Tales of homeby Peace PetalChaptersChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter OneShady waded to the shore and shook herself off. After the tropical weather of Butterfly Island, this place felt cold, especially since she was wet. She, Gusty, Wind Whistler, and Fizzy stood at the shore, unsure how to proceed. “I don’t understand,” Wind Whistler said. “We know that the Rainbow Waterfall could act as a two-way portal. We know that Rarity’s wand can influence the Rainbow Waterfall, otherwise we would be near the outskirts of Ponyville. In theory we should be able to walk back through to Butterfly Island. What did we miss?” The seven fillies had gathered on the other shore. They were talking about Shady and her friends, and Shady couldn’t help but overhear. “They didn’t know where they were,” the white filly said. “They’re not from around here. We have to show them the way back to Ponyland.” “I don’t know, Sweetheart,” the pink one with yellow hair said. “They’re strangers, aren’t they? Are you sure we should trust them?” Shady turned back to her friends. “There’s more going on here than a miscalculation,” Wind Whistler said. “We still don’t know what caused the first portal that led us to Equestria. We have evidence that at least two more portals formed, one that delivered an aggressive flying creature to Butterfly Island, and another that led Ribbon, Posey, Galaxy, and Whizzer to wherever they were when Ribbon contacted me telepathically. And this isn’t the first time that a portal has behaved in an unexpected way. The portal formed by Twilight Sparkle went out of control and took us to another Ponyville instead of Dream Valley like it was supposed to.” “It seems like something bigger is going on,” Gusty said. “And whatever it is, it’s like the portals are trying to keep us from going home…” She sounded despondent. “Whatever’s going on, Wind Whistler will figure it out!” Fizzy said, bright as ever. “She always does!” Shady, for her part, was just trying to keep from panicking. They would have to start over again with trying to find a source of magic strong enough to transport them home. And even if they found one, the last two times they had gone to yet another world rather than their own. What could they possibly do differently this time? And anyway, none of that mattered as long as they were lost in this forest. While Wind Whistler and Gusty reviewed the magical theory they had used with the Rainbow Waterfall, Shady jumped back into the water to check the portal one more time. But no luck; it was just a wall of rock behind the waterfall. “Excuse me,” one of the seven fillies said, the pink one with yellow hair. She had crossed the stream to stand closer to the four adult ponies. They ended their conversation and looked at her. “We’ve decided to show you the way back to Ponyland, if you need our help.” “Yes, please,” Fizzy said. “Thank you!” “Sweetheart also pointed out that you are probably quite far from home,” the pink pony said. “If you need somewhere to stay for the night, we have a friend who might be able to help.” “I’m sure Lancer will say yes,” the cyan pony called from across the bank. “And his house is huge. You’ll have plenty of room.” Shady looked at the others and quietly said, “Should we go with them?” “We have no other options besides an astral ceiling,” Wind Whistler said. “We’ll gladly accept your offer, with gratitude.” The seven fillies and the four Dream Valley ponies introduced themselves as the fillies put together a few belongings and headed out. The pink filly with yellow hair was Starlight. She looked to be the oldest and seemed to be the leader among them. However, a peach pony named Patch led the group down the trail. She was very quiet, and she kept staring at Wind Whistler in particular. Something was odd about her, but Shady couldn’t figure out what. The trail was narrow enough that the ponies traveled in a line two or sometimes only one pony wide. Shady ended up in the middle of the line with Wind Whistler and the cyan filly, Bright Eyes, in front of her. Bright Eyes prodded Wind Whistler with eager questions about their world. Judging by her ability to understand Wind Whistler’s verbose answers, she was an intelligent filly. However, it was almost immediately clear to Shady that Bright Eyes had never seen any kind of magic before. That made her worried, since they would certainly need magic to get home. She decided to deliberately tune that conversation out, as it was making her nervous. Behind Shady were Fizzy and two fillies, the dark pink one named Melody and the chubby yellow one named Bon Bon. “Oh, this is amazing!” Melody said with a squeal. “We’re hiking through the forest with magical ponies! Um, you are magical, right?” “Sure thing!” Fizzy said. Shady heard the whir of Fizzy’s horn, and bubbles spouted out, briefly filling the forest before they all popped on various branches and leaves. “That’s definitely going in my diary,” Bon Bon said. “Say, where did you get that necklace from?” Melody said. “It’s dazzling!” “A pony named Rainbow Dash gave it to me,” Fizzy said between bites of a muffin that Bon Bon had shared from her bulging saddlebag. “She bought it in Unicornia.” “The carnation pink matches your tail bow and complements your coat, and the crystalline appearance of the rose quartz emphasizes your eyes,” Bon Bon said excitedly. “Uh, I mean, pretty necklace…” “We all know you’re into fashion, Bons,” Melody said. “There’s no sense in trying to hide it anymore.” Gusty had stopped on the side of the trail. She appeared to be drinking from a pool. But she didn’t dash to take her spot alongside Patch at the front. She had been quiet since their failed attempt to go from Butterfly Island to Dream Valley. Shady decided to check and see how she was doing. They were all under a lot of stress, after all. She slowed down, gesturing for Melody, Fizzy, and Bon Bon to pass her. Behind them were Clover, the lavender filly, and Sweetheart, the soft-spoken white pony who had insisted that the seven fillies needed to help Shady’s group. Sweetheart looked like she was the youngest of them. Gusty had taken her place all the way at the back of the group. As Shady tried to let Clover and Sweetheart pass, Clover tripped and landed on her face. “I’m sorry, did I get in your way?” Shady said. She offered a hoof to help Clover up, which Clover accepted. “No, it wasn’t your fault,” Clover said. “Luckily, I didn’t hurt myself.” She brushed off some dirt and continued. Shady matched Gusty’s lethargic pace, walking alongside her. “Are you alright?” she said. “I thought you’d stay in the front.” “I’m fine, Shady,” Gusty said curtly. “I’m worried,” Shady said. Gusty snorted and kept walking. Shady walked alongside her in silence. Apart from their noisy group of eleven ponies, this forest was a peaceful place. She kept spotting green-winged birds that sang beautiful melodies. Little yellow flowers sprang up amongst the dull shades of leaf litter like jewels. The fragrance of leaves and moist soil wafted up from the ground. Several minutes later, Gusty said, “I’m worried too, Shady.” “It’d be strange if you weren’t,” Shady said. “Did you hear Bright Eyes talking with Wind Whistler? She had never seen magic before. Any kind of magic, Shady. They have nothing here. How are we going to get home now?” “I don’t know.” “And it’s all my fault…” Gusty sighed, head down. “Huh?” “You remember,” Gusty said. “When that first portal appeared, I ran right through it, full of bravado. Wind Whistler said it was a bad idea. We should have tried to study it, think it through, and tell the others. But you three had to run after me because I was so headstrong.” “Oh, I didn’t think about that,” Shady said. It seemed like it was so long ago, although it had only been a few days. “But Gusty, you shouldn’t blame yourself. You didn’t know that the portal was one-way. And anyway, you’ve done so much to help us stay safe and get back home since then. You helped me be brave in the Everfree Forest, and you’ve gotten so good at magical theory. We never would have figured out how to use the unicorn princess’s wand without you.” “None of that would have been needed if I just hadn’t ran through that portal in the first place,” Gusty said. “It’s not your fault, Gusty,” Shady said. “You’re being illogical. If you could look at your actions from an unbiased viewpoint, you would see your own merit.” Gusty blinked and looked at Shady. “What?” “It’s something that Wind Whistler said to me,” Shady said. “It makes no sense,” Gusty said. “But I appreciate the thought. When did you become so positive?” “You’ve always been an inspiration to me, Gusty,” Shady said. “That’s nothing new. You’re heroic, talented, and clever.” Gusty’s cheeks flushed, the color popping out against her white coat. “Thanks, Shady,” she said. * * * The seven fillies took Wind Whistler and her friends to a large mansion. It was at the edge of town, and the fillies seemed to be watching for and trying to avoid any crowds. These ponies had really never seen a single pegasus or unicorn before, so there was no telling how they would react. True to Bright Eyes’ prediction, she was able to persuade her friend Lancer and his parents to let them stay there for the night. However, Wind Whistler couldn’t help but worry about the next night, and the night after that. If there was truly no magic here, they might be stuck here forever. However, as the sun was setting, glowing orbs lit up in the house. Wind Whistler turned to Bright Eyes and said, “If there’s no magic here, then what do you call that?” “That’s not magic,” Bright Eyes said. “It’s just electricity.” “And could we somehow use electricity to get us back to our own world?” Wind Whistler said. “I don’t think so,” Bright Eyes said. “I’ve never read of anything like that.” The ponies had gathered in the spacious ballroom. Bon Bon had gone to the kitchen to bake cookies, and Melody had left saying something about gathering the “Rockin’ Beats” to perform a song. It seemed the seven fillies were happy to stay the night at Lancer’s house, as well. “So, you’re trapped here?” Patch said. She had been quietly watching Wind Whistler ever since they met. “Yes,” Wind Whistler said. “We came here by accident.” “But last time you were… Do you know a pony named Brightglow?” Patch said. Her friends all turned to look at her, confused. “Who?” Starlight said. “No, I don’t,” Wind Whistler said. “Oh, then you’re not here for me,” Patch said. “What are you talking about?” Starlight said. All her friends seemed bewildered. “I’ve seen ponies like you before,” Patch said. “Flying, magical ponies. They rescued Bon Bon and me when we took a ride in a hot air balloon and we were going to crash in the sea. But she wasn’t looking, and she didn’t believe me when I told her what happened. One of them, named Brightglow, said we might see each other again.” “So there is magic in this world!” Gusty said, hopeful. “Yes,” Patch said. “I don’t know if they could get you back to your own world, but they certainly have magic.” “How can we meet these ponies?” Wind Whistler said. “That might be hard,” Patch said. “They rarely fly over Ponyland. They’ll show up on radar as a UFO, and you might even see them as a sparkling streak in the sky. You could try to fly after them if they appear.” “Wait, they were the UFO?” Bright Eyes said. “Yes,” Patch said. “They’ve passed by the cliff overlooking Ponyland more than anywhere else. But they’ve only come here