy and encourage her. "You know, it's never too late to say sorry or start over. And I find it always helps to talk about the big things instead of avoiding them. It may be a while before I can clear out my chakras after what Discord did. And maybe you should do the same with him, the both of you should let it all out."

The animal loving pegasus unhappily commented. "But I don't even know where he is now. He could be anywhere."

"Maybe he's closer than you think," Tree Hugger suggested. "I can sense the vibes of anything or anyone. And I'm sensing some very strong negative vibes coming from over there." She gestured a hoof to the doors leading to the castle garden.

Hoping beyond hope that Tree Hugger was right, Fluttershy raced over to the doors, opened them and raced out into the garden proper.

Sure enough, there sat Discord with The Smooze not far away. "I'm sorry you had to be around for all of this, Smooze old pal," The spirit apologized to the sentient blob. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. But of course, me being me I just had to make a mess of things like I always do. I know I'm the spirit of chaos and disharmony, but why does it seem like I can never do anything without making it at least a hundred times worse?"

The Smooze just replied by coming closer to Discord.

"Well, I guess at the very least I owe you an apology for focusing on my feelings and neglecting yours," The spirit remarked. "This is probably not what you had in mind when I called in that favor. But at least you had fun, right?"

In response, The Smooze gave Discord a kiss on the cheek.

The kiss did cheer the draconequus up a little, but not much. "You always know what to say, don't you?" He remarked. "Well, at least there's one friend I haven't lost for good after all of this."

Fluttershy proceeded to clear her throat, attracting Discord's attention. "I'm sorry I made you feel like I was abandoning you. And I'm sorry I didn't do more to support you after the whole Tirek incident."

Discord looked away in shame. "You had every right to be upset with me, everypony did. If I'd just followed orders then everything would've been just fine. Twilight wouldn't have lost her home, Equestria wouldn't have been put in danger and I would've been the big hero I so desperately wanted to be. I don't even know why Princess Celestia thought I could be trusted. Maybe I deserve to be turned back to stone if chaos is all I ever bring."

"And what's wrong with a little chaos?" The animal loving pegasus protested. "Without chaos, there can't be harmony. And life would be so boring if everypony always agreed with each other all the time," She then sought to address the reason for her visit. "I'm sorry about Tree Hugger. I should've realized you'd take it personally when I invited her. I should've told you sooner about it all. But just because I have a new friend I like to hang out with doesn't mean I've forgotten my old friends. You saw I was having a good time with Twilight and the others even with Tree Hugger, right?"

The spirit slowly nodded. "Yes I did. But all I could think about was how you weren't paying attention to me. And that felt like you didn't trust me anymore, that like so many other ponies you still held it against me because of what happened with Tirek," He sighed. "It looks like there's still much I have to learn about friendship," Then a smile slowly crept onto his face as he added. "You know, I think I might actually grow to like this multiple friend thing. So many possibilities."

Fluttershy smiled back. "I like it too," Then she mentioned. "Hey, why don't we share a dance together? The night isn't over yet."

"You sure, but what about The Smooze?" Discord asked. "I wouldn't want him to feel left out."

Fluttershy grinned. "I'm sure we can find somepony willing to dance with him. Tree Hugger sure seemed fascinated, and she wasn't the only one I noticed," She then joked. "Maybe we could pair him up with Rarity as an apology for eating her jewels earlier?"

"Let's not get crazy! Things have already been crazy enough this evening." Discord teased as he and Fluttershy shared a laugh. The first genuine laugh they had shared together in a long, long time.

So it was that pony and draconequus ended up dancing the night away in the center of the ballroom with everypony watching.

And it wasn't long before The Smooze find a willing partner to dance with it. Pinkie Pie ended up being the eager volunteer! "Come on, Smoozey! It's not a party until you spread that ooze all over the ballroom again! That was a lot of fun!" And she practically pushed the sentient blob of ooze along.

"Sorry things didn't work out the way you intended them to, Twilight," Princess Celestia apologized as she and Twilight watched the dances from afar. "I expected Discord to liven things up when I invited him, but I never expected him to go as far as he did."

Twilight simply took a deep breath and replied. "Well, whenever Discord shows up you really can't expect things to remain as they are. And aside from the magical resistant ooze spreading uncontrollably and the whole 'other dimension' thing, this gala has actually been pretty peaceful. Besides, everypony seems to be having fun now more or less."

Celestia smiled. "That's just the sort of positive attitude I expect from a princess. You're learning already."

"Well, I had an excellent teacher," Twilight commented. "All the same, I think I'll leave the gala planning to you from now on. Trying to organize and host this event was far more taxing of an effort than I imagined. Besides, I need to be available in case that map calls on me. It's been quiet so far, but you just never know."

Author's Note

First and foremost, I want to thank ChubbyNia for inspiring the idea to do this rewrite now and for suggesting some of the dialogue that takes place towards the end.

Second, the whole "dragonsitter" thing with Princess Luna is a headcanon inspired by and shared with yodajax10, and which has been the subject of several collaborations between the two of us.

Now as for the episode itself, perhaps the only things to really find fault within it are the rehashed ending lifted from "The Best Night Ever", Twilight's comments and reactions to Discord's presence throughout the episode, and Princess Celestia and the mane six (minus Fluttershy) being rendered useless during the climax. All of those are things I wanted to at least address here.

It is also odd that this episode, despite being Discord's first episode since "Twilight's Kingdom" did not touch at all on his actions during his prior appearance and seemed to more or less sweep it all under the rug. I know my rewrite of "What About Discord?" already touched on it, but considering this episode came first I feel like that was more poised to address the fall out.

Lastly, I decided to swap Maud Pie out for Mrs. Cake seeing as Maud didn't contribute anything of substance to the episode. They just played up her stoticness and you could write her role out and give it to somepony else without losing anything (aside from a bit of fanservice).

~~Dragonshy~~
~~A Dog and Pony Show~~
~~Read It and Weep (Bonus Chapter)~~
~~Magical Mystery Cure (Two Parter)~~
~~Rarity Takes Manehattan~~
~~Make New Friends, But Keep Discord~~
The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2
Fluttershy Leans In (Bonus Chapter)
The Hearts and Hooves Day Mystery (The Break Up Break Down)
Growing Up is Hard to Do (Bonus Chapter)

S6 E1: The Crystalling, Part 1 (What If?)

It hadn't been long at all since Starlight Glimmer had become Twilight's new student and was set to undergo friendship lessons. In fact, the unicorn mare could hardly believe the rapid turn of events that had led to it all, and was still trying to process it for herself.

So it was that Starlight made a decision one day to stop at Carousel Boutique. There was somepony she needed to see to discuss something very important with.

Rarity was more than a little surprised to see Starlight Glimmer when she opened the door to her boutique. "Starlight Glimmer? What an unexpected but lovely surprise," The fashionista declared while gesturing her newest friend inside. "Please, do come in."

Starlight reluctantly did so, fidgeting with her mane and tail that were perfectly styled so that nothing about them stuck out at all. She absolutely hated that now, it reminded her too much of the pony she used to be. A pony whose obsession with equality had almost led her down a path of no return. And she shuddered to imagine what would've happened had she not been stopped when she was.

"So, darling, what is it that brings you to my humble boutique on a day like this?" Rarity inquired. "Are you perhaps in the mood for a new dress? I have a fine selection for you to choose from, though I'd be more than happy to make something special just for you. I will need your measurements if I do that, though."

But Starlight nervously replied. "That's not going to be necessary. I'm not here for a dress," She slowly pointed a hoof up towards her mane. "Can you do anything about... this?"

The fashionista paused. "Whatever is wrong with your mane, darling? I think it looks wonderful. Why, it's absolutely perfect in style."

"And that's the problem!" Starlight told her fellow unicorn! "I don't want anything that could be associated with equality, not after what I've been through!" And she sighed. "I still can't believe you and the others are willing to accept me. I did terrible things to you, things that I regret. And I can't take them back."

Rarity slowly nodded even while motioning for Starlight Glimmer to come trotting over to a small booth in a corner of the boutique. "I know. But if Twilight is willing to forgive you and give you a second chance, so am I. She obviously sees great potential in you or she wouldn't have taken you under her wing," Once her fellow unicorn had been seated in the booth stool, she asked. "Tell me, do you have any preferences on how you want me to adjust your mane?"

"I... thought about having you style it into the style I wore as a filly," The unicorn with a grayish-purple coat commented before shaking like a leaf. "The style I wore when I was with Sunburst and everything seemed so much simpler. But I don't want to live in the past. Living in the past is what turned me into the monster you saw me as back in the village."

The fashionista nodded. "Never would I have guessed that your hatred of cutie marks was so personal," She then donned her ruby red sewing glasses and inquired. "Tell me, what's it like living in the castle with Twilight? I hear you're officially Spike's big sister now."

"I was an only child and I don't like to remember my childhood. It always brings me back to the same place," Starlight glumly replied as the memories played in her mind. "Sunburst getting his cutie mark and leaving town to become that big, important wizard he always talked about being someday. But I get the feeling Twilight wants me to reconnect with him, wherever he is. And she seems to want to start on my first friendship lesson before we leave for the Crystal Empire."

Rarity nodded again. "Ah yes, and we were all planning to go there with Twilight once Cadence has her baby. I hear the arrival should be any day now. It's amazing to think how much time has passed. Seems like only yesterday we learned she was pregnant."

"I just hope my tampering with time didn't mess anything up," Starlight nervously proclaimed. "I feel like I should be rotting in a dungeon somewhere, not studying friendship with a princess."

The fashionista waved a hoof. "You worry too much, Starlight. It's not good to dwell so heavily on your past," Then she added. "I may not know all the details about what went on with you and Twilight, but I do know that Twilight wouldn't take just anypony on as a student. She must've seen something in you. Perhaps even something you can't see for yourself yet. And maybe this mane restyling will be just the thing to give you a fresh outlook on your life."

A short time later, the restyling was done. Starlight's mane now had a slight curl to it, though her tail remained the same. "Well, I guess it's better than nothing," She declared to herself as she got up from the stool. "At least it's a start. It beats trying to find my way around the castle. It looked so much smaller from the outside for some reason."

Rarity laughed. "Oh, I'm sure it's not that bad. You'll find your way around eventually, just as I'm sure you'll eventually get used to your new lot in life."

Starlight Glimmer was not so sure. And those lingering uncertainties were going to play a very big part in how her first official friendship lesson would turn out.

A few days later, the news everypony had been waiting for arrived! Most unexpectedly in fact, as it came to Twilight in the form of a snowflake. But the news contained within the snowflake was enough to make Twilight the most happy and excited she'd been in a long, long time! "Shining Armor's a father! I'm an aunt!" She happily announced!

"Oh, well congratulations." Starlight commented upon being told of this development.

Twilight smiled, wrapping a hoof around her new student. "Then I guess it's settled. Since there's no way I'm missing a chance to see my new nephew or niece and everypony else is gonna be coming along, you're going too. Your first friendship lesson will be reuniting with Sunburst, your old friend."

That information was far from the kind of news Starlight Glimmer had wanted to receive. But she forced herself to smile while replying. "Great."

"Hey, it's okay if you're a little nervous," Twilight reassured the unicorn. "But I don't think Sunburst has any idea what happened to you. Think of this as a chance to make a fresh start with somepony who doesn't know what you used to be. A chance to truly put your past behind you."

"And you think he'll want to see me or even remember me?" Starlight nervously inquired.

The young alicorn just answered. "That's not for me to say. But don't worry, I'll find some time to help you out, after I see the newest addition to the Sparkle family."

And so it was that Starlight reluctantly accompanied Twilight and the others on a train up to the Crystal Empire. She could already see how excited they were to meet the new baby pony, some of them even having had the foresight to bring along gifts to give.

"I hope the baby appreciates the rocker I made for 'em," Applejack declared with a smile, holding it off to one side. "Made it from genuine Sweet Apple Acres apple trees, only the finest ones to boot. We Apples make 'em for every member of the Apple family. And Twilight's practically family, so by extension so's the new foal."

Rainbow Dash grinned and boasted. "Yeah, it's okay... But it's no Cloudsdale mobile!" She dispayed a large mobile that had little clouds and rainbows dangling from it. "Cost me a fortune, but it was worth every bit!"

Applejack only smirked in reply. "I suppose that's nice, so long as you had somethin' you could lay in to look at it."

"And a fetching blanket to keep you warm, of course," Rarity added as she floated over a small, lushly decorated red blanket. "Just a little something I've been working on over the past few days."

Twilight simply smiled as she eyed the gifts from afar. "I'm sure Shining Armor and Princess Cadence will love all of our gifts. But I think they're going to be more happy we'll be attending the baby's crystalling. After all, it's to power up the Crystal Heart. Without the heart the Crystal Empire can't survive, it would be consumed by the Frozen North and its harsh blizzards."

"Wow!" Starlight seemed to sincerely exclaim! "I knew a crystalling was a big deal but I didn't think it'd be that big a deal," She then looked to her mentor. "Are you sure it's a good idea to have my first friendship lesson in addition to seeing the new foal and attending the Crystalling? It sounds like a lot to juggle."

"Which is why I planned ahead, never hurts to be prepared," Twilight declared before unfolding a large scroll that stretched down to the floor and across the train car. "I went ahead and broke down the friendship lesson for you into simple and easy steps. It's more for my sake than yours, once you meet up with Sunburst the lesson is more or less out of my hooves."

Gulping, Starlight intentionally whispered to herself. "That's what I was afraid of."

"Did you say something, Starlight?" The young alicorn questioned. "I thought I heard you talking to yourself."

The unicorn mare quickly played it off with a nervous laugh. "Oh, it's nothing. No need for you to worry yourself. It's just me being silly. I guess it's just hard for me to adjust to all of this so soon. It hasn't even been half a year since you took me in."

Twilight nodded. "Change can be difficult. It wasn't easy for me when I became an alicorn princess or when I had to move into a castle because my old home got destroyed," And she reassured her student. "If you ever want to talk about anything, I'm right here."

"I know, Twilight. I know." Was all Starlight could bring herself to say. In her mind she kept thinking. "I don't want to seem ungrateful. But how can she truly understand how I feel?" And she started thinking back to an earlier experience, from a time when she had learned about not just a crystalling but also what Twilight was intending to do for her student's first ever friendship lesson.

All Starlight knew for certain on that day was that Twilight had instructed her to "meet in the library". It had only been about a week or two since she'd officially become Twilight's student, and as such the mare was still finding it difficult to find her way around the castle. Some rooms were difficult to find, the library being one of them. It certainly didn't help that there were no labels on the doors and every door in every hallway looked exactly the same.

Starlight paused, taking a deep breath as she tried to figure out her surroundings and her general location. She'd just come back from having her mane restyled by Rarity, and had hastily styled her tail to reflect her new "de-equalized" mane. Her moderate persian blue eyes scanned the greenish-white hallways, trying to look for any details that were vaguely familiar. "Let's see," She said to herself. "Library... Library... Where's the library again? It's here somewhere."

The unicorn mare eventually opened a door that she thought looked promising. But what she ended up finding on the other side was not at all what she had been searching for. She instead found Spike brushing his teeth in one of the castle's many bathrooms, toothpaste surrounding his mouth like a beard. "Morning, Starlight," He called while only just looking at her for a second or two. "Love the new mane style. Much better than your old one."

Starlight replied by shutting the door tightly! "Sorry!" She quickly apologized, though also glad it hadn't been worse. "Note to self, knock before entering." She thought.

Spike just called from the other side of the door. "You lost, Starlight?"

"A little," The mare reluctantly confessed. "I'm trying to find the library so I can talk with Twilight. Do you know where it is?"

The little dragon replied. "Next door on the left, you can't miss it."

"Thanks!" Starlight called and rushed to the aforementioned door, pausing only briefly to knock on it in case the room on the other side wasn't what she hoped it would be.

But fortunately, it was indeed the library. And Twilight was already there, looking over a bunch of different scrolls and making notes to herself. Then she happened to look up and spot her new student. "Ah, Starlight. Come in, come in. Finding everything okay?"

The unicorn mare sighed. "Not really, I got lost again. Do you seriously not have any map besides that table one?"

Twilight chuckled a bit. "I guess I got so used to living here, it never occurred to me. Guess I can add a proper map to my to do list, alongside looking into the whole guard thing. At the least I need to upgrade the security around here. Although, you having trouble may mean a thief would have a hard time as well."

"Yeah, it did take me a long time to find that map when I broke in," Starlight admitted. "Actually, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. About you taking me in and taking me on as your pupil. Are you really sure it's for the best after everything I did?"

Twilight firmly nodded. "We both went through a lot during your attempt to meddle with time. But you're not actually the first pony who tried to use time travel, I kind of did the same thing once and it didn't turn out well. Because of that and because of what we had to deal with because of you, I think it's best if we try not to dwell on the past too much. After all, that's what led you down that dark path in the first place. And I want to show you a better way."

"Still, I did a lot of horrible things. Can we really be sure I've changed in such a short amount of time?" Starlight nervously questioned.

"I guess we'll find out, seeing as I've already started planning your first friendship lesson," The alicorn explained as she held up one of the scrolls. "I'm trying to narrow down the options as we speak."

Starlight looked around, feeling overwhelmed by how many different scrolls there seemed to be. "I know I'm just learning about friendship, but I didn't think there were this many lessons for anything. How do we choose?"

Twilight sheepishly grinned. "That's what I'm trying to figure out right now, actually. Why don't you give me some time to work on it? After all, our friends should be here by now. They're in charge of planning our trip to the Crystal Empire once Shining Armor and Princess Cadence have their baby."

Starlight blinked upon hearing that sentence. One word in particular threw her off. "Our friends? I've only just gotten to know them. Calling us friends might be a bit of a stretch, don't you think?"

"They all more or less agreed when we had our vote," The young alicorn explained. "And I can tell you've already been to Rarity's. You definitely didn't have that mane style when I saw you yesterday. Rarity always did say that a new style can be just the thing to bring out a new side in a pony. Maybe that'll be the case for you."

"And where would I find them all?" Starlight reluctantly asked.

"The throne room if I had to guess," Twilight responded. "And try to relax. If you're nervous it's only going to make things worse. Applejack and Rarity especially will notice."

So the unicorn mare reluctantly decided to leave the library and meet up with the five ponies that were more or less her "friends" now. "Okay, throne room it is," But then she stopped and turned back to her mentor while asking. "Um, which way is the throne room again? It has been a while since I... well, you know."

After receiving directions, Starlight made her way to the throne room where she could see the five mares all discussing something amongst themselves.

"Shouldn't we have heard by now?" Fluttershy could be heard asking. "It seems odd. You don't think something happened to them, right?"

Rarity just replied. "Honestly, I'm more concerned about that whole crystalling thing Twilight mentioned. Apparently, that's supposed to be held soon after the little one is born. It must be important to the empire somehow if they need to hold it that suddenly."

Starlight came trotting up at that very moment as she inquired. "What exactly is a crystalling? First I hear Twilight talking about it, and now all of you."

Rainbow Dash shrugged her hooves. "You've got us. We only know it's a thing because Twilight talked about it, and she says she heard about it from Princess Cadence. I guess when your whole empire is gone for a thousand years, a lot of stuff gets left behind."

"We do know it's got somethin' to do with the baby though." Applejack pointed out.

"And a party!" Pinkie Pie quickly added.

"And the Crystal Heart too." Fluttershy chimed in.

Again, Pinkie Pie declared. "And a party!"

Rainbow Dash then replied. "And apparently, some kind of cool energy or something."

Pinkie Pie then stood up on the table map and loudly proclaimed! "And... a party!" She promptly stretched out her hooves as confetti suddenly burst out from between said hooves!

Spike entered the room a moment later, carrying a scroll and a huge orange vase of some kind in his claws. "It's not that hard to understand, actually. A little bit of research can go a long way. There's a lot of things about the Crystal Empire that are easy to understand with a little bit of knowledge," He proceeded to unfold a scroll that depicted a giant crystal statue of himself. "Like how I'm a big hero there, for example."

"You? A hero? Since when?" Starlight questioned in disbelief.

"Since I helped bring the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadence, and thus preventing King Sombra from reclaiming the empire for himself again," Spike explained. "I'll have to tell you the whole story some other time. Trust me, you will never believe it."

Rainbow Dash then grumbled. "Just tell us what a crystalling is already, Spike. We don't have all day! Some of us have places we'd like to be!"

The little dragon complied as he carefully set the orange vase down on the table. "This should explain it better than just me reading Twilight's notes. We took a trip to the Crystal Empire soon after Cadence announced her pregnancy, it's amazing what we were able to find," He quickly pointed a claw to a painting on the vase that depicted two crystal ponies and a baby, and it appeared to be some kind of ritual. "Whenever a new baby is born in the Crystal Empire, the parents are to bring it before the Crystal Heart. They get the purest shard of crystal they can find, then pick a crystaller to present the baby to everypony who comes."

"But what's the crystal shard for?" Fluttershy questioned.

Spike turned the urn, showing a painting of what looked like a crystalling from how he had described it. And it also showed the shard being inserted into the Crystal Heart. "Apparently, the crystal shard collects all the light and love everypony feels from seeing the new baby. And that shard joins with the Crystal Heart to power it up, enabling it to protect the empire. Any more questions?"

Starlight still had one question after Spike's presentation and reluctantly brought it up. "What does the Crystal Heart protect the empire from, and why does it need to be powered up?"

Spike shrugged his claws. "If I had to guess I'd say it has to do with the Frozen North that surrounds the Crystal Empire. But there aren't a lot of records on what the heart is supposed to do besides a vague description of 'protection'. What I do know though, is that this is going to be a royal crystalling. Something that hasn't happened in the empire since before King Sombra took over. That means the whole empire's probably gonna show up, and I'll bet Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will be there too seeing as the empire is part of Equestria now."

"A royal crystalling!" Rarity exclaimed with stars in her eyes! "We'll be witnessing a once in a lifetime event! How lucky are we?!"

"Very lucky, I'd say," Twilight declared as she entered the throne room. "Because that could work out nicely with Starlight's first friendship lesson."

Starlight Glimmer could hardly believe her ears when she heard those words, yet she knew she had heard them. "My first friendship lesson? So soon?"

Twilight sincerely nodded. "Yup. I mean, it's just one possibility I've considered but it's a very strong contender. I found out that that's where the first pony you ever cared about lives."

"You don't mean-" Starlight began.

A smile appeared on Twilight's face as she declared. "-That's right: Sunburst!" Then she added. "Although I had also considered a trip to Griffonstone, making friends with anygriffon can be a challenge in and of itself. And for something a bit closer to home, I thought about having you tag along with the CMC the next time they try to help somepony find their special talent. I've been meaning to study their cutie marks ever since they got them. Not even my friends and I got our cutie marks at exactly the same time, so those three fillies getting cutie marks at the same time and having them match is something that warrants further study."

But while the alicorn had been excitedly prattling on about "possible friendship lessons", Starlight found herself being struck with a sense of dread. It became so powerful that it drowned out everything else in the room, replacing it with a loud buzzing sound that made the unicorn very nervous. So nervous in fact that she didn't snap out of it until she felt a tap on her back courtesy of Twilight. "Is something wrong?" She asked with concern.

Starlight flashed a nervous smile. "N-no, it's just me. I guess I'm not particularly excited about any of those options. But I guess since you're the teacher, whatever you say goes."

"Well, I haven't officially decided on anything yet," Twilight replied. "And it's gonna be hard to choose. If there's anything you think you can't do though, let me know."

The unicorn reluctantly nodded. "Right, will do."

Twilight smiled. "Good. Oh, this is just so exciting. I've never actually been a teacher before, the closest I've come was tutoring the CMC when they wanted to learn new skills and even then they proved to be quick learners. But I remember how much I enjoyed my time as Celestia's student. I'm confident that you'll enjoy your time as my student, Starlight."

"I sure hope so." Was all Starlight could bring herself to say.

The days passed quickly after that, and on the very day when Starlight learned she would officially be tasked with reconnecting with Sunburst, she was still struggling to navigate the castle's many confusing hallways. She opened one door only to be bombarded by brooms, mops and other cleaning supplies that promptly buried her. She struggled to use her magic to put them all away and close the door.

Then the unicorn was unlucky enough to open another door and find Spike posing, flexing his muscles in front of a mirror with a smile on his face. "Ugh! I swear, I am never gonna find my way around this place! Never!"

Spike quickly hopped down from the stool he'd been standing on to use for his posing, rushing up to the distraught unicorn and comforting her to the best of his ability. "Come on now, Starlight. Don't be like that. I know this place can seem confusing, but you'll find your way around soon enough, I'm sure of it," Then he sensed that something else might be behind the mare's discomfort. "But that's not what you're really worried about, is it?"

"How'd you know?" Starlight unhappily sighed. "Well, since you asked, it's honestly all of this. Me being a student to the very pony who could've had me arrested for my crimes. It doesn't feel right."

"Hey, you're not that kind of pony anymore!" Spike protested! "You're my new big sister now! Twilight saw potential in you, and that's not something she sees in just anypony."

Starlight Glimmer only glumly replied. "Yeah, I've got potential. It's that potential that drove me to despise cutie marks in the first place, and try to get revenge against Twilight for opposing me on that belief. A part of me feels like Twilight was wrong, like she should've been much harsher on me than she actually has been up to now. And what's even worse is that she's extended her circle of friends to me. Now she wants me to be friends with her friends."

"Well if that's what bothers you so much, why not speak up? I'm sure Twilight would understand." Spike tried to encourage.

But Starlight just shook her head and hung it. "I don't wanna seem ungrateful. I'm sure there's lots of ponies who would give anything to be in my position. And many of those same ponies would say I don't deserve even half of what I've gotten since Twilight and her friends exposed me for the fraud I was."

Spike spoke up. "If there's anyone who knows what it feels like to not be happy with yourself, it's me. And something I learned from dealing with that is that it doesn't go away if you just ignore it or keep it to yourself. Even if you're the only one who thinks a certain way, if you don't tell anyone else then things are never going to get better," And he insisted. "You really should tell Twilight, especially if you're worried about what Sunburst will think of you."

At that Starlight began to flash back in her mind to memories she'd all but forgotten. Memories of her and Sunburst growing up together as foals in a small town, a time when she'd worn her mane in pigtails instead of its current style. "Sunburst meant everything to me. He was just so good at magic, or at least he seemed to be. He always knew what to do. Knew what spells to cast when. Whenever I tried to duplicate his success, it never worked out anywhere near as good. But he was still there to help me if I needed it."

One memory in particular that the unicorn had been trying in vain to suppress came flooding back to her in an instant, the day her life had changed forever. "Then of course, he got his cutie mark and I never saw him again. He went off to Canterlot to be that big, important wizard he always dreamed of being."

"And it was because of that that you blamed cutie marks, right?" Spike questioned.

"It'd be so easy to blame him for what I did, but he wasn't there when I chose to do the horrible things I did," Starlight protested. "But what would he think if he knew what kind of a monster I became in his absence? The kind of things I said and did solely because I thought cutie marks were evil? Do you honestly think he'd want anything to do with me just because I'm supposedly no longer that pony?"

The little dragon gulped. He hadn't thought about that. "Well... that's all the more reason why you should talk to Twilight," He tried to encourage. "She's not a mind reader, you know."

But before either pony or dragon could further debate the issue, Twilight excitedly called out! "It came! It finally came!" And soon she would reveal a special snowflake that contained the announcement of the birth of Shining Armor and Cadence's baby. Just like that, everything had been settled and it was off to the Crystal Empire to not only see the new baby pony but also attend a royal crystalling.

The memories ended for Starlight just as the train pulled into the station in the Crystal Empire. And before Starlight could even think of protesting, she was led off the platform by a very determined and eager Twilight. "Let's at least get you over to Sunburst's house so you two can start off on the right hoof," She declared. "That's step one in my plan, the rest is more or less up to you."

Just then, a rather exhausted looking Shining Armor with a very messy mane and tail and bloodshot eyes happened to appear on the platform (or perhaps he had always been there and Twilight just hadn't noticed until now). "Twilight." He called in an exhausted tone of voice.

"Oh, hey Shining Armor," Twilight greeted in surprise. "I... didn't expect you to meet us here."

"Oh but of course, why wouldn't I be here to see you?" Shining Armor proclaimed, appearing to ignore the snickering coming from Applejack and Rainbow Dash as they observed his current state of appearance. "I mean, even if we have met before."

Nervously, Twilight asked her brother. "Are you okay?"

Shining eagerly proclaimed! "Me?! Of course I am! Never better! Being a father is amazing! And wonderful, and amazing, and confusing, and amazing, but surprising too, you know? I mean, not that you'd know. You wouldn't know, I know... You know?" After realizing that his long and rambling sentence probably made no sense at all, he apologized. "Sorry. Things have been really crazy since the baby was born. Haven't really slept well. Come to think of it, neither has Cadence."

"Oh, of course!" Twilight realized! "Even with a full castle staff you've probably had your hooves full dealing with the new baby pony. I should've anticipated this."

Shining nodded. "Yeah, and there's something else too. Two somethings actually. Let's just say the baby's caused some.. problems. Problems we weren't expecting. That's why it took so long for us to contact you."

The young alicorn blinked. She was about to ask what her older brother meant by "problems" before a detail she hadn't noticed until now finally made itself known to her. "Say, is it my imagination or does it seem a bit colder than usual around here?"

Rarity added. "Come to think of it, it seemed like it took the train longer than usual to reach the station here. Almost as if something were delaying it."

Shining spoke up. "That's kind of one of the problems I was talking about. It's probably best if you all came with me and saw the baby, everything will make more sense then. We're already kind of pressed for time as it is."

Twilight reluctantly nodded. "I understand. If there's a problem, we should get it sorted out as soon as we can," Then she turned to Starlight and told her young student. "I'm sorry, Starlight, but I guess combining your first lesson with this visit wasn't such a good idea after all."

"Hey, you couldn't help it," Starlight replied as she tried to sound sympathetic. "Sunburst can wait for a better time. Besides, you're an aunt now! And that's way more important than some friendship lesson."

However, Spike then suggested. "Actually, who says we can't do both, Twilight?" And he picked up the scroll. "You already did a great job of planning everything out, and it's not like I was looking forward to seeing the new baby so soon anyway. You go on ahead and help Shining Armor and Cadence with whatever their problems are, and all Starlight and I have to do is follow your lesson plan. It can't hurt to at least try."

Starlight put a hoof to her face as Twilight declared. "Spike, you're a genius!"

Starlight laughed and then grit her teeth. "Yeah, Spike, a real genius!" In the back of her mind she even briefly thought. "If you had a cutie mark right now, I'd so take it away from you." Then she blinked, wondering where such a nasty thought had even come from even with how much she hated what Spike was proposing.

"You know what, that sounds like a good idea," Twilight nodded. "You two head over to Sunburst's house right away. The address should be on the lesson plan. I'll stop by if I can after the rest of us take care of whatever problems Shining Armor and Cadence need our help with." And so it was settled even if Starlight Glimmer would've liked it not to be.

It wasn't long before pony and dragon were making their way through the Crystal Empire, doing their best to ignore the cold that seemed to follow them everywhere they went. "Something definitely has to be up, no way should the empire be this cold." Spike commented with concern.

