My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic — Season Ten

A young, black seapony filly with yellow hooves, fins, mane, and eyes quickly swam through the ocean away from Equestria, her tears mixing in with the water. "I don't need friends," she grumbled to herself.

She continued to swim until she found an island miles away from Equestria. She knew she probably wasn't even in Equestria anymore. And she was one for exploring. She swam up to the surface and jumped out of the water, changing into her hippogriff form and landing on the solid land. It was full of trees and had a large mountain in the center of the island. There was a dark cloud over the mountain, making it look rather ominous. But the young hippogriff didn't care.

She left the sandy shore of the island and pushed her way through bushes as she made her way further into the island. She didn’t see or hear any wildlife. The only ambient noises were the rustling of leaves as the wind blew past.

The hippogriff soon found herself in a clearing near a large mountain. Before her was a cave that led inside. The hippogriff made her way inside and found a pathway spiraling up the inside of the mountain. At the top was an opening that overlooked an eerie-looking castle sat atop another mountain. A stone bridge connected the opening to the castle. The hippogriff slowly made her way across the bridge. When she was about halfway, she let out a gasp and jumped back as a magic bolt struck where she was standing. A purple alicorn with curly white twin-tails landed in front of her.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?!" The alicorn demanded.

The hippogriff narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. "You almost hit me!" She shouted angrily.

The alicorn raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

"You better be!"

"You 've certainly got a mouth on you, little one."

The hippogriff looked past the alicorn at the castle. "Do you actually live in there?"

"Of course. Why?"

The hippogriff shrugged. "It's cool."

The alicorn then smiled lightly. "Say... Would you happen to be from Equestria?"

"Yeah?"

"Hmm... My name is Opaline Arcana. Yours?"

The hippogriff eyed her suspiciously. "Eve."

"Would you like to come inside?"

"And then she brought me inside and gave me this necklace," Eve explained as she held up her gemstone.

Crimson leaned in with a smirk. "An opal. a precious opal, to be exact. So, she enchanted this to detect magic and that's how you found Chrysalis out?"

"That. And I picked up on her interest in Starlight."

Crimson stood upright. "And what did you hope to gain by following Chrysalis here?"

"I was hoping if I helped you, you'd help me."

Crimson was about to reply before her eyes fell back on the opal necklace. "Opaline trusted you. I don't see why I can't give you a shot. Besides, having two of you at the School will be much more useful. Though, you two should probably head back before anypony notices."

Chrysalis, still disguised as Posey, eyed the hippogriff before she turned and trotted away. Eve noticed and quickly trotted after her. As they left, Cozy and Tirek walked up behind Crimson.

"Can we really trust her?" Asked Cozy.

"Doesn't matter. If she betrays me, it'll be the last thing she does." Crimson then turned around and stopped suddenly, her eyes falling on the filly. "What's your name again?"

Cozy frowned. "It's... Cozy Glow."

"Oh. Right," Crimson muttered, before she made a disgusted "Ugh" sound as she trotted away.

Chrysalis and Eve returned to the school under the cover of night. "Don't think this makes us..." Chrysalis began.

"Friends?" Eve finished. "Don't worry. I prefer the term... partner."

The changeling shrugged. "Works for me. Now get to bed and say nothing. Crimson isn't a pony you want to upset. Trust me."

"Are you scared of her?"

"Everyone should be scared of her," Chrysalis said before she teleported back to her room, leaving the hippogriff alone.

Luster sat up in her bed and quickly trotted over to her game plan she had on her desk. "Alright. Sundial and... Shade." She sighed heavily and looked out the window. "Today's gonna be interesting."

Posey left her dorm and turned around to see Eve standing there. "Um... What do you want?"

"I was just wondering," the hippogriff said as the two began walking to their class. "Are you ever gonna show me the real you?"

"We're at school," Posey said as she looked around to see if any creature was listening to them. "In a public place. I'm not risking it."

