The Equestria Chronicles: Prelude

by Slippin_Sweetie

Rating: everyone
Tags: Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Starlight Glimmer, Spike, Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Adventure, Discord
Length: 15889

After being alerted by the Cutie Map, our heroes must take the laborious task of preparing for a very long road ahead of them. But even getting on the road will prove to be a challenge.

Equestria is a haven for the magical pony race. Ruled under the beloved and benevolent Alicorn Sisters spanning hundreds of miles, it's our heroes' job to travel across it. But not just Equestria, no. They must go further beyond Equestria, Equus even! Griffonia and Zebrica are in need of some help too y'know. But before our little ponies can even leave Ponyville, they'll have to settle some domestic issues first...

This story takes place during season 6 after "Gauntlet of Fire" before 'No Second Prance's' for obvious reasons. Also, the season five finale, the season five episode 'Party Pooped', The season six two-parter, 'The Crystalling,' and the rest of season six onward are not canon to this AU.

Parts of this story are no longer Canon, as of 10/23/23 this work is now considered partial canon.

Published 2022-08-05 00:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-08-14 17:49:52 UTC

A New Day

Author's Note

This is my first story ever, and because of new viewers coming in I have to warn everyone coming in this isn't my best work. I didn't have a beta or my co-author. The reason it's a separate story is that I wanted to make my fan fics more episodic. But now, it's mostly due to the stark contrast in quality, in my opinion. If you can stomach through my first fic, please read some of my other work it's much better. You really don't need to read this story to enjoy the sequels either.

A New Day

Awaking from her slumber, Twilight Sparkle didn’t hesitate to stick to her ‘perfected’ routine. Carefully slipping out from under the covers and neatly making her bed. The Alicorn quickly made her way to the kitchen to have her breakfast of one sunny-side-up egg, a slice of toast (light butter), and a cup of herbal tea.

A fine, perfectly average morning. Carefully using her silverware, she sliced the golden yolk allowing the delicious compound of nutrients to spill out across the plate, before sopping it up with a piece of her toast.

Letting out a gentle sigh, she listened to the symphony of the birds outside, their soft chirps with the occasional coo from a mourning dove. The little things made waking in the morning worth it for her. Much to the disagreement of Spike, who was still sleeping in the bedroom for a few more hours. She didn’t mind; however, Spike was still a baby dragon despite his experience and intelligence.

She had occasionally forgotten that fact, more than she would like to admit. Spike had shown resolve and maturity; that was clear in the face of danger. He was immortalized with his heroic triumph over King Sombra’s attempted takeover of the Crystal Empire. Idolized by the Crystal populace for years to come, but before she could reminisce, a massive bright light pulsated.

She nearly fell out of her seat in surprise as she quickly looked down. Her cutie mark glowed white. She quickly scarfed down her meal and cleaned her plate. Before she made haste, galloping through the vast halls of her castle as she burst through the throne room’s doors. The bright light that encompassed her cutie mark was nothing compared to the map of Equestria. The beams of light engulfed the map in light shooting across the world. Twilight stood, her mouth a gap as she cautiously approached the table.

Throughout the world, Twilight and her friend’s cutie marks were pinned across Equestria, even to the far-off Griffon Kingdoms. Before she could wrap her head around this newfound list of Friendship problems, her train of thought was interrupted by her companion’s familiar and groggy voice.

“Twilight?” murmured Spike, staggered into the room, loudly yawning as he stretched, “What’s going on,” he yawned again before smacking his parched dry mouth, “It was so bright for a minute there….”

“I’m not sure, Spike; the map is covered with friendship problems, from here, across all of Equestria and the Griffin lands!”

The dragon rubbed his tired eyes before shuffling toward the table; his emerald green eyes widened in disbelief, “Woah…do you realize what this means?”

“We’ll have to pack, gather everyone, arrange plans for Ponyville in our absence, and we may be gone for months, years even!” Fretted Twilight.

“I was going to say road trip, but I guess you’re right about that.” shrugged Spike.

I was trying to catch some z’s before my cutie mark woke me up!” Huffed Rainbow Dash, the Pegasus must have been grumpy and irritable before looking over to the table and staring at the map, “Woah…Woah…. that’s a lot of friendship problems.... but do you know what this means?

“A massive burden on all of us that will be the ultimate test of our friendship abilities and skills?” blurted Twilight again.

“I was going to say ‘road trip,’ but you kinda ruined it by freaking out.” Huffed Rainbow Dash with a sarcastic eye roll and a soured expression.

Twilight paused for a moment, looking between Rainbow Dash and Spike before shaking her head, snapping out of her mild confusion before she elaborated, “We need to gather everypony here; Rainbow Dash, get everyone.”

“On it!” Saluted the Pegasus before zipping off in a rainbow streak and out the castle.

Twilight quickly turned to Spike, “Spike.”

“Yes, Twilight?” Approached the dragon, eagerly tapping his claws together, excited for what task she had in store for him.

“Could you make some tea and coffee for the girls?” She asked sweetly, pairing her request with an endearing smile.

Spike was not amused; his eagerness immediately turned to begrudging acceptance as he grumbled his way to the kitchen.

Not long after, the six mares gathered around the map, drinking tea and coffee to wake themselves up, while Spike fought his gnawing drowsiness. After all, caffeine would stunt Spike’s growth, or at least, that’s what Twilight and Fluttershy preached. Spike rested his head on his left claw as his arm rested on the throne arm. As Twilight began to speak;

“Sooo, you’re probably wondering why I gathered you all here today,” Twilight said with a nervous smile.

“Is it about our glowing cutie marks and the map?” Sarcastically replied Rainbow Dash before quickly getting shhhd by Applejack, “What? It’s exactly why we’re here!” she groaned.

“Ahem, yes…” Twilight said awkwardly, fumbling with her words for a moment, before collecting herself once more, “We are gathered here today because the map has given us quite a journey across Equestria.”

“Well, it can’t be too bad.” Insisted Rainbow Dash, “We’ve done it once before, and Pinkie and I have more experience considering we traveled to Griffonstone alone.”

“Yeah!” exclaimed Pinkie before gasping as she quickly held her hooves to her face in disbelief. “Do you know what this means!?”

Twilight sighed, “Road trip?” She suggested tiredly.

“Road trip!” Exclaimed the girls, just before a hardy laugh was shared between them, excluding Fluttershy, and Applejack, who seemed just as nervous and uneasy as Twilight. Twilight stared at them, absolutely dumbfounded; how could they be excited about this?

“You’re not nervous?” Twilight asked.

“This is an opportunity to travel the world, see Equestria, and more. I could use cultural influences for my newest fashion lineup. I’ll call it ‘The Rarity’s Equestria world tour.’”

“Now wait just an apple-picking minute.” Raised Applejack, “Some of us can’t leave Ponyville for so long. I got an orchard to take care of.”

“A-and, I have my animals to tend to….” Whispered Fluttershy.

Twilight leaned back in her throne, sighing as she rubbed her temple with her hoof attempting to formulate a solution as the gears began turning in her head. The table leaned closer toward her as they eagerly awaited Twilight’s answer.

“One week, we’ll each have one week to settle our affairs; we need to pack our things; of course, I’ll organize.” Beamed Twilight, “I’ll handle the cartography, transportation, and supplies, everyone else, you know what to do.”

Applejack sighed, “I suppose it’s time for me and Applebloom to have…’ the talk.’”

The table’s eyes widened as their brows raised in shock, “Gross, TMI, Applejack!” Groaned Rainbow Dash.

“Oh horse-apples, y’all, I’m talking about her taking care of the orchard.” Huffed Applejack.

“Ooooohhhh.” sighed everyone, relieved it was THAT talk and not ‘that’ talk. Applejack rolled her eyes before sighing, “Alright, y’all, let’s get a move on and pack up; a week ain’t that long to get ready for a trip like this.”

“Ou, ou! I should throw a going away party; it’ll be the biggest party Ponyville has ever seen! It’ll have cake, and fireworks, and ice cream, and balloons, and I was thinking about getting a second party cannon-”

“Pinkie!” Interrupted Twilight, “While it might be fun to host a party like that, Applejack’s right; a week really isn’t a lot of time to prepare for a journey like this.” Pinkie Pie deflated like a balloon as she let out a disappointed “Okay”’ before peeling herself off the throne; she sat in, “Well….I guess I could make a party out of our adventure, maybe just a small cake and a little bit of ice cream?” Pleaded Pinkie as she ogled Twilight with a pair of weepy puppy dog eyes. She leered closer before pressing her face against hers, staring into Twilight’s eyes intensely.

Twilight sighed before giving a gentle smile to her friend, “Alright, but only a SMALL cake and SOME ice cream, okay?”

“Okie Doki Loki!” Exclaimed Pinkie Pie as she happily plonked out the door.

“Given the nature of our journey, I will take on the burden of making clothing for all of us. It seems we’ll be trekking through all kinds of weather. I will ensure we can look our best while we travel.” Proclaimed Rarity.

“No offense, Rarity, but maybe you should tone down the uh…frou·frou-ness of your outfits.” Rainbow Dash said, attempting to put her down gently.

Applejack’s face hoofed herself as she shook her head, knowing what was about to come next; “Frou Frou? How dare you, my outfits are both practical AND stylish.”

“What Rainbow Dash is tryin’ to say is; that we wouldn’t want you to put in too much work in making our clothes pretty when we’ll be getting dirty and wearin’ them out.” Insisted Applejack, giving Rarity a humble smile.

“Hm…when you put it like that, I suppose you do make a lot of sense, Applejack. I will focus purely on practicality. I’ll see you all in a few days!” Bowed Rarity as she happily pranced out of the throne room as ideas for jackets and coats permeated her brain.

“Right then, I suppose I’d better mosey on outta here myself, see y’all in a week.” Nodded Applejack as she soon left the room, “Yeah, later!” Replied Rainbow Dash as she zipped out of the throne room, leaving only Twilight and Fluttershy together.

Twilight turned her attention to the timid mare sitting awkwardly to herself as she idly rubbed her left leg; Twilight gave her a sympathetic smile, “Is there something else you want to talk about, Fluttershy?”

“Oh yes, thank you. It’s just my poor little animals won’t have anyone to take care of them, a-and I wouldn’t want to leave them alone, especially my poor sweet Angel Bunny, “insisted Fluttershy.

Twilight nodded; she did have her responsibilities to the woodland creatures, that much was obvious, but her cutie mark was on every single pin, signifying her importance to the journey at hoof. “Fluttershy, you’re just as important as everypony else; we need you to come with us; why don’t you ask your friend Tree Hugger to help tend with the animals, or maybe Discord?”

Fluttershy seemed to slink deeper into her throne at the mention of Discord, her voice becoming even quieter than before, “That’s another thing…Discord would be alone, and we have our rituals like our weekly tea time with cucumber sandwiches.”

