Trailside Banquet

Chapters

1 The Latest Spread
2 Four Seasons Ago
3 The First Expedition
4 No Destiny Here
5 Dreams
6 The Second Expedition
7 A Familiar Friend
8 The Third Expedition
9 Her Final Gift
10 The Answer

1 The Latest Spread

Pinkie Pie took a long drag of her “Puff Pastries” brand candy cigarette as she leaned against the walls of the old schoolhouse. She closed her eyes, enjoying the chocolate essence filling her lungs before breathing out the mahogany smoke in a deep sigh. There was nothing like a good Puff Pastry before an expedition, Pinkie would think as the cocoa powder and nicotine worked their magic. No other cigarette had calmed her nerves quite like they did. Once it served its purpose, she flicked the cigarette randomly and stuffed the ember out with her hoof.

The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, casting shadows on the path leading from the bridge of Ponyville proper to the outskirts of the most recent spreading of the AAZ, or “Aetherial Anomalous Zone” as Princess Celestia dubbed it in what Pinkie felt was a whole other lifetime ago. It didn’t matter what the Equestrian government called it, to be honest. To the folk that live in Ponyville, and to Pinkie, it is just “The Zone”.

Everypony knows about “The Zone” nowadays. Many learned to just accept it as another facet of life, and lived with it - careful to avoid the “officially established” boundaries. Parents told tales of the strange occurrences within it as bedtime stories to their foals, to scare them away from approaching. To some, it was a place to be intensely researched for the benefit of Equestria. To others, it was a dark mark on Equestrian lands, and should have been eradicated as soon as it appeared.

A few days ago, Pinkie overheard that Cheerilee pushed to abandon the schoolhouse at the latest town hall meeting about the Zone, as the most recent spread was too close for comfort for both herself and the local parents.

Made sense, thought Pinkie. The Zone isn’t a playground for foals to run around in during recess.

They teach the foals over at the Castle of Friendship now - a place Pinkie would visit before and after her trips. She’d bring the latest trinkets she found in the Zone to Twilight Sparkle for bits - not engaging in any further conversation outside of “how much for this?” and “how much for that?” - then would sketch a quick outline of the latest spread of Zone by looking at the Cutie Map, and leave to prepare for another trip. She couldn’t bear to see her once close friend for too long, and outside of the few exchanged words during their financial transactions, there was a silent understanding between the two mares:

The relationship between them is nothing more than satisfying Twilight’s addiction to knowledge in exchange for her money.

It hurts to see her. Pinkie would begin contemplating as she stopped leaning against the schoolhouse wall, and trotted toward the rusted border marker. Ever since… - Pinkie shook her head to get the all too familiar creeping thoughts out of her head - must focus. Got to keep moving.

To Pinkie, the Zone became a place of morbid curiosity. She heard the stories over mugs of cider at Sugarcube Corner, and saw firsthand just what this place could do to a pony. It was the latter that gave her both the addiction to Puff Pastry cigarettes that she hid from the world, and her love of the Crystal Empire imported “Crystal Clear” vodka that she drank so heavily. She could really only embrace the Element of Laughter when she was a few shots deep, and enter a dreamless sleep when she was a few shots deeper.

Element of Laughter… she thought, giving a slight laugh, …if only they worked for this.

As she made her way toward the most recently established borders of the Zone, the twinges of fear were stronger than they had been before. She pulled another Puff Pastry out of her saddlebag, the cigarette lighting itself as it entered her mouth - a great example of “simple, but effective inventions” that the Canterlot business ponies pushed in their advertisements. She closed the saddlebag, careful to adjust the rifle back to its previous spot on her back.

I hope I don’t have to use you, Party Popper, voiced her consciousness.

It was as she approached that Pinkie remembered the first words inscribed in Starlight’s research journal about this place. A journal she read trip-after-trip:

“The AAZ does not obey Equestrian nor natural laws. It is a place of twisted, unknown magic. A place of secrets, waiting to be uncovered. A place of potential findings for the benefit of Equestria!”

Pinkie had since added, “A place of dangerous anomalies, waiting for pony flesh - and also their souls.” beneath her little blurb, as a reminder for her to keep vigilant.

The once optimistic pony with a spring in her step took an uncharacteristically serious gait as she crossed the fresh border markers. As Pinkie took a drag of her cigarette, the air in the Zone entered her lungs. The flavor of the inhaled air and smoke was different - it was heavier, with an iron aftertaste that no amount of chocolate flavoring could completely cover. The trees that gave the Zone its distinct look were darker - twisted into unnatural shapes - as though the land itself was desperately in pain.

This wasn’t her first rodeo into the Zone; Pinkie wasn’t here to gawk at the trees or giggle at the ghosties as her former self would have iterated. She was here for trinkets, and she would hope as she continued to explore, for an answer. Her bright blue eyes, dulled by the Zone, focused on the broken up dirt path ahead. This place was not a place for pranks or parties, and Pinkie knew that.

“Let’s see what trinkets you’ve got today.” she murmured to herself, her voice barely audible over the ambient hum that came from the Zone itself. The ground beneath her hooves felt spongy, and the metallic taste grew in potency as she ventured deeper.

Pinkie was prepared. She studied the maps drawn, both old and new, and memorized the safe paths in and around the Zone. She could most accurately guess where to travel - and where to avoid - thanks to her Pinkie sense. She could read the signs of an area too dangerous to trek through, either because she could risk physical injury or risk her psyche being screwed over more than the Zone had done already.

Whatever twinges of fear she had at the border were now completely subdued by the time she finished the Puff Pastry, and she flicked the remnants of the cigarette. This time, it dissolved into a cloud of ash mid-air.

A sign of a good expedition. She thought, considering the disappearing cigarette as a sort of “toll” the Zone considered paid.

With a determined nod, she pressed on, her steps careful and deliberate. As she walked, she could hear the faint echo of voices - her friends’ voices - whispering to her from the shadows. She knew better. Just the Whispering Grass. They aren’t here, she thought, with a twinge of sadness all too familiar to her, and they’re not going to be. Not now. And I would hope, not ever again.

2 Four Seasons Ago

One Year Ago - Town Hall, Ponyville, Equestria

The Ponyville Town Hall was filled to its max capacity. The room was abuzz with concerned voices as ponies from all corners of the town gathered. A sense of anxiety was in the air, and the normally cheerful denizens of Ponyville were riddled with unease ever since the grounds outside of the Everfree Forest began to change.

At the front of the town hall stood a podium. Mayor Mare approached it, her glasses precariously perched on the bridge of her snout, reflecting the lights above. In a seat next to the podium sat Princess Celestia - her presence commanded attention and as she lifted a wing, the crowd became silent.

Mayor Mare tapped the microphone a few times and cleared her throat before speaking, “Mares and gentlecolts, thank you all for coming on such short notice. As you all are well aware, we are gathered here today to discuss a matter of grave importance.”

She paused, allowing her words to settle over the crowd. The hall remained silent, with everypony’s eyes fixated on the bureaucratic, charismatic mares. She continued.

“In the past few days, the land between the Everfree Forest and Ponyville have been a cause for concern. An unknown magic aura has been reported in the area by a few of our citizens. Some of these initial reports contain certain-...” she would pause briefly here to figure out how to phrase the following to her citizens “...-things of interest that are outside anypony’s current knowledge of the Forest and its magic. As mayor, I have been in close communication with Princess Celestia, who has graciously agreed to be with us today and address our concerns.”

She took a couple steps back and nodded to Princess Celestia, signaling to her that she had the floor. The mayor bowed as the Princess stepped forward gracefully. Her calm and soothing voice filled the room, easing some tension.

“My dear subjects, I thank you all for your patience and, more importantly, your unwavering bravery during this time. I understand that the appearance of this magical anomaly has caused both fear and confusion here in Ponyville. But rest assured, you are not alone in this.” She looked over the crowd before glancing at the front row with a smile. Here, sat Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and her friends - the Elements of Harmony.

Celestia continued, “We have assembled some of the most knowledgeable and skilled ponies in Equestria, who will be working tirelessly to understand this anomalous magic, its origins, and its potential impact on both Ponyville and Equestria at large--”

A voice from the crowd broke the usual silence that the Princess had grown accustomed to in her speeches. “And what of the Changeling Empire?!”

Celestia cleared her throat, not expecting an interruption. She paused briefly to keep her composure and addressed the question. “Princess Luna and I are currently working on stabilizing the Changeling Empire after Queen Chrysalis’s defeat. This, of course, is a matter of national security that requires our utmost focus. With that said, in my absence from Equestria and during our diplomatic visits to the region, Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends will investigate the affected area on my behalf.”

She looked to the crowd for any more questions before continuing her talking points that she relentlessly rehearsed on her trip to Ponyville. “From now until the mystery of the affected areas are resolved, they have free reign to cross the established border markers at will. I have no doubt in them that they’ll resolve this situation just as they’ve had for many others, not including their recent victory against the Changeling Queen.”

There was a murmur of relief among the crowd; they’re well aware of the Mane Six and their adventures, and the almost countless times they’ve saved Equestria’s hide. But the sense of worry had not entirely dissipated.

“Until Twilight and her friends provide me with more knowledge, I urge all Ponyville residents to avoid the area at all costs. We have a few guards and barriers set up around the current suspected perimeter to keep any potential threats to Ponyville out. Until the Equestrian government - be it myself, Twilight and her friends, or Mayor Mare - deem it safe, the affected area will be known as the Aetherial Anomalous Zone, or the AAZ. I encourage everyone to remain vigilant, and report any unusual activity immediately.”

As she concluded her speech, Celestia nodded to Mayor Mare, signaling that she once again had the floor. Mayor Mare took the podium, and with a quick clearing of her throat, began to address the crowd once again.

“Thank you, Princess. Citizens, in the coming days, we will be organizing community support to help anypony who has been impacted by the sudden appearance of the AAZ. Normal trade routes will be detoured, and we urge anypony once again to report any unusual activity immediately. Please know that the safety of all of you is my top priority as Mayor. Ponyville is a town known for its sense of community. Together, we will face this challenge and overcome this as we've done so many times before. We are all in this together.”

With that, the meeting was drawn to a close; however, many ponies had more questions than answers, and more worries than assurance. What could have caused this to appear? Is Ponyville safe? Could Twilight and her friends fix this?

Some of these questions were questions Pinkie herself had as she approached Twilight’s castle after the town hall meeting. Ever the optimist, she saw this as a mystery to solve, a puzzle to finish, and a reason to celebrate once they figure out what all this is about. As the doors of the Castle of Friendship opened, she and her friends gathered in the throne room. There, they find Princess Celestia with a lighthearted smile. She waved for each pony to take a seat in their respective spots, as she herself sat by the Cutie Map.

Once everypony had sat down, Celestia began to speak, her tone still lighthearted, but with a slight sense of urgency.

“Thank you all for coming. I know that the last few days have been fraught with worry. With Chrysalis’ defeat and thus, the collapse of her government, and now this Anomalous Zone - I cannot help but shake the feeling that my little ponies are entering a new chapter of Equestrian history.” Her eyes flickered with worry, but she remained smiling as she spoke to the Mane Six. “Your dedication has not gone unnoticed. The appearance of this Anomalous Zone is unlike anything we’ve ever encountered before in Equestria, but I am glad I have you all to help us.”