"What about when we go back to our private place?" Eve asked. "You know, our... hideout?"

Posey glared at her. "Would you like to keep it down?"

"Would you like to answer the question?"

Posey sighed. "Fine. Tonight."

Eve smiled. "Cool."

Luster found Sundial and Shade by the music shop. When they noticed her, they stopped their conversation. "Uh-oh," the griffin said with a smile. "I think she wants to try another apology."

"Ha ha ha," Luster said as she trotted up to them. "Actually, I've been thinking."

"Oh, we're really in trouble," the stallion said.

Luster ignored him. "I have figured that everyone requires different methods of apology. For example, I think Sunny, here, just needs time and you, Shade... I betrayed your trust so I need to get you to trust me again."

"Really?" Shade asked. "Any ideas?"

"Absolutely none. Because I didn't simply betray your trust. I could've gotten you all killed. There's nothing I can do to make it up to you. No amount of time can fix that. But I'm gonna keep trying. I'm gonna be the best friend you've ever had."

Shade chuckled and trotted up to her. "No need to get obsessive. I forgive you."

Luster went wide-eyed. "What, really?"

"Yeah, why not?" Sundial asked with a shrug.

"W... How come?" Luster asked. "What'd I do?"

Shade smiled. "You clearly feel bad and are trying really hard. That shows you care."

"Exactly," Sundial added with a nod.

"I came to you crying in the night," Luster said plainly. "In the rain."

"True," the griffin said with a smile. "But you were caught up in the moment. You've had to calm down since them. Now, don't think you've earned my trust back. But you can stop trying to get an apology out of me, okay?"

Luster smiled and nodded. "Okay."

"Good. Now... wanna help me pick out a drum set?"

Luster gasped happily with a wide smile.

Celestia and Luna flapped their wings as they soared through the sky side-by-side. "Anything yet?" Luna asked.

"Nothing."

"Maybe she is biding her time? If so, I think we should land and rest. We have been flying for hours."

Celestia sighed and nodded. "You're right. I just hope Crimson doesn't try anything while we aren't looking."

Silverstream entered the throne room as Twilight stood up from her throne. "Silverstream. Welcome."

"Starlight said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes. She said you mentioned that you knew Eve?"

"I remember a hippogriff like her from back home. That's it."

"Has she told you about Cozy Glow and the other two?"

Silverstream nodded. "She told me everything before she sent me here."

"I need you and the other five to be prepared for anything. Cozy now has the support of one of the most dangerous alicorn's we've ever faced. I want to keep this hush-hush. Just for now. We don't want to start a panic."

"I understand. I'll go tell the others immediately."

"And... tell the teachers, too. Just no students. And try and make sure Posey or Eve aren't around when you do."

The hippogriff nodded. "So, that's why you wanted to see me here."

"Yes. We can't trust either of them. Not until we know for sure."

"Of course."

Posey sat in Fluttershy's class with a bunny on her desk, smiling at her. "This is torture."

"It's not so bad," a mare next to her said as she nuzzled her bunny. "They're really cute." She was a purple pegasus with spiky white mane and tail. Her green eyes moved from the bunny to the pony next to her. "You don't like bunnies?"

"I don't like... cute things," Posey said as she stared at the bunny.

"That's weird. But that's what this place helps with."

"Why must I like cute things?"

The pegasus shrugged. "It's really supposed to help loosen you up. Get you relaxed so you aren't so tense. You could make more friends if you were a little more... calm?"

Posey sighed and eyed her before she looked at her bunny. "Hi, there, you... cute... little... creature," she said through clenched teeth. The bunny squeaked happily. "Looking at you... doesn't make me want to throw up in my mouth."

"That's... a start. I guess. I'm Violet Skies. Some call me Vi Sky, but... most just call me Violet."

Chrysalis eyed her. "Posey."

"Well, Posey. Nice to meet ya." Violet then went back to her bunny.

Chrysalis kept her eyes on the pegasus before she returned them to her own bunny. With a sigh, she reached a hoof out and gently rubbed the bunny's head.