Twilight fought the urge to roll her eyes out of respect for her friend. Truth be told, she and most other ponies found Discord to be irritable and untrustworthy. But, she did like Fluttershy, and she did understand the importance of having an at least cordial relationship with the Draconequus.

Discord could unleash all the chaos in Equestria if he wanted to; he ate the rehabilitation spells and practically disabled the Elements of Harmony. Effectively securing his freedom and possible chaos indefinitely, that fact alone put her on edge.

She quickly shelved those thoughts as she promptly retained her attention on Fluttershy, “Fluttershy, Discord isn’t a filly or…baby…or….hatchling?.... He’s fully grown, is what I mean!” Huffed Twilight, “He can take care of himself.”

Fluttershy raised a brow at Twilight before awkwardly shuffling in her seat, “Well, will Spike be coming with us?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t he?” Replied Twilight.

“And, since Applejack’s gone, Big Macintosh will have to work double time on the orchard, right?”

“Well…yes.” nodded Twilight, “Where are you going with this?” she inquired.

“Well, with two of his friends leaving town and one of them becoming extra busy, Discord is going to be so lonely.” Fretted Fluttershy, “Surely we could take him with us?”

Twilight smiled awkwardly, optimistic that would suffice as an answer, remaining still with the hopes that somehow Fluttershy would both be unable to see her and simultaneously instantly forget what she was talking about.

“Uh…Twilight?”

Twilight remained frozen, staring intently at Fluttershy as she remained still, confusing Fluttershy’s confusion for the statistically improbable chance that she did indeed both become invisible and made her forget the previously stated question.

“Twilight!” Shouted Fluttershy slamming her hooves on the map, snapping Twilight out of her trance, “Oop, sorry hehe…what were we talking about?”

“I was asking you if Discord could come on the trip with us.” reaffirmed Fluttershy as she returned to her more dolce state, slipping back into the throne.

“Eeeehhhhhhh…..weeeelll…” Twilight’s eyes scanned the room until they locked on the map, “Discord can’t come because the map never specifically said he could! Yup, we wouldn’t want to compromise a friendship problem and potentially make it worse, would we?”

Fluttershy gave a rather unimpressed look at Twilight, “Then why is Spike coming?”

“Whatever do you mean, Fluttershy? Of course, he’s coming.”She’d quickly look over to him,” I mean, you want to come, right Spike?”

Spike looked between the two sensing the rising tension in the room as he slowly rose from his throne, “Yeah…in fact, I think I’ll start packing now; see you later, Fluttershy.” Bidding farewell to her as he ran out the room.

“Bye, Spike,” She smiled at the small dragon before quickly returning her attention to Twilight, “Well, I guess I’ll go talk to Discord and tell him the news. Then you can explain things so that he can understand the situation better (and help me understand too…).” She mumbled.

Twilight quickly sat there, playing a series of possible fumbles in her mind; Discord was…attached to Fluttershy, to say the least; it’d be endearing if it weren’t an arbiter of chaos magic becoming easily jealous. The incident with Tree Hugger and the GrandGallopingg Gala served well as a point of reference for her.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you later then?” Assumed Twilight as she began to rise from her throne.

“Well, I would like it if you came with me back to the cottage and talked with him.” She stammered, nervously smiling at Twilight as she gave her a pleading look with her eyes.

Twilight quietly gnawed at her cheek as her lip quivered. A feeling of uneasiness washed over her. “....Sssssuuuuurrrrreeee let’s talk to him together, Let me just write a list for Spike, and we’ll be on our way.” she quickly acquired a nearby quill and paper, scribbling down a list of essentials for Spike to fulfill.

“Let’s see, books on geography, cartography, and about a dozen books on the dozens of local Cities, townships, and Griffin Kingdoms. Do you think I should grab books on Travel? You’re right. I should, shouldn’t I?” She said with certainty, nearly slipping into her own organized little world.

“Erm…I didn’t say anything, Twilight.” Fluttershy awkwardly corrected, once again pulling Twilight back to reality.

“You didn’t? Oh, haha…sorry.” Twilight bashfully rubbed the back of her head as she gave Fluttershy a full smile before neatly rolling up the paper into a scroll, placing it on the map, and clearing her throat, “Alright, ready.”

A Glimmer Of Hope

She patiently waited, waiting; that’s all Starlight did nowadays, wait, plot, and think. Think of a way to get back at Twilight Sparkle, the mare that destroyed her life with her insidious lies, her vision of a better world ripped away purely by happenstance.

The effort she’d taken to build up her town, community, and way of life. Taken away by the so-called ‘Princess of Friendship’ who foolishly believed she helped the townsfolk and led them toward ‘redemption,” ‘seeing the light.’ However, they put it.

Starlight had observed from a distance in whatever brambles, bush, or whatever crowd she could blend into, studying the enemy. She was to be awarded a fabulous prize through her studies and patience, an opportunity to achieve the revenge she had so desperately longed for.

Starlight carefully shuffled out of the bushes by Fluttershy’s cottage as she promptly made her way toward the Everfree forest. A bright smile was glued to her face as she escaped into the ever-dark Everfree forest, retreading the beaten path she had made after weeks of trial and error.

She couldn’t forget her first few days living in that forest, whether it was getting lost and losing her camp or being stalked by Timber Wolves, but none of that mattered now. All of that would be worth it when she finally got her revenge. She could sabotage Ponyville in her absence, or perhaps she could destroy Twilight and her friends. The mere thought excited her. She quickly decided to pursue the latter.

Starlight soon arrived at camp; it was in a small clearing in the forest where a beam of sunlight penetrated the shadowy forest. It was perfect for her camp. Her campfire stood firmly in the middle as her tent rested a few yards to the left of it. Stepping inside the cloth tarp, she quickly collected her few spell books before stuffing them into her satchel, neatly folding her bedroll and packing up her tent in an instant.

“Today’s a new day, Starlight,” She said confidently before she disguised herself with a large dark cloak and made her way toward town; she needed to buy a few essentials, food, water, and clothes. As she fulfilled her list of items, she realized that to buy clothes, she’d need to visit Rarity, who no doubt could remember a face like hers.

Maliciously she plotted as she navigated the local market, hiding her eyes in the shadow of her hood, stiffing her laughter as the anticipation and excitement raced throughout her body; it was hard not to celebrate. Victory was practically in her grasp; she needed a bit more patience. Her thoughts were interrupted by a strange sight, three fillies who appeared to be running a stand of some kind; upon closer inspection, it was a lemonade stand.

“Want some lemonade?” Offered one of the girls. Her coat was white and mane varying shades of light purple. Starlight was taken aback by the youngsters’ eagerness.

“Ah…erm…”

“C’mon,” Pried the second filly, “We know you want it~” she hummed sweetly; the pegasus had an orange coat and a dark purple mane, with a confident look in her eye, beaming with pride and youthful arrogance.

It reminded Starlight of her brief encounters with Rainbow Dash; her expression soured at the thought.

“It’s got a secret ingredient!” Assured the last filly, seeming to recognize Starlight’s growing discontent. Starlight examined the last one; her country accent reminded her of another pony she knew, the so-called element of Honesty’s bearer, Applejack.

Scanning them all, she quickly noticed their blank flanks, seeming to smile at the sight; perhaps she could give a ‘friendship lesson’ of her own.

“I’ll take a glass; how much?”

“ONE bit.” haggled the orange filly in the middle, extending her hoof expectantly; Starlight placed a single coin in her hoof before the other two fillies hurriedly poured a glass for Starlight.

Starlight pulled the glass of juice toward her with her magic, raising the glass to her mouth, tasting the beverage; it was…something. It was sweet, but it tasted off.

“Hm…say what’s in this?” Questioned Starlight.

“Apples.” Beamed the filly to the left.

“Uh huh….what are your names?”

“I’m Sweetie Bell, and this is Scootaloo and Applebloom.” Stated Sweetie Bell as she wrapped her leg around her friends.

“With due respect….” Hesitated Starlight, “But, you seem a bit inexperienced at making lemonade….”

“I told you this was a stupid idea!” Groaned Scootaloo.

“Hey, don’t look at me; Applebloom wanted to add apples to the recipe.” Shrugged Sweetie Bell.

“C’mon, girls, we had to spice up the lemonade somehow; there’s stiff competition around here.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if things were even between you and the competition?” Suggested Starlight as she slowly lifted her eyes from underneath the shadow of her cloak, “That way, you’d get as many bits as them, and there would be no need to get so…” She fumbled.

“Desperate?” Blurted Scootaloo.

“Unorthodox, I was going to say unorthodox.” Corrected Starlight, “If I were a betting pony, I’d say you’re after your cutie mark?”

“Yeah, how’d ya know, and why do you want to help us?” Questioned Applebloom as she raised her brow in suspicion.

“Oh! Well, I just assumed from your blank flanks and how unprepared you all seemed with this whole lemonade stand I just think it’d be wrong to leave you three without helping you.” Grinned Starlight.

“How are you going to help us?” Pressed Scootaloo as she gave the older mare an unconvinced look.

“I could give you all your cutie marks if you want.” Offered Starlight, the three fillies quickly leaned over the small stand, knocking the pitcher of lemonade over, nearly spilling it on Starlight if it wasn’t for her magic saving her from being soaked.

“Really!?” Squeaked Sweetie Bell, “You’d do that for us?”

“Sure! Now hold still.….”

“This isn’t going to work,” Jeered Scootaloo, “Twilight tried to give Applebloom a cutie mark, but it didn’t work. How could she give us a Cutie mark?”

Starlight scowled bitterly at Scootaloo as a green hue encompassed Starlight’s horn as she bowed her head toward the fillies. A desire to both prove herself and potentially show up her enemy fueled her as sparks of magic flew from her horn, as a large beam of energy engulfed the trio with magic. The strange surge of foreign energy rushed through the Fillies, but it wasn’t painful.

Before they knew it, Starlight finished the spell, and they quickly looked amongst themselves. They noticed their new Cutie Marks adorning their flanks. A plain, grey, equal sign plastered on their backsides.

A wave of lethargy crashed against the fillies as they lazily looked at one another, “Anyone else feeling kinda…over this here lemonade stand?” Asked Applebloom.

“Yeah…” Sighed Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell before slumping their heads on the stand.

“I feel like going home…” whined Sweetie Bell.

“I don’t even feel like doing THAT.” groaned Scootaloo as she barely moved for Applebloom to loaf next to her.

“Well, that’s settled. Aren’t you glad you got your Cutie Marks?” Chirped Starlight, feeling prideful of herself.

“I guess…” mumbled Appleblooom.

“Did we even really care about those Cutie Marks in the end?” questioned Scootaloo.

“I guess I could go home.” Sighed Sweetie Bell, “After all, maybe we can use our newfound passions to help our families.”

“Yeah…” Yawned Applebloom, “Maybe Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith will throw cute-ceañera for us.….”