Twilight responded, with slight concern in her voice, “Princess, I’ve scoured my library for any books that may help us, and even ordered some from Canterlot to look into with no success. If we’re going to proceed, we’ll need more than just theories. We need to look at the area firsthand.”

Celestia nodded in agreement before speaking, “And that is why you are all here, my faithful Student. I was not lying when I said you all are the strongest and most capable group of ponies in Equestria. With that said, however, going hoof-first into the Anomalous Zone may not be the best of ideas. Not without careful planning.”

Rainbow Dash piped up, and everyone turned to her. “Whatever’s out there, we can handle it! Just point me in the right direction!”

Applejack raised a hoof to Rainbow Dash’s shoulder to rear back the pony’s gung-ho attitude, “Easy there, Dash. This is what the Princess is warnin’ about. We can’t go up in that Zone’s business without knowin’ what’s in there. We gotta be smart about this.”

“Applejack is right.” replied Celestia, “The Anomalous Zone’s true nature remains a mystery, and while I admire your courage Rainbow Dash, we must not underestimate the possible dangers that lie within.”

Rarity spoke up, her own worries temporarily reassured by the presence of her friends. “Princess Celestia, what exactly should be on the lookout for in our first exploration into the AAZ? Surely we’re not marching into the unknown blindly without a specific goal in mind.”

Celestia pondered a moment before responding to Rarity’s inquiry. “Your first task is reconnaissance. We will need to observe the Anomalous Zone’s magical power, especially any anomalies you might encounter. If this first expedition proves fruitful, we may be able to discover the source of the Anomalous Zone’s unusual magic in no more than a few expeditions.” With her magic, Celestia raised an all too familiar chest, and opened it, revealing the crown and necklaces the Six have worn so many times.

“I advise you all to bring the Elements of Harmony with you on your expeditions - I would hope you would not need them, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.”

“So…we’re just going to trot right into the spooky place, see what’s what, and get out?” asked Pinkie.

Celestia replied, “That is correct, Pinkie Pie. But rest assured, you will not be alone in this.” Her reply was followed by a regal chortle. Motioning a wing, she pointed to a seventh pony who sat by them, and had been for some time. The lilac mare brushed purple and blue hair out of her face with her magic as she silently ruffled through various notes. “Starlight Glimmer will join you as an additional source of magical expertise. Her knowledge of unconventional magic is invaluable to understanding the Anomalous Zone.”

Starlight Glimmer looked up when her name was called, and briefly slammed the papers neatly against the table before setting them down and addressed the group. “I’ve already begun an initial study of some of the magical fluctuations near the AAZ, at Celestia’s request.” She paused, a look of worry flashing on her face as she looked at the stack of notes, before she took a deep breath and turned back to the group. She continued, “They’re unlike any magical reading I’ve seen before. But, I believe that I can help stabilize some of the anomalies around us during our expeditions for field study. It’s risky, but I’m fully prepared to take that risk.”

Spike, too, stood up. “And I’m coming too.” He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. “You might need claws with thumbs to, you know, carry supplies and someone to scout ahead. I can handle it.”

Fluttershy spoke to her friends, her quiet demeanor broken by a voice of concern. “I just…I just hope that we can go into the AAZ without hurting anything. The creatures that live in the Everfree; they could be affected by the magic too, right?”

Celestia nodded gravely in response to Fluttershy’s inquiry. “The Anomalous Zone’s magical effects are largely unknown, but yes, they could very well be affected. But I trust your judgment, Fluttershy. Your compassion will guide you on how to handle any potentially affected creatures, I am sure.”

Twilight looked to Celestia before speaking, “We’ll take every precaution, Princess. If we can map the AAZ’s anomalies and gather enough data, we can find a way to contain it - and even reverse its effects.”

Celestia closed her eyes, appreciative of Twilight’s optimism before addressing the group, “Thank you, my faithful student. I believe in each and every one of you and your abilities to tackle the Anomalous Zone. But please understand this, this is not like the threats we have faced before. It is not Chrysalis, it is not Tirek, or even Discord. This is something else entirely - an ethereal force that bends the very rules of reality itself. I would not send you if I believed there was another way.”

Rainbow Dash spoke up in boastful confidence, “We’ll figure it out, Princess. You can count on us!”

“Thank you, Rainbow, I always have. You all are the ever present light in times of darkness.” Celestia stood up from her spot near the map, stretching her wings as she continued, “But promise me this as you prepare for the first expedition into the Anomalous Zone: if at any point, you feel the situation is beyond your control, do not hesitate to return. This is not about heroism, it’s about research.”

She paused to let the next words she spoke carry their weight to all of the group present, “You go with my blessing. May harmony guide your steps through the unknown, and please…be careful.”

Twilight looked to her friends, then to Celestia, and nodded. “We will, Princess. We’ll bring back the answers we---”

Suddenly, Twilight’s words faltered, her eyes widened. They snapped to a new symbol that popped up above the Cutie Map. Her face tightened with confusion and unease as she interrupted her own sentence. “Wait…what is that?”

Everypony looked at the direction of the map in front of them, their eyes drawn to a symbol that hovered just above where Ponyville bordered the Everfree Forest - the location of the AAZ. It was a symbol never seen before on the map: a haunting arrangement of three jagged, sickle-like triangles each splayed out from a central black dot, like sinister blades of a warped windmill. It pulsated in a deep, sickly yellow hue that shifted and wavered. It was as though the map itself recoiled from its presence. It was sharp, angular, and alien. To the ponies there, the symbol felt wrong. It felt un-Equestrian.

Rainbow Dash leaned in on the map to get a better look at the symbol, “Is that…a cutie mark?”

Rarity responded, “It looks dreadful. What does it mean?”

Twilight shook her head in confusion, “I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s not a Cutie Mark, that’s for sure.”

Applejack could not help but stare at the symbol’s heartbeat-like pulsing, “Looks like a bad omen from Tartarus itself.” She spoke in a low tone, this new development internally shaking her to her core, but outwardly she remained stoic.

Starlight quickly jotted down the symbol in a notebook, her curiosity piqued at the appearance of the symbol before them. She asked curiously as she finished drawing, “If the map is showing it then - does that mean the AAZ’s power is growing? Could it affect all of Equestria?”

The air became dreadful at the thought of this. Starlight managed to ask the one question that no pony present had, or wanted to know, the answer to.

Celestia quietly spoke, her tone regal and commanding as she addressed Starlight’s question. “It may reach other parts of Equestria - we simply do not know. But the AAZ appears to be contained within the Ponyville outskirts-Everfree area for now. And with what knowledge you gather in your expeditions, we can prevent its spread. We must remain cautious, my little ponies.”

3 The First Expedition

The sun was barely above the horizon as the group approached the burnt trees of the AAZ, with Starlight and Spike leading the pack. The thick air and droning silence weighed heavily on the group as they crossed the border marker. The air felt heavy, as Starlight would later journal, with something more than just the morning dew.

“Someone’s gotta be holding the map of this place” murmurred Spike as he rode on Starlight’s back, studying the crudely drawn map in her research journal.

“Well, we certainly don’t know a better dragon that could, Spike.” Twilight replied with a chuckle, “you just guide Starlight on where to go, and we’ll follow.”

“Alright, uhh….” he looked around a moment before pointing in a direction, “there. It’s a spot here on the map that’s been marked with an X.”

“Oh, yeah. There was a pair of oak trees in this spot that glowed a stunning shade of green.” responded Starlight, who turned to walk in that direction. “It caught my eye before the town hall meeting yesterday - I hope that they’re still glowing.” As she spoke, she casted a spell. Her horn glowed with a soft, pulsating light that grew brighter and dimmer in a rhythmic pattern - like a visual heartbeat. As they approached the glowing trees, Starlight’s horn pulsated faster.

“Hold on,” she whispered, halting the group with a raised hoof. Twilight, Pinkie, and the others came to a stop behind her. She tilted her head so her horn was parallel to the ground and swiveled her head in a back-and-forth motion. It began to grow brighter once her horn pointed at a point in the woods, further beyond the glowing trees.

“What is it?” asked Twilight, stepping closer. Her voice was steady, but had a slight tremor of uncertainty. She hadn’t felt this unprepared in a long time, and it scared her a bit. She tried to calm herself internally by taking slightly deeper breaths.

“There’s a fluctuation in the magic field - in that direction.” replied Starlight, remaining calm and methodical.

“What’s causing it, Starlight?” asked Pinkie, her curiosity growing.

Starlight shook her head, frowning as she approached the fluctuation; the light became brighter and dimmer in quicker succession. “I don’t know, but whatever it is, it's close. If we go any further, we’ll be walking straight into it.” Her horn gave off a slight vibrating hum, confirming her suspicions. As the group followed Starlight, one of them stepped on a discarded branch, breaking the silence with a ‘snap’.

“Watch where you--” started Starlight, turning her head to the group before a sudden burst of magic erupted next to them. The force of magic was enough to knock Spike off his perch on top of Starlight, but besides the sudden jolt of adrenaline, the group was unharmed. Spike dusted himself off as he got up, the only thing being injured was any semblance of pride as he blushed in embarrassment. None of the group seemed to notice his shame - they were all caught off guard.

The magic burst faded as quickly as it appeared, and where it once was, floated a small, spherical orb, glowing faintly in a shade of teal. It resembled a crystalized tear, being supported by nothing but the air around it.

“Ooh! It’s like a balloon!” exclaimed Pinkie, reaching for the orb “I got it!”

As she touched the orb with her hoof, the crystallized orb dropped like a giant raindrop. As it reached the ground, it bounced once - twice - then bounced away from the group as though pulled onto by an unknown force.

“Hey wait! Come back!” shouted Pinkie, chasing after the orb.

“Pinkie, hold on!” reacted Starlight, “that thing may be dangerous! We don't know what it does!”

As Pinkie ran on, the group running behind her, the orb turned a corner into a couple of trees. Determined, she chased after it, wanting to capture the “balloon”. It’s like a game. she thought humorously, giggling at the thrill of the chase.

Suddenly, where the orb had previously turned, stepped out a familiar face - one that Pinkie and the group had known for a long time: Zecora. The zebra approached the group, wearing a brown poncho and holding what looked to be a metallic staff, but shaped like an old oak branch. On the end was an odd gemstone, crimson in color. The sun made the gem glow like the brightest of rubies.

“Zecora?” asked Pinkie, who came to a halt in front of the zebra.

“Zecora!” said Twilight as she and the group stopped just behind Pinkie, relieved that it wasn't a threat, but a friend. “Are we glad to see you!”

Zecora spoke to the group in her usual rhyming cadence, her voice a smooth break from the otherworldly silence of the forest:

“Beware the Zone, where the winds don’t blow true; the magic here twists, and it seeks to undo. Step lightly, my friends, for the air whispers lies; the shadows deceive, and the Zone has eyes.”

