The Fire: Campfire Tales

In a quiet part of the log-circle, Magic Star addresses her friends over the babble of similar conversations around the fire.

“Mousefur was so brave to stand by her companion when the bad king condemned her,” the soft yellow pony observes, “but she can’t go against her king any more than poor Vista can. Maybe he will change his mind about exiling Vista Star when he sees how upset she is?”

Ribbon, Posey and Twilight, who are sitting near to her, nod sadly in response.

***

Across the fire, squeals of mirth can be heard from a collection of silly ponies.

“Those Bobs were hilarious!” giggles out Surprise.

“No they’re not,” returns Fizzy, mimicking a disagreeable ‘Bob’.

“Oh, yes they are!” Applejack joins in.

“They so are!” Sundance agrees, breaking the sequence.

“Nuh uh!” Surprise adds. “I mean—“ She hesitates, then snorts, realising she been wrong-hoofed.

The entire group dissolves once again into horsey laughter.

***

Drawing the occasional concerned look from Megan, two pegasi — one pink, the other turquoise — are in the middle of a heated argument about the story-play, fiery eyes glaring at one another.

“Dragons aren’t scary — the ponies in that kingdom are just cowards.” Firefly snarls and thrusts her muzzle into Medley's, her pink nostrils flaring.

“That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard!” the turquoise pegasus strikes back, leaning away unphased, head held high. “Well, at least since I heard a silly pony sploosh into a plunge pool earlier this morning, but really it would be hard to sound sillier than that.” Medley meets the intense purple orbs of her temporary foe with the cool power of her own blues.

Firefly is about to respond, when another pegasus, North Star, who is sitting between the warring parties, pipes up. “I think if I were a dragon, all lonely in a cave, I’d probably want to take all the interesting things from every other creature. It’d cheer me up no end to read all their books and admire their sculptures.”

The statement is met by silence, as the combatants are briefly lost for words.

Medley is the first to recover. “You should be called Dragon Star!” she sniggers.

“The only dragon who’s afraid of fire!“ Firefly adds, referring to her friend's reluctance to become embroiled in the melee of fire-fighting earlier.

However, North Star doesn't respond, her eyes having glazed over as she day-dreams about Paradise's world.

With a chuckle at the whimsical nature of their companion, they return to their argument.

***

Adding to the fireside chatter, the human, Danny, mug of root-beer in hand, declaims enthusiastically to Galaxy, Gusty and Cherries Jubilee. “But couldn’t Vista Star simply wink out of the manacles?” he challenges, gesturing to the two unicorns.

"Good point," notes Gusty. As she says this, her horn sparkles and she disappears and reappears in place. Referred to as ‘winking out,’ most of the grown unicorns of the herd have the ability.

The storyteller, Paradise, who is munching on her toffee apple, listens with trepidation, watched by her companion, the playwright, Masquerade.

“But, isn't it impossible to wink through solid objects?” offers the earth pony.

“That’s true, except—” Galaxy begins, only for Danny to jump in.

“I know that unicorns can’t wink through things, like a net, but Vista Star wasn’t trapped like that.”

“Her fetlocks were manacled though, and unicorns are unable to escape when they are tied up,” Cherries Jubilee responds, practically.

Galaxy furrows her brow. “Yes, that’s right.”

Danny thinks for a second, stroking his freckled chin and narrowing his eyes, the way that crafty humans do when they puzzle through things. After a moment, he snaps his fingers. “Galaxy, have you got two spare guy-ropes? I have an idea."

The unicorn sighs and takes the requested items from her saddlebag, which she gives to him.

Danny turns to Gusty. When she realises what he means to do, she snorts and shakes her head. "I ain't being tied up."

He turns to Galaxy, who nods reluctantly.

"Now, hold out your hoof.”

She holds up a curled foreleg.

“Your hind hoof, Galaxy,” he clarifies.

When she hesitates, he adds by way of explanation, “Vista Star’s hind-legs were manacled.”

Galaxy sighs and turns around. As she feels his hand on her hind-leg she startles, prompting the human to back off.

“Easy, girl,” he soothes, instinctually treating the unicorn as he would the ponies back on the farm at home.

She steadies herself, overriding her horsey desire to kick, and does as asked.

Danny takes her fetlock and places it on his lap. His practiced hands quickly bind the proffered limb in an improvised guy-rope ‘manacle,’ and with the other rope quickly binds both legs.

“There, now try to—” he starts. With a brief scintillation of her horn, she winks out, leaving both guy-ropes to fall to the floor.

“It seems I was able to slip out of them,” Galaxy observes, reappearing.

“That proves it!” Danny crows triumphantly, to Paradise’s dismay.

Cherries Jubilee brings a hoof to her chin and muses awhile before observing, “But the dragon is probably pretty smart — it might have prepared for that.”

The boy stomps his sneakered foot in frustration. “But how!?”

Galaxy flashes her eyes at Masquerade, before saying in a strange, ominous tone, “Look into my gems, human, and I shall inform you.”

Danny, taken aback, does as she requests. He sees the flames of the campfire dance in the many facets of the glittering rubies. Unlike his own eyes, or those of most of the herd, he sees no pupils, only points of fractured light, as she is a gem-eyed pony. As he focuses, she swishes her head from side to side to create a flash of dark-red that rises from the periphery of both gems and swirls outward, briefly dazzling his vision, causing him to stumble back.

“It’s magic!” she grins,

Danny shakes his head to clear the sparkles and huffs, unimpressed.

Paradise rises to her hooves. “Hah! True enough. Isn’t that right, Masquerade?” she avers, having by now finished munching, offering a wing-up.

With a smile to Galaxy, the pegasus takes her friend's wing, gemmed-eyes twinkling. “Surely. Now, let’s get back to the 'magic'!”

As the pair rise and return to their log-seat 'stage', the babble of fireside conversation swiftly fades.

To resume, Paradise briefly explains that the two ponies, Mousefur and Petal Swirl, are huddled together in the passageway leading to the dragon’s cave.

“Oh, whatever shall we do!?” Paradise stage-whispers in the squeaky, Surprise-like voice used for Mousefur. “I just knew this would be a disaster—we’ll never save our friend now!”

“Now, now, dear Mousefur, do not lose hope,” Masquerade replies, in her reasonable, Wind Whistler-esque ‘Petal Swirl’ voice. “First, let me clarify a few things.”

Paradise sits on her hind haunches like a school-filly, looking up at Masquerade, as 'Mousefur' awaits the other's pearls of wisdom.

“You say Vista is not in immediate danger?” 'Petal Swirl' questions, sternly.

Paradise nods her white head. “He only threatened her when Vista said she wouldn’t work for him.”

“So she is safe for now — for she has the most creative mind of anyone I know. And you say that a pony was assisting the dragon?”

“Yes! What kind of pony would help a big, mean old dragon?”

“I am not sure, but where there is a problem there is also an opportunity.” Masquerade strokes her downy chin thoughtfully and draws her hoof below it, as if she had a wispy goatee.

Paradise smiles, pleased by the delivery of the line, which she had found in an old pony tale.

As this is going on, Danny and Galaxy whisper excitedly to each other, discussing what the characters could be planning — the boy, using logical human syllogism, argues that the fictional friends must fight the dragon, while the unicorn, using instinct and intuition, defends her view that it would be most sensible for the characters to find someone to help them.

Paradise occasionally glances over to this pair during the dialogue, pleased with their engagement but wanting them to follow her story.

"So,the plan is... um, err—" she stops, groping for the line.

A few ponies look up expectantly. Masquerade, worried, mouths it.

"Oh, yes, to...um? Wait, that's not—"

Sensing a theatrical emergency, the performer realises she will have to improvise to help Paradise out. With a flash of inspiration she suddenly leaps to her hooves. “Eureka!” she shouts and goes in for a hug.