The three practically had to pull themselves off the stand before they shambled away. Starlight smiled, taking great pride in her spell. Having an opportunity for revenge, Perfecting the Cutie Mark removal spell, showing up Twilight, and adding more pressure on her and her friends. Could this day get any better for her?

Not only did this provide her with some much-desired answers for her removal spell, but it threw a wrench in Twilight and her friend’s plan. Giving her a slight edge in the long grueling battle yet to come.

The Cutie Mark Catastrophe

The Cutie Mark Crusaders shambled together, leaning against one another as they attempted to make their usual routes home. With Sweetie Bell going to her sister's or family's home first, then Applebloom walked Scootaloo home before Applebloom finally headed home herself.

The girls shared a tired expression with one another, an empty frown being the most noticeable feature aside from their sickly presence. Sweetie Bell sighed, “I don’t even feel like walking….”

“Me neither; I don’t think I can make it back home either.” Grumbled Scootaloo, pressing up against Sweetie Bell more as the weighing apathy and disinterest began taking its toll on the group.

“C’mon, y’all, we can at least walk by ourselves to Rarity’s house, right?” Applebloom hesitantly suggested, feeling the creeping shadow of indifference wrapping its fingers around her.

Scootaloo and Sweetie looked over to Applebloom, sharing an unconvinced look as they silently stared before retaining what little attention they had left toward Rarity’s boutique in the distance.

For a moment, a feeling of relief splashed over them. Before a small smile could form or a feeling aside from anything besides the arid depression taking hold of the fillies. Once they reached the shop's front door, Sweetie Bell lazily pressed her right hoof against the door. A dull thump and a closed door were all that greeted them.

Sweetie Bell paused, dumbfounded that the door wouldn’t open; she pleadingly looked to her friends for assistance, with Scootaloo giving her a slow eye roll and Applebloom a confused stare before the three pressed their hooves against the door.

The girls heard a slight ‘thunk’ heard with the two fillies appearing dazed at the sight of the door not opening and giving Sweetie Bell an apologetic look as Sweetie sighed and shook her head, “On three girls, one…two…three!”

The trio “lunged” forward as they attempted to slam up against the door; however, despite their best efforts, the fillies leaned against the door. With their combined weight, the door finally opened as the sound of the doorbell jingled, alerting Rarity.

Rarity quickly left her room, trotting to the front door, “I’m sorry, we are only open to pick up orders-Sweetie Bell, girls!?” She gasped at the sight of the trio lying on the floor, piled on top of each other.

“Hi Rarity, we got our Cutie Marks.” Mumbled Sweetie Bell, using all her strength to look up at her older sister.

Rarity carefully approached the fillies, “That’s great! Would you like to get up and show me?”

The three looked at each other before collectively mumbling, “Not really….”

Rarity tilted her head in confusion, “What? But you always wanted your Cutie Marks; that’s all you talked about! Come now, surely you can stand up.”

The girls quietly shook their heads, “I’m sorry, Rarity, I just…don’t feel like it.” Apologized, Sweetie Bell.

Rarity, using her magic, attempted to prop up the three, raising them to their hooves; placing them neatly beside one another. The trio stood before their legs began to buckle for a moment before the three collapsed right back down on the floor.

Rarity gasped, “Oh my goodness, are you ill? Did you catch a fever? Why can’t you stand up!?” She’d quickly looked over to Sweetie’s flank and turned pale. Recognizing that gray cutie mark from her encounter with Starlight Glimmer and ‘Our Town.’

“How did you get these Cutie Marks,” Pressed Rarity, “How did you get these ghastly, awful Cutie Marks!?”

“Somepony at the market wanted to try our lemonade,” yawned Applebloom, “She’d offer to help us by giving us Cutie Marks.”

Scootaloo let out a dry chuckle, “Yeah…now Diamond Tiara won’t be able to call us blank flanks.”

Rarity quickly lifted the three with her magic, grunting as she carried them toward Sweetie Bell’s room and tucking them into bed, “Don’t move and stay here; I’m going to get help.” Rarity darted out of the room and out of the boutique.

Galloping through the streets of Ponyville, Rarity desperately fought off the ever-growing panic festering inside her. “How could this happen?” She thought, “Why did Starlight do this to three innocent Fillies? The absolute nerve and cowardice!” Her fear turned to anger.

How dare this good-for-nothing pony do this to her sister? How dare she follow her and her friends back home to Ponyville. All of this wouldn't have happened if that lunatic didn’t create some…cult!

“I guess someponies just lack the self-awareness to quit! Well, now we know you’re here, Starlight Glimmer, and we’re going to make sure nopony else gets harmed by your magic ever again!” she thought; it was a comforting thought to ease the ever-growing worry and fear.

Twilight would solve this; she has to. After all, who better to fix this magical mishap than The Princess of Friendship and Element of Magic's bearer?

Twilight paused, skimming through the list of ponies she had made to potentially handle all of her friend's responsibilities during their extended absence. Granny Smith? Too old, Mayor Mare? Too busy. Busy, busy, busy. No one in Ponyville could consistently spare time to handle their responsibilities or a severe emergency. She’d crumpled her list with magic before tossing the paper ball into a nearby trash bin.

“Y’know, Discord’s not such a bad guy if you actually gave him a chance, Twilight.” Spike prodded, looking up from his comic book as he lounged around in bed.

“Spike, this isn’t trading hoofball cards or talking about hoofball; this is taking care of Ponyville for weeks, months even. How could I ever give that sort of responsibility to Discord?”

“You could trust him?” Answered Spike as he flicked the next page of his comic and sank deeper into his soft bed.

“I do trust him, Spike; I trust that he’ll make the clouds cotton candy, flood the town with chocolate milk, and make door knobs sticky!”

Spike sighed, shaking his head disapprovingly, before stuffing his snout back into his comic book again.

Twilight tapped her quill idly against a fresh piece of paper, sighing deeply before resting her head on the desk in front of her, “I only have six days, sixteen hours, and 47 minutes til we have to leave Ponyville.”

“And I already packed everything I needed.” Chuckled Spike as he looked up from his comic, his expression beamed with pride.

“Easy for you to say; all you have is comic books and a toothbrush.” Scoffed Twilight.

Rarity quickly burst through Twilight’s chamber doors, “TWILIGHT! THE FILLIES, STARLIGHT, CUTIE MARKS!!!” Shrieked Rarity.

Twilight fell out of her chair and let out a surprised scream before she collided with the hard crystal floor. Letting out a muted grumble as she peeled herself off the floor, she turned to her panicked friend as she rubbed the back of her head.

“Rarity, I’m going to need you to calm down now; what exactly is going on?” Asked Twilight

Rarity huffed and puffed, frantically trotting in place before she’d eventually slow down and took a deep breath, “I was working at the boutique when I heard the doorbell ring; I quickly went to the door to tell a potential customer that I couldn’t accept any new orders and that we’re only open for pick up only.

But I quickly discovered it was Sweetie Bell and her friends. They looked sickly and grey, but they told me they’d recently gotten cutie marks. When I asked them to show me, they couldn’t muster the energy to do it! So when I looked at their flanks, I saw an equal sign and realized that awful fiend Starlight Glimmer did this, so I panicked and put them in bed before I ran straight here!”
Twilight quietly listened as terror began sinking its claws around her; Starlight Glimmer was here? She’d quickly put on a brave face for Rarity, “Not to worry, I’m sure-no, I’m certain we can fix this.”

“We mustn't dottle then, come on!” Rarity and Twilight quickly raced out of the room, storming through the castle before heading through the doors.

Spike quickly tossed his comic book aside before scrambling to get out of his bed’s comfortable bind and scampering out the door moments later, “Wait for me!”

Discord Before Dishonor

As the Mare’s and Spike rushed to Rarity’s Boutique, Starlight made it a point to watch from a distance before she quietly snuck into the Castle, its Crystal Interior, and large scale impressed her, perhaps after her revenge. If she was successful enough, this could be her home.

The thought was tantalizing, but she quickly shook it off; now was the time to think of the here and now and the labyrinth that was in front of her. “Now, where exactly is that map….” pondered Starlight as she quietly crept through the castle hallways.

Eventually, she’d find the throne room through much trial and error. Starlight sighed, “I knew I should’ve just picked the room with the biggest doors in this place.” She’d grumble to herself.

Starlight went to the glowing Crystal map; her eyes lit up at the majesty and beauty of it, how it was perfect in every sense. The crystal was excellent, and how the map represented Equestria and the Griffinlands perfectly. Down to every tree.

Starlight didn’t hesitate and quickly pulled out a sheet of paper and quill before she began scribbling and copying where Twilight would go and how she could use each place to her advantage.

Perhaps she could use the Crystal Mountains and cause an avalanche once they needed to reach Yak Yakistan. Maybe she could misdirect and cause them to get lost in the deserts of Saddle Arabia. There were many opportunities and choices at hoof, all of which she’d use.

Twilight examined the three fillies alongside Doctor Greymare, who shook his head disapprovingly,

“Their condition is excellent, no fever, broken bones, and their vitals are fine. Er, tell me again, WHY exactly can’t you get out of the bed?” asked Doctor Greymare.

Scootaloo shrugged, “We don’t feel like it.”

“Uh huh….” Doctor Greymare slowly turned to Twilight, “I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do. This problem is rooted in magic, and what ails them isn’t an illness or disease.” He shook his head, “I’m sorry.”

Twilight, who was biting her cheek during the entire examination, gave a slow nod to the Doctor, “Thank you, Doctor, you are dismissed.”

As Doctor Greymare stepped out of the room, Rarity quickly fell to the bedside and turned to Twilight, “Oh, this is terrible! What are we going to do, Twilight!?” Pleaded Rarity.

Twilight gently rubbed her friend’s back with her right hoof, “We’re going to take a deep breath and see if we can fix this.” She’d turn toward the Fillies, who, despite the emotional state of Rarity, were unnaturally calm and apathetic toward the situation; at most, they gave a passing glance to each other.

“It’s like they had the life sucked out of them!” Wailed Rarity, “Sweetie Bell, say something, anything!”

Sweetie Bell blinked slowly before letting a quiet, ‘Eh’ slip from her lips.

Twilight snapped her head toward Rarity, “Wait, what did you say?”

“It’s like they had the life sucked out of them?” Sniffled Rarity.

“That’s it! It all makes sense; if a Cutie Mark represents someone’s special talent, then taking that away would make somepony without their Cutie Mark unexceptional, like the ponies from Our Town.”

“But they didn’t have their cutie marks; that monster Starlight gave them those horrible, awful Cutie Marks.” Sobbed Rarity,

“No, she didn’t, Rarity; Starlight used a removal spell on them, but there’s one problem. A Cutie Mark doesn’t define everything about you; a Cutie Mark doesn’t define your character and personality.” Explained Twilight.