Twilight nodded, appreciative of the warning, “Thanks, Zecora. We’ll be careful here - not to worry. Celestia trusted us with researching the magical anomalies here.” She turned to address her friends, “And we have the Elements of Harmony! Right, girls?” Rarity spoke up, reaching into her saddlebag with her magic. “Correct, darling. We have them right--”

As she lifted the Elements out of her saddlebag, she turned to where Zecora had been standing, “...here. Darling, where did Zecora go?”

Twilight turned back around, and too, was caught by surprise by the sudden empty space where the zebra stood no more than a moment ago. “She was just here. Zecora?” she shouted into the ashen trees, and walked around a bit, before shouting again, “Zecora?”

“How weird.” Pinkie commented, “she just gives us those few words and leaves? The Zone has eyes?”

“The Zone has eyes…” repeated Twilight, letting the words mull over in her head before she spoke again. “We’re being watched?”

“Possibly.” replied Applejack, “but that seems par for the course. Weird magic or not, this is a forest. Buncha critters could be watchin’ us, even if they ain’t exactly makin’ their presence known.” It was then that the group noticed the lack of the usual forest chatter they were used to when being outside. It unnerved them.

“Well we can’t just stand here, let’s look at those glowing trees!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, flying toward where the map was previously leading the group, taking the lead.

“Umm, right behind you, girls.” says Fluttershy, trembling slightly in fear at the lack of any of her animal friends’ calls as she followed behind the group. Once the group approached the trees, a small, swirling vortex of colors appeared nearby them, the wind in the area picking up speed at its appearance.

“A hue-nado. Or at least, that’s what I’ve grown to call them.” Starlight said, pointing her horn and attempting to cast a spell. “One of the more common magical anomalies I’ve documented here in the AAZ.” The spell is cast after a few seconds’ pause - and the vortex is encased in a sphere of greenish magic. “There we go. It shouldn’t escape us like the orb did, and should be safe to study as long as I concentrate on the spell. Spike, help Twilight and I take notes.”

“Will do.” responded Spike, flipping to a page in Starlight’s notebook. Twilight, with her own magic, pulls out her own notebook and begins to jot down the characteristics of the hue-nado. Applejack and Rainbow Dash keep a safe distance from the researching unicorns and dragon, but couldn't help but admire the multicolored swirl of magic.

Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie take this moment to sit and attempt to relax, letting the rest of the ponies work. Pinkie began to hum a little tune, and Rarity and Fluttershy nod to the impromptu beat, enjoying the outing - despite its objective and otherworldly vibe. After a few minutes of silent note taking, Twilight spoke up, “Alright, Starlight, you can end your spell.” She is careful to take a few steps back from the hue-nado as she instructed Starlight.

“Gotcha. Ending the containment spell.” Starlight said commandingly as her horn dissipated the casted spell. The hue-nado spins a few more times before it, too, disappears into the aether.

“Darlings, we should head back before it gets too dark.” stated Rarity, looking up at the orange colored sky.

“It’s sunset already?” asked Twilight rhetorically, surprised at how much time had been spent in the AAZ. “We should definitely head back. Girls, you’re welcome to head home. Starlight, we’ll draft up a report for Celestia - hopefully she reads it before she heads to bed tonight.”

The group made sure everything was packed before heading in the direction of Ponyville, and felt an overall sense of ease as the border was crossed - as though a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. The sounds of owls hooting and crickets chirping fill the Ponyville night air as the group returned to their respective dwellings.

Castle of Friendship - nightfall

Twilight, Starlight, and Spike each sat around the Cutie Map, their two research books splayed open amongst them. Twilight busily jotted down words on parchment, as Starlight recalled the day’s events. Once she set the feather down, Twilight began to read what she wrote out loud to the other two:

Dear Princess Celestia,

I only hope that your talks with the Changelings are going as well as ever as I write this. We’re happy to report that our first expedition into the AAZ went relatively well! While there were certainly some peculiar occurrences, we’ve gathered valuable information and are optimistic about our progress.

The area is fascinating, to say the least, and while things are certainly tense, it doesn’t seem to be inherently malevolent—just unpredictable. The ambient magic ebbs and flows like the tides, making our research all the more intriguing. We feel confident that with further study, we’ll be able to map out and understand these magical patterns.

One of the highlights of our trip was our encounter with what Starlight called a "hue-nado." Picture a colorful tornado, but made entirely of vibrant, shifting bands of light. The colors danced in the air like an aurora, twisting in on themselves. It wasn’t dangerous at all - quite beautiful, actually - though we kept our distance as we dissipated the containment spell just in case. We’ve hypothesized that the vortex may be some kind of magical weather anomaly, possibly related to the AAZ’s magical turbulence.

Our apologies for getting this letter out so late. We set out early in the morning, expecting a full day of exploration, but before we realized it, the sun was beginning to set! It’s strange because none of us felt tired or fatigued as the day went on, yet the hours slipped by so quickly. We’ll make sure to bring some timekeeping devices on our next trip to manage our time better.

There was also a brief encounter with Zecora. She appeared unexpectedly, carrying a staff with a glowing red gemstone and speaking in her usual cryptic riddles. Her advice was to “step lightly” in the AAZ. She seemed calm and in control, and while her sudden appearance was a bit surprising, we took her words to heart. After all, Zecora has always been wise, especially when it comes to matters of the unknown. We didn’t see where she went after our meeting, but we’re not too concerned—we’re sure she knows her way around.

Overall, while the AAZ has its mysteries, we believe that with more expeditions, we’ll be able to uncover its secrets. We’ll make sure to document everything thoroughly and make adjustments as needed, but we’re all very excited about the possibilities and new discoveries out there.

Your faithful researchers,

Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer

P.S. And Spike - always the helpful assistant

Once Spike and Starlight seemed satisfied at the letter, Twilight tied the letter up with a bow and seal. Spike then picked up the letter, and blew a puff of green flames onto the parchment - it disappearing into a puff of ash and smoke.

“Alright, time for bed everypony, we've got a long day ahead of us.” ordered Twilight, heading toward her bedroom. The trio said their good nights, and headed to their respective rooms. All that could be heard from within shortly after were snores, and an ambient hum from the symbol hovering above the Cutie Map.

4 No Destiny Here

The air is heavy, and thick, through the gnarled trees of the Zone. It’s like walking through molasses, thought Pinkie as she walked past a couple of floating blue orbs, hovering as still as wax statues. “Glowstone tears"; Pinkie was reminded of Starlight coining the term in her journal - her trusted guide in all this chaos.

Starlight’s journal. The words felt heavy on her chest as they creeped into her mind. She shook her head vigorously, then knocked it against her hoof a few times to squash any remaining thoughts. …can’t let my mind slip! Have to focus! - shouted her internal voice. She realized she needed to rest.

As she sat down close to a nearby bush, she removed the Party Popper from her back, and opened her saddlebag. After some brief rummaging, she pulled out a bottle of Crystal Clear - her beloved. She took a swig of the clear liquid, its burning sensation bringing her wandering mind back to reality. The alcohol washed over her nerves, giving her some calm. She let out a satisfied sigh, the vodka feeling like the warmest of blankets wrapping around her, then proceeded to take out another Puff Pastry. The only sounds Pinkie could hear as she smoked were the occasional crackle of magical energy and a distant roar of something way too far for her to worry about.

Then she heard it: soft voices, echoing through the dense fog just beyond her rest stop. She froze, her ears and tail twitching. She picked herself up, along with the rifle. Her eyes darted from shadow to shadow, constantly on alert. As she heard the voices come closer, she aimed the rifle - a bead of sweat dripped from her forehead.

Her heart drops when she recognizes the shadows approaching her: Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo - the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

They’re not ready for the Zone, thought Pinkie, lowering her rifle as their silhouettes became more clear. They each were wearing their CMC capes and makeshift “adventuring gear” that wouldn't protect them from a normal creature - let alone whatever horrors lie in the Zone. The trio had a bright expression on their faces as they stepped out of the fog. It was Apple Bloom who first noticed Pinkie, who quickly snuffed out her half-consumed candy cigarette.

“Pinkie Pie! We didn’t expect to see ya out here!” said Apple Bloom, cheerful and oblivious to the dangers around her, “We’re just explorin’! Cheerilee shut down the school and we heard all kinds of stories about why, and wanted to see the Zone for ourselves!”

Scootaloo piped up, excited. “Yeah! We thought maybe there’s something in here that could help us finally get our cutie marks! Maybe something cool like ‘Zone Survivor’!”

Sweetie Belle innocently responded to Scootaloo’s words, “or ‘Anomaly Researcher’! But yeah, we’ve been really careful out here Pinkie. Promise!”

Pinkie’s face is stern, her eyes wide with barely-contained panic as she stared at the trio, looming above them like a shadow. She continued staring at their innocent faces, full of smiles that Pinkie desperately wished she could match with every fiber of her being.

Her voice when she finally speaks as she responds to them is so far departed from the cheerful Pinkie the Crusaders were used to when they thought of Ponyville’s famous “party planner” that it shakes the three to their core.

“Get out. Now.” spoke Pinkie, in an urgent, low tone.

It took what must’ve felt like forever for Apple Bloom to respond, her smile dropping in confusion at Pinkie’s command. “...Wait, what?”

Pinkie’s voice trembles slightly, but remains firm, like a parent reprimanding a child. “Get out of here. Now! You have no idea what you’re walking into.” As she speaks, she points in the direction they came from with a stern but trembling hoof. Her eyes darted around, looking for any disturbances in the tree line - for an anomaly that might be attracted by the noise.

Scootaloo becomes defensive at Pinkie’s words, not one to take warnings lightly, “But we can handle it! We’ve been in dangerous places before! The Everfree Forest--”

Pinkie Pie cut her off, her voice rising slightly in pitch, almost cracking. “This isn’t the Everfree Forest! This is the Zone! Do you have any idea what happens to ponies here?!”

The trio remained silent, stunned by Pinkie’s question. They hadn’t given it much thought.

Pinkie spoke again, this time her voice drops to a low growl, her expression darkening with hardened grief. “I’ve watched ponies…friends…lose themselves here. You don’t come back from that. The Zone takes what it wants, and doesn’t care who you are or what happens to you.” she paused, stepping closer and lowering herself to their level. Her eyes are intense, burning with pleading desperation.

“You aren’t ready for this. I don’t care what destiny you think you might find here. You won’t. You need to leave.”

She looked to the ground, holding back tears, and sighs once more before speaking again, softly now. In her words, one could hear her heartbreak - a feeling absolutely foreign to the Crusaders. “I can’t…I can’t lose more friends. Not to this place. Please….just go home.”

Apple Bloom looked at Pinkie - the Element of Laughter - in this state and shedded a few tears. Scootaloo comforts her friend in a hug from behind. Sweetie Belle buries her face in her hooves, completely beside herself as her own tears fall. It was hard to see the notoriously happy pony in such a broken mindset.

“We’re sorry, Pinkie…we had no idea.” responded Apple Bloom apologetically.

Pinkie closed her eyes, and exhaled with relief, abd then nodded to accept Apple Bloom’s apology. “It’s okay. Just…just go. Get as far away from here as you can - and don’t come back.”

She watched as the trio made their way back through the fog, their earlier excitement completely drained away. Pinkie doesn’t move until the CMC are out of sight, her body trembling from the waves of emotions hitting her. Once she is sure they’re gone, she gazes back to the twisted landscape of the Zone, her jaw clenched as she tries to realign herself.