"I was about to wonder how anypony could ever live in such a place," Starlight shivered. "I shouldn't have turned down Rarity's offer for a new coat, or even just a scarf," Then she turned her attention to Spike. "Did you really need to do what you did back on the platform though? I was perfectly content not having to see Sunburst right now."

Spike only sternly replied. "No way was I gonna let you back out of this. It's only gonna get worse the longer you put it off. I know you're worried, but you have to have faith in Twilight and in yourself. If Twilight thinks you're worth being friends with, then so do I. She's my mother and my mother is never wrong on things like this. It's why she's the princess of friendship."

Starlight Glimmer slowly commented. "Right," Then she noticed something that caught her wandering eye. Namely the huge crystal statue of Spike that stood out in the center of the empire itself. "Say, you never did tell me all the details about how you became such a big hero here. I mean, it's not every day you see a statue of a dragon being built anywhere."

"That statue is there because Spike the Brave and Glorious saved us all from King Sombra's wrath!" A crystal earth pony with a yellow coat and reddish-violet eyes excitedly proclaimed!

Another crystal earth pony, this one with a bluish-purple coat and purple eyes exclaimed in an equally excited tone! "And then again during the Equestria Games! Twice he has saved our empire from certain doom! We owe everything to him!"

"Really?" Starlight questioned and turned to Spike. "When were you going to tell me about that?"

"Some other day when we weren't on an important friendship assignment," Spike humbly replied. "Now come on, we need to get to Sunburst's house! I know what you're trying to do and it ain't gonna work!"

"Sorry," Starlight protested as she conjured up a red and white folding chair with her magic and also produced a box of popcorn. "But if you're gonna make me go through with Twilight's lesson, I'm gonna need a little favor from you in return. I need to hear about your heroic exploits. The whole story."

Sensing that the unicorn wasn't going to be persuaded otherwise, Spike reluctantly sighed. "Oh, very well. But I'm only telling it once, so you'd better listen good," Then he cleared his throat and began to recall his first experience with the empire. "It all started when Princess Celestia sent an urgent letter to Twilight telling her to come to Canterlot right away."

Meanwhile, Shining Armor (who had yet to correct his very frazzled state of appearance) had led Twilight and her friends to the Crystal Castle and to the nursery where his recently born child currently resided. However, he stopped outside the nursery door as he tried to caution. "Before you go in, I think there's something you should know. Something Cadence and I should've told you earlier. Seeing the baby might be a bit of a shock when you see what she is."

"'She'? So it's a filly?!" Twilight excitedly asked!

Shining nodded. "Yup. She was born just a few days ago. And that's when the trouble began."

Pinkie Pie briefly shuddered. "I remember the first time I looked after the Cake Twins. I didn't think I was gonna survive it with how much they drove me crazy."

Twilight only replied. "You just had a bad experience, Pinkie. I've met plenty of baby ponies before, I don't think this one will be any different at all."

Shining could only ominously remark. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Then he reluctantly opened the nursery door, letting everypony venture inside.

The newly born filly was soon visible to everyone. She had a very light pinkish-gray coat that almost looked to be as white as snow. Her eyes were an innocent light opal in color. And what could be seen of her mane indicated colors of purple and light blue in varying streaks. A horn was clearly noticeable, yet for some reason she seemed to be wrapped up in some kind of blanket.

The reason was soon made clear as the blanket was unwrapped by a very reluctant Princess Cadence, exposing not just a horn but also a pair of wings! A series of shocking gasps filled the room from everypony that hadn't previously been in the know! Yet the filly just looked up at everypony and excitedly babbled.

"My new niece is an alicorn?!" Twilight exclaimed in disbelief!

Princess Cadence (looking just as frazzled as her husband) reluctantly answered. "Yes, it would appear to be that way. So that means her surges have been twice as frequent and twice as much of a hoofful to deal with, even for an experienced foalsitter like me."

"Believe me, we were just as surprised as you all are now when we saw this for the first time," Shining Armor explained. "We're still not entirely sure why it happened, but we suspect it has something to do with the magic responsible for making Cadence an alicorn."

Pinkie Pie just nervously remarked! "So she could be a super-strong flyer and have crazy baby magic?! No wonder you two haven't been sleeping well."

Princess Cadence then confessed. "It's not just her powers that have us worried, although that was a big concern of ours originally."

At that moment, as if to prove her parents' point, the little filly let out a powerful sneeze that caused an almost blinding bright yellow colored magic to shoot off from her horn! It shot straight up, blasting a hole in the ceiling!

"We haven't even had time to settle on a name," Shining Armor explained as he used his magic to float over a tissue for his daughter to use to blow her nose. "We were thinking of something along the lines of Flurry to go along with her coat, but we've been very busy. A blast similar to that accidentally shattered the Crystal Heart!"

"What?!" Twilight and the others gasped in disbelief!

Princess Celestia quickly spoke up as she and Princess Luna appeared, the two of them appearing to be almost completely covered with snow. "It's true. This new alicorn's magic has proven to be highly unstable and unpredictable. And it is because of that great power that the Crystal Heart has broken." She proceeded to gesture a hoof to a nearby window from the castle.

All gathered around it and could see quite clearly that several small crystal shards lay around the spot where the Crystal Heart used to be.

Princess Luna then explained while brushing off some of the snow from her coat. "And with the Crystal Heart out of commission, the Crystal Empire is now in danger of being overtaken and consumed by the Frozen North. It is the only thing that has kept the blizzards and the harsh cold at bay."

"But the Crystal Heart wasn't around when King Sombra was rulin' and the empire survived just fine," Applejack questioned. "How can the empire be in danger now?"

"Sombra hid the Crystal Heart away, but its magic was still at work repelling the blizzards. And it's entirely possible that that fiend used his own dark magic to keep the blizzards at bay," Cadence concluded. "I knew the Crystal Heart was important, but even I didn't know it was this important."

Shining Armor then stated. "We've already told most of the empire's residents to stay indoors. And at this rate, even with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna using their own alicorn magic, they've only just barely been able to hold off the Frozen North. And the longer they stay out there, the more they become exposed. Eventually, even their magic will no longer be effective. If that happens, we'll have no choice but to evacuate the empire."

"So why did you summon us here?" Fluttershy pondered. "It seems like there's not gonna be a crystalling of any sort at this rate."

Shining yawned a bit. "Cadence and I have been busy just keeping an eye on the baby. We haven't had much time to look into a way to fix the Crystal Heart or even find out if such a way exists. And Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are too busy fighting off the blizzards to be of much help anywhere else."

Twilight's eyes lit up! "A research mission, then?! I'll help however I can!"

Pinkie Pie declared. "Just please don't make me have to watch the baby. I'm not going through another Cake Twins ordeal!"

Miles and miles away, Spike had just finished telling the story of his first time saving the Crystal Empire. "And that's how we found the Crystal Heart, defeated King Sombra and saved the empire. All in a day's work."

Several crystal ponies cheered and one even proclaimed! "We love you, Spike the Brave and Glorious! You're our hero for all time!"

And another crystal pony encouraged. "Tell us the one about the Equestria Games when you save us all again!"

"Yeah, I wanna hear about the games too!" Starlight encouraged. "I haven't heard it yet."

But Spike just stood up. "Sorry, that'll have to wait for another time. I've kept you all here long enough," Then he added. "Besides, as much as I love reliving my heroic deeds, Starlight and I have an important lesson to do by order of the Princess of Friendship herself! And orders are orders."

Reluctantly, Starlight Glimmer got up from her chair (spilling her box of popcorn in the process). "There's no convincing you otherwise, is there?"

Spike flashed a grin. "Nope. I know you're worried and nervous, but you can't run away from your problems. The meeting with Sunburst is important, and it's gonna happen one way or another," He held up the scroll. "It even says so in the lesson plan: Step Three: 'Deal with your fears by facing them, not by putting them off.'"

So it was that the two made their way through the Crystal Empire again (reluctantly in Starlight's case). And it wasn't long before they finally reached Sunburst's house, which stood out for having a greenish hue to it, and an orange hat like structure above it. It really did seem like the sort of place a wizard might choose to dwell.

Starlight steadied herself, reluctantly preparing to knock on the front door. "Here goes nothing." She reluctantly said to herself.

Yet at that very moment, Spike shouted out in protest! "Wait! I almost forgot something!"

The unicorn mare turned around and eyed the little dragon with uncertainty. "What is it now?!"

"Apparently, Twilight added in some extra steps before you knocked on the door," Spike explained as he read over the scroll. "It says here: 'Before they see each other, be sure to highlight the importance of the meeting.'"

Starlight shook her head. "I'm pretty sure we can skip that. I already know how much of a big deal this is."

"You sure that's a good idea? It's your first friendship lesson," Spike nervously replied. "If we skip over that step the whole lesson could go south, and then you might never be able to learn anything about friendship at all! Your whole future could depend on this very moment!" And he pulled the mare close, so close in fact that he could've been mistaken for trying to kiss her. "Okay, that takes care of 'Highlighting the importance of the meeting'." He said at last, crossing it off on the scroll.

Steadying herself again, the unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat reluctantly reached out a hoof and knocked on the front door of Sunburst's house. A part of her hoped that maybe he wasn't home and therefore she could get away with not having to see him again right now.

Alas, the mare's hopes were dashed when the door swung open slowly and the face of a very familiar looking unicorn poked its head out from the darkness. The unicorn stallion had an orange coat (except for light green patches on his legs and a small similarly colored spot on his face). His mane and tail were a two toned orange in color that was styled into a loose curl, and his eyes were dark blue. He was just like Starlight remembered him looking as a colt, the only differences being that his mane and tail now looked a bit messy, he'd grown a bit of a goatee underneath his chin and he now had silver glasses in front of his eyes. And the stallion seemed to be wearing a bluish-green robe with lighter blueish-green trim and similarly colored stars on it, as well as a brooch of the same color.

"Sunburst? Is that you?" Starlight reluctantly and nervously asked.

Sunburst answered in an equally reluctant and nervous tone. "Yes, that's me. Who are you? You look familiar somehow."

Starlight gulped and swallowed hard. This was it, the moment she'd been dreading ever since learning Sunburst lived here. "It's me, Starlight Glimmer. You know, we used to be friends when we were younger?"

It seemed to take a moment for Sunburst to realize that fact, but once he did his eyes lit up and he happily exclaimed! "Oh yes, Starlight! My my, how nice to see you again! It's been so long. What have you been up to and what brings you here?"

Nervously, Starlight stepped back a bit. "Me? I haven't been up to much, nothing you'd really wanna hear about. Right now though, I'm sort of the new student of the princess of friendship. In fact, this is kind of my first lesson."

"Oh, that's nice," Sunburst sincerely commented. "I didn't know the princess was taking on students."

"I didn't either, so here I am," Starlight nervously chuckled. "I mean, I hope this isn't a bad time for you or anything. You must be very busy."

Sunburst blinked in surprise and apparent confusion. "What makes you say that?"

Starlight answered her fellow unicorn. "Well, you know, you always talked about being a big, important wizard. And why would you move all the way out here after magic school unless it was part of your wizard work?"

The unicorn stallion blinked again. "Me? A wizard? Er... I mean, yes, that's me alright! Mr. Big, Important Wizard. In fact, I'm so important I'm really busy with lots of, uh, wi-wizarding... stuff," He then backed away from the door very slowly while saying. "Well... uh... it was... nice to see you again and all that. Bye." And then he closed the door right in Starlight's face.

Starlight let out an unhappy sigh. "That's just what I expected. He wants nothing to do with me. He's so important that he's forgotten all about me," And she turned and prepared to leave. "Come on, Spike. Let's get out of here."

Spike wasn't about to let Starlight give up on the lesson so easily! "Oh no you don't! I'm officially invoking my little brother privilege to annoy you into doing what's right!" He stubbornly declared! "You have to at least explain yourself to him and let him know what Twilight wants! And if you won't do it, I will!" He promptly knocked on the door again, and Sunburst soon answered it.

All Starlight could do was stand there and nervously smile. She wasn't looking forward to talking to Sunburst at all, but now there was no way of avoiding it.

Back at the Crystal Castle, Twilight was preparing to set off for the library while instructing to both Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. "You two should rest. You're not gonna be of much help to anypony when you're this frazzled."

"Are you sure your friends are up to the task of keeping an eye on the baby?" Princess Cadence asked as she noticed her daughter clinging onto Pinkie's face.

Twilight firmly nodded. "I won't be gone for long, and the five of them should be more than enough to keep up with her if she tries anything. Just relax. This'll be just like when we organized the Crystal Fair."

Princess Celestia then declared. "We will do our part to hold the blizzards at bay for as long as possible. But be careful out there, temperatures will continue to drop despite our best efforts."

Rainbow Dash looked out a window, impatiently flapping her wings. "I could totally bust those clouds by myself!"

"That would not be wise," Princess Luna cautioned. "Those aren't ordinary clouds. They have a mind all their own and are resistant to all kinds of pony magic: Pegasus magic included. Why else do you think my sister and I have been unable to repel the blizzards?"

And Princess Celestia added. "Only the magic of the Crystal Heart can protect the empire forever. It's imperative that we find a way to restore the heart before there isn't an empire left to save."

"So we should stop talking and start taking action!" Twilight firmly declared before turning to the crystal couple. "Once you two are fully rested, you can take over watching the baby and my friends can join me in my research mission if I haven't already found a solution. I'll bet that somewhere in the library is a spell that can put the Crystal Heart back together!"

Shining Armor let out a yawn as he reluctantly replied. "Very well, Twily. We'll trust you for now. But our daughter isn't your average baby pony. Her surges are going to be ten times as powerful and unpredictable. Make sure she doesn't get into any trouble."

As if to drive that very point home, at that very moment the little alicorn filly babbled as her horn started to light up. "Oh no!" Princess Cadence gasped in alarm and desperately rushed to the crib where her daughter was resting!

Unfortunately, the princess of love was too late! Her daughter teleported away in the blink of an eye!

Fluttershy nervously looked to Twilight as she asked. "What are we going to do now?!" And Twilight didn't know what to say in reply. Things were getting out of control very fast, perhaps too fast!

Author's Note

And so we come to a rewrite of what some would say is the worst season premiere and worst two parter of the entire show, even with subsequent seasons producing just as polarizing and controversial two parters with their developments.

The issues I've tried to address so far are the lack of clarification on the time skip from the end of Season 5, as well as the lack of attention given to Starlight's change of heart and her being part of the group of friends. I've also tried to address some of the drama surrounding Flurry Heart becoming an alicorn, which was poorly handwaved with a lack of explanation in the original two parter.

I did also want to incorporate an official acknowledge of Starlight's changed mane and tail that was never brought up in-universe. I'll bring up more of the complaints about the two parter and my attempts to fix them in Part 2, though I wanted to try and refocus the story structure so that something of importance happens before the very end of Part 1.

S7 E5: Fluttershy Leans In (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)

Fluttershy had always had a dream to go beyond just her humble cottage as a place to care for animals big and small alike. It had been a dream ever since she'd bought the cottage upon moving to Ponyville so many years ago. Yet it was a dream she had kept to herself, constantly putting it off for "some other time". And it had been that way for as long as she could remember.

It would take an unlikely turn of events to not only give her a reason to remember that dream again, but also make her want to see it become a reality.

The events that would lead to this started out innocently enough. Fluttershy had set up several stacks of books in a room in her cottage in order to help Angel practice for a contest he'd really wanted to enter. Fluttershy just couldn't say no to her pet rabbit no matter how much she might want to.

When everything was set up, the animal loving pegasus turned on a phonograph that crackled to life and began to play rather heroic sounding music. Nervously, she watched as Angel darted about from place to place, jumping back and forth between stacks of books to gain altitude.

"Oh, be careful, Angel!" Fluttershy nervously called, barely able to keep her eyes on her pet while he was getting ever higher. It wasn't long before the most dangerous part of the little obstacle course was upon the bunny. He would have to jump from one set of books to the other, a gap that seemed quite large.

Judging his moment carefully, Angel jumped off the right side stack and extended his feet out to try to reach the left side. Alas, he'd made a miscalculation on the distance. And as the phonograph scratched the record to bring the music to a sudden stop, the rabbit fell to the floor with a thud!

Fluttershy rushed over at once, afraid of a disaster! "Are you okay, Angel?!" She asked her pet.

At first, Angel was certain he was fine. But then he tried to move one of his legs and felt a sharp jolt of pain surge through his body. That was enough to make the normally tough rabbit start to cry and wail audibly.

Fluttershy quickly scooped her pet up and half consoled/half scolded him. "Oh, I tried to tell you entering the Ponyville Paw-kour Contest was a bad idea. I tried to tell you it was too dangerous, but you just wouldn't listen to me," She let out a sigh. "Oh well, it can't be helped. You just rest here, and I'll have you all fixed up in no time. And from now on, maybe you'll listen to me before you get any more crazy ideas in your head."

Angel said nothing, he was too fixated on his pain.

The animal loving pegasus trotted over to the cabinet where she kept her stash of emergency supplies just for her pet. But a quick scan of the cabinet revealed a troubling development. "Oh dear, somehow I've run out of bunny footbraces and I forgot to stock up on more," She observed, turning back to Angel. "We'll have to pay a visit to Dr. Fauna. I just hope she'll have room in her busy schedule to see you. Come to think of it, she's been busy for quite a long time now. I wonder why."

Those were details for another time and place though, Fluttershy knew that at the moment it was imperative she get Angel's broken foot tended to as soon as possible. She carefully prepared to transport her pet to Ponyville's premiere (and only official for that matter) vet, making sure that she had a pillow in the wagon to prop up the broken foot so that Angel wouldn't have to put pressure on it.

The pegasus mare had just left her cottage when she happened to cross paths with Diamond Tiara. "Oh, Diamond Tiara. I'm sorry, this is a bad time. Angel's hurt and I need to take him to Dr. Fauna to get treated."

"And here I was hoping to ask if I could get a pet of my own," Diamond Tiara lamented. "I even brought my own allowance to pay for one and everything. Who cares what Mother thinks? I know I'm responsible enough. I'm even a part-time student of the princess of friendship for crying out loud. Obviously, she thinks I can be trusted."

Fluttershy quickly replied. "Tell you what, Diamond Tiara? Help me get Angel to Dr. Fauna, and then I promise we'll talk about you getting a pet. There's a lot to consider before you buy one, it is a big responsibility and undertaking after all."

Diamond Tiara was eager to agree. "Say no more! I'll be the best helper ever! I haven't really started on my part time studies with Princess Twilight yet, but this is the next best thing. Anything's better than having to go back home and spend all day in the mansion by myself. It's not the same when there's only the hired help to talk to."

The pegasus with a beautiful yellow coat simply hoofed the hitch of the wagon to Diamond, instructing the headgear wearing filly on how to pull it so that she wouldn't make things worse for the injured Angel.

Tiara obeyed without question, and with her help Angel was transported across town to Dr. Fauna's office in a matter of minutes. "I always thought Fluttershy was a vet. I wonder what she is if Dr. Fauna is the only vet in town." She thought to herself, making a mental note to ask that question later on.

But to Fluttershy's dismay, she found the door to Dr. Fauna's office appeared to be locked. "Oh, I was so sure she'd be here today. I guess she must not have room for any unscheduled patients," Still, she'd come all this way and decided that it wouldn't hurt to knock on the door. "Hello?" She called while rapping a hoof against said door. "Is anypony in there?"

Never had Fluttershy been more relieved than when she heard Dr. Fauna call from the other side of the door. "Fluttershy, is that you?" A moderate orange eye poked through the small keyhole below the door and saw the animal loving pegasus on the other side. "It is you! Oh, am I glad! I could sure use your help right about now!"

Fluttershy stepped back and blinked in surprise. "Really? You need my help? I was coming here because there was something I needed you to do for me."

The door to Dr. Fauna's office promptly opened a few seconds later, and out strolled the vet herself in all her glory. She was an earth pony of average height that had a light yellow coat. In addition to her moderate orange eyes she had an alternating curly mane and tail of pale, light grayish blue and bluish gray and a cutie mark depicting a dog, a cat and a white bird. She was currently wearing her white vet's outfit that only covered half of her body. And several animals followed her outside.

"Oh my!" Fluttershy exclaimed! "I had no idea it was this bad!"

Dr. Fauna nodded. "As you can clearly see, my place is just bursting with animals! I don't think I can take in even one more critter right now!" She then looked at Angel. "Oh dear, did my favorite bunny go and break his leg? How unfortunate. Let's get that into a cast so he can go home and rest. I won't be able to keep him overnight, I'm afraid."

The animal loving pegasus nodded back. "I'll do what I can to help, Dr. Fauna. But it seems like this is becoming a frequent problem for you."

The vet sighed. "Being the only licensed vet in town can have its drawbacks. But it's never been as bad as it is now. I just can't keep up with the demand, and I can't keep relying on you to help me out all the time," Then she turned back to Angel. "But we can worry about that after I get my favorite patient all fixed up."

Yet as Angel was wheeled inside the vet's office, Fluttershy was thinking to herself. "This isn't right! Dr. Fauna needs more help than I can give on my own! It's time I did something about it! And I know just what that something is!" And just like that, her long put off dream was finally ready to take the first step towards becoming a reality. Though even the pegasus couldn't have anticipated where the development and construction would lead.

Dr. Fauna's office was just as chaotic inside as it was outside. "Wow, this place is like a zoo!" Diamond Tiara commented in disbelief.

Dr. Fauna sheepishly replied. "It usually is. Even so, I've been busier than ever lately! Normally, I don't mind if a snake wants to slither in or a raccoon needs a rest. But now this place is so full that I have no space to treat any injured animals, as you can clearly see."

Fluttershy seemed to realize at once what the problem was. "I've been telling everypony what a wonderful job you do as Ponyville's vet," She commented. "In fact, I've been saying that in my opinion, you're the best licensed vet in all of Equestria."

The earth pony mare gasped! "No wonder I've been getting up to my neck in new patients as of lately! And some of them are determined to stay even after they're all fixed up."

"Oh dear," Fluttershy remarked as she recognized her mistake. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen, Dr. Fauna. It's just that... well... every animal in your care always seems to feel safe and happy."

The vet just replied. "I'm glad you think so highly of me, Fluttershy. But unfortunately, all that praise has made my job all that much harder now," She then sighed while going to retrieve a foot brace for Angel. "I hate having to ask for your help all the time, but now I could really use it. I'll never be able to keep up with the demand at this rate!"

However, the animal loving pegasus had a different idea in mind. "I'm the reason you're in this mess in the first place, Dr. Fauna. That means I need to do something to fix it," She then boldly declared. "Fortunately, I know just what that something is. It's something I've always dreamed of doing but never found the time to get around to it. Until now, that is."

Dr. Fauna seemed to realize at once what Fluttershy was suggesting. "You're actually going to go through with it?"

Fluttershy firmly nodded. "Yes! There's no better time! You deserve to have something that can ease your burden, and it's also something that'll be a boost to my job as well."

Diamond Tiara scratched her head as she looked up at Fluttershy and questioned. "What do you mean? I've never heard you talk about having a dream. Is it something like how Rarity opened boutiques in other cities or Rainbow Dash joined the Wonderbolts?"

The pegasus replied as a now foot braced Angel was brought to her. "Not on the same scale. But if I'm going to make my dream a reality, there's a lot that will have to happen first," She then told the filly. "You'll see soon enough, I promise."

Fluttershy was as good as her word. She brought Angel home and made sure he would be okay, then she immediately sent word to let her friends know she wanted them to come over to her cottage right away.

All of her friends obeyed without hesitation even though many of them were quite busy with their own lives. When any of their friends needed help, that usually took priority.

All were soon gathered in the front of Fluttershy's cottage as the pegasus prepared her presentation. "I want to thank you all for rushing over here so quickly," She told her friends and then explained. "It's come to my attention that Dr. Fauna needs my help with a very serious problem."

"What sort of problem?" Twilight was the first in the group to ask.

"Well, it's kind of a problem of my own creation," Fluttershy reluctantly explained as she tried not to look too embarrassed. "I went around talking up how great Dr. Fauna was, and now her office is swamped with animals. Adorable critters big and small alike, which don't have any place to go when they're looking for a safe place to rest!"

Rarity dramatically gasped! "That's awful!"

Fluttershy was quick to agree. "I know. And I feel so bad that I've at least unintentionally made it worse by encouraging everypony and every animal to go to her for help."

Applejack then declared. "Dr. Fauna's always fixin' Winona up whenever she ain't feelin' fine, so helpin' her out is A-okay by me."

"I second that opinion!" Rainbow Dash eagerly chimed in! "We're always happy to help a pony in need!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie proclaimed!

The animal loving pegasus smiled. "That's good to hear, because that means you're all going to be helping me with something special. Something that's been a dream of mine for a very long time. And now, finally, the time has come for me to turn that dream into a reality!"

Starlight inquired. "So, what is your dream, Fluttershy? I assume that's why you called us all here?"

Fluttershy quickly confirmed. "Indeed it is," Clearing her throat, she then trotted over to a nearby wooden stand and pulled off a cover over a canvas. "My is to build a real animal sanctuary: Sweet Feather Sanctuary. It'll be right by my cottage. In fact, it'll be like it's an expansion of my cottage."

When the cover was removed it was possible for all in the room to see the canvas that depicted the rough sketch of what the sanctuary was to look like. It seemed so beautiful, so massive. It had lush green fields, tropical trees, hammocks and caves of all sizes. And running through the middle of it was a beautiful stream.

Spike summed up the feelings of all present in the room when his eyes went wide and he simply exclaimed! "Wow!"

Fluttershy then explained. "It'll be a beautiful habitat! A place where every animal whether they're sick, scared or even just lonely can come. And whether they're feathered, furry, scaly or slimy they'll all be welcome. It'll be the one place in Equestria they can all call home 'til they feel ready to take on the world."

The speech was met with a chorus of applause from the pegasus' friends, and some animals that were assisting her with the presentation chimed in with their own feedback of chirps and roars.

"So this is your big dream!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed as she looked over the drawing again. "I can see why you've always been putting it off. This looks like it'll be a big undertaking."

"It is, but now I'm finally confident that the time is right for me to take that undertaking," Fluttershy explained. "Over the years I've learned so much about building my confidence. And that confidence is what has inspired me to make my dream project a reality."

Diamond was still a little unsure. "I know it's not gonna happen overnight, but how do you plan on getting this sanctuary built in the first place?" She questioned. "How do you even know where to start?"

At that the pegasus mare with a butter yellow coat confessed. "Well, I did reach out to somepony for help. But it's gonna be a few days before he can get here. He knows a lot about animals, and has learned a lot about building things thanks to some friends of his. However, just two ponies aren't gonna be enough to get the sanctuary up and running," She looked to her friends. "I know you're all busy, but I was hoping you could all lend a helping hoof if possible."

Rainbow Dash declared! "You didn't even have to ask, of course we'll say yes!" She then eyed the sketch. "And you know what? I think there's a way we can make your sanctuary even better. You ever thought about putting in a racing course for the birds? It'll be a great way to keep them in shape." She proposed.

"Why not add a carrot cake stand here?" Pinkie Pie pointed to a corner of the sketch. "Who wouldn't love something like that?"

And Twilight had her eyes drawn to the caves. "Ooh! You mentioned a book club with your animal friends once, why not turn one of the caves into a library? Or maybe you could build one into a tree like the one I used to live in?"

Fluttershy immediately chuckled in protest. "Thank you, everypony. But those ideas will not be necessary. I'm willing to be open to suggestions, but stuff like library caves and racing courses are definitely not what my sanctuary's going to need if it'll be successful," She then added. "What I could really use are some recommendations on who to recruit to help me build it."

Pinkie Pie immediately jumped up and shouted! "I know just the pony, Fluttershy! Hard Hat is the top construction pony in Ponyville and has been for years. He can build anything you could ever, ever, ever want! He'll be perfect for your sanctuary's construction!"

Applejack then suggested. "And I know a pony who might just be handy for all of this. I know a mare from Winona's herdin' days: Goes by the name of Wrangler. She's a natural at animal enclosures, I've seen her work first hoof."

"I'm not sure a herder would be of much use for an open sanctuary," Diamond Tiara hesitantly commented. "And I don't know if Hard Hat's the best pony for the job. I've heard Mother and Father mention how he can be very difficult to work with sometimes."

"I have to at least give them a fair shot," Fluttershy reassured Diamond Tiara. "I'm not afraid to stand up for what I believe in. But at the same time I know that my vision is probably gonna have to change a little from how it's shown here. Having a dream is fine for a start, but dreams and ideas don't always turn out exactly the way we intend. A herder might be useful if any animal tries to escape, and Hard Hat's credibility speaks for itself in many of the amazing buildings Ponyville's seen in recent years."

Tiara nervously declared. "Well, I guess you do have to give them a chance until that other pony you contacted gets here. And I'll try to do my part to help out."

Fluttershy just patted the headgear wearing filly gently on the forehead. "Don't worry. There'll still be plenty of things for you and all my friends to do when construction of the sanctuary begins. And once the sanctuary is ready to open, I know I can count on you to recommend places to advertise to draw word. I promise, you'll be amazed at what my sanctuary will be like when all's said and done."

The following day, Diamond could hardly wait for school to end so she could rush across town to Fluttershy's cottage! She knew the sanctuary wasn't officially going to start construction on day one, Hard Hat and Wrangler would have to see what they were working with and supplies would have to be brought in, to say nothing of a final design being agreed upon. But even so, the sanctuary was all the filly could think about. "It'll be the most amazing thing ever!" She thought to herself! "And it'll prove to my mother that lessons with Princess Twilight are worth it. If one of the princesses friends can build an amazing sanctuary, anything will be possible!"

When the bell rang to dismiss class at the end of the day, Tiara was ecstatic! She raced to Fluttershy's cottage as fast as she could, hopeful to see some signs of progress and more hopefully something for her to do. She felt kind of bad for leaving her friends behind on such short notice, especially since she wasn't actually going to be with Twilight or Starlight. But it was overshadowed by the delight of getting to see a sanctuary be built from the ground up. That was an experience you didn't get to have every day.

While the pink coated earth pony filly was on her way to Fluttershy's cottage, Fluttershy was currently meeting with both Hard Hat and Wrangler. She had a huge clearing of open land beside her cottage that she had decided would be perfect for the sanctuary, and was preparing to receive her first feedback from these two experts that her friends had recommended to her. Both were earth ponies, though Hard Hat was a bit bulkier.

Hard Hat had a sort of cobalt gray coat with dark blue eyes. His sea green mane and tail were cut short, and atop his mane rested a hard hat similar to the one displayed on his flank for a cutie mark. As for Wrangler, she had a plain pink coat with blue eyes. She had a mane and tail that were two shades of dusty brown in color and kind of swirled. Her cutie mark was a long leash curling around.

"It's wonderful that you could both come here to discuss my dream project: Sweet Feather Sanctuary," Fluttershy greeted them both while one of her snake friends (named Rupert) served her invited guests refreshments. "It means a lot that you'd both take time out of your very busy schedules to help me with this. My friends who recommended you had nothing but high praise to offer regarding your expertise, so I hope you'll be a big assistance in getting this project off the ground."

Wrangler enthusiastically declared! "I'm mighty happy to be workin' with ya, ma'am. And I've even more happy to be helpin' them animals. I reckon it's about time they had a place to call home."

