Hitch staggered into the Brighthouse with wide eyes. "Emergency! Calling all ponies! Emergency!"

The others looked alarmed by the frantic nature of his entrance. Sunny rose, trotting forward. "What's wrong? Did something happen to the town?"

"No! Worse!" Hitch gasped, waving his hoof. "The boardtrot, it's gone! Most of it anyway. Ponies are confused and angry. All the rides look like they've been abandoned for moons!"

"What?" Zipp took flight, hovering. "That shouldn't be possible." She turned to Sunny. "Do you have any idea what could have caused this?"

Sunny laughed awkwardly as she walked towards a bin. "Well. We have been collecting these." She threw the bin open, the room glittering brightly with the collection of crystals they had found in pieces large and small. "If the Boardtrot's gone dead, that's probably why."

Hitch gaped at the sheer amount of crystals in that bin. "Sunny! You can't just steal crystals out of a whole amusement park!" He gestured at the bin.

"It's for a good cause, letting Allura get home again. We can put them back afterwards." She took a soft breath. "Izzy! We need unicycling power!"

Izzy was there in moments, a blur of movement. "Izzy unicycles are the best! If you need me to balance, I'm your mare!" She gave a salute, then burst into giggles. "But you probably don't mean it that way. What's up, Sunny?"

Sunny waved at the bin. "We have a lot of crystals. Time to put them together. No glue, no extra parts. Just figuring out what crystals fit in to what other crystals."

Izzy looked at the bin, then into Sunny's eyes. "There's so many, though."

"That's why we're all helping." With that, she went to the bin and dragged it closer to the center of the room. "Let's figure out the big pieces first and we can work down from there. We're all in this together, everypony! The future of the Boardtrot is on the line."

Zipp landed nearby, rubbing her head. "Why don't I go keep an eye on what's going on? Try to calm everypony down."

Hitch saluted at that. "Good idea! I'll help. They need to know the law is on their side." He marched alongside her, eyes clear with determination.

***

"You can't fly, you can't run, and there's nowhere to hide." Allura crouched low to the ground. "You know what happens now."

Twitch squeaked fearfully and hid behind a cardboard cutout of Sunny Starscout, holding his ears.

Allura swatted the cutout aside and pounced her rabbit companion. "Now where did you hide that remote, blasted creature?!"

He tried to hop away, but it was futile. Allura had him pinned beneath a massive paw, batting at him gently. She chuckled darkly, patting along his sides.

Twitch squealed with laughter, unable to suppress the sound. Writhing with the agony of the tickles, he relented. The remote clattered to the floor beside him.

"Finally!" Allura scooped up the remote, turning to the television screen. "Now I'm going to watch the news!"

On the screen, a unicorn with a deep pink coat was speaking, "With the word of the Board Trot being closed, ponies are reporting being very upset." She held out a microphone to a pony passing by.

"I'm very upset!" The pony tossed his head up and stormed on by.

"The local sheriff reports that this is a temporary situation." She turned to where Hitch and Zipp were trying to calm ponies down.

"We just have to put this crystal together, then we'll get things back up and going." Hitch nodded firmly. "Stay calm, everypony. The fun will be back, we promise!"

Zipp spread her wings. "If you have any concerns, please direct them to me."

The screen changed to show what seemed to be a reporter in the park. "So much of it has changed."

Allura suddenly sat upright, eyes widening. "Wait a minute. Is that...?" She stalked towards the television, glaring at it. "They have my crystal! They sent me to get that job so they could get it themselves!"

Twitch squeaked with alarm. "Grr." Allura turned to Twitch. "No. I'm not mad. I just want to know what they're doing." She frowned, rubbing her chin. She took a calming breath. "Ponies aren't very clever things. Maybe they think the crystals will give them candy if they rub them right or something." She rolled her eyes at the idea. "Please."

She turned for the exit, not responding to Twitch quickly leaping on her. "Let's go pay them a visit. I think this rates as worth interrupting our day off, hm?"

"Grr?" Twitch nodded quickly, hanging on tight. "Grr."

"Excellent." She made her way towards the door. "If they're putting it all together, they are saving me time. I wasn't looking forward to figuring that out on my own anyway." She emerged into the bright light, frowning at the warmth it provided. "Ugh. Let's be quick about this."

They made their way towards the Brighthouse. The crowds of ponies had already parted and it was late in the afternoon. They got to the front door without trouble, but it was locked.

Allura grumbled, leaning down to squint at the doorknob. Twitch yammered something behind her. "Knock? Well, hm, worth a try." She struck the door twice in firm pats. "Any of you in there? Open this."

There was a sound of hooves clopping, and then the door opened. Izzy stood there, smiling. "Oh, hey! Allura! Welcome." She stepped back, making room. "We were working on your project!"

Allura stepped in with a raised brow. "My project? I mean, of course, yes." Her confusion was barely hidden. "How proceeds, hm, my project?" She stepped over many little bits of crystals towards what seemed to be a forming central mass of them.

Sunny waved at the crystals. "We're getting pretty close, but I'm not sure how to get these last few bits together." She turned to Allura. "I know you said you didn't know, but do you think you could give us a hint?"

Allura frowned a little. "Why?" The ponies looked at her with confusion. "Why are you putting them together?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Izzy gestured over them. "To send you home, of course."

