Eric Sparkle and the Mysterious Filly

One afternoon after school ended, Twilight looked at her pocket watch as she sighed while waiting for the photographer, “I’ve been planning this retreat for weeks, and we’re already ten minutes behind! Where is that photographer?!”

Suddenly, a voice came, and a photographer unicorn mare named ‘Crackle Cosette’ appeared rushing through the door, “...No-no-no-no-no-no-no!” She slammed the doors open. “I’m so sorry! Can you forgive me? I don’t expect you to forgive me... Forgive me?” Crackle made a starry eyed face, as Twilight groaned. Eric backed away as he squinted, recognizing her eye color.

“Of course. I’ll help you set up your—” Starlight said, until Crackle Cosette cut her off, and stood in front of Twilight.

“Princess Twilight, thanks so much for this! The Canterlot Historical Society is thrilled to document the friendship work your teachers do! Let me just pretty you all up!” She said, as the photographer picked six strands of hair from the Mane 6’s manes.

“Ow! Hey!” Rainbow Dash said, after Crackled Cosette picked a hair from her rainbow colored tail.

“Don’t want a single hair out of place, do we?” Crackled Cosette giggled, “This is for the history books! Now...” She then took six pictures of the Mane 6 and got photos of them, “Well, that’s that! Bye!”

“Waaaait! You forgot Starlight and Storm! They need a picture, too!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, as she pointed at Starlight and Storm as they made smiles on their faces.

“’Kay,” she said looking unamused, and then took their pictures one at a time. “Now I’ll get out of your manes. I know how busy you are,” Crackled Cosette said, as she left.

When she was outside, Crackled Cosette looked at her photos and the hair strands, until she made a mischievous grin, “Now I have everything I need.”

While she was walking, a green flash appeared, revealing that she was actually Queen Chrysalis. “Yes, I know! We have been planning this for quite some time,” she said before laughing evilly, and setting up her pictures and the hair samples on six trees. “Oh, thank you, Applejack. My spell can create a copy of anypony I desire. All I need is an image and a piece of the pony.” She sniffed the hair, “Oh, and this.” She made a wood burning of her cutie mark.

“Why copies, Rarity? Because Princess Twilight and her friends control the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful weapon in all Equestria,” she said, as a wood burning of her cutie mark was made, and then trotted over to Pinkie’s tree, “Which means you…will…be…able…to…use…them…too!” She then wood burned her cutie mark.

“And serve me!” She wood burned Fluttershy’s butterfly cutie mark. “Together, we will destroy Twilight Sparkle and her meddlesome friends!” She then wood burned Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark, and then looked at Twilight’s image.

“Of course I haven’t forgotten Starlight Glimmer or Storm Blade! She stole my hive. Turned my subjects against me! So I’ll take her friends away while she watches! And then, I’ll destroy her, along with that little brat, Eric Sparkle! Glacio shall reward me for this.” She then wood burned Twilight’s cutie mark, and stood in the center, “With the Elements under my control, I’ll build a new hive of Earth ponies, unicorns, and Pegasi, and I will rule as Queen once again! Alongside Glacio as my king, of course.”

She then lit up her horn, and then started her spell, before the trees with the hairs and pictures cracked magically, and created copies of the Mane 6, but they looked pure evil.

The next couple minutes later, the Mane 8 and Eric were on their way to their camp out with Eric riding on Twilight’s back. “Hmm. At least our retreat isn’t too far behind schedule. Get ready for fun!” Twilight said.

“Are we talking fun fun, or learning pretending to be fun?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Both! We’ve all been so busy teaching, we’ve hardly had a chance to hang out with each other. And I may have scheduled some friendship activities as well!” Twilight replied.

“Count me in! We can do friendship trust falls and pony pyramids! Oh! And hide and seek! Quick! Find me!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she zoomed away to hide.

“Well, I love the idea of some quiet time with my best friends,” Fluttershy said.

Pinkie Pie screamed, as Fluttershy jumped, “You found me!”

Rainbow Dash hovered next to Applejack and Rarity, as they had a wagon full of camping gear. “Rarity, why is Applejack carrying all your stuff?” she asked.

“Oh, that’s not mine. Yes, I used to overpack a tad, but now it’s just the essentials for me. I’m a simple filly,” Rarity said.

“Normally I wouldn’t lug so much gear, but did y’all know this is Starlight’s first time campin’?” Applejack asked, as they saw Starlight with an unamused type of look.

“I just never really felt the need to... “hang out” in nature,” Starlight said, as she waved her hoof to shoo the bugs away. “Home has books, tea, fewer bugs, a roof...”