The display of emotion and sudden shout shocks the audience, so consistent had Masquerade’s portrayal of the sober character been. An intrigued gasp goes up around the fire, most of whom then lean in, in suspense as to the meaning of the outburst, other than Applejack who was so surprised that she fell off her log-seat.

“Eeeeyah!?” squeaks Paradise, genuinely astonished, her pitch naturally imitating the high tones of her character.

“I apologise for the outburst,” begins 'Petal Swirl', “but I believe I have formulated a plan which will surely achieve our goal.” The golden pegasus pauses significantly.

“C’mon!” Danny and Galaxy mutter together, anticipating the revelation, both hoping to be proved right.

“To prevent the dragon’s spies overhearing—” Masquerade arches an eyebrow at the pair. “—it is safest to whisper.” Burying her muzzle in Paradise’s ear, she murmurs, "Pretend like I'm setting out the plan!"

Paradise, who had frozen, barely manages to choke out, “Oh, my!” playing along by instinct.

The audience relax, relieved that the awkward moment has passed, most assuming the whispering to be part of the act.

"I think it's working! Say, 'You don't say', or something, like a panto," Masquerade whispers.

“You don’t say!?” 'Mousefur' declaims. Paradise, attention diverted from the pair by her friend's warm proximity, relaxes and leans into the pantomime aspect of the improvised scene.

Danny and Galaxy drum hand and hoof respectively against the bark of their rough-hewn seats in their eagerness to see their speculations confirmed. A few other ponies, notably the curious Twilight, are caught up in the anticipation and join the others in fidgeting.

"Whisper, whisper, whisper, okay, time for another silly response," Masquerade murmurs.

“But what if he locks us away and throws away the key?” Paradise moans dramatically, hoof to her brow.

Galaxy, though normally one of the less skittish ponies, ceases drumming and rises to her hooves to pace back and forth, prancing restlessly as she wonders what 'Petal Swirl' could be saying.

After a few more mouthings, Masquerade withdraws from her friend's ear.

“Petal Swirl, you're a genius!” Paradise declares, prompting a wry smile from Ribbon, amused by the latter’s indirect praise for her friend.

The fidgeting unicorn and the boy cease their activity as they listen eagerly for the revelation.

Masquerade, pleased to see the performance back on the rails, raises her golden head triumphantly. "Then no more talking. You know what to do, so let's save our friend!" She flashes her eyes at Galaxy, just as the other had done previously to Danny.

"Just tell us!" the boy huffs. Twilight and a few others also look non-plussed.

Turning back to Galaxy, Danny tries to resume their argument, but as he leans in, her ear flicks.

“Let's just wait and see what they have planned,” she suggests, sitting herself back down and forcing herself to be patient, earning a thankful nod from storyteller and playwright alike.

Paradise describes the two friends leaving the mountain.

"Mousefur, the earth pony, travels the ground around the dragon's lair, searching for something."

She trots around the log-seat ring, her fur barely lit up by the glow of the campfire, which has now dimmed. As she swishes by the furry bodies, she mimes exploring — peering every so often at the ground, the log-seats and the audience. Some, like Firefly, look back with a grin, while others blush and look down. As Paradise comes to Fizzy, the bubbly pony giggles.

“I think I heard a noise over here!” 'Mousefur' squeaks. “I wonder if someone could be hiding inside this tasty looking fizzy-fruit tree? I better shake it to see if they fall out.”

With a chuckle, Paradise extends a wing to tickle the unicorn, who tries to wriggle away.

“Aah! Nooo!” Fizzy squeals.

Her neighbours, Surprise and Applejack, laugh delightedly as they treacherously join in.

The writhing teal pony activates her unicorn power to protectively bubble herself, poking out her tongue at the would-be assailants, who are pushed back by the translucent shield.

Applejack, not expecting it, and naturally clumsy, falls on her blond tail as a result. She licks her muzzle ruefully and returns to her log-seat, defeated for now.

Paradise, apprehending both the practical and narrative necessity of desisting, calls off the attack.

“No one there. I better keep looking…”

Surprise, however, not to be deterred, springs at Fizzy to burst the bubble. At the last moment a hard look from the bulky form of Cherries Jubilee makes her reconsider, so she decides to wrap her hooves around it in a bear hug.

The interposing film flexes, but holds.

“Hugs?” Surprise pouts, pushing her muzzle against the sinuous material.

Fizzy blows a raspberry. “Only if you promise no more tickles!” Her voice echoes inside her bubble-shell.

The pegasus nods solemnly and makes a gesture, sticking her hoof into her eye and crossing her heart. Fizzy, satisfied, dissipates the bubble with a sparkle of her horn.

Paradise looks at them incredulously, shaking her head. “The trees around here sure are spoony…”

“Petal Swirl, the pegasus, searches the skies…” the storyteller continues. Masquerade, on cue, springs into the night air.

As she takes off, North Star follows. During the last scene, she had been engaged in applying a costume supplied by Sundance. She now wears a silver party hat on her forehead, which juts out like a horn, and sports a coating of silver glitter on the underside of her pink wings and furry tummy. The glitter catches the fireilight as she climbs over the upturned heads of the audience, graceful as a bird. In moments, she has become just another point of light in the speckled shroud.

Megan, who had been following the costuming with interest, pets Sundance. “Excellent job—she looks beautiful! Wherever did you find the ‘horn’?”

“Thanks.” The white earth pony nuzzles the girl's hand. “It’s from my costume, from when I play unicorns and pegasi with Shady.”

The little white pony looks up with doe eyes, her blues seeking Megan's, who smiles down at her favourite, melting internally, suppressing the desire to coo and fuss in front of the others.

Above the ring of fiery upturned faces, Masquerade and North Star continue to ascend on smoky thermals until they are high above the campfire, whereon she hovers while the scout rises further, just out of view of the audience.

The ponies below squint upwards. With a gesture to Night Light, the golden performer is lit up by the unicorn's power which performs the role of a spotlight.

Paradise explains that Petal Swirl's search has taken her to the volcanic land of the phoenixes, where she is surprised to find something else in the air with her.

"The plumes of noxious steam that are constantly being thrown up from the roiling lava below her, make the pony unsure whether the form denotes a pegasus like herself, or a monster."

“Hail!” Masquerade calls out, casting an eye beneath her to be sure that the audience has heard.

Paradise explains that the mysterious figure does not respond.

North Star’s blurred shape, just visible as a shadow against the star-flecks, bobs and weaves a few pony-lengths above the lit-up form of the other flier.

“Be you friend or foe?” 'Petal Swirl' calls out, again.

With a powerful flap of her wings, Masquerade reaches out to the lavender tail. The audience 'ooh' appreciatively as they apprehend the elaborate costume, illuminated by the spotlight; the approbation draws a delighted blush from Sundance.

Paradise narrates that the strange being is a 'Star Unicorn,' which resembles both a pegasus and a unicorn, and has a silvery, ethereal form.

North Star smiles, but points to her mouth and shakes her head.

"Star Unicorns do not speak the common tongue," the storyteller explains. "Therefore, they must communicate using charades."

North Star raises a pink, glittery, foreleg in a gesture to the stars above her, which she follows up with a hoof-tap to her chest.

Masquerade shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders. “Um… your name is Starlight? No, that can't be right.”

The 'star unicorn' tries again. This time she points to the sky and then presses her foreleg to her face and closes her eyes in a recognisable ‘sleeping’ mime.

'Petal Swirl' once more shakes her head in confusion. “Err… you sleep on the moon?”

“She’s saying she’s a sleepyhead!” calls out Fizzy.

“Or that she has a headache?” suggests Magic Star.

“I hope she’s saying something about fighting a dragon,” Firefly groans, holding out her hoof for Medley to bop, which the she duly does, with an apologetic look to Paradise, who rolls her eyes at them.