She took another swig of Crystal Clear before robotically putting away the bottle into her saddlebag. Once put away, she picked up her bag and her rifle, and slipped them onto herself. Once she was sure all her gear was in order, she stepped forward, her eyes hollow and distant.

To no one in particular, Pinkie muttered, “Stay out of here. Stay out, while you still can…”

5 Dreams

One Year Ago - Castle of Friendship, mid-day

The Mane Six gather around the map in Twilight’s throne room, looking at the hovering symbol above the map for answers. Starlight spends her time silently jotting down notes from her latest solo border inspection, with Spike providing her company as he leans on her side, reading one of his comic books. Despite it being just past noon, every pony there was handed a cup of either the finest coffee or the loveliest bags of tea leaves this side of Equestria.

“Straight from the Corner!” exclaimed Pinkie sweetly with an innocent smile, not one to shirk on the opportunity to offer her friends a lovely drink - with cupcakes too! The gesture, while being the usual Pinkie-level of niceties, had an underlying reason: everypony was utterly exhausted, and she could easily tell.

Twilight addressed her friends after taking a sip of the steaming golden liquid, the much needed caffeine giving back some of her equinity. “So…how’s everyone been feeling? You know, since the last time we went in?”

Rainbow Dash responds after taking a bite of her cupcake, trying to hide the tension by keeping a casual tone, “Pshh, I’m as cool as the summer breeze, Twilight,” she chuckled before glancing at the others, “Why? You guys doing good?”

Applejack rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof before replying, “Honestly, I ain’t been sleeping too good, sugar cube. Been distractin’ myself with stuff around the farm but at night…”

She hesitated a moment by drinking her own mug of coffee, taken as black as midnight, then sighed. “I keep seein’ Sweet Apple Acres' all twisted up, like the AAZ. Everything’s witherin’ away. All of it - the orchard trees, the barn…my family. They’re there but…they don’t look right. Like they’re made of broken glass.” She gives a half-hearted chuckle to ease any tensions. “It’s prob’ly nothin’, honest.”

Pinkie responded, her usual excited mannerism dampened somewhat by the news that her friend has also had nightmares. “Yeah…I’ve had some weird dreams too…like, I’m throwing a party, but no pony’s having any fun. They’re just standing there and staring at me…no no no, through me. Like I’m not even real.”

She slowly twirled a spoonful of sugar in her cup of java to calm her nerves before continuing, “And then they just disappear…like confetti in the wind. But not the fun confetti!” her voice pipes up an octave as she clarifies, “more like…sad confetti.”

Rarity raises and lowers a tea bag in her own cup a few times before speaking, trying to keep her voice calm and composed. “I must admit, darlings, that I too have also been experiencing dreams as well.” She takes a sip, the aroma of the leaf water being a much needed wake up call. “My boutique…it’s falling apart in front of me. The gowns I make continue to disintegrate before I could finish a stitch. And as I am frantically trying to keep them together, a creeping fog begins to surround me!” She took a deep breath before finishing her cup and her thoughts, “I keep telling myself it’s just an overactive imagination but it has surely unsettled me for many nights now.”

Fluttershy spoke up, her voice no more than a whisper, as she poured her own cup of tea. “My animals…I keep seeing them in my dreams. They all turn to stone.” she shedded a tear as she lowered the tea bag, “even Angel Bunny, who looks at me scared, but I can’t help him. When I try to leave my cottage for help, the world is so quiet…like nothing’s there anymore.” She stares at her tea before forcing herself to take a sip, no longer wanting her cupcake due to the knots developing in her stomach.

Twilight downed her cup of brew before she spoke to the group with a forced sense of calm, “I think we need to acknowledge that these dreams are no coincidence. I’ve had them too. The Cutie Map…it begins to crack - like Equestria itself is falling apart, piece by piece, with that weird symbol growing bigger and bigger. Every time I try to fix the cracks, it just keeps getting worse.”

Rainbow Dash spoke up as she finished her bean juice, trying to break the tension, “Okay, okay, so we’ve had a bunch of creepy dreams. It’s not a big deal. We’re going back in, right? We can’t let a few nightmares stop us from our mission to Celestia!”

She looks to Twilight for confirmation, “Right?”

Twilight took a pause before responding, “I want to believe they’re just harmless dreams, Dash. But I can’t shake the worry that these dreams are connected to the AAZ somehow.”

Rarity frowned, concern plastered on her face. “What if these dreams are more than dreams, darling? What if they’re visions or some sort of warning?”

Twilight acknowledges Rarity before speaking, “That’s why we need to stay strong, girls. The AAZ’s magic may be trying to mess with us, but we’re tougher than that. If it’ll ease everypony, I’ll ask Celestia in today’s report on the AAZ to have Princess Luna visit us in our dreams for her guidance, and we’ll hopefully get more answers. We just have to be cautious.”

Fluttershy nervously taps her hooves together before asking a question, “What if the AAZ is getting…stronger? What if the dreams get worse?”

Twilight extends a hoof around Fluttershy in an embrace, trying to comfort her friend. “Then we’ll face it together, Fluttershy. We always come out stronger on the other side. We have each other, and as long as we do, we’ll be okay.”

Pinkie speaks with a hint of excited nervousness, “Yeah! We’ll be okay as long as we stick together!” Her eyes glanced around at her friends, lingering on each of them for a moment longer than usual.

“Together, right?” repeated Pinkie. The moment of silence weighed heavily on the group as that word - together - sinks into each of them. The Mane Six nod, determined to see their latest expedition through.

And at not a moment too soon, Starlight clears her throat before speaking to the group, “I’m done journaling! Are we all ready to head out?”

6 The Second Expedition

Despite the afternoon sunlight, the AAZ remains misty with morning dew. A possible sign of a chronal anomaly? Starlight would note in her journal, intending to research into this further. The group approached the border with slight confusion at the glaringly unusual weather pattern.

“Rainbow, weren’t the weather ponies supposed to clear up the morning dew?” inquired Twilight, asking her friend about it as they crossed, the spongy floor beneath her hooves catching her slightly off guard.

"Trust me, Twilight. If there was a spot we missed, it's not because we didn't try. You heard Celestia--no pony is allowed to cross these borders, and that would obviously include the weather team." replied Rainbow Dash, a slight annoyed tinge in her voice. It was one thing to call her a lazy pony, but a whole nother thing to accuse the Cloudsdale weather team of following suit.

“It’s alright, sugar cube.” comforted Applejack, sensing Rainbow’s tension. “Twi didn’t mean nothin’ by the query. Maybe it's a good thing? Somethin’ for research?”

“You’re right.” spoke Twilight. “Maybe leaving the weather around the Anomalous Zone to its own devices would help further future studies.” She turns to Starlight. “Starlight? What time is it currently?”

“It is…2:17PM.” she replied briefly looking at her pocket watch and noting the time down in her journal. “Why do you ask?”

A slight breeze rolls in from the direction the group faces, and with it, a slight aroma of metal. The air became significantly colder. A shiver rolls up Twilight’s spine as she speaks. “I-it should be something we keep track of, for Celestia’s sake.” As the group travels deeper, the path begins to turn to one direction, despite always being a straight path ahead for as long as everypony there could remember it. Starlight noted the winding path next to the time, and reminded the group to be careful.

The twisting, blackened trees of the Anomalous Zone part into a clearing, and the path stops. In front of the group is a campsite.

“Weird,” piped up Starlight. “There shouldn’t be anypony in here except for us. Even on my solo expeditions, it is literally only me.”

“We should keep our guard up then. Girls, Elements on.” commanded Twilight in the most regal voice she could muster, hiding her fear.

As the ponies don their Elements, Twilight observed the campsite, carefully watching her steps. The campsite appeared as though it had been recently and suddenly abandoned. Pots and pans were scattered, tents were halfway collapsed, and the remnants of a fire resided in the middle, having been extinguished for what Twilight could tell had been days. As she approached the old campfire, she made a mental note that the remnants of the burnt wood left no ash, but a strange crystalline residue that shimmered with every color in the spectrum.

“Whoa! Take a look at this, you guys!” shouted Spike from behind Twilight. She whipped around to look at what the dragon was pointing at. The fabric of the tents appeared to be dissolving before the very eyes of the ponies there, breaking down into a fine dust that lifted into the air with the slight, metallic breeze. Starlight furiously notes this down. “Quick, Spike! Take a sample of the ash!” requested Starlight, handing him a vial. Spike carefully scooped up some of the dust within the vial, careful not to get any on his claws.

Twilight turned to the group, and noticed that Fluttershy - usually bringing up the rear of the group behind Pinkie Pie - was not there. “Girls, where’s Fluttershy?” Twilight asked the group.

Pinkie would be the first to notice the yellow mare. “Over there!” she pointed with a hoof. Fluttershy didn’t address the commotion. “I’ll check on her.” continued Pinkie, approaching her.

As Pinkie approached, she cocked her head slightly in both curiosity, and confusion. Fluttershy appeared to be absentmindedly standing in the corner of the campsite, staring off into the distance.

“Fluttershy? Are you feeling alright?” inquired the pink pony. Slight feelings of worry began to build up in her stomach as she stood next to her friend.

“I hear them.” replied Fluttershy in a monotone, trance-like voice.

“Who?” continued Pinkie, her curiosity intensifying. She hadn’t heard anyone outside of her friends, and if there was somepony out there, they had to help them.

“The animals…I hear them calling out to me.” Fluttershy muttered, “They’re different now….changed….”

Pinkie could only continue her questioning, confusion intensifying. “Different how, Flutters…?”

Fluttershy’s voice began to shake, her eyes widening. It was here that Pinkie noticed the intense silence as she spoke, the world around her becoming foggy, as though a cloud fell on top of the duo. Pinkie found herself unable to move. Unable to look away.

“Their cries…it’s like they’re in pain. But it’s not just pain….it’s like the Zone is speaking through them.”

“F-Flutters, we haven’t seen any animals since we entered the forest...” Pinkie replied, trying to break free of whatever spell she and Fluttershy found themselves under.

Fluttershy cocked her head toward Pinkie in one sudden motion, a warped smile on her face. Her eyes were glazed over, staring through Pinkie. Pinkie, reminded of her nightmares, felt a chill run up her spine. Pinkie jerked back in abject horror at the movement.

Fluttershy spoke once more, “Oh they’re here Pinkie…they’re watching us. Afraid. But observant. Soon my friends. I can help you….Soon…”

Suddenly, a flash of lightning, and Pinkie was alone. The forest around her, Fluttershy, her friends. All gone. All that was left was the campfire, now burning brightly with a greenish flame.

“Do not stray from your course, little one,” came a voice from a figure sitting by the campfire. Pinkie recognized the figure immediately.

Zecora??? thought Pinkie, her mind flooded with all kinds of burning questions, none of which she had an answer for.

The zebra sat still by the fire, her striped coat blending in with the grayish brumous air around her. In fact, the only thing that seemed to separate her from completely blending into the brackish fog was the same brown cloak she had on before and her walking stick with the mysterious red ruby, shining like Celestia’s sun. Pinkie observed her with macabre fascination - the rays of the gemstone hitting her face in an awe-striking manner.