“That attitude right there is why I brought the whole kit and caboodle. I’m givin’ Starlight the full Apple family campin’ experience!” Applejack said.

“Um, where are we camping?” Fluttershy asked.

“Right next to the Elements that brought us all together in the first place – the Tree of Harmony!” Twilight replied, then they continued their journey.

Somewhere in the other side of the forest, the Mean Six were unamused about their surroundings.

“Listen to your queen! We must retrieve the Elements of Harmony at once!” Queen Chrysalis commanded.

“Hunting down some lame Elements? This is the worst day ever!” Mean Pinkie Pie said, until Mean Fluttershy splatted some mud into Mean Pinkie Pie’s face.

“No. Now it’s the worst day ever!” Mean Fluttershy started laughing cruelly.

“Those Elements are mine! Along with this rock! Oh, and that twig!” Mean Rarity greedily said.

“I got all kinds o’ Elements right here under my hat. I’ll let you see ‘em for five bits,” Mean Applejack bluffed.

Mean Rainbow Dash scoffed while laying on a tree branch like she didn’t care, “Losers.”

“Why didn’t you just attack them?” Mean Twilight asked.

“Excuse me?” Queen Chrysalis asked.

“You were close enough to pull hairs from their manes. Why not just take your revenge then?” Mean Twilight asked.

Queen Chrysalis then replied, “They’ve defeated my army. I know better than to strike alone. I need—”

“Friends?” Mean Twilight asked.

“Servants! And the power of the Elements!” Queen Chrysalis replied.

Mean Twilight wasn’t amused, “Right. So where are these Elements of Harmony?” she asked.

“The location of the most powerful weapon in Equestria isn’t something made known to just anypony. I learned they were hidden somewhere in this forest,” Queen Chrysalis explained.

Mean Twilight then started walking, “Yeah, well, it is a big forest.” Queen Chrysalis then growled in frustration.

Along the way, the Mane 8, with Eric on Twilight’s back passed through Rose bushes. “Everypony, stop! And smell these roses!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, while sniffing the flowers, “Ahhh! Oh, yeah!”

Eric smelled them too, and loved the scent, then chose to pick some out for himself and his mother, making her blush.

Twilight nervous giggle, “Right. Roses. Fun. Now, let’s try and stay on schedule.”

“Come on, Twilight. This is all part of nature,” Storm said.

Rarity looked at some strands of her mane sticking out, “Applejack, darling, anything in that wagon for mane maintenance?”

Applejack took off the strap from her wagon and then looked through her wagon. “Uh, let’s see here. Uh... all right. I got a bandana!” Applejack suggested, as she held it in her hoof. “Ugh, an entire wagon and no anti-frizz? Darling, you’re not even prepared,” Rarity said.

“I am! For campin’?” Applejack said, then looked at others catching up. “How ya and Storm doin’, Starlight?”

Starlight had her travel bags, and so did Sunset, “Whoa! Ugh. Great,” she replied flatly.

“It’s not the end of the world,” Storm said.

Fluttershy looked and saw a baby bird, “Oh, no! You and your sister fell out of your nest and got separated? That’s terrible!” She then laid out her wing to let the bird climb on, “Here. I’m sure your home isn’t too far away,” Fluttershy said as she went to return the baby bird to its sister and find the nest.

Twilight yelped after seeing Pinkie Pie swinging on a vine, “Pinkie! If we keep stopping to have fun, we’re never gonna get to the fun things I’ve got planned!”

Pinkie Pie gasped, “Good point! Last one to the Tree of Harmony is a parasprite! Whoo-hoo!” Twilight sighed.

“Mommy, I’m gonna go with Pinkie and scout ahead,” Eric said.

“Alright. Be careful,” Twilight replied.

Eric went ahead of the others, hoping to find a shortcut to the Tree of Harmony as he constantly kept alert.

Meanwhile, the Mean Six and Queen Chrysalis were wandering around the forest for their quest for the Elements of Harmony, as Mean Pinkie Pie laid on the ground, “I’m sooooo bored. Are we there yet?”

“Where yet? We don’t even know where we’re going!” Mean Twilight said.

“The quicker we search the forest, the quicker we find the Elements,” Queen Chrysalis replied.

“I know where the Elements are. This, uh, here boulder just told me. I swear,” Mean Applejack bluffed.

Suddenly, another baby bird tweeted beneath Mean Fluttershy. “You tried to fly out of the nest, but you fell and got lost?” Mean Fluttershy said.

The baby bird nodded while tweeting. Mean Fluttershy laughed cruelly, “Hope you like walking!” She laughed cruelly again while following the baby bird.