North Star points once again to the moon and draws her hooves in a square shape, before bringing them together to form a triangle to convey a house.

“From that, I deduce that your herd live on the moon." Masquerade makes a similar gesture, pointing to the ground, prompting the 'star unicorn' to nod.

"I am on a quest to find someone,” 'Petal Swirl' continues. “Tell me, have you seen another pony like me, here?” As the costumed pony mimes incomprehension, Masquerade makes a ‘thinking’ gesture, scratching her head exaggeratedly so that the remote audience can see. Eventually, she makes a circling motion at her head, the pony-charade equivalent of ‘similar to’, and then points to her chest.

North Star nods and gestures to the party-hat 'horn' on her forehead.

“Oh—my—hoofness! A unicorn has visited here!” Masquerade stage-whispers with pantomime surprise.

Paradise explains that Petal Swirl was shocked to hear that the other pony was a unicorn, because in Saddle Arabia there were very few — only Vista Star, the King and a couple of others.

“Who could the dragon’s assistant be?” 'Petal Swirl' continues the whispered monologue, the performer contorting her face to convey as much surprise and consternation as the logical character allows for the benefit of those below. “Where are they now?” she asks aloud, as she simultaneously mimes the question by placing a fetlock to her brow and gazing about like an explorer.

The 'star unicorn' nods, then blinks and clops her hooves together.

“He winked away, of course!”

Masquerade notices furrowed brows of confusion on some of the upturned faces of her audience. 'Tough scene', she sighs — she had advised against performing in the sky when they were planning the story-play, but Paradise had insisted. As she swoops back down to earth, the storyteller explains that Petal Swirl, after miming a hoof to heart gesture of thanks to the Star Unicorn, rushes back to the dragon's lair.

North Star, her part over, looks down at the rippling fire and the orange-hued ring of ponies, before raising her gaze to see over the tops of the rustling trees of the now-black forest canopy, to the horizon. The dim shapes of mountains and the glistening skin of a moonlit lake in the distance call to her, but tonight her heart is set on destinations that are even further away.

The pegasus raises her eyes again so that she is facing directly upwards. In the unimaginable distance is the familiar Big Dipper, the constellation depicted by Galaxy’s mark. Free from the obscuring illumination on the ground, the stars loom large and, as she was often wont to do while night-flying, she traces the line of the sparkling ‘club’ of the Dipper to the two bright orbs at its tip, and then through the blackness in-between, to her own heart’s star: Polaris. Against the midnight pitch of the forest, this shines bright, like a diamond, filling her with longing. Her always-active mind whirs as she imagines the home of the legendary 'star unicorns,' a paradise of nebulae and supernova, just out of reach.

'It's so close! I must find it. I'll be the first pony to discover them and see where they go during the day...' As if on their own, North Star's wings fan, gathering the firey thermals and she shoots upwards into the night, hooves curling under — earth is forgotten as her sky-borne heart takes control.

Back on the ground, Masquerade gently descends into the firelight, to a smattering of applause for the scene. However, Galaxy, her horn sparkling, senses something is amiss; she furrows her brow, peering into the smoke for a glimpse of the missing scout. With an abrupt shout, she calls a halt to the play and everyone turns to her.

“Where is North Star?” Galaxy rises to her hooves, her rubies flashing with concern.

The herd murmur confusedly, gazing about the clearing. Most had assumed that North Star would be with Masquerade.

Firefly and Medley, North Star's companions, immediately leap into the air with a kick, seeking their comrade, but are called back by an angry whistle.

"Back, girls," states Wind Whistler in a tone that brooks no argument. "Don't be so hasty."

“It's a dragon!” moans Sundance fearfully, burying her face in Megan’s lap. “Come to steal us away and turn us into monsters, just like Tirac!”

Similar, though less hysterical, thoughts run through the minds of the others, many of whom have felt the trauma of monster incursion.

In other parts of the circle, more considered ideas are forming. Danny, who had been musing upon the abilities of unicorns during the play, is suddenly struck by an idea.

“Ribbon, can your unicorn power reach her mind?”

The motherly blue unicorn’s initially doubtful expression gives way to a thoughtful pout. “That is possible, Danny,” she agrees, giving the boy a respectful nod.

With a scintillation of her horn, her mind reaches out to the errant pegasus. The image that forms is full of stars and nebulae and is oblivious to communication, rather like the 'Star Unicorn' that North Star had recently been portraying.

Danny, seeing Ribbon’s horn sparkling, waits patiently for her insight, while all around, voices rise in panic.

‘Oh, she’s as bad as her foal!’ she broadcasts to him telepathically, with a shake of her head. ‘She’s star-struck.’

“Star-struck?” he wonders, bemused.

Galaxy's ears perk up at Danny's exclamation — as understanding dawns, she sighs and her rubies show spiraling sparkles, the gem-eyed pony equivalent of rolling one’s eyes.

“That feather-brain—of course! She sometimes tries to fly to the stars. In Dream Valley she can get pretty close, but no matter how many times we tell her she'll never catch those skittish star unicorns, she's always chasing after them.”

“Stars aren’t unicorns, they’re made of—” the boy begins, but is interrupted by Galaxy clopping her hooves for quiet.

“North Star is safe, but she is star-struck and needs to be brought back before she flies too high or draws the attention of a monster. Can any of you—” The unicorn gestures to the pegasus scouts. “—fly as high as her?”

All the scouts, bar Firefly, shake their heads. Medley, seeing this, tuts at her friend. “You might be faster than her, but none of us can go the distances Northie can.” Firefly looks about to argue, her pink head held high, but she catches the hard blues of the latter's gaze and her pride falters. With a sigh, she lowers her head and joins the others in defeat with a dispirited disavowal.

However, one, quiet voice from a formerly dozing pegasus, affirms that she is capable. It comes from a milky, light-yellow coated pony with a long blond mane. In contrast to the mare’s meekness, her physicality almost equals that of Cherries Jubilee. On her flank are stars which surround a hot air balloon.

Galaxy eyes the pony critically, before nodding with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Lofty. You should be able to catch her.”

The other pegasi sigh enviously as the great pegasus spreads wings that fan almost a pony-length on either side as, with beats heavy enough to cause the fire to flare, the albatross of the herd sets off.

As the thud of the Lofty’s flight recedes, Paradise resumes her tale, stating that Mousefur and Petal Swirl hurry back to the dragon's mountain.

She picks up a rope in her mouth, in character once more. “Mmmf mmf, mmmf mmmmf!” A few giggle and the tension around the fire due to the interruption eases a little.

“Mousefur, dear, please,” Masquerade states, patiently. “I cannot hear what you are saying.”

Paradise spits it out. “I said that this vine will be perfect!”

As the less practically minded ponies look on intrigued, a knowing look comes into Galaxy and Danny’s faces.

Paradise narrates that Mousefur weaves the vines into a lasso, explaining that her subtle earth pony mouth and deft hooves are equal to the difficult task. This draws an appreciative smile from Sundance and a few of the other earth ponies.

“Now that the lasso is finished, where should we spring our trap?” 'Mousefur' wonders.

“In the tunnel, where he or she won’t be able to wink away to escape.” Masquerade’s eyes glitter and she allows the serious character only the slightest of victorious smirks. The revelation is accompanied by ‘aahs’ of understanding from most of the listeners, who had been in the dark as to the designs of the two protagonists. Danny and Galaxy, however, who had already figured this out, grin at one another.

Paradise hops up and down, seeing in her mind’s eye her creation’s excited little grey form dancing with glee. There is a collective wince from the audience as they see the ungainly storyteller gallumph about.

"Is she pretending to be a pelican or somethin'?" Gusty mutters, smirking, prompting chuckles, which Paradise assumes to be in response to her character's performance, and so keeps going.