“Zecora? Where did you come from?” inquired Pinkie, narrowing her eyes, trying to focus on the zebra. The soupy atmosphere made it hard to do so. Her mind felt fuzzy, like she tried pulling her thoughts out of a spider’s web. Zecora nods to Pinkie, a knowing smile forming on her lips.

She speaks to Pinkie in the same rhythmic speech that’s all too familiar to the mare. “The answers you seek lie ahead, but tread carefully, or you risk losing your head.”

Then, as though her job here was done, Zecora snuffs out the fire, and with it, Pinkie is surrounded by darkness.

“...PINKIE!” shouted Twilight. Pinkie opened her eyes, shaking her head violently.

“Huh-wha….where…” began Pinkie, confused out of her gourd. What was that? A dream? Where was I?

“Are you okay?” asked Twilight.

“I…I don’t know Twilight…where…?” Pinkie looked around. There she was, back at the campsite like nothing happened. Starlight was quietly writing notes about the ash. The other ponies were walking around, continuing their search for Fluttershy.

Twilight’s voice trembled with barely-contained frustration as she tried her best to explain the situation to Pinkie. “Pinkie, Fluttershy wandered off. We have no idea where she went. You said you were going after her, but then you just stopped, right in the middle of walking, like -- like something pulled you out of focus for a second.”

Twilight’s breath hitched as she rubbed her temple with her hoof. “I’ve been trying to snap you out of it for what feels like forever, but Starlight insists it’s only been ten minutes.”

Her voice wavered, and her eyes darted around, scanning their surroundings before fixing on Pinkie again. “You were muttering Fluttershy’s name under your breath, and then you--” Twilight’s voice cracked as she continued, “--you said ‘Zecora?’ like you saw her or something! But Pinkie, we haven’t seen any sign of Zecora since we’ve been here. None.”

Twilight’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide with worry as she lowered her voice, repeating the question. “Are you… Are you okay, Pinkie? What’s going on with you?”

Pinkie just stared at Twilight as she spoke, unable to formulate any sort of explanation for what just occurred. A slight ringing in her ears became audible, along with a pulsing frontal lobe that was increasingly noticeable. “I…I need to lie down, Twilight.” spoke Pinkie, holding her hoof against her head as a severe migraine began to develop.

“I found ‘er!” shouted Applejack, “she’s with a critter!”

“Oh, thank Celestia!” replied Twilight, a wave of relief washing over her. “I’ll be there in a minute, AJ. Rainbow Dash, you mind grabbing Pinkie? She’s clearly out of it - probably something to do with the Anomalous Zone.”

“No problem, Twilight!” replied Rainbow Dash, trotting up against Pinkie and lifting her up against her back, “come on, party pony.” Pinkie silently consented to the ride, as she found herself as out of it as the morning after a Summer Sun Celebration.

Fluttershy turned to the group approaching her, her smile as warm as melted butter and her eyes as soft as a turquoise pillow. “Girls, you’re here!” she would say, then her face became full of focus as she observed something on the ground. “I need a cloth, some rubbing alcohol, and a bandage. I have the cutest little creature here who’s oh-so-hurt.” She picked up the creature to show the group.

The ‘little creature’ Fluttershy referred to winced slightly at being picked up. A pair of ruby-red eyes stared at the group, as shiny as polished jewelry against the inky blackness that was its fur. The creature resembled a jackrabbit at a glance - long limbs, tall ears that tapered to a point and a small twitching grayish nose. Its back was hunched and its silhouette was lean and wiry. A set of antlers sat on its brow, gnarled bone as black as obsidian that curled into themselves much like the twisted branches of the burnt trees that surrounded the group.

To the yellow pegasus, despite its appearance, it was simply another creature in need of help. She examined the back forepaw the rabbit held close, the jagged tear and dried blood standing out starkly against the matted, starless night sky of its fur.

“Oh, you poor thing…” Fluttershy murmured to the rabbit, cooing over it like a mother to her foal. Her heart ached with sympathy as she spoke, her gentle voice melting into the unnatural silence of the forest. “there, there…it’s alright, little bun. I won’t hurt you.”

Rainbow Dash, being the fastest of the group despite the extra weight of Pinkie, approached the mare with the requested items. “Here you go!” she would say with enthusiasm, happy to help her friend. Seeing an opportunity for rest, she would turn to the group and suggest the idea. They agreed, not seeing an issue with it as Fluttershy worked her animal tending skills. Rainbow Dash sat Pinkie down next to Fluttershy, which gave Pinkie a full view of the mare’s handiwork.

Pinkie’s brain pounded against her skull as her gaze drifted to the small, trembling rabbit in Fluttershy’s hooves. A shiver ran down her spine as Fluttershy wiped the rabbit’s wound with gauze. It’s…just a bunny, she told herself, though the thought held no weight to it. The rabbit turned its head to Pinkie, staring at her as it underwent its medical procedure, not wincing at all as alcohol cleaned its wound. No…through me… thought Pinkie. Why does it have to look at me like that? The bunny’s eyes - red and sharp like bloodied broken glass - seemed to peer straight through her, like it knew something Pinkie didn’t.

The pain behind Pinkie’s own eyes throbbed to the timing of her heartbeat, each pulse feeling like a tiny explosion in her head. She blinked hard, trying to clear her vision, but it didn’t help the headache. In fact, it seemed to Pinkie that the headache only grew worse the longer she stared at the rabbit. Like staring into an unknown void. And the void stares back, with crimson mockery.

The world began to spin as drowsiness mixed with her migraine. The throbbing in Pinkie’s head turned to a dull, muffled thrum and she felt herself swaying. Pinkie slumped to the ground before she realized she was falling asleep, her vision fading to black as the strange red glow of the jackalope's eyes was the last thing she saw. The pressure in her skull receded slightly as unconsciousness took over her. As she fell asleep, the last coherent thought she had was half-formed and fractured:

Just…a bunny…

Pinkie woke up to the sound of a crackling campfire. It was nightfall; the infinite blanket of stars and the silvery claw of the moon shone through the canopy of trees. Her nap was dreamless, and her headache was nothing more than a slight swim of vertigo. She raised her head, finding herself wrapped in a blanket on top of a sleeping bag. She saw Twilight quietly sitting by the makeshift campfire, recording data on her notebook with Starlight. Applejack was making a mental note of their supplies. Fluttershy tended to the jackalope, wrapping a wing around the little bunny who was like Pinkie but a moment ago: asleep. Rainbow Dash, with Spike on her back, hovered above the campsite, scanning for any potential dangers. Rarity was brushing Pinkie’s mane as the mare raised her head.

“Ah, good, you’re awake, darling. Feel better?” asked Rarity, putting away the hairbrush. She too, huddled under a blanket for warmth with Pinkie, sipping on a cup of tea.

“I am. Thank you for asking, Rare.” responded Pinkie, fully getting up. She stretched, shaking what little weariness she had out of her. She walked toward her saddlebag, which was gently perched against a log, and rummaged through it. After a while, she pulled out something unexpected - a small, travel-worn guitar. Its wood was scuffed from years of use. Pinkie sat against the log and strummed the strings, causing the others to glance up curiously.

Twilight chuckled, seeing her friend up-and-about and in better spirits. “Where’d you get that?” she asked, with a faint smile across her face.

Pinkie looked up sheepishly. “Oh, I’ve had it for a while. One of those ‘just in case of emergencies’ kind of things. And tonight feels like one of those ‘need some music’ kind of emergencies.” The group paused their duties to sit and listen to the mare play. Pinkie gently strums a chord, the soft sound of the guitar breaking the stillness of the metallic air of the impromptu campsite. Applejack leaned against a rock, listening with a peaceful smile. Fluttershy hummed along with the tune, the jackrabbit leaning against her. Rarity lets the melody along with the tea soothe her nerves.

Pinkie played an old folk song - a simple, calming tune that she learned from somepony she can’t quite remember a long time ago. Her hooves glided over the strings with ease, her usual exuberant nature replaced with a quiet, serene focus. As she played, she glanced up at the stars and let her thoughts drift to the friends around her and the times they’ve had together. For a few minutes, the group is able to forget the potential danger around them and the strange phenomena they’ve encountered.

As Pinkie finished the song, Rainbow Dash smiled and said, “Pinkie Pie, that was exactly what we needed. Good call.”

Twilight smiled and affirmed Dash’s words, “Yeah, thanks Pinkie.”

Pinkie shrugged with modesty, “Hey, we all need a little party from time to time. Even if it’s a quiet one.”

As the group settled down for the night, the haunting folk melody lingered in the air. For the Mane Six, it was a reminder of the bond they share. A bond that has carried them through countless challenges before, and they hope will carry them through this one.

Twilight quietly dipped a feather in ink, the lantern’s flames flickering silently as she and Spike were the last ones awake. Spike pulled out some parchment for Twilight from her saddlebag, and Twilight began to write as though it were a timed essay - with haste and expeditious intent.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I hope that the ongoing discussions with the Changelings have been successful. I wanted to send you an update on our second expedition into the AAZ. We're safe for now—well, as safe as one can be in a place like this. We ‘ve set up camp for the night and plan to head back to Ponyville in the morning. With that said, though, there are a few developments that I must bring to your attention. Nothing immediate, but deeply unsettling.

Before we started our second expedition, everypony gathered at the Castle of Friendship. All of us seemed to be suffering from various levels of insomnia. It turns out that we’ve all been having nightmares - records of which will be included in this letter for Princess Luna’s analysis - and believe this may be caused by the AAZ’s influence. I’d like to ask if she would be able to visit us, even if just in our dreams, to provide us with guidance. Without a good night’s rest, it’s only going to get more difficult to research what’s out here.

During the expedition, we stumbled across what appeared to be an ordinary, abandoned campsite. There didn’t seem to be anything particularly remarkable about it at first, and we didn’t recognize the site or have any clue of who might have been in the AAZ before us. But as soon as we approached, the entire site - all of it - disintegrated into ash. I have collected some samples for further study back at the Castle, but I can’t shake the feeling it was some sort of a response to our presence - like the area is aware of us.

There’s something else, Princess: Pinkie Pie. She hasn’t been herself since we reached the campsite. She seemed distracted, and just stopped in her tracks - completely still and staring off into nothing. I tried to get her attention for almost ten minutes, and when she finally came to, she was murmuring something about Fluttershy and Zecora. We haven’t seen Zecora at all since the second expedition. She didn’t make much more sense after she came to, and developed a severe migraine. She managed to rest, and is in better spirits, but I’m keeping a close eye on her. I fear what is affecting her could be contributed to the AAZ in some manner.

Speaking of Fluttershy, she found a small creature during our expedition - a strange looking black jackrabbit. The wound on its rear leg is deep - deeper than any wild creature should be able to bear without going into shock - but it made no reaction as Fluttershy tended to its wound with what medical supplies we brought with us. She insists on bringing it back to her cottage for more care. I didn’t have the heart to refuse her. Besides, it could be worth examining, to give us some clue as to the mysteries of the AAZ.