Mean Rainbow Dash yawned, “Come get me when I should care.” She then flew away.

Queen Chrysalis looked and saw Mean Fluttershy and Mean Rainbow Dash were missing, “Where... are... the others?!”

“Uh... A, uh, a bugbear in... plaid socks flew down and, uh, g-grabbed them! Then disappeared! Huh. Craziest thing I ever did see!” Mean Applejack lied again.

“Turn around. We’re going back,” Queen Chrysalis said.

“No. Keep searching. I’ll find the others. We can accomplish more if we split our resources,” Mean Twilight said.

Queen Chrysalis sighed, “Very well. You have my permission.”

Mean Twilight then flew, “”Permission”? You need us way more than we need you, your Majesty! The others are fools. But with me to lead them, there’s no reason we can’t find the Elements and keep the power for ourselves!”

She then landed on the ground, before seeing the bushes rustling, and Pinkie Pie jumped onto her, “You’re it! Hey, how’d you get ahead of me and Eric? You’re fast.”

“Pinkie, my mommy is back there,” Eric said, “How can she be here?”

Mean Twilight grunted, “Ugh! I’m looking for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.”

“Aren’t they back there?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“They are?” Mean Twilight asked.

“Sure! Unless they’re already at the Tree of Harmony,” Pinkie Pie said.

“What is the Tree of Harmony?” Mean Twilight asked.

“Oh-ho-ho. This is one of your “activities”, right? Like a friendship quiz? It’s the crystal tree that holds the Elements of Harmony. Boom!” Pinkie Pie replied.

Eric squinted his eyes in suspicion as Mean Twilight kept asking questions.

Mean Twilight gasped, “Where is it?”

Pinkie Pie imitated a buzzer, “It’s at the bottom of the stairs in the ravine by the Castle of the Two Sisters. Double boom!”

“How do you know? You’ve seen it?” Mean Twilight asked.

Pinkie Pie nodded in reply, “Mm-hmm. Honestly, Twilight, these questions are super easy.”

Mean Twilight added a sinister grin while rubbing her wings together. Eric had enough, for he took out his wand and pointed it at Mean Twilight, “Everte Statum!” he said.

This caused Mean Twilight to stumble, Pinkie was shocked at what Eric had done, “Eric! Why did you attack your mom?!”

“That isn’t my mommy. This one is a fake, evil duplicate,” Eric replied, “Let’s go warn the others.”

Eric and Pinkie went to rejoin the others as Mean Twilight got back up and felt a sharp pain.

Fluttershy arrived at the nest and placed the brother bird on it, “Right where you belong.” The brother bird tweeted as a thank you while Fluttershy went to get some food. Fluttershy then realized she was lost, “Oh, dear. This isn’t where I belong.”

She then saw Mean Rainbow Dash as she thought was her Rainbow Dash, “Oh, Rainbow Dash! I’m so glad you’re here. I was lost.”

“Bummer. Later,” Mean Rainbow Dash said, flying away. Fluttershy was confused, “What just happened?”

Applejack, Rarity, Sunset, Rainbow Dash, and Starlight called out together or one at a time, “Fluttershy!”

“Oh, fantastic. First Pinkie races ahead of us, and now Fluttershy’s lost somewhere behind us. My retreat is off to a great start!” Twilight said.

“It’s not like Fluttershy to disappear like this,” Rarity said.

Applejack then came up with an idea, “We’ll split up and search for her. We can all meet back at the Tree. Starlight, take the navigation gear and—”

Starlight replied quickly, “Go with Rarity? Great! Rainbow Dash, you can go with Applejack!” She nervously chuckled.

“I suggest you all stay together, I’ll go find Fluttershy,” Storm replied.

Just then, Pinkie and Eric ran up to the others, “Girls! Storm!” she shouted.

“Stop!” Eric added.

“Pinkie, Eric, what’s wrong?” Twilight asked.

“Mommy, Pinkie and I ran into your evil duplicate!” Eric replied.

“Evil duplicate? How could this be?” Storm asked.

“I’m not sure, but we need to find out why. Whoever made an evil duplicate of my mommy could have made evil duplicates of Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow, Applejack, and Fluttershy as well,” Eric explained.

Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack just laughed, thinking Eric was joking.

“Evil duplicates of us? Impossible. What a laugh, Eric,” Applejack said.

“Are you seeing things?” Rainbow asked.

“Eric, darling. You really shouldn’t give false alarms,” Rarity added.

“I’m serious, girls! I know what I saw!” Eric replied.

“Come on, Eric. Let’s go find Fluttershy,” Storm said, then crouched down, “Climb on.”