Hard Hat was noticeably more restrained in his excitement. "Pinkie Pie told me you needed my help, and I'm always happy to add another big project to broaden my resume," Then he cleared his throat. "So uh... I assume you've got some blueprints or something along those lines to show me? Can't really start 'til I know what I'm workin' with."

"Not really a blueprint so much as a dream board," Fluttershy answered as she trotted over to her sketch on the wooden stand, showing it off to both Wrangler and Hard Hat. "Think of this as a rough sketch for what the sanctuary should look like."

"A sanctuary?" Hard Hart gulped. "Never built one of those before."

The animal loving pegasus just explained. "It's going to be a bit unconventional, but I'm confident you'll know how to make it work. I want the sanctuary to be safe but non-restrictive, cozy but natural. A place where the animals can come and go as they please."

Hard Hat quickly proposed. "You sure you want it to be like that? I've still got the blueprints from my last big project and I'm pretty sure I could tweak them to fit your... uh... design."

"Whatever your blueprints are, I don't think they're what my sanctuary would be looking for," Fluttershy declared. "I plan to use every bit of space available to me, even the trees. Besides, we're dealing with animals and not ponies. Animals don't live the same way ponies do. I know it's probably not anything you're used to building, but I'm sure you've had unusual requests before."

Hard Hat stood up as Wrangler joined him. "Well... I'll see what I can do, miss. Let me at get a good look at the land you're using so I know how much space I have to work with."

Wrangler nodded in agreement. "Same here," And she was quick to add. "Somethin' tells me you ain't gonna be interested in cages."

The animal loving pegasus protested as she prepared to lead the two "experts" out to the open space behind her cottage. "Cold cages won't make the animals in my sanctuary feel welcome at all."

Wrangler reluctantly shrugged her hooves. "Well, you're the boss. And as I always say 'The boss is the boss.'" But it was clear from her tone of voice alone that she was rather uncomfortable with what she was being tasked with. And the same held true for Hard Hat.

Diamond Tiara came upon the scene just as Fluttershy had finished explaining everything to her two helpers. "That's more or less where I want everything to be," The pegasus told the two. "Think you can make it happen?"

Hard Hat proposed. "You still sure you don't wanna see my blueprints? I'm thinking we could make something similar to Ponyville General Hospital. I mean, it would take a while to work around the trees, but it could work."

"And are you absolutely sure you don't want any cages just in case?" Wrangler commented. "Could always use 'em for transport. I'll even add in pillows and blankets for extra comfort."

Fluttershy just replied. "Thanks but no thanks, I already told you I'm not interested in such things," She tried to reassure the two by telling them. "I may not be much of an expert when it comes to construction or herding, but I like to think I know more than a thing or two when it comes to the care of animals. And that's the sort of thing I want to see reflected in Sweet Feather Sanctuary."

Before either earth pony could reply, Diamond came trotting up to Fluttershy. "Oh, Fluttershy. I thought you would've already had the sanctuary up and running," She nervously giggled. "But it looks like you haven't even started yet. Guessing there's not much I can do now."

But the animal loving pegasus had an idea. "Actually, Diamond Tiara. I was supposed to help Dr. Fauna again today, but I'm going to be busy overseeing the groundbreaking for my dream sanctuary," Hoofing the filly a yellow colored paper note she proposed. "Why don't you deliver this to Dr. Fauna and tell her I'll be busy today? In fact, tell her I'll be probably unavailable all week long."

"The whole week?!" The headgear wearing filly exclaimed with shock and surprise!

Fluttershy reassured her young charge. "Canterlot wasn't built in a day, you know. And the same goes for this sanctuary. But I promise, it'll be well worth the wait. It'll be just what Dr. Fauna and all the animals truly need. It may not seem like much right now, but in time it'll be a dream come true."

Tiara took the piece of paper into her hooves and gave a small salute. "You can count on me, Fluttershy! I'll get this note to Dr. Fauna in no time!"

Fluttershy then suggested. "While you're doing that, why don't you stop by Rarity's place and ask her for some suggestions on window design? I'll need them for things like the storage cave so I can see everything. If there's ever a problem in my sanctuary, I'll want to know right away."

"You got it!" Diamond happily exclaimed and then raced away as fast as her little legs could carry her. As she did so a thought occurred to her. "This must be what the hired help feel like every day. I really should find a way to make it up to them. Randolph especially. But how to do that without Mother finding out?"

Tiara made it Dr. Fauna's office in what she felt was record time, soon delivering the notice to the vet who was still swamped with animals both in need of care and those just wanting to relax.

"A sanctuary?! In Ponyville?!" Dr. Fauna exclaimed when she read over the note. "In all the years I've known Fluttershy, I never imagined she'd actually get around to building one. It was always something she kept saying she'd build 'some day' but I always felt that 'some day' would never come. I guess 'some day' is today."

Diamond nodded before she shuddered. "I'm really worried about it, Dr. Fauna. They say Fluttershy's a changed pony, but it doesn't seem like she really knows what's she doing with that sanctuary. And I don't know if her 'vision' is rubbing off on the ponies she's hired to help construct it, or at least break ground on it."

Dr. Fauna gave the frightened filly a reassuring pat on the head. "Now don't you worry your pretty little head about Fluttershy. If this sanctuary means as much as to her as it does to me, I'm sure she'll find a way to make it happen. And I'm also more than confident in her ability to stand up for what she believes in. However, there are times when compromising on our dreams isn't such a bad thing."

The pink coated filly inquired. "What makes you say that? It doesn't like Fluttershy's friends got to where they are by compromising on what they believed in. After all, Rarity's got successful boutiques in Canterlot and Manehattan, Rainbow Dash is the most popular addition to the Wonderbolts in recent history and Twilight's the princess of friendship for crying out loud."

The earth pony vet nodded and smiled. "Yet I'm sure they can tell you there were times where they didn't always get everything they wanted."

Diamond put a hoof to her chin. "Now that I think about it, I think I remember Princess Twilight saying something about the first Grand Galloping Gala she and her friends attended. I always wanted to go to that event. But after hearing how it went for Princess Twilight and her friends, I'm not so sure it's a good idea."

Dr. Fauna gave a light chuckle in reply. "I've heard countless stories from Fluttershy about that gala, about how it all went so wrong. And the lesson she and her friends learned from said gala is that sometimes our dreams don't come true, at least not the first time," After she recovered, she told the filly. "It was because they didn't give up on their dreams that Fluttershy and her friends were able to have a more enjoyable gala the second time. The trick can be in how we manage our expectations."

The wing flaps of some birds and the growling of other animals soon broke the relative quiet that had befallen the vet's office while Dr. Fauna had been chatting with Diamond Tiara. "Oh, I really should get back to my patients now," She declared. "But be sure to tell Fluttershy we'll be swinging by when the sanctuary is up and running. The animals have been so excited for it, they can hardly wait! And I can hardly wait myself!"

"Will do, Dr. Fauna!" Diamond agreed, before she remembered something else. "Say, do you think you could convince my mother that I'm responsible enough to have a pet of my own? I was going to ask Fluttershy, but now it seems there won't really be time to talk with her about it. I don't wanna give her something else to worry about on top of everything that goes into building a sanctuary."

The vet giggled as she told her fellow earth pony. "I'm sure you'd be a fairly reasonable and responsible pet owner, but I have a feeling your mother has other reasons for not wanting you to get one. Pets are a very big undertaking, you know. And they can be quite expensive too."

"Good thing I have my allowance saved up from the times Father made me have to do work for other ponies," Diamond Tiara boasted. "Foalsitting the Cake Twins wasn't easy, but the money I made almost made up for what I had to go through with them. Key word being: Almost."

After a quick visit to Carousel Boutique to get Rarity's opinion on suitable window designs, Diamond Tiara headed back to Fluttershy's cottage. Hopefully by now there would be some progress on the sanctuary's construction, some sign that everything was under control.

As the filly drew close to the site that had been set aside for the sanctuary, however, her cornflower blue eyes saw a sight that gave her room for concern: Hard Hat was speaking (or perhaps arguing was the better word for it) with two other earth ponies that were also wearing hard hats, clad in orange safety vets like Hard Hat and carrying tool belts. The earth pony stallion to Hard Hat's left was an earthly light brown in color with dark blue eyes and a dusty black and mane tail. He had a cutie mark depicting a brown colored hammer of some kind. And the stallion to Hard Hat's right had a grayish coat color with a darker gray wavy mane and tail, bluish-green eyes and a cutie mark depicting a wrench.

The source of the argument appeared to be a blueprint currently resting atop a small wooden table. And as Diamond drew closer she could just make out some of the arguments being made between the three stallions.

"I'm telling you, boss," The grayish coated stallion audibly grumbled. "This is a waste of time. Fluttershy hasn't a clue as to what she's doing, her vision is flawed. You know far more about building than she does. We can easily tweak this blueprint to make it fit the land here, and there'll still be plenty of room for those trees and caves she wants."

Hard Hat retorted with narrowed eyes. "I already offered that to Fluttershy at least a half a dozen times, Steam Roller, and she said no. If we go behind her back and build something she doesn't want, we'll get fired. That means we don't get paid. You want that?!"

The light brown coated stallion just pleaded. "But sir, we've got nothing to go on besides that sketch that barely shows anything. How can we build something that doesn't exist?"

Hard Hat said in reply. "Fluttershy's given me some guidelines, and she already went and bought up all the land for this project. Like it or not, Jack Hammer, we have to do what she wants. A job's a job. And don't forget, she's a friend of the princess who lives here. We go behind her back and we're disobeying an order from a friend of royalty. No way ponies won't find out what happened. Word will spread and nopony will hire us to build anything."

Jack Hammer and Steam Roller just said together. "Well, maybe her 'vision' isn't all it's cracked up to be. We'll be the laughing stocks of the town if we go along with this."

Hard Hat sighed. "I understand your concerns. I'll do my best to get Fluttershy to be more supportive of changes to her sketch, but in the mean time we've got to build it the way she wants it. It's not our job to question the wishes of the client, even if we might know better," He promptly folded up the blueprint. "We're not gonna speak another word about this unless I say otherwise: Understand?!"

Steam Roller and Jack Hammer gulped and reluctantly nodded simultaneously while saying. "Yes sir, understood sir."

The construction forepony groaned as he walked away from the table. "I'm starting to regret taking up this job. It's been nothing but a headache and it's only been one day."

Wrangler (who happened to be nearby) spoke up in agreement. "You're tellin' me. It's so frustratin' to see everythin' you wanna do get shot down 'cause 'the boss' says no and yet she barely has anythin' to show for what she wants. If not for the fact that she's payin' good money for my services, I wouldn't bother to stay. I'd up and walk away. Not my fault she doesn't think cages can ever be warm and welcomin'."

"You think maybe we oughta go on strike?" Hard Hat proposed, his tone of voice making it difficult to tell if he was sincere or not. "She'd have to listen to us then!"

"I've got half a mind to go on strike this very minute," Wrangler ominously proclaimed. "But I reckon if we did do that, she'd just fire us on the spot and we'd get nothin'. I say we give it the rest of today, and she ain't offerin' more details by tomorrow then our hooves will be forced more or less."

Hard Hat appeared to nod in agreement. "Yeah, give us a day to think and sleep on it."

Tiara could hardly believe her ears! Her happy mood from before had faded away completely now! She knew she had to tell Fluttershy about these troubling developments right away! The animal loving pegasus had to be made aware of what was going on behind her back!

Fluttershy had just finished digging a spot for the stream to flow through her sanctuary (once filled up of course). Initial preparations and groundwork seemed to be going smoothly. "Now if only I had all the help I wanted to have available," She thought to herself as her thoughts turned to the one "expert" who would not be arriving until tomorrow at the earliest. "It's too bad he lives so far away and there are no reliable ways for him to make it out here."

Well, in the meantime the animal loving pegasus mare had Hard Hat and Wrangler to work with. And her friends had already agreed to pitch in tomorrow (and the next day too for that matter). She was confident that her sanctuary would be finished and ready to open by the end of the week, more than capable of taking in the animals resting at Dr. Fauna's office.

However, right as Fluttershy was preparing to meet back up with the two earth ponies, Diamond Tiara came running up to her while panting heavily. "Fluttershy... you'll... never... believe... what... I... just... heard..."

"What is it, Diamond Tiara?" The pegasus mare inquired. "And does this mean you took care of my errands?"

Diamond confirmed with a nod, then paused for a moment to catch her breath. However, once she did so she immediately started blurting out all at once. "I overheard Hard Hat and Wrangler talking about your vision and how they don't like it and how they're thinking they may go on strike to force you to listen to them and it sounds so horrible I had to make sure you knew about it!"

Surprisingly, Fluttershy had no trouble at all making out the filly's fast paced statement of shock. And the pegasus herself was anything but frightened or concerned by what she'd heard. "Thank you for telling me this, Diamond Tiara."

Tiara's shock quickly became replaced by confusion. "Wait, didn't you hear me?"

"I most certainly did. I've been around Pinkie Pie long enough to learn how to decipher crazy fast speaking," Fluttershy replied with a smile that seemed ill-fitting given the circumstances. "I can deal with the problem myself. Such problems should be addressed promptly before they get out of hoof."

The pink coated filly then watched as she saw Fluttershy start to walk away and head towards Hard Hat and Wrangler's location. "What does Fluttershy think she's doing?" The filly wondered. "Is she going to fire them?"

Hard Hat and Wrangler were quite surprised to suddenly be face to face with the very pony they'd accepted their job offers from. Wrangler was the first to ask. "Uh, can we help with you something, miss... I mean, boss?"

The pegasus mare kept a neutral expression on her face while she replied. "Yes there is. It has come to my attention that neither of you are satisfied with my plans for this sanctuary. I'm not naming names."

Hard Hat and Wrangler gulped as Hard Hat tried to protest. "You... you've got it all wrong, boss. We're happy to help you no matter what. Who are we to tell you what to do when you're the one who hired us?"

Wrangler agreed while gesturing a hoof. "Yeah, what he said. We're gettin' paid good money for this, why would we wanna throw that all away by disobeyin' your orders?"

Fluttershy wasn't convinced for even a second. "You don't have to lie to me or wait until I've turned my back to say what you really think. Ever since I called on you you've both been rather uncomfortable whenever talking to me about what my plans for the sanctuary are," She sternly added. "I appreciate that you don't want to hurt my feelings, but you're hurting them even more by trying to lie to me and planning to go on strike. If there's a problem, you can say it to my face. After all, I hired you both because I was told you were the best ponies at your craft. I figured you could help guide me."

"Guide you to what?" Hard Hat questioned. "We haven't had anything to go on besides that rough sketch of yours that tells us nothing!"

Wrangler agreed again as she added. "We're not miracle workers. We can't turn some vague concept into a reality, especially when it seems you don't know what you want."

"Which is why I'd be more than happy to discuss ways to modify my plans. Ways that will make the sanctuary a reality even if it's not exactly as I originally envisioned it," The pegasus mare proclaimed. "When I hire experts, I expect honest expert opinions. And I expect the experts to tell me if there's a problem instead of pretending there isn't one. So, if you still want to work for me and still get paid, we can discuss what ideas you two have for the sanctuary and whether I think they're good or not. Otherwise, you're free to leave now and find work elsewhere."

The two earth ponies remained silent for a long time, neither one able to bring themselves to said a word of any sort.

Fluttershy confidently trotted away while telling the two. "I'll be around if you want to talk to me. Take as much time as you need to think about what works best for you," And then she returned to a now speechless Diamond Tiara. "The matter has been dealt with." She reassured her young charge.

When at last Diamond Tiara found the words to speak she could only find herself able to say. "Wow! I think everypony should start calling you 'Flutterbold' now!"

The animal loving pegasus giggled. "Oh, I know. I can hardly believe how much I've changed over the years. But I'm glad I did."

Diamond then questioned. "So, you're not going to fire them?"

"Not unless they refuse to leave willingly if they don't want to work for me," Fluttershy explained. "I want my dream sanctuary more than anything, but I also know that turning that dream into a reality may mean I have to compromise on some of the things I want. But I can't get it done alone, and if I'm going to hire other ponies I have to be willing to at least consider what they think. Everypony is an expert in their own field. It doesn't always mean they're right about everything, but that does mean they usually know more about certain things than we may do."

Tiara then spoke up. "You should tell that to my mother. She thinks she know everything about everything. She never likes to be told no."

Fluttershy giggled. "Your mother is an excellent example of what can happen if we get too wrapped up in ourselves to listen to others. But I bet even she wouldn't think of trying to be her own plumber or her own doctor. She'd rather pay the money to get somepony who knows what they're doing to do the job for her."

With the dispute settled, construction of Sweet Feather Sanctuary finally got underway later that day. Not much work was ultimately done before it was time to stop, but Fluttershy wasn't worried. The next day was when the truly important ground work would commence.

Sure enough, the very next day Fluttershy had all her friends over at her cottage and ready to go to work, when suddenly there came a knock at the cottage door.

The door swung open but a moment later to reveal a somewhat short looking earth pony colt with a grayish-blue coat. He had a dull dark blue beard that matched his tail and greenish-gold eyes. He wore dusty blue overalls and a tall green hat atop his head. "Howdy, everypony," He greeted with a smile. "Sorry it took so long to get here. But when I heard somepony needed construction help for them critters... well... how could I say no?"

Twilight immediately recognized the stallion and rushed over to give him a hug. "Big Daddy McColt! Great to see you again, old timer. How are things in the Smokey Mountains?"

Big Daddy McColt laughed. "Never better now that the business with the Hooffields is taken care of. The place is lookin' better than ever if I do say so myself," Then he turned to Fluttershy. "Ah, these must be the rest of your friends you were talkin' about."

Fluttershy nodded. "They are, and they're all eager to help. You're just the pony I've been waiting for. There's nopony better at building who also knows his stuff when it comes to caring for animals."

The stallion then declared. "Well, shucks. Reckon we've done enough standin' around here, talkin' 'bout it. Let's build us a sanctuary, y'all!" And everyone in the room cheered in excited agreement!

With Big Daddy McColt's help, things progressed quickly over the next several days. Everyone had something they had to do to get the sanctuary completed: Whether that be driving boards into the ground, filling up the stream bed that had been dug out, placing windows on the outside of various structures or tying hammocks together between various trees.

At last, as the week drew to a close, Fluttershy and Big Daddy McColt could look out over the ground and smile with satisfaction at the magnificent place that had come into being. Sweet Feather Sanctuary was at last a reality.

"Thanks for everything, Big Daddy McColt," Fluttershy told the stallion afterward as he prepared to leave. "Are you sure you can't stick around for the grand opening?"

Big Daddy McColt shook his head and tipped his hat. "I reckon my work here is done. But I've gotta get back to my family in the mountains. But iffn' you ever need my services again, just gimme a shout and I'll drop whatever I'm doin' to come help."

Tiara (who was standing beside Fluttershy) commented in amazement. "Wow! He made everything look so easy, and so fun! His help was all you really needed all along, huh, Fluttershy?"

"Sort of," Fluttershy acknowledged. "Hard Hat and Wrangler did their parts to get me on track. If they hadn't pointed me in the right direction, I wouldn't have been able to pitch even half of those suggestions to Big Daddy McColt. But sometimes, we just have to believe in our dreams and be willing to do our part to make them come true."

Twilight then commented. "Sounds like a valuable lesson to have learned. Don't you think so, Diamond Tiara?"

The headgear wearing filly nodded. "I most certainly do," And she then turned to the alicorn. "Thanks for letting me hang out with your friends as part of my studies. It really means a lot that I have something to do with my time besides staying home or just hanging out with the Cutie Mark Crusaders when they're not busy helping others."

Twilight smiled, patting the filly on the forehead. "Happy to help, Diamond Tiara. And I have a feeling you'll be just as promising a student to me as Starlight Glimmer was."

Author's Note

For those wondering how and why this is a bonus chapter, I opted to shift to the focus to Diamond Tiara instead of Fluttershy. And for those curious, I've written Diamond Tiara as a new student of Twilight's (a personal one shared between her and Starlight) since my rewrite/expansion of "Celestial Advice" back in Volume 7 (which was itself inspired by a comment on Equestria Daily in a discussion thread).

The main problem I have with this episode is the questionable moral about not listening to the so called "experts", and how you should never compromise on your "dream" no matter what that dream is or how vague it is. It gives off a sense of elitism, like the opinions of others don't matter because you yourself believe you know what's best. And intentional or not, I feel like that's a bad moral to give because experts exist for a reason.

The other problem however is how the "experts" are presented. They don't listen to their client and immediately decide they know better just because of their own experiences, going behind Fluttershy's back and never even trying to make her vision work. And there is also the problem in that Fluttershy's "dream" is established suddenly within this episode whereas previous dream achieving episodes were for goals that had been clearly established in prior episodes and seasons.

My intent with Diamond Tiara was to try to shift the focus away from Fluttershy and present the conflict from a more neutral perspective, while also showing that compromise is where the moral truly lies. It's good to listen to the opinions of others when they know more than you do, but there's nothing wrong with making your own decisions on certain matters every now and then (that's why the "Hippocratic Oath" exists).

I also removed Dandy Grandieur since there really is no reason for an open sanctuary to have an interior designer, and sought to provide a bit more clarity on what Fluttershy's occupation is if Dr. Fauna is Ponyville's only official vet.

~~Dragonshy~~
~~A Dog and Pony Show~~
~~Read It and Weep (Bonus Chapter)~~
~~Magical Mystery Cure (Two Parter)~~
~~Rarity Takes Manehattan~~
~~Make New Friends, But Keep Discord~~
~~The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2~~
~~Fluttershy Leans In (Bonus Chapter)~~
The Hearts and Hooves Day Mystery (The Break Up Break Down)
Growing Up is Hard to Do (Bonus Chapter)

S8 E10: The Hearts and Hooves Day Mystery (The Break Up Break Down) (What If?)

Author's Note

The reason for me reworking and renaming the episode is because "The Break Up Break Down" as it is is painfully cliche. It apparently was trying to be "Slice of Life" for secondary characters with its plots, but the problem there in lies with the fact that the show was never clear on what constituted a secondary character the same way it clarified background characters. Spike, for example, hardly seems like the type of character who could be considered "secondary" when he's had multiple focus episodes before and been a part of the main group.

My decision to change the focus to Ocellus is twofold: First is the fact Ocellus is the only member of the student/young six who never got a focus episode of her own in either Season 8 or Season 9, meaning she is technically tied with Sandbar for the least developed and least focused on member of the group. And second is the fact that Hearts and Hooves Day feels like a day that would be especially hard on Ocellus given how much she internalizes her species' past, seeing herself as the more or less atoner for what her race used to be like.

I know I keep dancing around the whole CheeriMac/SugarMac debate in this series and have yet to officially decide either way despite covering numerous episodes from Seasons 7-9. And by this point I no longer have the show to use as an excuse seeing as SugarMac was decided upon for good by the end of Season 9. But I wanna hold off on deciding on whether to follow the show's canon or not until I'm absolutely certain I'm ready to commit to it. And I don't feel like this episode really brought anything new to the table for SugarMac, instead using sitcom cliches that didn't really develop either character (in particular reducing Sugar Belle to little more than a plot element).

I also worked in some nods to both the "Ponyville Mysteries" chapter books (which is where Scootaloo's aunts were first mentioned) and the comic books (which originally gave Scootaloo's aunts show designs, but those designs ultimately weren't the ones used in the show). And I even worked in an indirect reference to my rewrite of "Bridle Gossip" (which was changed to focus on the CMC) from Volume Four.

~~Dragonshy~~
~~A Dog and Pony Show~~
~~Read It and Weep (Bonus Chapter)~~
~~Magical Mystery Cure (Two Parter)~~
~~Rarity Takes Manehattan~~
~~Make New Friends, But Keep Discord~~
~~The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2~~
~~Fluttershy Leans In (Bonus Chapter)~~
~~The Hearts and Hooves Day Mystery (The Break Up Break Down)~~
Growing Up is Hard to Do (Bonus Chapter)

S8 E10: The Hearts and Hooves Day Mystery (The Break Up Break Down) (What If?)

Hearts and Hooves Day was always a special occasion for many, especially in a town like Ponyville. True, the Crystal Empire was where the Crystal Heart was and where the princess of love resided (alongside her loving husband and her young daughter). But Ponyville had played host to a wedding between two donkeys, and featured many stories of young love. Heck, as Mr. and Mrs. Cake could attest, there were many stories of love lasting for years and years. And when said holiday also happened to be known for a particular incident that had occurred a few years back as a result of a potion, it was impossible to expect Ponyville not to be front and center in celebrating the holiday of love.

This was especially felt within the walls of the School of Friendship as countless students had noticed posters and decorations devoted to the holiday everywhere they looked. Some had even talked about plans for their own special someones that they'd had their eyes on.

Yet there was one student wasn't really thrilled about the holiday and was currently going to great lengths to hide her lack of enthusiasm: Ocellus. For the young changeling, a holiday centered around love brought back the kind of memories she'd rather forget. But she knew none of her friends would understand. How could they when they experienced love in far different ways from her and her species?

So it was that the changeling was throwing herself hard into her studies at the school on the holiday, doing her best to shut it out and pretend it didn't exist.

Alas, Ocellus' friends couldn't stop talking about it. One friend in particular was so enthusiastic about it that it seemed to be all he ever talked about. Sandbar was so excited he could barely pay attention in any of his classes all day. "Hearts and Hooves Day is one of the best holidays in all of Equestria!" He proclaimed after leaving his last class for the day! "To think, it all got its start from an apparent love poison incident long, long ago."

"Just how many holidays do you ponies have anyway?" Smolder questioned while flapping her wings. "You've got this: Nightmare Night, Hearth's Warming Eve and the Summer Sun Celebration. How do you ever keep track of them all?"

Sandbar grinned and giggled. "If I didn't know better, Smolder, I'd say you were jealous."

Smolder snorted and blew a bit of smoke out of her nostrils. "Me? Jealous? Why would I be jealous? We dragons are perfectly fine with not having holidays all the time. It's not like we don't know how to have fun or never have anything to celebrate, 'cause we do."

"Whatever you say, Smolder," Sandbar taunted before noticing Ocellus trailing behind, apparently looking quite glum. Concerned about his changeling friend, the young earth pony stopped in his tracks and sought to get her attention. "Hey, Ocellus. You feeling okay? You haven't been particularly excited these past few days. Even school stuff doesn't seem to get you excited."

Ocellus blinked as she looked up slowly. "Huh? Me?" She hastily answered. "I'm fine, really. You don't have to worry about me. I'm just a little... lovesick, that's all."

Smolder skeptically inquired. "I thought you said you changelings don't feed on love anymore, your king specifically forbid it and encouraged you all to share love freely."

Ocellus swallowed hard. "W-well," She stuttered and tried to recover. "W-we can s-still feed on love i-if we want to. And it's k-kind of hard not to do so w-when there's s-so much love going around here. I-it's like having a free meal at an all-you-can-eat buffet. W-who could p-possibly say no to t-that?"

Smolder was still unconvinced, but Sandbar seemed to buy the hasty explanation as he just put a hoof around Ocellus. "Well, I guess you should be careful not to overindulge. Wouldn't want you getting fat," He teased. "You'd be even heavier than Yona is."

Ocellus blushed hard. "Don't let Yona hear you say that."

"Oh relax, you know what I meant," Sandbar replied in an unconcerned tone of voice as he then trotted off. "Well, I'm gonna go catch up with Gallus, Silverstream and Yona. Don't know about the rest of you, but I don't have any homework to do. I'm free for the rest of the holiday!"

As soon as Sandbar was out of sight, Smolder turned around to confront Ocellus after making sure the hallways were more or less empty. "Okay, spill it. What's the deal with you and this pony holiday?" She declared. "There's something you didn't wanna tell Sandbar. But you're gonna tell me. I don't like seeing my friends down in the dumps, it makes me feel uncomfortable."

The young changeling reluctantly confessed. "It's just so hard to be joyful when you've got a holiday that reminds you of your past. Reminds you that your species used to exist solely to feed on the love of others."

The orange scaled dragon was about to ask Ocellus for more details, right before a trio of recognizable fillies (one of which looked a lot like Smolder herself if she were a pony) came rushing up! "Hey, did anyone here order a pie?" Apple Bloom called out.

Happy for a distraction, Ocellus walked over to the farm filly and questioned. "A pie? What sort of pie?"

"Don't know, haven't tasted it yet since it ain't meant for us," Apple Bloom explained. "And it's the strangest thing. The pie was delivered to Sweet Apple Acres right by our clubhouse this very mornin'. All we could make out was a name, everythin' else was all smudged up. There was a 'Belle' on it."

Sweetie Belle then declared. "So it must've been meant for me. And that can only mean one thing."

"Sweetie Belle has a secret admirer!" Scootaloo cheered! "And we're trying to figure out who it is. It's a real mystery, a bigger one than any we've ever faced before. And we've had our fair share of mysteries in recent years."

Ocellus immediately volunteered. "Well, Smolder and I don't have anything better to do. Why don't we help you find out who it is?"

Sweetie Belle's eyes lit up like stars! "You'd do that for me?!"

The young changeling nodded. "Of course we would! We've heard so much about you Crusaders. And I get the feeling Headmare Twilight would want us to help out."

Smolder, however, suspected that something else was up. "Ocellus isn't telling me everything about her past or why it's connected to this holiday," She thought to herself. "There must be a way to get her to open up." And she made a mental vow to find out what that way was before this little "mystery" was wrapped up.

No one at the school could've anticipated where this "mystery" would lead. The mystery of Sweetie Belle's secret admirer was going to have a conclusion just as unexpected as its origins.

"Now hold on a minute!" Smolder sought to protest as she turned to Ocellus. "I barely even know these... Crusaders. And yet you wanna volunteer me to solve some unimportant mystery involving a secret admirer?"

Ocellus just commented with what looked like a knowing smirk. "What's wrong, Smolder? Got somewhere you need to be? I thought a big, tough dragon like you didn't care a bit for this mushy, lovey-dovey kind of holiday. Isn't solving a mystery more exciting than spending the rest of the day watching ponies celebrate their love stories?"

As if to prove her point, the changeling gestured a hoof out a nearby window of the school. Said window offered a glimpse into the town of Ponyville fully in the midst of the very spirit of Hearts and Hooves Day. Couples young and old alike were celebrating in their own ways. Maud Pie could be seen walking hoof in hoof with Mudbriar, the two of them striking rare smiles as they appeared to be lost in each others' eyes. Cranky Doodle Donkey could be seen giving his beautiful wife Matilda a colorful bouquet of flowers. And even a mint green coated unicorn could be seen giving a cream colored earth pony a big hug.

Smolder took one look at the scene and immediately gagged. "Alright, alright!" She relented. "You made your point, Ocellus. I'll join you on this mystery, wherever it leads."

The young changeling smiled and flashed a knowing wink to the Crusaders while she declared. "Knew you'd see it my way, Smolder."

"We'd better get a move on," Sweetie Belle then commented. "Hearts and Hooves Day is already half over. I'd really like to find out who my secret admirer could be before today ends. I at least want them to know I got their package so they don't have to spend the rest of the day worrying about whether it arrived or not."

Ocellus promptly asked the first question of the investigation. "You said the package arrived this morning. How early or late in the morning was it?"