a few times. You’d have to be incredibly lucky to just happen to be there when they show up.” Suddenly all six of the other fillies turned to look at Clover. “Wait, why are you all looking at me?” she said. “Your uncanny luck never fails,” Starlight said. “If you go with the four of them and wait at the top of the cliff, I bet the flying ponies will show up.” “I suppose it’s worth a try,” Clover said. “You’re lucky?” Fizzy said. “So am I. With the two of us there, we’ll have good fortune, I just know it!” “I’ll come too!” Patch said. “Maybe if Brightglow sees me, she’ll come over.” Wind Whistler wasn’t exactly comforted. She didn’t believe in luck. But it was the only plan they had, for now. “Cookies!” Bon Bon said, coming into the room. She had a tray full of chocolate chip cookies, and Wind Whistler noticed a smear of chocolate on her lip. The ponies all eagerly grabbed a cookie. Wind Whistler gratefully took one once the more eager ponies had already had theirs. The cookie was expertly crafted with a pleasant texture and balanced flavor. Shortly after that, Melody’s “Rockin’ Beats” friends arrived. They squealed and gaped in amazement at the magical appearance of the two unicorns and the pegasus. “I thought we were trying to avoid attracting too much attention,” Wind Whistler said. “Yeah, but this is different,” Melody said. “Since you’re staying in Ponyland, you might as well get the best of our culture. So we’re going to perform our hit single for you!” Her friends were bringing in equipment. Some of it was musical instruments that Wind Whistler recognized—drums, for example. Other pieces were completely foreign to her. Maybe more of this electricity. They set up their equipment, introduced themselves, and launched into their song. Indeed it was musical equipment, used to produce a sound and style that Wind Whistler had never heard before. Melody was the lead singer. Sweet music, ooh, sweet music That’s what I hear when you appear Sweet music, ooh, sweet music Life is in tune when you are near When you are gone The song just isn’t there But then I see your face again And music fills the air, fills the air! Sweet music, ooh, sweet music I love the sound when you’re around Sweet music, ooh, sweet music Beautiful harmonies abound I know our song will never die, yeah! We make sweet music, you and I You and I, yeah! We make sweet music, you and I! The ponies applauded, stomping on the wooden floor. Melody bowed, seeming fully pleased with herself. The ponies started getting situated for the night, with the four Dream Valley ponies sleeping in two guest rooms in the mansion. By Fizzy’s request, she was with Wind Whistler, leaving Shady and Gusty in the other room. The seven fillies all gathered together in another room with sleeping bags. “We can head to the cliffs tomorrow morning with Clover,” Patch said. “Very well,” Wind Whistler said. “If the pegasi don’t show up, I want to look more into the technology available in this world.” “Alright, we can take you to the library if they don’t show,” Patch said. “But I think they will. They have a knack for showing up at just the right time.” Chapter TwoGusty and her friends plus Patch and Clover walked from Lancer’s mansion to the cliff overlooking Ponyland. The path wound uphill through a thick forest. It was a chilly morning, and the wind made it colder when they reached the top. The trees thinned out, and they had a clear view of an impressive city dissected by wide, straight roads. Wind Whistler scanned the skies with diligent pink eyes. Gusty started grazing on the tall, stiff grass that grew up here. After a few minutes, there was still no sign of the pegasi. “Oh, maybe they’re not coming,” Clover said worriedly. “Don’t lose hope yet,” Gusty said. “Can you tell us a story from your world?” Patch said. “What’s it like there?” “You want a story, huh?” Gusty said, thinking. “You seem like the type of filly to relish a scary story, am I right?” Patch nodded eagerly. “Alright then, let me tell you about Grogar, his enchanted Bell, and Tambelon, the Realm of Darkness.” * * * “Then, North Star kicked the Bell,” Gusty said eagerly. Patch and Clover were enthralled. “It rang clear through the night, harbinging our freedom. Grogar’s power was broken! We rushed out of the blasted gate of his cursed fortress. I looked back and saw the whole city flicker away and vanish.” “Wait, what about North Star and Megan?” Clover said, full of worry. “What about them, indeed,” Gusty said. “For just a moment I thought that they had vanished with the city, forever trapped in the Realm of Tambelon. Then I saw the silhouette of North Star streaking through the black sky, Megan on her back. They had escaped just in time!” “Wow, that was incredible,” Patch said. “It was like a fairy tale.” “Did that really happen, or did you make it up?” Clover said. “Oh, it all happened, for sure,” Fizzy said. “I was there too, remember? I broke the prison wall with my bubbles.” “Yeah, that was the hardest part to believe of all,” Clover said. “We saw two unicorns and a pegasus walk out of a waterfall yesterday,” Patch said. “I’ll believe anything. Your Ponyland sounds like a magical place!” “Oh, it is,” Gusty said wistfully. “I wish more than anything that we could return… I miss Dream Valley! I miss the magic, the adventures, even the scary parts.” “I miss our friends,” Fizzy said. Just then, Wind Whistler called out, “I see something!” She ran off the cliff and jumped into the air. Gusty spotted a cloudy shape that seemed to glitter in the sunlight. It moved through the air at high speed, and it veered towards the cliff. “That’s them!” Patch said. There was a flash of light as the cloud came closer, and suddenly two shapes appeared. They were ponies that glittered and glowed as they hovered above the edge of the cliff. Their bodies were covered in marks beyond just their cutie marks, star and heart shapes. Gusty was instantly reminded of Star Catcher, the majestic pegasus from Butterfly Island. One of them was a red pegasus. The other, most strikingly, was a pink pony with both wings and a horn. “It’s good to see you again, Patch,” the red pegasus said. “Brightglow!” Patch said excitedly. “It’s good to finally meet you, Wind Whistler, Gusty, Shady, Fizzy,” the pony with wings and a horn said. “My name is Dazzleglow.” “How do you know us?” Wind Whistler said. “You’re trying to get home, yes?” Dazzleglow said. “I can take you there. But first I owe you an explanation, and I need your help if you’re willing.” “I’d like more information before agreeing to anything,” Wind Whistler said. “Yes, that’s only natural,” Dazzleglow said. “I think the four of you had better come with us back to our home,” Brightglow said. “We do have a good deal of things to explain, and we can offer you food and a place to stay.” “Wait, can I come, too?” Patch said. “Of course,” Brightglow said with a smile. “If she’s coming, don’t leave me out,” Clover said. “As you wish,” Brightglow said. “Do you all consent to being brought to our home?” Each of the ponies said, “Yes.” Dazzleglow’s horn lit up, and sparkles whirled all around Gusty’s body. She was lifted into the air. Her weight didn’t rest on her hooves or any particular part of her body, but she didn’t feel a discomfort in her stomach as though she had become weightless. Instead, it felt completely natural. All eight ponies turned in unison towards the rising sun on the horizon. They floated forwards as a group, rapidly picking up speed. Then, in a flash of light, the whole landscape changed. * * * Wind Whistler’s eyes took some time to adapt to the darkness. The sparkling magic set her down gently on ground that felt sandy. The air was chilly and dry. The other ponies clamored in amazement. They had clearly been teleported. As Wind Whistler’s eyes adjusted, it became clear that it wasn’t all that dark here. It was night, but the sky shone with countless stars, nebulas, and even distant galaxies that radiated with more light and color than any night sky that she had seen before. The landscape was as strange as the sky. The land was flat, although a sudden and prominent peak stood near them. At the top was a point of white light. The ground glittered in the starlight, and strange, lumpy shapes rose from the ground, about the height of a pony. Wind Whistler walked closer to one and inspected it. It was made of the same sparkly material as the ground—tiny, crystalline grains that reflected the starlight. “Salt!” Fizzy said, smacking her lips and raising her head. Of course she had licked the ground. “Welcome to our home, Mount Milky Way!” Brightglow said. She pointed to the conical peak. By now Wind Whistler’s eyes were better adjusted, and she noticed various paths, tunnels, and buildings all along the mountain’s slopes. In this lighting, it was clear that Brightglow and Dazzleglow were still shining. Their bodies seemed translucent, with glowing flecks inside. Brightglow led them towards a tunnel at the base of the mountain. Dazzleglow, the pony with wings and a horn, looked towards the others and said, “I ought to start explaining.” Her horn lit up, and a circular distortion appeared in the air. A rainbow of colors refracted it through it in jagged, swirling patterns. Wind Whistler stopped in place. “The portals,” she said. “This looks like the portal we first encountered.” “I created the portals,” Dazzleglow said. “I brought you here.” “This was all your fault?” Gusty said. “Why did you do it?” “It was hard to control at first,” Dazzleglow said. “I never meant for you to be whisked around to so many different places. I meant to bring you straight here. And, in fact, I never meant to get you four at all. Galaxy was the intended target of my magic.” “What do you want with her?” Gusty said, sounding ready for a fight. “I needed the help of as many magically gifted ponies as possible,” Dazzleglow said. “Our world doesn’t have much magic; we magical ponies are few in number. So I learned to look into other worlds and find ponies with the skills I needed. However, bringing them here was more difficult than I had guessed. Nevertheless, I am mastering this type of magic, and I am now confident that I can send you home. However, you four seem to have accrued quite a lot of knowledge about the magical theories behind interdimensional travel, so I would ask your help before you return to Dream Valley.” “What would be the nature of our task?” Wind Whistler said. “A wise pony named Starglow foresaw the destruction of our world by a terrible creature of calamity and chaos,” Dazzleglow said. “She said it is to come from nowhere, a vacuum between realms. I believe we can prevent its arrival by blocking its path to our world, leaving it stuck in its limbo space.” They reached the entrance of the tunnel. Its ornate gates were wide open. The tunnel was lit by glowing gems mounted on the walls. They seemed to refract and reflect some brilliant light source, as though they had been held in bright sunlight and frozen in that state. The air was warmer here. “I understand that I took you from your home without permission, so I know that I am in no position to ask for favors,” Dazzleglow said. “And, of course, whatever this creature is, I assume it is very dangerous, so I cannot promise your safety.” Wind Whistler turned to Fizzy, Gusty, and Shady. “Are we willing to offer our assistance?” she said. “Let’s buck this creature back to the void!” Gusty said. “It sounds awfully important,” Shady said. “Let’s