Masquerade pinkens. “Yes. In the tunnel. So we'll trap him there. Quickly, Mousefur!" she emphasises, an edge to her voice.

The repetition also serves to clue in some of the slower and more easily distracted ponies. “Oh, they were trying to find the dragon’s assistant the whole time!” Applejack blurts out. “Now it makes sense!”

Paradise shrugs and stops cavorting. “The two ponies lurk around a bend in the passageway until—” she pauses, waiting for a cue.

Girlish giggles break out as Danny, who has risen from his seat, bends to the ground awkwardly, dropping to all-fours. (Seeing the bipedal creature thus transformed into an ungainly, unbalanced ‘pony’ always delighted the herd— foal, filly and mare alike.)

Surprise, unable to contain herself, flutters onto Danny’s back, sitting astride him.

“Giddy up, Danny!” she chortles, squeezing him with her milk-white hind-legs.

“Neeigh!” He rears back, galloping his hands like a startled pony.

The silly sound causes the crowd to laugh even harder. Most assume it to be merely a human noise, and not an imitation of the horses of Danny’s homeland, but Firefly, who has visited the world over the rainbow, recognises it and guffaws.

She nudges her friend. “I told you, Medley, that’s the sound they make there.”

The turquoise pony snorts. “Hah! Well you wouldn’t catch memaking such a silly noise.”

Masquerade and Paradise, expecting the display and anticipating the effect it would have on the crowd, wait indulgently for their audience to return to them. But when the mirth does not subside, Masquerade — mindful of the late hour — clops her hooves together in an attempt to bring the diversion to an end.

The performers, however, are in no mind to comply.

“Such a good horsey!” Surprise, enjoying the laughs and oblivious to Masquerade, continues her improvised routine. “Do you want a carrot?” She mimes holding a carrot to his mouth which he pretends to chomp on, provoking more giggles.

“Ahem!” Paradise coughs, trying to support Masquerade's efforts to move things on.

Ignoring this, Danny, enjoying being the centre of attention, turns to the laughing group and makes a nickering and snorting noise.

Surprise leans in towards his face, as if she’s trying to understand him. “Oh, if only they could talk like us? What could be in their silly heads?” she quips, winking, to more laughs.

Paradise tries to catch Cherries Jubilee’s attention, but she is too caught up in the fun to notice. Megan, though, more familiar with, and less diverted by, her brother’s antics, and similarly concerned by the lateness of the hour, decides that enough is enough.

“Quit fooling around!” she snaps, summoning a pretend anger, knowing that anything less would not be sufficient.

The laughing herd quietens, abashed. “I was only—” Danny begins.

Surprise, looking dismayed, dismounts. “Sorry, Megan.”

The human gives the rambunctious pegasus a stern look, causing her ears to droop. Megan never liked disciplining the ponies, but she knew that the excitable filly would only exhaust herself and, moreover, work up the others. She maintains the facade until Surprise is once more seated.

Paradise gives Megan a grateful nod. “So, as I was saying…” She explains that Petal Swirl and Mousefur crouch tensely as they hear the unmistakable clippety-clop of hoof-steps coming towards them, echoing in the quiet of the tunnel.

Masquerade adds the sound effect to this description, bringing her forehooves together as Danny makes his way towards her on all fours, imitating the heavy tread of the dragon’s mysterious pony helper. Some risible ponies join in, so that each ‘step’ is echoed by tens of similar clops from around the clearing, along with numerous sniggers.

Paradise, shaking her head at the buffoonery, perseveres, and once Danny is next to her, she shouts out, “Now!” in the squeaky ‘Mousefur’ voice.

Suddenly, Masquerade throws a rope over the boy who rears up and thrashes his arms about like a pony fighting the rein.

To Paradise's satisfaction, she notes that the turn towards action grips her audience, whose laid-back ears during the silliness have flicked forward intently.

“Mousefur—pull it taut!” 'Petal Swirl' urges, the calm tone contrasting with the tense scene.

Paradise picks up the ends of the rope and draws it tight, so that it knots around Danny’s waist like a lasso; as she does so she explains that once the mysterious pony is trapped, they find out that it is indeed a unicorn, a male. "Petal Swirl approaches the gloomy form apprehensively, unable to make out its features," she intones, darkly. “He seems to her to have midnight-black fur.”

The revelation provokes shocked murmurs from the colourful pony crowd.

“Unnatural!” mutters Ribbon, disquieted.

Paradise continues, saying that as the two friends approach the tied up unicorn and lift his travelling cloak, they are shocked to find that they recognise him.

“It cannot be!?” hisses 'Petal Swirl'.

“By Merlin’s beard!” squeaks 'Mousefur'.

“The unicorn assisting the dragon is… the King himself!?” they cry in unison.

The revelation astonishes those of the herd following the tale, provoking gasps and mutters all around.

“But why would he betray his subjects?” muses Galaxy.

“What a traitor, huh!” Gusty scoffs, unimpressed.

“But... they trusted him.” Posey’s reedy voice rises tremulously, almost lost in the din.

Suddenly, the ropes unwind and lift up. The earth ponies and pegasi 'aah' in surprise, and a few manes swish back and forth, looking for the secret to the trick. The unicorns, however, collectively grin, recognising the telekinetic magic of Buttons — a few gesture to her gently scintillating lavender horn, which protrudes through light red and blue curls.

“The King’s unicorn power is telekinesis, and he has unwound the rope restraining him,” Paradise explains.

Gusty grins across the fire at her playmate; Buttons winks back as she continues to levitate the rope.

“The treacherous King attacks by lifting Mousefur into the air with his unicorn power!” With a nod to her magical assistant, the storyteller is surrounded by sparkles as the lavender pony’s power levitates her. Steadying herself with her wings, she continues, “And then he throws the rope at Petal Swirl!”

The unicorn, now panting with exertion, sparkles the rope over to Masquerade, where it hangs limply on her muzzle.

The display of magic meets with a few clops of applause from the audience, led by Gusty.

“And he winks away!” the pegasus announces, gracefully gliding back to her log-seat.

The audience turn to Buttons, but she shakes her head.

Masquerade coughs repeatedly, gesturing at Gusty to cue her. Eventually, she gives up. “Gusty will play the part of the escaping king,” she announces, frowning testily at the windswept mare, who turns and laconically rises to her hooves.

“All hail king Gusty!” cries Sundance, teasingly, prompting an un-lady-like snort of amusement from Megan, who had already had a few run-ins with the highly strung ‘alpha mare’ of the herd.

Suddenly, with a flash of her green eyes, the wild unicorn appears on the opposite side of the fire, near Paradise. The pegasus makes to throw the rope, in character as Mousefur, but by the time it lands, Gusty has already winked away.

“Noo! He’s escaped,” 'Mousefur' squeaks.

The unicorn cackles as she reappears on the other side of the fire next to Sundance, who smiles nervously at her, ears pinned back submissively.

“Boo!” The mare grins down at the earth pony, summoning a wind to ruffle her pink mane.

“Eek!” Sundance flinches, before giggling, relieved that Gusty hadn’t taken the earlier tease the wrong way.

“Cease and desist,” Masquerade bellows, leaping over the log-seat next to Sundance to cast her rope once more. The crowd gasp, only to sigh as Gusty winks away again.

As the unicorn winks back and forth, pursued by Masquerade, Paradise explains that the King was too constrained by the tunnel to make good his escape, but also too quick to be caught.

“The two friends find themselves in a frustrating stalemate between hunter and hunted.” She gestures to Masquerade, whose heavy breathing and increasingly weak wing-flaps were not entirely an act as she tries to keep up with Gusty. “While Petal Swirl can anticipate the King, she lacks the dexterity to capture him, and while Mousefur can throw the lasso expertly, she struggles to predict the king’s movements, and therefore neither are able to trap him.”