At that, Apple Bloom scratched her head with a hoof. "I don't really know the time exactly. All I know is, we didn't have school since Miss. Cheerilee was unavailable and there wasn't anypony around to take her place: You know, seein' as Twilight's got this school to run and there ain't a lot of other qualified substitutes."

Smolder couldn't help but grumble. "You girls are lucky. I would've been happy not to have school today. Would've given me a day to sleep in."

Scootaloo just went on explaining. "It was kind of early in the day, though. We were just about to get started on a special task that Big Macintosh gave Apple Bloom. It was a big job, so she called on us to help her out. And we were just about to start when that mysterious package arrived." She began to flash back to that very moment in her mind, the memory still fresh.

Apple Bloom could barely contain her excitement when Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo showed up at the clubhouse that doubled as their official business headquarters. But they weren't seeing any customers or clients today even though they didn't have any school. Something else was taking priority.

The farm filly quickly explained when she called the "meeting" of the club's founding members into order. "Hear ye, hear ye! This special Hearts and Hooves Day meetin' of the Cutie Mark Crusaders is now officially in session!" She declared while pretending to bang a gavel on the small podium at the back of the clubhouse. "And our first and only order of business for today: Is gettin' the barn all nice and decorated for tonight."

"I didn't know your family was renting out the barn for a Hearts and Hooves Day dance," Scootaloo commented to Apple Bloom. "Usually they just have it by town hall. But now that I think about it, there do seem to be a lot of couples celebrating the holiday this year: My aunts included."

Apple Bloom shook her head in response to her fellow Crusader's comment. "The barn's not bein' used for a dance. My brother wants to use it. He's got his own plans for tonight with his special somepony."

Sweetie Belle innocently inquired. "What sort of plans?"

Apple Bloom only answered. "He wouldn't say. I mean, it ain't exactly a secret he's got a special somepony anymore than his guy's night with Spike is a secret. But he still likes to treat it like it's somethin' he can't tell anypony about. All I know is, he wants the barn ready by tonight and he specifically asked me to do it since Applejack's busy with teachin' at Twilight's school."

Scootaloo quickly realized. "And you want us to help you."

"Exactly!" Apple Bloom declared with a smile. "So let's get to work already! That barn ain't gonna decorate itself."

So the three fillies left the clubhouse and prepared to head out to the barn to begin decorating. Yet to their surprise, they found a lonely package that looked like it had just been dropped off. And on top of the package that was roughly square in shape, was a note.

Sweetie Belle inspected the object by lighting up her horn, picking it up in the sap green glow of her magic.

"Who's it from? And what does it say?" Scootaloo asked, eager and excited for more details.

Sweetie only frowned as she replied. "I can't tell, it's all smudged up. It just says 'Meet me tonight' and has a drawing of a bell on it." She then set the package back down, surprised by how heavy it felt. A few seconds later, from the package tumbled out a carefully wrapped pie.

Scootaloo couldn't help but rib her fellow filly with an orange hoof. "Gosh, somepony sure went through a lot of trouble to deliver this pacakage here to you. And on Hearts and Hooves Day no less."

The little unicorn blinked in surprise. "I wasn't expecting anything in the mail today."

The farm filly immediately gasped as a realization seemed to strike her! "Don't you see?! This can only mean one thing: Sweetie Belle, you have a secret admirer!"

"No kidding? Me?" Sweetie slowly processed the information. When she had done so a bright smile worked its way onto her face as she commented. "What a wonderful thing to happen to me," Then she looked to her fellow Crusaders. "You girls aren't jealous, right?"

Scootaloo shook her head from side to side. "Why would we be jealous? We're all friends, that's not gonna change just because somepony really likes you. I'm sure it'll be our turn eventually. We're still young, plenty of time before we have to start worrying about special someponies and dating and things like that."

Apple Bloom then commented. "You girls realize there's only one thing to do now, right?" When neither Sweetie or Scootaloo replied right away she answered for them. "We gotta find out who Sweetie Belle's secret admirer is. That way she can thank 'em for the gift. It's the right thing to do whenever somepony sends you somethin' in the mail, especially when you weren't expectin' it," And she turned to the unicorn with a pristine white coat as she asked. "So, any guesses as to who it could be?"

Sweetie Belle nervously gulped and answered. "No, not a clue. It could be anypony, really."

The young earth pony let out a sigh as she frowned. "That's what I was afraid of," But her frown quickly faded as she declared. "But that's okay, we can just ask around town until we find out who it is."

The little pegasus proceeded to question. "Shouldn't we get the barn all decorated first?"

"Oh, yeah," Apple Bloom realized. "Almost forgot about that. Let's take care of the barn first so my brother's ready for tonight."

"But what about the pie?" Sweetie questioned. Looking at it again with her light green eyes, it seemed awfully tempting and it had been a while since breakfast.

Apple Bloom just insisted. "Just leave it. It's a clue and we gotta look over it. Haven't you learned anythin' from those mysteries we tried solvin' before Twilight's school came along?"

"I remember Lillymoon and Ambermoon and what their parents were involved in, but that's about it. And I remember some of the other mysteries we tried solving didn't turn out too well," Sweetie Belle nervously recalled. "I'm sure whoever my special somepony is, they'll ask me tomorrow in school if I got anything in the mail."

"But what if it ain't somepony from our school?" Apple Bloom grumbled. "A mystery's a mystery and we're gonna solve it! Now stop worryin' about the pie so we can get our only official order of Crusader business done for the day."

The flashback ended as the Crusaders were now leading Ocellus and Smolder out of the School of Friendship and away from Twilight's castle that resided nearby.

"So, after you found the pie I'm guessing it took you until just now to finish decorating the barn?" Smolder questioned the Crusaders, particularly Apple Bloom. "How hard is to decorate a barn?! Just throw some streamers here and there, sweep the floors and maybe paint the walls a bit. There, done. So simple even I could do it."

Ocellus just grumbled. "Smolder, that's not very nice. There's a way to go about this detective stuff and mystery solving stuff without being a jerk about it."

Smolder puffed out her wings! "I'm not being a jerk! I was just asking a question."

Apple Bloom quickly interrupted. "For your information, it only took us about an hour and a half to decorate my family's barn. But after that we decided to devote some time to tryin' to track down Sweetie Belle's secret admirer. Turns out there's a lot more colts in town than we realized."

"Hard to believe there's not a single one that already has a special somepony," Scootaloo pondered. "Although, I guess that's good news for Apple Bloom and I if it stays that way," She was quick to insist. "N-not that we're looking for romance anytime soon or anything. Who's got time for love when you've got school and being a Cutie Mark Crusader?"

Sweetie Belle reassured her oldest friend. "It's okay if you're jealous, Scootaloo. I'm sure we could find a special somepony right for you if you wanted."

Scootaloo quickly protested. "I already said I don't need a special somepony! Besides, that's not why we're doing this right now, "Then she changed the subject. "We all agreed that we needed to widen the search. And a changeling was the best idea because even though they don't feed on love anymore they can still detect it, right?"

Ocellus seemed to freeze up upon hearing those words. She appeared to become tongue tied as she nervously tried to explain. "W-well... it... it... doesn't... really... 'work that way' if you know what I'm saying. Love is... very complicated stuff."

Perhaps sensing how uncomfortable the topic of detecting love was for Ocellus, Smolder butted in. "Obviously, Ocellus can't do that. But she's still gonna help you figure out who sent that pie."

Ocellus quickly recovered. "Yes! Thank you, Smolder," With her confidence back she questioned Apple Bloom. "I assume you couldn't ask Sandbar since he was at the school all day. But how many other colts did you ask?"

"Somewhere around two and a half dozen, I think," The farm filly recalled. "We questioned all the obvious suspects, and even some of the less likely ones. Had to make sure we left no stone unturned. We even made a chart and everythin' so we could check our work. After all, this ain't our first rodeo when it comes to solvin' mysteries. Just ask Zecora."

Smolder scratched her head. "Where have I heard that name before?"

Ocellus also pondered. "Isn't she some kind of rhyming enchantress or something?"

"Not really an enchantress, we learned that lesson the hard way," Apple Bloom pointed out. "She's a zebra, lives by herself in the Everfree Forest. We'll have to introduce you to her someday."

Ocellus then inquired. "Mind if I take a look at the chart you Crusaders made? That way I'll have some idea of where to start."

Apple Bloom eagerly agreed. "Good idea! I was just about to suggest that! I like the way you think, Ocellus. I sure wish we could attend classes with you and those other creatures Sandbar always hangs out with."

The young changeling was surprised to hear such a declaration. "You know Sandbar?!"

Sweetie Belle nodded. "He moved to Ponyville with his parents not long before Twilight opened her School of Friendship. We actually helped convince him to apply there to get over his cutie mark problems. And it worked."

"Funny. He never mentioned that before." Smolder remarked with suspicion creeping into her tone of voice. And in her mind she thought. "What else has he not told us yet?"

A short time later, changeling and dragon were brought up to the magnificent clubhouse at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, a clubhouse which the Cutie Mark Crusaders more or less operated out of.

"Fixed this place up all by ourselves," Apple Bloom declared before gesturing a hoof to the wall that displayed numerous hanging pictures of various ponies. "And these are just some of the many satisfied customers we've had ever since we made this club of ours into a business."

Scootaloo pointed out. "It was Diamond Tiara's idea. A really good one at that. And of all the clients and customers we've helped, I think she was one of our most important."

Smolder then noticed a picture of what appeared to be a green and gray feathered griffon. "But you've helped other creatures besides just ponies, right?"

"Oh, you noticed Gabby's picture?" Scootaloo inquired while buzzing her tiny wings. "She was a truly special case. I'll have to tell you the story some other time," And she added with a happy sigh. "I sure hope she comes back to Ponyville some day like she promised."

Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, cleared her throat and pointed a hoof to a huge wooden canvass with a sheet of paper hanging over it. "Can we get back to the subject of my secret admirer?" The unicorn filly gently demanded, pointing and prodding at the canvass with one of her hooves to draw attention to the display.

The young changeling quickly told her dragon friend. "She's right, we need to focus," And she led the orange scaled dragon over to the chart, which looked quite massive despite still fitting onto one sheet of paper. Her sea green eyes growing wide upon observing the chart in all its glory! "Wow! You did all of this in less than a day?!"

Apple Bloom nodded and proudly boasted. "Nothin''s impossible for the Cutie Mark Crusaders! The three of us got to every possible candidate in just a day." She even recalled how that task had been done:

After the three Crusaders had finished with decorating the barn, the topic of Sweetie Belle's secret admirer and who it could be now occupied their full and undivided collective attentions.

"Alright, the barn's all decorated. Our work here is done," Apple Bloom declared to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. "So that means there's only one thing left to do: Find out who Sweetie Belle's secret admirer is! We're gonna ask every single colt in town. There's a whole town of possible admirers out there and only three of us. But together, we're gonna get to the bottom of this no matter what it takes!"

"How are we gonna do that? I mean, there are more than a few colts out there. It could be any one of them," Scootaloo commented with concern. "And there's one colt we can't ask 'cause he's at the School of Friendship: Sandbar."

Sweetie Belle nervously declared. "I... don't think it could be him. Although... there could be worse options." And she briefly shuddered thinking about them.

The farm filly just reassuringly replied to her fellow fillies. "It's easy. We'll split off and cover different parts of town, then we'll meet back here in about an hour or so to report our progress. Ready?"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle exchanged glances while they reluctantly agreed to Apple Bloom's plan. "Yes."

And with that, Apple Bloom rushed off in one direction as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle took off in other directions. It wasn't long before Apple Bloom found a colt, Pipsqueak, and decided to immediately question him. "Excuse me, Pipsqueak? Mind answerin' a few questions real quick?"

Pipsqueak replied with confusion. "Questions about what?"

"Oh, a little of this. A little of that," Apple Bloom not so innocently explained. "Say, you seem to be in a big hurry today. Late for somethin'? Maybe you're expectin' somepony, like maybe a certain filly?"

Pipsqueak blinked in reply. "I have no idea what you're talking about, mate. There's not anypony I'm in a hurry to see."

Meanwhile, across town, Scootaloo had caught up with Button Mash and was not so secretly questioning him. "Excuse me. Sorry to bother you, but I'm kind of doing a survey and I need your help. It's about sending pie in the mail anonymously. Would you say you're for or against that? There are no wrong answers."

And elsewhere in town, Sweetie Belle was talking to Snips and Snails as she asked them. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, you two. By the way, did either of you happen to send any packages to anypony through the mail today? Like say, to me?" And without waiting for a reply she added. "Don't worry, it's okay to say no. I promise I won't be offended or upset," Though under her breath she kept whispering. "Please say no, please say no, please say no."

An hour soon passed and the three fillies met back up near Sweet Apple Acres to report their "progress" or lack thereof. "Well, it seems like every possible colt can be ruled out," Sweetie reluctantly stated. "Except for one. And we're not gonna be able to ask him anytime soon."

The farm filly unhappily sighed. "It sure looks that way. But let's at least put what we do know on a chart or somethin', that way we don't forget." And so the Cutie Mark Crusaders did just that.

"That's how we got this chart made," Apple Bloom explained to Ocellus as the flashback ended. "We originally came to the School of Friendship so we could ask Sandbar. But we can rule him out now since neither you or Smolder saw him send anythin' through the mail today."

Smolder nodded. "Nope. We get our mail delivered right to us. A mail pony delivers it every week, and that's when we get a chance to send anything we want to whoever or wherever we want. It's how some of us keep in touch with our leaders."

Sweetie unhappily sighed as she sat on her rump, looking at the chart again. "I don't get it. How could we have hit a dead end? We had a lead, we checked all the possible suspects."

"Then there's only one thing left to do! Go to the source!" Ocellus spoke up as she turned away from the chart. "The pie had to be delivered from somewhere. And the only way it could've come to Sweet Apple Acres is through the Ponyville post office. We'll just go down there and ask the workers themselves."

"But they handle tons of packages every day." Scootaloo commented with concern.

The young changeling just replied. "Which is why we're gonna take the package with us to find out where it was sent from. Maybe it didn't come from Ponyville. Maybe it's from out of town."

Realization seemed to hit Apple Bloom square in the muzzle as she realized! "Of course! Why didn't I think of that sooner?! If it's not anypony in town, it has to be somepony from out of town!" And she said to Ocellus. "I like the way you think, Ocellus. No wonder you changelin''s were always so good at blendin' in, with smarts like yours it would be impossible for ponies to recognize an impostor. Makes you wonder why your queen was so bad at blendin' in."

Ocellus froze up and looked down at the ground upon hearing Apple Bloom's remarks, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Smolder. And it further reinforced her silent vow to get to the bottom of her changeling friend's unhappiness with today's holiday. It had to be something deeper than just a lack of interest.

Fortunately for Ocellus, she quickly regained her focus when she trotted outside and spotted the package still resting where it had been since its delivery earlier in the day. She proceeded to scoop it up. "Come on, let's get to the post office while there's still time!"

The Ponyville Post Office was a buzz of activity on most "normal days", frequently run by just a small hoofful of staff. Maybe at one point that had been acceptable, but over the past few years as Ponyville's population seemed to expand rapidly the post office had struggled.

Today was worse, however. Packages, parcels and letters were pouring in from every which way it seemed. And there was a mad scramble to get every bit of mail sorted out and sent on its way. Wagons were rushing out and coming back in every other second, filled to the brim with more letters, packages and parcels. And the workers looked to be just barely able to keep up with the frantic pace.

Despite seeing the "organized chaos" that was going on, however, the group of young creatures was determined to get their little "mystery" sorted out. So they approached the counter as Sweetie Belle tapped a hoof on the bell to alert all in the office to their presence.

The bell was soon answered by a wall eyed, grey coated pegasus mare with a blonde mane and tail and a cutie mark depicting bubbles. "Hello, welcome to the Ponyville Post Office," The mare cheerfully greeted. "I'm sorry, we're awfully busy today. We can't accept anymore last minute deliveries or returns, otherwise we'll be here all day and night."

Ocellus just replied. "We're not here to return or deliver anything. We just want some answers about a package. We're trying to find out who sent it and why."

The wall eyed mare somewhat nervously replied by bending down briefly, before pulling up a clipboard and holding it in her wings. "Uh, that might be a problem. We've had packages from all over Equestria coming in here today, on top of all the stuff we've had to ship out from here. You're gonna have to be a bit more specific or I can't help you."

The young changeling promptly placed the package containing the pie and the smudged up label on the desk. "Well, how about this? Do you recognize this package, miss..."

The wall eyed mare blinked her wall eyes slowly in response. "Oh, well I could tell you what my name is. But I'm kind of ashamed of it, it's got a lot of personal baggage. You can just call me Bubbles... or Muffins, either one's fine. That's what most ponies call me, at least nowadays."

Scootaloo promptly whispered to Ocellus and Smolder. "It's best to play along with her, she's really sensitive about her real name."

The light green coated changeling reluctantly decided not to press the issue further, instead settling for the first name presented to her as she said. "Miss Bubbles... do you recognize this package at all? Maybe you or somepony else here handled it today?"

"Bubbles" inspected the package very carefully, even pulling out a magnifying glass to examine the smudged label more clearly. But after completing her inspection she just declared. "I'm sorry. I can't make any sort of information besides the 'Belle' name," Then she put a hoof to her chin. "I do sort of remember handling a similar looking package this morning. But if the label was smudged I would've noticed it. We always check for that sort of stuff before we ship anything out. It's possible something happened to the label during shipping, and without a proper address it would be returned to the sender."

"Hey, I seem to remember my brother comin' back from the post office this mornin'," Apple Bloom suddenly remembered. "Any chance he was shippin' a pie? Maybe it was his package and it got mixed up?"

"Bubbles" shrugged her hooves. "I didn't see what was inside the package. I wasn't in charge of delivering it. I have my hooves full as it is just making deliveries around town. And I don't know who made the deliveries to where, there's been so many deliveries today I haven't been able to keep track of 'em all."

The young changeling stepped back and apologized. "O...kay. Sorry to bring it up. You're obviously very busy, Miss. Bubbles," She turned to the others. "Well, it was worth a shot. I guess we'll never truly know for sure who sent this package or why."

However, just as the group was preparing to leave, the wall eyed mare called out! "Wait! Something just came to me! Let me see the pie!" She suddenly insisted.

Hopeful for a lead of some kind to blow the case open, Ocellus eagerly agreed as she carefully hoofed the pie (still wrapped up and preserved) to "Bubbles". In return, "Bubbles" examined the pie just as carefully as she had the label on the package it had come in. Ocellus and the others waited several minutes for any developments.

At last, "Bubbles" happily declared as she gave the pie back to Ocellus. "It's just as I thought, that was no ordinary pie. It was a specially made one meant just for this holiday."

"Great!" Smolder excitedly declared, more so because she disliked standing around rather than anything else. "So, do you know where it came from?"

"Bubbles" happily confirmed. "I most certainly do. Only one sweet shop in town could make special pies like this: Sugarcube Corner. I'll bet if you took the pie back to there, you could find out who ordered it. They keep better track of that stuff than what we keep track of here at the post office."

Sweetie Belle then excitedly proclaimed! "That means I'm one step closer to knowing who my secret admirer is! Thank you so much, Bubbles! You've been such a big help today."

The wall eyed mare seemed to light up with joy upon hearing such a phrase. "You really mean that?!" And when she got a nod in confirmation she unfolded her wings and proclaimed! "Oh, you don't know how happy I am to hear that! It seems like more often I hear about how I've messed things up for somepony even if it's not really my fault. It's nice to hear about the opposite for a change."

Ocellus, meanwhile, was taking charge of the situation again! "We're close to an answer, girls! Let's not waste any more time! To Sugarcube Corner, on the double!"

The sun was just beginning to lower, bathing the town of Ponyville in the beautiful orange glow of evening. Hearts and Hooves Day was starting to draw to a close, though there were still lots of activities planned for after Celestia's sun went down and Luna's moon came out.

Sugarcube Corner wasn't a place really affected by such activities, however. And so the bakery was already preparing to close down for the night, even as it was currently tending to the evening rush of ponies desperate for something to satisfy their sweet tooths.

It seemed like it took forever for the small group of creatures to reach the front of the line. Mr. Cake was behind the counter, surprised to see them (and surprised to see them looking quite out of breath). "Oh, hello," He tried to greet as normally as possible. "What are you all doing here so late? Looking to place an order, perhaps? We're a bit busy, but between Pinkie Pie, my wife and I, we've got it covered."

Ocellus just placed the delivered and still wrapped pie on the counter, pushing it forward as she said to the stallion. "I'm told this is a special pie that only gets made here. Somepony ordered it and sent it through the mail today, and it ended up at Sweet Apple Acres. The only clue we have as to its intended pony is a smudged label with only a 'Belle' able to be seen on it. Do you know who ordered this pie?"

Mr. Cake seemed to hesitate for but a moment before he looked to the changeling and told her. "I... don't know exactly," He looked to the back. "But Cup Cake should know, she was working the counter this morning and much of yesterday," Then he called out to the kitchen. "Sugar plum? Can you come here, please? There's something that requires your attention."

Mrs. Cake soon emerged from the kitchen doors. "What is it, honey bun?" The plump baker asked her husband.

Mr. Cake promptly gestured a hoof to the pie as he told his wife. "We have some... customers who want to know about our Hearts and Hooves Day special. You know more about that than I do, so you can help them out and I'll... take over for you in the kitchen."

Mrs. Cake nodded and smiled, giving her husband a kiss as she did so. "Thanks a ton, honey bun. This is why we make such a perfect team," Then she approached the counter, immediately recognizing both the Cutie Mark Crusader and Ocellus and Smolder. "Oh, this is a surprise," She commented. "So, you wanna know about the Hearts and Hooves Day special? What do you want to know?"

Ocellus explained. "Who was the pony who ordered the pie that got sent to Sweet Apple Acres with only a 'Belle' on the label? We think it was meant for Sweetie Belle, and we've been spending the day trying to find out who her secret admirer could be." She then pushed the pie forward.

The plump earth pony mare examined the pie and the package with the smudged label it had come in very carefully. It took her but a minute to realize the truth. "Oh, I'm so sorry for the mix-up," She apologized as she explained. "This wasn't meant for 'Sweetie' Belle. It was meant for 'Sugar' Belle. Big Macintosh specifically requested this pie yesterday so he could send it to her in time for Hearts and Hooves Day today. The label must've gotten all smudged up, and without a proper name or address it was returned to its sender."

"Wait, so I don't have a secret admirer after all?" Sweetie Belle realized as her heart sank a bit. "Now I feel really silly."

Mrs. Cake reassured the downtrodden filly. "It's okay, Sweetie Belle. Hearts and Hooves Day isn't the only day of the year where ponies can become secret admirers or do nice things for ponies they love. You may get a secret admirer someday, or even a special somepony. Love can happen at any time."

Apple Bloom, meanwhile, sought to question. "But why was my brother orderin' a pie for somepony like Sugar Belle who lives out in the middle of nowhere? Couldn't she have just come here to order the pie herself and pick it up?"

At that Mrs. Cake only replied. "Sorry, but I made a promise to her that I wouldn't tell anypony about why she wanted that pie. It's between her and I."

"Maybe it has something to do with Big Mac wanting the barn decorated for tonight," Scootaloo realized. "Although, that could also be why Miss. Cheerilee wasn't available to teach today now that I think about it."

Sweetie Belle just declared. "I'm sure we'll find out the truth someday. Besides, even if I don't have a secret admirer there are still two ponies I love, as friends of course."

"And who would those ponies be?" Scootaloo pondered.

The unicorn filly smiled as she threw her hooves around her fellow Crusaders. "It's you two girls, of course! My very best friends in the whole wide world of Equestria!"

The tomboyish filly buzzed her tiny wings in excitement even while she tried to insist. "I knew that all along, really. I just wanted to see how you'd react."

Sweetie giggled. "Oh, Scootaloo. You don't have to pretend to hide your true feelings. Come on, it's Hearts and Hooves Day. Love can take many forms, it doesn't always have to be romantic."

And the farm filly suggested. "Yeah. So let's spend the rest of the day enjoyin' our time off," She then turned to Ocellus. "Thanks for helpin' us out with this mystery though. We probably wouldn't have thought about goin' to the post office or Sugarcube Corner. They were so obvious they never crossed our minds."

The young changeling seemed to sincerely smile, or rather forcing herself to do so as she told the CMC. "It was my pleasure, really. Glad I could help you out, even if the outcome wasn't what you were expecting."

Smolder added. "Seems like your friendships are stronger than ever because of it. Funny how that works. Seems like I can't escape friendship lessons no matter where I go," Then her attention turned to Ocellus. "Speaking of lessons-"

Ocellus gulped as she realized what her dragon friend was about to do. "Do we really have to, Smolder? Can't this at least wait until tomorrow? It's getting kind of late."

The young dragon snorted, a few puffs of smoke escaping her nostrils. "Oh no, you're not putting this off any longer! It's time we had a little talk, friend to friend!"

Perhaps sensing the mood that was taking hold, Sweetie Belle quickly ushered her fellow Crusaders away. "Come on, let's get this pie back to Big Mac so he can get this mess sorted out before whatever he has planned for tonight." And soon the three fillies had departed Sugarcube Corner.

Smolder then turned to Ocellus after quickly checking to see if anypony else was listening. Aside from Mrs. Cake though, nopony was as they were all too preoccupied with various desserts. "Alright, Ocellus. It's time to confess. What's the real reason you're not happy about this holiday? Whatever it is, it's why you were so quick to take on the Cutie Mark Crusaders' case."

Ocellus stuttered and seemed to suddenly break out into a nervous, cold sweat. "I...I... a-already... t-told you why. You heard... w-what I... told Sandbar."

The young dragon just narrowed her eyes, not buying her changeling friend's statement for even a second. "That's not it, not even close. I know a lie when I see it. What would Professor Applejack have to say if she were here to see this?"

"But it's not a lie, it's true! We can still feed off of love!" Ocellus protested. "That's part of the reason why so many ponies still fear us."

Smolder rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous. Nopony around here's ever seemed afraid of you. If anything, they'd be more afraid of dragons like me or griffons like Gallus. We don't exactly have the best reputations, I heard the first griffon who came here was a real jerk."

But Ocellus glumly confessed. "They may not show it outwardly, but being a changeling means I can pick up on emotions: Not just love but also fear. It's not always easy, but when ponies or other creatures try to hide it I can detect it. It's something that's always been unique about me. No other changeling seems to have it. And I know why ponies fear me, it's because holidays like this used to be a changeling's favorite time of year," And she began to recall. "Under Chrysalis, we would go in disguise to all sorts of cities and towns to feed on love. It's because we did so good that Chrysalis decided to try it herself."

Smolder protested. "And because of that she got her sorry butt blasted to kingdom come not once but twice. And now you've got a better ruler from what I hear, just like how we dragons used to be lead by a big old dragon named Torch before he stepped down."

Ocellus shuddered while memories long repressed flooded back to her in her mind, playing over and over again before her very eyes. "Thorax did take over eventually, but he was the lucky one. He got to escape from the hive. Others who tried to stand up to Chrysalis weren't so lucky. They were all defeated and brainwashed into obeying only her. And after Thorax escaped, she made sure every changeling still in the hive obeyed her one way or another. Any sense of individuality was stomped out. That's what she tried to do to me."

The young dragon felt her eyes widen! "Ocellus... I-I didn't know."

The young changeling just glumly replied. "It's okay, you couldn't have known. Even Thorax didn't find out until after he'd taken the throne. But somehow, I was able to resist. I'm not sure how or why, and even Thorax doesn't know," Her tone of voice seemed to slowly change to a more upbeat one as she then added. "But he told me that's what makes me special and unique. And that's why he wanted me to be the first changeling to ever attend Twilight's School of Friendship. But..."

"But," Smolder seemed to guess. "Holidays like this make it hard to forget what you used to be like, isn't that right?"

Nodding, Ocellus confirmed. "You got that right. So I was happy to have any sort of distraction from the holiday, any sort of distraction from love."

Smolder promptly replied. "Well, I'm not really good at emotional stuff. But I think I can safely say that you don't have to worry about love or about your species' past on a holiday like this. If even ponies like Mrs. Cake here," She briefly gestured a claw to the plump baker. "Aren't bothered by your presence, then I think your species has come a long way from what you used to be. As long as you remember that, you'll be fine."

Ocellus slowly seemed to smile as she then gave Smolder a hug. "Thank you, Smolder. I mean it. You really don't know how much your speech means to me. And I know you meant every word of it."

All Smolder could do was force herself to say in reply. "Hey, what are friends for?" Then she insisted. "But don't you go telling Sandbar, or Gallus or any of our other friends about this, got it?"

"Wouldn't dream of it. It'll just be our little secret," Ocellus agreed. "Now, we should get back to the school before Headmare Twilight starts to wonder where we've been. We're not supposed to leave school grounds on school days without telling her first."

S9 E22: Growing Up is Hard to Do (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)

It hadn't been more than a week or two since Spoiled Rich had received a most unusual item intended for her eyes and her eyes alone. Said item was something that she had initially thought was some kind of very unfunny prank: A skull.

But it was no ordinary skull as Spoiled had soon discovered for herself. The skull was enchanted, infused with a magic that possibly rivaled even that of the alicorns or of Discord. And said skull's enchantment opened up a line of communication to a figure Spoiled was sure she'd never forget: It was a ram. But not just any ram: Said ram was a moderate cornflower blue in color with very dark blue horns, a light bluish-gray mane and tail in short, razor stubs and pale, apple green eyes that contained red pupils. Just above his hooves rested a red collar with several yellow orbs on it.

The ram soon revealed itself as capable of speech. "You are the one called Spoiled Rich, are you not?" He had inquired.

After a bit of initial hesitation, Spoiled had reluctantly identified herself. "Y-yes. And who might you be?"

"You can call me Grogar," The ram identified itself. "And yes, that is the same 'Grogar' you've heard of in legends. The same 'Grogar' the self-righteous Gusty the Great defeated by draining me of my powers."

From there, Spoiled had quickly learned that Grogar was hoping to recruit her into an army, or a "legion" as he'd taken to calling it. Said "legion" was being assembled of various evil doers big and small alike to carry out an attack on Equestria that would succeed in toppling its current rulers, chief among them the soon to be supreme ruler herself: Princess Twilight.

Understandably, the idea of siding against her home country was not a decision to be made lightly and the rich mare had contemplated it for several sleepless nights. She'd always personally felt that since her daughter's change of heart, friendship had its downsides. And perhaps Equestria was becoming too friendly and welcoming, changing much too fast for a pony like Spoiled to understand.

Yet now, after much thought, Spoiled Rich had made up her mind. Making sure she was alone within the confines of the Rich family mansion, that no hired hooves of any sort were around to spy upon or overhear her, she activated the enchantment on the skull like she had been instructed to do. Soon, she was looking at a projection of Grogar's face as he appeared to be in some sort of swamp.

The ram looked up, his pale, apple green eyes and red pupils staring straight into Spoiled's despite the projection. "Ah, Spoiled Rich. I see you've finally come to a decision. I take it you wish to inform me that you'll be joining my legion? Our day of conquest is drawing near."