do it!” Fizzy said. “I will request an estimate of the time frame,” Wind Whistler said. “We left our friends with no warning, and undoubtedly they are looking for us.” “I doubt it will take more than a day or two,” Dazzleglow said. “You’ll be impressed with the talent I’ve assembled. In fact, you’ll recognize several faces.” The tunnel came to an end at a door. The glowing ponies stopped there, apparently waiting. A few minutes later, the door opened by itself, leading into a large, cylindrical cavern that extended up for dozens of stories. The floor was made of a translucent, crystalline material. Through the floor they could see that the cavern extended beneath them as well. A glowing line ran vertically through the center of the cavern. Several other ponies were standing here as well. The line’s white light intensified, and the floor moved upwards. It stopped six stories later, and a set of doors opened. One pony left through the doors, and two more came in. It was some kind of lift, then, that led to the top of the mountain. The other ponies all glowed, as well, though some were earth ponies or unicorns. Dazzleglow was the only pony Wind Whistler spotted with wings and a horn. At a certain floor about halfway up, Brightglow turned to Patch and Clover. “You two might not want to stay for all the magical lingo,” she said. “Would you like to see the rest of our city?” They nodded eagerly, and the three of them left. The air grew colder as they ascended. By the time they reached the top floor, it was just Dazzleglow and the four Dream Valley ponies. The doors led to an open-air stairway that spiraled up the mountain. “Watch your step,” Dazzleglow said. Looking closer, it seemed the stairs were made of ice. They reached a flat, circular platform at the top of the mountain. The platform shined with a white light, a head-sized sphere that floated a pony’s height above the center of the platform. “The Fallen Star,” Dazzleglow said. “Its power shines throughout this land. It is because of this that we are different from the other ponies of this world. Here our magic will be strongest.” Several other ponies were here. Immediately Wind Whistler’s eyes were drawn to a familiar, dark pink unicorn with stars on her flank and gem eyes that twinkled in the light. “Galaxy!” Fizzy said. She ran forward and nuzzled her friend. “Fizzy,” Galaxy said happily. “Wind Whistler, Gusty, Shady. I’m so glad to see you.” “It’s really you?” Shady said. “Not some… other Galaxy?” “I’m the Galaxy you’ve always known from Dream Valley,” she said. “We sent search parties out after you disappeared. I was with Whizzer, Posey, and Ribbon. Dazzleglow already sent those three home.” Wind Whistler scanned the group of ponies. She recognized Star Catcher, the mystical pegasus from Butterfly Island. She also recognized Twilight Sparkle, the ruler of Equestria. Next to her was a purple unicorn who Wind Whistler didn’t know. There was also another glowing pony like Dazzleglow, a dark blue pegasus. “I’m so glad you four are alright,” Star Catcher said. “We were quite worried about you when you never returned to Butterfly Island.” “It’s good to see you again, Star Catcher,” Wind Whistler said. “Wind Whistler!” Twilight said, running up to her. “I’ve learned so much since we saw each other last. The multiverse is more intricate than I ever could have imagined. And this Fallen Star, Wind Whistler, it’s amazing!” Twilight had maintained an air of regality the last time Wind Whistler had seen her. But she was no longer in her own regime, Equestria, and now she glowed with passion for the study of magic. “Let me introduce you to Starlight Glimmer,” Twilight said, pointing to the purple unicorn. “She’s told me a lot about the four of you,” Starlight said. “Seriously, she can’t shut up about the ‘ponies from another dimension.’” “Starlight, we’re from another dimension here!” Twilight said. “How cool is that?!” Starlight just rolled her eyes. Dazzleglow introduced the new arrivals to the other glowing pony, named Starglow. “She doesn’t have the same magical capabilities as some of you, but she is blessed with supernatural wisdom and foresaw the impending doom that we must avert,” Dazzleglow said. Another glowing pony, a pink pegasus, came up to the platform. Behind her was an orange earth pony who looked at the Fallen Star with wonder-filled eyes. She introduced herself to the other ponies of the group as “Sunny Starscout.” It seemed she already knew Galaxy but none of the others. “Thank you for bringing her, Happyglow,” Dazzleglow said. “That’s all the ponies I was hoping to gather. You are the brightest minds in the multiverse, the best versed in magic, and the most powerful at wielding it. We must stop Starglow’s prophecy from coming true. Let us begin.” Chapter ThreeDazzleglow, Twilight, and Starlight combined their abilities to cast a spell that, with Starglow’s guidance, was able to find the creature they were looking for. They couldn’t see it directly, but they could feel its powerful presence in the otherwise empty space between universes. Meanwhile, Wind Whistler, Gusty, Galaxy, and Star Catcher devised a spell that could permanently trap the creature in the nothingness. With so many minds working on the task, they were able to formulate the spell fairly quickly. However, it was a complex spell that would be quite difficult to cast. As they finished annotating the spell, the horizon was lightening up. The sunrise had a full rainbow of colors, as though they were seeing it through a prism. The air instantly felt warmer as the first rays of light struck the top of the mountain. Curiously, it seemed the glowing ponies preferred to sleep during the day, and they all agreed it would be best to rest before attempting to cast this demanding spell. Brightglow returned to the top of the mountain and led the ponies back down through the tunnels that ran through the mountain. She showed them all to rooms, chambers with a door out the back that led to a glass—or maybe crystal?—patio overlooking the mountainside. Dazzleglow asked if they would be willing to double up on rooms to save space. They agreed, and once again Wind Whistler ended up in a room with Fizzy. There were two mattresses in the room. They closed the door to the patio, leaving the room in darkness. Tonight’s spell would be a dangerous risk. This might be Wind Whistler’s last chance. “Fizzy?” she said. “Yeah?” Fizzy said. Wind Whistler caught just a glint of her pink, crystalline eyes. Wind Whistler had liked Fizzy for as long as she could remember. Growing up, Wind Whistler had always felt like an outsider, excluded by the other fillies. Every filly except Fizzy. Fizzy was always friendly to Wind Whistler. It seemed she admired Wind Whistler’s intellect, and even though she was often confused by Wind Whistler’s verbose way of speaking, she always loved to have Wind Whistler around. Growing up, things had changed a bit. Wind Whistler was still an outsider to other ponies, and Fizzy was still her friend. But Wind Whistler’s fondness for Fizzy had only augmented. In her teenage years, she had started to notice just how pretty Fizzy was. Her teal coat went perfectly with her wild, fluffy mane of green, white, and two shades of pink. And her eyes, the way one facet would catch the sunlight and the others would refract, showing flashes of rainbow in a sea of pink… Wind Whistler could get lost in those eyes. Later, Wind Whistler had started to feel magnetically attracted to Fizzy’s effervescent personality. Her kindness, her fun-loving nature, even her airheaded tendencies. Wind Whistler loved to be around Fizzy, and she had caught her thoughts dwelling on Fizzy when she was nowhere around. But Fizzy was the same as ever: friendly to Wind Whistler. But she was friendly to everyone. Wind Whistler feared that if she confessed her romantic feelings to Fizzy and Fizzy didn’t reciprocate, she might lose her best friend. So she kept the status quo. And once again her fears were outweighing her desires. “Sleep well,” Wind Whistler said. “Don’t worry about tonight. I have a feeling everything will work out.” “Thanks, Wind Whistler,” Fizzy said. “Good night.” Wind Whistler held back a chuckle; it was actually morning. But she closed her eyes, trying to expel her doubts. If all went well, they would soon be home. * * * Wind Whistler stepped up onto the platform at the top of the mountain. The sun was setting, its myriad colors reflecting on the salt plain surrounding the mountain. She, Fizzy, Gusty, Shady, Galaxy, Dazzleglow, Starglow, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Star Catcher, and Sunny Starscout had all gathered to cast their spell and trap the creature in the void, preventing the prophesied destruction of this world. They decided that their strongest spell casters were Twilight, Starlight, Dazzleglow, and Sunny. Wind Whistler wondered how Sunny would cast spells without a horn, but in a flash of light she suddenly had ethereal, golden wings and a horn. The others were basically there to watch. While some of them had limited spellcasting abilities, they decided that too many minds focusing on the same spell would interfere more than help. The four spellcasters gathered around the Fallen Star. Their horns lit up, and a black circle appeared above the Fallen Star. The void. The four of them seemed to be under a lot of strain, and for a moment of the black circle shrunk. But they stabilized it, all of them sweating and panting. Glowing chains appeared, crisscrossing over the black circle over and over until it was completely covered. Then a giant magical lock appeared. A key locked it and dissipated in a puff of mist. “That should do it,” Twilight said. The twisted ball of chains started to shrink and disappear. A boom cracked through the air. A shockwave floored Wind Whistler. Her ears were ringing. She dizzily stood up. The black circle had appeared again, the chains nowhere to be seen. “Is everyone alright?” Wind Whistler said. An iridescent film appeared around her, and she was lifted into the air. It was one of Fizzy’s bubbles. “Fizzy, what are you doing?” Wind Whistler said. Most of the other ponies were floating in bubbles as well. The black circle had split into five circles, floating over Fizzy, Twilight, Starlight, Dazzleglow, and Sunny. From each circle, a series of white lines descended to the bodies of the five ponies like puppet strings. All five ponies—the only ones Fizzy hadn’t trapped in bubbles—spoke in unison. “Well, this place looks like fun,” they said. “Hmm, no, that’s the wrong vibe,” Twilight said. “All five speaking in unison is too…” Starlight said. “Orderly,” Dazzleglow finished. “But which voice is the most…” Sunny said. “Me!” Fizzy said cheerily. “Yes, that’s the one.” “Fizzy, put us down!” Gusty said. She reared her head back to pop the bubble with her horn. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Fizzy said, her head snapping towards Gusty. “Or she might boil your blood.” She spoke with her own voice and her own carefree inflection, but the words certainly weren’t hers. Fizzy’s horn lit up, and Gusty cried out in pain. “I get the point!” she shouted. Fizzy’s horn turned off. Fizzy laughed. “This unicorn has no idea how strong her magic really is!” Wind Whistler felt her face grow hot. Something was controlling Fizzy, and that made her furious. Even worse, it had made Fizzy hurt Gusty. Wind Whistler’s heart was filled with unfettered hate for whatever this creature was. No one hurt her friends like that. “The creature,” Starglow said. “It’s here.” “Well I’m not really here,” Fizzy said. “But I’m coming.” She smiled eerily. Wind Whistler tried to smash the bubble with her hooves and get out, but she couldn’t get any traction on it. Fizzy’s head jerked towards her in a puppet-like motion. “Ah, Wind Whistler,” she said fondly. “You’re everywhere in this mare’s head. Did you know she… Actually, let’s not spoil that one. No time for chit-chat. I have an eternity’s worth of chaos to rain down on this place!” Twilight, Starlight, Sunny, and Dazzleglow walked into a small group, the circles above them reforming into one. They all cast a spell at once, dark beams coming from their horns and feeding into the dark circle. Fizzy’s eyes gleamed as she stood watch over the ponies she had trapped in bubbles. “Dazzleglow, don’t do this!” Starglow said from one of the bubbles. Wind Whistler could hardly think. Her mind was consumed with rage. But she had to find a way out of this. For her friends, for this world, and most of all for Fizzy. She tried to cool down, letting a calculating, logical thought process take over. She put her anger aside, which also meant blocking out her fondness for Fizzy. No time to feel now. Her heart rate slowed, her thoughts became more focused. The logician had arrived. This thing had to have a weakness. It could control ponies like puppets, and in fact it seemed to have practically limitless power, considering the spell it broke through to get here. Its origins were completely unknown, it was toying with them like a cat with its prey, it promised to bring eternal chaos… Wait, she had read about a creature like this, in the Canterlot library. It sounded like Discord, a creature that terrorized Equestria before ultimately being befriended by Fluttershy, Twilight, and their friends. A plan began to form in her mind. It was a long shot, and even if it worked, she risked alienating her friends forever. But she had to try. For now, she needed to have a heart of stone. “Discord!” she called out. All five ponies’ heads turned towards her. “You know me?” Fizzy said. “Yes, and I know that you don’t want this world,” Wind Whistler said. “Well, you must be more of a distant cousin's acquaintance, because I very much do want this world,” Fizzy said. “Take a look around,” Wind Whistler said. “The only magic in this world is right here. Once you conquer this mountain, the rest will be too easy. You want more toys to play with.” “What are you doing, Wind Whistler?” Gusty said. “She’s trying to throw another world under the bus!” Fizzy said. “But that’s not going to work out for her so well.” Dazzleglow cast a spell, and a portal appeared. Unlike the other portals, there was no rainbow effect, and they could all see through it clearly. On the other end was Paradise Estates. Sweet Stuff was rolling in the grass nearby. “Great, look what you’ve done now!” Gusty said. “Hmm…” Fizzy said. “No, there’s so much chaos here already. They don’t need my help. Let’s see.” Dazzleglow changed the portal. Now it showed Butterfly Island. “Yuck…” The portal changed again, now showing a lighthouse with a rainbow beam coming out the top. “No…” The portal shifted a few more times, showing different worlds that Wind Whistler didn’t recognize. There was even one with pastel-colored humans. Dazzleglow changed the portal again, and Wind Whistler recognized Canterlot, nestled halfway up a mountain with a majestic waterfall cascading down from it. It was Twilight’s world, the first alternate universe Wind Whistler and her friends had visited. But the city seemed smaller than when they had visited it, and it lacked the prominent castle they had seen there. Perhaps this was in the past. “That’s the one,” Wind Whistler said. “Is it?” Fizzy said. “Yes,” Wind Whistler said. “There are countless sources of powerful magic in that world. And the ponies have managed to become quite prosperous there. It’s more fun to bring chaos to an orderly state, rather than to arrive at a place that is already in ruins.” “You really do know me, Wind Whistler,” Fizzy said happily. “That’s Twilight’s world, Wind Whistler!” Gusty said furiously. “You just sold out Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, and all the other ponies we met there.” Fizzy laughed. “Thank you, Wind Whistler!” she said. “I’ll be sure to mention your recommendation to them.” A serpentine creature leapt out of the black circle. Wind Whistler caught just a glimpse of it before it flew into the portal Dazzleglow had opened. The black circle disappeared, and the five ponies Discord had controlled fell limply to the ground. The bubbles sank to the stone floor and popped. “How could you be so heartless, Wind Whistler?” Gusty demanded, red showing in her white face. “You just doomed that world!” “I did what I had to do,” Wind Whistler said weakly. She let the steely grip on her heart go. Twilight was standing up, looking shaky. Wind Whistler rushed to her and bowed. “I’m sorry, Princess!” Wind Whistler said. “I’ve unleashed Discord on your world.” “Y-you what?” Twilight said. “I led him to your world,” Wind Whistler said. “I calculated that yours was the one place where he would eventually be reformed. But I fear he’ll reign in an epoch of havoc first, or at least that’s what your history books say.” “The creature was Discord?” Twilight said. “Yes,” Wind Whistler said. Tears streamed down her face as all the emotions caught up to her. “All the suffering he causes in your world is my responsibility.” “It’s his own responsibility,” Twilight said sharply. “You did the right thing.” Fizzy stood up nearby. “Fizzy!” Wind Whistler cried. She nuzzled her friend fondly. “Wind Whistler, are you crying?” Fizzy said. “You’re alright,” Wind Whistler said, relieved. Chapter FourEveryone had many thanks to offer to Wind Whistler after she sent Discord off to Equestria. “What you did was very brave,” Star Catcher said. “I’m glad somepony finally managed to manipulate Discord the way you did,” Starlight said. “I’m just sorry it wasn’t me.” “Your quick thinking saved us again, Wind Whistler,” Galaxy said. Shady, Starglow, Dazzleglow, and Sunny added their thanks. Clover and Patch came to say goodbye to them. Gusty approached Wind Whistler last of all, her head down. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” she said. “You’ve proven your loyalty to us time and again. You have a beautiful heart, Wind Whistler.” “I forgive you,” Wind Whistler said. “And thank you.” Dazzleglow opened a portal for them. They couldn’t see through its rainbow colors, but she said it would take them home. “I wish this adventure didn’t have to end,” Fizzy said. “There’ll be plenty of adventures waiting for us at home,” Gusty said. “I’m so happy to be going home,” Shady said. “You’ll have to fill me in on everything,” Galaxy said. Wind Whistler pictured the rest of the friends—Paradise, Ribbon, Posey, Whizzer, Truly, Buttons, Lickety Split, Surprise, Sweet Stuff, and so many others. She hoped desperately that this time these portals finally worked right. “If ever you need me, I am indebted to you,” Dazzleglow said. “Just call my name, and I’ll come.” “Thank you,” Wind Whistler said. “Together.” She, Fizzy, Gusty, Shady, and Galaxy all stepped through the portal in unison. * * * The air was warm, and the sun shone in Shady’s eyes. She heard birdsong, and a gentle breeze ran past her ears. They were in a green field, and a pink building rose in front of them. It was Paradise Estate. A pony gasped. “Darlings, you’re back!” It was Heart Throb. “Everyone, the missing ponies are back!” Ponies started piling out of the estate, shouting excitedly. Pony after pony offered Shady tender greetings—Gingerbread, Sweet Stuff, Masquerade, Ribbon, Lickety Split… “You’ll have to tell me everything that happened,” Paradise said, green eyes gleaming. She loved a good story. “But rest first. Welcome home.” The ponies started filtering back into the estate, including Gusty, Wind Whistler, Fizzy, and Galaxy. But Shady lingered outside. She laid down in the soft, sweet grass, still laced with dew. The anxiety of their nerve-racking adventure drifted away as her muscles relaxed. She breathed in deeply, catching the scent of grass and moist soil. She was home. * * * Wind Whistler sat under a cottonwood tree, watching a stream run by. A day had passed since their return to Paradise Estate. But she still had a lot to think about. She couldn’t know for certain that she had done the right thing with Discord. What if that was some other version of Discord, like how they had met multiple Pinkie Pies? Or what if things didn’t turn out as expected, if Discord wasn’t reformed, if Twilight and her friends couldn’t stop him? Even if everything worked out as it had in the history books, the ponies of Equestria would suffer under his reign of chaos. That suffering was Wind Whistler’s burden. She heard hoofsteps in the fallen leaves behind her. She turned her head. It was Fizzy. “Hi, Wind Whistler,” she said. “Hello, Fizzy,” Wind Whistler said. An image flashed through her mind of Fizzy being jerked about by puppet strings, using her magic to hurt Gusty. Wind Whistler turned back to the stream. “Whatcha doing?” “Just thinking.” “Hey, um…” Fizzy started, then paused. “Can I think with you?” “Technically, an impossibility, unless you found a way to switch your bubble magic with Ribbon’s telepathy,” Wind Whistler said. “But there’s no reason you can’t sit with me.” “Okay,” Fizzy said, sitting next to Wind Whistler, facing the stream. Discord’s terrible display of power was a reminder how fragile their lives were. Just because they were home didn’t mean they were totally safe; dangerous and powerful beings roamed all over Ponyland. Wind Whistler had narrowly escaped with her life in some of their encounters. Any adventure could be their last. She had put this off for years. But Fizzy was here, with her, now. There was no time like the present. “Fizzy, I have a confession to make,” Wind Whistler said. She turned to face Fizzy and forced herself to make eye contact. Eye contact had always been hard for Wind Whistler, but especially with Fizzy’s enchanting eyes. “For many years now, we’ve been together,” Wind Whistler said awkwardly. “And, what I’m trying to say is… Well, you and I…” Her heart rate had jumped, her knees were shaking, and she was sweating. She wanted to take to the sky and bolt away, as though she were in peril. But she forced out the words. “My fondness for you extends beyond platonic attraction, I think we complement each other, and logic suggests we would be quite successful together in a committed relationship.” Wind Whistler watched Fizzy’s reaction nervously. Fizzy blinked and cocked her head. “What?” she said. Wind Whistler quivered. Maybe it wasn’t too late to give up? But she forced herself to try again. “Fizzy, I’m asking you if you want to be my marefriend,” she said weakly. Fizzy’s eyes sparked with a pink light and she gasped. “Really?” she said excitedly. “I’ve been wanting to ask you the same thing for years!” Wind Whistler gaped at her in disbelief. “But I was afraid I’m too dumb for a pony like you.” “Fizzy, you’re perfect!” Wind Whistler said. Fizzy leaned forward and kissed Wind Whistler's lips. At that moment, it was statistically likely that Wind Whistler was the happiest pony in the multiverse. Author's Note Yay, they're home! And WhistlePop is finally a thing! Thank you for sticking with me through this protracted journey.