“Yes, Daddy,” Eric replied as he climbed on Storm’s back.

“The rest of you go ahead, we’ll catch up,” Storm said, “Hang on, sport.”

Storm and Eric went to go find Fluttershy, while the others kept heading for the Tree of Harmony.

“I suggest we stay alert, those evil duplicates could be anywhere,” Eric said.

“Are you absolutely sure?” Storm asked, galloping as fast as he could.

“Yes, Daddy. I know what I saw,” Eric replied.

The Mean 3 and Queen Chrysalis continued their journey while Mean Pinkie Pie complained, “Bored. Bored. Bored.”

Queen Chrysalis had enough of their behavior, “This is ridiculous! Where are my other minions?!”

“Probably plotting to steal my things!” Mean Rarity growled.

“They’re at a secret party up in that there tree. Run by a... squirrel named, uh, Jerome. But, uh, y-you need a password to get in,” Mean Applejack bluffed.

Queen Chrysalis growled while lifted three of her clones in her aura, “Enough!”

The three clones landed on the ground on their back while Queen Chrysalis slammed her hoof, making them look afraid, “You will go out there and find the others, you will bring them back here, and we will steal the Elements of Harmony so I can destroy Starlight’s life like she destroyed mine! Understand?”

Mean Rarity, Mean Applejack, and Mean Pinkie Pie nodded nervously, “Uh-huh!”

Mean Applejack then whispered a lie, “The party password is “rutabaga”.” Queen Chrysalis’s eye twitched, then growled with frustration.

Mean Fluttershy started teasing the sister bird mockingly, “Why don’t you fly up to your nest? Oh, that’s right. You can’t!” She laughed cruelly.

The brother bird tweeted in confusion, until Mean Fluttershy spoke up, “Oh. Nopony asked you. I hope you all freeze this winter!” Mean Fluttershy laughed cruelly while stomping on the flowers, and then flew away.

The real Fluttershy came back with some berries and fresh earthworms for the baby birds, “Hello again, little friend. I think I may be walking in circles.”

The brother bird tweeted angrily, but got confused. Fluttershy gasped, “Oh, my! Where did you learn that kind of language?” She then asked the animals for a conference, “Um, excuse me?” The animals growling and chittering angrily, until Fluttershy whimpered while crying.

Soon enough, Storm and Eric came up to her. They gasped at Fluttershy crying.

“Fluttershy! What’s wrong?” Storm asked.

Fluttershy looked up at Storm as he and Eric comforted her, “Everycreature is mad at me!” She then continued to cry. Eric gasped, “What?! That can’t be right!”

Fluttershy kept crying while sniffling, until Mean Twilight landed in front of them both. Mean Twilight groaned, “Can we hurry this up? We’re on a…You must be Storm Blade. Queen Chrysalis mentioned you in her monologuing.”

Eric gasped in shock at the mention of the former changeling queen’s name.

“You may look like my wife, but you are her evil duplicate. Did Queen Chrysalis create you?” Storm asked angrily.

“Correct, for she also created duplicates of your friends so that she can use the Elements of Harmony, but not if we use them against her and take them for us,” Mean Twilight replied.

“The Elements of Harmony will never work for you fakers. Only those who are worthy can wield them, and you are not,” Storm retorted.

Mean Twilight just ignored him and went to find the other Mean Five. Once Fluttershy calmed down, she explained everything about the Mean 6 to the animals and they chittered in apology for falsely accusing the real Fluttershy of being mean to them. Afterwards, Eric climbed on his dad’s back and the three of them rushed to catch up with the others.

Mean Twilight then wandered off talking to herself, “Keep it together. You can do this. You need those imbeciles if your plan is gonna come together.”

Queen Chrysalis suddenly appeared and asked, “Your plan?”

Mean Twilight gasped, and then replied, “Uh, the plan. I’m just trying to do your bidding, your Majesty.”

“Grub-sitting you six is nothing like controlling my hive!” Queen Chrysalis said, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just destroy you all and start over!”

“Because I know where the Elements of Harmony are. You need me,” Mean Twilight said. Queen Chrysalis then made a maniacal laughter.

Soon enough, Eric, Storm, and Fluttershy caught up with Twilight and the others.

“Fluttershy! You’re okay!” Rainbow said, trying to hug her.

“You left me alone in the woods!” Fluttershy replied while backing away.

“I would never do that,” Rainbow said.

“That’s because it was Rainbow’s evil clone that left her behind. We ran into Twilight’s evil clone found out that this was all part of a scheme devised by Queen Chrysalis so she can try to wield the Elements of Harmony,” Storm explained. Twilight and the others gasped.