But the rich mare shook her head. "As tempted as I may be to get back at someponies for what they've done to my family and I, I know that I wouldn't wanna be caught aiding an enemy of Equestria. And as impressive as your 'legion' sounds, I simply can't be sure of victory. And if we were to lose it would cost me everything I could ill afford to be without," She proceeded to tell Grogar. "It's nothing personal, you understand. But I have my own well being to consider in this matter."

At that the evil ram became indignant, his eyes growing wide as he growled and roared! "You are a fool, Spoiled Rich! I gave you an offer, and when you replied rather than destroy my enchantment I assumed that meant I had found a worthy ally ready to obey me."

"Sorry," Spoiled somewhat coldly replied. "Regardless, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor. Should you succeed, I'd be more than happy to support you however I could."

Grogar was not satisfied at all with that answer as he instead just said. "Well, that's too bad. But I can't afford to have you warning anypony in case you decide to rat me out for a profit. After all, it seems money is all you care about."

"Growing up as the child of dairy farmers, my life was far from luxurious," Spoiled answered. "Having married into it, I'm not about to throw it all away for you."

The ram then began to make his horns glow ominously as he proclaimed. "Then maybe it's time you went back to that time: A time when you were poor and desperate. And a time when you were powerless instead of having power over others."

Without warning, a burst of dark magic shot out from the skull right before it vanished into thin air! The magic struck Spoiled head on, and she felt her entire body shrink around her. It didn't last long but to Spoiled it felt like an eternity. And when at last it had ended, she could only gasp at what she now saw herself as: A little filly with a plain old snout instead of an upturned one. She couldn't be much older than those accursed Cutie Mark Crusaders who had turned her daughter against her.

And now Spoiled couldn't even remember how she'd ended up like this. All she knew was that she was trapped in this filly body. So she did the only thing she could think of in her situation and screamed!

Fortunately for Spoiled Rich, her screaming would quickly draw attention to her and get her some help. But unfortunately for her, it was also going to touch off an adventure with some very unlikely ponies that she was not going to be allowed to forget. And it was an adventure that was also going to teach her a "lesson" about what it meant to truly grow up.

Diamond Tiara hadn't been aware of anything that had just transpired within the confines of her family mansion. She was expecting today to be another typical day for her. Her father would be working late, like he often was at this time of year. And her mother... well, Diamond neither really knew or really cared. She'd been going out of her way to avoid her mother as much as possible recently, especially upon hearing of how her mother's audition for the new position of vice headmare at the School of Friendship had turned out.

The pink coated filly was just stopping at home to rest for a little bit. Knowing her luck, Princess Twilight was still undergoing lessons to prepare for her ascension to the throne as supreme ruler. And hanging with the Cutie Mark Crusaders wasn't much of an option since they were planning to go to the Appleloosa County Fair, having saved up their allowances in the hopes of buy train tickets out to Appleloosa. If only Diamond had that luxury, but she knew her parents (her mom especially) would say no to her going anywhere out of town by herself.

"It's just not fair," Diamond thought to herself as she dropped off her saddlebags and made sure to wipe her feet on the doormat. "I more than held my own against that nasty Queen Chrysalis. It's not my fault she had an army of brainwashed ponies backing her up. I can totally take care of myself. I'm not some helpless little princess that needs protecting all the time. I'm like Princess Twilight, a pony who can be trusted to be a proven leader. Leadership is what my cutie mark represents, after all."

Oh well, those were thoughts to dwell upon some other time. There would be other opportunities for fun, like the Colt and Filly Fair or the Summer Wrap Up Festival and Hoedown. Those were always more frequent in occurrence than a county fair.

Suddenly, the silence of the Rich family mansion was disturbed by the sound of a scream from upstairs! A scream that sounded vaguely familiar to the headgear wearing filly despite its unusually high pitch.

So it was that Tiara forgot all about her earlier plans and raced upstairs as fast as she could! True, she could've just let one of the hired hooves take care of it, but that wasn't her style anymore.

Eventually, Diamond Tiara stumbled across the source of the scream when she entered her parents' bedroom. Pushing open the door, her cornflower blue eyes eventually spotted the source of the disturbance: A strangely familiar looking pale, grayish pink coated earth pony filly. Said filly had strong opal eyes, a curly mane and tail two shades of moderate magenta and darker pinkish-purple, and most telling of all a cutie mark depicting a diamond ring.

Diamond had to blink and rub her eyes just to be sure she wasn't imaging things. Before her now was a filly that looked exactly like her mother, even down to having the same cutie mark. "Mom?" She asked, unsure of whether or not the filly could speak.

The filly indeed could as it quickly grumbled. "Diamond Dazzle Tiara! Don't you dare mock me for my state of appearance!"

Tiara tried hard to stifle a laugh as she heard how high pitched her mom's voice was in her new filly body. "Mock you? Why would I mock you?" She not so innocently declared. "I mean, besides the fact that I'm now bigger than you and probably older than you?"

Spoiled just humphed, folding her hooves across her chest. "Whatever," She then looked at that light green dress she'd always been fond of wearing (until her recent regression anyways). "I'm still your mother. You have to obey me because... I said so."

Diamond just grinned, scooping her mom up. "Now now, Mother, that's not how you talk to somepony bigger than you. You've got a lot to learn about being a filly again."

The regressed rich mare pouted and protested. "But I don't wanna be a filly again! I hated being a kid, everypony always looked down on me because of how I grew up. Once I grew up and met your father, I never once looked back on who I was. You should be thankful that because of me you could grow up in a life of luxury and privilege, never having to worry about where your next meal was coming from or having to draw water from a well just to take a bath."

The pink coated filly just smirked while her cornflower blue eyes kept a watchful gaze on her regressed mother. "Oh, I know all about your days as Spoiled Milk, about your growing up on a dairy farm not unlike the Apples," Then she got an idea. "Maybe I should drop you back off with your parents and they can watch over you for a couple of days. I'll just tell Father you're out of town on a business trip."

Spoiled Rich shuddered at the idea even as she bellowed at the top of her lungs! "You wouldn't dare, young mare! If you try, I will ground you for life when I get back to being an adult again! I mean it this time."

The headgear wearing filly only giggled. "Oh relax, Mother. I was just kidding. I'm not as cruel as you are, you can thank the Cutie Mark Crusaders for that. Besides, how would I ever explain this to my grandparents? They'd think I was crazy."

Spoiled rolled her eyes. "Then don't just stand around, here. Get to me somepony who can change me back, or make something that can change me back! I don't want to spend even a second more as a filly than I have to."

"Gladly," Diamond declared in a sincere tone of voice. "It's lucky for you I was around when... whatever it is that turned you into a filly happened. Just imagine what could've happened if one of the hired hooves had found you. I wonder if they'd be as merciful as I am. After the way you've treated all the butlers and maids, I have a feeling many of them would love to get even."

At that the regressed rich mare nervously gulped. She hadn't thought about it before, but the idea of ponies (or even some non-ponies given recent developments) getting their revenge on her over their perceived treatment by her terrified the mare greatly. "On second thought, maybe you should just leave me and send word to the hired help that I'm not to be disturbed," She suggested to her daughter. "That way, nopony but you has to see me like this."

Diamond only replied by quickly picking up the dress on the floor and throwing it over the mare turned filly who was now way too big to fit into said dress. "Just stay quiet in there until I decide to let you out," She instructed. "Lucky for you, all the times you've grounded me have helped me hone my escape skills. I'll sneak us both out of the house without anypony ever being the wiser."

True to her word, the pink coated filly was able to escape the mansion with her regressed mother safely in tow, all without being seen or noticed by a single butler or maid. Then she carefully set off on a trek across town. There were only two ponies she could think of that might be magically gifted enough to turn her mother back to normal. Age spells were incredibly difficult to pull off.

The journey took longer than it usually did since Diamond Tiara was careful to stay away from other ponies and other creatures. She wasn't confident in her ability to smooth talk her way out of any situation or conversation that would ensue.

At last, however, Tiara reached her destination: The crystal castle that Princess Twilight called home and rested just across a small pond from the School of Friendship. She wasn't sure if the princess was home or not, but with any luck another occupant of the castle would be.

The headgear wearing filly briefly looked down at the dress turned concealing jacket to make sure her mother hadn't slipped out from it somehow. Thankfully, Spoiled had not and the coast was still clear.

A frantic knock on the castle's doors was soon answered by Spike. It was still strange to see him, well, not so little anymore even though it had been quite a while since the molt that had triggered his growth spurt. "Oh, Diamond Tiara," He greeted the frequently visiting filly. "Is today another one of your one on one sessions with Twilight? I know things have been so chaotic recently, your next lesson must've gotten lost in the shuffle."

But Diamond protested with a shake of her head. "It's not for me, Spike. Is Princess Twilight here, or at least Miss. Starlight? I could really use their help with something."

"Actually, today's your lucky day. Twilight's still here, she's not due for any important royal training," Spike cheerfully replied and ushered the filly inside. "I'll take you to her."

"Thanks a bunch, Spike," The young earth pony proclaimed as she walked through the doors and stepped inside. "This time it really is urgent."

The dragon nodded. "I'm sure it is. Now come on, Twilight isn't far."

And it wasn't long before pony and dragon were entering the castle's library where Twilight Sparkle was hard at work, the many books stacked up beside serving as a testament to that fact. But she still managed to somehow look up in time to see Diamond Tiara being escorted into the room by Spike. "Diamond Tiara?" The young alicorn blinked. "I know you're still not completely thrilled to be working with Starlight, but I assure you she's quite capable of continuing your lessons without me."

Tiara nervously replied. "Actually, princess, I need your help with something. Something... unusual."

Twilight arched an eyebrow upward. "What do you mean?"

After quickly scanning the room to be sure she was all alone with just Twilight and Spike, the pink coated filly carefully set the dress she'd been carrying on the floor and whispered. "It's alright, you can come out now, Mother. The coast is clear."

And to Twilight and Spike's great surprise, a filly that bore a striking resemblance to Spoiled Rich clumsily emerged from the dress that Spoiled had always been known for wearing. She immediately bowed as she nervously proclaimed. "P-Princess T-Twilight, so p-pleased to make your acquaintance. Please, forgive my... er... current state of appearance."

Immediately, the young alicorn eyed Spoiled. "Sp... er Mrs. Rich, how in the wide world of Equestria did you end up in such a condition? Did somepony do this to you?"

Spoiled blushed as she admitted. "That's the thing, princess. I... don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Twilight questioned the mare turned filly. "How could you not know? Did you wake up this morning like this?"

The regressed rich mare reluctantly admitted. "I honestly don't know. All I can remember is that one moment I was my usual grown-up self, and the next I was this helpless filly that couldn't even fit into my dress," Then she desperately pleaded. "Please, you gotta help me! I want to go back to being a grown-up, now!"

Unfortunately, the princess declared. "I'm afraid that's impossible. I can't just change you back without knowing who or what is responsible for turning you into this," She proceeded to pick up the filly and hold her close, lighting up her horn as she inspected the regressed rich mare carefully with her magic. "Let me see if I can detect what it was that was used on you. Once I know the cause, I can find a spell to counter the effects. Hold still, please."

Spoiled Rich reluctantly obeyed, holding as still as a statue while the alicorn's horn surrounded her with a reddish-violet magical glow. Meanwhile, all Spike and Diamond Tiara could do was stand there and wait anxiously for news.

Eventually, Twilight carefully set Spoiled back down and declared. "Well, this is like no magic I've ever experienced. It feels like dark magic, but at the same time it doesn't," She questioned the regressed rich mare again. "You're absolutely sure you don't remember anything related to your sudden regression? Anything at all?"

"You're accusing me of lying?!" Spoiled roared at the top of her lungs! "Do you think I'm dumb enough to lie to somepony as important as you?! If I say I don't know, I don't know! What, is my word not good enough for you, princess?!"

Diamond was quick to scold with a wagging of her hoof. "Now Mother, is that any way to talk to the princess? Keep this up and somepony is gonna end up in the time out corner."

The rich mare turned filly wasn't deterred by her daughter's threat. "Nice try, young filly. We're not even in our mansion right now, you have no authority over me what-so-ever," And she then turned back to Twilight. "Please, ignore my daughter's rude remark, princess. I apologize for my... outburst but I'm very much used to getting results. If sometimes it means raising my voice, I can't help it. But until a few years ago it was always enough to make even my daughter obey without question."

"No wonder she struggled so much with her earliest studies," Twilight thought to herself but didn't say so out loud. Instead, she just said. "Well, yelling at me isn't going to make me any more willing to help you out," And then she apologized herself. "I'm sorry, but I really could use any details at all that you could provide. Otherwise, I'm pretty much flying blind here."

Spoiled nervously commented. "You mean, you can't change me back? I'm going to have to grow up all over again?"

Twilight shook her head. "I'm not saying that at all, Mrs. Rich. But without a reliable lead to go off it could be a very long time before I can track down the right spell. If I just cast any age spell willy nilly, it could make things worse. I could leave you stuck in diapers, possibly forever. And I have a feeling you wouldn't want that."

Gulping, Spoiled agreed. "Yes, that would certainly not be desirable even if I retained my adult mind. I may be comfortable with other ponies caring for me, but not as a foal. Nopony would ever take me seriously."

The young alicorn took a deep breath. "Then it's going to be quite a while before I'll be able to even think of changing you back," She then apologized again. "I'm sorry. I wish I had better news for you."

The regressed rich mare proceeded to grumble again while once more folding her hooves across her chest. "So, what am I supposed to do in the mean time? Just sit around here and do nothing?"

It was then that Diamond Tiara got an idea as a lightbulb went off inside her head. "Actually, Mother, I know of someponies who could keep an eye on you for at least a couple of hours. That way, I can help Princess Twilight with her search so that hopefully we can find a cure sooner."

"Great!" Spoiled excitedly declared! "Take me those ponies at once! And make sure you tell them not to tell anypony else about this. I'll pay them handsomely for their silence."

But Diamond smirked as she approached her regressed mother. "Don't worry, I'm sure the Cutie Mark Crusaders will know better than to expose you in public. As long as you don't give them too much trouble, that is."

Spoiled immediately became alarmed at the prospect! "Wait, don't take me to them! Please, anything but those..." She shuddered and spat out. "Crusaders! Those ponies have been a pain in my flanks even before your change of heart."

Tiara just grinned, picking her mother up. "Well it's either them, or I take you back home and have all the hired help pitch in to foalsit you. I would think you'd want as few ponies as possible to see you like this. Plus, I have a way to make sure nopony suspects anything if they see you with the Crusaders," She promptly carried her mother out of the castle library as she said with a knowing wink. "I hope Miss Starlight still has some of her old paints, I'm sure we can find something that'll match your coat color nicely. Can't have ponies asking questions about your cutie mark, after all."

Some time later, Diamond was taking her now disguised mother to the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. "Surprising what some paints and a quick mane styling can do, eh, Mother?" The filly commented to the regressed rich mare who now had her diamond ring cutie mark completely covered up, and had her mane and tail styled way more loosely. Plus, a little bit of mane dye had been worked in to make it look a most unattractive green.

Spoiled Rich was anything but pleased or amused. "You're gonna pay for this one way or another, Diamond Tiara. I just know you're enjoying this."

Tiara simply replied in a scolding tone of voice. "Now now, that's not how you're supposed to behave. You're Spoiled Milk now if anypony asks, a distant cousin of mine with no relation to you besides name. Only Princess Twilight, Spike, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and I are going to know the truth."

Spoiled only grumbled. "Let's just get this over with, shall we? I'm surely never going to live this down as long as I live, but I at least hope my humiliation will not too bad."

"Hey, it could be worse. You could have the mind of a filly as well as a body," The pink coated filly pointed out to her now fellow filly. "Although maybe that would be better. I'm betting you weren't anywhere near as mean and nasty growing up as you are now. Maybe if you spend some time with actual children, you'll remember what it was like to not be in control of others all the time." Then she led her regressed mother up the steps to the CMC's clubhouse.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were more than a little surprised to see Diamond Tiara enter into their clubhouse unannounced, and even more surprised to see her accompanying an earth pony filly that had a very familiar looking coat and eyes. If not for the filly's lack of a cutie mark and her mane and tail being a different color and style, they would've assumed it was Spoiled Rich.

Diamond smiled, she seemed to be in an extra good mood for some reason as she cheerfully greeted. "Hey there, Crusaders. Sorry to drop this on you so suddenly, but I need your help."

Apple Bloom was the first to question. "Help with what? Does it have somethin' to do with that little filly you got beside you?"

Scootaloo pointed out. "We're not taking any clients today, we were just on our way to buy train tickets to Appleloosa. The Appleloosa County Fair is gonna be so awesome!"

Tiara simply nudged her fellow filly forward while asking. "Can you girls keep a secret?"

Sweetie Belle immediately nodded. "Of course we can! What's your secret?"

Before Diamond had a chance to explain, Spoiled Rich opened her mouth and declared! "The secret is me! Thanks to some unknown magic, I've been turned back into a filly and now my daughter wants me to spend the day with you. All so she can 'help' Princess Twilight find a way to turn me back to normal," She then snooted. "So, this little clubhouse doubles as your business headquarters? Color me not impressed. Even by my incredibly low standards, this clubhouse hardly seems worthy of being occupied."

"Hey now!" Scootaloo immediately glared at the regressed rich mare! "We worked hard fixing up this clubhouse all on our own! Nopony helped us!"

Sweetie added. "And with your attitude, why should we help Diamond Tiara by foalsitting you? You've made it no secret that you hate us, and we don't exactly like you for the way you treat your only daughter."

Tiara began to beg. "Please, Crusaders! I can make it worth your while if you'll help me keep this secret and make sure Mother stays out of trouble. But this could be my last chance to do anything with Princess Twilight before she has to take the throne."

Reluctantly, Apple Bloom agreed. "You know what? We'll do it if only to prove that we ain't as mean and nasty as Spoiled Rich is," She gazed down and glared at the filly. "But you'd better watch your step, Spoiled. We're watchin' over you now, but that doesn't mean we have to like it."

Spoiled just declared. "The feeling is mutual, Crusaders. And fyi, I'm going by the name of Spoiled Milk now, at least in public. So if you're planning to go anywhere with me, you'd better keep up the disguise my daughter went to great lengths to make. If you expose me, I will see to it that your lives become a living Tartarus for the rest of your days. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah, crystal," Apple Bloom replied. "But technically, we're bigger than you and probably older than you now. So you have to do whatever we say."

The regressed rich mare snorted. "Whatever." She very much doubted the ability of the Crusaders to do much of anything to her. And she didn't much trust them either.

Diamond Tiara breathed a small sigh of relief. "Thank you SO much, Crusaders! I promise, you won't regret this! Just keep Mother in Ponyville, preferably within Sweet Apple Acres so I don't have to go all over town to find her later," Then she turned to her mother. "Now Mom, be nice to the Cutie Mark Crusaders for me. Or at least try not to be too much of a spoiled brat."

"Shut up and get out of here!" Spoiled demanded! "The sooner you leave, the sooner you can assist the princess in finding a cure for my condition!"

Tiara rolled her eyes as she departed, instructing to the Crusaders. "Don't be afraid to take action if Mother keeps acting up. I know she never let me get away with this kind of back talk and bad behavior, so she should be treated no differently." Then she all but slammed the clubhouse door shut as she exited, heading back to Twilight's castle.

Sweetie Belle sighed as a realization slowly settled in among the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Looks like we can say goodbye to going to the Appleloosa County Fair. And after we went and saved up all our allowances too.

"County fairs like that only come once a year." Scootaloo lamented.

Apple Bloom just declared to her fellow fillies. "It can't be helped. Diamond Tiara needed our help, and we aren't the ponies we are now 'cause we turned down a pony in need," Then she looked to Spoiled Rich. "Besides, I reckon Spoiled here kind of needs our help too."

Spoiled Rich stared back in disbelief. "Help? I most certainly don't need help from you low lives. I can't believe my daughter actually convinced you to turn this club of yours into a business," She snorted and rolled her eyes. "It's the worst business I've ever seen. Even those Apples have better business tastes, and they live on a farm."

Apple Bloom sternly glared at the regressed rich mare. "For your information, that's my family you're talkin' about, Spoiled. And we're the reason your family's able to enjoy the luxuries you're always so fond of. So you need to watch how you talk to me. If my family wanted to, we could stop workin' with your family all together and then you'd have nothin'."

Spoiled was not convinced. "As if you'd ever do that. Your family needs ponies like me."

Sensing that an argument was starting to brew, Sweetie Belle intervened to stop the conflict by using her magic to separate Apple Bloom and Spoiled Rich. "Now now, let's not have any bad blood," She then said to Spoiled Rich. "Apple Bloom is kind of right, Spoiled. You clearly don't remember what it was like to be a kid, and you need to learn how to act better. Ponies aren't gonna wanna be around you if you treat them like dirt all the time."

"I can't help it if I'm better than everypony." The mare turned filly proclaimed.

Sweetie could only shake her head. "You just don't get it. It's not about being better than others. Growing up is supposed to be about working hard and learning new things."

Spoiled just replied. "I had plenty of that when I was an actual filly. And becoming a parent was most certainly a learning experience I'll never forget. All I know is that being turned back into a filly is perhaps the second worst thing that's ever happened to me."

"It's not our fault your daughter got tired of having to always act the way you wanted her to do," Scootaloo pointed out. "All we did was provide her with the courage to stand up to you on her own terms."

The regressed rich mare simply snorted in reply. "I didn't come here to be judged over my methods and how I choose to live my life. Had I known that I wouldn't have let my daughter smuggle me all the way across town, forcing me to spend time with the likes of you."

Apple Bloom promptly declared. "Well, you're here now. So you might as well make the most of it. Haven't you ever wanted to just take a day off?"

Spoiled Rich rudely remarked. "Why do you think I'm always going to the spa? It's the one thing that always helped me unwind after a day of dealing with my daughter, and dealing with you three. I'm actually glad you three got hired to be friendship councilors at Princess Twilight's school. That means you can be there and not at the school house, leaving me with one less problem to have to handle. At least Diamond Tiara knows better than to beg to be allowed to attend that school."

Scootaloo questioned. "Don't you have any games you used to enjoy playing when you were a filly? Even if you grew up on a farm you had to have some times where you weren't doing chores."

At that the mare turned filly seemed to get an idea as she put a hoof to her chin. "Actually, now that you mention it, there's one game I always wanted to play but never got a chance to. It was hard when it was just myself."

"What would that be?" Sweetie Belle innocently inquired.

Spoiled simply explained. "Hide and go seek. After all, you can't have the same pony hide while also being the seeker. It just doesn't work. A shame too, I found so many good hiding places around my family's old milk farm. If I'd had even just one friend I'm certain I would've never be found."

Scootaloo soon replied. "So?"

The regressed rich mare had to resist the urge to put a hoof to her face. "Do I have to spell it out for you..." She seemed to struggle to force herself to say. "Crusaders? I want to play a game of hide and go seek. I want to prove that I'm the best!"

"How are we supposed to play it, though? There ain't a lot of room in the clubhouse, we'd spot you pretty easily." Apple Bloom commented.

"Obviously, we're not going to play in the clubhouse. We're going to go outside," Spoiled pointed out. "You three can all be the seekers and I'll be the one hiding. And if you somehow manage to find me, I promise I won't complain or cause any trouble for you for the rest of the day. I'll be a good little filly."

That offer was far too tempting for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to pass it up. The farm filly was quick to state the agreement for them all. "Alright then, Spoiled. We'll see just how good you really are! Just don't start cryin' or poutin' or anythin' like that when we find you. There's three of us to one of you."

Spoiled Rich wasn't worried for even a second. "Then let's go outside and start the game. You fillies are going to need all the luck you can spare to find me. It'll be like I turned invisible." Soon afterward, she was taken outside (thankfully, still in her disguise of "Spoiled Milk") as the Cutie Mark Crusaders all gathered by the bottom step leading up to their clubhouse.

"You ready?" Sweetie Belle asked the regressed rich mare, who firmly nodded in reply. Sweetie then joined her fellow Crusaders in closing her eyes and counting slowly to ten.

Spoiled couldn't believe how easily she'd managed to dupe the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Her parents would've never fallen for such an obvious trick, not for a second. But that just made her all the more relieved and excited at the prospect of having free range for the first time all day. And as luck would have it, she already had a destination clear in mind. She wouldn't be gone for too long, just long enough for those accursed Cutie Mark Crusaders to get into trouble.

"Ready or not, here we come!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders finally declared as they slowly opened their eyes. As expected, Spoiled Rich was nowhere in sight. But the trio weren't worried for even a second.

Scootaloo quickly declared! "Let's split up and start searching! Spoiled Rich can't hide for long, not from us!"

Apple Bloom added. "Yeah. The farm ain't as big as she thinks it is. And I already know all the best hidin' places from my times playin' with Applejack and Big Mac."

"Don't forget the times we've played hide and seek here," Sweetie Belle pointed out. "You've always been the best hider among us." Then the trio went their separate ways for a while in order to search for their charge.

But when the three fillies reconvened a little while later, they began to worry.

"Any luck finding her?" Sweetie asked Scootaloo, hoping for good news. "I searched every possible location I could think of and she wasn't there."

Scootaloo only shook her head. "I searched high, low and everywhere in between. Spoiled wasn't kidding when she said she was good at this game."

Apple Bloom then shouted! "Girls, come quick! I just found somethin' you ain't gonna like!" And that something was soon revealed when she was joined by the unicorn and pegasus fillies: A set of of hoofprints that started from near the clubhouse and led away from Sweet Apple Acres, towards Ponyville proper.

Sweetie reluctantly looked to the farm filly as she asked. "You don't think..."

The farm filly firmly nodded. "I wouldn't put it past her. She seemed to come around to wantin' to play with us a little too fast."

Scootaloo nervously proclaimed! "We need to go after her right now! We can't let her get away! She could end up in all kinds of trouble!"

"But she could be anywhere in town by now," Sweetie Belle complained. "How would we even know where to look for her? Her prints will have faded away."

Apple Bloom seemed to get an idea. "Where's the one place she could go where she'd be as far away from anypony as possible? A place where she could very easily disappear without anypony ever findin' out?"

A realization flashed in both Sweetie and Scootaloo's eyes! It was the same place they'd planned to go earlier this day, before any of this business with Spoiled had taken priority. "The train station!"

The earth pony Crusader than instructed. "Exactly! Now let's get a move on! She's bound to have money, and you know they'll let just about anyone buy a ticket as long as they've got money. She might even be able to afford a round trip that'll bring her back tonight from... wherever it is she wants to go to get away from us."

The CMC took off on hoof to make their way to the train station, certain that that was where the disguised Spoiled Rich was heading. With any luck they hoped to be able to intercept her before she could make her escape.

No one questioned the three fillies as they rushed through Ponyville to the train station, all assuming that they were just now getting around to buying their tickets to Appleloosa.

At last, almost out of breath, the Crusaders reached the train station. And there they could see the still disguised Spoiled Rich on the platform, the regressed rich mare appearing to argue with the conductor as a train looked ready to depart in a matter of minutes.

"What do you mean you can't let me on?!" Spoiled snapped at the conductor as she locked her strong opal eyes on him and waved a hoof! "Look, I've got my ticket and everything! You have to let me on! I paid good money for this trip!"

The conductor only shook his head as he told the filly. "I'm sorry, miss. You're much too young to be allowed on a train all by yourself, ticket or no ticket."

Spoiled stomped her hooves down in protest! "You can't do this to me! I'm a paying customer! I've seen countless other ponies get on the train by themselves, and I swear some of them were fillies and colts."

The conductor just calmly replied. "Sorry, the rules are the rules. And the rules clearly state that all passengers under a specific age are to be accompanied by a parent, guardian or other designated chaperone. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Train travel can be dangerous. If the train were to get lost or into an accident, we'd be in a lot of trouble if anything happened to you. We need to know that somepony older and trustworthy is coming with you," He pointed a hoof to the ticket window. "You're welcome to ask for a refund if you can't make the trip on your own."

Spoiled Rich began to whine. "But... but..." She wasn't used to not getting her way.

All the conductor bothered to say in reply was. "Unless you have somepony that meets our requirements, you can't get on the train and that's final. So either find whoever is accompanying you, or please talk to the ticket salespony to see about a refund. This train needs to depart on time, we're very busy today."

At that very moment, the Cutie Mark Crusaders came trotting up. "There you are, Spoiled Milk," Apple Bloom declared, careful not to give away the disguised filly's true identity. "How dare you run ahead of us like that, young filly. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Sensing an opportunity, Spoiled Rich immediately said to the conductor as she pointed a hoof! "These three are my chaperones! They're older and bigger than me, and I've seen them take the train before by themselves."

"Where are their tickets, then?" The conductor inquired.

"Tickets? To where?" Sweetie Belle questioned.

With a grin the regressed rich mare answered. "To Appleloosa, of course. I know how much you three wanted to attend the county fair there," And she then said to the conductor while flashing a smile. "If you'll just let us on, that would be most appreciated. I'll pay for their trip. How much would three more ponies cost? Name your price, everypony has one."

The conductor wasn't fooled as he sternly and firmly replied. "Sorry, but I can't let anypony on without a ticket. So if these three are accompanying you they'd better buy their tickets now, or else all of you should stop wasting my time. You're going to make this train very late, and everypony down the line relying on this train will be very upset."

Spoiled turned and pleaded to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Please! You three wanted to go to the Appleloosa County Fair, right? Well this is your chance. Let me buy the tickets and we can all forget about this. You won't have to spend a single bit."

Scootaloo uncertainly answered. "Well... your offering is tempting..."

But Apple Bloom moved to shut down the offer. "No way, Spoiled! You ain't charmin' your way out of this one! You did a bad thing and you're not gettin' rewarded for it!" She then added to her decision by saying. "There'll always be another Appleloosa County Fair. We don't have to go to this one, and neither do you. You can't get away with actin' bad in front of others and then expectin' 'em to do nice things for you. You need to treat others the way you want to be treated and keep good behavior, somethin' that obviously ain't important to you."

Spoiled Rich gasped! "You... you can't do that! Nopony's ever told me no before!"

"Well there's a first time for everything, young filly!" Sweetie Belle lectured. "You're coming back with us, not going to Appleloosa. And maybe some quality time alone in the time out corner will help you think about what you've done."

Scootaloo added. "We're doing this for your own good, you know. Your name may be Spoiled but that doesn't mean you have to grow up to be... well... spoiled," And to the conductor she apologized. "Sorry about Spoiled Milk. We're gonna see to it that she learns her lesson."

The conductor just tipped his hat. "Believe me, you're not the first ponies I've met who've had to deal with ponies that give me a hard time," He then looked at Spoiled and told her. "You're lucky you have such good caretakers to keep you on the straight and narrow. I've seen far too many young colts and fillies like you turn out rotten. You should change your ways while you still have a chance," Then he climbed aboard one of the train cars and with a shout of "All aboard!" accompanied by the blowing of a whistle, the train he was on departed the station and soon puffed away over the horizon.

Spoiled Rich was in a state of shock and disbelief as she was brought back to the clubhouse at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. Never before in all her life had she found herself in a situation where she hadn't been in control or found some way to salvage it. Only once before had anyone ever worked up the nerve to say no to her (in public no less).

Once back in the clubhouse proper, the regressed rich mare was placed in a lonely corner while the Cutie Mark Crusaders stood at the opposite end of the clubhouse and kept an eye on her.