I wish I had some clearer answers for you, Princess. The deeper we go, the more questions I have, and the fewer answers I’m left with. But Starlight and I will continue to record everything we can, no matter how miniscule. I want to believe we’re still in control and not blindly stumbling into the void.

We’ll keep pressing forward - I know there’s something waiting for us out here. I just hope we’re ready for it.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

7 A Familiar Friend

Present Day - The Zone. Ponyville, Equestria

The campfire crackles softly, casting a faint glow against the inky blackness that is the Zone’s night. The burnt out trees surround the pink mare, their branches frozen in place - holding their breath. Pinkie Pie tends to the fire with some more wood before reaching into her saddlebag, past a few trinkets she found, to pull out a familiar friend: her trusted guitar, slightly out of tune since its last use.

She takes a deep breath, and sits herself by a log before strumming the chords. The melancholic melody rings out into the empty night - soft and soothing like a foal’s lullaby, but deep and hollow, like a hymn in an abandoned church. Besides the music, it’s quiet in the Zone. Too quiet, thought Pinkie. The kind of quiet that pierces one’s bones, like a winter’s night. Pinkie strums on, trying to lose herself in the notes, trying to push away the gnawing memories creeping at the edges of her mind.

Then, from across the fire, she hears a voice - so gentle, so familiar. Pinkie stops playing, her heart skipping several beats. It can’t be…

“That’s a beautiful song, Pinkie…” spoke the mare, as yellow as a pale sun.

Fluttershy.

Pinkie’s eyes snap instinctively toward the source of the voice. The three butterflies on her flank were illuminated by the fire, her mane a vibrant peachy pink. It was her, feathered wings and all, sitting by the campfire. She’s watching Pinkie with soft eyes and a smile that harbors peace.

Her breath catches in her throat. For a moment, Pinkie just stares, her mind struggling to comprehend the impossible sight of her friend - the Element of Kindness - sitting across from her. Like a pale, yellow moth to a greenish flame.

She finally speaks, her voice trembling, “Fluttershy? Is…is that really you?”

The mare nods, her smile widening just a little. There’s something off about that smile - something a bit too fixed, too perfect. But Pinkie doesn’t want to see it. She wants to believe it is truly her friend, if but for a moment.

“Of course, Pinkie.” spoke the mare in her buttery soft voice, like a mother bird calling to her children. “It’s me. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Pinkie’s heart swells, and a tear slips down her cheek. She sets the guitar down gently beside her and gets to her hooves. The fire crackles louder now, throwing sparks randomly into the dark aether. The warmth of the fire seemed to fade away as Pinkie approached Fluttershy.

Fluttershy stands as well, stepping closer to Pinkie. The air between them feels heavy, like wading through water. Something isn’t right, Pinkie’s mind began to scream, she shouldn’t be here! But Pinkie continued to push away that voice, her desire for friendship overpowering any sort of logic.

Pinkie speaks, her voice choked with emotion, as if she’s ready to collapse into tears, “I-I thought…I thought I lost you. Like--”

A yellow hoof touches her lips, softly silencing them. “I know…I was never really gone, Pinkie. I just changed…”

Pinkie looked at Fluttershy’s hoof as they touched her lips, then looked back up at her friend. She could see it more clearly now in the light of the fire - the wrongness. Her coat is duller, her mane thinner, almost wispy. Her eyes shined too brightly in the darkness. They were glass marbles reflecting the firelight. Still, Pinkie forces a smile, clinging to the hope that this is indeed her friend.

“What do you mean, Flutters…?” asked the pink pony.

The yellow mare’s smile widened further, almost too wide for her face. The hoof that was once on Pinkie’s lips caressed her cheek. The touch is cold - far too cold for any living creature. Pinkie flinches at the icy touch, but doesn’t pull away. Her heart pounds in her chest, her mind begs her to run. The world around her begins to blur - whether by the forming tears in her eyes or the fog of the Zone, Pinkie does not know.

The guitar, laying by the log, begins to hum - a low, distorted sound - as if playing itself. Pinkie’s fur bristles at the odd noise, but she can’t seem to pull away from Fluttershy’s strange, too perfect smile. Her stomach drops, twisting on itself with unease.

Fluttershy inches her face closer to Pinkie’s, speaking in a sickly sweet whisper, like cotton candy left too long in the sun. It was here that Pinkie could peep behind the veil at the monster taking her friend’s form. Blackened veins contrasted against the mare’s fur, and she spoke once again. “The Zone…it’ll make everything better, Pinkie. You just need to let it in.”

The fire suddenly roars, casting monstrous shadows that dance along the trees, twisting them into demonic shapes. The air is frigidly cold, the fire offering no warmth. “Fluttershy’s” eyes glint in the flickering light, sunken into her face, now bone-like. Her smile stretches far beyond what is natural. Pinkie’s breath quickens, and she finds the strength to take a couple steps back, her hooves feeling heavy, like they’re stuck in the ground. The pegasus’s distorted form grows taller, looming over the pink mare, the shadows writhing in their unnatural, macabre dance. Pinkie trips, and crawls desperately towards her makeshift lean-to.

Fluttershy spoke again, her voice echoing unnaturally. “Join me, Pinkie. The Zone wants us. It’ll make us whole. Let it take you.”

She reached into her tent, and pulled out her Party Popper. She rolls over, and aims it at the creature - her friend. Her hooves shake as she brings up the scope, her body trembling at the sight of the anomaly before her.

Frantically, she pleaded with the monster. “I-I don’t want to do this! I just want you back! I just want things to go back to normal!”
The creature cocks its head, speaking once more tauntingly, shedding its facade and deepening its voice. “You can’t go back, Pinkie. Not now, not ever.”

Pinkie shuts her eyes tightly, waiting for death. Without thinking, she pulled the trigger. The explosion of the rifle barrel echoes throughout the forest like a whip-crack---

Pinkie wakes with a start. The campfire continues to crackle quietly beside her, the guitar lies restfully by the log’s edge. The confetti from the Party Popper flutters harmlessly to the ground around her, shimmering in the dim light of the fire.

She’s alone again. The branches of the Zone-infected forest loom around her, silent and oppressive. She throws the Party Popper, still in her hooves, off to the wayside. Her heart is still racing, and she wipes her tear covered face with her hooves, pressing them softly against her eyes. The image of Fluttershy lingered in the mare’s mind.

She pulls her hooves away, staring at them, trying to catch her breath. It was just a dream. She knows it was just a dream, but the visage of Fluttershy’s haunting smile won’t leave her. After her breath slows enough, she reaches into her saddlebag once more for another friend, Crystal Clear, and downs as much vodka as she can stomach - nearly half the bottle.

After a heavy sigh, softly to herself, Pinkie whispers. “I just…want them back.”

The fire crackles on as Pinkie lets the alcohol take her into another fit of sleep, her mind haunted by the echoes of her dream.

8 The Third Expedition

One Year Ago - Within the Aetherial Anomalous Zone. Ponyville, Equestria

Pinkie is suddenly awakened by a scream outside her tent. The scream is an all-too familiar sound from her drama queen of a friend, Rarity. In any other situation, it would be a mild annoyance. But here, it sent a chill down the pink pony’s spine. She scrambled out of her sleeping bag and unzipped her tent. When she stuck her head out, she realized why Rarity screamed.

Where are we?

It was clear that the place they woke up to was not the place they settled down in.The clearing, once surrounded with nothing but burnt-out trees, was now in the middle of a fairground. But unlike the familiar sights, sounds and smells of Nightmare Night or Hearth’s Warming, the fairground was in complete disrepair. Metal support beams creaked in a wind not felt by her fur. Rotten banners with the Emblem of Equestria listlessly flapped in the air. Ash floated away from them like dying leaves. The ground, which looked relatively normal last night, was now bleached and brittle. The grass around her tent was charred, as though the victim of a recent wildfire. The air itself was freezing, and an audible, staticy, clicking noise permeated throughout.

As Pinkie rubbed her eyes to get a better view, a heavy fog loomed into the area. It was here where the metallic taste, once just a slight aftertaste in her mouth, seemed to take over whatever morning breath she had. It tasted like she chewed on iron - bitter, cold, and sharp. As she looked into the fog, making a mental note of each of her friend’s tents, she could see that they seemed to shimmer in the fog, like heat waves in a desert.

But heat waves only happen when it's hot, Pinkie Pie. It feels like the middle of winter out here.

She downed some water in vain hope to wash out the metal taste, and approached Twilight, who looked at her map, checking and double-checking to make sure they made no mistakes in her directions. She then cantered toward Starlight, who was already up and furiously jotting down notes about a strange rusted artifact, half buried into the earth. It resembled a twisted, metal cube with flickering magic sigils branded throughout. A small, broken screen was visible from one side, which Pinkie concluded was “off” as she and Starlight’s reflections were visible. She paused her research as the pink mare approached her, and looked at her own map at Pinkie’s request. A cursory glance confirmed to Pinkie Pie that they indeed went on the marked path, and also confirmed Pinkie’s other suspicion - they were no longer in the same clearing.

Pinkie then approached Rarity - her unintentional alarm clock. She looked at the structure that gave her marshmallow friend a scare: a seemingly ordinary carousel. The longer Pinkie looked at it, however, the more unnerved she became. Discordant carousel music was barely audible, like being played from a gramophone on its last legs. What little paint was visible on the carousel was washed out and pale. As Pinkie looked closer at the ride, her eyes, trained from years of party planning to pick out colors of streamers and balloons, noticed that the aura of the ride was a sickly green.

Cracked, glassy-eyed ponies were frozen mid-gallop on the carousel, but not in the usual gallop a pony would make. As she observed one of the fiberglass ponies - a unicorn - its mouth agape and eyes fixated to look behind them, Pinkie could only come to one conclusion.

It’s running away from something.

She found herself following the pony statue’s eyes to the direction it would be “running” from - one of the stalls. To Pinkie, it was one of the biggest stalls in the area. From where she stood, she could see a mural, obscured by the fog. She walked closer to the muraled stall in complete autopilot.

As the mural became more visible, Pinkie realized that it resembled the same symbol as seen in the Cutie Map - a black dot surrounded by three, sickle shaped triangles twisting outward in a chaotic spiral. But unlike the map’s symbol, the mural’s arms were uneven and distorted. Pinkie sat in front of the symbol and stared at it, her eyes following the symbol’s arms.

Each arm of the spiral was composed of cutie marks - their cutie marks - painted in vivid, bleeding colors that heavily contrasted against the faded gray wood of the stall. The marks were arranged in a circular pattern and were warped and blotchy. Twilight and Fluttershy’s took up one “arm”, the unicorn’s starburst appeared jagged and cracked, and its arms were being dragged by Fluttershy’s three butterflies. The insects’ wings were painted with frayed, torn wings, and tiny specks of ash dotted the marks. They were “flying” toward the central black dot.

In another arm, Rainbow Dash’s lightning bolt was painted in broken streaks of chaotic cyan and crimson. Overlayed on top of the lightning bolt were three apples - Applejack’s cutie mark - bruised, split, and slightly rotten. The lightning ”struck” the central black dot, the paint fading away.