Chapter OneShady waded to the shore and shook herself off. After the tropical weather of Butterfly Island, this place felt cold, especially since she was wet. She, Gusty, Wind Whistler, and Fizzy stood at the shore, unsure how to proceed. “I don’t understand,” Wind Whistler said. “We know that the Rainbow Waterfall could act as a two-way portal. We know that Rarity’s wand can influence the Rainbow Waterfall, otherwise we would be near the outskirts of Ponyville. In theory we should be able to walk back through to Butterfly Island. What did we miss?” The seven fillies had gathered on the other shore. They were talking about Shady and her friends, and Shady couldn’t help but overhear. “They didn’t know where they were,” the white filly said. “They’re not from around here. We have to show them the way back to Ponyland.” “I don’t know, Sweetheart,” the pink one with yellow hair said. “They’re strangers, aren’t they? Are you sure we should trust them?” Shady turned back to her friends. “There’s more going on here than a miscalculation,” Wind Whistler said. “We still don’t know what caused the first portal that led us to Equestria. We have evidence that at least two more portals formed, one that delivered an aggressive flying creature to Butterfly Island, and another that led Ribbon, Posey, Galaxy, and Whizzer to wherever they were when Ribbon contacted me telepathically. And this isn’t the first time that a portal has behaved in an unexpected way. The portal formed by Twilight Sparkle went out of control and took us to another Ponyville instead of Dream Valley like it was supposed to.” “It seems like something bigger is going on,” Gusty said. “And whatever it is, it’s like the portals are trying to keep us from going home…” She sounded despondent. “Whatever’s going on, Wind Whistler will figure it out!” Fizzy said, bright as ever. “She always does!” Shady, for her part, was just trying to keep from panicking. They would have to start over again with trying to find a source of magic strong enough to transport them home. And even if they found one, the last two times they had gone to yet another world rather than their own. What could they possibly do differently this time? And anyway, none of that mattered as long as they were lost in this forest. While Wind Whistler and Gusty reviewed the magical theory they had used with the Rainbow Waterfall, Shady jumped back into the water to check the portal one more time. But no luck; it was just a wall of rock behind the waterfall. “Excuse me,” one of the seven fillies said, the pink one with yellow hair. She had crossed the stream to stand closer to the four adult ponies. They ended their conversation and looked at her. “We’ve decided to show you the way back to Ponyland, if you need our help.” “Yes, please,” Fizzy said. “Thank you!” “Sweetheart also pointed out that you are probably quite far from home,” the pink pony said. “If you need somewhere to stay for the night, we have a friend who might be able to help.” “I’m sure Lancer will say yes,” the cyan pony called from across the bank. “And his house is huge. You’ll have plenty of room.” Shady looked at the others and quietly said, “Should we go with them?” “We have no other options besides an astral ceiling,” Wind Whistler said. “We’ll gladly accept your offer, with gratitude.” The seven fillies and the four Dream Valley ponies introduced themselves as the fillies put together a few belongings and headed out. The pink filly with yellow hair was Starlight. She looked to be the oldest and seemed to be the leader among them. However, a peach pony named Patch led the group down the trail. She was very quiet, and she kept staring at Wind Whistler in particular. Something was odd about her, but Shady couldn’t figure out what. The trail was narrow enough that the ponies traveled in a line two or sometimes only one pony wide. Shady ended up in the middle of the line with Wind Whistler and the cyan filly, Bright Eyes, in front of her. Bright Eyes prodded Wind Whistler with eager questions about their world. Judging by her ability to understand Wind Whistler’s verbose answers, she was an intelligent filly. However, it was almost immediately clear to Shady that Bright Eyes had never seen any kind of magic before. That made her worried, since they would certainly need magic to get home. She decided to deliberately tune that conversation out, as it was making her nervous. Behind Shady were Fizzy and two fillies, the dark pink one named Melody and the chubby yellow one named Bon Bon. “Oh, this is amazing!” Melody said with a squeal. “We’re hiking through the forest with magical ponies! Um, you are magical, right?” “Sure thing!” Fizzy said. Shady heard the whir of Fizzy’s horn, and bubbles spouted out, briefly filling the forest before they all popped on various branches and leaves. “That’s definitely going in my diary,” Bon Bon said. “Say, where did you get that necklace from?” Melody said. “It’s dazzling!” “A pony named Rainbow Dash gave it to me,” Fizzy said between bites of a muffin that Bon Bon had shared from her bulging saddlebag. “She bought it in Unicornia.” “The carnation pink matches your tail bow and complements your coat, and the crystalline appearance of the rose quartz emphasizes your eyes,” Bon Bon said excitedly. “Uh, I mean, pretty necklace…” “We all know you’re into fashion, Bons,” Melody said. “There’s no sense in trying to hide it anymore.” Gusty had stopped on the side of the trail. She appeared to be drinking from a pool. But she didn’t dash to take her spot alongside Patch at the front. She had been quiet since their failed attempt to go from Butterfly Island to Dream Valley. Shady decided to check and see how she was doing. They were all under a lot of stress, after all. She slowed down, gesturing for Melody, Fizzy, and Bon Bon to pass her. Behind them were Clover, the lavender filly, and Sweetheart, the soft-spoken white pony who had insisted that the seven fillies needed to help Shady’s group. Sweetheart looked like she was the youngest of them. Gusty had taken her place all the way at the back of the group. As Shady tried to let Clover and Sweetheart pass, Clover tripped and landed on her face. “I’m sorry, did I get in your way?” Shady said. She offered a hoof to help Clover up, which Clover accepted. “No, it wasn’t your fault,” Clover said. “Luckily, I didn’t hurt myself.” She brushed off some dirt and continued. Shady matched Gusty’s lethargic pace, walking alongside her. “Are you alright?” she said. “I thought you’d stay in the front.” “I’m fine, Shady,” Gusty said curtly. “I’m worried,” Shady said. Gusty snorted and kept walking. Shady walked alongside her in silence. Apart from their noisy group of eleven ponies, this forest was a peaceful place. She kept spotting green-winged birds that sang beautiful melodies. Little yellow flowers sprang up amongst the dull shades of leaf litter like jewels. The fragrance of leaves and moist soil wafted up from the ground. Several minutes later, Gusty said, “I’m worried too, Shady.” “It’d be strange if you weren’t,” Shady said. “Did you hear Bright Eyes talking with Wind Whistler? She had never seen magic before. Any kind of magic, Shady. They have nothing here. How are we going to get home now?” “I don’t know.” “And it’s all my fault…” Gusty sighed, head down. “Huh?” “You remember,” Gusty said. “When that first portal appeared, I ran right through it, full of bravado. Wind Whistler said it was a bad idea. We should have tried to study it, think it through, and tell the others. But you three had to run after me because I was so headstrong.” “Oh, I didn’t think about that,” Shady said. It seemed like it was so long ago, although it had only been a few days. “But Gusty, you shouldn’t blame yourself. You didn’t know that the portal was one-way. And anyway, you’ve done so much to help us stay safe and get back home since then. You helped me be brave in the Everfree Forest, and you’ve gotten so good at magical theory. We never would have figured out how to use the unicorn princess’s wand without you.” “None of that would have been needed if I just hadn’t ran through that portal in the first place,” Gusty said. “It’s not your fault, Gusty,” Shady said. “You’re being illogical. If you could look at your actions from an unbiased viewpoint, you would see your own merit.” Gusty blinked and looked at Shady. “What?” “It’s something that Wind Whistler said to me,” Shady said. “It makes no sense,” Gusty said. “But I appreciate the thought. When did you become so positive?” “You’ve always been an inspiration to me, Gusty,” Shady said. “That’s nothing new. You’re heroic, talented, and clever.” Gusty’s cheeks flushed, the color popping out against her white coat. “Thanks, Shady,” she said. * * * The seven fillies took Wind Whistler and her friends to a large mansion. It was at the edge of town, and the fillies seemed to be watching for and trying to avoid any crowds. These ponies had really never seen a single pegasus or unicorn before, so there was no telling how they would react. True to Bright Eyes’ prediction, she was able to persuade her friend Lancer and his parents to let them stay there for the night. However, Wind Whistler couldn’t help but worry about the next night, and the night after that. If there was truly no magic here, they might be stuck here forever. However, as the sun was setting, glowing orbs lit up in the house. Wind Whistler turned to Bright Eyes and said, “If there’s no magic here, then what do you call that?” “That’s not magic,” Bright Eyes said. “It’s just electricity.” “And could we somehow use electricity to get us back to our own world?” Wind Whistler said. “I don’t think so,” Bright Eyes said. “I’ve never read of anything like that.” The ponies had gathered in the spacious ballroom. Bon Bon had gone to the kitchen to bake cookies, and Melody had left saying something about gathering the “Rockin’ Beats” to perform a song. It seemed the seven fillies were happy to stay the night at Lancer’s house, as well. “So, you’re trapped here?” Patch said. She had been quietly watching Wind Whistler ever since they met. “Yes,” Wind Whistler said. “We came here by accident.” “But last time you were… Do you know a pony named Brightglow?” Patch said. Her friends all turned to look at her, confused. “Who?” Starlight said. “No, I don’t,” Wind Whistler said. “Oh, then you’re not here for me,” Patch said. “What are you talking about?” Starlight said. All her friends seemed bewildered. “I’ve seen ponies like you before,” Patch said. “Flying, magical ponies. They rescued Bon Bon and me when we took a ride in a hot air balloon and we were going to crash in the sea. But she wasn’t looking, and she didn’t believe me when I told her what happened. One of them, named Brightglow, said we might see each other again.” “So there is magic in this world!” Gusty said, hopeful. “Yes,” Patch said. “I don’t know if they could get you back to your own world, but they certainly have magic.” “How can we meet these ponies?” Wind Whistler said. “That might be hard,” Patch said. “They rarely fly over Ponyland. They’ll show up on radar as a UFO, and you might even see them as a sparkling streak in the sky. You could try to fly after them if they appear.” “Wait, they were the UFO?” Bright Eyes said. “Yes,” Patch said. “They’ve passed by the cliff overlooking Ponyland more than anywhere else. But they’ve only come here a few times. You’d have to be incredibly