For a while there was nothing but silence, nopony seemed willing to say a word of any sort.

At last, it was Spoiled of all ponies who broke up the silence as she slowly turned to look at the CMC. "I... don't understand it. You continue to baffle me with your existence."

"What the hay are you even talkin' about, Spoiled?" Apple Bloom pondered in response.

The regressed rich mare slowly explained. "I've been mean and nasty to you all day. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised you wouldn't let me trick you twice. But even so, you had a chance to get what you wanted: A trip to Appleloosa to attend the county fair. But you turned it down even though I would've been the one paying for all of you. You three wouldn't have to had pay at all, you could've saved your bits to spend on food or games at the fair."

The farm filly explained in reply. "Money ain't everythin', Spoiled. Some things can't be bought with bits. And even if we'd let you buy the tickets, it would've still been you gettin' rewarded for behavin' badly."

"Think about it like this," Sweetie Belle pointed out. "If Diamond Tiara tried to make you buy something for her even though she was acting badly, you wouldn't buy it for her, would you?"

"Actually I would, if only to shut her up and keep her from making a scene," Spoiled responded. "In fact, I used to do that all the time whenever she just a foal and I was stuck caring for her. It's a good thing those times were rare."

Scootaloo shook her head. "No wonder you don't get it. You don't reward ponies for being bad. That's how they learn that they can get away with anything," She gestured a hoof to herself and to Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. "We all turned out the way we did because we had ponies willing to teach us right from wrong. And Diamond Tiara's change of heart is because you tried to control her life simply by throwing money around, making her do whatever you wanted. It was probably your idea to have her be student pony president, wasn't it?"

Spoiled Rich snorted. "So what if it was? What's it to you? It gave her a position of power, which is something all rich ponies should have over others."

The tomboyish filly just remarked. "That's not true power. And growing up doesn't make you powerful. If you don't act nice around others, others are going to notice. I'll bet even half the ponies you've interacted with would want nothing to do with you if not for how rich and influential you are."

"But it's never too late to change," Sweetie pointed out. "Your daughter's living proof of that. You may not approve, but you can't deny that she's been much happier now that she doesn't have to always act mean and nasty to others all the time. Now she's free to be her own pony instead of having to be what you wanted her to be. Maybe you should consider changing too, even just a little."

The mare turned filly slowly blinked her strong opal eyes. "I... never thought about it like that. I guess... maybe you Crusaders aren't all bad," And she seemed to realize something about herself. "When I was growing up, I hated every part of my life. And when I married Filthy, I never again wanted to go back to being what I was. I guess I got so used to my life of luxury that I forgot what it was like not to be rich and famous all the time. Maybe I could at least stop giving you and some other ponies a hard time all the time, just a little."

No sooner had Spoiled Rich finished speaking than did a strange and mysterious glow start to emanate from her. And soon it became blinding, all consuming! It was such a bright glow that the CMC had to shield their eyes!

When at last the glow faded, Spoiled Rich was no longer a filly! She was now back to her old grown-up self, at least physically. "I...I'm an adult again!" She excitedly declared! "I don't know what it is you Crusaders did, but it worked!"

"I don't think we did much of anythin', besides give you a good talkin' to." Apple Bloom commented in reply.

"Well either way, thank you," Spoiled declared as she stood up. "If it's all the same to you, though, I'm going to get my daughter and let her know she doesn't have to waste another moment of the princess' precious time. And you are not going to tell anypony about any of this. This whole ordeal is going to be our little secret, do you understand?"

Sweetie Belle gave a goofy grin as she remarked. "Who would ever believe us if we did tell them? They'd think we're crazy."

Scootaloo added. "But you know, I hope you won't forget what you learned today. It'd be a shame for you to go right back to your old ways now that you're all grown up again."

Spoiled sighed. "I suppose I can give you three a little bit of slack from here on out, and stop always being so hard on my daughter for hanging out with you," Though she was quick to add. "That's about as far as I'm willing to go, though," She then sighed. "It's going to take everything I've got just to make that change." Then she hastily made her way to the clubhouse door, feeling rather silly.

"Don't you wanna maybe change a bit first?" Apple Bloom suggested while stifling a laugh. "You still have that whole 'Spoiled Milk' look on ya."

The rich mare blushed, realizing what she had forgotten all about in her excitement to be back to normal. "Oh, right," She turned to the Crusaders. "I guess I still owe you three one last tiny favor."

Sweetie Belle flashed a big smile. "Well good. Don't worry, though. A quick wash and a mane un-styling will you get back to being yourself."

"What about the dress, though?" Spoiled Rich remarked with concern. "I'll be going out in town completely naked!"

Scootaloo shrugged her hooves and laughed. "So? How that's a problem? Most ponies don't wear clothes at all. Besides, it's just a dress. It can't be that important to you." And the tomboyish filly promptly took the mare by the hoof before Spoiled could even think of protesting.

All Spoiled knew for sure was that she was never going to be able to forget this humiliating experience for the rest of her life.

Author's Note

And so yet another rewrite volume comes to a close. Rewriting this episode was a bit tricky at first given its premise, supposedly intended for Season 4 and to have the CMC permanently aged up. For reasons unknown it was shelved and then brought back for Season 9 as the final CMC episode, ultimately only serving a purpose in the grand scheme of things by introducing a design for the grown-up CMC that would later be re-used in "The Last Problem".

The episode as originally written is very cliche, using the typical plot of kids wanting to grow up without understanding what that really means and coming to learn that lesson the hard way. Ultimately, I decided to change it to focus on a regressed Spoiled Rich while keeping the CMC the same age they are now, hence making this a bonus chapter. The headcanon about Spoiled being the child of dairy farmers comes from deadpansnarker who has written many Diamond Tiara stories (and proofread and edited many of my own).

As for Spike being bigger, that's something that's been a feature of my rewrites since my rewrite of "Molt Down" back in Volume 8. And even then it's only aging Spike up physically to about the same height as Smolder.

~~Dragonshy~~
~~A Dog and Pony Show~~
~~Read It and Weep (Bonus Chapter)~~
~~Magical Mystery Cure (Two Parter)~~
~~Rarity Takes Manehattan~~
~~Make New Friends, But Keep Discord~~
~~The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2~~
~~Fluttershy Leans In (Bonus Chapter)~~
~~The Hearts and Hooves Day Mystery (The Break Up Break Down)~~
~~Growing Up is Hard to Do (Bonus Chapter)~~

S3 E13: Magical Mystery Cure, Part 2 (What If?)

Fluttershy was still in a state of confusion as she was trying to comprehend the events that had led up to her seeing Rainbow Dash in her cottage, tied up and inside of a cauldron with a bunch of animals surrounding her. Apparently, it had all stemmed from a decision Twilight Sparkle had made the night before.

Said decision had begun with Princess Celestia opting to send her star student the old personal journal that had once belonged to Starswirl the Bearded, something that Princess Luna had raised concerns about. "You really believe Twilight Sparkle is capable of doing what even Starswirl could not?" She had asked.

Celestia had sought to reassure her sister by saying. "She has shown an ability to master magic that rivals even that of my own. She continues to exceed even my highest of expectations." But even so she had seen fit to write in large letters "DO NOT OPEN WITHOUT ME!" on a note that was sent alongside the journal. Unfortunately, Twilight had ignored those warnings and ultimately cast an incomplete "master spell" from the journal.

The consequences of that decision hadn't become known until morning when Twilight had woken up, gone outside and been shocked to discover Rarity with Rainbow Dash's cutie mark and doing Rainbow Dash's job. "I've always had this cutie mark and this has always been my job. I've never set hoof in a boutique and even if I did I wouldn't know the first thing about how to run one." Rarity had answered when Twilight had questioned her.

And similar answers were given by each of Twilight's friends when she and Spike went around town, trying to understand what was happening. Things were only made worse by a startling discovery on their way to see Rainbow Dash! "It looks like the Everfree Forest is taking up way more land than it normally does." Twilight had noticed.

Princess Celestia had soon afterward discovered what had happened, and she was anything but pleased. "Twilight Sparkle, what have you done?!" She'd demanded!

Twilight ultimately ended up confessing to her mentor upon being struck with a grave realization! "I must've cast the spell accidentally without even knowing it!" And it wasn't just the Everfree Forest that had been affected by her mistake.

"The spell must've altered the Elements of Harmony in some way, and only the caster was unaffected." Celestia had suggested upon noticing the elements were all in a different color except for Twilight's Element of Magic.

As a result of it all, Twilight had become consumed with guilt. "What am I going to do? Everything's all wrong now, because of me."

Fortunately, Princess Celestia and Spike were more than up to the task of giving Twilight a much needed pep talk. "You've never given up before. I'm sure you'll figure something out." Spike had encouraged.

And indeed, Twilight ultimately did seem to figure out a solution as her body had briefly been taken over by a most unusual glow. "They mean more to me than anything else. My friends..." Then she'd declared. " I may not be able to just remind my friends of who they are or rather who they used to be, but I can show them what they all mean to each other." Which led to her scooping up the Elements of Harmony and tossing them into their storage case.

Satisfied that Twilight knew what to do, Celestia had simply reassured her student. "You leave the forest to me for now. Once the elements have been restored, you and your friends should be able to calm down the forest."

Twilight's plan was soon put into action when she came across Fluttershy just as the pegasus was preparing to move back to Cloudsdale. "I was just wondering if you might be willing to help me with Rainbow Dash."

That led Fluttershy to accompany Twilight to the cottage at the edge of town, and that was where the two had found Rainbow Dash about to become the animals' next meal!

"I'm trapped! Somepony help!" Rainbow Dash had shouted!

Yet Twilight only encouraged Fluttershy. "Rainbow Dash needs your help, not mine."

And indeed, Fluttershy had known what to do. She was able to calm down the animals, and in the process had come to something of a realization. "I... I feel all strange and tingly, like... like this is what I'm actually meant to do, like this is who I really am!" Soon afterward, her body had started to glow and Twilight had floated over the Element of Kindness, which was all it took to restore Fluttershy's memories to what they should be.

"My plan's a success!" Twilight had happily declared upon seeing Fluttershy get her normal cutie mark of three pink butterflies back. "I need your help if we're going to save the rest of our friends!" She had promptly told her pegasus friend afterward.

And so now it seemed that Twilight was going to undo everything she had messed up by casting that spell. But even she could not have known where it would all lead.

"So, did I get everything right? This was all the result of you casting a spell?" Fluttershy asked Twilight as she slowly tried to process the information. It was a lot to take in all at once.

Twilight nodded quite slowly. "Much as I wish it wasn't, it is. But now you see why I had to get you to come here and why I said only you could help. It was the only way I could think of that would remind you of who you used to be, who you were meant to be. It was a risk to be sure, but it looks like it all worked out."

Spike eagerly agreed. "Yeah, it sure seems like it. We've got one friend back, and now it's time to get the others back too! Then you girls can do what you always do best: Save the day!"

"You really think it's possible? How do we know what happened with me isn't just a fluke or something?" The shy pegasus nervously asked.

Twilight protested with a shake of her head. "It was no fluke, Fluttershy. It was the magic of friendship. It brought us together before and it can do so again!" And she then declared. "Together, you and I are gonna make things right, and the rest of our friends are going to join us!" She then proceeded to start singing, which sounded something like this:

A true, true friend helps a friend in need.

A friend will be there to help them see.

A true, true friend helps a friend in need.

To see the light that shines from a true, true friend.

"Uh, hello, girls?" Rainbow Dash called out from the cauldron. "Friend still trapped inside here, remember?"

Fluttershy and Twilight blushed as Fluttershy apologized. "Oh, sorry." And she quickly went about freeing her trapped fellow pegasus.

"Alright, let's go find Rarity!" Twilight declared once Rainbow Dash was freed.

Rainbow Dash blinked. "Why her?"

"Everything will make sense once we find her. I just hope we're not too late." The unicorn replied and led both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy out of the cottage.

Sure enough, the trio found Rarity a short time later. She was frantically rushing about, struggling to get the weather under control.

Twilight took the lead in singing:

Rarity needs your help!

She's trying hard, doing what she can.

Fluttershy then sang in encouragement:

Would you try, just give it a chance?

You might find that you'll start to understand.

And indeed, once Rainbow Dash approached the clouds it all became like second nature to her. In no time at all she had cleared away the adverse weather conditions and brought back sunny skies. The brash speedster was a tad bit exhausted when all was said and done. Yet for some reason it all felt natural to her, like this was what she was meant to do instead of worrying herself with animals.

When this realization settled in, a bright red glow enveloped Rainbow's entire body. Without hesitation, Twilight floated over the Element of Loyalty and watched as memories flashed in her rainbow maned friend's eyes. When they had finished the Element of Loyalty was back to the way it was supposed to be.

Rainbow's mind was still in a bit of a daze though. "Um, what just happened?" She inquired. "Why's Rarity trying to do my job? Did I miss something?"

"I'll explain later," Twilight replied. "But for now we've got a bigger problem. Applejack's trying to make dresses, and she's doing so bad that Carousel Boutique is about to go out of business."

Even though she normally wasn't one for fashion, Rainbow Dash still declared! "Not on my watch! This is obviously a job for Rarity! Leave everything to me."

Rarity was soon accompanying the others to Carousel Boutique, and sure enough it was possible to see that poor Applejack was having a hard time trying to keep up with the demand. It was clear that she didn't belong in a boutique.

Rainbow Dash quickly instructed Rarity through song:

Applejack needs your help!

She's trying hard, doing what she can.

Would you try, just give it a chance?

You might find that you'll start to understand.

With Rainbow Dash's encouragement, Rarity quickly took over from Applejack and it wasn't long before she was setting things right. She had the sewing machines humming nicely, dresses of the finest quality were being produced and the unicorn felt like she'd discovered where she truly belonged. Not with weather but with fashion.

As the realization settled in, a bright purple glow enveloped Rarity and as it did the Element of Generosity was floated over to her. Memories began to flash in the fashionista's eyes as she slowly started to remember everything. And soon, the Element of Generosity had been restored to its original, proper state.

Rarity blinked in what seemed like disbelief as she saw some rather horrible looking dresses before her. "Oh my, what a terrible dream I just had," She declared. "Or maybe I'm still having it. Does somepony wanna clue me in on what I was doing? Or why in the wide world of Equestria Applejack was trying to make dresses instead of me?"

"It's a long story, Rarity," Twilight spoke up. "And right now we've got a bigger problem on our hooves. Pinkie Pie's about to lose Sweet Apple Acres, the whole farm and everything! We need Applejack's help if we're going to save it."

The fashionista quickly stood up! "Lose the farm?! We very well can't have that happen, now can we?!" She then looked across to Applejack. "Come on, we've got no time to lose!" And she then began to sing:

Pinkie Pie is in trouble!

We need to stand there at her side.

We can try to do what we can now.

And together we can be her guide!

Sweet Apple Acres was in a very poor state when Applejack and the others showed up to help. Pinkie Pie was so grateful for the extra set of hooves that she quickly forgot to be grumpy.

And it wasn't long before Applejack was leading the way in restoring the farm to what it used to be. The rest of the Apple family pitched in as well, glad to have Applejack back and to have somepony less frightening to work alongside. And their combined efforts were enough to turn things around.

The hard work touched off a realization deep inside Applejack. How could she have forgotten? Fashion wasn't her calling, not even close. It was farm work that was her true calling, her dedication to her family. And it was that realization that caused her to glow a shade of orange even brighter than her coat.

Twilight was quick to float over the Element of Honesty, watching the memories flash through Applejack's eyes as the Element of Honesty itself turned from purple to orange. Just like that, Applejack was back!

"Yeehaw!" Applejack happily declared while briefly flinging her stentson up into the air and then catching it! "I'm back to my old applebuckin' self again!" Then she looked to Twilight. "So what's next, sugarcube? I reckon we ain't done just yet."

The studious unicorn nodded in agreement. "Indeed we aren't, there's still something very important we need to take care of. The ponies in town are quite upset and for good reason," She then specified to her farm friend. "We need to get the old Pinkie Pie back so she can cheer up the town before it's too late."

Applejack smiled and winked. "And here I thought you were gonna ask somethin' difficult of me. This'll be easy. I know just the thing." And she looked across to Pinkie Pie.

Soon afterward, the pink coated earth pony was being led into town while Applejack was explaining in song:

The townsfolk need ya,

They've been sad for quite a while.

They march around, face a-frown,

And never seem to smile.

So if you feel like helpin',

We'd sure appreciate a lot!

If you'd get up there and spread some cheer,

From here to Canterlot!

Without warning, Pinkie Pie felt herself be shoved front and center before a hastily assembled crowd of ponies! In fact, it was so abrupt that she didn't have time to properly brace herself. She tumbled and fell face forward to the ground.

At first nopony said a word, shocked by what they had seen.

But Pinkie slowly picked herself up, brushing off the dirt while she said. "That... that actually didn't hurt that bad," And she found herself starting to giggle a little. "C-come on, you gotta admit that was sort of funny, right? Right?"

A few ponies started to chuckle ever so faintly. But it wasn't long before their laughter became contagious, spreading to the entire crowd and then even to those not in the crowd.

"Hey, that actually feels... kind of good," Pinkie Pie declared as something began to stir inside of her. "Maybe... maybe this is what I've been meant to do all along. It feels... right somehow." And it was that realization that caused her to be surrounded by a bright blue glow. She didn't even hesitate or ask questions when the Element of Laughter was floated over to her and placed around her neck.

Memories began to flash in Pinkie's eyes and mind! It all suddenly came flooding back to her! She realized now what her true calling was! And as her mane and tail poofed back to how they should be, she stood up and said to the crowd. "Come on ponies, I wanna see you SMILE!"

At once, several ponies in the crowd stood up and cheered while they happily shouted! "PINKIE!"

The pink party pony gave a hearty laugh. "Yup, the one and only! I'm back!" And just like that, the Elements of Harmony had been restored to how they had been originally.

And with Pinkie's encouragement, the whole town began to burst into song, singing something that had up to this point been confined to just the six mares and Spike. And the singing sounded something like this:

A true, true friend helps a friend in need.

A friend will be there to help them see.

A true, true friend helps a friend in need.

To see the light! Yes the light!

That shines!

From a true, true frieeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnddddddddd!

And as the singing ended, Twilight happily embraced all her friends as a powerful purple glow enveloped them all. Never in all her life had the unicorn been so happy to have friends like this. And she would never again take having them for granted. No, this entire experience had taught her just how precious and valuable her friends truly were. And every day spent with them was worth cherishing.

Of course, Twilight and Spike knew that things were not completely back to normal just yet. There was still one thing that needed to be taken care of, and it was an urgent one at that. "The Everfree Forest! I almost forgot!" Twilight gasped as the joyous celebration from earlier drew to a close.

"Hold on there just a minute, sugarcube," Applejack blinked in concern and confusion. "What's all this about the Everfree Forest now?"

But Fluttershy seemed to realize the problem when she noticed the one thing that still had yet to be addressed. "The animals shouldn't be wandering through town the way they are now. Something must be wrong with their homes."

Twilight nodded. "That something is the Everfree Forest itself. When I cast the spell that swapped your cutie marks, it also somehow made the forest act up and start trying to take over Ponyville."

"Oh, so that's why those animals were trying to cook me up for lunch," Rainbow concluded. "So now we have to somehow restore the forest to the way it should be? Has it really been running loose this whole time?"

Spike corrected. "No, Princess Celestia's been holding it back as best she can. But even she can only do so much," And he looked around, noticing a few vines that seemed to be encroaching on the outskirts of Ponyville proper. "And judging from what I can see now, I'd say she needs our help now more than ever. If we don't act fast, there may not be much of a Ponyville left to save."

So the group of recently reunited (in a sense) friends took off with the Elements of Harmony still on them. There was a good chance said elements would be needed in order to tame the Everfree Forest.

Twilight and Spike secretly hoped that things weren't as bad as they seemed to be (or worse for that matter). Princess Celestia had shown vulnerability before, but surely she had been up to the task of keeping an aggressive forest in check for a while, right?

Well, would soon find out as they reached the new entrance to the forest, which was now not even at Fluttershy's cottage but in fact was the very edge of Ponyville proper. Already, some ponies were desperately packing up and preparing to leave the houses that could be overtaken by the Everfree.

And there was Princess Celestia right in the middle of it all, using her magic to repel vines and branches that tried to advance. She made it look so easy, lighting up her horn and casting that bright yellow glow associated with her magic. Yet it seemed that for every vine or branch she destroyed, two or three more took their place. Slowly but surely, the forest seemed to be gaining ground even as the sun princess showed no signs of physical exhaustion (at least outwardly).

"Oh no, this is bad!" Twilight gasped in horror! "The forest is advancing way faster than I hoped! Even Princess Celestia can't keep it in check."

Pinkie Pie looked down at her Element of Harmony necklace. "Well, I guess it's a good thing we still have our elements on us. Obviously, they're part of some plan you have. Right, Twilight?"

But the studious unicorn nervously confessed. "I don't have a plan. My whole plan up to this point was getting you all back and bringing you here. I didn't really have time to think about what we'd do once we got here."

Rarity frowned. "So we came all this out here only to be told that you have no idea what-so-ever? We're to just stand around here while all of Ponyville gets taken over by the forest?"

"I figured the Elements of Harmony would be involved somehow, but they haven't activated at all yet," Twilight commented. "They've always come through for us in the past. But I never got around to learning how they worked."

"Well in the mean time, there's no way I'm just going to stand idly by and let the Everfree Forest take over!" Rainbow Dash dramatically declared! "I'll teach that forest a thing or two!" And she flew forward, delivering a mighty kick that took out some vines and branches. "That's right, Everfree Forest! You're not taking over Ponyville on my watch!"

Yet as fast as the vines and branches had been destroyed, more took their place. Princess Celestia quickly took notice of this as she turned to Rainbow Dash. "You'll never hold back the forest like this. The forest is responding to a magical imbalance."

At that, Twilight's eyes lit up like stars in the night sky! "Of course, that was so obvious! Why didn't I think of it before?!"

"Think of what, Twilight?" Spike asked the mare.

Twilight was quick to explain. "The Everfree Forest has to have a magic of its own if it can make plants grow and have weather behave all by itself. And whatever that magic is, casting such a powerful and incomplete spell would affect that magic. If the spell was powerful enough to affect the Elements of Harmony, then the Everfree Forest's magic would be upset too."

Fluttershy then asked. "So how do we fix it?"

Princess Celestia pointed out the suggestion. "The only way possible," And she turned to Twilight. "You must complete the spell and cast it. Once fixed, it should be able to calm down the forest in a way that normal magic cannot."

The studious unicorn stepped back, shaking not unlike a leaf! "Cast the spell again?! I couldn't! It would only make things worse!"

The sun princess sought to reassure her nervous pupil. "In its current state, yes. But if there's anypony who can figure out how to succeed where even Starswirl could not, it's you. You're strong enough and smart enough, I know you are. Everything I've taught you and everything you've learned about friendship up to this point has been leading up to this moment: The moment when the student must surpass the teacher."

Applejack was the first to put a hoof around Twilight in order to try and calm her nerves. "If that's what it'll take to get everythin' back to normal, I know you can do it, Twilight. You did what nopony else could when you helped this town get winter wrapped up on time for once."

Fluttershy chimed in with her own support. "You've helped us all to grow simply by being there for us and encouraging us. Now it's our turn to do the same for you."

Pinkie Pie bounced over and added! "Yeah! You've done so many incredible things, Twilight, it's not even funny! You can definitely fix that spell."

Rarity then declared. "You may have made a mistake but it's hardly the first time you've done so. And every time you've messed up you've ultimately found a way to do better. This will be no different."

And Rainbow Dash swooped down to join the others as she threw her own support in! "So go ahead, Twilight! Put that egghead brain of yours to good use and figure out the solution! We're all behind you, we know you've got what it takes!"

Spike was the last to speak up, and he encouraged. "Don't be worried, Twilight. You know what not to do now. And take it from someone who's been by your side for longer than anyone else, you can do this! You used to not know anything about friendship, but now you know so much you were able to save our friends when they needed you most. That's something even Starswirl the Bearded probably never could think of. So use that experience in writing your own part of that spell."

Princess Celestia then instructed. "If you still doubt yourself, Twilight, then look deep inside your own heart. It's there that you'll find the answer you seek."

So it was that Twilight reluctantly took a deep breath and closed her eyes, quickly becoming deep in thought. "They're all right. I have to draw on my own experiences for once." And soon after she had thought this thought, the answer came to her as the words of the incomplete spell echoed in her own mind: "A mark of one's own destiny, singled out alone and fulfilled."

Slowly, Twilight opened her eyes as a realization came to her! "I've got it! I know how to complete the spell!" She declared and lit up her horn! "I'll be right back!" She disappeared in a flash, returning a few seconds later with Starswirl's journal and a writing quill. "Everyone stand back! I don't know what will happen! I'm ninety nine point nine percent sure this will work!" She confessed before flipping to the page where the incomplete "master spell" was and read aloud: "From one to another, another to one. A mark of one's destiny singled out alone, fulfilled," Then she added while writing it down with the quill. "From all of us together, and together we're all friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!"

The last line was delivered with a mighty stroke of the quill! And as soon as it had been written, the "completed" spell triggered a reaction! The Elements of Harmony seemed to take on a mind of their own, all of them glowing brightly and suddenly shooting out beams of energy that were directed at Twilight!

"What's happening to me?!" Twilight gasped in horror!

"Twilight, make it stop!" Spike frantically pleaded!

But Twilight called out. "I... can't! It's not under my control!"

Even Princess Celestia became worried! "Twilight, are you sure you're believing in yourself?!" She called above the roar of winds that the elements seemed to generate. "You must believe in yourself for the spell to work!"

The studious unicorn appeared to take those words to heart as her worried look seemed to melt away. It appeared that she was accepting whatever it was that was going to happen, even as her friends were looking on with concern even though they were powerless to stop the elements from reacting.

All of a sudden, a bright and blinding flash of white light enveloped the entire surrounding wilderness! Everyone shut their eyes!

The flash faded almost as quickly as it had materialized. All the vines and branches had disappeared, the Everfree Forest had been repelled and all appeared to be as it should've been.

But when the fives mare, Spike and Princess Celestia opened their eyes they were shocked and horrified to see that where Twilight had been standing there was now only a smoking crater! And inside of said crater was a black scorch mark roughly in the shape of Twilight's cutie mark!

"Oh my goodness! What happened?!" Fluttershy gasped with dismay! "Did we do this because of the Elements of Harmony?!"

"No, we couldn't have! There's no way!" Rainbow Dash insisted even as her tone of voice betrayed her intended optimism.

None took the discovery worse than Spike, however. He could only stare in the crater as tears worked up in his eyes and fell without end! "Mom! Mom!" He sobbed over and over again! "Please come back to me! Please!"

Fortunately, Princess Celestia was quick to reassure everyone as she said in a warm and gentle tone of voice. "There's no need for you all to worry. Twilight isn't gone forever. She's still alive."

Spike slowly wiped away his tears and sniffled. "She is?" When he saw the sun princess nod in confirmation he then frantically asked. "Well, where is she then?! She's not here!"

The alicorn explained. "She has gone to a place that only one pony has gone to before. A place that only I can access," And she prepared to light up her horn. "All of you just relax and rest easy. Twilight will be back soon enough, I promise." She then thought to herself. "I didn't think this was possible. Yet again, Twilight, you have exceeded my greatest expectations."

Soon, Celestia's horn glowed brightly with its yellow glow and then she too disappeared. Spike and the five remaining mares could do nothing at that point. Reluctantly, they went their separate ways for the time being with Spike returning to a now vacant Golden Oak Library. "Please be okay, Twilight," He said to himself as he entered the library. "And please come back. Things won't be the same without you. I'm not ready for us to be apart."

Twilight didn't know where she was or why. All she knew was that one moment she had been surrounded by more magic than she had ever known or seen in her life, and the next she had been brought to the place she now found herself in. A seemingly empty void of stars that stretched on for as far as the eye could see.

There didn't seem to be a sign of life anywhere, but the studious unicorn still called out to the vast emptiness anyway. " Hello? Is anyone there?" Despite not getting a reply she called out again. "What is this place? Where am I? Please, someone answer me. I need to know!"

Suddenly, the empty void was disturbed as a familiar voice replied in an echo. "Congratulations, Twilight Sparkle. You have done the impossible." And then, who should show up but Princess Celestia herself?

Twilight was grateful to see a familiar and friendly face in an otherwise empty place, but she was still puzzled and a little bit worried. "Princess Celestia?!" She responded! "What is this place?" Then she looked at herself and gulped, swallowing hard. "Am I dead?"

Princess Celestia shook her head. "Of course not, Twilight. You are still alive and well," And she sought to reassure the frightened unicorn. "You need not worry. You've proven that you are indeed worthy of the great power that will be bestowed upon you."

"'Great power'?" Twilight asked. "Was this a part of the advanced studies?"

The sun princess replied. "No. This is something that only one pony has achieved before: Princess Cadence. But even she did not accomplish what you accomplished," And she then proceeded to explain. "She merely reversed a spell that had already been cast. You, on the other hoof, created new magic. What you did is something that even the great Starswirl the Bearded could not accomplish. There's a reason why he could never complete that master spell of his, and it's not because he disappeared so suddenly."

The studious unicorn questioned. "What does that have to do with me? Starswirl did most of the work, I merely finished what he started."

Celestia shook her head again. "No, Twilight. The intent of the spell was different under Starswirl, and because it was incomplete it didn't work as it was intended. I suspect Starswirl wanted to find a way to harness the magical power behind cutie marks, hoping to find out just what it is that makes them appear and why," Then she smiled as she brought forth the old journal and held it open, proudly display the page that featured Twilight's written additions. "What you did just recently involved tapping into a different kind of magic: The magic of friendship. It's the very magic you've been studying and learning about since I sent you to Ponyville all that time ago. And it's because of all the lessons you've learned that you've proven that you are ready."

A slow blink came from Twilight's eyes as she looked up at her mentor and simply asked her. "Ready for what?"

Smiling, the majestic alicorn gestured a hoof to what looked like the end of the void. "Come with me, Twilight. All will be explained. You will not be going back to Ponyville the way you were. The old you is no more, a new you has been created."

Twilight reluctantly followed the princess until she was trotting side by side with the very pony she'd looked up to and had always admired. To her great surprise, the void seemed to expand so that a new end appeared. And when that end drew close another end took its place, and the process repeated itself over and over again. Yet what caught her attention the most was that a series of screens appeared on either side of her. Screens depicting numerous accomplishments in her life. And all of them, she quickly realized, were from her time officially studying the magic of friendship. Every triumph, every setback and every little step in between.

Princess Celestia smiled and began to sing while accompanying Twilight past the screens. Her singing sounding not unlike a proud mother. And to this day Twilight insisted that what she heard the princess sing sounded something like this:

You've come such a long, long way.

And I've watched you from that very first day.

To see how you might grow,

To see what you might do,

To see what you've been through.

And all of the ways that you've made me proud of you!

It's time now for a new change to come.

You've grown up, and your new life has now begun.

So go where you will go,

See what you will see,

Find what you will be.

'Cause it's time for you to fulfill your destiny!