“They need to work together!” shout a few ponies.

Paradise narrates that just as the king looks like he is going to escape, Petal Swirl calls out to Mousefur, suggesting a new tactic.

“Mousefur! Aim it here,” Masquerade calls out, pointing to a seemingly empty space.

“B-but—” Paradise begins, before opening her eyes wide. “Sure thing, Petals!” She launches the rope.

Gusty obligingly winks into its path, lowering her horn expertly so that it hangs at the tip, to a few clops of applause.

Masquerade gingerly approaches the unicorn, intending to knot the rope on the latter’s horn, but is checked as the other turns, lifts her head and shifts her weight forward. Those near the temperamental mare recognise the signs of an impending buck, and move to one side, but Gusty controls the urge. With a nicker, she faces Masquerade, bowing once more.

Paradise explains that the lasso expertly catches around the King’s horn and that Petal Swirl fixes it in place so he cannot escape.

The long anticipated revelation brings a pleased thigh-slap from Danny and squee of satisfaction from Galaxy, whose earlier whispering had chanced upon this means of restraint.

“Thank you, Gusty. I will play the part of the King from here.” Masquerade pants, relieved that the scene is over.

Gusty nods and hoofs the rope to the pegasus, before returning to her seat.

Masquerade ties the rope around her neck and her expression shifts to a scowl, in role as the treacherous king.

Paradise, in turn, pins her ears back and trembles her lip, a picture of betrayed trust. “H-how could you do this to us!?” she squeaks.

Masquerade snarls and whisks her head about, as if trying to dislodge the rope. In response, Paradise bites down on it and pulls, forcing the performer's head forward. The golden pegasus mimes reluctance, skidding her hooves as she is yanked along. Once she has been reeled in, she calms and raises her head to face the audience, who gasp in shock when they see that her normally sparkling emerald eyes, so full of life, are strangely blank and empty.

The audience recoils at the eerie sight of the inert gems.

“I can’t see her eyes! Where has her twinkle gone!?” Magic Star cries, horrified. “Stop it, Masquerade… I don’t like it!”

Posey, next to Magic Star, cuddles against her friend, similarly disturbed. “Please...” she joins in.

“Ew, freaky. Talk about nightmare fuel.” Gusty grimaces, less perturbed than the rest, but still flustered.

Danny, though, is more bemused than afraid. “What do they mean? ‘Her twinkle?’” he asks Galaxy, whose own gemmed eyes are unusually cloudy. But she doesn't reply. Surprised, he looks round the other gem-eyed ponies, seeing the same malaise upon all of them, with even Fizzy’s normally sparkling quartzes being downcast.

However, one pair of particularly brilliant, pink sapphires seem to be unaffected. Her gems are set among fiery white, golden, yellow, orange, and red stripes of mane—their iridescent light almost eclipses the campfire’s glow. She explains, softly: “When we joined the herd, our gems were dark like that because we had been kept underground. We couldn’t see very well and couldn’t escape until we harnessed the light in our eyes — our ‘twinkle’. I, Bright Eyes, was the first to do so.”

With a shake of her head, Bright Eyes's gems glow to a dazzling white. The spark travels to Galaxy’s rubies, then to Fizzy’s warm pink quartzes and finally to the deep emeralds set in the gold of Masquerade. The performer, her gems still flickering with the past, gives the other gem-eyed pony a brief smile, before turning to Paradise, waiting for her next cue.

Paradise puts a comforting hoof to Masquerade's shoulder as she draws her audience once more into her story. She explains that once the king is tied up, they strip him of his robes and possessions, including the gems he was sent for. “The gems glow with the golden fire of the land of the phoenixes, captivating Mousefur and Vista Star as they stand huddled in the dragon tunnel.” Suddenly, she pushes Masquerade forward towards the fire, causing her face is light up from below by the firelight.

“Behold! For mysterious Muse has revealed the Phoenix Gems to us!” she declaims, grandly, pointing to her friend's emeralds. The gemmed-eyes form dancing canopies or grassy plains as the reflections of the rippling flames play across their surface. “Their beauty is too much for me.” The snow white pegasus casts a fetlock over her face. “I may faint!”

Masquerade blushes as the audience turns to gaze at her face. Many ponies gasp as, under the influence of the story, they seem to catch glimpses of the unearthly beauty of the 'phoenix gems' reflected in the many facets of her eyes. Leaning into her role, she gently turns her head, twinkling her viridescence onto the onlookers like twin crystal balls.

Paradise smiles at Masquerade's beauty as she continues to narrate that the companions reverentially replace the priceless items in their pouch and then tie the treacherous king up. "Petal Swirl dons the former king’s robes and trots into the lair in disguise, looking to get close to Vista and somehow aid her friend’s escape."

Masquerade drapes a large, fluffy, white dressing gown, courtesy of Heart Throb, over herself and then flourishes a purse — provided by Megan — as an improvised gem-pouch which she holds above her head. She trots slowly over to Danny, crouching in a servile manner as she does so.

A roar sounds from the incongruous form of Surprise, prompting squeaks of discomfort from the group and startling a few of the sleepier ones awake.

Danny, in his role as the dragon, stands and glowers at the robed supplicant suspiciously. Suddenly, twin jets of bubbly steam appear behind him, catching the firelight and creating a vaporous halo. Behind him, in the mist, almost obscured, is the teal form of Fizzy, the source of the bubbles. The spectacle draws gasps of surprise from the listeners.

Masquerade continues to approach with the pouch aloft, breathing deeply to mime fear.

“Something seems different about you, my servant...” Danny growls in as deep and threatening a voice as he can manage.

Her green gems glint in the fire under her dressing gown 'robe' as she takes her time, savoring her audience's reaction to the tense moment: Posey and Magic Star clutch each other’s hooves tightly, Twilight fidgets with her log-seat and Sundance again buries her head into Megan’s lap.

After a momentary pause to build suspense, Paradise continues, saying that Petal Swirl approaches the base of the dragon’s grand throne where Vista Star is still chained and working on a sculpture for the foul beast. "As the pegasus approaches with the pouch held aloft, the Thespian unicorn is shocked to discern the fair fur of her friend poking out from under the cloak, but that the quick-witted pony swallows her amazement, to avoid blowing the other’s cover."

Masquerade cowers in front of Danny, head lowered and hooves outstretched, before opening the purse, as if displaying the gems inside.

After another dramatic pause, in which the tension electrifies the ears of every pony, Danny rears his head, takes a deep breath and opens his mouth. Posey and a number of the more delicate cover their eyes with their fetlocks, anticipating Petal Swirl’s demise by dragon-fire. However, Masquerade does not flinch, and holds the ‘gems’ high as jets of steamy bubbles form from behind Danny’s head. These cascade about the pegasus, evoking contemplative smoke, rather than an aggressor's stream of flame.

Danny nods and peers at the 'gems'. “Yes, that will do, my servant. Present them to the slave,” he booms, menacingly.

The ponies around the campfire all breathe a sigh of relief.

“Petal Swirl makes a show of passing over materials to Vista, and whispers into her friend’s ear,” the white pegasus explains.

“Where is the key to the manacles?” 'Petal Swirl' hisses, the stage-whisper cutting across the hushed audience.

Masquerade alters her features to Vista Star. “Mine freedom, the victim of these ill-begotten, draconic chains, lacks such a savior.” Drawing a fetlock over her brow, she continues, “Verily, my bonds are the product of a magick most foul.”

“Do you know what spell maintains them?”

“More than that, my would be knight in shining armour. In mine dreadful captivity, after the clawed Artemis captured this sacrificial lamb, our own Thesmothete imprisoned me. Both the chains and our liege are now creatures of the same arcana! The cause of this wickedness is the swirling crystal that crests the beast’s foul staff.” Masquerade delivers Paradise’s eldritch script with gusto, hissing and crackling like a crone and waggling her ears maniacally.