“I can’t believe it! Eric was telling the truth!” Applejack said.

“And we didn’t believe him,” Rarity added.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s get to the Tree of Harmony before they do!” Rainbow replied.

The Mane 8 and Eric rushed to the Tree of Harmony so they could stop Chrysalis and the Mean 6.

In another part of the forest, Queen Chrysalis and the other Mean 5 appeared, having found Mean Applejack, “Finally! There. That’s all of you. Nopony leaves without my say-so.”

Mean Applejack was confused, “Now, wait a second. Weren’t you just—?” Queen Chrysalis zapped her magic laser at a tree, disintegrating Mean Applejack’s hat, as she gulped.

“The time for my revenge on Starlight Glimmer has come! Let’s see if you’re telling the truth about this Tree,” Queen Chrysalis said, as she let out a maniacal laughter.

It was nighttime when Twilight and Storm teleported themselves, Eric, and the others to their campsite. They hid inside their tents waiting for Chrysalis and the Mean 6. It wasn’t long before they peaked out and noticed Queen Chrysalis and the Mean Six arriving at the entrance to the Tree of Harmony.

Mean Pinkie Pie groaned at the campsite, “What’s this garbage?” Mean Applejack made up a quick lie, “Badger installation art! Ya see—”

Queen Chrysalis cut her off, “Just! Retrieve! The Elements!”

“Once we get the power of the Elements, no creature, not even her Majesty, can tell us what to do. Just follow my lead. Got it?” The Mean 5 nodded while laughing evilly.

Just then, Storm and the others snuck behind Chrysalis, “Hello, there!” he said.

Queen Chrysalis turned her head, confused and replied, “Prince Storm Blade, Princess Twilight Sparkle, your child, and your friends! Impossible! I wasn’t expecting to find you here! You are bold ones.”

“We’re onto your scheme, Queen Chrysalis! The Elements of Harmony will never be yours!” Twilight said.

“They’ll never work for you!” Storm added.

“Let’s agree to disagree,” Queen Chrysalis replied defiantly.

The Mean Six just ignored her then saw the Tree of Harmony as they entered the cave. “Ooh! That one’s mine!” Mean Rarity said, as the Generosity Element pulsed in a blackish purple color.

Mean Rarity let out a crazed laughter, until Mean Fluttershy tripped her over on purpose. “Oops. I’d say sorry, but I’m not!” Mean Fluttershy said, as she and Mean Rarity tumbled while fighting and grunting at the same time.

“Stop it, fools!” Mean Twilight said, as the Kindness Element pulsed.

The Mean Six started goofing off around the Tree of Harmony. “We need the Elements to take out Chrysalis!” Mean Twilight gasped at Chrysalis behind her.

“How dare you! I created you!” Queen Chrysalis said, then shot her magic laser at Mean Twilight, who created a force field around her, and Mean Applejack bucked the tree as her original’s element pulsed. Mean Pinkie Pie laughed while trying to shove the tree as her original’s element pulsed.

Mean Twilight kept up the force field as the Loyalty Element pulsed. She smirked and blasted Chrysalis until the Element of Magic pulsed, sending an alert to the other elements. Just then, white tendrils grabbed the evil duplicates, as it started to make them melt. Mean Twilight spoke up her last words, “Imbeciles! You ruined everythiiiiiiiing!” When a huge flash of light appeared, the Mean Six were now colorful wooden logs.

Queen Chrysalis then learned her lesson, “Servants always fail you in the end! Just wait, Starlight. I will have my revenge!” she said.

The Mane 8 and Eric saw it all as the former changeling queen flew away.

“Told you so!” Storm called out, taunting Chrysalis.

“I guess the Tree of Harmony foiled her scheme for us,” Twilight remarked.

“Hey, sorry if I got carried away with all that campin’ stuff,” Applejack said to Starlight.

“I’m sorry, too. I should’ve just told you I’ll never like camping. Also, I’ll never like camping,” Starlight replied.

Well, if we’re all being honest, I can’t survive with just this tiny yet fashionable little saddlebag! I miss my things!” Rarity said.

“Why don’t we set up a fire and have a nice calm night together?” Starlight suggested.

“Spoken like a true camper,” Applejack said.

“Eh, don’t push it,” Starlight said, as she and Applejack chuckled together.

Later on, they had a nice fire and roasted some marshmallows for some s’mores, while Eric had his as he sat on Twilight’s lap.

“You know, if we can survive a day or night like this, I think our friendship is strong enough to handle anything the world can throw at us,” Twilight said, as they all agreed with nods. Everyone laughed as they enjoyed their campout.