Even before the singing had finished, Princess Celestia unfolded her wings and displayed them proudly before her student. Twilight's eyes went wide as she seemed to realize what her mentor was trying to tell her.

Then, the violet-red star from Twilight's cutie mark seemed to take on a mind of its own! It leapt off her flank and expanded, quickly surrounding her in a bright purple glow!

Princess Celestia smiled. "It's time for you to return to Ponyville. Everyone's waiting for you."

To the shock of everyone, the skies above Ponyville were suddenly darkened! And yet from the darkness, a bright and massive violet-red star appeared! The star slowly descended from the sky, drawing attention to it before it finally touched the ground.

Most ponies didn't know what to make of such an unusual lights show, but five mares and a dragon suspected something was up. The star looked just like the star on the flank of a certain unicorn they had known. "Could it be?!" They thought to themselves and all ran outside, rushing to where they had seen the star touch down.

As the group drew close to the star's location, they could barely see anything due to the bright glow it gave off. But it seemed like there was a pony standing underneath said star. A pony that looked incredibly familiar. "Twilight, is that you?" Applejack asked.

"Oh please, please let it be you!" Spike hopefully pleaded.

The glow slowly faded, allowing everyone to see that it was indeed Twilight Sparkle. But she wasn't exactly how they remembered her being. She now looked a tad bit taller. And more noticeably, she now bore two wings that were unfurled to either side of her. Everyone gasped! The presence of wings meant only one thing!

Twilight Sparkle had become an alicorn!

Applejack was the first one to overcome her speechless shock as she managed to force out! "I-I've never seen anythin' like it! Is this a dream?"

"If it is, it sure as hay feels real. And it's one we're all having," Rainbow Dash declared. "And dream or not, Twilight having wings now is so awesome! Looks like I've got a new flying buddy!"

Rarity then commented. "Twilight, is this true? Have you become an alicorn? I didn't even know it was possible!"

Pinkie Pie proceeded to cheer! "We've got throw you a celebration! Just wait 'til everypony gets a look at you!" Then she swung from a rope while blowing on a kazoo! "Alicorn party! Woo hoo!"

Fluttershy spoke up next. "This is amazing, Twilight. You look just like a princess."

"That's because she is a princess," The familiar voice of Princess Celestia declared as she suddenly appeared in front of the ponies. "You are the first to lay eyes on Equestria's newest princess: The Princess of Friendship."

The news came as a shock to all! And Pinkie Pie expressed their shock better than anyone else could've when she exclaimed! "Twilight's a princess now?! Hold on a second!" She proceeded to take a drink from a glass of water and then spit out the water.

Princess Celestia smiled. "Indeed. I know it must seem like a shock to you all, but your eyes do not deceive you. In a sense, the Twilight Sparkle that you all knew is gone. And in her place is the Twilight Sparkle you see before you. However, you need not worry. Deep down, she is still the same loveable Twilight that you all knew and befriended."

Twilight was still quite uncertain as she commented. "Me? A princess? Of friendship no less? This is all so sudden!"

Smiling again, Celestia said to her new fellow alicorn. "I know it's a lot to take in, Twilight. And I know what you must be thinking. But you are worthy of your new title. Ever since your studies began here in Ponyville, you've displayed the charity, compassion, devotion, integrity, optimism, and of course the leadership of a true princess. As a result, you have earned your new wings and your new title. You are just like Luna, Cadence and I."

Twilight gulped as a new thought struck her and she expressed it aloud. "But then... does this mean I won't be your student anymore? Does that mean I've graduated from friendship studies?"

"In a way, yes," The sun princess answered. "Though that doesn't mean you'll stop learning all together. There's always more to learn about friendship, and about being a princess. I will still be here to guide you as needed," Then she proceeded to bow to Twilight while declaring. "However, as of today we're all your students now too, Twilight. You are an inspiration to us all, and always will be."

The young alicorn then began to worry aloud. "Is that so? Well, I'm honored and everything, but... what am I supposed to do now? Is there a book about being a princess I should read? I can't help but feel woefully unprepared for all of this."

Princess Celestia giggled. "Don't worry, there will be plenty of time for you to get used to your new role and your new body."

Pinkie Pie then protested. "But wait a minute, Twilight being a princess means she's gonna have to leave Ponyville forever! That's not fair, we're never gonna see her again!"

Twilight shook her head! "I'm not leaving Ponyville! I won't abandon my friends!"

"I'll say!" Applejack stubbornly spoke up. "If you think you're just gonna move on back to Canterlot and forget all about us, you've got another thing comin'! We ain't about to say goodbye to you just yet, sugarcube."

"If anypony were to even think of moving to Canterlot it would be me! And I'd never do that in a million years despite how much I might feel at home there." Rarity insisted.

And even Spike commented. "Ponyville's our home, Twilight. I know we may have lived in Canterlot and that it's Equestria's capital city, but surely we could work something out with Mayor Mare so we can stay here. You know, at least for now while we figure things out."

Fortunately, Princess Celestia was quick to reassure everyone. "Twilight's not going to be moving back to Canterlot, not even temporarily. It wouldn't make much sense to take the princess of friendship away from the very heart of friendship itself, now would it?"

"Huh," Rainbow Dash remarked as the reality slowly settled in. "Can't believe I didn't think about it like that. It makes so much sense."

Fluttershy, meanwhile, breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness. Without Twilight, Ponyville just wouldn't be Ponyville. And even if we could always come to Canterlot to see her, it wouldn't be the same."

"Still," Princess Celestia went on to say. "There is the matter of a coronation. Everypony in Equestria and non-ponies are going to have to be made aware that another princess now exists. And as much as I might like to have the coronation in Ponyville, given the short notice of it I don't think Mayor Mare would be able to provide a suitable location for the crowd that will come."

"Well, before any coronation gets held," Twilight spoke up. "There is one thing I want to take care of. My first royal decree if you will," She then turned to Spike and the five other mares. "I'd like to make you all my official royal advisors. 'Cause what would the princess of friendship be without them by her side?"

"Us? Royal advisors?" Rarity slowly blinked. "Darling, you shouldn't have."

But Spike just raced up and happily hugged Twilight. "I didn't think I could be any happier than when you made me your son! Rarity's right, you didn't have to do this. But I'm glad you did."

The young alicorn smiled. "I figured you especially could use some recognition, Spike. Without you by my side, I honestly don't know where I'd be or who I'd be," Then she looked to her friends. "And the same goes for the rest of you. No matter what comes next, I want you all to stay by my side. I could never have become the princess of friendship without you."

Pinkie Pie cheered! "Wherever you go, Twilight, we'll go too! We'll be the best of friends forever!"

"I'd like that very much, Pinkie," Twilight happily replied before turning to Princess Celestia. "Now, about my coronation..."

Celestia smiled anew. "All will be taken care of, Twilight. You'll see."

And indeed, all was very much taken care of. The coronation was held the very next day as word quickly spread about the arrival of Equestria's newest princess. And even though it was not the first royal coronation in Equestria's history, just about everypony who was anypony made it a point to be there.

A massive crowd gathered that day in Canterlot, ponies packing the castle so that there was barely room to move.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had gotten all dressed up for the occasion (as had everypony else). Celestia had a light purple dress with golden trim and wore a crown with five purple beads on the top. Luna had a similar dress except it was a dark purple in color, and instead of a gemstone it depicted a crescent moon. In addition, she was not wearing a crown of any sort.

When the designated hour had arrived, Celestia addressed the crowd with perhaps the biggest smile she had ever worn. For her, this was an occasion to remember. "Mares and gentlestallions, colts and fillies of all ages," She announced. "We are gathered here today in celebration of a momentous occasion, perhaps the greatest in our lifetimes. My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, has done many extraordinary things since moving to Ponyville. In fact, is to her that I owe my joyus reunion with my sister, Princess Luna."

Luna spoke not a word when addressed, she just smiled while looking across to her elder sister.

Celestia then continued her speech even though she had planned for her younger sister to say a few words. "But just recently, Twilight did something truly extraordinary. And considering her long list of accomplishments that's no easy feat. She created new magic out of existing magic, proving without a doubt that she is ready to be crowned Equestria's newest princess. And so, it gives me great pleasure to present to you all for the very first time: Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship!"

The doors to the throne room promptly swung wide open and in stepped Twilight herself, all dressed up for the occasion. She wore a long, flowing dress similar to Celestia and Luna's, except hers was a lighter yellow in color around the edges and did not look like armor. The dress itself was a pink color with a purple button in the center. Accompanying her were a few members of the royal guard and some pegasi that were an angelic white in color with heavenly yellow colored manes.

With beautiful music and chanting going on in the background, Twilight made her way up the steps to stand before her fellow alicorns. She soon received her new crown, which housed the Element of Magic inside of it just like the old tiara had done before.

The young alicorn proceeded to step out onto the balcony to a cheering crowd of ponies that stretched all the way to the horizon (and maybe even beyond). It was incredibly overwhelming to say the least.

Princess Celestia promptly encouraged her former student. "Go on. Say something, Princess Twilight. They're all waiting for you."

"Oh," Twilight blushed in realization, only now wishing that she had thought to prepare a speech ahead of time for the occasion. But after looking back across the balcony, she found that she had no need for such a thing. She knew at once what she wanted to say and cleared her throat, addressing the crowd as she motioned for all in it to be silent. "A while ago, more than two years in fact, my teacher and mentor Princess Celestia sent me to Ponyville. I was originally just supposed to be there for the duration of the Summer Sun Celebration, but those plans would change."

Twilight briefly paused to gather her thoughts, not wanting to bore the crowd with a long and winded speech all about her path to princesshood. So when she resumed speaking she simply said. "Something I never imagined possible occurred on that fateful Summer Sun Celebration. Something I had previously never really cared for would become important to my life: Friendship. It's that very friendship that has led me here today, speaking to all of you. Yet now, I can honestly say that I wouldn't even be standing here if not for some very special friends. And I'd like those friends to come out here and join me."

Waving a hoof, Twilight called over all of her Ponyville friends as well as Spike. Each of them had gotten dressed up for the occasion. Spike wore a simple black tuxedo and matching bow, while the five mares had all gotten lavish dresses to match Twilight's.

Applejack had a light blue dress with orange ribbons and had even swapped out her usual brown stentson for a blue one to match her dress. Fluttershy wore an outfit a simple green in color with a white flower necklace in the center, and red and white flowers circling her head for a hat. Rarity had a beautiful dark purple dress with a lighter purple shade around the neck and a purple gem in the center almost like the Element of Generosity itself, plus a matching purple and light purple hat with a purple feather. Pinkie Pie had a light blue and white dress with pink ribbons, complete with a matching colored hat that had a fake ice cream cone on it. And Rainbow Dash wore a bluish-green dress with white cloud like fixtures on the outside, as well as a lightning bolt symbol in the middle. For a hat, Rainbow wore a bluish-green hat with yellow stripes that led to a yellow feather.

All of Twilight's friends bowed briefly before standing besides her, smiling and waving to the crowd. Then Twilight herself resumed speaking, though this time she looked back to her friends. "Each one of you has taught me something about friendship in the time I've known you. And for that, I will always be grateful," Turning back to the crowd she concluded her speech by saying. "Today, I consider myself the luckiest pony in all of Equestria. Thank you, my friends. And thank you, everypony!"

As soon as the speech had concluded, the crowd erupted into a chorus of claps, cheers and whistles!

Twilight then stepped back into the castle in time to see none other than her brother, Shining Armor, approaching her while wearing the same outfit he had worn to his own wedding just a few months prior. "Twily! Oh, I'm so proud of you!" He happily exclaimed! "And so are Mom and Dad! Seems like only yesterday you were born and yet look at you now, all grown-up and officially a princess!"

"Thanks, B.B.B.F.F," Twilight smiled before noticing something on her brother's cheek. "Are you crying?" She asked him in a bit of a teasing tone of voice.

Shining Armor immediately moved to wipe away the tear while denying. "Me? Crying? Of course not. It's liquid pride, totally different thing," He then giggled. "Now I can say I know two princesses personally. Gosh, I feel so old."

"Well who knows? Maybe someday you'll become an alicorn too," Twilight teased in reply. "Anything's possible." And then she hugged her brother as he hugged her back.

Shining then left as Applejack promptly cheered for her friend! "Way to go, princess!"

"Best coronation day ever!" Pinkie Pie happily proclaimed!

Fluttershy then added. "We love you, Twilight."

"I love you too, girls!" Twilight declared with a smile. "And you too, Spike. I meant what I said on that balcony. None of this would've been possible without you all being there for me."

Spike couldn't help but remark (even while joining in on a group hug). "Twilight, please, you're gonna make me blush!" Then, after a moment of composing himself he asked. "So, what's next? I mean, besides your carriage ride to officially conclude your coronation of course."

The young alicorn simply declared. "I don't know, but whatever it is I know I'll have my best friends by my side. Today is not truly the end, and neither is the beginning of the end. Today is but a new beginning, a new chapter in my life and our lives."

"Well, I hope that means you'll have time for some flying lessons," Rainbow Dash spoke up. "You've got wings now, Twilight. And you're gonna have to learn how to use them one way or another."

Twilight gulped, she was not looking forward to any kind of lessons from Rainbow Dash. But she forced herself to smile as she replied. "I guess you're as good a teacher as any, Rainbow Dash. After all, even if I'm a princess there's still going to be lots that I'll have to learn."

S6 E2: The Crystalling, Part 2 (What If?)

Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer had both found themselves facing unexpected problems in the Crystal Empire, and both were now currently wondering just how things had gotten to this point.

Starlight had already been uncomfortable and ill at ease just living in the same castle as Twilight and Spike, which was made worse by her difficulty in finding places like the castle's library or the throne room. "I am never gonna find my way around this place!" She'd complained aloud at one point.

Spike was around to hear such an outburst and speculated that his new "big sister" was worried about other things. And he soon learned what they were when Starlight told him in no uncertain terms. "Me being a student to the very pony who could've had me arrested for my crimes. It doesn't feel right."

Spike had tried his best to cheer up Starlight up by reassuring her. "Twilight saw potential in you, and that's not something she sees in just anypony," Then he suggested to her. "Why not speak up? I'm sure Twilight would understand."

But Starlight had ruled it out by saying. "I don't wanna seem ungrateful."

So it was that the unicorn kept her unhappiness to herself when she learned what Twilight was going to have her do for her first friendship lesson. "Shining Armor's a father! I'm an aunt!" She announced one day after getting an invitation, and that meant she and all her friends would be going to the Crystal Empire. "Since there's no way I'm missing a chance to see my new nephew or niece and everypony else is gonna be coming along, you're going too. Your first friendship lesson will be reuniting with Sunburst, your old friend."

Except upon arriving in the Crystal Empire, Twilight learned from Shining Armor of some very unexpected and troubling developments. "The baby's caused some... problems. Problems we weren't expecting." He'd explained in a frazzled state.

But Spike volunteered to keep the lesson on track in Twilight's absence. "All Starlight and I have to do is follow your lesson plan," He told Twilight while picking up the scroll that contained said plan. "It can't hurt to at least try."

So Spike and Starlight went off to find Sunburst's house, while Twilight and the others went to see the baby. And a major shock greeted them when they finally saw the filly for the first time. "My new niece is an alicorn?!" Twilight had exclaimed upon seeing wings and a horn!

"She could be a super-strong flyer and have crazy baby magic?!" Pinkie Pie had nervously proclaimed.

And it was then all learned about it was that had given the crystal couple so much trouble, and why they had been summoned to the empire. "This new alicorn's magic has proven to be highly unstable and unpredictable. And it is because of that great power that the Crystal Heart has been broken." Princess Celestia had explained to everyone.

Shining Armor had then explained. "Even with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna using their own alicorn magic, they've only just barely been able to hold off the Frozen North. Eventually, even their magic will no longer be effective."

Twilight tried to take charge of the situation by declaring. "I'll bet that somewhere in the library is a spell that can put the Crystal Heart back together!" Yet before she could put her plan into action, her niece had teleported away due to a surge in magic!

While all that was going on, Starlight and Spike had made their way to Sunburst's house only for Sunburst to quickly greet them and then shoo them away. "I'm really busy with lots of, uh, wi-wizarding... stuff." He'd told them upon answering the door.

But Spike was determined not to let Starlight give up on the friendship lesson so easily. "You have to at least explain yourself to him and let him know what Twilight wants!" Which is what led him to knock on the door again, more or less forcing Starlight to greet Sunburst.

Yet through all of these developments, neither Twilight or Starlight had any confidence that they could handle the situations they'd found themselves in. Twilight didn't know where her niece could've teleported off to, and Starlight wasn't sure how she was supposed to talk to Sunburst without bringing up her troubled past.

And while these problems were going on, the blizzards were growing worse and the Crystal Empire continued to be in danger! Time was running out!

"Oh this is bad! This is bad! This is so very, very bad!" Twilight declared while taking several deep breaths! "The baby just had to get a magical flare up now of all times!"

"We need to find her, now!" Princess Cadence spoke up with the most serious look anyone had ever seen on her face! "I'm not gonna be able to rest until I know my daughter is safe and sound."

Shining Armor nodded in support of his wife. "Everypony spread out and start searching! Leave no stone unturned!"

The ponies did so, breaking off into small groups to look for the infant alicorn. All hoped she was still somewhere within the castle and hadn't teleported to somewhere far away.

The search hadn't been going on for very long though when Pinkie Pie happened to pick up the sound of something. "Hey, you hear that?" She asked Rarity and Fluttershy.

"Hear what, Pinkie?" Fluttershy questioned.

"I guess my babysitting experiences with the Cake Twins haven't left me after all," Pinkie explained as the pink party pony put a hoof to her ear. "I can hear the faint sound of laughter, and it's coming from just down the hallway."

Rarity quickly realized what was covered by that location! "The throne room! Of course! There's a good chance the little one would be familiar with that place since it would be where her parents are if they aren't tending to her. At least, I would assume that's the case."

Fluttershy then encouraged. "We'd better hurry and catch her before she gets another magic surge. This is costing us valuable time Twilight could be spending trying to find a spell to fix the Crystal Heart."

So the trio of ponies raced down the hallway, turning sharply into the throne room where sure enough the baby alicorn was. She happily flew around the room between the throne her mom occupied and the doorway without a care in the world.

"Look at her," Rarity couldn't help but snort. "Does she think this is a game or something?"

"She's a baby, she doesn't fully understand things. All she knows is that nopony's paying attention to her," Fluttershy pointed out. "Besides, she can't help it if she gets surges. Her being an alicorn probably makes the surges ten times worse. We may have to find a way to get them under control when this is over."

Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, had crept close to the little filly and gentle reached out a hoof to grab her. "Now now," She tried to reassure the little one. "You don't need to worry yourself. You're in good hooves with your Auntie Pinkie Pie," Gently rocking the foal back and forth she cooed. "Let's get you back to your nursery before you make your mommy and daddy worry even more."

While these chaotic developments were unfolding, miles away at Sunburst's house things were not much better. Sunburst had invited Spike and Starlight Glimmer in, but only once he'd been told what the reason for their visit is. He was now currently sitting at a table with Starlight as the only thing separating the two unicorns was a tea kettle (containing freshly brewed tea) and two small tea cups.

Sunburst carefully adjusted his cape and his glasses while he tried to maintain eye contact with Starlight. "So, let me get this straight," He questioned her. "You're here because the princess of friendship wanted you to reconnect with me?"

Starlight nodded as she tried her best to hide how nervous she was. "More or less. I mean, it's pretty weird, right?"

Sunburst scratched his head in confusion. "I don't understand though, why would she want that? I didn't even know you'd become the princess' student until just now," Then he innocently inquired. "Unless, something happened to you after I left for magic school. Is that it? Did something happen to you, Starlight?"

"What?! No!" Starlight Glimmer protested, perhaps a bit too loudly as she unknowingly overfilled her tea cup with tea. "I mean, not anything that you'd wanna hear about, Mr. Big, Important Wizard."

The stallion slowly nodded. "Yup, that's me alright. So busy I didn't have time to respond to your letters. I'm pretty sure you tried to send me some at some point."

"I did, but when I never got a reply I figured you were too busy with your studies," Starlight waved a hoof and then sought to change the subject. "But enough about me, what about you?"

Sunburst gulped a bit. "Me?"

Starlight nodded. "Yes, you. Obviously, a lot must've happened to you since I saw you last. Did anything important happen to you after you left for magic school? Or anything at all for that matter? You know, besides you moving out here."

Sunburst appeared to suddenly stutter as he nervously answered. "What? Um, no. If there was, do you think I'd still be here?" And with a bit of a chuckle he declared. "Like you said, I'm a big, important wizard. And why would a wizard want to work in a place like this unless he needed the solitude to perfect his spells? Spells he most certainly has been working on."

"Oh, of course," Starlight nervously chuckled in reply. "How silly of me not to think about your needs with your new status. It's not easy being a wizard of any sort, let alone a big, important one."

And while the two unicorns were talking, Spike was desperately looking over the large and long scroll as he said to himself. "I'm sure there's something on Twilight's list that can help here. She's got to have anticipated every possible snag, she's just got to!"

Pinkie Pie brought the baby alicorn back to the royal nursery, much to the relief of everypony else when they eventually reconvened. "Babies just really like me for some reason, I guess." The pink party pony declared while setting the little one back down in her crib.

"See?" Twilight sought to reassure the worried crystal couple. "We can handle things just fine. So you two just focus on getting some rest now, and leave the rest to my friends and I."

"Fine, but only for a little bit," Princess Cadence reluctantly agreed. "Then Shining Armor and I are going to work ourselves to the bone if we have to to keep our daughter under control."

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna then prepared to leave as the elder of the two royal sisters instructed. "It might not be a bad idea to start preparing for the worst, an evacuation of the empire. Time is running out."

"We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it," Shining Armor said with a yawn. "I've already got some details in place, and I'll think of more after I finally get some good sleep for a change."

Twilight then turned to her friends, instructing them. "Once Cadence and Shining Armor take over, one of you should go check in on Starlight and make sure she's okay. And be sure to let her know about the possibility of needing to evacuate so she can be ready."

Rainbow Dash gave a firm salute. "You leave that to me, Twilight! Wherever Starlight may be, I'll track her down no sweat. And in the meantime, I'll be ready in case the little one tries to fly away."

Rarity added. "And I'll do my best to prepare for any more possible magic surges. Let's just hope that teleportation spell has left her drained for a while."

Applejack then declared. "Sounds like we've all got a plan. So why doesn't everypony get goin' while there's still an empire to save?!"

"Applejack is right," Princess Luna stated in agreement as she unfolded her wings alongside Princess Celestia. "Come, my sister. Let's buy Twilight and the others as much as time as possible!"

"Best of luck to you all, and be careful!" Princess Celestia cautioned before she and Princess Luna left the castle, and took to the sky to try and combat the blizzards.

Twilight waited until she knew for sure Shining Armor and Princess Cadence were resting. Then after quickly checking the nursery to insure her friends had everything under control, she lit up her horn and teleported away to the library. She then set to work on what was a frantic search! "There has to be something that can help! The Crystal Heart is too important to the empire to stay shattered!" She thought to herself.

Things were not going any better back at Sunburst's house as the conversations between the two unicorns was going nowhere fast.

Spike was desperately pouring over the scroll in his possession, looking for anything that might help break the ice! "Come on! Come on!" He declared as the scroll had now been unfolded so much that it stretched all the way down to the ground and had even wrapped itself around him. "There's gotta be somethin'. Think, Spike, think! You know Twilight better than anyone, what would she do in this situation?"

In the meantime, Sunburst and Starlight had long since left the table (and the tea set). Sunburst was now seated upon a desk and had turned the chair around to face Starlight, all the while he hadn't taken off his robe (making it difficult but not impossible to see his cutie mark, which was exactly what Starlight remembered it being). "I know Princess Twilight was really keen on the two of us rekindling our friendship, but... it's been so long," He declared. "I doubt she could've anticipated this. And even if she did I don't see how anything on that list could help."

Starlight couldn't help but laugh. "I know, right? How silly would that be. After all, it's not like there's some spell or something that could just magically compel us to be friends again."

"Actually, it's funny you should mention that," Sunburst grinned as he lit up his horn, casting that warm yellow glow as he brought over several scrolls of his own. "Because there are spells that could do that. Lots of them, actually," He proceeded to list some of them off one by one. "There's: Mistmane's Material Amity, Rockhoof's Rapport, Flash Magnus' Fellow... ship... " Then he cleared his throat. "But I get the feeling a spell isn't what the princess was looking for."

"Yeah, definitely not. Magic can't solve everything." Starlight nervously laughed, hoping it didn't sound too nervous.

At that moment, Spike happened to spot something down at the very bottom of the scroll and declared aloud! "Aha! I knew there was something that could help!" He proceeded to read aloud. "'If all else fails, ask them both to share an embarrassing moment from their past, maybe even something they regret!' Sounds like a good idea to me."

But after a moment of silence Sunburst nervously commented while adjusting his glasses. "I don't see how that's supposed to help."

Starlight Glimmer nervously agreed. "Yeah, I was about to say the same thing!" And she then apologized. "Terribly sorry for wasting your time like this, Sunburst. Spike and I should just get out of your mane. It's pretty obvious this isn't going how Twilight hoped it would, and I'm sure that you still have plenty of important work to do around here."

Sunburst seemed to momentarily forget what Starlight was saying before quickly agreeing. "Oh! Right, yes, of course," He replied with a grin. "You know me, very busy. No rest for the wizardly, I'm afraid. Us big, important wizards have lots of things that need our attention," Then he added. "But it was nice to see you again, Starlight. For however brief it was."

"Same here," Starlight replied before turning to Spike. "Come on, Spike. Let's get out of here."

Spike groaned. "But Starlight-"

The unicorn mare refused to be persuaded otherwise, and she used her magic to drag the little dragon away and slam the door to Sunburst's house shut behind her. It was clear that he housed no interest in resuming their long abandoned friendship, so why should she force herself to keep trying?

Once outside and far away from Sunburst, Starlight loosened her magical grip on Spike and apologized to him. "Sorry about that, Spike. But there's no way I was about to tell Sunburst about my past. If he knew everything, he most certainly wouldn't wanna be friends with me. And I wouldn't blame him for doing so," She then unhappily sighed. "Besides, he pretty much forgot all about me. He got to be that big, important wizard he always dreamed of being. And meanwhile, I'm a pony who should be rotting away in a dungeon somewhere."

"Come on, that's crazy talk!" Spike protested! "So things didn't work out the way you wanted them to? You can't just give up!" He then looked down at the scroll. "Honestly, we were better off without this lesson plan. Twilight may not be wrong when it comes to friendship, but even she can get lost in the details sometimes." He promptly burned up the scroll, reducing it to ash.

Starlight wasn't so convinced. "It's not the list, Spike. Or you. Or Twilight. Or anyone else for that matter. I'm the one that Sunburst doesn't want to be friends with."

Spike scratched his head with a claw. "Really? I don't remember him ever saying that."

"He didn't have to say it, Spike. It was obvious just from the way he was acting." Starlight glumly replied.

The little dragon quickly proclaimed! "Hey, I told you before that if Twilight thinks you're worth being friends with then so do I! I can't let you give up on yourself so easily!"

"That's easy for you to say, you didn't see how horrible I was to the ponies in my old village. Or how horrible I was to Twilight and her friends when they came to said village and exposed me," Starlight frowned with a shake of her head. "Just thinking back to the pony I used to be gives me nightmares. How can Twilight and the others trust me so easily after all I've done? For all they know, I could've been faking my change of heart all this time."

Spike immediately sought to protest! "But if that was the case you wouldn't care about any of this right now," And then he shivered. "And you wouldn't care about how it seems to have gotten even colder out here than it was when we arrived at Sunburst's place."

Starlight nervously commented. "Yeah, I've noticed that too. It's got to be connected to the problems Twilight and her friends are facing with the new baby," Then she got an idea! "I know! I'll help them solve... whatever is that they need help with that! Then I'll feel a whole lot better, I'll finally know for sure I've changed! And Sunburst will surely take notice and start to open up, and I won't have to disclose my past to him to do so. Oh, it's such a brilliant plan!"

Spike wasn't so sure. "I don't know if that's what Twilight had in mind for all of this, Starlight. I think what she would want most is for you to continue to try your luck with Sunburst. Just be honest with him. Wizard or not, there's no way he'll just shut you out if he learns what happened to you."

But the unicorn mare had already made up her mind! "Come on, Spike! We need to find Twilight and find out what's going on with this cold! Then we'll figure out how to solve it!" And she raced away with a renewed vigor in her eyes, in part because she was no longer worried about Sunburst or what he would think of her because of her past.

The little dragon could only sigh. "She really is just like Twilight, so headstrong and sure of herself. Just my luck."

Back at the Crystal Castle and inside the royal nursery, five mares kept a careful watch over the young alicorn foal while they could only occasionally glance out the nursery window to see the battle going on. A losing battle for the royal sisters even as they tried valiantly to hold back the Frozen North's harsh blizzards of blinding snow and bitter cold winds.

The two alicorns concentrated their magical energies, firing off blasts from their horns as much as possible and as fast as they possibly could! Yet it seemed like no matter how many clouds they successfully dispersed, more clouds took their place and filled up the sky.

And to make matters worse, the royal sisters were themselves being coated with snow and ice that clung to their coats! It was possible to see them shivering as the winds grew worse and the snowfall picked up in intensity!

"Keep going, Luna!" Princess Celestia desperately encouraged! "We've got to push them back, sister!"

Princess Luna struggled just to nod as she made her horn light up yet again and fired off yet another magic blast. "There's just no end to them, sister!" She protested. "We can't hold out like this for much longer!"

Princess Celestia desperately insisted! "We need to buy Twilight and the others as much time as possible! We have to keep going until we haven't a drop of magic left to spare!"

"Or until we freeze solid. Let's hope that doesn't happen first!" Princess Luna protested again before she went back to firing off blasts from her horn in conjunction with her elder sister.

Rainbow Dash looked back to her own wings after seeing the scene, and grumbled in impatience once again. "This isn't working! They should let me help! Blizzards or not, I'm sure I can make a difference!"

Fluttershy shook her head. "And let you freeze?! I think not! If even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna can't fight off the blizzards, what chance do you have as a pegasus?"

Pinkie Pie then bounced by and declared. "Besides, we're doing an important job keeping Shining Armor and Cadence's baby under control so everypony else can do their part to get the Crystal Heart fixed. It'd be impossible for Twilight to do any kind of research if she had to take care of a little one on top of that."

Rainbow could only impatiently sigh. "I know, I know. What we're doing is probably important. But I just hate feeling so helpless. At least last time the empire was in danger, we got to do stuff in the Crystal Fair to keep the crystal ponies distracted. Now," She looked to the little alicorn. "We're stuck playing babysitter while Twilight and the princesses do everything."

"It's only until Shining Armor and Cadence are rested enough to actually pay attention to their daughter," Rarity pointed out as she kept a watchful eye on the little princess (who was currently asleep). "Then we can all do our part to help Twilight. And with a little luck, everything will work out just fine."

"Let's hope so," Applejack replied as she shivered. "It's gettin' colder by the minute. I don't know how much of an empire there's gonna be left at this rate. Twilight better find somethin' to fix the Crystal Heart soon!"