Many, however, look lost, unable to follow the references in the mini-soliloquy, which leaves even Megan — an avid reader — confused.

Paradise explains that Vista means that both the manacles on the pony and the king are controlled by the dragon's staff, which leans against his throne. The revelation prompts intrigued ‘oohs,’ especially from the storyteller’s practically-minded companions.

“That must be why the king’s sparkle had gone! Because the dragon’s magic was controlling him,” Galaxy whispers to Cherries Jubilee, who nods.

Masquerade pauses for her audience to digest the developments before continuing. “So, we break the staff.” The incongruity of the terse and straightforward explanation, after the floweriness of Vista Star, is met with a couple of giggles, despite the tension.

“Quite so, my clear-sighted companion. While labouring in this sulphurous pit, mine eyes oft strayed to the staff; without my sensitivities, one may suspect it to be invulnerable, but I have found a flaw. I who have shaped knotted branches from the giant redwoods of the south and stripped the sickly corrupted barks from the willows of the Eastern marshes. This same master-craftspony has discerned that the wood of the dragon’s staff shrinks from the crystal as doth flesh from a suppurating wound.” Masquerade's voice sinks to a growl.

Paradise clarifies that Vista Star's message means that the dragon's staff is rotten near the top and that if a pony were to crest the throne and somehow avoid the dragon, they might be able to buck the crystal off.

“I shall take this news to—” 'Petal Swirl' begins, but is cut off by a roar from Surprise.

“Leave now! Lest the creature divines that you are not subject to its magick!” Masquerade wails, her hoof raised dramatically to point at Danny.

Paradise describes that Petal Swirl grimaces and trots out of the chamber, imitating the mechanical gait of a possessed pony. "Once there, she explains the situation to Mousefur."

“Soon the dragon will realise that his servant is no longer under his control! We must destroy that dragon's staff now,” 'Petal Swirl' urges.

“B-but how?” ‘Mousefur’ splutters.

“I shall fly in there and—” she begins, but is cut off.

“No! You’ll be spotted and cooked alive by his fiery breath! I should go—”

“Don’t say that! I couldn’t bear to lose you too.” 'Petal Swirl' interrupts, sobbing, to the surprise of the audience, so used to the character’s Wind Whistler-like calm and logical delivery. Masquerade's eyes glisten with real emotion as she imagines losing her snow white bestie.

The outburst is met by sniffles around the campfire, particularly from the yellow forms of Posey and Magic Star.

“Nor me, you, mon cher,” Paradise lilts warmly, moving beside Masquerade, taking her hoof and entwining her red tail in the luxurious green weave of her companion. They hang their heads together emotionally, their manes dangling over their eyes.

Paradise is the first to break the embrace. “Be logical...” 'Mousefur' soothes, as Paradise strokes Masquerade’s golden-furred cheek with a pale hoof, a twinkle in her eye. “Your big clumsy hooves would alert the dragon to your presence in a second, while I can sneak up to that scaly monster and buck its stupid staff before it knows what has happened!”

“Yeah! You go filly!” Applejack calls out, wrapped up in the moment, joined momentarily by an echoing ‘woo!’ from Fizzy, Sundance and Surprise.

“Oh, Mousefur,” Masquerade chokes in a voice full of sadness. Ribbon, who is sitting next to Posey, gives her a squeeze as the delicate pony struggles with the tender scene.

In another part of the circle, Firefly pokes her tongue out. “Eww, yuck,” she whispers to Medley.

“Tell me about it,” the other responds, coolly, although her glistening eyes betray her.

Paradise explains that the two companions formulate a plan whereby Mousefur will creep up to the throne to destroy the staff, whereon Vista Star will wink to safety and Petal Swirl will distract the dragon to allow Mousefur to escape. "With one last look into her companion’s eyes, Mousefur begins the rescue."

Paradise leans back significantly on her log-seat, her creamy coat glowing in the fading embers of the now dim campfire, taking in the rapt expression of her audience, before continuing.

“With sock-soft hooves—” she begins, pausing as she is interrupted by a squee from Minty, “—Mousefur skitters across the dragon’s lair unseen and shimmies up one side of its enormous throne.”

“I can’t look!” Sundance moans, her head returning to the safety of Megan’s lap where, for good measure, she also covers her ears.

“Finally!” Firefly nudges Medley, her purple eyes sparkling with anticipation of the coming action.

Paradise explains that the dragon doesn’t spot the little pony, even as she climbs nimbly up the legs of his throne. "The beast’s eyes are glued to the iridescent phoenix gems adorning Vista’s sculpture."

The storytelling pegasus rises to stand on her log-seat, spreading her wings. The audience hush as they sense the nearing climax of the tale. “Mousefur ascends to the armrest of the dragon’s throne; all around lie the tyrant’s riches, like a golden mountain range,” she breathes. “The staff leans against one of these armrests. To approach it, she will have to use the creature’s own scaled bulk as cover....”

The attentive members of the audience hold their breath. Even the normally unflappable Medley finds herself seeking the pink of Firefly’s hoof and they sit entwined. The latter — similarly worked up — extends a salmon-pink wing and wraps it around her love.

“Mousefur gingerly creeps towards the staff, as slowly as she dares, trying not to draw the gaze of the monster, whose sulphurous smoke lies all about as a putrid fog, burning her with each... shallow... breath."

Paradise counts to three in her head, trying to build suspense, a technique passed on to her by Masquerade.

"Her eyes sting and her fur is soaked with sweat as she inches along the narrow armrest, averting her gaze from the cavern floor, far below…”

The reference to the threat of falling draws anxious glances from the earth ponies, and compassionate ‘awws’ from the pegasi.

“Mousefur draws ever forward, till the dragon’s staff towers above her, the arcane magic in the great apex crystal crackles and buzzes, like a storm...”

The clearing is silent except for the quiet shifting of the ashy logs and occasional pop from the fire. Suddenly a grumbling roar sounds from Surprise, which once more elicits shrieks from the more skittish of the herd.

Paradise explains that Mousefur cowers at the dragon's roar, fully expecting to become its next meal.

In the pause, a collective gasp goes up around the clearing.

"But miraculously the earth pony finds that she is not eaten. Risking a quick look back, she sees that the beast was merely clearing its throat."

The ponies sigh as one.

"Bodkins and bows!" Ribbon puts a hoof to her palpitating chest.

"Her heart in her mouth, Mousefur backs towards the dragon's staff, heading to where the wise Vista had indicated — the rotten wood underneath the crystal. Time seems to slow down for her as she unleashes and..." Paradise pauses again.

"Spit it out." Cherries Jubilee complains, eager to find out what happens and becoming exasperated by the theatrics.

"—it first creaks, then totters and finally begins to fall..."

"Oh, oh, oh!" Posey whimpers, biting her hooves.

"—and, with a crash, it shatters on the cavern floor!”

As Surprise takes a deep breath, everyone anticipates a loud roar. However, before she unleashes, a feather tickles her throat and she squeals with laughter. Fizzy, wielder of the feather, tongue-pokes cheekily.

The pegasus prepares to leap, but a thunderous look from both Paradise and Masquerade checks her.

Fizzy, realising that she has interrupted an important moment for the creative pair, shrinks back, feeling guilty. “Gotcha back,” she hisses.

Paradise describes the furious dragon bellowing with anger and swiping at Mousefur with its razor-sharp, meter-long claws. While Gusty, Firefly and Medley’s ears prick up with interest, most look uncomfortable at the visceral description of a predator attacking a fellow pony. Magic Star, who is holding Posey’s hoof, adopts a particularly tight-lipped expression.

Paradise, with a sigh, reassures her audience that Mousefur is perfectly okay, since she nimbly darts out of the way and slides down one of the glass legs of the throne.