“So what you’re saying is, Starlight removed their…personality? Oh my goodness!” Rarity quickly turned to Sweetie Bell, “Sweetie, this isn’t true; don’t you want to do something? Knitting, perhaps?”

Sweetie Bell raised her brow, slowly opening her mouth, as Rarity leaned closer expectantly.

“I…. don’t want to.” Yawned Sweetie Bell.

“You can say that again.” Lazily smirked Scootaloo.

“And how.” Remarked Applebloom.

Spike slowly clambered to the top of the bed before walking over to the three, waving his hand in front of their faces, watching the fillies’ eyes lazily follow his hand before giving Twilight an inconclusive shrug.

“On the bright side, their personalities aren’t all gone; we still have time to fix this. Rarity, get everyone. I’ll stay here and see if I can fix this with my magic.”

“Yes, do that! Sweetie Bell, girls, you just sit tight!” Rarity pressed as she galloped out of the room. Twilight turned back to the fillies, raising an eyeglass with her magic, and began examining them.

“You know, you’re taking an awfully boring approach to this.” Blurted Discord.

Twilight shrieked as she dropped the eyeglass, which now had a pair of yellow eyes and a snaggle-toothed smile looking back at her.

“Discord, what are you doing here?” Questioned Twilight.

Discord promptly revealed himself, stretching himself out as an audible set of cracks and squeaks were heard, “Oh well, I was just in the neighborhood when I heard the panicked shrill screams of our friend Rarity; she went something like this.”

Discord cleared his throat before mockingly imitating Rarity, letting out a half-hearted shrill scream. As he sarcastically feigned panic and dramatically raised his hands to his face.

“Discord! Not the time!” Snapped Twilight as she attempted to return to her examination of the fillies, taking a deep breath as she bowed her head and pointed her horn at the fillies as a purple glow slowly began to encompass her horn.

Discord quietly sat in a nearby chair as he pulled a bag of chips from thin air, quietly snacking as he watched Twilight attempt to perform her magic. He was stuffing a large handful of chips into his maul as he, rather loudly, crunched.

Twilight quickly lost focus of the spell before she turned to face Discord, stamping her hooves in annoyance, “Discord, if you aren’t going to help, you can leave.” Twilight blurted, desperately trying to control herself.

Discord gestured toward the fillies in reply; Twilight quickly turned back; her jaw dropped to the floor as she watched the fillies focus on Discord with genuine interest.

“I-what? What are you doing?” Twilight asked curiously.

Discord shrugged, “Perhaps they’re attracted to my charming personality.” he joked.

Twilight pondered for a moment before quickly looking between the fillies and Discord, “Discord, what do you know about Cutie Marks?”

“Oh, the same as everypony else, special talent, the thing that makes them unique, all that wonderful shlock. Not that I would personally know since I don’t have one.” Grumbled Discord.

“So you’re aware of the importance of having one as a pony, right?” Reaffirmed Twilight.

Discord chortled, “Yes! Where is this going?”

Twilight ripped the bedsheets off the fillies, revealing their dull grey Cutie Marks. Discord stroked the hairs on his chin with peaked interest, “....What am I looking at?”

Twilight paused, bashfully looking away before awkwardly chuckling, “Oh right, we never told you about that,” She’d clear her throat, “So when the map first called us, we went to a little town that had a friendship problem, and basically we ruffled a few feathers.”

“Don’t you always.” Scoffed Discord.

“Riiiight….and now there’s somepony who is most likely seeking revenge against us but…I don’t know why she picked on Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell, and Applebloom…. wouldn’t she just go straight to us?”

Discord tsk’d, shaking his head, “No offense, Twilight, but you’re way out of your depth.”

“What do you mean? I’ve dealt with Starlight before; I’ve dealt with evil threats before too!” Argued Twilight.

“The problem is you don’t think the way she does; if you want to find Starlight, you have to think like Starlight…and to think like Starlight well… you’ll have to be….evil.” Chuckled Discord.

Twilight sighed as she relented to Discord, “What do you mean, Discord?”

“You need to think like a bad guy, the plotting, scheming, and of course,” Discord snapped his claws as a large throne appeared behind him before he gleefully took a seat, “Your excessively large and intimidating throne!”

“First, the plotting; if I were her, I’d snoop around and gather as much information as possible, so why don’t you look around while I do steps two and three, the scheming in my large throne.”

Twilight stared at Discord for a moment before shaking her head, “But where would I go? What am I looking for exactly?”

“Well, if you were trying to spy on a group of your enemies in a small village like this, I personally wouldn’t or couldn’t stay in town. Suffice to say, I’d go to the only place available to something like me, which is?” Discord gestured to Twilight with an open paw as he expectantly waited for an answer.

“The Everfree forest….”

“Bingo! Look at you; I’m so proud that I could just pinch your cheek.” Fawned Discord as he pinched Twilight’s cheek.

Twilight quickly pulled away, grumbling, “I guess I’ll look in the Everfree Forest, but what about the girls?”

“Oh, I’ll think of something with Fluttershy and our friends, don’t worry, you just look for our new ‘friend’ who’s planning for your downfall.” Discord waved her off before pushing Twilight out the door, “Now go out there, and remember, think like a villain!” Discord said before slamming the door behind her.

Twilight sighed, “Think like a villain…” she’d repeat as she marched toward the Everfree forest. Unsure of if she’d find anything at all, Starlight might be gone by now, but it couldn’t hurt to look for her. She needed to try for the fillies and for the safety of Ponyville.

Entering The Everfree Forest

Twilight crossed into the Everfree forest; the shadowy maze of vines and twisted trees still made her uneasy. Strange and unusual things were common in the forest, so it wouldn’t be too odd if her enemy hid there.

“Maybe I should talk to Zecora….” Pondered Twilight as she crossed a murky stream; the distant howl of the Timber Wolves caused the Alicorn to quickly pick up the pace as she’d begun galloping toward Zecora’s hut. She’d soon break through the wooden doors as she promptly slammed the door behind her.

Zecora looked up from her cauldron, “Greetings, Twilight Sparkle; what brings you here? Was it the howling of the Timber Wolves that brought you in fear?”

“Well, they certainly motivated me to come here faster.” Chuckled Twilight; she’d slowly approached the cauldron, “Potion or lunch?”

“Lunch.” Replied Zecora as she slowly looked up at Twilight, “You draw ever near, so what brings you here?”

Twilight, once she realized the cauldron was full of a soup or stew, she knelt to smell; it had a rich earthy scent with an aroma of herbal seasonings; she would’ve had some if it wasn’t for the urgency of her situation,
“I’m looking for someone; I have evidence to believe a unicorn was living in the Everfree forest.”

“If it is a unicorn you are looking for, then perhaps I could help you more.” Suggested Zecora.

Twilight smiled warmly at her friend’s offer, “That’d mean a lot, thank you, but I must warn you, this unicorn is no friend of mine; I guess you could call her my arch nemesis....” She would’ve chuckled if it wasn’t for the reality of things.

Out of all the people to be her arch nemesis, someone who'd be bent on revenge and her destruction. She would’ve never thought it’d be somepony like Starlight Glimmer. Not Discord, Terik, or Chrysalis, but somepony from a little town chose out of the blue; if it weren’t for the magic of the Cutie Map, the two would’ve been unaware of each other existence for the rest of their lives.

“Then we must make haste if we are to find her hiding place. I hope she is around so that we can find any trouble that must be found.” Zecora said as she blew out the cauldron’s flame with a puff of her breath.

“Right, let’s go.” Twilight opened the door with her magic before stepping outside into the forest once again as Zecora joined her. Together, they would capture Starlight, bring her to justice, and save the fillies from her magical spell.

Starlight organized her supplies neatly, taking everything she needed into account. Gingerly writing a list as she examined her goods and mentally tallied everything she had while scribbling down the exact number of food, water, and lantern oil she had.

“Two bags of grain, one bag of oats, ten cans of canned fruit, and two water canteens with about a gallon of water in total.” She’d quickly scowl at the small amount of water she had, “I wish this dump of a town actually sold worthwhile gear, a gallon of water? Seriously? When I’ll be traveling through Saddle Arabia.” Groaned Starlight.

A loud snap echoed through the forest as Starlight leaped to her hooves and quickly scanned the treeline, readying her magic as her horn glowed green, “Hello?” Called Starlight, who was met with silence; she’d squint as she scanned the trees again.

She would not make the same mistake of lowering her guard in this forest. Not when there are Timber Wolves on the prowl.

Zecora quickly gestured for Twilight to shush, pressing her hoof against her mouth as Twilight awkwardly shrugged and smiled back at Zecora. Leaning to the left, she’d looked past the tree she hid behind to observe Starlight before quickly hiding behind the tree again.

Twilight gestured for Zecora to approach before whispering, “Okay, I have a plan….you approach her and talk to her while I use a possession spell to trap her with vines.”

Zecora sighed before nodding, slowly moving from behind the tree as she approached Starlight, “Beware! Beware! If you smell death in the air, you are near the TImber Wolves’ lair!”

Starlight quickly turned around, “Get back; who are you?!”

Zecora stood on her hind legs as she waved her front legs around, “I am the…specter of this forest, I am it’s…protector?” Zecora dubiously claimed.

Starlight shot daggers from her eyes as she’d scoff, “Yeah, right, and I’m Princess Celestia. Why don’t you get lost? I have crucial things to do!”

Twilight moved from the tree as she directed her magic toward the nearby tree roots near Starlight, as she’d quickly possessed and controlled them, snaking them toward Starlight. The unicorn soon noticed the roots coming toward her as she aimed her horn at the plants and fired a beam of magic, destroying the roots.

She’d slowly turn back to Zecora, “Was that you? Well, I didn’t think zebra’s could use a possession spell, not bad for an obvious beginner; maybe I should give you some pointers.” Starlight said coldly as her horn glowed with magic.

Dozens of roots and vines began to crawl toward Zecora. The zebra didn’t hesitate, breaking into a full sprint as she ran past Twilight, “Twilight Sparkle, it is time to make haste, for this is not a very safe place!” Warned Zecora.

Twilight leaned past the tree to see the dozens of plants racing toward her, her eyes widening at the terrifying sight. The Alicorn then used a similar spell of her own, aiming her horn at the untamed plant life, and quickly blasted it with her magic, destroying the vines.

Starlight squinted, recognizing the purple glow of Twilight’s magic as she saw Twilight standing a few yards away from her, “Twilight Sparkle! My ‘good friend,’ what a pleasant surprise!”

“You crossed the line, Starlight; it’s one thing to convince somepony to give up their Cutie Mark, but to use your removal spell on three fillies who didn’t have a Cutie Mark and take away their personality and passion for doing anything? Now that’s too far!” Hissed Twilight.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I hurt your feelings, Twilight Sparkle? Maybe we can dance and sing a little song that’ll make us the best of friends!” Mocked Starlight.