Just then, the door to the nursery swung open and in trotted Shining Armor and Cadence. The two looked much more presentable now. "We're ready to take over, now," Shining Armor declared. "You can all go help Twily, I have a feeling she hasn't even come close to exhausting all the material in the library."

"First, I have to go check in on Starlight and Spike and get them up to speed on what's going on," Rainbow Dash spoke up as she remembered Twilight's earlier instructions. "The rest of you head over to the library and I'll meet you there!" She prepared to flap her wings and take off, though she then lowered them as she reluctantly looked to the royal couple and asked. "Uh, where would Sunburst's house be, exactly?"

Princess Cadence blinked. "Sunburst? That's the first I've heard of such a name."

Shining Armor put a hoof to his chin. "I seem to remember hearing something about a pony moving in a secluded house a while ago. Try looking for a house all by itself." He suggested.

Rainbow eagerly replied! "On it!" And she then took off, zooming out of the nursery as fast as she possibly could!

The four other mares prepared to leave the nursery as well. But unfortunately, Rainbow Dash's fast take off had woken up the baby. And to make matters worse, it was at that very moment that she got another surge as her horn sparked to life again while she fluttered out of her crib.

Shining groaned. "Young filly, get back here!" But it was too late to prevent the foal from teleporting away again.

"This way, hurry!" Cadence gestured a hoof down the hall! "She can't have gotten far!" She then turned back to the four mares. "Don't worry about us, just get to Twilight and assist her with her search!"

"You got it, Princess Cadence!" Applejack firmly declared! "Come on, let's move it! The library ain't too far from here." And she led the rest of her friends out of the nursery and then out of the castle, the four of them bound for the empire's library with its vast collection of books.

Cadence watched them go before she turned back to her husband in time to see him chasing after their daughter with a butterfly net! "Shining, what do you think you're doing?! It's a foal, not a wild animal!"

"I know that, I'm not gonna hurt her," Shining replied to his wife. "But I can't get too close to her without her flying away. It's like she thinks this is all a game or something."

The princess of love just sighed. "Better leave catching her to me, then. I can fly, you can't." And she began to flap her wings to try and catch up to her daughter and husband.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie arrived at the library a short time later. And when they did they found everything in confusion!

Twilight had obviously been hard at work if the many books that lay scattered every which way on the library floors was any indication. And the book loving alicorn herself could be see flying past, using her horn to pull multiple books off the shelves on either side and scan over them with her moderate violet eyes. "No, no, no," She groaned, tossing several more aside without fanfare! "Come on! There has to be something here! There just has to be!"

"Not to worry, Twilight," Rarity declared as she and the others came trotting up. "We're here to help you now."

Twilight smiled and breathed a small sigh of relief. "I could certainly use it. This library's massive, and I don't have a clue as to how it's organized. There's no catalog of any sort."

Applejack then questioned. "So, what? We just go around, lookin' everywhere and anywhere possible until we find a spell that'll work?"

The alicorn nodded. "More or less. This isn't an exact science and time isn't on our side," Then she instructed. "All of you spread out and search a different section. If you find anything that looks even remotely promising, bring it to my attention right away. I'd like as many options as possible."

Pinkie Pie gave a salute before bouncing away. "Can do, Twilight! We won't let you down!"

"Rainbow Dash went to check on Starlight and Spike, right?" Twilight asked even while she continued her search.

Fluttershy confirmed her alicorn friend's concerns. "She left before we did. Hopefully, she'll find them."

"That's the first good news I've had in a long time," Twilight declared. "At this rate, I may have to call off her first official friendship lesson. I didn't expect things to be this difficult," Then she added. "I hope she and Spike are having better luck than we are."

Even as she set off for her own section to search, Fluttershy turned back to Twilight and commented. "You're worried about what a postponement of the lesson would mean for Starlight and for yourself."

The young alicorn reluctantly confirmed. "I know I was taking a big risk taking her under my wing, but I really felt I could make a difference for the better in her life. She has far more baggage when it comes to friendship than I ever did. If I can't convince her to give it a shot, then my biggest act as the princess of friendship will have failed. And a postponement would only make Starlight more worried about the inevitable, or make her more uncertain if I had to make her lesson something else."

The animal loving pegasus reassured her alicorn friend. "The lesson itself isn't what's important, what's important is that Starlight grasps the concepts behind it. Besides, the lesson hasn't been called off yet. There's still time for everything to work out."

"You're right, Fluttershy," Twilight agreed, before suddenly her eyes lit up as she saw something catch their attention: The title of a book. "Hang on!" She excitedly declared! "I think I'm onto something here," She read the title aloud while calling her friends over. "Trotter's Tome of Reliquary. There might be something in here that'll work on the Crystal Heart!"

"Oh, thank goodness you found it!" Rarity remarked as she, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy came back to the center of the library to join Twilight. "Without that book, who knows what we'd do?"

The book loving alicorn cautioned. "I haven't read through it yet. There might not be something after all," But after flipping through a few pages really quick she discovered a spell that commanded attention. "'Spell of Relic Reconstitution'. Yes, this should work perfectly! The Crystal Empire is saved!"

But just then there came a sudden popping sound, and then who should appear before the five mares but the same baby alicorn they'd last seen in the royal nursery not too long ago?

"What?! How did you get here?! Where are your parents?!" Twilight exclaimed with shock, momentarily losing her grip on Trotter's Tome of Reliquary in the process!

The baby alicorn quickly scooped up the book, giggling as she held it in her tiny hooves and then took off again.

"Quick, we have to stop her!" Twilight shouted to her friends as she flapped her wings! "I didn't get a chance to study the spell completely, I only glanced at it! I'll need the book if I'm gonna cast that spell on the Crystal Heart!"

"Oh man, it's Pound and Pumpkin Cake all over again!" Pinkie Pie nervously declared even as she joined in the chase to catch the baby alicorn.

Shortly after the chase began, the library doors swung open and in trotted an unaware and unexpecting Starlight Glimmer and Spike. Only now did they get a chance to see the new member of the royal crystal family, quickly taking notice of how the foal had both wings and a horn.

Starlight forgot all about her earlier plans and concerns as she just asked. "What in the world of Equestria is going on?!"

While rushing past, Pinkie Pie quickly explained! "Long story short: The new baby's an alicorn and she accidentally destroyed the Crystal Heart, so Twilight was looking for a spell to fix it so the Crystal Empire won't turn into a giant wasteland of ice and snow."

"No wonder it's so cold," Spike realized. "But how did the baby get here?"

As if in answer to that question, Cadence and Shining Armor happened to come rushing past in desperation! "Her magic surges are getting worse!" Shining commented to his wife! "At this rate, we'll never catch her!"

"Her surges can't last forever!" A desperate Cadence replied! "Come on, we can't lose her again! It looks like she got something very important to Twilight."

Rainbow Dash happened to show up at the library just after the royal couple, panting heavily as she looked at Starlight and Spike. "Oh, you guys were here. Got lost looking for you, not my fault every house in the empire looks the same," She apologized and then began to say. "So, about the cold..."

Spike interrupted. "-We already know about the baby and the Crystal Heart. You should know that the baby's here, causing trouble for Twilight and the others."

"What do you mean?" Rainbow asked before she saw the baby alicorn flying past with an old and worn looking book in her hooves, and Twilight and the rest of her friends (along with Shining Armor and Princess Cadence) all chasing after the foal. "Oh." And she was quick to join the chase herself.

Eventually, with some quick thinking, the baby was cornered and Pinkie Pie was able to catch her. But in the process, the foal lost her grip on Trotter's Tome of Reliquary!

Thinking fast, Starlight lit up her horn and caught the book with her magic. "I've got it, Twilight!" She announced to her mentor. She felt quite proud of herself for having made the difference.

But Starlight's celebration proved to be premature as a blast from the foal's horn shot off without warning, hitting the book in Starlight's possession and blasting a hole straight through it!

Twilight gasped as she rushed over to the book only to see that it was beyond repair! "That spell was the only thing I found in the whole library that was even close to what we needed! And now it's gone."

Starlight Glimmer's joy quickly turned to sorrow and guilt. Now she'd made Twilight's problem that much worse. "I'm so sorry, Twilight! I was only trying to help." She sincerely apologized.

The alicorn princess let out a sigh as she looked at her student and reassured her. "It's not your fault, Starlight. None of us were expecting any of this. We certainly didn't anticipate having so little time on our hooves. And there's no way you could've known the baby was going to get a magic surge at that very moment."

"Still, if I hadn't been there the book wouldn't have been destroyed," Starlight frowned and hung her head. "Why do I always seem to mess things up no matter what I do?"

Spike desperately protested! "Starlight, you can't think like that! You've had a few set backs, but no one ever said learning about friendship would be without them. Besides, this isn't a time for blame."

Holding her infant daughter in her hooves, Princess Cadence was quick to declare. "Spike is right, we don't have time to feel sorry for ourselves or talk about who did what. The Crystal Empire will be completely frozen over soon unless we can figure out a way to stop it!" She then turned to Twilight and asked her. "I know it's not usually your thing, but is there any chance you remember the spell you found in Trotter's Tome of Reliquary?"

"I only read over it once, briefly!" Twilight reluctantly and nervously confessed. "I'll try my best to recreate it from memory, but I don't know how long that'll take or if it'll even work."

Cadence immediately offered. "I'll do what I can to help after I get the baby back to the castle. With our powers combined, maybe we can make the spell more powerful and at least buy us more time, or even give Aunt Celestia and Aunt Luna the edge they need to drive the blizzards back."

Shining Armor then adopted a serious look. "But it might be time to consider Plan B: Evacuate the Crystal Empire. We should do it now while there's still time. The train tracks will be completely frozen over soon, and then it'll be too late!"

"Guess we'll help spread the word to everypony who's still here," Applejack suggested. "We'll all do our best to get 'em to the train station for ya."

"That would be most helpful. The faster everypony can get to the train station, the better the chances of a successful evacuation," Shining agreed with a nod. "Never thought it would come to this," He then looked to his wife. "I'm sure you and Twilight will do everything you can to try and fix the Crystal Heart. I'm rooting for you both!" And with that he left with Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity to begin the evacuation process.

Starlight, meanwhile, was looking to Twilight as the alicorn was in the process of writing down what she could about the spell she was going to cast. "I don't suppose there's anything I could do to help you?" She offered, desperately wanting to make up for her earlier mistake.

But Twilight only said in response. "Even with your unusually strong magic, I don't think it would make that much of a difference. I'm just sorry about your lesson, looks like it'll have to wait."

"That doesn't matter now, it's a bust anyways because Sunburst has forgotten all about me," Starlight protested and reluctantly confessed. "Believe me, I tried. But there some things he doesn't need to know about, especially since he's a big, important wizard. And meanwhile, I'm here re-learning everything I ever thought I knew. What would he ever want to do with me now?"

"I don't remember hearing anything about a wizard named Sunburst." Cadence commented as she arched eyebrow upward.

Twilight explained. "I did some private research after taking Starlight Glimmer on, I at least wanted to know where Sunburst was. The only information I could find was that he moved here some time ago, although it didn't say why. I do know that he was a student of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns though, for a little while anyway."

The princess of love then declared. "That means he may know a thing or two about magic. And if that's the case his expertise could make a difference," To Starlight she advised. "You should go to him and tell him to meet Twilight and I at the castle. He may be able to help us if the spell doesn't work."

"That I can do!" Starlight declared as a renewed sense of purpose and determination filled her, and she eagerly rushed away to carry out her new task!

"Go with her, Spike," Twilight advised. "Cadence and I will do the best we can on our own."

Spike gave a firm salute. "You didn't even have to ask, Twilight!" And in his mind he was thinking. "This is just the sort of opportunity I needed! Before this is over, I'll figure out some way to get Starlight to open up to Sunburst about her past! No way is she avoiding it this time!"

It was more than a little difficult for pony and dragon to make it to Sunburst's house with how much snow there was and how strong the winds were blowing. Already, it seemed like parts of the empire were being slowly taken over by the Frozen North with the rest soon to follow. Upon reaching their destination, they didn't bother with niceties. They immediately banged on the door as frantically as possible to get Sunburst to let them in!

Sunburst seemed surprised to see Starlight and Spike all snow covered. "What's going on?!" He asked them. "Why have you come back?! And where did this snow come from?! That shouldn't be here!"

"Haven't you been paying attention or looking out the window?!" Starlight pointed out! "It's been like this since we came to the empire. The Crystal Heart has been accidentally destroyed due to the new baby. Apparently, it's a filly and an alicorn one to boot."

Sunburst blinked in surprise. "Really? An alicorn? I didn't think one could just be born."

Starlight nodded. "I could hardly believe it myself, but that's not what's important. What is important is that Twilight and Princess Cadence are going to fix the Crystal Heart, or at least try to. And Princess Cadence also thinks you might be able to help," Before she recalled. "Although she didn't have knowledge of you being here and didn't seem to know you were a wizard. Is there something you're not telling me? You are a big, important wizard here, right?"

The stallion slowly nodded as he backed away. "Of course I was, why would I not be? If I weren't a wizard, why would I come to a place like this instead of moving out to the middle of nowhere?"

"Funny, I kind of got the impression that the empire is the middle of nowhere," Spike pointed out. "You're the only non-crystal pony besides Shining Armor and Cadence who lives here."

Sunburst proceeded to adjust his glasses as he backed up a bit, bumping into his book shelf. And he hastily set to work on rearranging it as he turned his back to both Starlight and Spike. "Look, I'd like to help. Really, I would. It's just..." He seemed to pause and bite his lip. "I have so much... important wizard stuff to do around here. Lots of spells to work on, lots of spells to write down. That sort of thing. I don't even know what Princess Twilight and Princess Cadence are gonna do, and I can't help anypony without knowing what I'm working with. You understand."

Starlight and Spike could hardly believe their ears, and Starlight was quick to plead! "Sunburst, come on! Whatever kind of work you have, it can't be more important than the fate of an entire empire!"

Spike added. "Even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are doing their part, and it's not enough. You could be the difference maker."

Sunburst snorted as he turned back around. "You two just don't know how to take 'no' for an answer, do you?! Why can't you just leave me alone?! I was perfectly happy with my life before you two showed up!"

At that, Starlight angrily remarked. "Oh, so that's it! You're such an important wizard now you no longer care about ponies like me. You don't care about anypony but yourself," And she swished her tail. "I can't believe this is what you've become. The Sunburst I knew was never this stuck up and selfish."

In response, Sunburst lost his patience! "It's not like that at all! I really do want to help! But..." He seemed to shudder. "You wouldn't understand, nopony else does."

"Understand what?!" Starlight Glimmer demanded!

The unicorn stallion growled and grit his teeth. "I'm not who you think I am, Starlight. In more ways than one. The truth is, I'm not a big, important wizard like I wanted to be. In fact, I'm not even a wizard at all! There, are you happy now?!"

Starlight's mouth dropped open in shock! "You're not a wizard! But that's impossible! You knew so much about magic! All you ever talked about was how you'd become a big, important wizard someday. And the day you got your cutie mark and went away to magic school, that's all you could think about. You forgot all about me."

"Yeah, I did," Sunburst willingly confessed. "But not all of us end up achieving greatness in life. Sometimes our dreams get crushed before our very eyes. That's what happened to me."

Starlight shook her head. "Sunburst, I don't care if you're a wizard or not. Never did and never will. The only reason I cared is because I thought that meant you were ignoring me. But all this time you were just lying to me to seem important."

Sunburst retorted. "Well, you're the one who brought it up. Why I should have to come clean to the princess of friendship's prized protege? That's way more important than me being a washed up ex-magic school student."

Spike sought to point out. "Technically, Starlight's more of a student than a protege. She hasn't been at it for very long."

The purplish-gray coated unicorn then inquired. "I don't understand how you could not be a wizard, Sunburst. With you knowledge of magic, you should've put anypony at magic school to shame."

The unicorn stallion replied with a deep sigh. "Reading about magic is one thing, but you don't know what it was like for me at magic school! To know so much and not be able to do any of it! It turned out I was just a little fish in a big pond, and by the time I realized it it was too late! I'd flunked out!"

At that, something inside of Starlight snapped! Holding back tears she got up right in Sunburst's face and bitterly confessed to her old friend! "Oh yeah?! Well you don't know what it was like for me after you left! You were my only friend, Sunburst! And when you never replied to any of my letters, I thought you'd abandoned me! I was the only blank flank left in the town we called home, nopony wanted to be friends with me! So what do you think happened next?! I started blaming cutie marks!"

"No!" Was all Sunburst could bring himself to say.

"I'm not finished! Not even close!" Starlight continued to rant! "I hated cutie marks so much I tried to avoid getting my own. Then I tried covering mine up when I did get one. And when that didn't work I ran away from home. I took over an entire village, stripping everypony of their cutie marks just so I could feel better about myself and push my agenda," She began to recall events of not long ago, when her ways and her lies had caught up with her. "Then Twilight and her friends showed up and defeated me, exposing me for the fraud I was. That made me so bitter I became consumed by revenge, which led me to try to go back in time to stop them from ever becoming friends. Yet even in that I wasn't successful."

Sunburst nervously asked. "You weren't?"

By now, the tears that had long been held back by Starlight spilled out freely. And she willingly confessed. "No. Twilight refused to give up on me. First she forced me to see what my actions were causing, and then we had to work together to fix the broken timeline we'd ended up in because of me. That's when it hit me. I was willing to condemn all of Equestria to a horrible future. Yet it wasn't cutie marks that I was really upset with, it was myself. I didn't want to face the facts that my own hatred was keeping me stuck in the past. And it's because of that past that I'm now supposed to be learning about friendship. But that's not easy when your past keeps haunting you, taunting you, making you feel like you haven't truly changed." Then and only then did the unicorn allow herself a chance to breath.

His old friend's rant was slowly processed in Sunburst's mind. For a moment he sat there in a daze, only just thinking to push his glasses up when they slid down his muzzle. "Did you really travel through time? That's something only Starswirl the Bearded was capable of."

Spike adopted a knowing grin as he ribbed Starlight. "I told you he'd be impressed."

"I was hoping to never have to tell you," Starlight unhappily sighed while looking at Sunburst. "I know what you must think of me now. Only a monster could be capable of the kind of cruelty I inflicted onto others, the kind of suffering I was willing to put others through to get what I thought I wanted."

Sunburst inquired. "All this because I left for magic school without saying goodbye?"

Starlight could only shake her head again. "No. It'd be easy to blame you for everything like I used to blame cutie marks. But it was my own fault. I didn't have to choose revenge, I didn't have to do any of what I did. But I did it anyway and now you know the ugly truth about my past," She promptly turned around and prepared to depart. "Well, at least we both came clean like Twilight wanted. You should get going while you still have a chance to evacuate the empire."

However, before Starlight Glimmer could take even a step, Sunburst reached out an orange colored hoof to comfort her. "I'm sorry. I didn't know things were that bad for you after I left. I didn't know our friendship meant so much to you."

Starlight hesitantly questioned the gesture. "You're not freaked out at all? I thought for sure you'd want nothing to do with me after what I did."

"You're not that pony anymore, are you?" Sunburst asked and got a quick shake of the head for an answer. "Then you need to stop blaming yourself for who you were, focus on who you are," Then he added an apology. "I just wish I'd have known sooner. Maybe I could've reached out to you all those years ago and told you the truth, then we'd both be better off."

"Maybe, but I'm done trying to change the past," Starlight firmly declared. "And I'm done trying to live in it! Living in the past and trying to change it turned out to be dead ends that took me nowhere. All this time, I've been looking within to find something worth saving, and it didn't occur to me that maybe I should start looking outward."

Sunburst smiled. "I get the feeling Princess Twilight would be happy to hear that if she were here right now," Then he looked back out the window. "But obviously she's got bigger priorities right now."

"Yes," Starlight agreed. "So unless you know of a spell that will drive back the Frozen North and fix the Crystal Heart, you should evacuate the empire along with everypony else. No point holding a crystalling when there's no Crystal Heart to power up or empire to protect."

Suddenly, a light bulb went off inside the stallion's mind! "Crystalling...! Of course, that's it!" He began to pull down several scrolls with his magic! "I think I know how to fix everything!" And to Starlight he pleaded! "You've got to take me to the castle immediately, and tell everypony else to gather at the castle. There may be a crystalling yet, and it's going to be the most important one of all time."

Outside the Crystal Castle, Twilight and Cadence were preparing to test the spell to hopefully restore the Crystal Heart. Neither alicorn could be certain they had the spell down to the exact details though, or that it would even work if cast.

"Well, I think that's everything," Twilight told her sister-in-law as she floated over a hastily written on parchment. "That's what I can remember, anyways."

Princess Cadence nervously replied. "That seems about right to me. But there's only one way to find out for sure. Here goes nothing!" She began to light up her horn!

"I hope this works!" Twilight said aloud as she made her own horn spark to life!

The two alicorns promptly channeled all the magical energy they could possibly summon up, concentrating it on the Crystal Heart's shattered remains. Slowly but surely it seemed like they were putting it back together. There were still visible cracks but the heart looked like it was more or less whole again.

Unfortunately, the heart didn't hold together for very long. And with an audible crack it broke apart again, shards of crystal falling all around the area where the Crystal Heart had once stood.

Twilight hung her head as she apologized to her fellow princess. "I'm sorry. That was the best I could do. I don't know what else to try."

Just then a familiar voice declared. "Luckily, a former student of mine has a solution." And then who should show up but Princess Celestia herself? And an orange coated unicorn stallion was accompanying her.

"So you're Sunburst?" Cadence questioned. "Starlight says you're a powerful wizard."

Sunburst blushed. "Actually, no. I'm not a wizard. But I do know a thing or two about magic, at least when it comes to theory," He cleared his throat. "I'm not the best at casting spells but I can identify what spells can work best under what circumstances," He proceeded to ask. "Did the baby do all of this?"

Twilight and Cadence nodded as Twilight explained. "She did. I tried putting it back together with—"

"-The spell of Relic Reconstitution" Sunburst realized. "That alone won't do it. The Crystal Heart's been around for millennia. You can't restore a relic like that with just one spell. You have to combine it with something else. Something unique to the relic itself."

A realization of her own quickly came to Twilight! "Like the crystalling!" She exclaimed! "Of course, why didn't I think of that before?!" But then she remembered something. "But there's not gonna be a crystalling at this rate. The order to evacuate was already given."

Rainbow Dash then declared as she came swooping in! "Good thing Sunburst planned ahead and told us all of his plan! The evacuation's on hold so everypony in the empire can attend the baby's crystalling!" And she gestured a hoof to behind a large, pink curtain. A huge crowd of crystal ponies could be seen despite the harsh blizzards and their snowfall.

The unicorn stallion smiled. "So if we hold the crystalling and combine it with the spell of Relic Reconstruction, the Crystal Heart should be fixed. Though we're gonna need to add a few more spells in light of the... er... circumstances," He floated over a few scrolls with his magic. "I'll also add in Somnambula's Weather Abjuration to clear away the snow. And a little bit of Fledgling's Forbearance for the parents, so as to curb the little one's power fluctuations. She'll still get surges occasionally but they won't be anywhere near as potent, they'll be on the level of an average foal."

Shining Armor came trotting up at that very moment, having heard everything. "Sounds risky, Sunburst. Are you sure you can pull it off?"

"With a little bit of assistance from everypony here," Sunburst gestured a hoof to the alicorns (including Celestia and Luna) as well as Starlight, Shining Armor and himself. "I'm ninety nine percent sure it'll work. And the alternative is letting the empire freeze over. I'd say it's a risk worth taking."

After quickly glancing to his wife and seeing her nod with approval, Shining agreed as he quickly teleported to the nursery and came back with his daughter in tow. "I was planning to have Twilight be the crystaller, but since she's going to be busy..."

Sunburst bowed his head. "-I'd be honored to take her place ."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Starlight eagerly declared! "Let's get the ceremony underway while there's still an empire to save!"

And so the crystalling for the new baby officially commenced! All four alicorns along with Shining Armor and Starlight Glimmer concentrated their combined magical energies on the Crystal Heart. They knew they couldn't put it back together themselves, but there was no need to do so. They just needed to hold the heart together long enough for Sunburst to do his part.

Sunburst began to read over the scrolls again, casting the spell on each one by one before he could see the purity crystal chosen by Shining Armor and Princess Cadence sparkle with shimmering light. That was his cue to take the baby alicorn gently into his possession, carrying her out to the crowd as he excitedly proclaimed! "Citizens! May I present the newest member of the Crystal Empire!"

The crowd cheered and gave off several oohs and aahs when they saw the baby. And it wasn't long before all of that love was channeled into the purity crystal that now glowed brighter than ever! Sunburst promptly took it and ran back to the Crystal Heart, inserting the shard into the relic and watching as it joined with the others!

That did the trick, the Crystal Heart was restored to its full, glowing glory. And with its magic newly refreshed it bathed the entire empire in a dazzling, almost blinding light! Its magic promptly washed over everypony, giving them all crystalized coats.

"Best crystalling ever!" A crystal pony in the crowd proclaimed!

Princess Celestia then spoke to Sunburst. "For a pony who once told me he didn't know how to cast magic, you've certainly demonstrated quite a gift for it. You may just be more of a wizard than you thought."

Sunburst just smiled. He'd never felt this confident in himself before, and it was a nice feeling to experience. Having his childhood friend by his side only made it that much more special. It was everything he'd ever dreamed of. "Now, how do I tell my parents about this?" He thought to himself.

When the blizzards had subsided and the snow melted, things returned to normal within the Crystal Empire. And as a result the trains could now run properly. Not only was there a train waiting to take Twilight, Spike, Starlight and their friends back to Ponyville, but there was also a train that was bringing two passengers that had wanted to come to the Crystal Empire ever since learning of the news that they were now grandparents all over again.

Said passengers were a pair of unicorns instantly recognizable to Twilight, Spike, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. The stallion had a sort of grayish-blue coat, a dark blue mane and tail that curled on the right side, moderate amber eyes and a cutie mark depicting two crescent moons: A big yellow one and a smaller white one. And the mare had a coat so light gray it could be mistaken for white, a mane and tail the same light gray color with palish-purple locks running side by side along it (with the mane curling and the tail cut short), light arctic blue eyes and a cutie mark depicting three purple stars.

They were Night Light and Twilight Velvet: Twilight and Shining's parents.

"Sorry for the delay," Night Light apologized. "We booked the first train we could to get out here. And you would not believe the crazy weather that delayed our train. It came out of nowhere. One minute everything was fine, and the next there was wind and snow everywhere you looked!"

Twilight Velvet then smiled as she saw her granddaughter for the first time. "But it was all worth it to see this adorable little angel," She then cooed. "Come to your Grandmare Velvet, little one."

The baby just cooed back. Then, suddenly she twitched and shut her eyes! Twilight and her friends all ducked for cover, anticipating another powerful magic blast! But all that happened was the baby alicorn let out a tiny sneeze. That made Twilight and the others wipe the sweat from their brows.

Shining Armor smiled, sensing what was responsible for ensuring that his daughter's sneeze had been just a sneeze. "Looks like that spell did the trick. We have Sunburst to thank for that. And something tells me we'll have need of his services more often in the future."

Princess Cadence nodded. "Well, I hope he takes his new responsibilities seriously, if only for his sake. And we'll probably have to start paying him a good deal, even if he's gonna be changing diapers now." Then she and her husband shared a laugh.

Velvet then inquired as she took her granddaughter into her hooves. "By the way, Cadence. Does the little one have a name yet? It seems rather silly to spend the whole trip calling her 'The Baby' don't you think?"

"Actually, we just settled on a name," Cadence explained. "We already knew we wanted to call her Flurry because her coat looks a lot like snow. But just calling her Flurry didn't seem fitting enough."

Shining then joined his wife in explaining. "So, in light of her special crystalling, we decided to name her 'Flurry Heart'. It's a way of keeping with the Sparkle family tradition."

Twilight cooed. "I think Flurry Heart is a lovely name," She promptly kissed her newly named niece on the forehead. "Don't go growing up too fast now, you hear?" And Flurry just babbled and cooed in response.

A short time later, it was time for Starlight to join Twilight and the others and head back to Ponyville. Yet before she did, she was surprised to receive a tap on the hoof and find Sunburst waiting for her. "You still want to be friends with me after what I did? Even knowing what I was?"

Sunburst nodded. "Of course. After all, you don't seem to mind much that I was trying to live a lie when you first met me here. I couldn't consider myself much of a pony if I wasn't willing to give you the same benefit," He then offered. "You sure you don't want to stay here with me? I could easily make room for you, and together I'm sure we could help each other find the right paths in life."

Starlight smiled. "As much as I'd like that, I can't. I really owe Twilight everything for being willing to give me a second chance where I'm sure nopony else would've. So like it or not, I'm gonna stick with my friendship studies with her, at least for now," She then looked to Sunburst with uncertainty as she pleaded with him. "Just, promise me you'll stay in touch and actually respond to my letters this time?"

"That's a promise I'll be sure to keep!" Sunburst agreed. "It might not be easy being Flurry Heart's crystaller and caretaker, but I'll see to it that every letter you send me gets a reply before the week is through," Then he and Starlight shared a big hug, before he watched her board the train that was to take her back to Ponyville. "Best of luck on your friendship studies!" He called as the train departed from the station.

"Same to you with your crystaller responsibilities!" Starlight Glimmer called back. And soon afterward, the train disappeared over the horizon.

Unknown to everypony, however, something (or rather someone) else was approaching the Crystal Empire from afar. The figure had been drawn to the empire after sensing an unusually high concentration of love. "Just what I needed!" It thought to itself! "I just hope it'll be enough to keep me from going crazy."

Author's Note

Yet again, I'm still willing to accept any possible suggestions for how to improve a "Previously On" segment in written format even if what I'm using now is what I've been using for years for multiple episodes that were and were not two parters.

Now as for the episode itself and some of the problems people with it and the two parter in general: There's issues with the pacing, particularly in how we see little of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna fighting the Frozen North and how Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are tossed to a pointless plot about trying to convince the crystal ponies to stay indoors. Meanwhile, we continue to follow Starlight's plot from Part 1 and have a plot for the remaining characters about trying to fix the Crystal Heart.

There's also the fact that Sunburst's revelation about not being a wizard leads into Starlight's confession about her past, except then it's never brought up again and Starlight doesn't have to face any consequences for her past actions. I wanted to try to give both confessions more weight, with Starlight's drawing upon my rewriting of "The Cutie Re-Mark" from Volume 4 (with Part 2 remaining one of my longest rewrites to date, alongside my rewrite of "School Raze").

There were also things I wanted to change involving how Flurry Heart officially got her name, and the ending where Spike more or less encourages Twilight to take a hooves off approach to teaching Starlight (which may or may not have been a way to set up Starlight's infrequent appearances and focus throughout Season 6).

~~Dragonshy~~
~~A Dog and Pony Show~~
~~Read It and Weep (Bonus Chapter)~~
~~Magical Mystery Cure (Two Parter)~~
~~Rarity Takes Manehattan~~
~~Make New Friends, But Keep Discord~~
~~The Crystalling Parts 1 and 2~~
Fluttershy Leans In (Bonus Chapter)
The Hearts and Hooves Day Mystery (The Break Up Break Down)
Growing Up is Hard to Do (Bonus Chapter)