Rarity’s diamonds were painted on the third arm of the spiral - cracked, misshapen and uneven. They seemed to shimmer in unnatural sunlight, covered in a glitter-like substance. The diamonds, like the other marks, pointed to the central black dot.

It was after observing each arm that Pinkie’s eyes followed the marks to the dot. Upon closer observation, the dot was not completely “black”, but a deep emerald color. Three symbols overlayed over the dot: Starlight’s cutie mark, a green flame, and Pinkie’s cutie mark.

Starlight’s cutie mark was skewed and blurred at the edges, as though the darkness of the mural were swallowing it whole. The colors, like the carousel, were muted. The green flame next to Starlight’s cutie mark appeared vivid and ghostly. Its flames twisted outward like serpentine arms, clawing at Starlight’ star - it, too, consumed the cutie mark.

Just below the two symbols was Pinkie’s cutie mark. The overall arrangement of the three balloons were similar to an octopus. The orbs appeared sagged and wilted. One balloon was deflated and torn. The strings tangled and twisted downward, appearing sharp like barbed wire tentacles. The symbols of joy - corrupted and broken.

Pinkie followed her cutie mark’s “strings” to a phrase painted beneath the spiral. In streaks of smeared red and black paint were the words

Goodbye Harmony, I’m Dying Over You

hastily scrawled, as if whoever created the macabre mural was desperate to convey the message. The words bled and ran, like tears streaming down the surface of the wall. The “H” of the word “Harmony” was half-erased. Disintegrated.

Pinkie’s eyes were pin pricks the longer she observed the mural. Her stomach dropped to her knees, her heart jackhammered against her ribcage, and her body screamed one word to her:

Run.

It was then that another scream rang out in the air - Spike’s. Pinkie whipped her head to the direction of the campsite, and galloped as fast as she could. Then she saw it. A swirling black orb floated in the middle of their camp. The vortex that surrounded the orb glowed that same sickly green, which did not help to illuminate the tenebrous tendrils that tried to pull everything - their campsite, the artifacts around them, the carnival - into it. Starlight’s magic was clinging onto Spike, caught in one of the threadlike coils of darkness. It was clear she was exhausting as much magic as she could to hold onto the dragon.

“Keep calm, Spike! I got you!” shouted Starlight. Twilight and her other friends scrambled to stand behind her as she engaged in the desperate tug of war. Pinkie approached them.

“PINKIE! THE ELEMENTS!” shouted Twilight, the clicking noise of the air becoming louder, muffling any other noise around them. Already having them on from the previous night, the Elements glowed their familiar colors as the group planted their hooves firmly against the ground, and pointed their bodies in the direction of the orb. A rainbow shot out from the Equestrian jewelry, and for a moment, it seemed like there might be some solace. But the rainbow, rather than being absorbed by the swirling motion, deflected from the orb. Rejected by the orb. The vortex’s spinning motion allowed the Elements’ magic to mix with both Starlight’s magic beam and the Zone’s ambient magic.

It was Pinkie’s eyes who first caught what happened next - a visage that would haunt her forever.

Starlight began to glow. Her eyes shot open as the Zone-tainted magic reversed into her horn and invaded her body. Her pale eyes turned bloodshot. Her mane and fur fell away in clumps throughout her body as the burst of arcane corruption coursed through her bloodstream. What skin was visible was covered in blisters. Steam rose from all of her open orifices as she cooked from the inside out. Her screams were soon cut short, and she collapsed to the ground, her boiled eyes wide with shock and horror as what little life she had faded from them.

Spike, losing his tether to the world around him, succumbed to the void’s pull. In a desperate last act, he threw Starlight’s notes in a flurry and blew a green fireball, the items disappearing in a puff of flames and ash. His body stretched unnaturally as it got closer to the gaping hole of reality, his scales shimmered and twisted, and soon he was surrounded by the absence of light. His screams were muffled by the swirling murkiness that would be his tomb.

Then in one final gasp, the orb and its coils imploded on itself, collapsing inward in a whirl of blue-tinged light as bright as Celestia’s sun. The afterimage seared into the Mane Six’s retinas as they closed their eyes from the brightness. Once they opened their eyes, they could see that all that remained was Starlight’s body in a circular patch of scorched earth. She laid in front of the group, smoking and steaming from the aftermath. Her eyes stared at the group, her mouth agape - like the ponies of the carousel.

The group felt dizzy and nauseous. Their limbs shook uncontrollably. A prickling sensation spread throughout their coats, like being prodded by tiny, invisible needles. Their faces felt red-hot and sunburnt. Fluttershy ran off and expelled the contents of her stomach into a nearby bush, not able to hold it in any longer. Rainbow Dash flew toward her, her energy wavering as each wing flap felt heavier and heavier. Rarity nearly passed out where she stood, a nosebleed starkly contrasting against her white fur.

Pinkie stood frozen in place, her mind unable to process what had happened. Her ears rang. She unconsciously held a hoof to her stomach, her body barely able to muster standing up.

“No…! No, this isn’t right!” shouted Twilight, her voice trembling as tears broke her facade as she stood over Starlight’s charred corpse. She fought the sickness she felt with all her might. Emotions overtook the purple pony. She had lost her surrogate younger brother and her student in a matter of minutes. All she could repeat in heaving sobs were “I lost them! I lost them!”

Applejack tried to remain strong as she set a hoof on her shoulder. “Twilight. We need to get out of here. We need to report this to Celestia. She’s bound to wonder what happened.”

The next few hours were a blur. Pinkie couldn’t recall how, but they got out of the Zone, and ended up in Canterlot. Starlight Glimmer was given impromptu funeral rites and a burial in the Canterlot cemetery with only the Mane Six, Celestia and Luna present. It would be days before the public version of her and Spike’s deaths spread across Equestrian newspapers. Celestia vowed to not let what actually happened to her out, and had taken the records of today’s events - along with what Spike sent in his final act - to be filed in a heavily restricted wing of the royal library.

The Mane Six sat in a semi-circle in Celestia’s throne room after the funeral. The atmosphere was heavy with grief and exhaustion. The mares were still covered in dirt, grime, and skin-deep burns from the expedition. Pinkie quietly flipped through Starlight’s journal - her only memento of her former friend, now six feet under. The metallic tang of the Zone’s air clung to her throat.

Celestia was the first to speak, as was custom, but this was not a usual debrief or royal meeting, so her regal voice dropped to a soft demeanor, yet it carried the weight of her Crown’s authority. “Thank you all for your bravery. You brought her home.”

Twilight repeated what she said back in the Zone, “This isn’t right! This wasn’t in the plan--”

Applejack, too tired from today’s events to lie in silence, cut her off with a hard, honest edge to her voice. “Plans don’t mean a darn thing when you’re up against somethin’ like that Zone. We were in too deep, Twi. An’ now look what’s happened.”

Rainbow Dash, anger boiling over from the loss of two loyal companions, shouted. “We shouldn’t have hesitated! We waited too long, and that’s what got them killed.”

Twilight responded to them firmly, looking at them with vitriol. “Be respectful. We’re in front of Celestia! Besides, we were facing something we didn’t understand. Something we couldn’t fight head-on--”

Rainbow Dash responded, raising her voice, “Tell that to Spike and Starlight, Twilight! Maybe if we were braver, they’d still be here!”

Rarity, wiping her eyes, replied to Rainbow’s shouting with her own dose of anger. “Bravery had nothing to do with it, Rainbow Dash! We were all brave! Bravery does not stop whatever magic is in that Zone! We were outmatched the moment we stepped into that wretched place.”

Fluttershy, usually quiet and non-confrontational, spoke in a quiet but firm tone. “We couldn’t just rush in, Rainbow Dash! W-we should have known better. We lost them because we were out of our league.”

Twilight, overcome with grief, looked at her friends and spoke, her voice cracking. “I’m so sorry. I should have known. If I had just been smarter, or figured out the Zone’s magic sooner - none of this would have happened.”

Rainbow Dash, feeling alone after being shut down by her friends, stood up suddenly and pointed an accusatory hoof. “But you were the one leading us, Twilight! You made the call to use the Elements! If you’re going to take charge, you have to live with the consequences.”

This broke Twilight, and the tears fell. “You think I don’t know that?! That I have to live with this?! I failed Spike! I failed Starlight! I failed all of you.” She paused to wipe her tears, and looked down on the throne room floor. “I failed…myself…”

Rarity would speak this time, her voice a mixture of despair and frustration. “Then what are we supposed to do? Just give up? Leave the Zone to rot and spread across Equestria while we sit here and do nothing?”

Rainbow Dash, who had given up maintaining any sense of decorum, huffed at the very idea of sitting idly by. “Screw that. If you all are not gonna fight harder, then what’s the point? I’m not sticking around if we’re just going to sit here and lick our wounds.” She got up and turned toward the throne room door, not bowing, not looking at her friends as she continued, “Somepony’s gotta take the fight to that Zone, and if it’s not us, I’ll find ponies who will.”

Twilight, sensing her friend - the Element of Loyalty - leaving them in their time of grief, pleaded to Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow, please. I can’t lose anypony else.”

Rainbow turned toward her friend - the Element of Magic - and responded with a statement as sharp as any kitchen knife. “Then stop holding me back.”. She then flew out of the throne room, her departure reverberating through the marble floors.

Fluttershy couldn’t hold in her tears anymore, and spoke up, her voice too cracking under the emotional pressure. “I…I can’t do this anymore…” and ran out of the throne room as well. Before she left, the jackrabbit’s head popped up from her saddlebag, staring at the group before the throne room door slammed behind the yellow mare.

Applejack sighed, and looked at Twilight with a stern expression. “I hate to say this, Twi, but Rainbow’s got a point. We can’t do this if we don’t even know what we’re fightin’ against.” The Element of Honesty walked out and opened the throne room door, looking at her remaining friends and the Princess somberly before speaking once more, “Y’all know where to find me when you’ve figured things out.” She, too, walked out.

Rarity placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, and looked at her friend with a resigned expression. “Darling…don’t take their outbursts to heart. They simply need some time to process today’s events. And you do as well.” She gets up, and continues. “And so do I…we’ve lost so much in so little time…” With a sorrowful final glance, the Element of Generosity left the throne room as well.

Twilight is left standing before Princess Celestia, the events of today crushing both of them. Celestia, for the first time since her reign, was at a loss for words. The two Princesses stare at each other - mentor and student, ruler and subject - trying to find words to say, but neither are able to speak. Finally, Twilight collapses into Celestia’s chest, and Celestia instinctively wraps her wings around her Faithful Student, who was beside herself.

Through her sobs, Twilight spoke into Celestia’s chest. “I don’t…don’t know what to do anyone, Princess. I don’t know how to…to fix this…”

Celestia stroked the mare with her wing, and assured her that she was also in the same boat. “Neither do I, my faithful student…”

Suddenly, a voice spoke from where the former friends sat. “I do.”

It was then that the two Princesses realized that Pinkie Pie was still there. She remained silent throughout the arguing. Her mane was limp and dull, almost flat. She barely moved, save for flipping through the journal. Tears were clearly streaming down the party mare’s cheeks, but she didn't wipe them away. Her gaze drifted to the stained glass windows of the throne room, the sun's rays muted as they shone on the three. She had replayed those last moments over-and-over again in her head. The image of Starlight’s charred corpse. The implosion. The screams. The clicking of the air. The carousel. The mural. Goodbye Harmony.