“We’ll never be friends.” Spat Twilight.

“I thought you were the ‘Princess of Friendship,’ at least there’s one thing we agree on….” Glared Starlight.

Starlight fired a beam of magic from her horn before being met with Twilight’s own burst of magic. As beams of purple and green collided and crashed into one another, creating a dazzling display of light and magic.

The mare’s grunted and forced all of their energy into each other’s spells before finally collapsing into the muddy ground beneath them.

“Had…enough?” Panted Starlight

“I’m….” huffed Twilight, “Just getting started!”

The sorcerers rose to their hooves before readying another magical flurry of attacks. Still, before another duel could commence, the thundering howl of the Timber Wolves rocked the earth beneath their hooves. As the fowl scent of rotting wood and death filled the air.

Twilight panicked, forgetting Starlight was in front of her, leaving her vulnerable. Starlight seized the opportunity as she quickly fired a paralyzing spell, striking Twilight and sending her into the mud. The Alicorn groaned as she attempted to get up, but instead of rising to her hooves, she grunted as she tried to move her legs.

“So long, Twilight Sparkle; if it’s any consolidation, you’ll make a great meal for the Timber Wolves!” Cackled Starlight as she quickly collected her supplies and galloped into the tree line. Disappearing from Twilight’s line of sight.

Moments later, the scent of rot and death became unbearable as she saw the Timber Wolves claw through the nearby tree line from the corner of her eye. The savage beasts drew near as the pack began to circle her. Twilight whimpered as she quickly cried for help, “Zecora! Anypony, help me!”

A small pouch would fly through the treeline opposite of them, not a second later as smoke erupted around them. A shadowy figure galloped toward Twilight before forcing her up. Twilight could barely move her head enough to see that it was Zecora shoving and pushing her away from the Timber Wolves.

Barely escaping with their lives, the pair quickly returned to Zecora’s hut, where Twilight was forced to drink a potion to cure her stiff muscles. The bitter taste of Zecora’s potion couldn’t compare to the bitter defeat given by Starlight Glimmer.

Discordant Harmony

After Rarity gathered the rest of the girls with her frantic cries, the Mare’s returned to their shock to find one Discord tending to the lame fillies and one absent Twilight Sparkle.

Discord, who was wearing magician’s attire, performed in front of the three girls, pulling a handkerchief from Scootaloo’s ear, as for the first time since Starlight’s removal spell was put on her, shrieked in terror and excitement.

“That felt weird!” Scootaloo giggled as a small smile began to form on her, and her fellow crusaders’ faces before the repressing feeling of disinterest and apathy began to encompass them.

“Discord?” Gasped the Mare’s, “What are you doing here!?” Snapped Rarity.

Discord grumbled at the sight of the fillies returning disinterest, “That marks magic tricks off the list…perhaps voice impressions will get you all back in the swing of things-Oh, hello Rarity, girls.”

“Discord, what in tarnation are you doing to Scootaloo, and where is Twilight?” Applejack asked accusingly.

“Oh, she went to find that pony Starlight; of course, as the caring and compassionate friend I am, I gave her the most sound advice I could.” Chuckled Discord.

“Sound advice? Yeah right! What sort of ‘sound advice’ could you of all creatures give?” Snarked Rainbow Dash.

“Well, Rainbow Dash, I told her if she was to find this villain, she needed to think like a villain.” Smirked Discord.

“You told her WHAT?” Cried Pinkie Pie, “If it was a game of pretend, you should’ve asked me to play!”

Discord, in an instant, appeared next to Pinkie Pie as he began to rough up her curly mane, “Oh Pinkie Pie, this is no mere game.” He Tsk’d, “It’s a test.” He’d remark as he began putting his weight on Pinkie Pie.

She’d quickly move away from Discord and give him a distrustful glare, everypony in the room knew that a test from Discord could only mean trouble.

“Discord….we really don’t have time for one of your…lessons.” Fluttershy pressed; she’d give a pleading look to the Draconequus.

“Especially considerin’ the severity of the situation, just look at Applebloom!” Barked Applejack.

Applebloom lazily looked over to her older sister as a small smile curled on her lips for a moment.

Discord’s brow raised at the sight of Applebloom’s fleeting moment of happiness, “Yes….why this is perfect!” Exclaimed Discord.

“Whatever do you mean, the sight is ghastly!” Cried Rarity.

Discord shook his head, “No, no, no, I think I have the solution to your problem; I can entertain and amuse the fillies for all of eternity if I wanted. But, the fleeting happiness and amusement I can give them means nothing compared to your relationship with them.”

“So you’re saying we need to…hang out with them?” Questioned Rainbow Dash.

“Go make some memories, have some fun, and most importantly of all….do this in a timely manner in case this spell’s effects are irreversible with enough time.” Discord said as he sat down on his throne.

“....That was…awfully clear.” Admitted Applejack.

“Wait… didn’t you mention that Twilight was going after somepony named Starlight, as in Starlight Glimmer?” Whispered Fluttershy.

“Did you meet this pony in a small town from the Cutie Map?”

“Y-yes.” Nervously answered Fluttershy.

“Then yes, it’s that Starlight.”

“Starlight Glimmer is back!?” Shouted the girls.

“Yes, yes, the evil villain returns for revenge; surely you all should be used to this by now.” Sarcastically replied Discord.

“What are we going to do? We can’t both help Twilight and help the fillies.” Asked Applejack.

“Sure you can; why don’t you, Rarity and Rainbow Dash tend to the fillies while Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie go after Twilight.” Suggested Discord.

“Oh my gosh, stop being so helpful; it’s freaking me out!” Snapped Rainbow Dash.

“To say it’s unusual would be an…understatement.” Admitted Rarity.

“OH MY GOSH, STARLIGHT USED A SPELL ON DISCORD!” Shrieked Pinkie Pie.

Discord chuckled in amusement as he quickly grabbed Fluttershy, “Oh no, I was just touched by the kindness of my tender-hearted friend here, and from Twilight’s forgiveness for my…most recent blunder, I decided to turn a new leaf, fully commit to my redemption.”

Discord put on his best smile as he attempted to look as genuine as physically possible to the unconvinced Mare’s, excluding Fluttershy.

“Oh, that’s great.” Smiled Fluttershy, she’d slowly look over to the Mare’s, “Right girls?”

“Right…” Replied Applejack

“Sure…” Shrugged Rainbow Dash

“I suppose it doesn’t matter if it helps us and the fillies.” Sighed Rarity.

“No, no, no! I know something is up! I know what’s going on!” Pinkie quickly leered toward Discord as she stared the Draconequus in the eyes, “.... You’re totally under Starlight’s mind control spell!”

“Er, Pinkie Pie, we don’t know if she even has that.” Corrected Applejack.

“But it makes no sense that Discord is….making sense! This is clearly mind control!” Shouted Pinkie as she accusingly pointed her hoof at Discord.

“Um….if Discord was under mind-control, why would he be helping us?” Fluttershy interjected.

Pinkie Pie promptly lowered her hoof defeatedly, “Oh…uh….” She’d awkwardly smiled at the group, “Sorry, why don’t we go find Twilight Fluttershy?”

Discord slowly placed down Fluttershy, “They’re at the Everfree forest; my best guess is to check with Zecora.”

“T-the Everfree forest?” Whimpered Fluttershy.

Pinkie Pie quickly wrapped her leg around Fluttershy, “C’mon, Fluttershy, we need to help Twilight and make sure that nopony else can have the fun taken out of them. Can you imagine how awful Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle feel? They aren’t even excited about the party I’m planning.”

“I feel nothing.” Blankly replied Sweetie Belle.

“.... You’re right; we need to go, good luck girls,” Fluttershy said as she nodded toward Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. She’d turn to face Discord, “And thank you, Discord; this was so selfless of you. I’m so proud of you.”
Discord quickly flicked away a tiny tear as he waved off the two Mare’s, “Farewell Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie! If you see Twilight, send her my regards!”

Pinkie Pie quickly leered toward Discord one last time, “I’m watching you….I know you’re up to something. I can feel it.” whispered Pinkie as she was pulled away by Fluttershy.

Once the two left the boutique, the rest of the girls turned to Discord, “Oh, do you three need a moment with them? I’ll just show myself out.” With a snap of his fingers, Discord disappeared in a spark of magic.

Rainbow Dash quickly zipped up to Scootaloo, “Scootaloo, you know, would be really cool?”

“Mmm?” Muttered Scootaloo.

“If we went flying, or maybe I helped you do some epic death-defying trick?”

“Yeah….I guess…” Yawned Scootaloo.

Rainbow Dash, without hesitation, scooped up Scootaloo with her front legs and darted through the door in a blur.

Applejack sighed, “I suppose I’ll take Applebloom back home and help her find…herself.” With assistance from Rarity, the young filly was placed on the older Mare’s back, and with the tip of her hat, she’d soon leave the Boutique.

Rarity turned to face her sister; it was time to get emotional, time to get serious! Time for some bonding, “Er…Sweetie Belle, why don’t we do some knitting? You love knitting!”

“I don’t feel like it….” She’d grumble.

Rarity quickly pulled some thread and needles with her magic as she climbed onto the bed next to her sister, “Come now, Sweetie Belle, you were doing so well. It’d be really…erm cool if you knitted something with me.”

“....Do you promise to let me pick the fabrics?....” asked Sweetie as she gave a pleading look to Rarity.

“I promise.” Smiled Rarity as she picked up Sweetie Belle, and left the room.

Spike quickly looked around, realizing he wasn't noticed during the entire ordeal between everyone. A fleeting thought that he learned invisibility crossed his mind before he shrugged and quietly left the room after Rarity and Sweetie Belle. Quickly leaving the Boutique as he began sprinting toward the Everfree Forest.

"Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, wait up!" Shouted Spike.

Salvation In Sisterhood

Rainbow Dash placed Scootaloo on her scooter, attempting to balance her as the filly lazily slumped over the handlebars, “C’mon, Scootaloo, show me your moves.”

She’d sigh, giving a slight kick that propelled her slightly; Rainbow Dash scoffed, “Come on, that isn’t the best you can do.”

“Mmnnnggghh….” Grumbled Scootaloo as she collapsed to the ground.

Rainbow Dash sighed, “You just need some motivation; luckily for you, motivation is my specialty.” She’d take a long deep breath, “GET ON THAT SCOOTER!” Barked Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo quickly climbed up as she frantically began kicking; despite the urgency of her movement, Rainbow Dash could easily keep up with a steady trot, “C’mon! You can go faster, faster, Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo stamped her hoof in the dirt as she jetted forward; Rainbow Dash smirked as she began galloping next to her, “Don’t you feel your blood pumping? The wind in your mane?”

Scootaloo slowly smiled, “Yeah….yeah!” Her smile faded as quickly as it came; Rainbow Dash scowled at the sight, “Put both hooves on the base!” Ordered Rainbow Dash; as Scootaloo placed her hooves on the scooter’s base, Rainbow Dash quickly got on the back of the scooter, putting her front hooves over Scootaloo’s shoulders as she began flapping her wings.