lucky to just happen to be there when they show up.” Suddenly all six of the other fillies turned to look at Clover. “Wait, why are you all looking at me?” she said. “Your uncanny luck never fails,” Starlight said. “If you go with the four of them and wait at the top of the cliff, I bet the flying ponies will show up.” “I suppose it’s worth a try,” Clover said. “You’re lucky?” Fizzy said. “So am I. With the two of us there, we’ll have good fortune, I just know it!” “I’ll come too!” Patch said. “Maybe if Brightglow sees me, she’ll come over.” Wind Whistler wasn’t exactly comforted. She didn’t believe in luck. But it was the only plan they had, for now. “Cookies!” Bon Bon said, coming into the room. She had a tray full of chocolate chip cookies, and Wind Whistler noticed a smear of chocolate on her lip. The ponies all eagerly grabbed a cookie. Wind Whistler gratefully took one once the more eager ponies had already had theirs. The cookie was expertly crafted with a pleasant texture and balanced flavor. Shortly after that, Melody’s “Rockin’ Beats” friends arrived. They squealed and gaped in amazement at the magical appearance of the two unicorns and the pegasus. “I thought we were trying to avoid attracting too much attention,” Wind Whistler said. “Yeah, but this is different,” Melody said. “Since you’re staying in Ponyland, you might as well get the best of our culture. So we’re going to perform our hit single for you!” Her friends were bringing in equipment. Some of it was musical instruments that Wind Whistler recognized—drums, for example. Other pieces were completely foreign to her. Maybe more of this electricity. They set up their equipment, introduced themselves, and launched into their song. Indeed it was musical equipment, used to produce a sound and style that Wind Whistler had never heard before. Melody was the lead singer. Sweet music, ooh, sweet music That’s what I hear when you appear Sweet music, ooh, sweet music Life is in tune when you are near When you are gone The song just isn’t there But then I see your face again And music fills the air, fills the air! Sweet music, ooh, sweet music I love the sound when you’re around Sweet music, ooh, sweet music Beautiful harmonies abound I know our song will never die, yeah! We make sweet music, you and I You and I, yeah! We make sweet music, you and I! The ponies applauded, stomping on the wooden floor. Melody bowed, seeming fully pleased with herself. The ponies started getting situated for the night, with the four Dream Valley ponies sleeping in two guest rooms in the mansion. By Fizzy’s request, she was with Wind Whistler, leaving Shady and Gusty in the other room. The seven fillies all gathered together in another room with sleeping bags. “We can head to the cliffs tomorrow morning with Clover,” Patch said. “Very well,” Wind Whistler said. “If the pegasi don’t show up, I want to look more into the technology available in this world.” “Alright, we can take you to the library if they don’t show,” Patch said. “But I think they will. They have a knack for showing up at just the right time.”
Chapter TwoGusty and her friends plus Patch and Clover walked from Lancer’s mansion to the cliff overlooking Ponyland. The path wound uphill through a thick forest. It was a chilly morning, and the wind made it colder when they reached the top. The trees thinned out, and they had a clear view of an impressive city dissected by wide, straight roads. Wind Whistler scanned the skies with diligent pink eyes. Gusty started grazing on the tall, stiff grass that grew up here. After a few minutes, there was still no sign of the pegasi. “Oh, maybe they’re not coming,” Clover said worriedly. “Don’t lose hope yet,” Gusty said. “Can you tell us a story from your world?” Patch said. “What’s it like there?” “You want a story, huh?” Gusty said, thinking. “You seem like the type of filly to relish a scary story, am I right?” Patch nodded eagerly. “Alright then, let me tell you about Grogar, his enchanted Bell, and Tambelon, the Realm of Darkness.” * * * “Then, North Star kicked the Bell,” Gusty said eagerly. Patch and Clover were enthralled. “It rang clear through the night, harbinging our freedom. Grogar’s power was broken! We rushed out of the blasted gate of his cursed fortress. I looked back and saw the whole city flicker away and vanish.” “Wait, what about North Star and Megan?” Clover said, full of worry. “What about them, indeed,” Gusty said. “For just a moment I thought that they had vanished with the city, forever trapped in the Realm of Tambelon. Then I saw the silhouette of North Star streaking through the black sky, Megan on her back. They had escaped just in time!” “Wow, that was incredible,” Patch said. “It was like a fairy tale.” “Did that really happen, or did you make it up?” Clover said. “Oh, it all happened, for sure,” Fizzy said. “I was there too, remember? I broke the prison wall with my bubbles.” “Yeah, that was the hardest part to believe of all,” Clover said. “We saw two unicorns and a pegasus walk out of a waterfall yesterday,” Patch said. “I’ll believe anything. Your Ponyland sounds like a magical place!” “Oh, it is,” Gusty said wistfully. “I wish more than anything that we could return… I miss Dream Valley! I miss the magic, the adventures, even the scary parts.” “I miss our friends,” Fizzy said. Just then, Wind Whistler called out, “I see something!” She ran off the cliff and jumped into the air. Gusty spotted a cloudy shape that seemed to glitter in the sunlight. It moved through the air at high speed, and it veered towards the cliff. “That’s them!” Patch said. There was a flash of light as the cloud came closer, and suddenly two shapes appeared. They were ponies that glittered and glowed as they hovered above the edge of the cliff. Their bodies were covered in marks beyond just their cutie marks, star and heart shapes. Gusty was instantly reminded of Star Catcher, the majestic pegasus from Butterfly Island. One of them was a red pegasus. The other, most strikingly, was a pink pony with both wings and a horn. “It’s good to see you again, Patch,” the red pegasus said. “Brightglow!” Patch said excitedly. “It’s good to finally meet you, Wind Whistler, Gusty, Shady, Fizzy,” the pony with wings and a horn said. “My name is Dazzleglow.” “How do you know us?” Wind Whistler said. “You’re trying to get home, yes?” Dazzleglow said. “I can take you there. But first I owe you an explanation, and I need your help if you’re willing.” “I’d like more information before agreeing to anything,” Wind Whistler said. “Yes, that’s only natural,” Dazzleglow said. “I think the four of you had better come with us back to our home,” Brightglow said. “We do have a good deal of things to explain, and we can offer you food and a place to stay.” “Wait, can I come, too?” Patch said. “Of course,” Brightglow said with a smile. “If she’s coming, don’t leave me out,” Clover said. “As you wish,” Brightglow said. “Do you all consent to being brought to our home?” Each of the ponies said, “Yes.” Dazzleglow’s horn lit up, and sparkles whirled all around Gusty’s body. She was lifted into the air. Her weight didn’t rest on her hooves or any particular part of her body, but she didn’t feel a discomfort in her stomach as though she had become weightless. Instead, it felt completely natural. All eight ponies turned in unison towards the rising sun on the horizon. They floated forwards as a group, rapidly picking up speed. Then, in a flash of light, the whole landscape changed. * * * Wind Whistler’s eyes took some time to adapt to the darkness. The sparkling magic set her down gently on ground that felt sandy. The air was chilly and dry. The other ponies clamored in amazement. They had clearly been teleported. As Wind Whistler’s eyes adjusted, it became clear that it wasn’t all that dark here. It was night, but the sky shone with countless stars, nebulas, and even distant galaxies that radiated with more light and color than any night sky that she had seen before. The landscape was as strange as the sky. The land was flat, although a sudden and prominent peak stood near them. At the top was a point of white light. The ground glittered in the starlight, and strange, lumpy shapes rose from the ground, about the height of a pony. Wind Whistler walked closer to one and inspected it. It was made of the same sparkly material as the ground—tiny, crystalline grains that reflected the starlight. “Salt!” Fizzy said, smacking her lips and raising her head. Of course she had licked the ground. “Welcome to our home, Mount Milky Way!” Brightglow said. She pointed to the conical peak. By now Wind Whistler’s eyes were better adjusted, and she noticed various paths, tunnels, and buildings all along the mountain’s slopes. In this lighting, it was clear that Brightglow and Dazzleglow were still shining. Their bodies seemed translucent, with glowing flecks inside. Brightglow led them towards a tunnel at the base of the mountain. Dazzleglow, the pony with wings and a horn, looked towards the others and said, “I ought to start explaining.” Her horn lit up, and a circular distortion appeared in the air. A rainbow of colors refracted it through it in jagged, swirling patterns. Wind Whistler stopped in place. “The portals,” she said. “This looks like the portal we first encountered.” “I created the portals,” Dazzleglow said. “I brought you here.” “This was all your fault?” Gusty said. “Why did you do it?” “It was hard to control at first,” Dazzleglow said. “I never meant for you to be whisked around to so many different places. I meant to bring you straight here. And, in fact, I never meant to get you four at all. Galaxy was the intended target of my magic.” “What do you want with her?” Gusty said, sounding ready for a fight. “I needed the help of as many magically gifted ponies as possible,” Dazzleglow said. “Our world doesn’t have much magic; we magical ponies are few in number. So I learned to look into other worlds and find ponies with the skills I needed. However, bringing them here was more difficult than I had guessed. Nevertheless, I am mastering this type of magic, and I am now confident that I can send you home. However, you four seem to have accrued quite a lot of knowledge about the magical theories behind interdimensional travel, so I would ask your help before you return to Dream Valley.” “What would be the nature of our task?” Wind Whistler said. “A wise pony named Starglow foresaw the destruction of our world by a terrible creature of calamity and chaos,” Dazzleglow said. “She said it is to come from nowhere, a vacuum between realms. I believe we can prevent its arrival by blocking its path to our world, leaving it stuck in its limbo space.” They reached the entrance of the tunnel. Its ornate gates were wide open. The tunnel was lit by glowing gems mounted on the walls. They seemed to refract and reflect some brilliant light source, as though they had been held in bright sunlight and frozen in that state. The air was warmer here. “I understand that I took you from your home without permission, so I know that I am in no position to ask for favors,” Dazzleglow said. “And, of course, whatever this creature is, I assume it is very dangerous, so I cannot promise your safety.” Wind Whistler turned to Fizzy, Gusty, and Shady. “Are we willing to offer our assistance?” she said. “Let’s buck this creature back to the void!” Gusty said. “It sounds awfully important,” Shady said. “Let’s do it!” Fizzy said. “I will request an