Allura felt her heart constrict painfully. She grabbed the top of a chair, struggling with herself. "I'm your enemy!"

Sunny set a hoof on Allura's hind leg. "You were, but now you're a friend, and friends help friends. You want to get home, and I think this will help you do that."

Allura wiped a tear from her cheek, sniffing softly. "You really are too good, little pony."

Sunny laughed a little. "So are you. You deserve better than hiding at the edge of society." She put her hooves on her own sides. "Though you've been doing less of that! I hear you're quite appreciated at your job. I bet you'll get employee of the month again if you're still around."

"I'm still around." Allura turned to look the crystals over, then began to push bits into place. "But only with these." She held out her paws. "Bring it here, Twitch, before it falls apart."

Twitch hopped down and started slotting small crystals into each other, speaking something indecipherably as he did so. He sounded excited, working with quick snatches and placements of his furry hands.

Allura nodded, giving the ball a nudge once he was done. But it did nothing, just sitting there, looking mostly like the crystal that had brought her to Maretime Bay. "It's not working."

Twitch called to her, making gestured about burying something and pointing away.

Allura put a paw over her face. "Right. I did locate one of the shards, a good sized one. You cannot complete this without that." She sighed deeply. "I buried it in my cave."

Sunny put a hoof on her, looking up into the larger feline's eyes. "We can go get it. It'll be okay."

Allura looked to the side. "It's my cave. I can get it on my own." She was quiet a moment. "Thank you, for the offer." She stood up, Twitch back in his place. "I don't understand entirely why you're doing this, but thanks. I'll be right back."

Allura trotted out of the Brighthouse, turning to head down towards the beach below.

Sunny smiled at where they'd gone. "I'm already feeling good about this."

Pipp directed her phone at the almost completed crystal, snapping a few shots. "We can do a good deed and get the ponies their fun spot back?" She flipped the phone in a circle, keeping it in her hooves. "Win win!"

***

The trip along the beach was pleasant, but short. The cool winds and lapping water calmed Allura's heart, which was still beating fast in her chest. "We are so close." She reached up to give Twitch a pat. "Closer than we've ever been before."

Twitch squeaked happily.

They got down into their cave, finding it empty, but intact. "Good, good." Allura trotted inside to the area where she had kept the piece. Digging through the straw and ice, she worked towards it. "I knew those ponies would help. I just figured I'd have to be more forceful about it." She pulled out the piece, setting it in front of her. "I knew I could count on them. I suppose, hm, perhaps they could count on me." She smiled at the idea.

Twitch said something quietly.

"Yes, I suppose so." She turned for the exit. "Maybe I will miss the wretched things. They are sweet, but foolish." She sighed softly. "But, no, I cannot stay here." She took a few steps, then came to a halt. "He's waited so many years, and so have I."

She padded out into the sunlight and the wind. She basked for a moment in the feeling.

Twitch made a nervous noise, gesturing around at the beach.

Her eyes widened and a shiver passed over her frame. "I didn't realize it had gotten so late." She gave Twitch a pat. "It'll be fine. I just have to get to the Brighthouse."

They made quick time, bursting through the door to find some surprised ponies and the crystal just sitting there, forgotten for the time. She shut the door behind her and moved forward. "It's okay, I'm back."

Sunny nodded. "We're ready to go, if you are. You can go home!"

Allura smiled slightly. "If this works, which it better." She produced that last bit of the crystal. I, hm." She found her words failing her. "You didn't have to help me. I didn't bend your minds, or even shout at you."

Zipp rolled her eyes. "Kitty, you'll get more help if you don't do either of those things. Besides, we want to help you. You have family, and friends, and a world waiting for you, right?" She gestured at the crystal. "So let's send you home."

Allura looked down at the crystal. "Right. Of course."

Twitch squeaked quietly, patting Allura on the head.

Allura laughed at that. "What? You can come with me, you insufferable rabbit. I'll introduce you to him, and my family. You'll get along, or I'll eat you, either way."

Twitch made a worried noise with squinted eyes, looking for exits.

"I'm joking." Allura gently stroked her small friend. "You'd probably give me indigestion anyway."

Sunny cleared her throat, gesturing at the crystal. "Are you going to, um?"

"Right." Allura set the last bit of crystal into the rest of it. "Come on, now."

That final crystal slid smoothly into place, the whole thing glittering with ancient magic. Allura grabbed it with a laugh. "Finally, I have it! Now, um." She looked to the gathered ponies. "You really won't try to stop me?" Her question was genuine.

They all shook their heads.

"Well, I don't know why. I certainly would try to stop me." She sighed softly, looking over the gathered ponies with a smile of relief. "You ponies are hard to grasp." She reached out, placing a paw atop Pipp's head. "And yet, easy to grasp." She closed her fingers around Pipp's head, stroking her fur with their claws. "Silly things."

Pipp swatted the paw away with a pout. "Ask before you get to petting." Not that this stopped her from snapping a shot of the finished crystal and Allura both. "Now go ahead! You've waited long enough for this big homecoming! This is all you, queen!"

Allura laughed at that, but it was a warm sound, rather than her usual derision. "We shall see, I suppose." She looked at the crystal. "Open up!" It did nothing. "Oh, right." She focused on a mental image of her long lost home. "There, a portal to there."

Author's Note

Is it happy ending™️ time?

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