That afternoon, Luster sat with Shade by the big tree in the Prairies while the griffin played her guitar. "So..." Luster began. "Gonna try the drums tonight?"

"Probably tomorrow," Shade answered as she strummed away with a mellow, calming tune. Luster looked up at the stars. It was a cloudless night and the stars shown brightly in the sky. Shade eyed her as she played. "What's on your mind?"

"Everything. Crimson. Twilight. Chrysalis. Tirek. My friends. There's a lot happening and it's all happening at once."

The griffin nodded. "Yeah, I... I know this must be pretty stressful for you. Bein' the princess' prized student and bein' expected to deal with this threat. I'll try and be more supportive, but... if it comes down to a fight... I don't have any magic."

"I know. I don't expect you or the others to stand up to Crimson. Just... don't leave me alone."

Shade stopped playing. She gently set her guitar down before she put an arm around the unicorn. Luster leaned against her. "I'm not goin' anywhere."

Starlight, Silverstream, Gallus, Smolder, Sandbar, Yona, and Ocellus were all gathered inside the old Ponyville castle's throne room. "I can't believe they're back," Gallus said. "And Cozy Glow."

"Without the Tree Of Harmony, there are no Elements, right?" Ocellus asked worriedly.

"True," Starlight said. "The physical Elements are gone. But, remember, the power they had resides in you six. Until it's officially passed down, that is."

"How do we do that without the Tree?" Silverstream asked. "Wasn't it the Tree that gave us this power?"

"Also true," Starlight replied with a sigh. "I'm going to investigate the site of the Tree tomorrow. See if there's anything there to help us. But no one's seen anything in thirty years."

"Maybe with Crimson back..." Smolder began.

Starlight nodded. "The Tree was always there for Twilight and her friends in the past. Now that there's another threat... perhaps we can find a way to bring the Tree back."

"That seem like big if," Yona pointed. "If this no work... we're all doomed."

"Oh, don't feel so down, Yona," Sandbar said with a reassuring smile. "Sure, times look tough. But we have each other. Not to mention Luster Dawn. We'll be fine."

"I hope Sandbar right."

"What should we do?" Asked Smolder.

"For now?" Starlight started. "Keep an eye on Eve and Posey. Report anything. Be cautious. If Posey is Chrysalis, and she finds out we're on to her, she could attack and endanger the other students."

"What if we find out for sure she's Chrysalis?" Asked Gallus. "How do we confront her safely?"

"Either way, the other students are in danger," Sandbar added.

"Let's just take this one step at a time," Starlight said as she looked around at all of them.

Ocellus let out a sigh. "I think I have a plan. But I'm not going to like it."

This made everyone turn to look at her.

Posey and Eve landed outside Crimson's cave before they both entered to see the red alicorn stretching as she stood up. "What's up with you?" Asked the changeling.

"I'm heading out," Crimson said as she approached them.

"Out?" Asked Posey. "Aren't the princesses looking for you?"

"I was watching them. They seem to be taking a break. My patience has worked. Good night, you two," she cooed, before she shot off out of the cave in a burst of smoke.

Posey and Eve eyed each other, the hippogriff's smile widening. "Well?" Eve asked.

Posey sighed and, in a pillar of green magic, changed back into her changeling form. Eve gasped loudly. "Wow! You're cool-looking."

"I don't know about..."

"And you have holes in your legs! Would you feel it if I shoved something through them?"

Chrysalis sighed. "This is going to be a long night."

Luster awoke the next morning, feeling pretty good at her friendship progress. After she showered and made breakfast, she went to sit at the kitchen table to eat her food. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. She set her fork down and swallowed what was in her mouth before she went to see who it was. She let out a sigh as she opened the front door.

"How can I help..." She began to ask, before she stopped, her eyes going wide.

"Good morning," Crimson Ash greeted. "May I come in?"

TO BE CONTINUED