The scooter quickly raced through the streets of Ponyville. Scootaloo’s eyes widened at the sight of the dozens of ponies crossing the street; she’d soon turn to Rainbow Dash, “We’re gonna crash!”

Rainbow Dash grinned as a determined look formed on her face, “No, we’re not; lean to the left with me!”

The two swerved to the left as Rainbow Dash slammed her left hoof against the ground, raising her left wing to turn sharply as the pair skirted against the dirt, the screech of their tires echoed through the air.

Scootaloo screamed in delight as the pair ripped through Ponyville; Rainbow Dash flapped her wings once more to increase their speed, “Scootaloo!” Shouted Rainbow Dash over the sound of their thundering wheels and the wood base of the scooter rattling.

“What should we do now!?”

“What? Why are you asking me!? Squeaked Scootaloo,” I don’t know; I didn’t want to even do this in the first place; I don’t want to do anything!” She’d whine.

“Well, tough luck! Because if you don’t do something, we’ll crash into those crates!” She’d gesture to a market vendor moving stacks of crates into his produce stand, with a large pile sitting in their way, with another group of ponies blocking their path. However, a small piece of plywood leaning against another crate presented itself as their only means of avoiding a crash.

“Scootaloo, you have to do something; we’re running out of time!” Screamed Rainbow Dash

Scootaloo slammed her eyes shut as she resisted the spell’s effects, her desire to act grappling with the entangling feeling of disinterest; she’d quickly open her as she screamed, “LEAN RIGHT!”

The pair quickly leaned right as they began barreling toward the small ramp, “WHEN WE JUMP, OPEN YOUR WINGS AND LEAN FORWARD!” Shouted Scootaloo.

Rainbow Dash eagerly obeyed as the pair glided through the air above the awning populace, screaming at the top of their lungs before their scooter smashed against the earth, causing the two to tumble and roll on the ground.

The girls groaned as they slowly peeled off the dirt underneath them, “That…was….awesome!” Squealed Scootaloo, the young filly bucked and pranced in place excitedly.

“It was awesome. Don’t you feel better?” Rainbow Dash asked hesitantly.

Scootalook quickly turned to Rainbow Dash; she jumped and happily flapped her wings, “Yeah!” A spiral of magic would encompass her as the pseudo-cutie mark on her flank shined brightly in a beam of light before disappearing completely.

Applejack sighed as she examined Applebloom,” Nothing broken, swollen, or sore….no sign of illness.”

“Applejack, that’s the third time you’ve checked Applebloom; you already know it’s not anything we can treat with our experience. We need to follow Discord’s instructions!” Granny Smith said as she trotted next to her granddaughter.

“I know, Granny; it’s just so….demoralizing, I just can’t believe Starlight did this to Applebloom; it’s just not right; it’s cowardly!” Lamented Applejack.

“I agree with yah, Applejack, but we can’t sit here and let Applebloom suffer while we grumble about the past; now, let’s get some pep in her step!” Exclaimed Granny.

Applejack sighed, “You’re right, Granny, Big Mac!”

Big Mac slowly peered into the bedroom as he wiped a few tears from his face and hid his puffy eyes from Applejack, “Yup?”

“All of us are going to get Applebloom’s spirits back; we’re going to have so much fun, she’ll be in tears!” Proclaimed Applejack.

The rest of the Apples shared a slightly confused look between them.

“....Of joy, y’all, tears of joy.” Sighed Applejack.

As the Apple family pulled Applebloom out of bed, the family quickly moved into the kitchen, “Alright, Applebloom, let’s make your favorite meal; that’ll surely get your spirits up.”

“I don’t want anything.” Grumbled Applebloom.

“Nonsense! No spell is powerful enough to stop somepony from having our family’s secret, absolutely delicious apple pie.” Proclaimed Granny, “And it’s time you learn how to make it.”

Applebloom looked to Granny Smith and then Applejack, “Are y’all sure I’m ready?....”

“We’d usually teach you once you’d get your Cutie Mark, but given the circumstances, I think we can make an exception.” Applejack said as she rubbed Appleblooms head.

“Eeeeeyup.” Nodded Big Mac.

Applebloom slowly smiled as she fought against the gnawing boredom and apathy; Granny Smith squinted as she quickly shouted, “No time for talk! We need to get this pie started! Big Mac, get me the freshest apples from the orchard; Applejack, get me ingredients for the crust and filling!

The older mare turned to Applebloom, “Applebloom come with me; we’ll wash our hooves.”

Applebloom slowly nodded as Big Mac and Applejack galloped throughout the house; the thundering sound of their hooves against the wooden floor echoed throughout the house, followed by the front door smashing against the wall and slamming shut.

Applebloom looked around frantically as Granny calmly escorted her to the kitchen sink; the two washed their hooves as Applejack set out the flour, eggs, and bowl before Big Mac returned with a bushel of fresh apples.

“Me and Applebloom will slice the apples while Applejack and Big Mac peel them; now, let’s get this pie ready!”

The family prepared the apples together, mixing, rolling, and kneading the pie dough, a delicate and precise effort. But with the help of her elders, Applebloom put together the sweet confection in a matter of minutes.

She patiently waited for the pie to bake, attentively sitting in front of the hot oven as the once wet and rubbery dough firmed up into a delicious buttery and flakey crust. The ringing of the kitchen timer quickly snapped Applebloom out of her trance.

Once they set out the pie, the Apples patiently waited, watching as delicious steaming pie cooled as drool dribbled from their mouths; the wait was excruciating. But their patience was rewarded with a slice of pie.

The perfect crust enriched with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. The gooey filling with soft macintosh apples and a caramel-like taste. Applebloom slowly turned to Applejack with the biggest smile on her face.

A bright flash of white light blinded the table for a moment, blinding the family, but once the light died down, what greeted them was Applebloom without that awful Cutie Mark.

“I can’t believe I made this pie, and I can’t believe it tastes just like y’all’s! Now I can make it whenever I want!” Exclaimed Applebloom.

“Yup.” Nodded Big Mac.

“Now you know the Apple family secret apple pie recipe; not only is it your job to protect the secret, but it’s also your job to teach the next generation of Apples when it’s time.” Asserted Applejack.

“Mean’s you’re carrying the same responsibility your Mamie and Papie, and their Mamie and Papie before them had.” Beamed Granny Smith.

Applebloom slowly nodded, feeling the importance of the act. It wasn’t as simple as just baking a pie. It was kept a family tradition passed down for generations. Something that made the Apple family, well….the Apple family.

“Well, I promise to make sure the recipe is protected and won’t be forgotten,” Smiled Applebloom.

“Good, now who wants another slice?” Asked Applejack.

“I do!” Exclaimed the rest of the family.

The Inconvenient Truth

The Girls had saved the day, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Zecora had returned Twilight to her Castle safely, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were restored to their former glory, and they’d had rectified Starlight Glimmer’s awful deed. However, to say that Twilight and her friends were confident in their victory was far from the truth.

The ponies had returned to Twilight’s Castle, sitting at the round table as they did that morning earlier. That morning felt like a lifetime ago despite the fact, it was only hours ago. It had undoubtedly been a long day. The Girls shared an exhausted look between the girls and Spike.

“Alright…what should we talk about first?” Twilight asked as she slowly poured herself a cup of tea.

“How are we supposed to take a trip across Equestria when Starlight Glimmer is running amuck!?” Shouted Rainbow Dash.

“Frankly, I just don’t think all of us can make the journey; someone has to stay behind to ensure she doesn’t cause any more trouble.” Asserted Applejack.

“After this horrible day, I don’t think I could bare having to see Sweetie Belle like that again.” Feigned Rarity.

“I know, those fillies didn’t deserve the suffering that Starlight put on them. But we can’t just not go; The Cutie Map has dozens of friendship problems. We can’t just ignore people in need; it’s our responsibility.” Pressed Twilight.

“Twilight, I have an Orchard, and now I gotta watch Applebloom tenfold since some crazy pony is sneaking around Ponyville.” Applejack retorted.

“And I have my Boutique and now Sweetie Belle to watch over.” Argued Rarity.

“Yeah! And I need to dedicate myself to my Wonderbolt studies to get into the Wonderbolts!” Exclaimed Rainbow Dash.

Rarity and Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a stern look as they glared at her disapprovingly.

“And uh… y’know, make sure Scootaloo is okay.” She’d awkwardly smile.

“We can’t just ignore everypony else because of one pony.” Twilight huffed.

“Weeeellll, normally you would be right, Twilight, but this pony is extremely adept at magic and is an insane cult leader who turns fillies into emotionless zombies.” Pinkie Pie said as she idly rocked in her throne, despite the throne being made out of extremely heavy Crystal.

“No offense, darling, we mean no disrespect!” Assured Rarity, “But the fact you couldn’t defeat her and were nearly eaten by Timber Wolves makes Starlight a serious threat!”

“Come on, everypony,” Exclaimed Spike, “We can’t just throw in the towel because we’re afraid of Starlight. Twilight is right; we need to prepare for our journey still.”

Fluttershy quietly whispered, “U-um…I have an idea….why don’t we ask Discord to watch over Ponyville so that no pony else can be bothered by Starlight?”

The rest of the girls froze in their thrones as the Mare’s passed awkward glances. Twilight slowly spoke, “Fluttershy, while that’s a great idea on paper, there may be some….complications if we let Discord protect the village.”

“Well, I’m afraid there’s going to be complications.” Echoed Discord as the Draconequus descended from the ceiling and hovered above the table.

“I should’ve known you’d turn up sooner or later.” Sighed Twilight.

“I’m surprised you stuck around this long,” admitted Rainbow Dash.

“Or that you helped us without any tricks.” Relented Applejack.

“Maybe it’s not such a bad idea if Discord watches over Ponyville, I mean, he helped Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash fix the fillies.” Interjected Spike.

“See? My good friend Spike recognizes my talents, as does Fluttershy. Can’t you all see that my intentions were only the purest?” Discord said as he landed next to Twilight, “Besides, my magic is stronger than Starlight’s; surely I can easily fix whatever problems she throws at any Ponyville resident or defeat her in a magical duel if I have to.”

Twilight tapped her hooves against the Cutie Map as she looked to the other Mare’s, all but Fluttershy was as anxious and uneasy about the offer as her.

Discord sighed, “I’m afraid you don’t have much of a choice, the clock is ticking, and you all need to leave soon.”

“Look, Discord, we appreciate your help, but it’s fairly reasonable that we don’t….” Applejack paused, seeming uneasy to finish her sentence.

“That we don’t leave so soon after this awful incident after all; what’s the worst that could happen?” Rarity rhetorically asked.