“Go, Mousefur!” various ponies hoot.

“But before she can leap to safety, the dragon wraps his huge body around the throne to prevent her escape!” she adds, to a collective gasp.

Paradise explains that Vista Star now comes to her rescue. "The unicorn's magical manacles had fallen to the ground when the dragon’s crystal had smashed, and the artistic unicorn, though she could wink away in an instant, was loathe to leave her friend behind."

Masquerade advances on Danny. “Foulsome wyrm!” she roars as Vista Star, glowering.

As she does so, he reluctantly hands her the horsehead he had been whittling and she casts it into the campfire, wherein its passably whittled head begins to blacken and burn.

"Not horseface!" exclaims Applejack, piercing the solemn moment with her chuckleheadery.

Between this, the late hour, and the previous interruption, a few ponies' begin to titter and chatter among themselves.

Paradise hurriedly explains that, in order to distract the dragon and save her friend, Vista Star casts down the beautiful sculpture she had been working on, smashing the priceless piece and shattering the phoenix gems.

"With a blood curdling scream, the dragon turns from Mousefur to Vista and leaps, its fangs outstretched and grasping,” the pegasus booms, lurching her wings forward, at which a few in the audience flinch back.

The storyteller pauses as she notes with satisfaction that she has regained their full attention.

“C’mon, Paradise!” Firefly shrills.

However, the storyteller does not continue. Instead, with a smug look, she wags her hoof at the eager pink pegasus. “You’ll have to wait and see, because I need to tell you what Petal Swirl has been doing all this time.”

Paradise explains that as the dragon’s crystal explodes into fragments, the Saddle Arabian king returns to his senses.

“Petal Swirl! My most loyal subject. Untie me!” Danny commands, now using his ‘king’ voice.

“But Petal Swirl does not immediately help him. While she understands that the king is no longer ensorcelled, her ears are full of the roars of the dragon and her heart throbs with concern for her friends.” Paradise pauses, and many heads bob up excitedly, hopeful for action. “But she resists the urge to charge in to the fray, as she senses that the king might prove to be a valuable ally.” The heads sink back down.

"Ugh, what a tail-tease," Firefly grumbles.

Paradise continues to say that Petal Swirl unties the king. "Once freed, he is determined to storm into the dragon’s lair and confront the beast there and then, but the level headed pegasus advises against — resisting her instinct once more — she reasons that an attack without a plan would be too dangerous."

The sentiment draws solemn nods of approval from Megan, Galaxy and Wind Whistler, all familiar with the need to put their feelings to one side so as to keep their minds clear in order to better care for those who rely upon them.

'Petal Swirl' cups a hoof to 'the King's' ear and whispers, in response to which he nods, judiciously. “You understand, Sire,” she enunciates.

“I do,” 'the king' replies, gravely, before turning to the fire. “Onwards! For Saddle Arabia!”

“For Mousefur and Vista Star!” 'Petal Swirl' enjoins.

"At last!" Firefly grunts and leaps athletically into the air. Masquerade, who had been just about to cue the pegasus in, stops mid-gesture, awkwardly.

The pegasi grin, understanding that the expert flier of the group was about to put on a show.

Masquerade, meanwhile, gestures to Gusty and Fizzy, and excited murmurs bubble up from the audience as the two unicorns position themselves next to each other. While the ponies wonder what is about to happen, Paradise explains that before the dragon can land its strike on the static form of the proud Vista Star, Petal Swirl bravely charges it, driving her lance down onto the beast’s cavernous maw.

"Wait, where did she get the lance from?" wonders Wind Whistler, tiredly.

Paradise, overhearing, blushes hotly, having lost track of the item when drafting her script. 'Too late to correct that now' she thinks to herself, and presses on. “Vista Star! Wink to safety! We shall save Mousefur. Go!” 'Petal Swirl' calls out.

“The dragon turns to meet the new attack, surprised by the sudden presence. Its monstrous heart knew fear in that moment, but it still has its greatest weapon…” Paradise explains, and then pauses, ominously.

With a whoosh from Gusty’s horn and a zipping-popping sound from Fizzy’s, a stream of bubbles flies out towards Firefly, glowing orange in the reflected firelight. The beam streaks towards the aerial-ace who avoids it. A chorus of thumping applause and wolf-whistles breaks out from the log-seats as she loops away from it with a winged-backflip, flexing her shoulders and galloping her legs.

“The dragon unleashes a torrent of fire at its adversary!” Paradise booms, marveling at the impressive effect created by the combined unicorn powers of her friends. She goes on to say that when the dragon pauses for breath, Petal Swirl does not press her attack to close with the beast, but rather stays ready, awaiting its next move.

The noise from the clearing rises as Gusty and Fizzy unleash volley after volley, strafing into the sky. As she does so, the aural talent of Whizzer provides a whooshing noise, as of a blast of steam. As the pink pony skips forwards through the starlit smoke of the night sky, Firefly always seems to be just ahead of the bubbles.

At a gesture from Masquerade, Firefly, Gusty and Fizzy reluctantly pause.

“While she is unharmed, Petal Swirl is soon scorching hot, her fur is soot-stained and her ears are deafened by the bellows from her implacable foe,” Paradise imparts, darkly. “The dragon grins and his snake-like tongue flicks with the anticipation of tasty pony flesh, before releasing another torrent of flame; each time it does so, the cavern comes alive with flame and shadow, as the great crystal mirror above scatters the light from the blasts.”

The reference to 'flesh' causes sickly looks on a few soft faces. Magic Star's already tight expression from the earlier violence, becomes queasy. Ribbon shoots an angry look towards the 'stage' before turning to comfort the caring pony, as well as Posey, who is visibly trembling. Paradise bites her lip and flops an apologetic ear.

At a gesture from Masquerade, Gusty and Fizzy alter their behaviour — they now unleash bubbles in a torrent, aiming this time at the sky above Firefly so that soon the air is full of bubbles. The pegasus twists about in the air, trying to avoid them, but inevitably many pop against her pink fur or blue tail. After a short while, she returns to the ground and alights on her seat, giving a characteristic satisfied tail-whip and receiving a round of stomping applause.

Medley punches her shoulder. "Show off." But she is grinning, and she sneaks a peck on her marefriend's cheek as Firefly sits down.

Once the noise dies down, Paradise resumes, grimly, “The dragon’s flames surround Petal Swirl, so she can no longer dodge the fiery blasts. Though she is but moments from defeat, she does not betray fear — not even as her nostrils fill with the stench of her own scorched fur.”

"Paradise!" Ribbon scolds, before turning to nuzzle her whimpering friend. "There, there. It's okay, Posey."

The storyteller winces. "Sorry, Posey. Don't worry, there's no more ickiness, I promise." After clearing her throat, she continues, “Petal Swirl alights in the one portion of the cavern that is not aflame, an area near the throne, where the dragon’s most precious sculptures and art-pieces lie, many of them hoof-drawn compositions by Vista Star.”

Masquerade picks up a piece of fire wood and holds it in one fetlock as a makeshift shield, facing the audience solemnly.

Danny addresses the pugnacious form in his most monstrous voice, “Puny little pony! You had no hope of defeating me!” He completes the act with a passable villainous laugh.

With a nod to Gusty and Fizzy, a torrent of bubbles is unleashed upon the pegasus.

“Nooo!” Megan and Wind Whistler gasp. Paradise is inwardly delighted that her tale has managed to sway even these most level-headed members of the herd.

Masquerade raises the ‘shield’ which blocks the bubbles, but she groans in pain as if the fierceness of the attack was overwhelming her. So convincing is her performance that many leap to their hooves to help, before blushing and sitting back down.

“The brave pegasus’ shield staves off the dragon’s onslaught—” Paradise informs the group, to sighs of relief, “—but her fetlock is seared and she begins to falter.”