She turned to the two Princesses, clutching the journal against her chest. Her expression was dark, muted, and determined. She then spoke again, to the Princesses. Her voice was bitter and cold, absent of emotion. “I know what to do. To make sure this never happens to anypony again. Twilight, we need to head back to your castle.” Twilight could only muster the energy to nod. A carriage was already set to return the pair back to Ponyville.

The ride back was silent as Pinkie continued reading the journal.

9 Her Final Gift

Castle of Friendship - nightfall

The atmosphere in Twilight’s castle lab was stark. Once a place of endless curiosity, filled with the sounds of discovery, now felt cold and sterile. The two mares didn’t say much to each other as Twilight worked at the workbench. Pinkie sat on a stool a few feet away, still flipping through Starlight’s journal - something meaningless to keep her mind occupied. To keep her thoughts of the recent events at bay.

The only sounds that echoed in the castle’s halls for a few hours were metal scraping against metal, the hum of Twilight’s magic, and the occasional crackle of energy. Twilight levitated the disassembled parts of Pinkie’s old party cannon. The familiar blue metal glinted faintly as she worked with practiced precision.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence, Pinkie spoke softly. “This could have saved them.”

Twilight’s magic faltered as the statement caught her off guard. She paused briefly before continuing her work. Her eyes remained focused on the cannon’s modifications as she replied, “You can’t know that, Pinkie. We had no way of predicting what would happen.”

Pinkie laughed bitterly at the statement before continuing to flip through the journal in her hooves. “I should have known, though. I’m always the one who’s prepared, right? The one with backup plans for the backup plans? Secondary cakes, emergency streamers, surprise balloons. But I wasn’t prepared for this. And now, they’re gone.”

Twilight looked at her friend, dark circles around her tired eyes. She set down the cannon pieces and approached Pinkie slowly, her hooves making soft clicks against the crystal floor. She looked at Pinkie with a shared sadness as she responded. “You’re not the only one who feels like that, Pinkie. I keep thinking that, maybe if instead of the Elements, I casted a different spell or if we’d reacted faster--”

“No.” Pinkie cut her off, shaking her head. She glanced up at Twilight, and for a moment their eyes met. Within that moment was the old Pinkie - the one full of warmth and laughter - flickering behind her eyes. But she was gone as quickly as she had appeared. “No, Twilight. It wasn’t just you. We all messed up. We went in thinking we could handle this, and we couldn’t. We weren’t prepared.”

There was a long pause between them. The silence felt heavy, like they were back in the Zone. Back to witnessing Starlight and Spike’s deaths. Back to being pulled in by the orb. Twilight hesitated, her mind racing for the right words to ease both their pains. But she knew there weren’t any.

She instead held up the modified cannon - now a makeshift rifle - and spoke once more before returning to the workbench, “I just need to make a few more adjustments, Pinkie.”

Pinkie, not wanting to sit anymore, stood and walked over to Twilight’s side. She watched as Twilight pieced the rifle together with precise movements that only magic could do. Every click and twist of metal resonated in the stillness of the room. When the final piece slid into place, Twilight handed the rifle over to the pink mare.

“It’s done.” she said, her voice almost hollow.

Pinkie stared at the rifle for a long moment, her eyes tracing every curvature, every detail. It was sleek, the party cannon’s familiar colors were bright and vibrant. The design, still largely a cannon, was enhanced with a long barrel and a reinforced frame for accuracy. A scope was welded into the top, to give the rifle the ability to aim more precisely. A sigil was inscribed in the back of the cannon - the containment spell noted in Starlight’s journal. Starlight intended the spell to be a means of deterring an anomaly. Twilight modified the written spell’s strength and enhanced it to not just deter or immobilize, but kill.

A tool of joy turned to an instrument of violence.

She took the rifle from Twilight’s magical grasp and cradled it close to her chest, like a foal clutching a treasured toy.

“I’ll take care of it.” Pinkie whispered, her voice barely audible.

Twilight watched her, feeling the weight of what had transpired between them. She wanted to say something - to reach out to the pink pony, to tell her that they were still friends. That this wasn’t the end. But she couldn’t find the words. Instead, she nodded, her own heart heavy with the knowledge that their friendship was no longer what it once was.

Their friendship, once bright and unbreakable, now hung by the thinnest of threads. And they both know that even the slightest pull one way or the other could snap it entirely.

Pinkie broke the weighted silence, her voice steady and devoid of her usual cheer. “Thank you, Twilight. For this.”

Twilight swallowed the lump of grief in her throat, and spoke back, her voice, too, devoid of any happiness. “You’re welcome.”

Without another word, Pinkie turned and left the lab, the rifle she mentally dubbed the “Party Popper” slung onto her back. The sound of the door opening and closing behind her echoed in the empty castle walls, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts.

Twilight found herself staring at the Cutie Map. At the symbol floating above it. She hadn't just helped Pinkie build a weapon. She had built a wall - a wall between them, separating what was from what could never be again. She crumpled into a ball on her throne, and sobbed herself to a restless sleep.

10 The Answer

Present Day - The Zone. Ponyville, Equestria

Pinkie trudged through a twisted, unrecognizable part of the Zone. Her saddlebag was heavy with trinkets, and Pinkie was sure she should have turned around ages ago, for the heavier she is, the more immobile she became. Her hooves sunk into the ashen soil with each step she took. How many days has it been, Pinkie? Three? Four? A week? Her mind would ask.

She didn’t have an answer - not that it mattered. Her breathing is labored, each step a battle against her own creeping despair. The sky above her was a muted emerald, and it began to rain. The raindrops felt prickly against the mare’s fur, but she didn’t care. And then she sees her - the all-too familiar zebra, standing in the middle of her path. Zecora.

Pinkie could only find the strength to stare at her. Her dulled eyes held heavy bags. Her breath tasted of old chocolate, iron, and vodka. With a pause, she spoke, her voice hoarse. Either from the sleepless nights, her crying fits, or the trip overall.

“I…I don’t know if you’re real, Zecora. Are you…really here?”

Zecora stepped closer to the pink mare, though her hooves made no sound against the spongy ground. Her presence was almost haunting. Despite everything, Pinkie felt a strange comfort from it. The zebra replied to Pinkie’s question, in her usual rhythmic cadence, though it was softer and more distant - as if Zecora was speaking from fifty feet away and not right next to her.

“Real or not, what does it mean; when your heart’s been torn and keen? In the Zone, truths twist and fray - you must decide what you will pay.”

Pinkie found herself removing her saddlebag from her back and setting it in front of her - an offering for Zecora or the Zone, she did not know. Nor did she care at this point. She kneeled and pleaded with the zebra. “Why are you here? What do you want from me?”

The zebra’s eyes softened, her expression remained illegible. Her gaze lingered on the pink pony for what felt like a lifetime, unreadable and unwavering.

“I am but a guide, a fleeting shade; to warn you of the choice you’ve made. Beyond this point, there lies a test - a secret cradled in a nest.”

Pinkie’s heart leaped out of her chest. Could it be the answers she has sought?

“What I desire…it’s close, isn’t it?” asked Pinkie. Zecora nods in response, her expression darkening.

“Close it is, yet far in cost. Are you prepared for what you’ve lost? In seeking this, you leave behind - the safety of your fragile mind.”

Pinkie clambored to her feet, her gaze locked with Zecora. She knows she can’t turn back. Not now. Not when she’s so close. Even if she wanted to, there’s nothing left for her outside of the Zone - only the memories of her friends.

“I have to do this, Zecora. That's all I want now. It’s all I’ll ever want.”

Zecora nods slowly, then steps aside. Behind her is a seemingly normal path that wound deeper into the Zone’s depths.

“Then walk this path, your final vow; The Zone has claimed you, here and now. Pinkie Pie - beware the lie. For what you seek, not all survive.”

Pinkie Pie walked past the zebra, and after a few steps she glanced back. The zebra was gone. She didn’t care. It doesn’t matter.

Pinkie galloped deeper into the blind with all her might. The burnt trees whipped past her, with branches smacking against her body. She didn’t care. She kept running. Running until she hit a clearing. And in front of her, was her answer. The heart of the Zone.

It isn’t a place, nor a thing. It was a warping of the very essence of existence. A swirling anomaly that refused to be looked at directly. It flickered in-and-out of her sight. Colors and hues that shouldn’t exist bled into one another, wrapping themselves around something massive. A vast, oval-shaped form, faintly pulsating with a greenish glow. The surface this object “sat” on is blackened and molten. It leaked petrified, darkened lava into the ground.

No heartbeat. No breath. But she would call this object alive. Pinkie blinked, and the surface of this object rippled, almost like liquid. A faint cracking sound, like an egg about to hatch, became audible. But whatever lies within doesn’t emerge. Not yet. It was as if whatever it was bided its time, waiting for the moment when it would break open and unleash whatever is within.

She blinks again, and the object shifts and shimmers once more with colors too bright to stare at. Her breath is unsteady and shallow. Her fur bristles and tingles with a creeping numbness. She feels her bones ache, like something was rotting within her.

Whatever this is, is something far beyond her own understanding. As she set her Party Popper down in front of her, she too, felt compelled to sit. Sit and stare at the Zone’s core, bubbling and melting. Cracking and hardening. Waiting for the right moment to hatch.

For the heart’s birthday will come soon.

Author's Note

If you've reached the end of this fanfiction, thank you so much!

I started writing this in honor of STALKER 2's announcement, and accomplished my goal of finishing it before its release. This fanfiction is very much inspired by the same thing that inspired STALKER: Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, so much so, that the title itself is a synonym of the original book's title, and the cover art (drawn by me) is similar to its modern cover.

Rather than do what many fanfics do and "add ponies to X world" (and what younger me would have done in a FiMFiction account lost to time over a decade ago), when I finished reading Roadside Picnic over the course of a week (the game announcement really inspired the little Stalker in my heart) I pondered the thought of "what if this happened in Equestria?"

What if some unknown force visited Ponyville, but didn't acknowledge anypony? What if no one noticed their visit, and they simply packed up and left, leaving behind things waiting to be discovered, and (to the pony's eyes) an unknown magic that would change Ponyville, the Mane Six, Celestia and in large part Equestria, forever?

I chose Pinkie Pie as the main character for this fanfiction because "pink" is a lighter shade of "red" and "Red" is the main character of Roadside Picnic. I really recommend reading it if you're into sci-fi and horror - it is a fantastic novel that I took me years to get a copy, and a week straight to read. I simply couldn't put it down. I also listen to ton of music while I write, and towards the big climax, one song the little earworm latched onto was "Goodbye Horses" by Q Lazzarus, which seems very fitting for a dark story like this.

I'm currently in the works of writing a sequel to this story, as I view this story as "setting the scene" for post-Zone Equestria. I'm not done with the world Trailside Banquet has set up, and I hope many of you are along for the ride. I do this mainly for fun, so it will be a bit before the second entry, but I will publish it soon.

Until then, stay safe my friends!

Aureo