estimate of the time frame,” Wind Whistler said. “We left our friends with no warning, and undoubtedly they are looking for us.” “I doubt it will take more than a day or two,” Dazzleglow said. “You’ll be impressed with the talent I’ve assembled. In fact, you’ll recognize several faces.” The tunnel came to an end at a door. The glowing ponies stopped there, apparently waiting. A few minutes later, the door opened by itself, leading into a large, cylindrical cavern that extended up for dozens of stories. The floor was made of a translucent, crystalline material. Through the floor they could see that the cavern extended beneath them as well. A glowing line ran vertically through the center of the cavern. Several other ponies were standing here as well. The line’s white light intensified, and the floor moved upwards. It stopped six stories later, and a set of doors opened. One pony left through the doors, and two more came in. It was some kind of lift, then, that led to the top of the mountain. The other ponies all glowed, as well, though some were earth ponies or unicorns. Dazzleglow was the only pony Wind Whistler spotted with wings and a horn. At a certain floor about halfway up, Brightglow turned to Patch and Clover. “You two might not want to stay for all the magical lingo,” she said. “Would you like to see the rest of our city?” They nodded eagerly, and the three of them left. The air grew colder as they ascended. By the time they reached the top floor, it was just Dazzleglow and the four Dream Valley ponies. The doors led to an open-air stairway that spiraled up the mountain. “Watch your step,” Dazzleglow said. Looking closer, it seemed the stairs were made of ice. They reached a flat, circular platform at the top of the mountain. The platform shined with a white light, a head-sized sphere that floated a pony’s height above the center of the platform. “The Fallen Star,” Dazzleglow said. “Its power shines throughout this land. It is because of this that we are different from the other ponies of this world. Here our magic will be strongest.” Several other ponies were here. Immediately Wind Whistler’s eyes were drawn to a familiar, dark pink unicorn with stars on her flank and gem eyes that twinkled in the light. “Galaxy!” Fizzy said. She ran forward and nuzzled her friend. “Fizzy,” Galaxy said happily. “Wind Whistler, Gusty, Shady. I’m so glad to see you.” “It’s really you?” Shady said. “Not some… other Galaxy?” “I’m the Galaxy you’ve always known from Dream Valley,” she said. “We sent search parties out after you disappeared. I was with Whizzer, Posey, and Ribbon. Dazzleglow already sent those three home.” Wind Whistler scanned the group of ponies. She recognized Star Catcher, the mystical pegasus from Butterfly Island. She also recognized Twilight Sparkle, the ruler of Equestria. Next to her was a purple unicorn who Wind Whistler didn’t know. There was also another glowing pony like Dazzleglow, a dark blue pegasus. “I’m so glad you four are alright,” Star Catcher said. “We were quite worried about you when you never returned to Butterfly Island.” “It’s good to see you again, Star Catcher,” Wind Whistler said. “Wind Whistler!” Twilight said, running up to her. “I’ve learned so much since we saw each other last. The multiverse is more intricate than I ever could have imagined. And this Fallen Star, Wind Whistler, it’s amazing!” Twilight had maintained an air of regality the last time Wind Whistler had seen her. But she was no longer in her own regime, Equestria, and now she glowed with passion for the study of magic. “Let me introduce you to Starlight Glimmer,” Twilight said, pointing to the purple unicorn. “She’s told me a lot about the four of you,” Starlight said. “Seriously, she can’t shut up about the ‘ponies from another dimension.’” “Starlight, we’re from another dimension here!” Twilight said. “How cool is that?!” Starlight just rolled her eyes. Dazzleglow introduced the new arrivals to the other glowing pony, named Starglow. “She doesn’t have the same magical capabilities as some of you, but she is blessed with supernatural wisdom and foresaw the impending doom that we must avert,” Dazzleglow said. Another glowing pony, a pink pegasus, came up to the platform. Behind her was an orange earth pony who looked at the Fallen Star with wonder-filled eyes. She introduced herself to the other ponies of the group as “Sunny Starscout.” It seemed she already knew Galaxy but none of the others. “Thank you for bringing her, Happyglow,” Dazzleglow said. “That’s all the ponies I was hoping to gather. You are the brightest minds in the multiverse, the best versed in magic, and the most powerful at wielding it. We must stop Starglow’s prophecy from coming true. Let us begin.”
Chapter ThreeDazzleglow, Twilight, and Starlight combined their abilities to cast a spell that, with Starglow’s guidance, was able to find the creature they were looking for. They couldn’t see it directly, but they could feel its powerful presence in the otherwise empty space between universes. Meanwhile, Wind Whistler, Gusty, Galaxy, and Star Catcher devised a spell that could permanently trap the creature in the nothingness. With so many minds working on the task, they were able to formulate the spell fairly quickly. However, it was a complex spell that would be quite difficult to cast. As they finished annotating the spell, the horizon was lightening up. The sunrise had a full rainbow of colors, as though they were seeing it through a prism. The air instantly felt warmer as the first rays of light struck the top of the mountain. Curiously, it seemed the glowing ponies preferred to sleep during the day, and they all agreed it would be best to rest before attempting to cast this demanding spell. Brightglow returned to the top of the mountain and led the ponies back down through the tunnels that ran through the mountain. She showed them all to rooms, chambers with a door out the back that led to a glass—or maybe crystal?—patio overlooking the mountainside. Dazzleglow asked if they would be willing to double up on rooms to save space. They agreed, and once again Wind Whistler ended up in a room with Fizzy. There were two mattresses in the room. They closed the door to the patio, leaving the room in darkness. Tonight’s spell would be a dangerous risk. This might be Wind Whistler’s last chance. “Fizzy?” she said. “Yeah?” Fizzy said. Wind Whistler caught just a glint of her pink, crystalline eyes. Wind Whistler had liked Fizzy for as long as she could remember. Growing up, Wind Whistler had always felt like an outsider, excluded by the other fillies. Every filly except Fizzy. Fizzy was always friendly to Wind Whistler. It seemed she admired Wind Whistler’s intellect, and even though she was often confused by Wind Whistler’s verbose way of speaking, she always loved to have Wind Whistler around. Growing up, things had changed a bit. Wind Whistler was still an outsider to other ponies, and Fizzy was still her friend. But Wind Whistler’s fondness for Fizzy had only augmented. In her teenage years, she had started to notice just how pretty Fizzy was. Her teal coat went perfectly with her wild, fluffy mane of green, white, and two shades of pink. And her eyes, the way one facet would catch the sunlight and the others would refract, showing flashes of rainbow in a sea of pink… Wind Whistler could get lost in those eyes. Later, Wind Whistler had started to feel magnetically attracted to Fizzy’s effervescent personality. Her kindness, her fun-loving nature, even her airheaded tendencies. Wind Whistler loved to be around Fizzy, and she had caught her thoughts dwelling on Fizzy when she was nowhere around. But Fizzy was the same as ever: friendly to Wind Whistler. But she was friendly to everyone. Wind Whistler feared that if she confessed her romantic feelings to Fizzy and Fizzy didn’t reciprocate, she might lose her best friend. So she kept the status quo. And once again her fears were outweighing her desires. “Sleep well,” Wind Whistler said. “Don’t worry about tonight. I have a feeling everything will work out.” “Thanks, Wind Whistler,” Fizzy said. “Good night.” Wind Whistler held back a chuckle; it was actually morning. But she closed her eyes, trying to expel her doubts. If all went well, they would soon be home. * * * Wind Whistler stepped up onto the platform at the top of the mountain. The sun was setting, its myriad colors reflecting on the salt plain surrounding the mountain. She, Fizzy, Gusty, Shady, Galaxy, Dazzleglow, Starglow, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Star Catcher, and Sunny Starscout had all gathered to cast their spell and trap the creature in the void, preventing the prophesied destruction of this world. They decided that their strongest spell casters were Twilight, Starlight, Dazzleglow, and Sunny. Wind Whistler wondered how Sunny would cast spells without a horn, but in a flash of light she suddenly had ethereal, golden wings and a horn. The others were basically there to watch. While some of them had limited spellcasting abilities, they decided that too many minds focusing on the same spell would interfere more than help. The four spellcasters gathered around the Fallen Star. Their horns lit up, and a black circle appeared above the Fallen Star. The void. The four of them seemed to be under a lot of strain, and for a moment of the black circle shrunk. But they stabilized it, all of them sweating and panting. Glowing chains appeared, crisscrossing over the black circle over and over until it was completely covered. Then a giant magical lock appeared. A key locked it and dissipated in a puff of mist. “That should do it,” Twilight said. The twisted ball of chains started to shrink and disappear. A boom cracked through the air. A shockwave floored Wind Whistler. Her ears were ringing. She dizzily stood up. The black circle had appeared again, the chains nowhere to be seen. “Is everyone alright?” Wind Whistler said. An iridescent film appeared around her, and she was lifted into the air. It was one of Fizzy’s bubbles. “Fizzy, what are you doing?” Wind Whistler said. Most of the other ponies were floating in bubbles as well. The black circle had split into five circles, floating over Fizzy, Twilight, Starlight, Dazzleglow, and Sunny. From each circle, a series of white lines descended to the bodies of the five ponies like puppet strings. All five ponies—the only ones Fizzy hadn’t trapped in bubbles—spoke in unison. “Well, this place looks like fun,” they said. “Hmm, no, that’s the wrong vibe,” Twilight said. “All five speaking in unison is too…” Starlight said. “Orderly,” Dazzleglow finished. “But which voice is the most…” Sunny said. “Me!” Fizzy said cheerily. “Yes, that’s the one.” “Fizzy, put us down!” Gusty said. She reared her head back to pop the bubble with her horn. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Fizzy said, her head snapping towards Gusty. “Or she might boil your blood.” She spoke with her own voice and her own carefree inflection, but the words certainly weren’t hers. Fizzy’s horn lit up, and Gusty cried out in pain. “I get the point!” she shouted. Fizzy’s horn turned off. Fizzy laughed. “This unicorn has no idea how strong her magic really is!” Wind Whistler felt her face grow hot. Something was controlling Fizzy, and that made her furious. Even worse, it had made Fizzy hurt Gusty. Wind Whistler’s heart was filled with unfettered hate for whatever this creature was. No one hurt her friends like that. “The creature,” Starglow said. “It’s here.” “Well I’m not really here,” Fizzy said. “But I’m coming.” She smiled eerily. Wind Whistler tried to smash the bubble with her hooves and get out, but she couldn’t get any traction on it. Fizzy’s head jerked towards her in a puppet-like motion. “Ah, Wind Whistler,” she said fondly. “You’re everywhere in this mare’s head. Did you know she… Actually, let’s not spoil that one. No time for chit-chat. I have an eternity’s worth of chaos to rain down on this place!” Twilight, Starlight, Sunny, and Dazzleglow walked into a small group, the circles above them reforming into one. They all cast a spell at once, dark beams coming from their horns and feeding into the dark circle. Fizzy’s eyes gleamed as she stood watch over the ponies she had trapped in bubbles. “Dazzleglow, don’t do this!” Starglow said from one of the bubbles. Wind Whistler could hardly think. Her mind was consumed with rage. But she had to find a way out of this. For her friends, for this world, and most of all for Fizzy. She tried to cool down, letting a calculating, logical thought process take over. She put her anger aside, which also meant blocking out her fondness for Fizzy. No time to feel now. Her heart rate slowed, her thoughts became more focused. The logician had arrived. This thing had to have a weakness. It could control ponies like puppets, and in fact it seemed to have practically limitless power, considering the spell it broke through to get here. Its origins were completely unknown, it was toying with them like a cat with its prey, it promised to bring eternal chaos… Wait, she had read about a creature like this, in the Canterlot library. It sounded like Discord, a creature that terrorized Equestria before ultimately being befriended by Fluttershy, Twilight, and their friends. A plan began to form in her mind. It was a long shot, and even if it worked, she risked alienating her friends forever. But she had to try. For now, she needed to have a heart of stone. “Discord!” she called out. All five ponies’ heads turned towards her. “You know me?” Fizzy said. “Yes, and I know that you don’t want this world,” Wind Whistler said. “Well, you must be more of a distant cousin's acquaintance, because I very much do want this world,” Fizzy said. “Take a look around,” Wind Whistler said. “The only magic in this world is right here. Once you conquer this mountain, the rest will be too easy. You want more toys to play with.” “What are you doing, Wind Whistler?” Gusty said. “She’s trying to throw another world under the bus!” Fizzy said. “But that’s not going to work out for her so well.” Dazzleglow cast a spell, and a portal appeared. Unlike the other portals, there was no rainbow effect, and they could all see through it clearly. On the other end was Paradise Estates. Sweet Stuff was rolling in the grass nearby. “Great, look what you’ve done now!” Gusty said. “Hmm…” Fizzy said. “No, there’s so much chaos here already. They don’t need my help. Let’s see.” Dazzleglow changed the portal. Now it showed Butterfly Island. “Yuck…” The portal changed again, now showing a lighthouse with a rainbow beam coming out the top. “No…” The portal shifted a few more times, showing different worlds that Wind Whistler didn’t recognize. There was even one with pastel-colored humans. Dazzleglow changed the portal again, and Wind Whistler recognized Canterlot, nestled halfway up a mountain with a majestic waterfall cascading down from it. It was Twilight’s world, the first alternate universe Wind Whistler and her friends had visited. But the city seemed smaller than when they had visited it, and it lacked the prominent castle they had seen there. Perhaps this was in the past. “That’s the one,” Wind Whistler said. “Is it?” Fizzy said. “Yes,” Wind Whistler said. “There are countless sources of powerful magic in that world. And the ponies have managed to become quite prosperous there. It’s more fun to bring chaos to an orderly state, rather than to arrive at a place that is already in ruins.” “You really do know me, Wind Whistler,” Fizzy said happily. “That’s Twilight’s world, Wind Whistler!” Gusty said furiously. “You just sold out Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, and all the other ponies we met there.” Fizzy laughed. “Thank you, Wind Whistler!” she said. “I’ll be sure to mention your recommendation to them.” A serpentine creature leapt out of the black circle. Wind Whistler caught just a glimpse of it before it flew into the portal Dazzleglow had opened. The black circle disappeared, and the five ponies Discord had controlled fell limply to the ground. The bubbles sank to the stone floor and popped. “How could you be so heartless, Wind Whistler?” Gusty demanded, red showing in her white face. “You just doomed that world!” “I did what I had to do,” Wind Whistler said weakly. She let the steely grip on her heart go. Twilight was standing up, looking shaky. Wind Whistler rushed to her and bowed. “I’m sorry, Princess!” Wind Whistler said. “I’ve unleashed Discord on your world.” “Y-you what?” Twilight said. “I led him to your world,” Wind Whistler said. “I calculated that yours was the one place where he would eventually be reformed. But I fear he’ll reign in an epoch of havoc first, or at least that’s what your history books say.” “The creature was Discord?” Twilight said. “Yes,” Wind Whistler said. Tears streamed down her face as all the emotions caught up to her. “All the suffering he causes in your world is my responsibility.” “It’s his own responsibility,” Twilight said sharply. “You did the right thing.” Fizzy stood up nearby. “Fizzy!” Wind Whistler cried. She nuzzled her friend fondly. “Wind Whistler, are you crying?” Fizzy said. “You’re alright,” Wind Whistler said, relieved.
Chapter FourEveryone had many thanks to offer to Wind Whistler after she sent Discord off to Equestria. “What you did was very brave,” Star Catcher said. “I’m glad somepony finally managed to manipulate Discord the way you did,” Starlight said. “I’m just sorry it wasn’t me.” “Your quick thinking saved us again, Wind Whistler,” Galaxy said. Shady, Starglow, Dazzleglow, and Sunny added their thanks. Clover and Patch came to say goodbye to them. Gusty approached Wind Whistler last of all, her head down. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” she said. “You’ve proven your loyalty to us time and again. You have a beautiful heart, Wind Whistler.” “I forgive you,” Wind Whistler said. “And thank you.” Dazzleglow opened a portal for them. They couldn’t see through its rainbow colors, but she said it would take them home. “I wish this adventure didn’t have to end,” Fizzy said. “There’ll be plenty of adventures waiting for us at home,” Gusty said. “I’m so happy to be going home,” Shady said. “You’ll have to fill me in on everything,” Galaxy said. Wind Whistler pictured the rest of the friends—Paradise, Ribbon, Posey, Whizzer, Truly, Buttons, Lickety Split, Surprise, Sweet Stuff, and so many others. She hoped desperately that this time these portals finally worked right. “If ever you need me, I am indebted to you,” Dazzleglow said. “Just call my name, and I’ll come.” “Thank you,” Wind Whistler said. “Together.” She, Fizzy, Gusty, Shady, and Galaxy all stepped through the portal in unison. * * * The air was warm, and the sun shone in Shady’s eyes. She heard birdsong, and a gentle breeze ran past her ears. They were in a green field, and a pink building rose in front of them. It was Paradise Estate. A pony gasped. “Darlings, you’re back!” It was Heart Throb. “Everyone, the missing ponies are back!” Ponies started piling out of the estate, shouting excitedly. Pony after pony offered Shady tender greetings—Gingerbread, Sweet Stuff, Masquerade, Ribbon, Lickety Split… “You’ll have to tell me everything that happened,” Paradise said, green eyes gleaming. She loved a good story. “But rest first. Welcome home.” The ponies started filtering back into the estate, including Gusty, Wind Whistler, Fizzy, and Galaxy. But Shady lingered outside. She laid down in the soft, sweet grass, still laced with dew. The anxiety of their nerve-racking adventure drifted away as her muscles relaxed. She breathed in deeply, catching the scent of grass and moist soil. She was home. * * * Wind Whistler sat under a cottonwood tree, watching a stream run by. A day had passed since their return to Paradise Estate. But she still had a lot to think about. She couldn’t know for certain that she had done the right thing with Discord. What if that was some other version of Discord, like how they had met multiple Pinkie Pies? Or what if things didn’t turn out as expected, if Discord wasn’t reformed, if Twilight and her friends couldn’t stop him? Even if everything worked out as it had in the history books, the ponies of Equestria would suffer under his reign of chaos. That suffering was Wind Whistler’s burden. She heard hoofsteps in the fallen leaves behind her. She turned her head. It was Fizzy. “Hi, Wind Whistler,” she said. “Hello, Fizzy,” Wind Whistler said. An image flashed through her mind of Fizzy being jerked about by puppet strings, using her magic to hurt Gusty. Wind Whistler turned back to the stream. “Whatcha doing?” “Just thinking.” “Hey, um…” Fizzy started, then paused. “Can I think with you?” “Technically, an impossibility, unless you found a way to switch your bubble magic with Ribbon’s telepathy,” Wind Whistler said. “But there’s no reason you can’t sit with me.” “Okay,” Fizzy said, sitting next to Wind Whistler, facing the stream. Discord’s terrible display of power was a reminder how fragile their lives were. Just because they were home didn’t mean they were totally safe; dangerous and powerful beings roamed all over Ponyland. Wind Whistler had narrowly escaped with her life in some of their encounters. Any adventure could be their last. She had put this off for years. But Fizzy was here, with her, now. There was no time like the present. “Fizzy, I have a confession to make,” Wind Whistler said. She turned to face Fizzy and forced herself to make eye contact. Eye contact had always been hard for Wind Whistler, but especially with Fizzy’s enchanting eyes. “For many years now, we’ve been together,” Wind Whistler said awkwardly. “And, what I’m trying to say is… Well, you and I…” Her heart rate had jumped, her knees were shaking, and she was sweating. She wanted to take to the sky and bolt away, as though she were in peril. But she forced out the words. “My fondness for you extends beyond platonic attraction, I think we complement each other, and logic suggests we would be quite successful together in a committed relationship.” Wind Whistler watched Fizzy’s reaction nervously. Fizzy blinked and cocked her head. “What?” she said. Wind Whistler quivered. Maybe it wasn’t too late to give up? But she forced herself to try again. “Fizzy, I’m asking you if you want to be my marefriend,” she said weakly. Fizzy’s eyes sparked with a pink light and she gasped. “Really?” she said excitedly. “I’ve been wanting to ask you the same thing for years!” Wind Whistler gaped at her in disbelief. “But I was afraid I’m too dumb for a pony like you.” “Fizzy, you’re perfect!” Wind Whistler said. Fizzy leaned forward and kissed Wind Whistler's lips. At that moment, it was statistically likely that Wind Whistler was the happiest pony in the multiverse. Author's Note Yay, they're home! And WhistlePop is finally a thing! Thank you for sticking with me through this protracted journey.