“My liege...Vista Star…Mousefur...I...failed...you.” Masquerade gurgles gutterally and slumps to the ground, mouth open and tongue lolling. Every eye is glistening, and more than a few cry as they imagine the fall of the brave character.

However, at the same moment, the bubbles suddenly stop. To yells of surprise, Fizzy and Gusty disappear under Heart Throb's dressing gown which had been levitated there by Buttons’ telekenesis. This act is accompanied by a crashing sound, produced by Whizzer.

“Wh-what happened!?” Fizzy cries, muffledly, from under the fabric.

Paradise explains, over the exclamations of the audience, that the great mirror that the dragon had affixed to the cavern ceiling had come crashing down upon its head, ending its evil life in one, fell blow. “Standing behind the monster’s corpse and upon its throne is the king, his great horn glowing with effort. For brave Petal Swirl had not been attacking the dragon, but was rather distracting him!”

Murmurs break out among the audience as well as cheers from the more martial ponies, such as Firefly, and sighs of relief from the herd's softer members, including Sundance, who finally removes her hooves from her ears.

“With the monster gone, the ponies of Saddle Arabia are free!” Paradise pauses to let the audience digest the developments before continuing.

“What a dangerous plan! Poor Mousefur and Petal Swirl...” Galaxy frets, her pleasure at the defeat of the dragon tempered by her contemplation of the cost.

“Did you see the way I dodged those bubbles?” Firefly boasts.

“Ding dong the dumb dragon is dead,” Gusty snorts and yawns, ready for bed.

“Crushed by the weight of his own vanity,” scoffs one, sarcastically — a pink pony with a two-tone red/white mane.

“Good one, Moon Shadow,” giggles a snow white pony with a tri-tone orange/pink/purple mane, the sparkles of a heart on her flank.

“Thanks, Light Heart.”

“Petal Swirl will be okay won’t she, Megan? Paradise wouldn’t…” Sundance trails off, fixing the human with glistening light-blue eyes.

Megan turns and pets the pink mane of the little earth pony, deeply touched. “Of course she will, Sundance, she’s way too smart and fast to let a big dumb brute like that defeat her.”

“A tremendous story, but the hour is getting rather late...” Ribbon reminds Paradise, eyeing the pale blue form of Wind Whistler, whose proud head, focused all day on the safety of the herd, had been dipping at various points during Paradise’s long tale, only kept upright by concern for the feelings of the two performers.

In the quiet, the ever-curious Twilight asks the question many are thinking. “But what happened to Mousefur and Petal Swirl?”

Paradise begins to wrap up her tale. She explains that the singed but unharmed body of Mousefur emerges from under the throne. Then, with a look to Magic Star, she adds that the little grey pony gallops to her friend Petal Swirl’s side and, with special Saddle Arabian magic, kisses her all better. "The triumphant trio and their liege return to the kingdom, alongside the friendly wolf-pack, who are overjoyed to hear of the demise of the dragon."

“Awoo! Well done—wuff, wuff!” Lickety Split yelps, reprising her role as wolf, prompting muffled laughter from Fizzy, who is still engaged in removing the dressing gown from her head, it having snagged on her horn.

“When they arrive back in the kingdom, the trio are treated like the heroes they are, but the king — who served the dragon, even though unwillingly — is ashamed.” As Paradise says this, she rises and lifts something from a box that had lain at her hooves throughout the performance. As Masquerade sees what’s inside, her eyes light up. Paradise gives this to Danny, who holds the object up so that it is illuminated by the firelight, which reveals it to be a tiara made of woven, golden passion-flower. The living ‘crown,’ a gift from Posey, was picked earlier in the day and kept secret till this moment. It had been chosen because the green and golds of the vine and petals match Masquerade’s colouring.

Paradise explains that the king has decided in his shame that he must abdicate the throne to make way for another unicorn, and that in the absence of another heir, and in recognition of her astonishing achievements, there was only one choice. “From this day forth, Saddle Arabia shall have a new queen! Arise, Vista Star!” Danny booms in his most regal-sounding voice as he places the circlet on Masquerade’s head.

Blushing, the golden performer gazes around the circle, her emeralds sparkling. Applause breaks out spontaneously as everyone takes a moment to recognise her effort to entertain them and bring the story to life.

Once the applause dies down, Paradise continues, "Petal Swirl is made captain of Queen Vista Star’s guard, while Mousefur is appointed Chancellor — the first task being to distribute the evil dragon’s remaining wealth!" she says to laughs and cheers. "And they all lived happily ever after. The end.”

The gathering, as one, rises for a standing ovation — Danny joins with the most boisterous ponies to stomp his approval, while Megan and the quieter ones clap.

“That was amazing!” Fizzy chirrups.

“Best yarn yet, Paradise. I don’t know how you do it!?” exclaims Galaxy.

“Bravo! What an excellent diversion,” a weary Wind Whistler states, her voice sounding so much like Masquerade’s impression of ‘Petal Swirl’ that it causes many to double-take.

Paradise and Masquerade rise to stand on their log-seat and gesture to Danny, Lickety Split and North Star, the acting roles, to take their place beside them, whereon all bow. The acclamation goes on for some time with loud ‘bravos’ and whistles. The din rises into the night sky along with the smoke of the fire, filling the clearing till — alarmed by the possibility of little ears hearing the noise — Ribbon and the other baby-pony-sitters shush them.

Once the appreciative noises relent, Masquerade points to the sound-effects team and those with non-speaking roles: Buttons, Night Light, Heart Throb, Surprise, Minty, Fizzy, Whizzer, Galaxy, Applejack, Gusty, Firefly and Cherries Jubilee. These rise in turn to receive clops of applause which single out the superlative performances of Whizzer, Buttons, Firefly, Fizzy and Gusty.

Then, story time over, the ponies sleepily rise to their hooves to head for their camp-beds; the fire hisses as Firefly pours water over it, and the clearing goes dark.

Eventually, almost everyone disperses to their tents — the glow of unicorn horns lead some, while others are guided by firefly lanterns held firmly in the hooves of pegasi and earth ponies. The dimly-lit groups murmur animatedly about the story they have just heard.

Masquerade, Gusty, Danny, Cherries Jubilee and Paradise head to the largest tarpaulin structure, while Fizzy, Surprise, Sundance and Applejack trot to a tent which sports streamers and balloons. Ribbon, Posey, Twilight and Magic Star sashay towards an elegant pavilion adjacent to the baby ponies, while Wind Whistler, Firefly, Medley and North Star stride towards a roughly-erected shelter at the edge of the clearing.

The tents are briefly lit up from within by horn or lamp, before going dark. The high moon of a clear Ponyland midnight soon shines upon a glade containing glistening, dewy, tarpaulin mounds.

Megan and Galaxy stay outside a little while longer in the dark, silently working together to restore the clearing, brushing campfire embers away from the log-seating and clearing away stray dishes. Both occasionally glance towards the tent of the baby ponies as they do so, ears cocked for sounds within. Eventually, with a last look around the clearing — encompassing the opaque blackness of the surrounding trees to the still-rising steam from the fire — the two are satisfied that all is well, and even these two sentinels are ready for bed. They say goodnight with an embrace.

“Sleep tight, Galaxy,” Megan murmurs into the unicorn's furry ear, her arms clutching the powerful neck and pressing herself against the large head.

“And you,” Galaxy murmurs, sleepily.

Megan hears her friend’s soft hoof-steps retreat and her eyes follow the glow of the horn as it approaches the largest tent in the clearing.

“I wish the horses at home were like this,” she sighs.

With a last, lingering, look round the peaceful, moon-lit clearing, Megan enters her own, elegant abode, stepping softly around the gently breathing form of Ribbon before making her way to bed.