Discord paused, tilting his head at the question before erupting in a fit of laughter, “What’s the worse that could happen? My dear friend’s if you think today was a bad day, then you haven’t seen anything yet!”

With a snap of his claws, dark clouds would slowly hang over Equestria’s map: “If Harmony and friendship aren’t brought throughout Equestria, a devastating calamity will consume us all.”

Discord snapped his claw at Yak Yakistan as crystal models of the Yak’s would rise from the table and begin fighting against each other, “War will erupt through the land.” He’d quickly snap his claw again, gesturing his paw toward the Griffinlands. As more Crystal figures rose up, an army of Griffin’s stood side by side neatly in rows.

“Causing devastating effects, famine, disease, and death.” The Draconequus quickly snapped his claw once more as dozens of crystal models of creatures of every kind across Equestria and beyond appeared.

“All these creatures you see here, take them into account, study their faces if you must. But a vast majority of them….” Discord snapped his claw one last time as the figures erupted into several broken crystal pieces, “Will be gone.”

“The inconvenient truth is, whether you like it or not. Is that an exchange of trust is needed, and sacrifices are to be made. Say, of course, you want this loss to happen.”

“Well, of course, we don’t-” Twilight was quickly cut off by Discord.

“So it’s settled then, I will watch over Ponyville, and you all will fulfill your obligations to Equestria, friendship, and whatnot.” Proclaimed Discord.

Still, in shock at Discord’s display, the rest of the girls slowly looked at one another as an uneasy feeling hung in the air.

“Rest assured, I will protect your friends and families here; I just need a teenie, tiny, small thing from you all.” Smiled Discord.

“Yes, Discord?” Cautiously asked Twilight.

“Your blessing; I’m going to need the favor of the Princess of Friendship if I’m going to be trusted by the ponies here.” Discord smiled deviously at Twilight, knowing the amount of pride she’d have to swallow if Twilight was to give Discord her public blessing.

Twilight held her breath for a moment as her lip quivered before finally submitting, “Fine….”

“Wonderful, well I better prepare myself….oh! And all of you should make sure all of your things are in order, bags, goodbyes, and a list of chores for me to do. Ta-ta everypony.” Discord took a bow before disappearing in a spark of magic.

Twilight quickly slumped over as she smashed her face into the Cutie Map, “I really don’t like this.” Mumbled Twilight

“You’re not the only one, sugar cube; this day has been downright awful.” Applejack said as she began fanning herself with her hat.

“At least we all have a few days to prepare before we HAVE to leave; maybe we’ll feel better after we put this day behind us.” Rarity suggested optimistically, putting on her best smile as she scanned the table.

Pinkie Pie tapped her hoof against her chin, “Nope, something isn’t right; I still think Discord is under a mind control spell!”

“Pinkie, for crying out loud, just drop it. Discord isn’t under mind control!” Grumbled Rainbow Dash.

“You don’t know that! Isn’t it strange to everypony that Discord has been nothing but helpful today, with NO strings attached? No tricks or riddles or metaphors, just him being crystal clear?” Pinkie said as she stood up in her throne, “It’s clearly some sort of trick or trap!”

“Maybe Discord changed?” Spike sheepishly suggested.

“I’m all for bettering yourself, but after the ‘incident’ with Tirek, doesn’t anyone think giving Discord this kind of responsibility so soon is a bad idea?” Applejack said as she looked around the table.

“We don’t have a choice; we have to give Discord the responsibility, or Equestria as we know it will be destroyed.” Twilight sighed, “It’s been a long day; let’s just all go home and get some rest.”

“Will you be okay, Twilight?” Fluttershy quietly asked.

“I’ll be okay,” She smiled, “I just need some time to think.”

The rest of the girls slowly nodded as they rose from their thrones and left the room, leaving Twilight and Spike alone with their thoughts.

All That Glimmers Is Not Gold

Starlight pranced about happily as she treaded through the Everfree forest, sure she had narrowly escaped with her life from the Timber Wolves, but Twilight Sparkle was dead! The central part of her revenge plan was a success and was so simple too.

“I bet they’re too distraught to do anything; I can’t wait to see the look on their faces!” Starlight thought to herself as she quickly pulled her cloak over herself and excitedly galloped to Ponyville; much to her disappointment, the town wasn’t grieving or in a sorrowful state.

“Probably just denial or they haven’t told anypony about her fate yet.” Starlight thought to herself; she’d walk through the town to see if there was any sign of grief or news about Twilight’s ‘demise.’

She’d look and look before sighing; she’d go straight to the horse’s mouth, er-metaphorically speaking, she’d travel to Twilight’s Castle, approaching the front doors before pushing them open with her magic.

Twilight perked her head up, slowly stretching as she’d picked up her cup of tea with her magic before heading toward the front door, “Hello?” She’d drop her glass at the sight of Starlight.

The Unicorn gasped as her look of shock turned to rage, “You’re supposed to be dead!” snarled Starlight, “How are you alive!?”

“My friend Zecora saved me; looks like you failed again, Starlight, you failed to have the fillies under your spell, and you failed once again to destroy me,” Twilight said as she prepared herself for another duel.

Starlight smirked, “I should’ve known better than to expect a pack of Timber Wolves to do the job; I guess you know what they say, ‘if you want a job done right, you better do it yourself…’” She’d quickly fire a magical beam at Twilight.

The Alicorn quickly raised a defensive shield around her before using telekinesis to rip the crystals from the flooring and walls, forcing the gems to orbit around her.

Starlight fired another magic beam before Twilight batted it away, reflecting the spell back at Starlight. The Unicorn quickly dodged the beam before the magic was once again reflected against a nearby wall.

The beam of magic ricocheted through the Castle halls. Starlight quickly hit the floor as she covered her head with her front legs; Twilight realizing the danger in firing a spell in a building full of reflective surfaces, quickly dropped her crystals before raising a magical shield to protect herself.

Spike opened his bedroom door, “What’s going on-” The beam of magic quickly struck Spike as the little dragon was frozen solid rapidly and encapsulated in a block of ice.

“Spike!” Cried Twilight as she quickly turned to Starlight; the Unicorn quickly stamped her hooves as a wave of crystals raced toward Twilight like a tidal wave; she’d soon force the wall next to her to stretch out and block the incoming tide before slamming the crystal back into the wall with her magic.

“Not bad, but you’ve definitely skimped out on your offensive magic.” Starlight quickly raised the crystal floor underneath Twilight, attempting to stab her with crystal spikes. Twilight narrowly avoided getting skewered as she took flight.
Starlight growled as she used her telekinesis to levitate herself, “Sometimes I forget Celestia made YOU of all ponies an Alicorn; not to worry, I can keep up with whatever worthless magic you can throw at me.”

“When will this end, Starlight!?” Pleaded Twilight, “Surely there’s a way where we can at least co-exist together; this doesn’t have to end with one of us being destroyed!”

“Co-exist? We were already doing that before you showed up and destroyed everything I worked for!” She’d quickly rip a chunk of the ceiling and fling it at Twilight.

Twilight narrowly avoided the debris as she turned to ensure it didn’t hit Spike; she’d quickly fly over to grab him. Before she could, however, Starlight quickly struck Twilight’s left wing with her magic, causing the Alicorn to slam into the hard floor and slide across the hall before slamming into a door.

Twilight quickly examined her wing; it sizzled as she’d closely examined the wound, an ember spell that scorched her wings and burned her. Flying was out of the question. Twilight slowly rose to her hooves as Starlight drew ever closer.

Twilight slowly moved toward Spike as she readied herself for Starlight’s oncoming attack; the Unicorn cackled, “How does it feel, Twilight Sparkle, to be just like everypony else? No friends, no special magic, to suffer alone!?”

Twilight paused, slowly putting the pieces together in her mind as she looked up at Starlight, “Starlight, please, I can help you-”

“Don’t you lecture me! I didn’t come all this way to be mouthed off by the likes of you!” The walls and ground beneath them began to shake as Starlight started to rip the crystals from the ceiling and walls. She was groaning as she strained herself.

“Starlight! What are you doing!? You’re going to destroy the entire Castle!” Screamed Twilight.

“I’m teaching YOU a lesson, Twilight Sparkle; what it feels like to have everything taken from you!” She’d quickly smash large chunks of crystals against the Castle as the earth beneath them began to thunder, and the sound of thousands of crystals started to crack and shatter.

The main base of the Castle, the tree trunk, collapsed as it plummeted toward the three. Starlight quickly teleported away as Twilight grabbed Spike and soon followed. Standing at a safe distance, Twilight watched in muted horror as the Castle of Friendship toppled over and smashed into the ground, shattering like glass and echoing throughout Ponyville.

Twilight collapsed to the ground as she could feel the breakfast from earlier today fighting to come up as her head spun a million miles a minute. Her vision started to blur, and everything turned to darkness before she realized it.

The Journey At Hoof

Awaking from her slumber, Twilight Sparkle didn’t hesitate to stick to her ‘perfected’ routine. Carefully slipping out from under the covers and neatly making her guest bed. The Alicorn quickly made her way to the kitchen to have her breakfast. One fat stack of pancakes, a slice of toast (lots of butter), and a cup of black coffee.

A fine, perfectly average morning with the Apple Family. Carefully using her silverware, she sliced a large chunk out of the stack of pancakes before greedily stuffing the collection of carbs and sugars into her mouth, slopping up the syrup that stained her face.

“It’s delicious, thank you all.” Beamed Twilight.

Applejack smirked, “Glad to be of service, Twilight; at least you don’t gotta worry about that house since we’ll be traveling for so long.”

“Yeah! By the time you return, Ponyville should’ve fully rebuilt it.” Spike said before sneezing, “Ugh…more grits, please….”

“Here you go, little feller.” Grinned Granny, “Shame that Spike has a cold, but at least this family is all together for one last meal!”

“Eyup.” nodded Big Mac.

“More eggs, Twilight?” Offered Applebloom.

“Please!” nodded Twilight as she moved her plate toward Applebloom with her magic.

After breakfast, Twilight packed her things, organizing what little she had left was easy. A few books on geography, the creatures, and cultures of the world. The large group’s supplies were already packed up and stored on the train, with a noble group of volunteers offering to help them unload at the Crystal Empire.

Applejack approached Twilight, “Er, sugar cube? I’m going to talk to Applebloom. I’ll catch up with you.”

Twilight slowly turned around as she hoisted her saddlebags over her back, “Sure thing Applejack, come on, Spike, let’s not keep the others waiting; we got a big day ahead of us. We’ll be going to your favorite place.”

“Heh, I am rather popular with the locals, aren’t I?” nudged Spike as he flashed a toothy smile at Twilight.

Twilight shook her head as she playfully rolled her eyes and soon departed toward the train station.

At the train station, a large crowd of ponies stood away from the platform as the rest of the girls waited for Twilight.

“What took you so long?” Prodded Rainbow Dash, “I thought you were supposed to be perfectly organized and on time.” She teased.

“Oh, come now, darlings, it’s been a long week; I’m sure Twilight has just been getting some much-needed beauty rest.” Smiled Rarity.

Applejack quickly galloped to the platform, her trademark hat noticeably missing from her head, “I’m here, y’all, I’m here” panted Applejack.

“What’s with the rush, silly? We aren’t leaving until everypony is here; after all, how will we celebrate?”

“Yes!” Interjected Discord, “How are we going to celebrate Twilight’s big announcement.” Grinned Discord.

Twilight sighed, shaking her head; fortunately, she had days to prepare both physically and mentally for the speech.

Putting on her best Equestrian voice, Twilight spoke, “Citizens of Ponyville! My friends and I will soon depart from Ponyville for a while, and due to recent events, it has come to my attention that you will all need somepony…(Pause for dramatic effect)...or somecreature more specifically to watch over you.”

She’d pause as she began gnawing her cheek, almost getting lost in her own head and the staring eyes on her if it wasn’t for the firm nudge from Fluttershy. Twilight nervously smiled, “Er…this creature is our friend, Discord. Now I know it will be hard for some of you to…adjust with our absence, but Discord has my very own….” She’d slowly swallow, “Blessing….and I personally believe he is capable of watching over you all.”

Discord slowly leaned over to Twilight, “Nicely done, ‘your highness,’ Citizens of Ponyville! It is a great honor to be your delegated guardian. Now my track record hasn’t been perfect. But from my friend’s guiding hooves and your own kindness and compassion, I take this responsibility with the utmost diligence and respect.”

“Let’s party everypony!” Cheered Pinkie Pie as she fired off her party canon as the roars of cheering ponies erupted throughout the crowd. As the girls waved goodbye and slowly got on the train, the sound of the engine and the turning of the metal wheels got Twilight’s own gears turning in her head.

“Spike….” Twilight slowly turned to the dragon.

Spike looked away from the window as he slowly turned to face her, “Yeah?”

“Make a note to Princess Celestia.”

Spike chuckled, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Twilight smiled, “It has, hasn’t it, are you ready?”

Spike quickly fished for his ink and quill as he dug out a sheet of paper, “Ready.”

“Dear Princess Celestia….”

Starlight quickly snuck on the train by climbing onto the back caboose; the maintenance pony stared with confusion, “Uhm…this train is for Twilight Sparkle’s expedition to the Crystal Empire.”

Starlight gritted her teeth as her horn glowed with magic, lifting the stallion to the air before chucking him overboard as he loudly screamed and tumbled toward Ponyville. She would rectify her failure after all, and she still has a swath of opportunities awaiting her across Equestria as well.

She’d smile to herself, knowing that all was not lost yet, and at least she destroyed Twilight’s home as a consolation prize. There was still, A Glimmer of Hope….

Discourse with Discord

As the two left the castle and made their way toward the cottage, that uneasy feeling inside Twilight grew more and more the closer they made their way toward Discord. A heavy feeling, like a weight tied to her heart and sinking into her stomach. Before Twilight even realized they had already arrived.

Boredom today, just as yesterday, the day before, and the day before that, had been consistently boring for Discord. The Draconequus lay aloof on his friend's couch, juggling Angel Bunny with his feet, with the rabbit's irritated squeaks being the only source of noise to entertain him aside from the dreadfully mundane chorus of flat-sounding birds.

Despite this, he patiently waited for something, anything, as he flipped the page of his book upward, despite the fact it was made to be turned left to right—just another violation of the laws of physics for Discord. A small smile formed at this display of seamless disregard for logic.

He quickly kicked Angel before snagging the bunny by its pelt and looking it in the eye. To say he looked unimpressed was more than an understatement. A sour frown, an impatient gaze, and crossed arms greeted Discord.

Discord rolled his eyes, “Don’t give me that look; being frustrated is certainly better than being bored!”

Angel merely scowled before being placed on the couch next to him. Angel didn’t hesitate to scamper out of sight to avoid being a victim of Discord’s boredom. The Draconequus yawned, stretching outward before ripping a page out of the book he was reading and greedily tossing it in his maul.

The book was a collection of poems and short stories from Equestria. He was once asked by Twilight why he chose books and paper as a snack; the information was rich and fulfilling, just like the content inside the book itself. The texture itself was also a factor.

Before he could rip out another page, the front door would slowly creak open, with Fluttershy and Twilight quickly coming into view. Discord quickly stuffed his claw into his mouth, retrieved the paper he had previously eaten, and stuffed it back into the book.

With Twilight only barely getting a glimpse at that scene, a perfect amount to make her look twice and question whether or not that happened. Giving her a deviant look as he quickly approached, “Well, what a lovely surprise, Twilight Sparkle; what brings you here? Tea? A looking for a lost trinket or artifact of some kind?”

Twilight paused as her eyes shifted between Discord and Fluttershy instinctively. She began biting at her cheek; she could’ve been in this loop of biting her cheek and moving her eyes between the two before Fluttershy gently tapped with her hoof on her shoulder. Awkwardly Twilight gave an unsure smile between the two before clearing her throat. In her most firm, authoritative but personable voice, she said, “Discord, in light of recent news, me and the girls, including Fluttershy, will be leaving Ponyville for awhile.”

Discord raised his brow, his smile never departing from him, “A vacation, family emergency, or something involving Celestia, I presume? I appreciate the gesture ‘your Highness,’ but I think I can handle a few days to myself.”

Twilight gave an unimpressed look at the term, ‘your highness,’ she despised it; she had remembered the uncomfortable time of correcting anypony, whether it’d be a well-meaning Ponyville resident or Canterlot castle staff member.

Despite her status as an alicorn, she made it her objective to let everypony treat her like everypony else. Discord, however, would always refer to her as ‘her highness’ or ‘her royal highness’ if he was feeling particularly belligerent, subtle enough to fly under the noses of anypony but frustrating enough to annoy Twilight.

Holding back a sigh, Twilight looked up toward Discord, “Well, you’re right,” she said, attempting to placate his ego.

“Buuut…we don’t know exactly when we’ll come back, the map that tells us where friendship problems are. Seems to be directing us across Equestria and into the Griffinlands.”

Discord shook his head, tsking doubtfully, “Oh no no no, this is a terrible idea.”

“Terrible, what do you mean? I’ll make plans for our absence.” Insisted Twilight.

“Plans always fall through, and besides, everypony has a responsibility here. Applejack’s orchard, Fluttershy’s animals, even something that seems insignificant like Pinkie Pie’s parties are important.” Fretted Discord

Twilight paused; she was surprised by Discord’s concern, but she knew better than to take it at face value. Nothing was ever as it seemed with him.

”Why do you care?” She asked in a blunt demanding tone.

Discord took pride in getting a small rise out of Twilight as he quickly masked his pleasure with a playful shrug and an innocent smile, “What me? Of course, I care about the precious ponies of Ponyville; I mean, I’m reformed after all.”

Twilight gave a rather unimpressed look as she raised her brow in reply.

“With a few bumps in the road,” He conceded, “But I care! I only have the best intentions. After all, what will the ponies here do without their dear Princess or their good friends? Who will watch over them?” He mourned, raising his lion’s paw to his head as he dramatically sighed before flopping on the couch, kicking his hoof into the air.

“I mean, I can only imagine all the terrible things that could go wrong without you all here.”

“Like what?” Questioned Twilight.

“Oh, famine, disease, hunger, natural disasters, unrelenting sales ponies knocking on our doors. I’m sure I could think of something…that you couldn’t plan for. You’ll need somepony to protect them, someone who’s trustworthy, powerful, and of course capable…someone like…me!”

Twilight turned pale, as much as she hated to admit it. There were some things she couldn’t account for. Something that could go wrong, and without anypony left for the locals to turn to, she had to find somepony, anypony to be their guiding hoof, but most certainly and absolutely not Discord.

Fluttershy spoke up, “That’s not a bad idea. I think it’d be good to see your growth by giving you some daily chores and responsibility.”

“No!” Shrieked Twilight, she quickly composed herself as she awkwardly chuckled and smiled at the two. “While it’s…an ‘interesting’ idea on paper…I think it’s a bit too much….responsibility to give to Discord.”

Discord sat up from the couch and sighed, “You’re right; after all, I have done so much. How could anypony trust me? But…wouldn’t this be the perfect opportunity to make amends? To show the local community that Discord is a changed, reformed, reached a sort of friendship…enlightenment!”

Twilight remained unconvinced; this seemed like a ploy to her, an obvious trick considering it was Discord, “Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s just see if there’s anypony we could choose.”

Discord sighed, shaking his head, “You’re right; I’m sure there’s somepony who isn’t bearing the burden of your departure that could balance their day-to-day responsibilities and the responsibilities each of you have.”

Twilight couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated at Discord. She sighed, “I’ll make a list for everyone to follow. I’ll find somepony to take care of our responsibilities.”

Discord slowly raised his thumbs, gesturing to himself as he shifted his eyebrows at her.

“No!” Yes, go find something to do; I’ll find somepony to help me! She quickly ran out of the cottage and soon out of sight.

Fluttershy nervously smiled as she gently patted Discord’s back, “Um, I’m sure she’ll come around; just give her some time.”

“Oh, I plan to.” Discord said with a smile as he watched Twilight flee the scene, slowly summoning a bag of popcorn from the aether, “Trust me.”

Cured Crusaders

“So what did everyone do to get cured?” asked Sweetie Belle as she continued to knit the massive quilt sprawling aross the Club House floor.

“I did an amazing act of Dare Deviling with Rainbow Dash!” Smirked Scootaloo.

“That’s nothin’ I made my family's super secret apple pie recipe.” Grinned Applebloom.

“I made this nice quilt.” Sweetie Belle said as she used her magic to flick the quill as she held out for the girls to see.

Applebloom and Scootaloo looked at one another, a bit miffed at the mundane answer to how Sweetie Belle conquered the spell.

“How does THAT work?” Scoff Scootaloo.

“Yeah…how does that work, Discord said that we needed to make some memories and have some fun, how is knitting memorable?” Asked Applebloom.

“Or fun for that matter.” Teased Scootaloo.

“Well, Rarity finally had the time to sit down and show me how to properly knit; this quilt is everything I wanted it to be, like how you baked your pie Applebloom, or how you performed your trick Scootaloo.” Sweetie Belle said as she placed the quilt on a nearby wall.

“I guess that makes alot of sense.” Admitted Applebloom, “And it does look rather nice.”

“Yeah….let’s nail it to the wall!” Chuckled Scootaloo

“I’ll get the nails!” Yelled Applebloom as she galloped to one side of the clubhouse.

“I call hammering it to the wall!” Declared Scootaloo as she darted to the other side of the room.

“Wait! You’ll tear up the fabric, you guys!” Whined Sweetie Belle as she frantically looked at her friends.